It’s true! The Twin Cities has an exorbitant amount of record stores per capita. Having gone record shopping all over the country, I can confirm we probably have more record stores than some of the major cities on each coast. The music community that fuels our programming and represents our listenership at Jazz88 and all the elements of music appreciation, fandom, and outright obsessions among our peers truly show up for Record Store Day since its inception in 2007. With each year, the special day for music fans has only grown more and more, satisfying appreciators of every style and genre.
What started as a made-up marketing boost for independent record stores has evolved into a full fledged holiday for the Mom-and-Pop shops that hold on to the tradition of commiserating over the physical product and the music we love in its most hard copy form. It has been commonplace among record stores to cite the day as the busiest of the year. Eclipsing what traditionally would be anticipated for large scale sales during the holidays at the end of the year, Record Store Day sales can surpass December holiday sales expectations many times over.
Highlighted among the usual fare of music in these stores, special titles of unreleased gems, long awaited reissues, and some artists that hold off on their usual release cycle to take advantage of the heavy foot traffic of Record Store Day have become hallmarks of what to expect in the bins each year.
One of the larger shops and institutions in Minneapolis, The Electric Fetus, has a full schedule of DJ’s playing records throughout the day and a special in-store performance from the local brother and sister duo done good, Durry, who will have an exclusive new 7” available as well for Record Store Day.
Store buyer, Jim Novak is excited about some of the jazz releases available specifically for the day: “I’m excited to hear Nat King Cole’s Live at the Blue Note Chicago from his 1953 residency there—it’s less than a year after he released Unforgettable, so this should be a great live recording.” Citing other notable jazz titles in the stacks, Novak made note of performers old and new. “This year’s RSD list includes some stellar jazz records, from the names you’d expect, like Bill Evans, Charlie Parker, and Chet Baker–to Icelandic vocalist newcomer Laufey–this year runs the gamut.”
General Manager of Down in the Valley in Golden Valley, Scott Farrell, always gets giddy this time of year. “It’s a big list this year for Record Store Day, and we are expecting big crowds of fans, new and old, to be coming through our stores this weekend.”
In addition to the 400+ releases of all genres, there are a few special items to point out at their store. “Down In The Valley will have an exclusive, autographed Superchunk Foolish album reissue on colored vinyl, only available in our stores on Saturday.” This is fitting since the record was recorded in Cannon Falls, Minnesota!
The store will also be releasing a commemorative Down in the Valley RSD t-shirt and poster for fans, and they’ve also partnered with Broken Clock Brewing for a special RSD beer called “Liquid Fidelity.” Farrell mentioned a new promotion this year, teaming up with Live Nation: “We’re selling NO FEE TICKETS to shows at the Fillmore, the Varsity, and the Uptown Theater, and we’ll also be giving away concert tickets!”
Having been on both sides of the counter, here’s some pro tips:
Use cash! Go the extra distance for the independent stores so more of their margins go into their till to bring you excellent service all year long, as opposed to paying credit card fees.
Do not call around looking for this title and that title. It’s hard work for staff to maintain friendly service and to address the huge lines that show up for Record Store Day and keep things moving. It’s first come, first serve.
Finally, have fun! Make a day of it. Pack a lunch and you and your crew should fan out to look for whatever elusive titles and hidden gems you are on a hunt for. Commiserate later with an amazing sound system and spin your finds. Like the moon and sun during the recent solar eclipse, Record Store Day falls on 4/20 this year. Coincidence?! Probably not!
See the full list of Record Store Day exclusive titles
Here’s a list of shops in the Twin Cities to check out for Record Store Day:
In Minneapolis:
Disco Death Records & Coffee
721 W 26th St, Minneapolis, MN 55405
(612) 354-3533
Electric Fetus
2000 S 4th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 870-9300
Down In the Valley
8020 Olson Memorial Hwy, Minneapolis, MN 55427
(763) 544-0033
Extreme Noise Records
407 W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 824-0100
Cheapo Records
2600 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 827-8238
Hymie’s Records
3820 East Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55406
(612) 729-8890
Mill City Sound
812 Mainstreet, Hopkins, MN 55343
(952) 456-6547
Roadrunner Records
4534 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55419
(612) 822-0613
In Saint Paul:
Agharta Records
2512 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55114
(952) 456-6547
Barely Brothers Records
783 Raymond Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55114
(651) 340-5128
Cheapo Records
71 Snelling Ave N, Saint Paul, MN 55104
(651) 644-8981
Caydence Records and Coffee
900 Payne Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55130
(651) 207-6856
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