Is hating on Record Store Day boring and snotty or justified and ancient?

http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-news/record-store-day-is-damaging-small-labels-according-to-small-labels/
http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-releases/exclusive-record-store-day-responds-to-accusations-of-betraying-small-labels/
http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/83527

having strong opinions of any sort about records is pretty embarrassing

why?

"If it’s a protest against anything, it’s what Record Store Day has become: just another event in the annual music industry circus that begins with the BBC Sound Of… list and ends with the Mercury Prize, co-opted by major labels and used as another marketing stepping stone, like an appearance on ‘Later… With Jools Holland’ or bagging the sunset slot at Glasto."

this is my new favorite beloved fictional british character by the way.

"it's all a bit rubbish, innit?"

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/11/19/1416420778128/Sleaford-Mods-021.jpg

i mean it's an old british character but i'm loving it recently.

chemical brothers are free to use this for an album title by the way:

*bagging the sunset slot at Glasto*

are the chemical brothers still alive? if not, prodigy can use it. if they are still alive. or fatboy slim. if he is still alive.

or mark e. smith. if he can stand up.

the trade group that runs rsd in the u.k. has a manifesto:

http://www.eraltd.org/media/259532/era_manifesto_2015_sml.pdf

http://www.eraltd.org/

xityxp: Sleaford Mods picture disc EP for RSD btw. Kind lost a little respect for them for that.

https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/15682

The Doors limited edition RSD3 mini-turntable, sporting The Doors-branded dustcover and turntable facing. Each of these special editions of the RSD3 comes in a special box with the complete set of 3” records being released for Record Store Day 2023, featuring The Doors classic hits "Break On Through," "Love Her Madly" and "Hello, I Love You,” in Japanese-designed flip jackets that include the 3” record and a lyric sheet.

in a special box with the complete set of 3” records being released

so what is this like the funko pops of vinyl or smthg? jfc

remember this when we are living on garbage islands and can't manufacture medical supplies anymore, it was important to expend resources on 500 Doors-branded 3" record players

i've probably said this every year for the past decade but surely THIS must be peak RSD insanity

I def understand both sides of this argument. Clogging up plants to produce little fetish items instead of normal records for utilitarian purposes is annoying but also cute/fun things are cute and fun

she gets all excited
when she begs for my big three inch

according to my local guy the Macho Man Randy Savage record is going to be among the hardest titles to get, along with Porcupine Tree. no lie though I kinda want it

lol Porcupine Tree seems like RSD $$$ big time

the Phish shit always goes fast

anything on the jam band scene goes amazingly fast, Dead and Garcia stuff are almost impossible to grab

(but I don't ever understand wanting to listen to any of that stuff on vinyl anyway, the last thing I ever want to do is get up to flips sides mid-"Dark Star")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3c2z1X1z4E

Vinalogs RSD 2013 is big vibey. I don't know the other ones

(but I don't ever understand wanting to listen to any of that stuff on vinyl anyway, the last thing I ever want to do is get up to flips sides mid-"Dark Star")

i still hold firm that most people buying that shit are only doing so as "AN INVESTMENT." i mean look at this 3" vinyl trash—— nobody is buying that because it sounds great and is an efficient way of hearing your favorite music.

i went through the list - this is most of the stuff i thought was interesting:

https://i.postimg.cc/FHx2kypD/Screen-Shot-2023-04-20-at-1-54-48-PM.png

Honestly I don't even look anymore, I never find the ones I'd be interested in anyway.

FYI as unperson hipped me to on another thread, that Ayler 4xLP has been available as a 2xCD release for awhile now, if you don't mind the format and want to get it without the RSD hassle.

this thread got me thinking and i just realized———

there's never been a single rsd release that i saw and wanted to buy out of fan enthusiasm. the most positive reaction i've ever had to any of this trash is, "oh that's kinda cool i guess." and even that's been quite rare.

