Why You Should Support Record Store Day 2011
Record Store Day Promotes Independently Owned Record Stores
What some people don't know is that many of today's bands issue vinyl releases for their new material. Lady Gaga, Dropkick Murphy's, Eminem and many other artists regularly release vinyl versions of their newest music. You don't have to be a DJ to appreciate the nuances of a song listened to on an LP. There is a contrast between old school and new school ways of listening to good music. An MP3 player is convenient and offers clear sound. You can download thousands of songs from iTunes, but those easy downloads are what has damaged the mom and pop record store industry. Nothing sounds as authentic as hearing your favorite band on vinyl. Nothing.
Some artists are getting behind the independently owned record store industry and are promoting limited edition releases, special vinyl versions of their new music and exclusive Record Store Day releases. The goal is to save those rapidly dwindling numbers of record stores so that we don't lose a classic part of Americana.
Joan Jett is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of her I Love Rock-N-Roll album by issuing 1000 copies of a Limited Edition "180 gram Clear Vinyl" version of the album on Record Store Day. Jett issued this statement in support of Record Store Day, "My local independent record shop (Honest Jons) is a library, where you can go to listen to music, learn about it, exchange ideas about it and be inspired by it. I think independent record shops will outlive the music industry as we know it because long term their value to people is far greater, because even in our era of file-sharing and blogs, you can't replace the actual look on someone's face when they are playing something they really rate and think you should listen to it too. It's special."
The sound of a record album can't be replicated, and neither can the independently owned record shops that are struggling to stay alive in this age of digital music. Brush off your old record player, or spend the $100-150 to buy a new one. There is nothing like putting a great record album on and remembering the feeling you had when you bought your first LP. Most record stores also sell CDs, so buying those will support the cause as well. We lost most of the drive-in theaters; let's not lose the record stores too.
If you want more information on Record Store Day, the special releases coming out and where you can find the independently owned record stores in your area, click here.
Related Music Articles by Sherri Thornhill:
How To Make A Great Mixed Tape/CD or Playlist for Anyone
Why Country-Pop Music is Good for the Industry and Which Groups Do It Best
Road Trip Songs: 10 Great Rock-N-Roll Road Trip Songs
My First Concert: Berlin and Roxy Music in Fresno, California 1983
Sources: recordstoreday.com, joanjett.com, author's opinion
Published by Sherri Thornhill
I am a retired Police Officer and a professional freelance writer. I enjoy writing about a variety of topics. In addition to Yahoo Voices, I write for Examiner.com as the National Generation X Examiner, the... View profile
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- Celebrate Record Store Day
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- Independent Record Labels Need to Be Counted
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- Record Store Day 2011 is on Saturday, April 16.
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- Support your local independently owned record stores!
13 Comments
Post a CommentGreat idea!!! Thank you!!
This is a grea idea but I haven't heard of this day before. Thanks for spreading the word!
I never heard of this either! Way cool!
I passed on my album collection to family and friends when I downsized, as I simply didn't have the room to store everything that I owned in my former large home. I'm sure they will be enjoyed by the new owners. Having a day to support independent record stores is a great idea! rcj
I love records and I have an old school record player that I still use. Ya, This is good.
Gee, we have pretty much lost independent book stores, so I guess we need to hold onto what we can.
Great article Sherri! I didn't know there was a Record Store Day either. I support indpendent record stores. I still have alot of my old record albums before CDs became available, I have transferred most of the the good stuff to my iPod though. But I still hold on to the albums though, because I just can part with them.
This is so cool!
thumbs up
I used to love listening to records. :-)