Vinyl nerds rejoice, Record Store Day is upon us! This Saturday marks what is arguably the best day of the year for record collectors -- short of a yard sale with an awesome collection at a criminally low price -- giving us the opportunity to line up outside of the valley's finest record stores for some rarities, limited edition pressings, reissues, and in-store performances.
Check out our list of must-see Record Store Events in the Metro Phoenix area after the jump. We promise it will be worth your while to get up early on Saturday and have those credit cards handy, because there is no greater joy than seeing an album you've sought out forever (say, The Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America or Kind of Like Spitting's Nothing Makes Sense Without It) get a reissue date.
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Stinkweeds This downtown Phoenix gem should be the first stop on your list, as the first 100 customers will receive goodie bags when the store opens at 9 a.m. Said goodies include free tickets to Stateside Presents and Psyko Steve shows, as well as CDs, posters, Stinkweeds' exclusive Record Store Day Local Music Compilation, and miscellaneous music paraphernalia.
Stinkweeds offers one of the most extensive live music selections of the local stores participating in RSD. Be sure to check out the Through and Through Gospel Review, Twin Ponies, and DJ Bruce (who will spin records and host trivia) while munching on some Short Leash Hot Dogs and feeling joy at finding the heart-shaped Father John Misty 7-inch and the reissue of Brand New's Deja Entendu.
Zia Record Exchange Tom Reardon gave us the lowdown of Zia Record Exchange's epic 35th anniversary celebration. Highlights include a free in-store performance by Idaho indie rockers Built to Spill at the Camelback location, which will be a treat for anybody who did not get tickets to the band's sold out Crescent Ballroom show the night before.
Zia will also carry a vinyl-only pressing of Tegan and Sara's 2013 in-store performance at the local chain's Thunderbird store.
Asylum Records Asylum presents the rare opportunity to meet GWAR, which is simultaneously exciting and terrifying. The warrior ghouls play a show at Marquee Theatre later that night and will be on hand to sign copies of the limited edition America Must Die vinyl.
Disclaimer -- we cannot guarantee that you will walk out of the store without getting covered in fake blood and/or semen. Bring a white shirt and a towel.
Revolver Records The downtown hotspot will release the Recorded at a Record Store 2 7-inch with songs from Andrew Jackson Jihad and ROAR recorded on-site. The limited, hand-numbered release includes 300 copies of red vinyl, and 200 black. Another must-have item is President Gator's TOAD/Gatecreeper 7-inch split.
If you strike out with RSD exclusives, a 20 percent store-wide discount applies to all other titles.
The store will feature live music throughout the day, notably with performances by Austin's Soul Track Mind and Tyler Broderick from Diners.
The Record Room This must-see Scottsdale store will feature live performances by Scorpion vs. Tarantula, Freaks of Nature, and Sol Drop. Be sure to pick up a limited edition UFO-themed T-shirt while perusing titles by The White Stripes and Sun Ra.
Record High This Tempe store has teased a few of its RSD selections on Facebook. Keep an eye out for titles by New Order, The Smiths, Public Enemy, and Bob Dylan before someone beats you to it.
To make your shopping list a bit easier, we've included a list of our top RSD exclusive picks on page three.
Against Me! - Osama Bin Laden as the Crucified Christ 7" colored vinyl Air - Playround Love 7" colored vinyl Brand New - Deja Entendu 12" vinyl reissue Built to Spill - Unethered Moon LP Courtney Barnett - Kim's Caravan 12" vinyl The Baseball Project/The Minus 5 - Redeyed in Austin 12" colored vinyl split The Black Eyes/Junior Kimbrough - Meet me in the City 7" vinyl Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else Remixed 12" vinyl David Bowie - Changes 7" picture disc Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band - Rough Raw and Amazing 2 x 12" vinyl D'Angelo - The Charade 7" vinyl Miles Davis - The Prestige 10 inch LP Collection Vol. 2 10" vinyl box set Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear 7" heart-shaped colored vinyl The Flaming Lips - Bad Days and This Here Giraffe 10" colored vinyl Giant Sand - Valley of Rain (30th Anniversary Edition) 2 x 12" vinyl The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America LP reiusse The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy Live.Barrowlands LP Jurassic 5 - Quality Control -- Wood Box vinyl box set Bob Marley - Bob Marley Interviews So Much Things to Say 12" vinyl Okkervil River - Sleep and Wake-Up Songs LP Pulp - IT LP reissue Ride - OX4 2 x 12" colored vinyl Run The Jewels - Record Store Day release 12" vinyl Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Little Boys with Shiny Toys 7" vinyl Bruce Springsteen - five great releases including Darkness on the Edge of Town LP St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Live From the Alabama Theatre 12" vinyl Temples - Mesmerise Live 12" vinyl Various Artists - Music To Drink Beer To compilation Various Artists - Northern Soul--The Soundtrack compilation Various Artists - Sun Records Curated by Record Store Day Vol. 2 compilation Wu-Tang Clan - Protect Ya Neck 12" colored vinyl
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