The region’s record stores are stocking their shelves for one big day this month. April 22 is Record Store Day, an annual event that gives a boost to independent vinyl shops across the country.
In this week’s Shuffle, Cleveland Scene Magazine music writer Jeff Niesel talks about the 10th anniversary of Record Store Day:
Vinyl sales increased for the 11th consecutive year in 2016. And Niesel says Record Store Day has helped fuel the surge.
Independent stores across the country stock their shelves with very limited quantities of exclusive releases from artists and bands. Some of them end up on sites like eBay, but Niesel says the idea is to get people to support their local shops.
And it's been working.
"You’ll see lines of people out the doors and stretching on to the sidewalks. Even the exchange stores that sell a combo of new and used titles are participating," Niesel says.
Most record stores in the region are taking part and post on their websites and Facebook pages lists of the titles they'll be getting. The shops include Square Records, Music Saves, Buzzbin, Blue Arrow Records, Loop in Tremont and My Mind's Eye. A full list of participating stores can be found here.
Niesel says sometimes it can be a bit of a scavenger hunt, and sometimes you luck out.
“One year I just went to Music Saves looking for the R.E.M. EP, Chronic Town, on vinyl and they had it."
Top releases
This year features a number of limited-edition re-issues celebrating David Bowie, The Smiths and Lou Reed.
As for Niesel, he's looking forward to some picture disc releases, including Prince's "Little Red Corvette" and prog rock band and 2017 Rock Hall inductee, YES, releasing their 1980's record "90125".
Gotta Groove windfall
Niesel says Record Store Day is also a boon for Cleveland's Gotta Groove Records, which he says has been taking orders going back to last year.
"When everything switched to CD, many of the vinyl pressing plants shut down. Gotta Groove is one of the only functioning plants in the country."
Numero Pop-Up
Niesel says Chicago-based Numero Group is taking some records and merchandise on the road, stopping in Cleveland. The label has reissued several albums by artists with ties to Ohio. The label's first release, Eccentric Soul, featured rare soul and R&B music that came out in the '70s on the Columbus-based Capsoul label.
The pop-up shop comes to Space: ROCK Gallery on April 16.
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