Record Store Day 2016 - The List is Out!

Wake up early.  Stand in line.  It's Record Store Day on April 16th, 2016.

Here's a link to the list of this year's exclusive releases.

pdf version

Web Version


2016 marks the ninth Record Store Day.  When it first started in 2008, there were about five releases.  There was no hysteria and one could pick up the exclusives throughout the day.   I got the REM single on that day.

This year there are hundreds of releases ranging from the 'sucker pack' to honest to god rarities.  Hipsters come out of the woodwork for this.  The line at Amoeba Hollywood can stretch around the block late into the afternoon.  Mainstream local news covers it.

I go to a quaint store near my house and usually get everything I want.   I'll then hit up a Silver Lake store or two.  Unable to resist the lure of Amoeba, I'll usually swing by there after.  The last few years, the sight of a line a mile long just to get into the store caused me to just keep on driving.  When will this bubble burst?

I tend to avoid the 'sucker pack' releases.  These would be releases with any of the following attributes:

1. reissue of popular titles on colored vinyl.
2. limited vinyl edition of something with 'special' packaging.
3. picture discs.  (this year there's a Justin Beiber one)

The visual is more important than the sound on these releases.  I'll leave those to the people that line up for hours in front of Amoeba.

What I go for are the following:

1. reissues of 45's with the original B-Sides and/or picture sleeves
2. First time issues of live sets (Grateful Dead has been doing this each year)
3. reissues of rare LP's I've never been able to acquire.
4. Indie or world music compilations
5. Releases making their debut for the first time
6. New 45's with non LP B-Sides.

So get up and enjoy.  Just don't be in front of me with my wish list items on your wish list. 

Personally, I think every day is Record Store Day.