Since its first 2008 edition, Record Store Day has grown exponentially into a celebrated holiday for music fans and retail outlets.
As brick-and-mortar shops can attest, there is a newfound hunger for physical media from a public that’s grown weary of digital media. Thumbing through the racks is still one of the most optimal ways of discovering new music. And what better time to revel in that satisfaction than to go when your favorite local spot has exclusive titles produced specifically for this occasion?
This year’s list of RSD exclusives boasts 387 products that will be available that morning for those who’ll be lined up at the door hours before it opens. It goes beyond just vinyl in 2024, with cassettes, CDs, and even turntables designed to play 3-inch records well.
There are plenty of great choices for RSD this year, and SPIN has studied the release schedule to give you our picks for what should be on top of your list this weekend.
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The Paper Kites
For 15 years, Australia’s The Paper Kites have established themselves as one of the world’s best folk rock combos with six acclaimed full-lengths, including the ARIA Award-winning album On The Corner Where You Live. For Record Store Day, the band visited their salad days with Evergreen, which brings together their first two EP’s – 2011’s Woodland (featuring standout single “Bloom”) and its 2012 follow-up Young North – both of which are being made available on vinyl for the first time. Pressed on pine tree green wax, this is the compilation fans of the band have been waiting for.
Wilco
The Whole Love Expanded (Legacy Recordings)
The debut release from their dBPM Records imprint, Wilco’s eighth album was a return form. This expanded edition of The Whole Love includes all the B-sides, EP, and bonus material connected to the original 2011 release, which includes a carefully curated selection of live in-studio performances from the group’s famed clubhouse studio The Loft, highlighted by a cover of Nick Lowe’s “Cruel to be Kind” featuring Lowe himself.
At The Drive-In
In / Casino / Out (Craft Recordings)
Originally released on Aug. 18, 1998, At The Drive-In’s second album is an absolute scorcher of a record. It was cut live in the studio to properly capture the energy of the band’s feral kinetics on the concert stage by the power of such fan favorites as “Napoleon Solo,” “Alpha Centauri” and “Hourglass.” Out of print on vinyl since 2012, In / Casino / Out returns to wax through Craft Recordings. It is pressed on limited edition purple and green smoky vinyl and remastered for maximum impact.
Ladytron
Originally released on Emperor Norton Records in the thick of the electroclash craze, the second album by U.K. quartet Ladytron provided the soundtrack to many nights of post-9/11 trauma raving on the strength of underground hits as “Seventeen,” “Blue Jeans” and “Evil.” The Nettwerk re-release of the 2002 album is pressed on 45 RPM double-colored vinyl for maximum enjoyment of a fondly remembered dance-floor banger that brought an entire movement to a rousing crescendo.
David Bowie
Waiting In The Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth) (Parlophone/Rhino)
There isn’t a more iconic David Bowie album than The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. Although we need to wait until June for the big Ziggy era box set, Rock and Roll Star!, to hit stores, Rhino presents its crown jewel as an RSD exclusive. Sourced from ¼-inch stereo tapes cut at Trident Studios on Dec. 15, 1971, Waiting In The Sky crafts an alternate version of Ziggy with a provisional tracklisting and four songs that didn’t make the final LP, including covers of Chuck Berry’s “Round and Round” and Jacques Brel’s “Amsterdam,” both of which would later appear as B-sides, as well as Bowie cult faves “Holy Holy” and “Velvet Goldmine.” This title was specially splattered on a customized late Neumann VMS80 lathe from the original Trident master tapes, with the vinyl itself cut at half speed by renowned engineer John Webber (Duran Duran, Hozier, MF DOOM) at London’s AIR Studios.
Bill Evans
Everybody Digs Bill Evans (Craft Recordings)
Nearly 65 years after it was originally issued on the legendary Riverside imprint, 1959’s Everybody Digs Bill Evans remains a master class on the art of piano trio jazz. Flanked by the money rhythm section of Sam Jones on bass and the mighty Philly Joe Jones on drums, Evans’ second LP as a leader gets its best upgrade yet. This limited-edition mono release features (AAA) lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and was pressed at RTI on 180g black vinyl and is housed in a Stoughton® Tip-On Jacket.
Filter
The Very Best Things: 1995-2008 (Craft Recordings)
After leaving Nine Inch Nails during the recording of The Downward Spiral, guitarist Richard Patrick formed the alt-metal powerhouse Filter. The Very Best Things: 1995-2008 collects highlights from the group’s first 13 years in operation, including the hits “Hey Man Nice Shot” and “Take A Picture,” along with rarities like “(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do” from Spawn and “Jurassitol” from The Crow: City of Angels. Spread across two LPs, The Very Best Things is pressed on Mercury Swirl vinyl and is the first time it is issued on wax.
Willie Nelson and Various Artists
Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 — Live At The Hollywood Bowl Volume II (Legacy Recordings)
On April 29 and 30th, 2023, a cavalcade of music stars convened at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles to celebrate the 90th birthday of country legend Willie Nelson. This is the second volume of performances from the two-night event. It features a multi-generational ensemble of artists covering their favorite Willie songs from his 70 years in the business. Joining Nelson on this double album includes such names as The Avett Brothers, Edie Brickell, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Warren Haynes, Daniel Lanois, Lyle Lovett, Shooter Jennings, Jack Johnson, Jamey Johnson, Booker T. Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Lukas Nelson, Particle Kid, Orville Peck, Margo Price, Nathanial Rateliff, Keith Richards, Charlie Sexton, Snoop Dogg, George Strait, Billy Strings and Dwight Yoakam.
Collective Soul
Dosage 25th Anniversary Edition (Craft Recordings)
Originally released in the early months of 1999, Collective Soul’s fourth album is also their most adventurous. Working with the band for the first time, Anthony J. Resta brought elements of programming, synthesizers, drum loops, and Mellotron into the band’s sound. While this 25th-anniversary edition includes no bonus material, Dosage has never sounded better. Pressed on limited edition Translucent Lemonade vinyl, giving songs like “Run,” “Heavy” and the Ross Childress-sung “Dandy Life” a new level of sweet fidelity.
Various Artists
Jazz Dispensary: The Freedom Sound! The People Arise (Craft Recordings)
The elite force of sound selectors at Jazz Dispensary continue to celebrate Record Store Day by mining the depths of the legendary Milestone, Prestige, and Fantasy labels for the headiest, most creative jazz and funk in the archives. This latest title in the imprint’s series revolves around themes of protest and freedom as the producers excavate deep Vietnam-era gems from such inspiring acts as Joe Henderson, Gary Bartz, Ran Blake, Azar Lawrence, A.K. Salim, and The Dungills. The Freedom Sound! The People Arise is pressed on “Freedom Blue Swirl” with cover art by German artist Lou Beach, whose sharp, colorful work has appeared on such classic albums as Weather Report’s Heavy Weather, Bill Withers’ Menagerie and the first Yellow Magic Orchestra LP among many others.
