We hope you have all been saving your money, because Record Store Day 2012, the vinyl celebration’s fifth anniversary, is shaping up to be one of the best yet. Here’s an in-depth look at some of our favorite reissues, exclusives, and releases which we think are worth lining up for this year. You can find the entire release list over at the official Record Store Day website along with a database of participating stores near you.
US Releases:
Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II: The Singles – Delicious : 7×7″ : 2,500
Definitely one of the cooler reissues this RSD, Bizarre Ride II is getting what can only be described as the ultimate package. Listed online at $55 dollars you’ll get a 2xCD remastering of the classic hip-hop album, seven 7”s, expanded liner notes, a poster, a puzzle and vintage photos of the group all put together in a unique flip-top box. It’s definitely been a bizarre ride for the group since the release of this historic record, but there is no denying Bizarre Ride II’s place in history, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
T. Rex – Electric Warrior – Rhino : 6×7″ : 2,825
No need to hide my bias, I think Electric Warrior is one of if not thee greatest rock album of all time. And this year on RSD, this classic Marc Bolan album will get a significant facelift. Packaged in a beautiful clamshell box, Rhino will release the entire album along six 7” records, including the album b-side “Raw Ramp.” Each record sleeve will contain a portion of a photo of Bolan, combing the records to reveal the rock star in his prime. The Rhino press release listed the boxset at $50, a pretty novel price considering the exclusivity and the fact that Bolan collectors drive the price up on releases like this very quickly. In the UK, Polydor is also said to be reissuing the record on 2xCD and vinyl as well.
Destroyer – Destroyer’s Rubies – Merge : 2xLP : 2,000
There’s no denying that Canadian rock group Destroyer completely owned 2011. Kaputt was one of our favorite records of the year, and on the band’s ninth studio album they gained more fans than ever before thanks to hits like “Kaputt” and “Blue Eyes.” So it only fits that they would rerelease one of their best albums on Records Store Day. Destroyer’s Rubies is getting a US vinyl printing for the first time ever, and on ruby red wax to boot. The double LP will also feature a twenty minute bonus track titled “Loscil’s Rubies” mixed by Scott Morgan who also worked on the bonus track for Kaputt’s double pressing. It’s an exhausting but incredible album, and with the way so many people fell head-over-heels for Kaputt, I have to imagine this special release will sell quick.
Gorillaz, James Murphy, Andre 3000 – “Do Ya Thang” – Capitol : 10″ : 500
I think in our crazy, fast paced world, where cycles of hype only last a week (unless you’re Lil B apparently) and everything is either the worst or the greatest, we tend to throw aside historic moments as if they’re expected and completely taken for granted. “Do Ya Thang” might be an example of that, the 14 minute epic from Gorillaz, Andre 3000 and James Murphy. Aside from hip-hop and rap, so rare are these collaborations that this group of historic musicians deserve a round of applause just for putting anything together. But the final product exceeded many critic’s expectations, an expansive and bombastic track that is a testament to the artists’ creative energy. “Do Ya Thang” deserves celebration.
Animal Collective – Transverse Temporal Gyrus Domino : 12″ LP : 3,200
Named for the band’s exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Transverse Temporal Gyrus might not be the new Animal Collective album we’re anxiously awaiting, but any new material from the seminal group is good news. The 12” is said to be a collage of different sections of music from the performances, each of which were three hours long, so it will no doubt be interesting to see how this record is mixed. To go along with the launch, oft Animal Collective collaborator Danny Perez will launch a website featuring visuals from the performance and a stream of the longer versions of the tracks, so if you don’t scoop this limited release you can still check out what Animal Collective have been up to since Merriweather Post Pavillion.
Shabazz Palaces – Live at KEXP – Sub Pop : 12″ : 2,000
Sure you could head over to Youtube and fire up Shabazz Palaces’ live session at Seattle’s KEXP from this past year. But it’s not every day that you get a chance to own one of those awesome sessions on vinyl. The space rap duo laid down some of their best tracks from 2011’s smash Black Up, and even though the album was a bit inaccessible for some, the live tracks are immaculately crafted and an example of some of the most unique hip-hop being made today. Pressed on gorgeous purple vinyl, this release is sure to jump off the shelves this April.
Arcade Fire – “Sprawl II” – Merge : 12″ : 3,000
What’s there to say about the Grammy winning album The Suburbs that hasn’t already been said? Arcade Fire have a long history of 7”, 12” single and other various releases, so 2012’s RSD release is nothing too particularly new for the Canadian collective. The 12” single will feature Damien Taylor remixes of both “Sprawl II (Beyond Mountains)” and “Ready to Start” on the b-side. Taylor and Arcade Fire have worked together in the past, so expect a tight and well produced pair of tracks, and a nice little compliment to fill out an already heaping stack of various Arcade Fire material.
Danny Brown – XXX – Fool’s Gold : 2×12″ + 7″ : 1,000
The proliferation of indie music blogs influencing hip-hop has been a trend I’ve loathed other the past two years or so, but there’s no doubt that Danny Brown might be the next big thing. Last year’s freely distributed mixtape for Fool’s Gold took the industry by storm, and now the nineteen track tape is getting a proper vinyl pressing on two 12” and an additional white 7”. XXX was an album that took me a long time to get into, but judging by everything the enigmatic MC has done since this mixtape, grabbing this limited release will be a wise investment.
The Refused – The Shape of Punk to Come – Epitaph : 2×12″ : 500
The Swedish punk band were “cool” a bit before my time, but the band’s influence on underground rock music since their time has been undeniable. So it’s only fitting that Epitaph is rereleasing the group’s final album The Shape of Punk to Come in a gorgeous, colored 2xLP package. Along with the remastered LP, the package will also include a poster and expanded liner notes.
UK Exclusives:
2 Many DJs – As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2 – Play it Again Sam : 12″ : 2,000
I don’t even want to think about the copywriting nightmare that the Dewale brothers must have gone through to try and make this work, but on RSD in the UK the historic mixtape As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2 will be getting a proper physical release. The schizophrenic, wide-eyed release was the third in a long line of these early mash-up albums for the Dutch duo, but Pt. 2 always remained the most successful both critically and commercially. Considering all the crazy CD bootlegs and fan forums dedicated to Soulwax/2 Many DJs, it will be nice to have an official vinyl pressing offered to those loyal UK fans.
J Dilla – “Think Twice” – BBE : 7″ : 225
If there’s one artist from this generation that has caused colossal uproar in the vinyl collecting and music preservation circles, it’s the late James Yancy. Detroit’s J Dilla may have left us early, but his legacy continues to live on, especially this year as BBE releases a special 7” for “Think Twice.” Backed with the excellent “E=MC2 (Feat. Common), this incredibly limited 7” is not one to miss.
Hot Chip – “Day and Night” – Domino : 12″ : 1,000
So this might be the most boring release on this list, but it just shows how excited I am at the prospect of any new Hot Chip. Domino will release a one sided 12” featuring a remix by Caribou lead man Dan Snaith’s alter ego Daphni. The two are a match made in heaven, so look out for the new single when you’re elbowing your way to the front of the line. Listen to the track here.
Battles – Dross Glop 4 – Warp : 12″ : 500
Battles’ Glass Drop seemed like a rather divisive album in the band’s catalogue, but the exciting and fun album was one I kept coming back to throughout 2011. And if nothing else, if you have to applaud the band for supporting the album with a ton of remixes and fan service. And with Dross Glop, the fourth release in the remix series, the band collects all the prior work and adds a ton of new edits to make one awesome package. Collaborators include Gang Gang Dance, Shabazz Palaces, The Field and Pat Mahoney among others.
