For a fourth straight year, the nation’s independently owned music stores are offering a sequel to Record Store Day on the day after Thanksgiving. While other shoppers are lining up to battle over Furbys (they’re still with us), “Back to Black Friday” offers music fans a bounty of exclusive and limited releases.
Participants this time around include heavy-hitters U2, Metallica, Jack Johnson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more. Foals, Band of Horses, and Dawes have special live vinyl on offer, Paul Simon is reissuing a host of vinyl LPs, the Clash’s discography will be there on CD if you’re into that sort of thing, and Cheap Trick has a box set of its 1977-1979 albums. You may stumble across nuggets from the Standells or Surfaris, rarities from Sly and the Family Stone or Uncle Tupelo, Christmas music by Blind Boys of Alabama or John Denver and the Muppets.
But you probably don’t need us to tell you if you’d like the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, or Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue. There’s even an album of lullaby-style Pearl Jam covers. So here’s an impulsive run-down of 30 RSD exclusives to scour the shelves for on November 29. Scroll down for the full list of releases, and find a participating store here. Sorry, Gene Clark’s Here Tonight: The White Light Demos, we had to draw a cutoff line somewhere. And to the band Failure, we had hoped to magnify your reissued 1994 alt-rock LP Magnified.
- Baroness’ Black Friday poster: Okay, not technically a “release,” but the price is right (free) and it’ll look great on your wall. Baroness frontman John Dyer Baizley, an artist in his own right, created a killer image for the “Back to Black Friday” festivities.
- Charles Bradley (feat. Budos Band and the Bullets), “Changes” B/W “Ain’t It a Sin” 7-inch vinyl: Daptone soul roarer covers Black Sabbath Vol. 4 ballad. This is in the tradition of seemingly incongruous RSD covers, and it promises to be worth hearing.
- Elvis Costello & the Roots, Wise Up: Thought Remixes and Reworks CD: Yes, a CD — the Roots’ ?uestlove is probably just that far ahead of the retro-trend curve. We called this year’s collaborative album Wise Up Ghosts “joyous,” and Elvis told us they weren’t “going to take ‘Alison’ hip-hop remixes.” Instead, here’s a set of Wise Up remixes by Stone’s Throw Records beatmaker Karriem Riggins, Fela! the Musical-famed Afrobeat outfit Antibalas, and Daptone peers Menahan Street Band.
- Lana Del Rey, Born to Die 12-inch vinyl picture disc: Because Tropico isn’t here quite yet, and Born to Die isn’t controversial anymore. Here’s a perfect chance to own it on gussied-up vinyl.
- Bob Dylan, Side Tracks vinyl LP: Yeah, we know, “Thanks, Dad.” But have you seen Danny Brown in Dylan’s brilliant, decades-late “Like a Rolling Stone” video? Have you heard “Pretty Saro”? Dylan just released a gazillion-disc box set, including this collection of non-album material, now available on vinyl.
- Fall Out Boy, Paxam Days 7-inch vinyl: The emo-pop heroes’ punk-minded romp with Ryan Adams manning the boards is probably best heard in analog formats. Lacking a cassette or a high school friend’s car to ride shotgun in through the suburban night, here’s this.
- Flaming Lips, Peace Sword vinyl LP: “Once we start working on something, if we like it, we just do it,” Wayne Coyne told SPIN.
- Lady Gaga, Applause Remix Picture Disc 12-inch picture disc: Strange times for the Mother Monster, whose ARTPOP just saw the year’s worst second-week sales tumble, but it’s always tough to resist Purity Ring’s “wobble-thrusts, digital spangle, and stuttering percussion work.”
- Ladytron, Gravity the Seducer Remixed vinyl LP: Speaking of chilly electronic pop, “Destroy Everything You Touch” masters Ladytron are releasing an alternate version of 2011’s Gravity the Seducer. An impulse buy as we queue up for the cash register.
- Sondre Lerche, Public Hi-Fi Sessions 12-inch vinyl: Norwegian singer/songwriter/aesthete can’t leave second-tier James Bond actors alone on release for Spoon drummer-producer Jim Eno’s new label.
- Life of Agony, River Runs Red vinyl LP: Brooklyn band’s metal-and-hardcore-mashing debut album earns 20th-anniversary vinyl reissue.
- Nick Lowe, Quality Street 12-inch picture disc: Suave British rock lifer and former Elvis Costello producer saves your holiday party in distinctively eclectic style.
- Low / Shearwater, “Stay” / “Novacane” vinyl LP: Did a couple of Sub Pop bands need to cover Rihanna and Frank Ocean, respectively? No and no, but sales benefit charity and we have to admit we’ll have a hard time walking past this one in the store aisle.
- Joseph Mansfield, Beat Box: A Drum Machine Obsession book: Is it wrong if this is our highlight of “Back to Black Friday”? A 208-page book featuring photos of 75 drum machines, plus a download card of drum-machine sounds, a cassette tape of drum-machine beats, and a seven-inch vinyl record with the 808 beat to the Beastie Boys’ “Paul Revere.” Film your own toy commercial.
- Mystical Weapons, Crotesque vinyl LP: Sean Lennon-Deerhoof duo turns trio in improv collaboration.
