Record Store Day Roundup: 2024 Edition

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Another Record Store Day has come and gone. Did you snag that coveted pressing of that album you had your eye on? Hopefully your experience was as good as mine was, and you were able to grab at least something on your list either in-person or online afterwards. In this article, I’ll be recapping things I noticed about the most popular titles going first, providing feedback on the pressing numbers for this year’s collection, and ways to keep vinyl fans engaged with their local record stores throughout the year.

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Record Store Day Countdown: The 1975 – Live At Gorilla

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The first week of our Record Store Day countdown series wraps up today with a look into the live set from The 1975 called Live At Gorilla. This performance of the band’s debut LP, played in full from front to back for the first time since 2013, was recorded live in Manchester on February 1, 2023 and remains faithful to the original recording. The “RSD First” double LP is limited to 7,500 copies via Interscope Records and is pressed on white vinyl. The artwork for Live At Gorilla can be found below.

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Record Store Day Countdown: Collective Soul – Dosage

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The march towards Record Store Day continues today with a look at Collective Soul and their fourth studio album, Dosage. The record is celebrating a 25th anniversary this year, so the timing was perfect to reissue this LP. This “RSD First” release is limited to just 2,000 copies via Craft Recordings, and it is pressed on “translucent lemonade” vinyl. The set features the singles “Heavy,” and one of my all-time favorite ballads in “Run.”

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Record Store Day Countdown: Paramore – ‘Re: This Is Why/Burning Down the House’

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The countdown to the annual Record Store Day observance continues today by taking a look at Paramore and their three vinyl releases. Paramore will be releasing their remix album, Re: This Is Why on red vinyl, as well as the comprehensive reissue of This Is Why plus Re: This Is Why on red/tan vinyl. This year’s Record Store Day Ambassadors are also releasing a 12″ vinyl single of their cover of a Talking Heads classic “Burning Down the House” with David Byrne contributing a cover of Paramore’s “Hard Times” from After Laughter on the A-side.

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Record Store Day Countdown: Dead By Sunrise – Out Of Ashes

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The countdown to Record Store Day continues today with a look at Dead By Sunrise and their only LP, Out of Ashes, that will be released on “black ice” vinyl for the first time in North America. For those unfamiliar with the band, they were fronted by Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and included Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh from Orgy. This album was officially released on September 30th, 2009 and was produced by veteran hit-maker Howard Benson. This “RSD First” release is limited to just 7,500 copies and comes courtesy of Warner Records.

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Record Store Day Countdown: Filter – The Very Best Things (1995-2008)

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Today we are launching the first day of a Record Store Day countdown to the annual vinyl celebration of indie record stores, that occurs this year on April 20, 2024. Each day you can look forward to a different vinyl release that I will dive into with exclusive pictures, reviews of the packaging and material, as well as a brief write-up of what to expect on the recording. Kicking things off is Filter with their Craft Recordings compilation known as The Very Best Things (1994-2008).

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Chase Tremaine – Accidental Days (Deluxe Edition) Track-by-Track

Chase Tremaine

This past week, I was able to chat with Chase Tremaine to discuss his deluxe reissue of Accidental Days. The deluxe edition of the album has been re-released today on Bandcamp, and it features ten new bonus tracks, plus commentary on the ten main album songs. I continue to be impressed by Chase’s extensive work ethic, and I hope this track-by-track sheds some light on his creative process.

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Record Store Day Roundup: 2023 Edition

Record Store Day is the annual celebration of indie record stores that is paired with special vinyl releases across all genres that get fans of the music format excited to join in the party in hopes of obtaining the release(s) they absolutely need for their collection. In this article, I’ll be outlining some of the special releases that brought music fans to the stores in droves, what I was noticing from the in-person and online feedback from attendees of the event, what was working well as well as a few recommendations for future years, and the aftermath of purchasing RSD leftovers online from various indie record stores.

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All Things Go Festival Creator Summit: Interview With Bartees Strange

Bartees All Things Go Feature

Over the weekend, I was in attendance for the All Things Go Festival and specifically the “Creator Summit” that featured several key interviews of All Things Go artists like Bartees Strange, and Empress Of. I was able to record the full interview session of NPR’s Marissa Lorusso’s “Fireside Chat” with Bartees Strange, where he shared his unique story that led to his critical acclaim and commercial success. The event took place in the heart of Washington D.C., at the Eaton Hotel’s Beverly Snow Room.

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The Metamorphosis Of Billie Eilish: From Bedroom Pop To Global Phenomenon

Billie Eilish

Recently, I teamed up with my fellow contributors to discuss the latest album from Billie Eilish, called Happier Than Ever. Much like other comparative articles like the one on the recent Modest Mouse record, I provided a template of questions for each of the writers to respond to. Here is our conversation on Happier Than Ever, which we have affectionately titled: The Metamorphosis of Billie Eilish: From Bedroom Pop to Global Phenomenon.

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Do You Get Déjà Vu Listening To Olivia Rodrigo?

Olivia

When we last premiered a feature on Taylor Swift comparing both versions of Fearless, I was intrigued by the idea of working with my fellow contributors on a similar collaborative piece. Our next group topic takes a look at Olivia Rodrigo’s ultra-popular SOUR album. I asked Mary Varvaris and Zac Djamoos to join me in discussing key comparisons in Rodrigo’s sound to other modern artists, what worked well on the album, as well any missteps or areas for improvement in the young artist’s sound.

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Yo Kinky – ‘Self-Titled’ EP Track-by-Track Breakdown

Yo Kinky

Recently I was able to get a hold of a brand new pop-duo called Yo Kinky to provide a track-by-track breakdown on their self-titled EP. Yo Kinky is a Queens, New York, post-pop duo that layers seductive patter lyrics over shimmering angular guitars and drum machines. Following the premiere of their first single on the Tower Records site in November and positive coverage from several outlets, Yo Kinky is already forging a name for themselves among the disillusioned and hopeful.

Tom Unish and Laura Wight met at the start of 2020, bonded over shared musical interests, and immediately started working together on songs. Over the course of the pandemic, they recorded and produced their self-titled debut EP out today. These songs touch upon themes such as truth, adaptability, love, and anticipation as Wight’s bright vocals are delivered with a conversational precision calling to mind acts like X, Sleaford Mods, and Blondie. I’d recommend checking out this artist if you’re a fan of similar acts such as Metric and Le Tigre.

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The Death of the Compilation CD: How the Industry Has Changed Since 1996

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I’m sure all of us can remember where we were when we either purchased, or were given from a friend, one of the annual Warped Tour compilation soundtracks. It signified the beginning of the Summer concert season, and another year to look forward to the annual Warped Tour. Now that the Warped Tour is on its last legs, with its final installment coming this Summer, one has to wonder about what will happen to the compilation CD that we have been expecting ever year since 1996.

The history of the compilation CD is a complicated one, much like the changing music industry over the past three decades. During the CD “boom” of the 90’s, it seemed like a ton of music buyers were looking for inexpensive ways to find out about new bands, or to sample tracks from their favorite artists’ upcoming album. The compilation CD was a great way to not only save money by not investing fully in a ton of individual albums, but also to discover artists that you may not have ever considered checking out otherwise.

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