BLARE’s 40 MUST-HAVES FOR RECORD STORE DAY

Walking into a record store can sometimes leave you feeling overwhelmed. The artwork, the new favorites, the old favorites, the forgotten pieces of work that have your parents drooling over the dust still laced onto a classic they treated like a first-born when they used to be friends with a friendly-green dragon; it’s hard to shake the feeling of pure whimsical excitement. RECORD STORE DAY stokes that raging fire by supporting the independent music retailer, and as it’s backed by artists, it adds to the burning desire to buy something special you’ll fall in love with and claim to be your own show of support for the art called music. Between the cross genre splits, the exclusive coloured 7″ singles and EPs and the ingenious album artwork, here are our picks to grab come sunrise on April 21st.

Participating stores in Toronto include Soundscapes, Sunrise Records, Rotate This, Sonic Boom Records, Kops Records, Penguin Music and more. For a full list or outlets in various cities, visit Record Store Day’s website.

If you’re a local, make sure to check out Dine Alone Records’ video on their RSD catalog for 2012!

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ALEXISONFIRE – Math Sheets Demo // Format: 10″ LP // Dine Alone Records
DETAILS: Limited edition release printed on white vinyl
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ANBERLIN – Blueprints For The Black Market // Format: 2X LP // Tooth & Nail Records
DETAILS: Double LP version of 2003 album. First time available on LP
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ANIMAL COLLECTIVE – Transverse Temporal Gyrus // Format: LP // Domino Records
DETAILS: Audio cut from two three-hour performances at Animal Collective and visual artist Danny Perez’s installation called “Transverse Temporal Gyrus” at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.
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ARCADE FIRE – Sprawl II // Format: LP // Merge Records
DETAILS: Limited edition 12″ featuring remixes of “Sprawl II” and “Ready To Start”
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ARETHA FRANKLIN/OTIS REDDING – Respect // Format: 7″ 45 // Rhino Records
DETAILS: Exclusive release with recordings of “Respect” performed by both artists
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ATTACK IN BLACK – Marriage // Format: 10″/12″ LP // Dine Alone Records
DETAILS: Limited repress (500), includes bonus 10″ with 5 extra songs
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BEACH HOUSE – Lazuli B/W Equal Mind // Format: 7″ 45 // Sub Pop
DETAILS: First new music from the band on a white vinyl single. New album in May.
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CHILDISH GAMBINO – Heartbeat // Format: LP // Glassnote Records
DETAILS: 12″ Red vinyl featuring “Hearbeat” and “Heartbeat (I.M.O.L. Remix)”
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THE CIVIL WARS – Billie Jean // Format: 7″ 45 // Columbia Records
DETAILS: Exclusive release featuring live recordings of “Billie Jean” and “Sour Times”
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CURSIVE – Burst And Bloom // Format: LP // Saddle Creek
DETAILS: RSD exclusive edition on a marbled vinyl LP
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DALE EARNHARDT JR. JR. – We Almost Lost Detroit EP // Format: LP // Warner Music
DETAILS: Exclusive release featuring new songs “Like A Prayer” and “I Think Of You”
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DEATH GRIPS – The Money Store // Format: LP // Epic
DETAILS: Repress of latest release on 12″ vinyl (“RSD First”)
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DEERHOOF/OF MONTREAL – Stygian x} Bisection // Format: 7″ 45 // Polyvinyl Records
DETAILS: Limited edition Deerhoof/Of Montreal split 7″
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THE FLAMING LIPS – The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends // Format: 2x LP // Warner Music
DETAILS: 2x LP with custom jackets featuring guests Ke$ha, Bon Iver, Nick Cave and Chris Martin
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GARY CLARK JR. – Presents HWUL Raw Cuts Vol. 1 // Format: LP // Warner Music
DETAILS: Two-track LP featuring brand new live tracks
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GORILLAZ – Do Ya Thing // Format: 10″ LP // EMI/Capitol
DETAILS: One-sided, 13-minute long track “Do Ya Thing (ft. James Murphy & Andre 3000)” on 10″ vinyl
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GRATEFUL DEAD – Dark Star: Europe ’72 Olympia Theatre… // Format: LP // Rhino Records
DETAILS: 180 Gram LP. Previously unavailable version now on vinyl. Total pressing: 4,200 (420-get it?)
