Record Store Day

mickeyrat

brianlux said:

Some interesting thoughts on RSD worth checking out:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/feb/17/record-store-day-independent-music-shops-vinyl-shortage

Record Store Day is harming, not helping, independent music shops like mine

Rupert Morrison

Supply chain chaos and a worldwide vinyl shortage means the annual event that once saved record shops from extinction has lost its way

Even in the age of social distancing, Record Store Day survived during the pandemic. After the 2020 edition was cancelled – it was scheduled for what became the middle of the UK’s first lockdown – the organisers staged separate release “drops” later that year, and again in 2021. You may have seen eager shoppers queueing outside record shops of all sizes up and down the country, wearing face masks as well as the usual thick coats and scarves to brave the pre-opening hours chill; perhaps you saw an obligatory news puff piece about how “vinyl is back” as the David Bowie and Prince estates scraped together yet another previously unreleased artefact.

This year, on 23 April, it’s a return to business as usual as record stores around the world celebrate the 15th annual Record Store Day (RSD) with help from Taylor Swift, its starriest ambassador yet (who’s releasing a seven-inch to mark the event). But what was once a shot in the arm for physical retail is now an albatross around the neck of the establishment it purports to help.

I run an independent record shop that predates both RSD and the internet. In the early 2000s, when physical record shops were decimated thanks to the rise of illegal downloads, RSD pumped millions of pounds through tills and undoubtedly turned a new generation on to the world of physical music. RSD is a remarkable event and its early years should be remembered as the revolution they were.

But 15 years is a long time in technology and retail. Peer-to-peer filesharing pre-empted the digital download and the streaming model. Plucky music blogs evolved into multimedia digital outlets. Even the most idiosyncratic physical record shops now reach a global audience via the internet. Record Store Day, meanwhile, hasn’t adapted to the modern realities of selling physical music.

Critics have long derided the event’s penchant for novelty discs and lack of discerning curation. This year, RSD offers 411 new releases, a fact that should leave those in the physical music business seething. Thanks to Brexit and the pandemic, we simply can’t make enough records. There is an international shortage of the various components required in vinyl manufacture, as well as a backlog exacerbated by last year’s pop-heavy release schedule.

The issue is not going away. Whereas vinyl would typically take 12 weeks to produce, we’re now looking at nine months for a short run of 12-inch vinyl. (Don’t even mention the shortage on coloured vinyl, the lifeblood of RSD.) New pressing plants opening in Middlesbrough and Gothenburg are cause for optimism, but even their added capacity pales compared with demand.

And yet, these 411 records – among them, yep, four Bowie releases and one Prince – will be ready and awaiting sale on 23 April. When I first got a glimpse of the sheer scale of what was in production, I suggested on social media that the best thing for the whole record community would have been to take a year out. Inevitably, many people responded, “If you don’t like it, don’t take part.” But this is perhaps the greatest modern mistruth of RSD. Even shops that opt out altogether are suffering long term thanks to continued stock delays and shortages which are exacerbated by the RSD production schedule. The logistics of the celebration now affect every month of the year, riding roughshod over carefully planned campaigns.

We have online customer pre-orders that were placed 12 months ago for albums that have been delayed so frequently that it feels futile to set a new hypothetical release date. The administrative ramifications are hugely consuming for shops and the economic impact for independent artists and labels is devastating. Instore tours – crucial for promotion and first-week sales – have been cancelled and rescheduled; artists are missing out on the chart positions they should expect; entire summer touring schedules are being scrapped because there is such uncertainty about when the physical product will materialise.

The job of the record shop in its simplest terms is to sell records. We are part of a long established musical ecosystem and now, in no small part due to RSD, we are becoming ever more impeded in fulfilling our duties. Will there be shops to celebrate when the racks are threadbare and retail prices continue to rocket?

I hope RSD can reconfigure itself as a genuine friend to record shops. The event needs to be postponed until these catastrophic production logjams are alleviated and the organisers must consult with shop owners about the best way to help them celebrate this unique culture in the future. It’s ironic that the other 364 days in the record shop calendar now play second fiddle to RSD.

had a facebook post from a newer shop complaining about rsd and them not participating.

heres the thing, that store is a strictly used record store or was at time of opening and my last visit

GlowGirl

MedozK said:

This could be an expensive one for me

Same. Right now I am interested in Blur, Dave Brubeck, Cranberries, Echo & the Bunnymen, Pearl Jam, and Pete Townshend. I am sure more will come up as well.

cp3iverson

I think that guy makes a silly argument.  RSD is fine.  It’s fun.  I know quite a few shop owners that love it.  RSD is not the main culprit for long lead times.  Vinyl was a hobby that’s become the norm.   The plants were fine for us three years ago and we definitely had no issues in the 90s.  What does delaying RSD really do when every indie band and every major artist is scrapping CD releases for vinyl?  help those other people out by two weeks?  Complain about the lack of plants not the marketing blitz that drives people to the hobby and to your shop.  

