Spring is in the air, and so is the smell of some brand new records. Do new records have a smell? I’m not sure. Anyway, Record Store day is this Saturday. The event was conceived in 2007 to, says the event’s website, “celebrate the art of music” by releasing many unheard, limited release, and reissued classics every April in independent record stores. If you like records, or just like to hang them on your bedroom walls, or look at them, or use them as mobiles, or smell them, or all of the above, then you should go and get your hands on some of the special releases at Lou’s Records in Encinitas or Spin Records in Carlsbad.
One record on the list of this year’s anticipated ‘indie’ releases is a brand new EP from synthy pop-makers Animal Collective, named “Transverse Temporal Gyrus.” Whether this is a latin name for some sort of botany or random gibberish, fans of the band are anxiously awaiting the EP – it’s been two years since the band has released any new songs. Other indie-ish bands with releases to watch out for include M83, Arcade Fire, M. Ward, and Grouplove.
A more household name in music, Bruno Mars, is also participating in record store day with the release of his 10” EP entitled “The Grenade Sessions.” Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, another band who reached radio level last year with their road trip worthy song “Home,” is releasing a small collection of unheard songs on a record called “One Love To Another.”
Besides these, an array of golden oldies are being re-released from bands and artists including Grateful Dead, Paul McCartney, Otis Redding, and Bruce Springsteen. A master list of all the musicstuffs being released can be found at Record Store Day’s website.
If all the new releases still haven’t got you convinced, both Lou’s Records and Spin Records will have live bands performing while record-seekers shop: Bands Sick Balloons and Trouble in the Wind will be performing at Spin at to-be-announced times, and groups SweetEverAfter and Montalban Quintet will be at Lou’s at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. More information can be found at Lou’s Records’ website and Spin Records’ website.