Daddy, What's a CD?

“Sit down kids, and let me tell you a story. See, there used to be a time when you couldn’t just plug your brainstem into the download port and automatically absorb the music you wanted to hear. We had to go to the local record store and sift through bins of vinyl, racks of cassettes and shelves of CDs to find what we wanted. And sometimes *gasp*… the album we wanted wasn’t in stock.”

“But…I…where was the instant gratification?”

“I know it’s hard to believe – but we actually liked it. A few of us LOVED it. You could go in and look for a Misfits album and discover ten different bands that you NEEDED to hear. And the fanzines and posters and snotty record store workers… I miss being called a poser for picking up the newest Green Day disc. Those record store music nazis gave the verbal equivalent of a swift kick to the nuts – but you came out stronger for it!”

“Daddy, are you on the crackpipe? That sounds like the opposite of fun!”

“Oh kids, you just don’t get it. You’ve missed so much…”

Like human interaction…stacks of used/bargain discs that led to unabashed impulse buying…oversized cardboard cutouts of your favorite rock stars…walls of tie-dyed band shirts from yesteryear…provocative album art that gave you your first near-sex experience. Ah, those were the days. Wait a second, those things still exist!! The flesh-and-blood music scene isn’t as dead as the iGeneration would like you to believe.

Join us in celebrating the indie record store this Saturday (April 18th) – it’s the second annual Record Store Day! What does that mean? Well, this is a way to link up with your fellow music aficionados and spread the word to your friends – but on a nationwide kind of scale. Drag your lazy buddy off the couch, preach the word to your coworkers and tell your family…well, tell them you met a nice girl and you want them to meet her at the record shop. Don’t worry, once they get there, they’ll find all sorts of goodies - like in-store performances by all sorts of exciting bands, and RSD exclusive releases, ranging from limited edition discs/vinyl to t-shirts to “split singles” – vinyl singles with one band on the “A” side and another on the flipside.

More specifics, you say? Fine, here you go:

- Jack White (of White Stripes/Raconteurs fame) is using RSD to unveil his new group, The Dead Weather – they’ve got a two-track exclusive.

- Flight of the Conchords fans will be excited to hear about a 7-inch featuring a couple of unreleased tracks from their HBO show.

- A Tom Waits concert single, "Live from the Glitter and Doom Tour."

- Some of those split singles I talked about earlier? How about Elvis Costello/Jenny Lewis? Or Black Keys/Flaming Lips. Sonic Youth actually has two separate team-ups – one with Beck, the other with Jay Reatard.

So, if you love music (you know you do!), check in with your local record shop. Support the scene and score some cool stuff! If you want a list of participating stores, check here. I know for sure that Turn It Up! (Northampton, MA) is definitely onboard - they're starting the celebration tonight, with local faves The Maggies making a stop before their big show down the road at The Iron Horse later in the evening. WRSI (speaking of local music heroes) will also be on hand to help promote this wonderful event.

Not sure if your fave store is in on the fun? Give them a call! And again, check RecordStoreDay.com for more complete info. Buy it up, people!

(On a sad side note - R.I.P. About Music, Greenfield, MA. You were a wonderful little shop, and provided us with great music for many years. But look for their future web adventures at the relaunch of the About Music web site on May 1st.)