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5 Can’t-Miss Vinyl Picks for Back to Black Friday

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This Friday, in the midst of the nation’s biggest shopping day, a boatload of well-known and beloved rock acts will drop special, limited-edition releases exclusively via independent music outlets as part of a new promotion called “Back to Black Friday.” Organized by a collective of shop owners, the event aims to rejuvenate America’s interest in bricks-and-mortar music shops — just as they’ve done over the past three Aprils with Record Store Day.

No matter who’s on your holiday shopping list, there’s something for everyone — although, in most cases, they’ll need a proper turntable to listen, and turntables make great gifts, too! And while we don’t need any excuse to go record shopping, here are some titles that will be getting us out the door on Black Friday.

To find a participating store in your area, click here, and for the full list of Back to Black Friday releases, including U2, Tom Petty, Soundgarden, and many more, click here.

  • METALLICA
    LIVE AT GRIMEY’S

    What’s On It: Before headlining Bonnaroo in 2008, the Bay Area metal gods played a teeny tiny secret show in Grimey’s, a Nashville record store. This is the only physical release of that live recording.
    Formats: CD, 10-inch double vinyl.
    Buy it for… Anyone who likes to rock. Hard.

  • THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
    TUMBLING DICE

    What’s On It: The New Jersey rockers offer up a cover of the Rolling Stones’ 1972 classic, from Exile on Main St. The b-side is the band’s own song, “She Loves You,” and it comes in four different covers of vinyl — you’ll be able to tell which color from the silk-screened jacket.
    Format: 7-inch vinyl.
    Buy it for… Your cool uncle who loves the Boss, but digs new bands, too.

  • THE DOORS
    THE DOORS

    What’s On It: A mono recording of the band’s self-titled 1967 debut album, which includes signature hits like “Break On Through,” “Light My Fire,” and “The End.” The pressing is limited to indie stores only, and was originally released as part of the Doors vinyl box set, which is now sold out nationwide.
    Format: 180-gram vinyl.
    Buy it for… Your psychedelically-inclined parents.

  • THE PARLOPHONE SINGLES BOX

    What’s On It: Five imported 7-inch singles that were released on U.K. Record Store Day this past April. The top track is clearly Blur’s “Fool’s Day,” the band’s first new recording in eight years, but don’t sleep on the Hot Chip/Bonnie “Prince” Billy collaboration, “I Feel Bonnie.”
    Format: 7-inch vinyl, packaged in individually-numbered, custom-designed boxes.
    Buy it for… Your favorite Anglophile.

  • IRON & WINE
    WALKING FAR FROM HOME

    What’s On It: The first official music from the band’s long-awaited fourth album (and Warner Bros. debut), Kiss Each Other Clean, which comes out Jan. 25. “Walking Far From Home” is the album’s leadoff track, and the Record Store Day single also comes with two additional b-sides: “Summer in Savannah” and “Biting Your Tail.”
    Formats: 12-inch vinyl, CD single.
    Buy it for… Your mopey, blog-reading college student.