(unlike the bulk of overpriced rsd trash sitting in the cutout bin amirite?)

a little annoyed that they repressed that RSD 2019 prefab sprout record that i had to buy from cyprus on ebay at a premium

That's one of the only things I sort of wanted. I've never heard the acoustic versions. Worth looking for it online midday when stores start panic unloading unsold Record Store Day releases?

according to my local guy the Macho Man Randy Savage record is going to be among the hardest titles to get, along with Porcupine Tree. no lie though I kinda want it

― frogbs, Thursday, April 20, 2023 2:28 PM (five hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Yeah, my local shop only got in 1 of the Macho Man record. I had been interested in picking up the David Byrne record, but I don't think I'm going to get up early and get in line this year, so my chances are slim.

(but I don't ever understand wanting to listen to any of that stuff on vinyl anyway, the last thing I ever want to do is get up to flips sides mid-"Dark Star")

i still hold firm that most people buying that shit are only doing so as "AN INVESTMENT." i mean look at this 3" vinyl trash—— nobody is buying that because it sounds great and is an efficient way of hearing your favorite music.

― ''i am the kanye west kanye west thinks he is.'' (Austin), Thursday, April 20, 2023 2:52 PM (five hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Well yeah you guys ever hear of collecting as a hobby? I think that gimmicky stuff is silly too but I do sympathize with the collectors mentality of wanting something fun and neat regardless of its functional value.

hey I use my fancy Nurse With Wound placard-with-audio-chip to time my cocktail stirring, stirred of course with stirrers from the Sun City Girls Piano Bar box set, otoh I actually use this stuff and have it on my bar counter

"most ridiculous gimmick release you own" would be a good thread

my main beef with RSD stuff that I might be interested in is that 90% of it is from well-circulated torrent bootlegs in the same audio quality, that Beefheart one being a perfect example

they’re always on colored vinyl too and colored vinyl looks really cheap and tacky imo

mono ram was pretty cool, wish I had grabbed one

https://www.discogs.com/release/3613641-Paul-And-Linda-McCartney-Ram

ooh wait why did I think that was rsd. That’s enough from me.

I bought one of those Rams a few years ago. Shocked at today’s sticker price.

this thread got me thinking and i just realized———

there's never been a _single_ rsd release that i saw and wanted to buy out of fan enthusiasm. the most positive reaction i've ever had to any of this trash is, "oh that's kinda cool i guess." and even that's been quite rare.

(unlike the bulk of overpriced rsd trash sitting in the cutout bin amirite?)

Just noticed tho the GTR s/t and Jerry Harrison’s The Red & the Black have RSD releases this year, like, why on earth, have the people who greenlighted these not seen a dollar bin?

When the heart rules the mind
One look and love is blind

The Comb & Razor comp of Nigerian country music is good and certainly something that wouldn't have come out otherwise.

oh that's kinda cool i guess.

sorry that was a dick move of a post. i didn't mean to diminish the material, i just don't understand why it has to be a limited FOMO prestigey bullshit release. if labels like rounder were able to put out super niche indigenous music comps back in the 80s without any FOMO bamboozlement, i wonder what changed in the interim?

well the entire music business and distribution of music changed profoundly

yes, but the amount of people interested in that stuff didn't.

idk, just feels scummy and manipulative to slap "LIMITED EDITION" on something that was never going to sell more than 10000 copies to begin with.

I had a friend who ran an independent punk label who said to me "you press 500, you'll sell 100. put out a limited edition of 200 you'll sell out"

technically every pressing is a limited edition pressing.

lol tru

yes, but the amount of people interested in that stuff didn't.

― W E F L Y T O G E T H E R (Austin), Friday, April 21, 2023 1:28 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

a lot of people have stopped paying for music altogether and streaming royalties are incredibly low.

also the "vinyl revival" is maybe the most over-written about thing ever, and it's still just a small, small drop in the bucket compared to the CD era. hell, the band I was in in 99/00 sold through 1,000 pressings of CDs back then just playing local shows for a couple years

LOLOLOL

Tomorrow, Saturday April 22nd, is everyone's favorite holiday - Earth Day! Go plant a tree!

Oh, wait…we’re being informed that tomorrow is also everyone's OTHER favorite holiday - Record Store Day! Go buy a record!

It seems these two holiday are at odds with each other as we realize the need to reduce our carbon footprint while simultaneously wanting to enjoy a new record by our favorite artist which are made via various chemical processes.

