April 19 might not mean much to most normal people, but if you’re a passionate and rabid music collector (like me), the date cannot come soon enough. That’s because this Saturday marks the 7th Annual Record Store Day event, an unofficial music holiday where artists and record labels release exclusive products (typically vinyl reissues, singles, and compilations)which are sold exclusively on that day in thousands of independent record stores all around the globe.
There’s bound to be something for everyone from the many releases exclusively available on Record Store Day. However, trying to make sense of the massive, sprawling list of releases for this year’s event can be an incredibly daunting task. Thus, to make things a bit simpler, here are five of my top picks for Record Store Day releases that I would strongly suggest to just about any music lover.
Joy Division – “An Ideal for Living”
12″ Vinyl
Joy Division is a band I’ve cherished for many years now, and I’m certainly not alone with that. Though they were unfortunately short lived, the late 70’s Manchester post-punk band has been incredibly influential in the world of punk, new wave, and indie rock, and their two full-length releases, “Unknown Pleasures” and “Closer,” are undeniable classics. However, even I wasn’t aware that “An Ideal for Living,” their debut EP, even existed until it was announced for Record Store Day this year.It seemed to mainly exist as an obscure bootleg until now. Re-mastered and “re-imagined” on vinyl, this Record Store Day exclusive is an important piece of music history finally being unearthed, and I’ll definitely be hunting this gem down Saturday morning.
The Field – “From Here We
Go Sublime”
12″ Vinyl Reissue
Swedish techno producer Axel Wilner, a.k.a. The Field, may not be a household name like Skrillex or deadmau5, but in 2007 the producer still crafted one of the finest and most alluring pieces of dance music ever recorded – his debut LP “From Here We Go Sublime.” Though not as bombastic as man of today’s festival headliners, the album’s serene techno loops and subtle builds made for a sensual, dreamy, and euphoric experience topped by few other electronic producers since. Released for the first time ever on vinyl for Record Store Day, this release is a must for anyone passionate about electronic music, and I could only imagine the robust, earthy sound of vinyl would be an excellent fit for The Field’s organic electronica.
Disclosure – “Apollo”
7″ Single
Though they’re only beginning to burst into the U.S.’s music consciousness with their hit single “Latch (feat. Sam Smith),” Disclosure, consisting of brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence, were one of the UK’s biggest electronic music sensations last year, with their singles and debut album “Settle” taking the British music scene by storm. “Apollo,” Disclosure’s most recent single (available physically for the first time on April 19), sticks with the duo’s brand of super polished, stylish and catchy-as-hell electro-pop, but stretches things into the long-form for nearly seven minutes of smooth, infectious dance music bliss.
The Zombies – “Odyssey & Oracle”
12″ Vinyl Reissue
Most know this short lived 60’s band for their hit song “Time of the Season,” but not enough credit has been given to their second album and masterpiece, “Odyssey & Oracle,” a 60’s psychedelic flower-pop gem which easily rivals that of “Sgt. Peppers” or “Pet Sounds.” Maybe it’s because the British band self-destructed so soon after releasing it, but with dense, mesmerizing psych-pop standouts like “A Rose for Emily,” “Beachwood Park” and “Hung Up on a Dream,” the group seemed a perfect fit for the 60’s sunny weirdness, and their songs are still catchy enough to stand strong today. For fans of 60’s rock and pop, this is truly an underappreciated gem you cannot afford to miss on Record Store Day.
Parquet Courts – “Sunbathing Animal”
7″ Single
Hailing from Texas and currently based in Brooklyn, Parquet Courts garnered a lot of attention in indie rock circles last year for their debut album, “Light Up Gold,” which consisted of 15 quick, dirty, and stripped down blasts of knotty post punk full of spastic energy and charm. Though they seemed to come out of nowhere with such a strong debut, the band have proved they’re no fluke with “Sunbathing Animal,” the uproarious first single off their next album (of the same name). Getting it’s physical release exclusively on Record Store Day, the four-minute pipe bomb of a track is the most intense and heart-stopping song the band has ever conceived, but still has that wire-y upfront-ness that makes the band such a consistent blast to listen to. The single alone is worth owning even before the full album is released.
PHOTO TAKEN from recordstoreday.com
