Record Store Day making its Montgomery debut
For vinyl enthusiasts, the third Saturday in April is equivalent to Dec. 25 on the calendar.
Since 2008, that day has been reserved as Record Store Day. Beginning with a goal to celebrate the remaining independent record stores, the day has exploded into a frenzy of collectors going after previously unreleased and special edition material.
Artists in wide-ranging genres have put together special releases for Record Store Day in the form of remixes, live albums or pressing previous work to vinyl for the first time. If you live in the Montgomery area, you had to travel to participate in the fun, but that is no longer the case.
Cory Harris is the owner of Rad Vinyl Records and More, 3368 Atlanta Highway. After getting the physical location late last year, Harris is ready to offer a Record Store Day event for the first time in Montgomery.
“I’m one of those people who would go out of town for the event,” Harris said. “So it’s good to see people excited about going to one in their hometown.”
Harris said he couldn’t reveal which titles he was able to get in, but he went after a mix of newer and older artists, such as The Civil Wars and Joy Division. He said requests from customers played into what he attempted to order.
One item on the Record Store Day 2014 list sure to entice Montgomerians is a brown 10-inch from a Hank Williams radio show. “The Garden Spot Programs” is an extended play that is intended to serve as a preview for the full-length LP, set to be released on Omnivore in May.
The EP won’t be available locally, but Harris said he will try to get the full length when it is released. Beth Petty, director of the Hank Williams Museum on Commerce Street, said they also have ordered the full length.
As an admitted fan and previous buyer of past Record Store Day releases, I have waited for the event to come closer. As fate would have it, I will be out of town that day. I will still attempt to make a stop in my travels and if I do, here are the releases I will have my eye on:
• Childish Gambino, “because the internet” — This is the first official vinyl release of the hip-hop album from Childish Gambino (aka Community’s Donald Glover) from late last year. It comes with a 72-page screenplay that accompanies the album.
• Paramore, “Ain’t it Fun” — A single from last year’s self-titled record, this 10-inch appears to be a broken record. Though it’s basically a 7-inch with some non-playable material, it makes for an interesting visual.
• Death Cab for Cutie featuring Magik*Magik Orchestra, “Live 2012” — Taken from the band’s 2012 concert tour, the release features some unique artwork, but its main draw is the unique live setting.
• fun., “Point and Light” — This band has climbed to the top of my favorites over the years, so anything by them is welcome. This features unreleased demos from the band’s debut, “Aim and Ignite” on splatter-colored vinyl.
That’s just a small fraction of all the titles available. Check out recordstoreday.com for more information on classic albums by artists such as Johnny Cash and Outkast, a collection of Nirvana covers and a glow-in-the-dark “Ghostbusters” release.
Send items to Matt at mokarmus@gannett.com