Exclusive RSD titles, new and used vinyl, discounts and DJs; the crate diggers' favourite day will be a big one this year.
Record Store Day turns 16! The annual event traditionally takes place on the third Saturday of April and celebrates the culture of independent record stores worldwide. Thousands of stores take part as collectors try to get their hands on must-have limited edition records that are pressed specifically for RSD and released in different countries.
Of all the stores that participate in Record Store Day, the only rule is that they are classed as independent. This means they are not owned by a corporation and are they aren’t influenced by the people that run RSD. While stores can request certain titles for the day, they never really know what is coming until the shipment arrives.
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As die-hard vinyl lovers in Melbourne know, JJ’s Vinyl is a gem where you can find new arrivals and classic restocks, along with those quirky, hard-to-find titles you didn’t even know you needed but do. To celebrate the 16th year of RSD, JJ’s will be hosting an in-store event with loads of exclusive RSD titles, stacks of new and used vinyl with some exciting discounts and great tunes spinning from DJ Brett Wolfie, care of the Melbourne Record Club.
RSD is all about paying tribute to the local independent record stores that bring us so much joy and who really took a hit during the pandemic. Celebrating in-store is the point of the annual event, and the awesome additions to your collection are a very excellent bonus. JJ’s Vinyl has been operating inside Market 3196 in Chelsea Heights for just over four years and has become a popular spot with locals and collectors alike. Their customer base has grown as much as their vinyl collection, which now includes thousands of new and preloved vinyl.
From audiophile pressings to jazz, alternate and classic rock, hip-hop, metal, electronic and more, you’ll be hard-pressed (pun intended) to leave the store empty-handed. JJ’s embodies the reason why people love their independent record stores so much and why they are worthy of an event like RSD. The good stores are owned by music lovers who have a genuine passion for sharing their love of music and vinyl and who source and hand-curate their offerings with artists, genres and labels that bring joy and excitement back to the art of collecting music.
We can all agree that something has been lost in the convenience of every song ever recorded being a few clicks away on your phone. Vinyl remains music’s greatest physical format, and it makes the act of listening to music an activity again. From the artwork and sleeve design to playing the album the way the artist intended it to be heard, vinyl gives music the respect and time it truly deserves.
So what are some of the popular RSD exclusive releases people will be lining up to grab this year? The 1975, who are about to tour Australia, will be releasing the Live With The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra vinyl, which is limited to 2000 copies. Tori Amos drops her Little Earthquakes – The B-Sides release and Chet Baker releases an exclusive Mono Edition of his 1959 Riverside album, Chet, limited to 6525 copies. You’ll find a host of other RSD exclusives from artists like Bjork, Cheif Keef, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Doors, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, The Cure, The Magnetic Fields, Lacuna Coil, Groove Armada, Stevie Nicks, The Mars Volta and loads more.
You can view a full list of every available title via the RSD official website, which also indicates if the drops are exclusives physically released only at indie record stores or a RSD First, which may be released to other retailers at some point in the future. As for which of these titles will be at JJ’s on the day, well, that’s the fun and excitement of crate digging; you’ll have to head along to find out!
Celebrate the 16th year of RSD the right way at the JJ’s Vinyl in-store event at Market 3196, 279 Wells Road, Chelsea Heights, Saturday, April 22nd, from 10am. Follow them on Facebook here, Instagram here or check out their Record Store Day page here.
