Overview
Record stores aren’t just retail outlets. They’re alternative schools for the musically challenged, sites of identification and rebellion, and burning hot crucibles for new bands — if not entire movements. For a while, however, we feared that the digital revolution would turn all of that into a relic of the past — a thing relegated to nostalgic, drunken reruns of Empire Records, High Fidelity and Good Vibrations.
To an extent, the fear was justified. We’ve seen quite a few legendary institutions kick the bucket. Bondi, for example, lost one of the few remaining portals into its more bohemian past when its Campbell Parade record store closed.
But as the old adage goes, you can’t keep a good man, woman or album collection down, so record stores have been making a serious comeback. And to keep the punters off downloads and onto discs, they’ve been doing things in even quirkier, bigger ways than ever before. One of these is annual international Record Store Day, now in its sixth year. On Saturday, April 19, music shops all over the world will host live gigs, interviews, special sales and much-anticipated new releases.
In Sydney, The Record Store Darlinghurst, will be transforming into one enormous turntablism showcase featuring Broke, Raine Supreme, Clockwerk, Katalyst, Speedracer and Morphingaz. The party will continue after 6pm at Play Bar. Utopia, Kent Street, will be selling more than 100 exclusive RSDA titles and giving away all kinds of goodies, from Golden Tickets to The Enmore to box sets. At Repressed, you can expect a bunch of exciting new releases, including the Oh Sees' latest album and reissues from Dead Moon. And if you’re spending Record Store Day at the Royal Easter Show, catch ambassador Marcia Hines singing at WOW Music at 1pm.