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

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.

Austin, I don't disagree that RSD is dumb. Someone asked if it had ever featured worthwhile records and I mentioned the one I know of, is all.

But yeah I think a regular release of that comp would've been risky: it's not for the dancefloor, doesn't have synths and also isn't "authentic" folk music so the three main consumer groups of this type of release wouldn't be interested. Comb & Razor is a small operation run by someone actually from Nigeria and as such doesn't have the hype connections that a label like Light In The Attic or Soundway would. Sure they could just make it a digital release, but as ums pointed out royalties for streaming are shit and they like to get the original artists paid.

Isn't the point of RSD to support record shops?

I have an idea that some of them make money on this day which helps them survive through the year.

You could say that record shops shouldn't get special protection and should just go to the wall because times have changed. But most music fans don't really feel that. Most of us like the idea, or the reality, of record shops. I'm happy if they get a boost one way or another.

What are your local record shops like, Mr Pinefox? Any good ones?

Well, I can point to one little one, which sells 2nd hand vinyl cheaper than a lot of places seem to nowadays - major LPs for under £10?

https://www.lorenzosrecordswanted.com/

That's an instance of a new shop that's started up, rather than one that's struggled to stay in business. I'm generally encouraged by such new ventures and by creative activity on 'the high street'.

Also quite likeable:

https://mfeshops.com/pages/music-video-exchange-greenwich

Again all 2nd hand, with very cheap records in the basement.

I don't think anyone here has a social darwinist stance on record stores, pinefox, it is mostly just frustration at gimmicky and overpriced releases. If those bring in the punters sure you can say it's a net good.

My local shop got one copy of the soundcarriers’ Celeste reissue and I’d like to buy it but I’m guessing I’ll find at least a handful of copies online. First release in a decade id like…

it is mostly just frustration at gimmicky and overpriced releases

yahtzee!

manufactured scarcity too

you are so judgmental and moralistic, it's not like independent record stores and niche labels are rolling in money.

in fact I have two friends that ran very small but respected in their zone who folded their labels after 20 years because it's just too hard anymore

The corporations that benefit from it will show numbers that claim otherwise but streaming is killing things off. I'm not Mr pure over here I do use Spotify but still buy plenty of music. Despite being someone who still likes the lure of a good store RSD is not something I'm into, but I think as far as getting ppl into the stores it's a good thing.

Ofc I will say it's a bit depressing to see the change in record stores though; the new vinyl economy is nightmarish if you just want to physically own some music at a reasonable cost. Which is of course why maybe some people go to streaming instead. I don't feel very good about it all around.

RSD as an idea is wonderful — let’s have a day to celebrate the shops that feed us used records, that act as gathering places for music nerds and repositories for archaeological finds, that keep the flame alive.

Even the idea that there might be exclusive releases for this day to draw in nerds & punters alike and build excitement — great!

But the reality of what it’s become is kind of monstrous. Already overstretched and backlogged, pressing plants are clotted with orders for stupid novelty releases that get snapped up by speculators and resold the same day on eBay and Discogs for a markup. Indie labels can’t get their records pressed in a reasonable time; if you want to release a record this year, you’d better have your plates at the plant already or it’s not happening. For stores, the markup on RSD releases is even smaller than on normal product, so every unsold record means you need to sell 5 or 6 other albums just to break even.

Most of the store owners & managers I know say they make a shit-ton of money on the day anyway, that RSD (2x/yr) is bigger than Xmas. Some say that it’s what keeps them afloat (although if that’s the case they’re on terrifyingly rocky ground). But the way the hype and the speculation and the weird monopoly the RSD organization has on promoting exclusives distorts the whole economy of vinyl production in a way that has definite negative effects.

thanks ums. i think it has more to do with my distrust of big business exploiting whatever they can however they can than it does with being moralistic. i have shit morals, but i know a ripoff when i see one. rsd started as a way to "save" indie shops, but then had to rely on major label fluff to simply get people in the door. i'm sorry to be all "don't trust the man, man" but the bottom line is: indie shops and niches focus attention away from big budgeted releases (and for the better imo, diversity is wonderful). rsd has done a lot to bring income into these places, but the problems it presents for fans are all too apparent.

i've never not been serious when i say that recorded music should be free, btw. not the physical thing, just being able to hear it. if you want to press up your album on translucent radioactive green vinyl that can be seen from space or whatever, do it! but that's your dream, don't expect all of your fans to foot the bill. some of us just want to hear the album. sure, all the shops would go under and labels would cease to exist but, uhh. . . sorry i'm not all the way convinced any of that stuff should have been monetized to begin with. not everything needs to turn a profit to be valuable and it's time to stop putting value into "things" imo. that doors "mini" set is a perfect example— idc if it was a david axelrod collection, i'd still abhor it on principle.

(word to sleeve's post too. i'm a treehugger and this shit is getting out of hand. rsd is a drop in the ocean in the bigger picture, but c'mon, why shouldn't we rectify the easy things? start simple and stop manufacturing bullshit.)

(and to the streaming issue— i of course went in kicking and screaming, but i see the benefit of it now. i've discovered more music in the past 2 years than probably the previous decade. should those people get better compensated? of course! is it my duty as just a listener to make sure that happens? unspecified. 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. the bandcamp model is probably the closest thing to an answer that i would go along with. it's still possible for artists to sell recorded music at reasonable prices, but the expectation that there always needs to be a physical "thing" is a concept that is in dire need of reassessment. i understand that technology has not always been what it is now, but again: a change of mind would do some good. if efficiency and amelioration are judgmental and moralistic, okay sure.)

I haven’t participated since the pandemic, before that I was at RSD every year and I always enjoyed it. In the last year my vinyl consumption has slowed drastically, mainly because i’ve been on a nonstop reggae bender and the cd’s almost always have a ton of extra tracks and often there aren’t vinyl reissues. And the original Jamaican copies are expensive and shit quality.

Today I saw a video of the line at my favorite old record store in Houston, Vinal Edge. The line was waaaaaay longer than it had ever been when I was going. Which makes me happy, because I know they’re making a ton of dough. I’ve gone by there a week after RSD before and they generally don’t have a lot of leftover stuff. I figure 90% of all physical media being manufactured is garbage, I don’t know why RSD would be any different.

One of the things about RSD that used to rub me the wrong way was that unsold stock couldn't be returned, but I've since learned that's also the case for just regular every day stock. I guess stocking an indie record store is a huge gamble either way, but it makes me feel less shitty about helping the fellas out on RSD (though, today was only the third time I've ever gone out and bought something).

The load of dregs some stores find themselves stuck with, i imagine some lose out on the deal.

featuring The Doors classic hits "Break On Through," "Love Her Madly" and "Hello, I Love You,” in Japanese-designed flip jackets

Wow I totally misread this and for a second I thought "Hmm, 'Hell, I Love You' in Japanese?" Sounds interesting!

Then I saw that it was "in Japanese-designed flip jackets."

I am disappoint.

-> 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...