Vinyl records are made of a chemical compound called polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. PVC is considered a plastic due to it’s malleability and plasticity in it’s solid state of matter. In PVC, a CH2 molecule (Methylene) is bonded to a CHCl (Chloromethylene) through a double bond between the carbon.

The intermolecular
forces between molecules of PVC include dipole dipole and London dispersion forces. London dispersion forces occur in between all molecules. Dipole dipole forces occur when the positive end of a molecule is attracted to the negative end of another. Since PVC is polar it is able to produce dipole dipole forces but it is unable to form hydrogen bonds because it does not contain nitrogen, oxygen, or fluorine.

As a way to remedy this conundrum you could just start making your own records at home.

Here’s how you do it:

Step 1) You will need a source of PVC - many materials contain PVC including credit cards and pipes (which are available on the outside of every house). If in doubt find your parents old records and simply melt these down (make sure to remove the labels first as if left on these will result in an inferior quality record).

Step 2) Melt down your PVC. This can be done over a kitchen stove - avoid breathing in the fumes as they are highly carcinogenic.

Step 3) Add
pigment. Black records may be obtained by added pencil lead (graphite) to the mixture, other colors can be obtained by using food coloring.

Step 4) Pour your melted vinyl onto a flat plate and compress with any weights you happen to have lying around.

Step 5) Remove your disk and carve groves into it in a spiral pattern.

Step 6) Play your new record!

Just kidding!

We don’t recommend doing this AT ALL.

All you need to do is bop over to Wall of Sound and buy a new or used record. Go home and plant a tree while you listen! It’s that simple.

We’ll have RSD titles available tomorrow as well as our usual nifty selection of new and used stock.

Yeah, lost my enthusiasm for RSD now.

also a lot of small labels don't fuck over their artists! I don't think it's fair to paint all labels with the same brush. often they spend money producing records they love that never make money

all very good points ums. in better mental health times, i was relied upon to help out at a friend's shop on rsd because it was a big day for them.

(my point stands tho: why not just release all that as "normal" stuff throughout the year instead of creating a gatekeepy FOMO culture that simultaneously puts unnecessary stress on supply chains and indie shop infrastructure? i guarantee nobody would care about some rsd stuff if it wasn't "RSD STUFF." and to add on to that: indie labels have more incentive than anyone else these days to give away digital recordings for free.)

why not just release all that as "normal" stuff throughout the year instead of creating a gatekeepy FOMO culture that simultaneously puts unnecessary stress on supply chains and indie shop infrastructure? i guarantee nobody would care about some rsd stuff if it wasn't "RSD STUFF."

You asked a question and then answered it immediately

Hey haterz, make sure to keep your powder dry for

https://www.freecomicbookday.com/

pretty much half the list is "RSD First" stuff that will be released wider following the day.

lol I'd be surprised if free comic book day had an impact the way record store day apparently does, if you want a business that is even more irredeemably fucked than music US comics is the way to go xpost

My combination rotary-dial phone and artisanal buggy-whip shop is hurt by your post, Daniel_Rf

You asked a question and then answered it immediately

― But his face would not turn into hot Kirby (Evan), Saturday, April 22, 2023 10:26 AM

right. our priorities are fucked. got it.

(okay that was judgmental and moralistic.)

lol I'd be surprised if free comic book day had an impact the way record store day apparently does,

it's been running five years longer than RSD, but you're correct that nobody has collected any data in those two decades as to whether it drives custom or not

FCBD is very different - no special releases, just free comics for people to come pick up. It's a big day for comics stores, like "biggest sales of the year" day.

Some people have tried to do a comic Record Store Day thing near Christmas, "Local Comic Shop Day" with special variants and unique hardcover books. That has been a complete and utter flop - it's a handful of different covers for comics that just came out, not 'limited pressing of this out of print record' that I associate with RSD.

I've never checked out FCBD, but if it's anything like RSD there's absolutely no way to shop for additional merchandise during the initial rush of customers. The store wants to get people in and out as quickly as possible and if you start thumbing through their regular inventory people will get annoyed.

you could just say you have milo blocked

It depends on the store. Every RSD I have participated in, at several different stores, group the rsd stuff together leaving the rest of the store easily browse-able. Sometimes they sell their common used stuff at a discount to get it out the door. I always walked out with a handful of RSD shit, some regular items and some used things.