It’s easier than ever for me to buy records.  In 1995 I had one indie shop to go to for vinyl and it was way out of the way.  Now I can browse for records at Walmart on my lunch break.  

In a time when artists and stores have suffered for two years he should love the increase in demand. New releases are hitting shelves every week whether they took a long time or not.  

brianlux

Of The Aggie said:

I hope to be able to ge Collective Soul, The Cure and the LOTL, but I'm not holding my breath. It's harder and harder to get RSD things and I wish bands would just reissue this stuff regularly and make it available year-round. Most of RSD stuff is useless releases that like the article above says are taking pressing plant resources away from legitimate stuff.

Agreed, Aggie!

Tim Simmons said:

I read that article this morning and I agree. But IDK if taking 1 year off will alleviate much pressure. People are consuming records at double the rate they can produce them. We need more plants (IDK if PVC shortage is still an issue and it seems like lacquer wise, things are going well).  Also in theory, saying no to picture discs and junk releases seems like a good idea, but really, one persons junk is another's treasure. Maybe there are 2500 people out there that want a 2 LP set of TV theme songs and are happy to pay $45 for it. Every release is just as legitimate as any other.

Good point about more plants, Tim.  Also much needed is at least one lacquer production plant to plant to replace the one lost in the fire in Southern California.  I think that has got to be making an impact.

I would also like to see a MUCH greater emphasis on producing analog vinyl LPs.  Way too many LPs produced today are not much more than large format CD's.  Digital LP's still often do sound better than CDs because they are generally less compressed, but they don't sound nearly as good as older all analog LPs.  And what percentage of the record buying population even has a clue as to what the hell all that means?  Not a high percentage, I would guess.

Tim Simmons

Yeah. That’s why the AAAs are gonna be left to AP and the like. Which, fine, I guess. It’s probably a losing battle. But those who care will make it and those who care will buy it. Most don’t seem to. 

As an aside, I got that Time Out 45 press from AP today and it’s like, the perfect record. It’s like Dave is in the room with you. I don’t know if I’ve heard something as good as that. It’s bonkers great. 

brianlux

Tim Simmons said:

Yeah. That’s why the AAAs are gonna be left to AP and the like. Which, fine, I guess. It’s probably a losing battle. But those who care will make it and those who care will buy it. Most don’t seem to. 

As an aside, I got that Time Out 45 press from AP today and it’s like, the perfect record. It’s like Dave is in the room with you. I don’t know if I’ve heard something as good as that. It’s bonkers great. 

Nice nice nice!

mickeyrat

brianlux said:

Tim Simmons said:

Yeah. That’s why the AAAs are gonna be left to AP and the like. Which, fine, I guess. It’s probably a losing battle. But those who care will make it and those who care will buy it. Most don’t seem to. 

As an aside, I got that Time Out 45 press from AP today and it’s like, the perfect record. It’s like Dave is in the room with you. I don’t know if I’ve heard something as good as that. It’s bonkers great. 

Nice nice nice!

61 mono repress gives me the same impression.

brianlux

mickeyrat said:

brianlux said:

Tim Simmons said:

Yeah. That’s why the AAAs are gonna be left to AP and the like. Which, fine, I guess. It’s probably a losing battle. But those who care will make it and those who care will buy it. Most don’t seem to. 

As an aside, I got that Time Out 45 press from AP today and it’s like, the perfect record. It’s like Dave is in the room with you. I don’t know if I’ve heard something as good as that. It’s bonkers great. 

Nice nice nice!

61 mono repress gives me the same impression.

I'll bet it does! 

I went to look at which one I've got and... ah oh... where's it go? 
About a month ago, I had to pull all the LP's off my 4x4 Kallax shelving and re-secure that backing I had put on it.  There were two of us pulling and re-shelving and some things didn't go back in the right place.
The search is on!

FR181798

I can see the guys argument but I dont believe having a year off would solve the problem. Quite sure RSD is the reason some stores survive, its a massive pay day for some places.

I do think it needs an overhaul, more than just upping the number of drops.

There's a lot of junk gets pressed. Too many releases and thats driven by the labels. Too many picture discs for sure. Limiting the number of releases for RSD would be a big start.

