Record Store Day 2024 is just under a month away! One thing a lot of people know about me (maybe because I will never shut up about it) is that my boyfriend and I have been cultivating a vinyl record collection for about two years now. He bought a U-Turn Audio record player, which is a brand I will always recommend to people looking for a moderately priced turntable (but not cheaply made, small sidebar to PLEASE never buy a Crosley suitcase record player if you want your albums to last a long time, they ruin the grooves of the vinyl and hurt my soul) as a gift for my high school graduation. We actually decided on starting our collection because of Finders Records right here in Bowling Green, so you can imagine how devastated I was when they closed. Finders was a go-to for a long time, and I was really hoping to be able to go in for this year’s Record Store Day because any music lover knows that this annual event is a collector’s dream!
What is Record Store Day?
Record Store Day (RSD, as I’ll abbreviate it from now on) is an annual event that happens each April, usually on a Saturday, to bring in huge amounts of business for independent record stores. So, if you’re thinking you can just head to your local Target for this celebration, you’d be sadly mistaken. The event was created to encourage people to shop small! This year’s event is taking place on April 20th.
These stores receive MASSIVE shipments of exclusive pressings of music in various sizes, colors, and sometimes even shapes of vinyl records. The inventory changes annually, so no two events are the same! A lot of them are made in very limited quantities as well, which makes the search even more rewarding in my opinion. For example, last year I purchased Taylor Swift’s folklore: the long pond studio sessions RSD Exclusive Grey Vinyl, as well as one of only 2700 existing copies of Fleetwood Mac’s singles Albatross and Jigsaw Puzzle Blues, which each occupy a side of a red full-size LP. The sleeve even tells me which individual number is mine!
What will be available for Record Store Day this year?
The full listing can be found at this link! However, you’ll notice that the website also indicates that nothing from the RSD inventory will be available online, as that would defeat the entire purpose of the event. I have a feeling I personally will be spending a good chunk of money this year, because the listing is LOADED with content for the pop/indie pop girlies like myself. Here are my personal highlights from the 2024 listing:
- Sabrina Carpenter 7” Feather, baby pink vinyl, only 2,000 copies
- Chappell Roan 7” Pink Pony Club/Naked in Manhattan, baby pink vinyl, only 1,500 copies
- Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan 7” Stick Season/Lacy (Live at BBC Lounge), confirmed colored but individual color unknown as of now
- The Weeknd LP Live at SoFi Stadium, mostly for my boyfriend because the rest of this list is sooooooo all for me!
- Holly Humberstone and MUNA 7” Into Your Room, color unknown, only 1,750 copies
- Wallows 5th Anniversary Edition of Nothing Happens LP
- Paramore/David Byrne 12” Burning Down the House/Hard Times
- Noah Kahan, I Was/I Am re-pressing RSD exclusive
This one gets its own moment because it is truly the record release to end all record releases: Fleetwood Mac’s truly iconic album Rumours on an exclusive Picture Disc. This is the number one must-have on my list this year, and thankfully the company is pressing a lot of them, so I’m seriously hoping to get my hands on a copy of this. Picture discs and zoetropes are some of the coolest records you can find anywhere. (For the unenlightened, a zoetrope is a print that makes a moving image when it spins! We have one for The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack in our collection as well as a couple others!)
Other popular artists featured on the listing included The 1975, Gorillaz, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Daft Punk, The Beatles, Laufey, Lainey Wilson, and so many more! I’m telling you, if you have any interest in physical music at all, this day is going to be so important. For me, I swear I add something new to my wishlist every time I read through the full listings! Interestingly, Taylor Swift is not participating this year, though she has been a RSD ambassador in the past, most likely due to her album’s release the preceding day. Although, I wouldn’t count her out entirely- Blondie could certainly surprise us all with a RSD drop the day of, so keep your eyes peeled, Swifties!
Where can I go for Record Store Day 2024?
Again, the website has you covered for a full list! You can find that here. If you’re in the Bowling Green area, since we no longer have Finders to fall back on, you’re going to have to drive 20-30 minutes for sure, but it’ll be super worth it. I will probably be patronizing Culture Clash Records in Toledo, granted that I’m able to make it, since their store is so clean and spacious, and they will be having live music from local artists and bands throughout the day. There are also several Allied Record Exchange locations in the Toledo area that will participate in RSD. I would also like to give special recognition to The Record Connection, near my hometown in Northeast Ohio, because I know my hometown people might come across this article as well, and I would love to see that store have its most successful RSD yet!
One thing you should be prepared for if you choose to visit a store for Record Store Day is waiting. Most stores limit the number of people allowed in stores at a time due to fragile merchandise and courtesy to their patrons, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic put social distancing in everyone’s minds. Most stores will have long lines that start long before the sun comes up, but even if you don’t get there super early, you should be able to find at least some of your wishlist! Last year, I arrived at the line outside Finders downtown around 9 am and was still able to find both of my must-haves, but I did wait in line for about 2 hours.
I hope that you’ll consider supporting independent and local businesses this April 20th for Record Store Day, it is not only a great way to add some rare finds to your collection, but a memorable overall experience!