Welcome to another stellar issue of The Nerd is the Word. In this issue, our hero’s arch-nemesis has subjected him to the torture of cleaning toilets, will he ever escape? Find out NOW.
Saturday, Apr. 20, independent record stores across the country will be participating in this year’s iteration of the annual Record Store Day to bring you a great deal of collectable music playing discs and rectangles to tickle your ear holes and break the bank.
The event was started in 2007 as a way to promote the culture surrounding independent record stores. The event defines such a store as a stand-alone brick and mortar store whose primary business is in store vs. online. The store must have a product line consisting of 50% music retail, is not publicly traded and has 70% of the ownership within the state of operation. On the day of the event, musicians and bands release or re-release special edition vinyl records, CDs and cassettes in limited quantities through participating stores. This year’s Record Store Day ambassador is Jack White from the White Stripes, who will have the 10th anniversary LP of their album “Elephant” released for the event.
Record Store Day was an event that I learned about just last year when I got my own record player. The list of releases is simply overwhelming to some folks, and if you aren’t careful, you will get into the “Shut up and take my money!” mentality. Below, I’ve included a small list of the releases that I am most looking forward to this year.
Botch – American Nervoso:
Botch are a mathcore band from my hometown of Tacoma, WA which includes members who went on to play in bands such as Narrows, Minus the Bear and These Arms are Snakes. American Nervoso was the band’s first full length release back in 1999, the first of only two (the second being We Are The Romans). This is a must own for fans of the genre and will be released as a double LP.
Biffy Clyro – Black Chandelier 7″:
This beautiful 7″ single from Scottish alt rockers Biffy Clyro has a live version of their song “Black Chandelier” from their 2011 double album, Opposites, recorded in Zurich, Switzerland. The record is a clear vinyl with black splatter design on it and the design from the Opposites album cover on the label. This release is one that not only will sound good in your speakers, but look good spinning on the turn table. The B-side will have the song “City of Dreadful Night”.
Deep Purple/Type-O Negative – Highway Star (Side by Side Series):
The Warner Bros. Side by Side series is a fantastic addition to the Record Store Day list each year. The 7″ record (usually colored) has an artists song on the A-side (in this case Deep Purple’s “Highway Star” from their album Machine Head) and a cover version on the B-Side (in this case, gothic metal band Type-O Negative). Last year I picked up the Flaming Lips/Mastodon – A Spoonful Weighs A Ton record and was not disappointed. There are usually 3 or 4 of these in each year’s line-up (including a mystery release on clear red with heavy blue splatter). The “Highway Star” one will be a clear vinyl with a “deep” purple injection.
Tegan and Sara – Closer Remixed:
I first heard Tegan and Sara when they released their breakout hit “Walking With A Ghost” and I absolutely dug it but that’s where it ended. I pretty much forgot about them as I moved away from alternative music and into almost exclusively heavy metal. It seems like fate that I would see From Nothing, Something: A Documentary on the Creative Process at the Ashland Independent Film Festival (see my review here), which included Sara Quin from the duo of twin sisters and then they would release this for record store day. I checked out the original version of the song, which is from their most recent album “Heartthrob” and really dug it. They write some catchy songs. This 12″ vinyl has that catchy song 8(!) times in various remixed versions which should be pretty cool.
Earache Records – The World’s Shortest Album:
I love grindcore. It’s fast, it’s aggressive and it’s fun to mosh to. This grindcore release may go just a tad too far though. Earache Records out of the UK is releasing this 5″ (yeah, 5″) 13 track album that lasts about 83 seconds long. The compilation will have songs from Napalm Death, Wormrot, Brutal Truth, A.C., Lawnmower Deth, Painkiller, Morbid Angel and Insect Warfare. The album will be packaged in a 12″ gatefold sleeve with a diecut holder. I’ve included a video of the entire album because it exists, so why not. I mainly want this for the novelty of it and I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with that.
This was just a small sampling of what I am excited about (as I said, it’s a long list). The list of releases is bound to have something for everyone. Check out the official Record Store Day site for the complete list of releases and a list of participating stores in your area.
Ian Hand routinely likes to mosh, but finds himself getting winded after 83 seconds. He chronicles such depressing exploits on Twitter @IanHand253.
