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Record Store Day is upon us! Every April, the international celebration of all things vinyl brings exclusive releases and special events to cities around the world. Whether you're looking to start a collection or bolster your already killer stash, there are plenty of participating NYC stores to hit up. Here are the best RSD releases to look out for.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Record Store Day
Jay Reatard, Blood Visions
The dearly departed Memphis garage punk’s blistering solo debut, a fuck-it-all sonic assault packed with lyrical nuggets like “it’s so easy when your friends are dead,” turns the big 1-0 this year, and this spiffy reissue—pressed, appropriately, on blood-red vinyl—boasts a bonus seven-inch of demos.
David Bowie, The Man Who Sold
the World picture disc
This early-career Bowie classic is best known for its chicly androgynous cover portrait of the Thin White Duke lounging in a dress, but the trippy artwork from the original German pressing—plastered beautifully on the record, no less—makes this a fitting aesthetic tribute to the late icon’s early psychedelic years.
Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1969 Box Set
This deluxe offering pays tribute to CCR’s unbelievably productive 1969, when
it released three Top 10 albums, not
to mention four Top 10 singles. This set includes three colored vinyl LPs and seven-inches (that’s six releases in total, smart guy), plus various bits of memorabilia, all painstakingly reproduced from the original material.
J Dilla, The Diary
When the prolific, highly influential producer and rapper died in 2006, he left behind tons of unfinished material, including this album, originally slated for release in 2002. On it,
he takes the mic to spit over beats by big names
like Madlib and Pete Rock.
Various artists, Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll
Few people outside Cambodia knew about the country’s flourishing local rock and pop scene during the ’60s and ’70s, but recently, its unique take on Western sounds has become a big deal among record geeks. This two-LP set (the soundtrack from an illuminating 2014 documentary) is a headfirst dive into the genre’s giddy, fuzzed-out vibes.
The D.O.C., No One Can Do It Better
The Dallas rapper (and eventual Dr. Dre ghostwriter) was on track for superstardom with this Dre-produced 1989 debut, but a car accident soon after its release compromised his solo career, and the album’s been out of print on vinyl ever since. Until now.
Jason Molina, The Townes Van Zandt Covers
The late indie-folk pioneer home-recorded these covers of songs by downer country-music icon Van Zandt for his friend, visual artist William Schaff, who provides the sleeve art.