Saturday 22 April 2017

Record Store Day 2017


It's hard to believe that today is the 10th anniversary of Record Store Day. I think I might've missed the first one or two, then spent a number of years making unfeasibly early train trips to Rough Trade East, before South Records opened in Southend and became my local 'go-to' store.

This morning I arrived at around 6.20 a.m. and took the coveted 10th spot in the queue, with my purchase list in one hand and flask of coffee in the other. My good spot led to a few phone calls with friends to see if there was anything I could grab for them, which helped to pass the time and to distract from the fact that it had started to rain.

8 o'clock rolled round soon enough, and the entry to the shop was a much more civilized affair this year, with numbers in and out controlled to avoid a mad scramble of arms and legs at the record racks. So thanks to Richard and the team for doing a great job of looking after their customers.

My records were bagged in one of the special edition Fred Perry tote bags and I was soon back on my way home to start spinning the vinyl. Here's what I bought this year:

  1. Polica - 'Lipstick Stains'; white vinyl 7"
  2. British Sea Power - 'Keep On Trying / Bad Bohemian'; pink vinyl 7"
  3. The The - 'We Can't Stop What's Coming'; etched 7"
  4. Elbow - 'August & September (The The cover)'; etched 7"
  5. Swet Shop Boys - 'Sufi La'; white vinyl 12"
  6. Prince - 'Pop Life'; 12"
  7. Prince - 'Sign O' The Times'; 12"
  8. Follakzoid feat. J. Spaceman - 'London Sessions'; 12"
  9. Primal Scream - 'Mixomatosis'; 12"
  10. BP Fallon & David Holmes - 'Henry McCullough (Andrew Weatherall mix); white & brown splatter 12"
  11. David Bowie - 'No Plan EP'; blue vinyl etched 12"
  12. The Atomic Bomb Band - 'Plays The Music of William Onyeabor'; 12" album
  13. Maximo Park - 'Risk To Exist'; red & yellow splatter vinyl 12" album
  14. David Bowie - 'Cracked Actor'; triple vinyl 12" album
  15. Various Artists: Oxfam Presents - 'Stand As One - Live at Glastonbury 2016'; one red & one green 12" vinyl album
I know some people are a bit snobby about Record Store Day and yes, it is commercialised to a degree, and people should support their local shops all year round, but if this gets new people into those shops I'm all for it. Long may it continue!


Thursday 20 April 2017

Video of the Day: 'Silurian Blue' by Floating Points


Floating Points have a new video / album project on the way entitled 'Reflections - Mojave Desert'. Filmed by Anna Diaz Ortuno, it was recorded last August while the band were rehearsing for the US tour, when the desert became a unique recording environment for them.

The album is due for release on 30th June, and from it comes 'Silurian Blue', a fantastic journey through instrumental jazz and prog-rock themes. I'm imagining the whole project might turn out to be a like a modern day version of Pink Floyd's 'Live at Pompeii' film - which is no bad thing.