- Nas, “Halftime” 12-inch vinyl: An area where RSD “Back to Black Friday” is sadly lacking is hip-hop. Remedy that by (re)-acquiring then-Nasty Nas’ 1992 debut single, later included on Illmatic.
- Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Live at KCRW vinyl LP: Sure, this’ll see a wider release later, but why not be among the first to grab this session? Recorded between the Australian band’s Coachella sets, it spans songs from this year’s excellent Push the Sky Away LP as well as older faves.
- Harry Nilsson, Rarities Collection vinyl LP: A set culled from the previously unreleased demos and such on the great songwriter’s recent 17-CD box set.
- Nirvana, In Utero 2013 Mix vinyl LP: For the Nirvana fan who has everything.
- Roy Orbison, The Monument Vinyl Box 12-inch vinyl box set: If there’s any voice we could listen to at box-set length, it’s the “Pretty Woman” singer’s, and this one brings together three beloved albums plus a fourth disc that’s a compilation.
- Van Dyke Parks, “Come to the Sunshine / Farther Along” 7-inch vinyl: Late-’60s psych-pop wonderment from Beach Boys-Joanna Newsom collaborator.
- Puscifer, Puscifer’s 8-Ball Bail Bonds—The Berger Barns Live in Phoenix vinyl LP: Maynard James Keenan’s What Is… band goes “country.”
- Queens of the Stone Age, …Like Clockwork (Black on Black) vinyl LP: Josh Homme was on our cover. We called ...Like Clockwork “an album about sex and death.” Here’s a chance not only to buy it on vinyl, but to own a limited “black on black” edition. Dead sexy.
- Replacements, All Shook Down vinyl LP: Minneapolis, we see you. The recently reunited ‘Mats finally put their 1990 swan song — Paul Westerberg’s de facto solo debut — on wax.
- Robert Glasper Experiment, Porter Chops Glasper 10-inch vinyl: D12 member and Eminem associate Mr. Porter reworks jazz pianist’s Black Radio 2 tracks, featuring Jill Scott and Pharoahe Monch.
- Tegan & Sara, “Guilty as Charged / I Run Empty” 7-inch vinyl: First vinyl release of these songs from former SPIN cover stars.
- Josh Tillman, The History of Caves (Soundtrack) vinyl LP: Film score from the man reborn as Father John Misty.
- Upsetters, Super APE vinyl LP Black Friday etched version: Everyone’s day-after-Thanksgiving could use more classic dub reggae, in this case a reissue of Lee “Scratch” Perry’s landmark 1976 album.
- Townes Van Zandt, Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions & Demos 1971-1972 12-inch vinyl box set: Outtakes from outsider-country hero’s prime era come to vinyl.
- Vince Guaraldi Trio, “Linus and Lucy” 7-inch vinyl: The holiday season is upon us, and we’re not made of stone.
Record Store Day’s “Back to Black Friday” 2013 release list:
-Joseph Arthur, The Ballad of Boogie Christ Act 2 CD
-Atlas Genius, So Electric! When It Was Now (The Remixes) vinyl LP
-The Bad Things, “Anybody” 7-inch vinyl
-Band of Horses, “Live at The Ryman” 7-inch vinyl
-Brendan Benson, You Were Right vinyl LP
-Blackberry Smoke/Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lynyrd Skynyrd & Blackberry Smoke Live 12-inch vinyl
-Blind Boys of Alabama/Jason Isbell & John Paul White, “Christmas in Dixie/Old Flame” 7-inch vinyl
-Brandi Carlile/The Lone Bellow, “Live Split” 7-inch vinyl
-Charles Bradley ft. Budos Band and The Bullets, “Changes B/W Ain’t it a Sin” 7-inch vinyl
-Cheap Trick, The Classic Albums 1977-79 12-inch vinyl box set
-Chocolate Milk, Action Speaks Louder Than Words 12-inch vinyl
-Civil Wars, “Between the Bars” 10-inch vinyl
-Gene Clark, Here Tonight: The White Light Demos vinyl LP
-Clash, The Clash CD
-Clash, Give ‘Em Enough Rope CD
-Clash, London Calling CD
-Clash, Sandinista! CD
-Clash, Combat Rock CD
-Dave Matthews Band, Live Trax Vol. 2: 9-12-04 Golden Gate Park, San Francisco CA 12-inch vinyl box set
-Dave Matthews Band, Live Trax Vol. 3: 8-27-00 Meadows Music Theater, Hartford CT 12-inch vinyl box set
-Miles Davis, Kind of Blue vinyl LP
-Miles Davis, Miles & Monk at Newport vinyl LP
-Miles Davis, Jazz Track vinyl LP
-Dawes, Stripped Down at Grimeys vinyl LP
-Dawes, Stripped Down at Grimeys CD
-Lana Del Ray, Born to Die 12-inch vinyl picture disc
