The change has been cashed in, the pennies have been pinched, the lunch money has been saved. Saturday is the day. Record Store Day. Saturday is one year in the making. Special releases, classic reissues, dozens of 45’s, 10”, and LPs, colored vinyl, 180 gram vinyl, its everything that record heads search for throughout the year on one day. No matter if you had your list out for weeks, or if this will be your first Record Store Day, all are welcome. It’s a celebration of the brick and mortar record store. The place where music culture survives. If you want to know where to go in Milwaukee make sure to check out our own Milwaukee Record Store Directory. Happy Hunting.
Public Enemy- It Takes a Nation Of Millions to Hold Us Back
Every year Record Store Day has an ‘Ambassador,’ who gets the record heads to look up from vinyl grooves and head to the record store in masses. To honor the ambassador, the vinyl pressers usually go out of their way to make sure that the Ambassador has an album re-pressed, and that it is the album to get on RSD. Last year Jack White was the RSD Ambassador and they re-released The White Stripes Elephant as a double LP, 180 gram tri-color vinyl, full lyrics and credit booklet. So the expectations are high.
This year’s Ambassador is Public Enemy’s Chuck D. When Public Enemy formed in the late 80’s, the vinyl record was an instrument itself. Instead of having to buy a drum kit, they had James Brown’s drummer and the breaks that he made for just a couple bucks. For Chuck D and the guys in Public Enemy, they could make an entire album with the releases from this year’s Record Store Day.
This year, the album to get is Public Enemy’s Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. Buy it because Chuck is the RSD Ambassador. Buy it because it’s being released with a 3D Lenicular cover on 180g vinyl. Buy it to honor the impact that vinyl records have had on hip hop. But more importantly buy it because of the record itself. Chuck D used his role as an MC to create a new social leader. This song, Bring the Noise is a pro-black defense of rap music against a hostile mainstream media. Chuck D continued to fight for the integrity and ingenuity of hip hop in a culture that wanted to brush it aside. This album is one out of a handful that are responsible for hip hop’s survival and success as a genre.
-Justin Barney
Ron Jeremy- Understanding and Appreciating Classical Music with Ron Jeremy.
Porn Star Ron Jeremy on a 7” talking about classical music. I have no idea what this is, or why they are doing it, but it sounds weird, so I am buying it.
LCD Soundsystem- The Long Goodbye
A 5 LP, $130 unabridged pressing of LCD Soundystem’s last concert in Madison Square Garden represents everything that is Record Store Day. It is unnecessary. It is overpriced. It’s too much. I don’t need it. Yet, in the frenzy that is Record Store Day, in a manic state of record store day adrenalin I will convince myself to drop $130, on top of the $150 I will already be spending, on an album that I will maybe, maybe, listen to once. This is the epitome of Record Store Day in one album.
-Justin Barney
The Side By Sides
The Cure / Dinosaur Jr. – Just Like Heaven
The Flaming Lips / DEVO- Gates of Steel
Pantera / Poison idea- The Badge
Every year there are special releases where two bands cover one song and they put both tracks on different sides of a 7”. It makes a lot of sense as a release. Two versions of one song on the same 7”, but it just doesn’t seem to happen on days that aren’t record store day. So gobble them up while you can.
-Justin Barney
Jon Brion- The Paranorman movie soundtrack
Jon Brion has always been my absolute favorite producer of all-time. From his work with Fiona Apple & Kanye West to his film scores with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and I Heart Huckabees, there was always no doubt in my mind that no matter what he produced, it would turn into instant gold. This is no different for Paranorman. For Record Store Day, Mondo Records is putting together a limited edition LP of the soundtrack on a glow in the dark vinyl. Ok, so this vinyl might not be instant gold, but it’ll sure glow. Check out a song off it called “Resolution” below. Be sure to wait until 2:10 where things really start to get good.
-Jake Kestly