Record Store Day (RSD) is known universally as the most significant day of the year for independent record stores and wax-lovers. By celebrating a love of music and vinyl culture, the annual day boasts exclusive CD, record, and promotional releases, plus in-store gigs and artist signings.
However, things are changing a little this year as many independent record stores from around the globe have been forced to shut their doors due to coronavirus-related social distancing measures. Being a globalised event, delays on the shipping of stock to independent record stores has also been a key factor in the decision to postpone the event.
Record Store Day have shared a new list of exclusive releases for this year’s alternative three-day event.
RSD organisers have been working hard over the past few months to try and keep the event up-and-running. Following a number of organisational and structural changes, RSD will continue to go ahead in 2020 but this time it will be spread out over three separate dates in the year (August 29, September 26, and October 24).
Exclusive releases will be staggered accordingly through “RSD Drops” across each of the three days to ensure social distancing is in order. To make up for the lack of live music and interaction this year, it’s shaping up to be a special one where we’ll get to celebrate the expansive world of vinyl on three separate occasions!
A statement on RSD Australia’s website reads: “They will not be a Record Store Day like we have known it. No live music, no beer, no queuing from 4am …. none of the hanging with like-minded music fans. Sorry. And yes we are devastated at this too. Heavy hearts amongst the team here.”
The Record Store Days will be tailored to suit the environment at the time. Whether it be via “kerbside” or “back door pick up”, “home delivery” or “in-store”, the record stores are working closely with RSD organisers to ensure these special new releases are spun on your turntables.
August 29
Many standout titles will be available for purchase on the first RSD of 2020, which includes Mac Demarco demos, The Cure 2LP picture discs, an Iggy Pop live album and a New Order four-song 12-inch vinyl.
A particular special vinyl and CD release from the day is a David Bowie album from the archives, ChangesNowBowie. It includes nine previously unreleased and predominately acoustic tracks, recorded in 1996 during rehearsals for Bowie’s 50th anniversary birthday concert at Madison Square Garden.
Denzel Curry’s blistering cover of Rage Against the Machine’s Bulls on Parade, which he first performed on Triple J’s Like a Version, is also getting released on 7-inch vinyl with a Bad Brains cover on the B-side.
September 26
There are a few standouts for round 2 of RSD. There’s a coloured vinyl reissue of Roger Waters doing a live performance of The Wall in Berlin as well as a Dinosaur Jr. live album, fittingly called Swedish Fist, due to its Stockholm origins. A limited run of Fleetwood Mac’s The Alternate Rumors consists of different takes on the songs off their magnum opus. Meat Puppets will also release a four-track EP, exclusive to RSD.
October 24
The final RSD of the year will hopefully see many independent record stores opening their doors again. Some of the highlights include rarities from Miles Davis and a vinyl release Ryuichi Sakamoto’s soundtrack to Black Mirror: Smithereens. There’s also an exclusive double A-side 7-inch of Beck covers reworked by St Vincent and Khruangbin.
Happy bin flicking vinyl lovers! Check the full list of limited releases exclusive to Record Store Day 2o2o here.