Theres also too many variants of regular releases adding to the delays but everyone wants a piece of the action and for people to shop with them. Unfortunately theres too many labels to agree on a strategy to fix that problem. A bit of a runaway train, things have got out of hand and they cant really stop it. Big label money talks and they will get their way while the small labels will suffer.

brianlux

FR181798 said:

I can see the guys argument but I dont believe having a year off would solve the problem. Quite sure RSD is the reason some stores survive, its a massive pay day for some places.

I do think it needs an overhaul, more than just upping the number of drops.

There's a lot of junk gets pressed. Too many releases and thats driven by the labels. Too many picture discs for sure. Limiting the number of releases for RSD would be a big start.

Theres also too many variants of regular releases adding to the delays but everyone wants a piece of the action and for people to shop with them. Unfortunately theres too many labels to agree on a strategy to fix that problem. A bit of a runaway train, things have got out of hand and they cant really stop it. Big label money talks and they will get their way while the small labels will suffer.

Yeah, I agree a year off is a bit over the top.  I wonder if he said that not because he thought it would really happen, but rather to emphasize his point. 
I also agree there's too much junk pressed.  We don't have a regular record store in my town, but now and then I get down to Folsom and Sacramento and hit a few stores and they always have piles of stuff nobody bought nor likely will any time soon.  In a day and age where good records get put on the back burner so RSD can pump out a bunch a crap, that's not a good sign.

mickeyrat

brianlux said:

FR181798 said:

I can see the guys argument but I dont believe having a year off would solve the problem. Quite sure RSD is the reason some stores survive, its a massive pay day for some places.

I do think it needs an overhaul, more than just upping the number of drops.

There's a lot of junk gets pressed. Too many releases and thats driven by the labels. Too many picture discs for sure. Limiting the number of releases for RSD would be a big start.

Theres also too many variants of regular releases adding to the delays but everyone wants a piece of the action and for people to shop with them. Unfortunately theres too many labels to agree on a strategy to fix that problem. A bit of a runaway train, things have got out of hand and they cant really stop it. Big label money talks and they will get their way while the small labels will suffer.

Yeah, I agree a year off is a bit over the top.  I wonder if he said that not because he thought it would really happen, but rather to emphasize his point. 
I also agree there's too much junk pressed.  We don't have a regular record store in my town, but now and then I get down to Folsom and Sacramento and hit a few stores and they always have piles of stuff nobody bought nor likely will any time soon.  In a day and age where good records get put on the back burner so RSD can pump out a bunch a crap, that's not a good sign.

well the leftovers fall on that store ordering stuff they shouldn't.

mine does that. and they have numerous copies of most.

Zod

mickeyrat said:

brianlux said:

FR181798 said:

I can see the guys argument but I dont believe having a year off would solve the problem. Quite sure RSD is the reason some stores survive, its a massive pay day for some places.

I do think it needs an overhaul, more than just upping the number of drops.

There's a lot of junk gets pressed. Too many releases and thats driven by the labels. Too many picture discs for sure. Limiting the number of releases for RSD would be a big start.

Theres also too many variants of regular releases adding to the delays but everyone wants a piece of the action and for people to shop with them. Unfortunately theres too many labels to agree on a strategy to fix that problem. A bit of a runaway train, things have got out of hand and they cant really stop it. Big label money talks and they will get their way while the small labels will suffer.

Yeah, I agree a year off is a bit over the top.  I wonder if he said that not because he thought it would really happen, but rather to emphasize his point. 
I also agree there's too much junk pressed.  We don't have a regular record store in my town, but now and then I get down to Folsom and Sacramento and hit a few stores and they always have piles of stuff nobody bought nor likely will any time soon.  In a day and age where good records get put on the back burner so RSD can pump out a bunch a crap, that's not a good sign.

well the leftovers fall on that store ordering stuff they shouldn't.

mine does that. and they have numerous copies of most.

I overheard a conversation between local record store owners.  They found it really hard to plan for RSD.   It's pretty easy ordering as many you can for a really popular artist, but the other stuff is a mixed bag.  People will buy stuff on RSD the ordinarily wouldn't because they see it there when thumbing through the records.  The challenge is if they don't sell them on RSD they can sit on the shelf for a very a long time.   It's a complete balancing act :(

As fan I'm mixed on RSD.  I like that it creates extra effort to make unique releases.  I have some pretty good live albums, bsides comps, and what not that only came on out on RSD.   On the flip side is the toughest time to buy records.  You have to wait outside for hours, in hopes there still some in stock after that time.  I find it a challenging day to do record shopping.

Hi!

Attaway77 said:

I definitely want that Collective Soul, that's a great album and I like those guys. I have an original LO2L so that will be nice not to have to deal with that...

They are playing at Soaring Eagle tonight. Everclear is opening.

