Record Store Day

Record Store Day is now in its sixth year of existence.  Throughout its six years, it has garnered more and more interest as vinyl sales numbers continue to ramp up in a world that seems to be going more and more digital.  In addition to being a day to celebrate record stores with special sales, m0re and more bands and artists have been creating limited edition releases specifically for sale at record stores on this hallowed day.  In its first year, there was only about ten special releases.  Last year featured over 400 different limited edition Record Store Day releases.  This year promises to be the best yet with even more releases as well as having the always enthusiastic Jack White at the helm as the Offical Record Store Day Ambassador of 2013.  He has been quite busy doing some really incredible things in preparation for this day.  You can check out the full list of releases for this year here.  So be sure to get out there to support your local record store and treat yourself to something special!

Here's a list of Record Store Day participators in the Triangle:

Raleigh
Nice Price Books and Records, Raleigh
Edward McKay Used Books and More
In The Groove Records
Schoolkids Records

Durham
Hunky Dory
Bull City Records
Offbeat Music
Nice Price Books & Records

Chapel Hill/Carrboro
CD Alley
All Day Records

If you are located elsewhere you can look up participators in your area here.

Record Store Day 2013 Ambassador

Record Store Day 2013 (April 20th) is quickly approaching. This year's Record Store Day Ambassador is the one and only Jack White. Jack White seems to be the perfect representative for the cause. Not only has he released countless albums with The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather as well as a solo album; he also runs his own record label and owns his own record store. Jack White is the "Jack of all trades" when it comes to the music industry. Not only has he produced and help released a lot of new music, he has also found the time to repress and re-release old blues records as well. You can check out his official Record Store Day Ambassador video as well as read his "Ambassadorial Wake Up Call" here.

In addition to all his Ambassador duties, Jack White has found time along with the rest of his Third Man crew to refurbish a 1947 Voice-o-Graph machine that is currently the world's only record booth of its kind that is operational and open to the public. The Third Man Record Booth will be debuted at the Nashville Third Man Record Store on Record Store Day. Check out a video of this incredible machine here.

Record Store Black Friday: Thoughts from Local Record Store Owners

Hey y'all,

I hope everyone is excited to get fat and stuff on Thursday.  And then on Friday, to buy LOTS OF LPs!!!  You can peruse the releases that you (might) be able to purchase here (more on that later), but first, check below to see what some real local record store employees are excited about for this upcoming sales extravaganza.

Schoolkids Records' employee Kyle Rosko is excited about a whole lot of releases.  Namely, the Beach Boys Surfin' Safara 10", the White Stripes Live at Hotel Yorba 7", and the Skrillex Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites first press to wax.  I may have made up that last one.

Chaz of Bull City Records fame is really excited about the Scettore Studios Sessions from The Velvet Underground.  This is an acetate release from way back before The Velvet Underground & Nico was released, and features demo/alternate versions of some songs that ended up on that classic album.

Some guy from Offbeat Music in Durham, NC (sorry I didn't catch you name, but your store is great!!)  is apprehensive about the day, because as of when I called him, he didn't know what was going to be coming to the store.  He brings up an interesting point--that retail can be stressful, especially when you're dealing with a bunch of stocking agencies that are smokin' doobies rather than employing high-quality analytics systems that can give record store owners a better idea of what they're getting.  Alas.

That's all I got,

Have fun, eat good food, buy good music!

John

 

Hopscotch Lineup to be Released 4.20

Hopscotch, the Independent Weekly's annual music festival in downtown Raleigh will be releasing the lineup for their September 3-day festival on Wednesday, April 20th. Greg Lowenhagen of Independent Weekly will be on-air with our very own Chuck from 11-noon to talk about the show and this year's line up.

Last year hosted names like Panda Bear, Public Enemy, The Rosebuds,  Sharon Van Etten, Megafaun, Best Coast and more than 100 other bands.  This year is sure to be even better; full of national acts as well as great local talent.  Tune in to find out who!

Tickets will go on sale as the lineup is released on April 20th. Free 3-day wristbands were given out at local record stores for Record Store Day April 16. Stay tuned to WKNC and keep reading Independent Weekly to find out ways you can win tickets.

For more musical fun, Hopscotch is hosting a few free local shows throughout Raleigh on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (4/21-4/23) in celebration of their lineup release!

Record Store Day—April 16

Saturday will mark the 2011 installment of Record Store Day, celebrating the art of music and independently-owned record stores.  Main attractions include special vinyl and CD releases, in-store performances, and giveaways, like Record Store Day's website giving away a Buddy Miller guitar.

Schoolkids Records in Raleigh will open at 10:0 a.m. Saturday and have in-store performances by Radical Classical, Dex Romweber, The Raveonettes, and Adventure. CD Alley in Chapel Hill and Offbeat Music in Durham will open at 10:00a.m. as well. Durham's Bull City Records will open at 11:00 a.m., with refreshments and surprise performances.

"I think it's a great celebratory day that brings awareness to the physical stores," said Chaz Martenstein, owner of Bull City Records. "It's a joint day shared between the stores and the people who keep them open. I love the spirit of it."

As an added bonus, any purchase made at Schoolkids, Bull City, and Wilmington's Gravity Records will enter you into a drawing for two All-Show writstbands for Hopscotch music festival. The lineup for the September festival will be announced April 20.

For more information about Record Store Day and participating stores, visit RecordStoreDay.com.



DJ Ones' Five Music Facts from the past week

1. Record Store Day 2010 broke records (get it?) as being the biggest one yet. Stores across the country reported their biggest sales dates of the year. (via Pitchfork)

2. Xiu Xiu wants your hair. Yes, the art-pop band wants locks of your hair for their upcoming music video. The idea is that you hand them locks of your hair at shows and get some swag from the band. Currently the band is planning on filming themselves lighting the hair on fire while saying the name of the person who the hair had belonged to and inhaling the smoke. Yep. (via Pitchfork)

3. The Kills report that they are three-fourths of the way complete with their follow-up with to 2008's "Midnight Boom." The band is planning on completing the album when Alison Mosshart finishes up touring with The Dead Weather. (via NME)

4. Guitarist Johnny Marr has unveiled plans to compose the soundtrack to the upcoming film by Tony Kratz, "The Big Bang." (via NME)

5. Front man of The Decemberists, Colin Meloy, is set to expand his writing career with a new deal with Harper-Collins. He is set to write three novels that are intended for a adolencent audience, much like his previous work books. (via Pitchfork)

EOT preview: 4/19

Make sure to catch this week's episode of Eye on the Triangle, the only place you'll get a recap of the week's most important headlines you missed while you were busy wishing you were at Coachella. You'll also want to call in during the inevitably vexed editorial (the number's 860-0881 or 515-2400) as well as hear a first-hand recount of the police seizure of James Madison University's riot photos.

On a lighter note, two local jewelry makers dish about their jobs, products and life in Raleigh, and in Hear This, EOT team members explore the third annual Record Store Day through the lens of one of the coolest independent record stores anywhere, Raleigh's own Schoolkids Records. They talked to an employee and loyal music lovers to find out what all the fuss was about.

Tweet your comments at us @WKNCEOT or call in during the show.