Record Store Day

I'm not going to lie: Since the advent of iTunes I've listened to more new music than any other time in my life. I am neither proud nor ashamed of this; it just is. Things changes, formats change. If they didn't, I'd still be listening to my cassingle of "Purple Rain." But I'm a big record geek from way back, and as much as I like the convenience of downloading, there's nothing like having the actual artifact. I hate doing a "back in my day," but as a kid disillusioned with top forty pap, used records stores were my only outlet, and the best (and cheapest) was to build a music collection. There's nothing like that shock of recognition when you unearth something weird or rare or that record you've been looking for your whole life, and oh my god, there it is in the cut-out bin for a buck-and-a-half. Downloading all but eliminated one of life's perfect thrills.

(Of course, I don't miss the dust, the smell of hippy incense, and sharing a spot at the "new music" shelf with a guy whose wingspan is thrice mine. Not much, anyway.)

And this Saturday you can celebrate all that: According to the official Record Store Day website:

"This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, djs spinning records and on and on. Metallica officially kicked off Record Store Day at Rasputin Music in San Francisco on April 19, 2008 and Record Store Day is now celebrated the third Saturday every April."

For those of you in St. Louis (or thereabouts), check out Vintage Vinyl, Eucild Records, Slackers, Apop, and PHONO-MODE for special deals and festivities.

(More info at A to Z)