-Devin Townsend Project, “Lucky Animals” 10-inch vinyl
-The Doors, Curated By Record Store Day vinyl LP
-Duran Duran, “No Ordinary EP” 10-inch vinyl
-Bob Dylan, Side Tracks vinyl LP
-Elvis Costello & The Roots, Wise Up: Thought Remixes and Reworks CD
-Failure, Magnified vinyl LP
-Fall Out Boy, “Paxam Days” 7-inch vinyl
-Flaming Lips, Peace Sword CD
-Flaming Lips, Peace Sword vinyl LP
-Fleshtones, “Available B/W Let’s Live” 7-inch vinyl
-Foals, CCTV Sessions vinyl LP
-Grateful Dead, Family Dog at the Great Highway vinyl LP
-Jackie Greene, “Small Tempest” 10-inch vinyl
-Hard Working Americans, “Don’t Wanna Hurt Nobody” 7-inch vinyl
-Lou Hickey, True Love Ways vinyl LP
-Michael Hurley, “Watertrain/Black & Yellow Bee” 10-inch vinyl
-Jack Johnson, Live at Third Man Records 6-15-13 vinyl LP
-Jethro Tull, Benefit vinyl LP
-Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Fire/Foxey Lady” 7-inch vinyl
-John Denver & The Muppets, A Christmas Together 12-inch picture disc
-Ernie Kovacs, “A Percy Dovetonsils Chrithmath” 10-inch picture disc
-Lady Gaga, Applause Remix Picture Disc 12-inch picture disc
-Ladytron, Gravity the Seducer Remixed vinyl LP
-Sondre Lerche, Public Hi-Fi Sessions 12-inch vinyl
-Life of Agony, River Runs Red vinyl LP
-Nick Lowe, Quality Street 12-inch picture disc
-Low / Shearwater, “Stay / Novacane” vinyl LP
-Joseph Mansfield, Beat Box: A Drum Machine Obsession book
-Metallica, Through the Never Soundtrack Special Edition vinyl LP
-Mystical Weapons, Crotesque vinyl LP
-Nas, “Halftime” 12-inch vinyl
-Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Live At KCRW vinyl LP
-Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Live at KCRW CD
-Harry Nilsson, Rarities Collection vinyl LP
-Nirvana, In Utero 2013 Mix vinyl LP
-NONONO, Pumpin Blood EP CD
-Roy Orbison, The Monument Vinyl Box 12-inch vinyl box set
-Van Dyke Parks, “Come to the Sunshine / Farther Along” 7-inch vinyl
-Puscifer, Puscifer’s 8-Ball Bail Bonds—The Berger Barns Live in Phoenix vinyl LP
-Queens of the Stone Age, …Like Clockwork (Black on Black) vinyl LP
-Red Hot Chili Peppers, I’m Beside You vinyl LP
-Replacements, All Shook Down vinyl LP
-Robbie Hill’s Family Affair, Gotta Get Back: The Unreleased L.A. Sessions 12-inch vinyl
-Robert Glasper Experiment, “Porter Chops Glasper” 10-inch vinyl
-Rockabye Baby!, Lullaby Renditions of Pearl Jam vinyl LP
-Rolling Stones, “Got Live If You Want It” 7-inch vinyl
-Rush, “The Garden” 10-inch picture disc
-Silversun Pickups, “Let it Decay / Working Title” 10-inch vinyl
-Paul Simon, Paul Simon vinyl LP
-Paul Simon, There Goes Rhymin’ Simon vinyl LP
-Paul Simon, Still Crazy After All These Years vinyl LP
-SKATERS, “Deadbolt” 7-inch vinyl
-Sly & The Family Stone, “Sexy Situation B/W Mother is a Hippy” 7-inch vinyl
-The Standells, “Zebra in the Kitchen / Someday You’ll Cry” 7-inch vinyl
-Andy Starr, “Rockin’ Rollin’ Stone” 7-inch vinyl
-Stone Temple Pilots, Core vinyl LP
-Surfaris, “Wipe Out / Surfer Joe” 7-inch vinyl
-Tegan & Sara, “Guilty as Charged / I Run Empty” 7-inch vinyl
-Josh Tillman, The History of Caves (Soundtrack) vinyl LP
-Trigger Hippy, Trigger Hippy 10-inch vinyl
-Townes Van Zandt, Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions & Demos 1971-1972 12-inch vinyl box set
-U2, “Ordinary Love” 10-inch vinyl
-Uncle Tupelo, “I Wanna Be Your Dog / Commotion” 7-inch vinyl
-Upsetters, Super APE vinyl LP Black Friday etched version
-Various Artists, Fragments of a Year CD
-Various Artists, Hot Wacks -Vinyl Fall Compilation 2013 vinyl LP
-Various Artists, I Am the Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey vinyl LP
-Various Artists, Ten Big Stiffs 7-inch vinyl box set
-Various Artists, Truth & Soul Records Presents The Soul Fire Box Set 7-inch vinyl box set
-Various Artists, A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein vinyl LP
-Various Artists, Zabriskie Point Original Motion Picture Soundtrack vinyl LP
-Vince Guaraldi Trio, “Linus and Lucy” 7-inch vinyl
-Vitamin String Quartet, Vitamin String Quartet Performs Radiohead’s In Rainbows vinyl LP
-Widespread Panic, Poster Children—The Artwork of Widespread Panic book