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JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD – Upstairs At United Vol. 3 LP // Format: LP // 453 Music
DETAILS: Live one-take session recorded to 1/4″ tape and cut to 45 RPM 12″ black vinyl
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JIMMY FALLON – Tebowie // Format: 7″ 45 // Warner Music
DETAILS: First physical release. Includes recordings “Tebowie” and “Reading Rainbow”
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LAURA MARLING – Flicker And Fail // Format: 7″ 45 // Ribbon
DETAILS: Exclusive 7″ featuring live track “Flicker And Fail” and unreleased b-side “To Be A Woman”
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LEMURIA – Varoom Allure // Format: 7″ 45 // Bridge Nine Records
DETAILS: Featuring two brand new songs with an etching and exclusive colored vinyl for RSD
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MAE – The Everglow // Format: LP // Tooth & Nail Records
DETAILS: Double LP version of 2003 album. First time on available on LP
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MASTODON/FEIST – Commotion/Black Tongue // Format: 7″ 45 // Warner Music
DETAILS: Double A-Side. Mastodon covers Feist’s “Commotion”, Feist covers Mastodon’s “Black Tongue”
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MONEEN – The Red Tree // Format: 2xLP // Dine Alone Records
DETAILS: Exclusive release on red and white vinyl. Includes bonus 7″ with 2 unreleased demos
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MOVING MOUNTAINS – Foreword // Format: LP // Bridge 9 Records
DETAILS: Limited run 12″ Orange Vinyl EP
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NEON INDIAN – Hex Girlfriend // Format: 10″ LP // Mom+Pop
DETAILS: Limited run 10″ translucent blue vinyl
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NOW NOW/THE LONELY FOREST – Shifting/Woe Is Me // Format: 7″ 45 // Trans- Records
DETAILS: Split 7″ featuring tracks by original signings handpicked by label owner Chris Walla
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ODD FUTURE – The OF Tape Vol. 2 // Format: LP // Odd Future Records
DETAILS: Vinyl release of latest record The OF Tape Vol. 2
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OF MONSTERS AND MEN – Into The Woods EP // Format: 10″ LP // Universal Music
DETAILS: Vinyl release of EP including bonus track “Sinking Man”
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PORTUGAL. THE MAN – Got It All // Format: 7″ 45 // Warner/Atlantic
DETAILS: Limited run UK import featuring album version and Bjorn Ytlling remix
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THE RECEIVING END OF SIRENS – Songs/2003 // Format: 7″ 45 // Photo Finish Records
DETAILS: Two unreleased tracks circa 2003 recorded with vocalist Ben Potrykus and Matt Squire
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REFUSED – The Shape Of Punk To Come // Format: LP // Epitaph
DETAILS: Limited edition coloured 2x LP with poster
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RYAN ADAMS – Heartbreak A Stranger/Black Sheets Of Rain // Format: 7″ 45 // PAXAM
DETAILS: 7″ coloured vinyl of two Bob Mould covers recorded live at the Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles
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SAM MEANS – Nona // Format: 7″ 45 // Photo Finish Records
DETAILS: Four song 7″ Vinyl/Digital EP of first solo effort outside The Format
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SIGUR ROS – Hvarf-Heim // Format: 2xLP // XL Recordings
DETAILS: Double 150 gram multi coloured vinyl of 2007 compilation release
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STRAYLIGHT RUN – Straylight Run // Format: LP // Victory Records
DETAILS: 12″ yellow vinyl and brown vinyl; album has never been available on vinyl
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TAKING BACK SUNDAY – We Play Songs // Format: LP // Brookvale
DETAILS: Four song EP – two tracks recorded live at Fingerprints; two tracks recorded live at Looney Tunes
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TALLEST MAN ON EARTH – King Of Spain // Format: LP // Dead Oceans
DETAILS: Exclusive release featuring “King Of Spain”, “Graceland” and “Where I Thought I Met The Angels”
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VARIOUS ARTISTS – Empire Records OST // Format: LP // UMe
DETAILS: 2×12″ orange vinyl press of Empire Records soundtrack
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THE WHITE STRIPES – Hand Springs/Red Death At 6:14 // Format: 7″ 45 // Third Man Records
DETAILS: 7″ black and red swirled vinyl featuring two stand-alone songs from the year 2000
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[Find more exclusive Record Store Day releases, splits and imports at their official website]