A big part of comic book day and RSD is getting people out of the house. A lot of folks that do buy physical products do so online. But if a special day makes them put it on the calendar, get permission from their partner to fuck off at their nerdy store for the day, then that’s great! Maybe they’ll turn into a repeat customer. I always made a day of it and got away from family responsibilities for a bit. One time my buddy and I hit all the Goodwill stores near us to root through their lps/cds. I find myself avoiding brick and mortar stores, especially after the pandemic. Stuff like this reminds people that it can be fun, that there is a community of people in their town that like the same stuff.

You asked a question and then answered it immediately
― But his face would not turn into hot Kirby (Evan), Saturday, April 22, 2023 10:26 AM

right. our priorities are fucked. got it.

(okay that was judgmental and moralistic.)

― W E F L Y T O G E T H E R (Austin), Saturday, April 22, 2023 12:46 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

so to be clear, let's say this is a scenario:

1) a small, independent label that's generally break even or small profit run by someone with a day job

2) this label operates in a niche market (world music, punk, obscure psych reissues, out-there jazz, etc etc)

3) they pay pressing albums, mastering, promo, etc. releasing music with favorable contracts for the artists

4) they press low quantities due to the niche nature of their market

5) they have found over time that either branding stuff "limited edition vinyl" (which is true but also standard given that they do low pressings already) or doing stuff as an RSD release means that a particular album will generally sell more copies than if it was released with none of that

-> you have a problem with that and find it "fucked"?

It depends on the store. Every RSD I have participated in, at several different stores, group the rsd stuff together leaving the rest of the store easily browse-able. Sometimes they sell their common used stuff at a discount to get it out the door. I always walked out with a handful of RSD shit, some regular items and some used things.

Yeah, I bet this is true for stores that have a lot of floorspace. The only RSD participating stores I've ever been to on the actual day are small shops with barely enough room for 20 people to be in there on a regular day, much less a whole mob of looky loos trying to find a used copy of Foreigner's '4' during the opening hours.

RSD is generally terrible for labels, though, ums - see the issues with actually getting anything at all pressed ever. Horrible backlogs at plants for the sake of stocking the Home Alone 3 soundtrack or something similarly useless. I have never met an independent record label owner with anything good to say about it.

It generally is good for indie record shops, though.

yes definitely emil.y, totally right - we just mastered a record that is probably gonna be 8 months out...but at the same time, it exists and it's not going to stop so I don't fault them for trying to take whatever advantage there is.

also i think austin is opposed to labels even calling anything limited edition at all

i guess my point aligns with yours in that it's never been harder for small labels to make it, so i'm not going to judge them for trying to do things that might increase sales, whatever that may be.

-> you have a problem with that and find it "fucked"?

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, April 22, 2023 12:15 PM

yes. the system was built on an exploitative premise. i'm sorry for being one of those "LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE MAN!" kind of people, but you asked lol.

(granted, in the dystopian timeline we've created for ourselves what you've outlined is best case scenario. if you really want to get into my head, i don't think selling the physical thing should be anyone's responsibility except the artist who created it. the larger the label/distribution entity is, the less it has to do with music and all the more exploitation happens.)

also i think austin is opposed to labels even calling anything limited edition at all

yes. language is far more powerful than most folks realize and it manipulates us into weird situations.

it's never been harder for small labels to make it, so i'm not going to judge them for trying to do things that might increase sales, whatever that may be

Okay, yeah, I agree with this. I still kind of wish it didn't exist, but I'm not going to judge people for joining in if it helps them out to do so. And fuck, if I'm going to wish on hypotheticals, instead of wishing for the end of RSD I could just wish for better quality releases and/or more widely-available pressing plants.

cliche time: labels like to fuck artists and recorded music has been mishandled from the start. that's not my fault. it's obviously much too broken by now for any one solution.

