We pride ourselves on the quality of our hi-end audio systems so we thought we’d pick out some highlights from this year's Record Store Day for you to enjoy on your speakers.
Record Store Day is an annual event started in 2008 and held on one Saturday every April and every "Black Friday" in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fans, artists, and thousands of independent record stores across the world. Most releases are unique to the day and range from live performances to one-off singles to unreleased archived tracks, all which are released on the vinyl format.
The Flaming Lips - Kings Mouth
Released as a limited vinyl only run, exclusively for RSD - Kings Mouth is the latest studio album for American band The Flaming Lips. Wayne Coyne and his band have now announced the wide release date for the new LP which will be released digitally via Warner Bros on July 19. The album features narration from Mick Jones of the Clash on almost every song.
Courtney Barnett - Everybody Here Hates You
‘Everybody Here Hates You’ is a brand new track from Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett, an exclusive release for RSDm coupled with a track released last year called ‘Small Talk’ as the B-side. The artwork is hand illustrated by Country herself. The track was recorded last year during her world tour ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ - check out the performance video directed by Danny Cohen.
The Rolling Stones - Honk
This Best Of compilation album features the biggest hits and classic cults from every Rolling Stones studio album from 1971’s ‘Sticky Fingers’ to 2016’s ‘Blue and Lonesome’. It is available as a single-CD / 2LP edition features 20 songs, along with a deluxe 3CD / 4LP set with 46 cuts. ‘Honk’ boasts essential Stones’ tracks including 8 top 10 singles and a live version of ‘Wild Horses’ featuring Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine.
Anderson .Paak - Bubblin
Grammy-nominated ‘Bubblin’ is available in an exclusive, never-seen-before vinyl colourway. This is the first time the track has been released physically making it a rare and desirable collectable like many of the Record Store Day releases. The B-side is a ‘Bubblin’ Remix Feat. Busta Rhymes’.
Janis Joplin - Live At Woodstock
A wonderfully reminiscent album, Remembering Sunday, August 17th in 1969, a year of change for Janis Joplin - her legendary performance at Woodstock Festival as well the release of her first solo album ‘I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!’. The live set has been cut to record for the very first time celebrating an incredible moment in history.
We’ll leave you with a quote from Iggy Pop - who celebrates his birthday on RSD this year! - on why it’s still such an important event for industry and artists alike:
“In my life, music has been a balm for loneliness. It was in the cheap ass little record store that I found a way to connect with other people. I was 18. It was a theatre, a glimpse at the world of commerce, and a cultural library; and my experiences as a teenage clerk were full of humour and curiously warm.
“The modern approach, which is fine, still needs nourishment from this template. Everywhere on earth I go, there are freaks minding a record store. It’s a good hang – daylight vs. dimly lit, clear-eyed vs. stoned, and social vs. savage. So that’s why I like ’em.”
