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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

arts music

Bloomington stores celebrate Record Store Day

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Two Bloomington record stores participated in Record Store Day. They sold limited edition releases, created only for participating stores, and distributed Record Store Day tote bags for free with purchases.

The first Record Store Day was in 2008 with the intention to celebrate and share record store culture.

There are record stores that celebrate the event on every continent except Antarctica, according to the Record Store Day website.

“A lot of labels have put out limited, exclusive releases today,” Bloomington resident Thomas Hartnett-Russell said. “The limited releases are only available in brick-and-mortar record stores that participate today.” 

Hartnett-Russell said he was looking for the David Bowie exclusive release called, “Welcome to the Blackout,” and the Sufjan Stevens exclusive, transparent vinyl called “Mystery of Love." Even though Hartnett-Russell arrived 45 minutes before Landlocked opened, these exclusive records were sold out by the time he got into the store.

Hartnett-Russell was able to snag the Brian Eno and Kevin Shields exclusive release album, “The Weight of History + Only Once Away My Son,and the Elvis Costello 45 single “Someone Else's Heart.”

As visitors to Landlocked flipped through records and waited in a line that snaked around the perimeter of the shop, Bloomington resident Abby Goldsmith, performing as DJ Inflatable Girl, spun alternative pop records on DJ turntables. One of the songs Goldsmith played was “Never Going to Die” by CC Dust. 

Bloomington residents Alison Pitt Polley and Rachel Glago were among the many Landlocked customers who bought records and received a free tote bag with their purchase. 

Glago said she was hoping to find the album “HEAVN” by Jamila Woods, but it was already sold out when she arrived. Glago did buy the album “Vessel” by Frankie Cosmos. 

Pitt purchased the Big Thief album, “Capacity” and said she is looking forward to the Big Thief show coming up next Saturday. 

“I listen to ‘Capacity’ all the time,” Pitt Polley said. “But everything sounds better on vinyl.” 

In Case of Emergency Press, a local custom screen printing business, printed record store day t-shirts for customers outside Landlocked.  

Several blocks away at Tracks on Kirkwood, customers browsed through what was left of the limited edition, exclusive record store day releases. 

“We opened at eight and the line was down the block,” Tracks employee Reid Andersen said. 

Andersen said he was particularly interested in the Flaming Lips special release album, “The Story of Yum Yum and Dragon,” pressed on pastel pink vinyl. The album is inspired by the new Dogfish Head beer, Dragons & Yum Yums. 

"Composed by Wayne Coyne, frontman for The Flaming Lips, the lyrics pay tribute to the colorful array of off-centered ingredients in the beer," according to the Record Store Day website.

Ph.D. student Bobby Wells found the Phoenix album “Ti Amo,” shaped like a heart and pressed on red vinyl. Wells managed to find the David Bowie special release at Tracks even though it was already sold out at Landlocked.   

At Landlocked later in the day, jazz band Call & Response — comprised of Ben Lumsdaine on drums, Evan Main on piano and Philip Wailes on upright bass — played original jazz songs and the Thelonious Monk song, “Monk’s Dream.” 

While waiting for the next performance from local ambient music duo Superstar Cruiser, members of the audience and those shopping for records sipped beers and chatted in the cozy atmosphere of Landlocked.

Heath Byers, co-owner of Landlocked, said the store had participated in Record Store Day since the first one in 2008. He said he grabbed the re-release of Baby Huey’s only album called “The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend” before doors opened today.

Byers said his favorite part of Record Store Day is when people gather to listen to local music, meet new people and learn about new music.

“There is live jazz, electronic and punk music happening today, “ Byers said. “It is a nice melting pot of all the different music scenes.” 

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