― W E F L Y T O G E T H E R (Austin), Saturday, April 22, 2023 12:17 PM (three hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Cliché indeed. There’s never been anywhere near the level of artist exploitation we are seeing now, and this is clear to anyone who wishes to do the smallest amount of research. Imagine viewing every labor-related injustice as a thing “obviously much too broken now for any solution.”

okay well Austin I don't share your way of looking at this, we are fundamentally not going to see eye to eye so there's no point in debating further. better to move on.

i have to stress this: as militant as i come across, these are just my own inner thoughts about it all. i don't want indie shops to fail and go away. again: i just think priorities are fucked. those shops should exist, but not on the back of a couple days' worth of gimmicky trash.

My RSD:

My @recordstoreday haul from @RRKnifeFight!

Got all the vinyl I really wanted & a ton of used CDs + a Motorhead bootleg CD of the show I attended with my wife and son.

Only dropped $150 for everything and supported a great local store! pic.twitter.com/W86TCmPCG3

— Brian O'Neill (@NYC__Native) April 22, 2023

I went to a small punk rock store in the suburbs of Philly. Even though I got there a couple hours after he opened, I got the four records I really wanted (pictured, with the cool bag for free). I could have got the Ramones LP too since he had copies but I heard it wasn't a drastic difference from the original mix. The only thing he didn't get at all was the Enslaved but that's fine.

I also picked up nearly a dozen CDs, mostly used, but also a Motorhead boot that was actually the last show I saw the band (and the only time I took my son to see them). Also had nice conversation with the guy who owns the place, Richie Riot, an old school punk guy who is nice as hell and has tons of stories about the old days and lord he hates Nazis!

Honestly this was kinda what RSD should be, even though I would prefer more CDs and metal (neither seems to be a priority for the rest of the world on RSD, haha) - I dropped $150 on a local business and plan on going back when there's not a specific day on the schedule.

I am cynical as fuck about a lot of things, including RSD, but I got kinda lucky.

i went along to my local RSD very late as i had been out of town all day. there were a huge number of people hanging out (it was a sunny day) drinking, socialising and listening to local live bands (the bluebells were about to play). there was a great energy and personally i'm a big fan of anything that brings lots of people together. i bought a couple of records but had missed the gong live album i really wanted which i'm sure i'll be able to find later.

today i was passing this new record shop that has just opened. it's fairly mainstream and had bought a HUGE amount of RSD stock and had lots leftover. i had a look through and was most blown away by how expensive so much of it was.

the sisters of mercy - reptile house ep was £40. that is just insane and is more than double what it should be. a mint original is less than that.

lots of other examples of 12" singles in the £25-35 price range and albums at £40-50. i don't think they were overcharging but rather it reflects what they were paying and = total major label greed. i've been sweating about an upcomimg double vinyl comp with huge insert that i'm releasing having to retail for almost £40 but that feels like a bargain compared with this madness.

they had a load of taylor swifts left which i'm surprised hadn't been snapped up by flippers.

a mint original is less than that.

see this is another issue with the whole thing

Stirmonster is that the new shop in the gallowgate I've heard about? Mickey's Vinyl or something

just looked up the reptile house reissue on discogs - lots of RSD copies for sale but the variance in pricing between regions was shocking: $20 in the US, 35EU in europe, cheapest UK copy was £55

apparently like 200,000 Taylor EXCLUSIVEs pressed

whoops i misread this as 75k US and another 115 rest of world. It's 115,000 total. Apparently "Midnights" has sold a million on vinyl (wow) so... I guess it is pretty limited for what it is.

Stirmonster is that the new shop in the gallowgate I've heard about? Mickey's Vinyl or something

no, i need to check that Mickey's Vinyl out. the one i mention is on Sauchiehall St, just near the GFT. it's called Assai and i think they maybe have shops in other Scottish cities. it seems to be fairly busy every time i pass,

Apparently "Midnights" has sold a million on vinyl (wow)

It probably juices the numbers when fans are buying all four variants so they can assemble the wall clock that's on the back (but you have to have all 4 for it to be complete). And then maybe they buy a 5th copy to listen to.

Hey haterz, make sure to keep your powder dry for

https://www.freecomicbookday.com/

Free Comic Book Day was actually the inspiration for Record Store Day!