Attaway77

Hi! said:

Attaway77 said:

I definitely want that Collective Soul, that's a great album and I like those guys. I have an original LO2L so that will be nice not to have to deal with that...

They are playing at Soaring Eagle tonight. Everclear is opening.

Yep! I saw them when I lived in D.C. I wanted to hit up this show as well, but, and I'm sure you know, upper MI weather can be a little brutal this time of year and these 4 days off I'd rather be home and relax and not dealing with driving a few hours...

Hi!

Attaway77 said:

Hi! said:

Attaway77 said:

I definitely want that Collective Soul, that's a great album and I like those guys. I have an original LO2L so that will be nice not to have to deal with that...

They are playing at Soaring Eagle tonight. Everclear is opening.

Yep! I saw them when I lived in D.C. I wanted to hit up this show as well, but, and I'm sure you know, upper MI weather can be a little brutal this time of year and these 4 days off I'd rather be home and relax and not dealing with driving a few hours...

I feel ya. It was pretty nasty yesterday. A lot of wind. Got to love the lake effect snow. I was thinking about maybe hitting up the show as well, but the weather and I’m still recovering from the Earthling shows in Chicago. Probably would of been a good show though. Not very often a band you like is a stones throw from Petoskey. I felt obligated to give you a heads up, Lol. Stay warm, I think it’s supposed to be decent today. 🤘🏻✌🏼

I am a patriot

So, looks like that Taylor Swift release is really gonna be tough to find locally. Lots of Swifties and low allocation to spread the wealth.  Might be a discogs purchase.

Loujoe

Love that Stones record. I have it already. GID. Maybe try to snag it even though glow in dark records get a bad rap for sound.

pjpitt89

I’m unfortunately traveling. If someone happens to see a Lumineers 10” and can grab for me, I’d really appreciate it. Happy to pay cost and shipping and some extra cash for your troubles 

mickeyrat

pjpitt89 said:

I’m unfortunately traveling. If someone happens to see a Lumineers 10” and can grab for me, I’d really appreciate it. Happy to pay cost and shipping and some extra cash for your troubles 

will see what I can do.  my spot orders everything

pjpitt89

mickeyrat said:

pjpitt89 said:

I’m unfortunately traveling. If someone happens to see a Lumineers 10” and can grab for me, I’d really appreciate it. Happy to pay cost and shipping and some extra cash for your troubles 

will see what I can do.  my spot orders everything

Awesome, I appreciate any effort at all. Enjoy the day! I’m sad I’ll be unable to participate this one

FR181798

The bubble doesnt seem to have burst in terms of RSD but more slowly drifting a little off course. I've never seen my local with so much stuff left that I could walk in at 10am and pick up whatever I was looking for.

It's probably a good thing. Maybe things will just sort themselves out and become more sensible because a few years ago it was getting a bit crazy.

mickeyrat

welp, about number 200 in line. 11 hr work "day" overnight and of course the weather is great this morning....

redraw

FR181798 said:

The bubble doesnt seem to have burst in terms of RSD but more slowly drifting a little off course. I've never seen my local with so much stuff left that I could walk in at 10am and pick up whatever I was looking for.

It's probably a good thing. Maybe things will just sort themselves out and become more sensible because a few years ago it was getting a bit crazy.

Do they have RHCP?? 

mickeyrat

then 100 yrds or so to the right.....

now from the corner 5 minutes after open....

Loujoe

Have fun m,r.  Look forward to seeing what you get! 

mickeyrat

pjpitt89 said:

mickeyrat said:

pjpitt89 said:

I’m unfortunately traveling. If someone happens to see a Lumineers 10” and can grab for me, I’d really appreciate it. Happy to pay cost and shipping and some extra cash for your troubles 

will see what I can do.  my spot orders everything

Awesome, I appreciate any effort at all. Enjoy the day! I’m sad I’ll be unable to participate this one

pm your info...

Cropduster-80

mickeyrat said:

then 100 yrds or so to the right.....

now from the corner 5 minutes after open....

That’s crazy. 

Seems as though from what I’ve seen anything limited enough to warrant waiting in line that early goes to the record store owner’s “personal collection” anyway.  Then they sell it on discogs or eBay  years later.  I’ve seen it over and over again. 

Only way they had it to sell that many years later is because they never sold it when it was released 

mickeyrat

in line at 730 30 min to open then an hr til in store at 9. was out the door at 910 ...

LukinFan

mickeyrat said:

in line at 730 30 min to open then an hr til in store at 9. was out the door at 910 ...

What did you get?

LukinFan

Got everything I wanted at We Got the Beats:

The Doors - LA Woman Outtakes
The Lumineers - Brightside Outtakes (10 inch)
Peter Tosh - Complete Captured Live