As I was lazily scrolling through TikTok, a video with a list full of upcoming vinyl releases popped up on my “For You Page.” Curiously, I swiped through the entire list which turned out to be an official announcement of the annual Record Store Day on April 20th 2024. I then began to reminisce upon the first time I heard about Record Store Day (RSD for short) – it was in April of 2022, and I was a major Taylor Swift stan. It had been announced that an unreleased version of “the lakes,” my favorite of Swift’s songs, was about to be pressed into a limited edition 7” vinyl. After I looked into this concept I had never heard of before, I found out that RSD is a single-day event celebrated during April each year on a global scale, where limited edition presses and re-presses of older albums, singles and live performances are released only in independent record stores.
In the past couple of decades, with the introduction of CDs in the 80’s and music streaming in the early 2010’s, events like RSDs have been fundamental in keeping independent music stores open and the entirety of vinyl culture alive. Both musicians and vinyl enthusiasts agree on the importance of having a safe space to discover and rediscover music without judgment. “The discovery of music was always meant to be romantic. Indie record shops are some of the only spaces we’ve got that offer a tangible, tactile experience of music discovery,” said RSD’s 2024 ambassador, the rock band Paramore, through RSD’s official website.
It should come as no surprise then that I decided to visit my nearest independent record store to fulfill my “Swiftie” dream of owning a unique piece of merchandise from my favorite artist. Since then, I’ve kept up with the yearly list of limited edition releases and have expanded my not-so-sophisticated vinyl collection. Fortunately for me, the 2024 releases seem promising and exciting! A wide range of genres, artists and collections make up the 391 releases for RSD 2024. Some of the releases I am personally most excited for are Live At The Showbox by Death Cab for Cutie, Into Your Room by Holly Humberstone and MUNA, ATEIAD Sessions by The Japanese House, At The Live Inn, Tokyo ‘86 by Nico and Re: This is Why by Paramore and The Whole Love Expanded by Wilco.
The main reason I find Record Store Day so significant is because of the comfort music it provides for teenagers. I know many students at The Village School, and all around the world, can relate to the feeling of finding yourself through music. “In this world that feels more disconnected and hostile than ever, it feels important to remain in touch (literally) with what inspires us, empowers us, or simply brings us joy,” said Paramore, expanding on the idea of the importance of connecting through music and sound. So, if you are free on April 20th and are interested in any of the 2024 RSD releases, go visit the closest participant independent record store to you, and have some fun! The closest record store to The Village School is Cactus Music, at 2110 Portsmouth St, Houston, TX 77098; give it a visit! If you want to see the full 2024 RSD list visit www.recordstoreday.com.
References:
Home. (n.d.). Recordstoreday.com. Retrieved March 5, 2024, from https://recordstoreday.com
