Records – you either get them or you don’t. You either spend late nights engaged in bidding wars over limited pressings of beloved albums or you would rather listen to music on your phone. If you are a member of the former camp then it’s time to celebrate your neurosis with the looming arrival of the seventh annual Record Store Day, due to descend on April 20! And if you are a member of the latter, I imagine you’ve already stopped reading. Here in the Ypsi/Arbor area we have a long and glorious tradition of top-shelf music reverence and creation. Part of that greatness comes from acknowledgement and appreciation of the artists and artistic forms that have come before – which is where record store day comes in. To that end, it’s a point of pride that for the last several years the chosen ambassador of record store day has been an artist from The Mitten. Iggy Pop held the title last year, and this year native son Jack White was picked to spread the word about this extraordinary event.
The stated purpose of Record Store Day is to “celebrate the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA and hundreds of similar stores internationally.” What it means for us is that on April 20, we’ll be able to head down to our favorite participating record store to commune with like-minded individuals and score some rare and new vinyl. We are talking limited editions, special pressings and Record Store Day exclusives. There has been a move lately for modern musicians to issue vinyl copies of new albums – artists like The Black Keys, Animal Collective and Purity Ring all made pressings of their most recent albums available. In addition, there are often all manner of promotions on the day – from performances in the stores to DJs spinning live, giveaways and other festivities that are at the shop owner’s discretion.
We are fortunate to have some amazing record resources that will be partaking within a stone’s throw. Among them are the venerable Encore Recordings, Underground Sounds and Wazoo – all in the heart of Ann Arbor. What this day is really about is the preservation and recognition of our musical history. When you place a record onto a turntable, the experience is one that connects you tactilely with the album. And, as any devotee will attest, the sound quality of a record possesses a uniquely warm and organic nature that is indescribably addictive. If you haven’t taken the time to explore a record store and comb their stacks for treasures, this is a great time to give it a go. A recent AV Club article asked the question: “Has the vinyl revival gone too far?” Our answer: never.