Every year there is one day where hundreds of limited pressings of records come out at selected stores, and that day is record store day. As you may have seen before, I’m really into records, so this day is like Christmas to me. This year it falls on April 22, and there are lots of Cincinnati record shops participating, such as my personal favorite, The Plaid Record Room in Loveland, Shake It Records in Cincinnati, Everybody’s Records in Cincinnati, and so many more! The list of releases came out last week and since then I have decided which records I’m most excited for and I’m going to share a few with you! (All record descriptions and track lists come from Record Store Day.com)
1) All Time Low “MTV Unplugged”
Description: “For the first time ever, All Time Low’s intimate MTV Unplugged album is available on warm and cozy vinyl. Available on limited edition white and black smashes Record Store Day Exclusive vinyl.”
Tracklist:
01 Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)
02 Coffee Shop Soundtrack
03 Remembering Sunday
04 Jasey Rae
05 Weightless
06 Dear Maria, Count Me In
My excitement about this record is because of two things: 1) All Time Low is the perfect classic Pop-punk that I can’t get enough of and 2) I am and always will be a sucker for an acoustic. All Time Low is one of those bands that really helped me get into the pop punk community, and I only own one of their albums on vinyl so this would be a great second, and again ITS AN ALL ACOUSTIC ALBUM. I’m sorry, I just have a passion for acoustic.
2) The Lumineers “Song Seeds”
Description: “Since the release of Cleopatra in April 2016, The Lumineers have been going non-stop. They embarked on a world tour soon after the album came out, city after city, to increasingly larger and more packed venues. They’re making their presence known in arenas now, including two sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden and will be gracing stadiums this summer opening for U2. During this crazy time, though, the band tries to keep level heads: they try to remember where they are coming from, and at the root of it, what the songs are really saying. This, Song Seeds was born. This Record Store Day exclusive 10″ includes three versions of two tracks from Cleopatra, each recorded at a different point in the song’s life. There’s the “seed”, which is the early demo version, the album cut and a live version pulled from of the shows on the tour. This particular record features seeds of “Angela” and “Long Way From Home” and it’s a great piece for anyone who loves the band and wants to feel a part of their creative process.”
This actually the record I am most excited about hopefully getting my hands on! The Lumineers have been one of my most recent passions since my friend Josh convinced my to go to their concert with him. From the moment I heard the acoustic version of “Cleopatra” and saw Jeremiah on piano, I knew I was hooked. What’s so exciting about this release is that it has the very first recording of “Angela,” which is one of my favorite songs off the new album. But the best part is the fact that it’s the first recording, and I can wait to hear how much that song progressed! Plus, I could never complain about adding more Lumineers to my record collection!
3) TOTO “Africa”
Description: “Two of Toto’s biggest hits—the chart-topping “Africa” and Grammy Award-winning smash “Rosanna”—return to vinyl on a special recreation of a limited edition, die-cut, Africa-shaped picture disc originally released in 1982, featuring a map of the continent on the A-side and an image of actress Rosanna Arquette, the inspiration for “Rosanna,” on the B-side. This is the first release in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Toto, one of the best-selling and most virtuosic rock bands of all time.”
Alright, I know that it’s not much of a secrete that I really love pop punk music, so this must seem like a strange choice, but I can explain. Two record store days ago, before I began my collection, my favorite band Twenty One Pilots came out with an album shaped like Ohio and I had the chance to buy it and I didn’t and hate myself every day for it. Now, I have the opportunity to get this one shaped like Africa, and I’m not going to throw this chance away! Plus, this album reminds me of driving to the beach with the windows down singing along to Africa with my friend Hunter!
4) “Moana” by Various Artist
Description: “From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Moana,” an animated adventure about a spirited teenager who sails out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder and fulfill her ancestors’ unfinished quest. Including two key moments from the film, “How Far I’ll Go” Moana’s key anthem performed by Auli`i Cravalho, and the demi-god Maui’s “You’re Welcome” performed by Dwayne Johnson, this RSD picture disc vinyl release features beautiful images of the two main characters from the hit family film of 2016.”
This may seem like a strange choice, but I’m actually very excited about this. While it may not be my top choice, I would still love to have it in my collection. This Disney picture disk reminds me of seeing the vinyls at Disneyland when I was back home, which always makes me happy. Also, the first time I ever saw this movie was when my friend Felicia took me home for Thanksgiving, so the movie has some emotions attached.