Due to terms such as ‘mp3,’ and ‘downloads,’ many have been fearing the demise of the humble record store. And we’re not talking about the HMVs of the world; we’re talking about the independently owned, dusty vinyl, been around forever record stores. Thanks to Record Store Day championing our local musical peddlers, things are looking up.

Held on the third Saturday in April every year, Record Store Day was initially founded back in 2007. Since then it’s blown up to include hundreds of participating stores across the US, as well as internationally, with artists joining the cause and contributing limited edition vinyl and CDs to be released exclusively on the day.

The New York MOOKS Report spent this year’s RSD at the famed Other Music in Manhattan. Celebrities who know their stuff (well, just one – Jason Schwartzman – who we discovered is a lot shorter in real life) mingled amongst die hard music lovers, who were too busy digging to stop and stare; everyone searching for a bargain or a true gem worth shelling out more clams for.

The exclusive RSD releases were replenished throughout the day, and strategically (or otherwise) positioned next to the tills so that those who had just paid at the cash register would see what they missed out on while waiting in line. A strict limit of one exclusive per customer was gently enforced by Other Music, making it a very utilitarian affair.

Meanwhile a roster of DJs including Avey Tare from Animal Collective kept the vibe loose, proactively helping in not whipping the packed store into a frenzy. In addition to the DJ sets, live happenings kicked off after 9pm, with darlings, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart and The Drums helping to celebrate essentially what should be revered every single day.

Viva la record store!

More at recordstoreday.com.




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