Record Store Daze

Posted on by J. Hubner

Maybe I’m getting old. Well I know I’m getting old, but that’s beside the point. The reason I say that at this juncture is because this past Saturday was Record Store Day 2017 and I was still in bed when the festivities started. Years past(well at least since 2012) I was up and out the door waiting in line to grab some exclusive vinyl with loads of other guys and gals. Fidgety and shivering from the cold air, I’d be hanging out in the early morning light listening to various conversations that would range from what releases were the most sought after to the best cartridge to own to what this person or that person did the night before. I usually was quiet and kept to myself, pondering what I needed to do when I got home, besides pouring a cup of dark roast and which record to listen to first. It’s one of the few group activities I enjoy taking part in. It’s a unifying sort of day, really. Everybody coming together for the love of music and vinyl and elbow rubbing with the tribe, if you will.

But this year, I slept. And when I woke up, instead of throwing on some clothes and running out the door for my local brick and mortar, I made a pot of coffee and sat and chatted with my dad for a couple hours. Once he left I headed outside and mowed the yard. And sprayed for weeds. And trimmed limbs. And raked. Around 3:30 pm I finally made my way to town to see how my record store pals did. They did really well, nearly selling all their RSD goodies. There were a couple releases I was interested in, but I wasn’t expecting to get them with over half the day gone. I did luck out and I found one copy left of each of them. The War On Drugs 12″ single “Thinking Of A Place” and Metavari’s Metropolis re-scoring, which was released via One Way Static and Light In The Attic.

I chatted up my friends at Karma Records of Warsaw, then was on my way. The evening was spent grilling up some brats and dogs, enjoying a couple IPAs, and watching the excellent sci fi film The Void with my son. Once the evening got late I put on some headphones and dropped the needle on that Metavari LP. It was divine. A great way to end the day.

Hope you had a great RSD 2017. I did.

15 thoughts on “Record Store Daze”

  1. So chilled, JH. Though B-B-Q-ing your canine companions and naugty children (the brats, I mean) does seem taking RSD celebrations a tad towards the death metal end of the spectrum.

    PS. I whipped around to three stores today but not a metropolis to be found. But I imagine it will find a release soon.

    PPS. I did just order a posthumously completed album by Roedelius called… Metropolis. A metropoli post, perhaps?

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    1. Sometimes when life gets at you, you’ve gotta bbq the dog and kids. I think it’s in the parenting rule book.

      A posthumous album by Roedelius called Metropolis? That post needs to happen.

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  2. Well played. I was unable to find any special release that I was that interested in this year but went out anyway, albeit in my own time like yourself, and made some purchases to support my local.

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  3. I was out of town for work, and could not get to a store until the afternoon. I assumed the ones I wanted would be gone.
    You know what happens when you assume.
    I scored on a bunch I wanted, and could have gotten more if the money tree I planted had blossomed.
    I am thinking your way is the best way.
    It seems many of the estly birds are not true vinyl lovers but the ones that want to try and make a quick buck by selling online for 10 times what they paid.

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    2. It’s definitely a mixed bag when it comes to those early birds. I think you’re right though…quite a few flippers wanting to make some cash.

      Glad you found some goodies. And let me know what works to get that money tree to bloom. Tears and resentment don’t seem to do the trick, so far anyways.

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  4. Great stuff, JH. This sounds like the perfect way to spend RSD – start it with coffee and just roll with it. For me it was another year missed… truth be told, I didn’t pay too much attention to the list.

    I was planning on dropping in to one of the indie stores at lunch this week and seeing if they have any goods left. Especially the Flaming Lips release. I see the Claypool Lennon Delirium released a covers EP (Lime And Limpid Green). UK didn’t get that, though.

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  5. They had the Lips and the Delirium ones, but I didn’t have the cash to splurge sadly. Would like to have heard that Delirium one. Covering Floyd and Crimson…nice.

    The laid back approach works pretty well these days. I much prefer sleep and a good cup of dark roast to standing in the cold.

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  6. All hail Mr Relax-y over there! There’s still a Spoon 12″ left at Probe Records today (Hot Thoughts?). The guys at the shop were telling me most of their action this year was on 7″ singles in particular.

    I tend to find that if there’s something you really want and you don’t grab it on the day, wait 9-10 months and the prices (for non Bowie stuff) has usually dropped right back down again. I think you can wait out the profiteers.

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    1. I concur. It’s seemed to be that way from what I’ve seen over the last couple years.

      Sounds like partook in the festivities this year. Free beer goes a long way to make a day more special.

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  7. A ex Gunslinger ponders many thoughts unusual and broad spectrum… As I was writing upon well aimed and placed shots, on just how to murder a rouge bovine named Daisy May, as well upon de-fleshing her and butchering her up, after all there has to be an ugly side in process and preparations to burn her upon a searing iron grilled B –B- Q’ Barbecuing. (For the warning’ for what it’s worth’ ‘never ever Barbecue bovine while taking two hits of Window Pane acid. Because it will really mess you up with Quilt and panic and horrid thoughts upon what you have done to some Bovine calf’ ‘Mother’.

    Anyways while doing so I was pondering just what attire does one chose to ware to a Vinyl Rays Record Store annual gathering and sales event? I was thinking shapely hips, and who best Rocks Vinyl gear?

    I cannot recall of any one particular Diva in the Music business that Rocks Vinyl. Melanie B. Did a electric sky blue vinyl number in her Cover Music video of ‘Word Up’, but it fit her like 55 gallon lawn and leaf sack and to make up for the mess she wore a couple of dissected 55 channel Television Antenna arrays. And the Producer tossed in Verne Troyer as a Cameo stand in. In face Verne out sang and out preformed Melanie B. (Melanie Brown’). So the only other Mental Image stuck in the gray matter of my cranium is that headless hot female model’s figure where various colors of Liquid Vinyl is deliciously poured out over her body. And that Rocks Vinyl at its best. But surely there must be other Diva and great songs to accompany vinyl lovelies.

    And What of Men, do they ever rock Vinyl? Any Comic Cook Characters? Well that’s my few words and my ‘Just How Weird am I? For the day.

    And remember Guys and Gals’ Say no to drugs, especially while Barbecuing or you’ll need some extensive Psycho Therapy and cranium shrinking.

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Published by J. Hubner

Complex Distractions is a little corner of the universe where music and conversation reign supreme. Intellectual discussions and essays written about heady records, both big and small, that despite what you might think can truly change your life. Spinning the records for the good of mankind.