And, yes, for all its issues (effect on labels, pricing, lack of releases for those under 50), RSD is still indeed a boon for record stores. A massive massive day that just tends to get bigger with each year that goes by.

To address the negative impact of the holiday on labels, maybe there should be a Record Label Day (he says half-kidding)?

I stopped by one of the stores in my neighborhood, the guy told me there were people camping out by 7pm on friday night! I don’t usually buy a lot of stuff there because (as we’ve gone over itt) it’s one of those stores that mostly sells new vinyl and overpriced used stuff by the same 20 artists, but the owner is a good guy, ended up dropping 100 bucks after a little haggling on the verlaines and chilton records plus a couple other non-RSD things

To address the negative impact of the holiday on labels, maybe there should be a Record Label Day (he says half-kidding)?

I was at an elementary school cultural festival on RSD, and a dad in a Bright Eyes T-shirt was talking about getting to the record store (that’s the sum of my experience, lol).

"a dad in a Bright Eyes t-shirt" is like an ILM version of a cartoon villain.

The DMB fan in a white Gamecocks hat and the person with six CDs are persons who are ridiculed - "more to be pitied than censured" but don't rise to the level of contempt reserved for a dad in a Bright Eyes t-shirt.

The only thing worse is Pomplamoose.

Wanted one thing, the Pearl Jam Give Way CD, my local didn't even get a single copy. Now I can buy a copy for... checks notes... $64.95 on eBay. I'm thankful this day helps keep smaller shops going, but it's so fucking dumb to center it around a boon for second hand flippers.

bottom line for me is: I like my local shop. I go every week or two. when I'm out of town I'm always looking for cool local record stores when I've got an extra hour. I'm a father of two, I don't have a whole lot of hobbies left, for me it's really neat to be able to geek out about music in a place other than ILX. so if these places are saying RSD is a big boon for them, and in some cases the thing that is singlehandedly keeping them afloat, then I can't hate on it. yes the prices are ridiculous, yes half the releases are utterly pointless, yes the act of manufacturing grails is basically everything wrong with the market today. but it gets people excited and if you're the person who camped out to get the (apparently very much in demand!) Macho Man Randy Savage record which previously was available on CD for $0.01 + shipping and handling I say good for you. besides checking Discogs here and there it doesn't look like people are really flipping these for insane prices anyway. yeah a few people are making 3x-4x retail but only a few. most of these are going for like...$10 over.

You aren't wrong, I'm not opposed to the day, I just don't enjoy the ultra-limited aspect of things. This was the first time I've even bothered to go in the past four or five years, and I figured it wouldn't be too hard to get a CD thing that didn't seem to be such a big "must have" for the masses (like the Swift vinyl), but I was wrong.

It's fine that it exists and I'm glad people get joy out of the day, but every time I've gone in on RSD to get something specific, I walk away empty-handed. Shame on me for trying again, I should have learned the lesson by now.

Just annoyed that the only way to get the $15 CD is to now also pay $35 for a Pearl Jam Ten Club membership, which is otherwise worthless to me, to be allowed the pleasure.

Might drop if you wait

every time I've gone in on RSD to get something specific

this is your problem and there's a very simple solution!

Don't go? Yeah, that's my usual choice.

no, i meant just go to your local record store and find something that's in the store?

My favourite thing about RSD is shops that have a sale on their regular inventory on the day. Seems rarer now that they know the exclusives are bringing a crowd in.

xpost - I do that all the time!

Might drop if you wait

one of my fav local shops saved up a few boxes of nice used vinyl for RSD last year, including a whole box of Kate Bush originals/picture discs/boots

i just sold a mint original copy of Reptile House on discogs for like $15. It had been listed for months.

our local record store that participates in RSD already has thin enough aisles as it is (as they have a weird tendency to use every inch of space to sell random impulse crap), so on RSD, if you're IN the store, you're basically having to do parkour to get by everybody

I haven't gone for a few years, but the store I was a regular at shifted to doing the RSD items outdoors, and the rest of the used stock indoors is 15% off

kind of a rough go considering it was 40F outside this year, but if you're going to line up anyway...