This year, Record Store Day will continue its tradition of Black Friday events celebrating independent record stores. On November 28, the day afer Thanksgiving, artists like OutKast, Wu-Tang Clan, Jenny Lewis, Conor Oberst, Mastodon, the Flaming Lips, and more will put out releases available exclusively in indie stores.
Other releases include one from David Bowie (the “Sue” 10″), Aaliyah (Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number on white vinyl 2xLP), Miles Davis, Bessie Smith, and the Kinks (Muswell Hillbillies deluxe 2LP).
Why Black Friday? The organizers behind Record Store Day have shared a little primer, but here’s the salient part:
In the past Black Friday was an American event created by large corporate retailers as a shopping day that promoted mass produced items at super low prices in hopes of driving customers into their stores. RSD’s Black Friday subverts the model and creates pieces of art in the form of limited special editions, often numbered, from a diverse list of beloved artists. RSD’s version of Black Friday is an excuse to celebrate both the pieces themselves and the special indie record stores who carry them. Cheap, mass-produced frenzy is not the goal.
Translation: Please don’t trample anyone in the rush to grab that sweet, sweet Conor Oberst merch.
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