The Weekender: Record Store Day Edition
The 10 new vinyl I'm intrigued by this RSD weekend.
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What to Do to This Weekend
Record Store Day is Saturday, April 20th!
Happy Record Store Day to all those who celebrate! Tomorrow’s global event honors independent record stores and the culture of vinyl. This is the physical music collector’s Black Friday, with over 1400 indie brick-and-mortars in the US and thousands of similar stores participating internationally.
Here’s the full list of Record Store Day releases; there’s 375+ vinyl, broken up into three categories:
RSD Exclusive: vinyl only available at indie record stores.
RSD First: vinyl first available at stores, but may be online at some point.
Small Run/Regional: vinyl specific to a region or store, or press runs /1000.
For a rough idea on how much vinyl will cost, my local Orlando shop Park Ave CDs has posted their prices.
If you can’t make it in person on Saturday, many stores put their leftovers online as early as the next day, usually at 8 AM local time. Be sure to turn on notifications to my Twitter where I’ll be posting up-to-the-second finds.
This year’s RSD features big names like The Beatles, Pearl Jam, Noah Kahan, Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd, Pearl Jam, and The 1975. I dug in a little deeper and highlighted ten other releases that may be worth waiting in line for.
South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert
RSD First Release, Limited to /4000, Retail Price: $52.98
South Park recently celebrated 25 years with an epic Red Rocks concert featuring creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone along with Primus, Ween, and Rush (appearing for the first time since Neil Peart passed away). Available on vinyl for the first time, this 3 LP set is pressed on “Towelie-Blue” wax.
If you haven’t watched the concert yet, it’s free on YouTube and incredibly impressive throughout.
At the Drive-In - In/Casino/Out
RSD First, limited to /3500, Retail Price: $28.98
Now this is what RSD should be doing: repressing long out of print bangers that have high demand and go for hundreds of dollars on the resale market.
Punk rockers At the Drive-In’s 1998 second album In/Casino/Out is a helluva record that was recorded live to capture the intensity of their live shows. This one was pressed on purple and green smoke vinyl to compliment the album cover.
Paramore - Re: This Is Why
RSD Exclusive, Limited to /10000, Retail Price: $25.98
I may be in the minority but I enjoyed Paramore’s This Is Why remix album more than the original. The list of contributors is insane: Panda Bear, the xx’s Romy, Bartees Strange, Julien Baker, Wet Leg, Foals, Zane Lowe, DOMi & JD Beck, Remi Wolf, the Linda Lindas, and Claud. If that was a festival, I’m buying presale tickets.
Team Sleep - Team Sleep
RSD First, Limited to /5000, Retail Price: $47.98
Deftones side project Team Sleep finally gets released on vinyl for the first time. This special edition is pressed on gold double vinyl and includes two previously unreleased outtakes: "Let's Go" featuring Mary Timony, and "Kool Aide" featuring Mike Patton of Faith No More. This may be one you need to get in line for as it’ll likely go fast.
Fleet Foxes - Live on Boston Harbor
RSD Exclusive, Limited to /4000, Retail Price: $42.98
Recorded live on the "Shore Tour," Fleet Foxes performed a marathon 27 song, two hour career-spanning set on August 10, 2022 in Boston, Mass. Get this future classic on triple black vinyl with an orange OBI wrap.
Speaking of, I am giving away a signed Fleet Foxes live album to a lucky paid subscriber this month; read here for all the details.
Militarie Gun - Life Under the Sun
RSD Exclusive, limited to /2000, Retail Price: $19.98
In January, Militarie Gun released Life Under the Sun, their stripped back version of their critically acclaimed debut album Life Under the Gun. Featuring guest appearances from Manchester Orchestra, Bully, Pool Kids, and Mannequin Pussy, this five song collection is available on “sunspot” colored vinyl.
Militarie Gun just released a fun 30 minute mini documentary on the EP, recorded and filmed at Manchester Orchestra’s home studio.
We are also giving away Life Under the Gun (which landed #4 on our 2023 Album of the Year list) to a lucky paid subscriber!
Slum Village - Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit)
RSD Exclusive, Limited to /2500, Retail Price: $32.98
Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit) is the fourth studio album by Detroit hip-hop group Slum Village. Released in 2004, it features Kanye West, John Legend, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and even a rare microphone appearance from J Dilla himself. This release is pressed on clear with orange splatter wax.
The Cranberries - Bury The Hatchet
RSD First, limited to /4000, Retail Price: $34.98
Another good job by RSD in finding an out-of-press album with high demand and higher resale price. This release of The Cranberries fourth album Bury The Hatchet features the original album, plus five bonus studio tracks on two LPs.
Westbound Records Curated by RSD, Volume 1
RSD Exclusive, Limited to /2500, Retail Price: $14.98
I’m a sucker for compilations like this, featuring artists I otherwise would never find. The first installment of The Westbound Sound, curated by knowledgeable record store employees, features headliners such as Funkadelic and Ohio Players. And at just $14.98, why the hell not?
Joe Pesci - Little Joe Sure Can Sing!
RSD First, limited to /2000, Retail Price: $28.98
Now we’re talking! This year’s Macho Man Randy Savage-esque release. Before he was Tommy Devito or My Cousin Vinny, he was Joe Ritchie, cutting a rare album for Brunswick Records in 1968 that featured three Beatles covers. Despite Pesci’s later fame, this was never reissued on vinyl, until now.
I just scratched the surface on the RSD offerings; what are you scooping up tomorrow?
Thanks for visiting! If you like what you read, forward this newsletter to a friend who needs their weekend upgraded! 🙌
i may need to get that At The Drive In LP. if only they would release Relationship of Command!
I went bro a pressing plant in Asheville to celebrate 4/20. So much fun seeing how it all comes together. And hard the PJ album. Have to listen 2-3 x before I form an opinion. But so far, it sounds a lot like a Part 2 to their last album.