Everything That is Right (and Wrong) with Record Store Day in 2014

Those that know me know my love (Read: obsession with/) for music. This love also extends to my favorite local record shops. I even was exploring the option of taking a job with one of the shops that I'm a regular at recently.

So suffice it to say, a few years back when Record Store Day began and in the years that followed when it began to pick up some steam, I was all about it. The idea was simple: A day to celebrate the local, independent record shops that we love and thank them for what they do. A lovely idea. This idea gained some serious traction over the years that have followed and it has become, in the words of someone on 89.3 The Current (memory fails me), "A sort-of second Christmas, for music fans." Bands began to support the idea of RSD and to do showcase their support (and perhaps to make a little money as well) they would play in store performances and release RSD limited releases. These aspects of RSD have grown and grown over the years. From the the first RSD having about 10 exclusive releases to this last weekend's incarnation of the event involving some 700+ [I don't recall the exact number and some are regional releases]. Hymie's Records on Lake Street in Minneapolis is one of my favorite shops, due to the ambiance, wide variety and sheer amount of vinyl available and their RSD block party has become and annual staple to me and to many others. It is sponsored (officially or unofficially I'll never know) by PBR. More than a dozen bands played this year, indoors and out and the stacks of records outside were FREE overstock.

To use them as the example for this discussion: Record Store Day has become HUGE.

Photo Credit: Hymie's Records

In the days leading up to Record Store Day 2014, THIS article by Phil Hebblethwaite of The Quietus was brought to my attention. It was entitled Is Record Store Day in Crisis? A Quietus Investigation.

The timing of this article was rather perfect for me, as it allowed me read and digest the article and then attend RSD as I do every year, and experience theory in action. At this point I would recommend checking out the article. Though understanding my thoughts on RSD does not require it, it is a well done article voicing legitimate concerns, some of which I will address here.

The central argument, or rather concern, of the piece is whether Record Store Day has become too big and is lining itself up for ex/implosion.

I get what Hebblethwaite is getting at and I think its most valid point is that RSD has become about the releases, which it really shouldn't be. If it were, it would be record label (of large size) day. [As I mentioned previously the number of limited releases has become unreal]

The idea of course was to support independent record shops and while the current set up of RSD can sometimes screw some of the smaller, lower traffic ones, they really don't have a choice to opt out of it. I've seen the numbers for some of these shops and they'll do a month's worth of sales inside of a day on RSD. Also, of equal concern, the quality of these limited releases has gone down dramatically. Sure, sometimes its something new, or something issued on vinyl that had not been previously, but it is increasingly becoming re-issues or remix EPs or anything that can turn a buck as an exclusive release. Rob Sevier of The Numero Group, a Chicago-based archival label is quoted in the Quietus piece as saying that many of the releases have become, "products, for the most part, that no human needs to own, ever. The economy of Record Store Day is, 'What can we shit into the form of a record and shove into the hands of the wanton masses?'"

This is where the economic problem for the stores arises. They need to carry these releases or find themselves shunned, but if it doesn't sell on RSD, then it isn't going to. At this year's RSD I saw copies of a four LP Flaming Lips reissue, which came out on record store day last year - according the shop, it has been marked down repeatedly (from the original 75$) and just won't go.

Despite the (largely theoretical at this point) goals of the day, the releases, the ridiculous number of them and the shift towards their prominence in the day is quite clear. I missed out on getting a copy of an EP I was interested in this year - not the end of the world, but I was excited about it. Out of curiosity yesterday, the day after RSD, I pulled up ebay looking for that EP. There were all sorts of them, even though it was only a limited release (Treehouse Records received 4 copies), all for sale to the highest bidder - All my concerns about what RSD had become justified - People were, presumably, lining up and buying whatever limited releases they could get their hands on, only to resell them and gouge fans some 24 hours later. How many of these people were buying, just to resell, at the expense of fans just trying to buy the new thing from their favorite band? This is a problem.

A much smaller line - RSD 2011, Photo Credit to Treehouse

 
The Quietus article also touches upon smaller labels and how this day is troublesome for them. Yeah, I can see it, but while I'm sympathetic, I'm not surprised, nor should anyone else be. Record Store Day and the Vinyl Resurgence have not changed the way that the music industry works and that is the real complaint here: Small label releases, unrelated to RSD, were being pushed back to make space for major label RSD releases. 

Not fun, but not newsworthy either. And the labels complaining are right, there are not enough vinyl pressing plants to meet the demand, but allow me to tell you, that will change. 

The Vinyl resurgence is not forever...I don't think it could be. Eventually, one of two things will happen:
 
1. More plants will be built or 
2. Demand will slowly drop and then stabilize.

Record Store day was not created in hopes of a revolution. It was created in hopes of celebrating and helping to keep alive the local shops that we love, that are a hub for good music and interesting (if occasionally elitist) conversation. This goal has been largely achieved, but like anything else, the music industry tries to find ways to capitalize upon it. So don't bother boycotting RSD or anything silly like that. If there is a worthwhile limited release you want, try to get it (and don't support the scalpers), if there isn't, enjoy the fact that your favorite shop is being supported and is having a party in the process. The rest, we can only hope, will self regulate. Oh and after you go and celebrate RSD at your favorite shop, be sure to stop in next weekend to pick up the new album you want, rather than turning to Amazon or Itunes.

-Erik

Soundtrack of the Moment: The Plastic Constellations - "We Will Be Smiling Forever"

Shared all over Facebook - Rights to original artist

30DOB Days 3-6 (Group Rides, Blizzards and Concerts oh my!)

The days are flying by and I've made a decided decision (paging the Department of Redundancy Department) that I need to break up the blog posts here a bit...as opposed to doing one post for days...3-12[?]

- There would be too many words for you to read and blogs such as this one, with limited readership to begin w/, can scarcely afford to alienate readers even further by writing a short novel in a single post.

[Editor's Note: Despite Erik's claims to the contrary, the real reason that the posts have been split up in this manner is that he began the post on April 6th, "Day 6" and titled the entry as such, but did not fill in any of the subsequent detail until the date posted, the 12th]

So, Thursday's ride. The group ride on April 3rd. It started out beautifully, if with a mild dusting of snow and I like most...or some...or maybe just me, had decided to believe that the weather forecasters were going to be proven horribly wrong.

I, apparently, am no longer content biking in thunder storms. Street bikes with slick tires in blizzards is the new thing. #30daysofbiking
— Erik MD (@Erik_M_D) April 4, 2014

I think that pretty much sums up my experience, and while I don't have picture that accurately depicts how much snow actually fell while we were out and about, Patrick did make a flip-a-gram (I still don't really know what this is) that shows us leaving the dance party at First Avenue, which four of us attended after the ride.



It shows me trying to blow the snow out of the attachment for my bike computer. Losing battle...to say the least. But, we rode...I was one of two, out of the 11 or so, that had slick tires...so when the snow really started to come down, things got hectic for sure and my ride home from First Ave did involve two hills which required that I carry my bike. Now I'd like to say at this point I was carrying my bike cause.. WORKIN' out MAN! YEah! - but that isn't true. The fact of the matter is that I was carrying my bike because when I could not possibly pedal the thing and there was so much snow that when I pushed it, the rear end would get just coated in snow and the rear tire would stop spinning.

But! I did eventually make it home, exhausted from dancing and blizzard biking and proceeded to give my bike a shower. [I could not figure out another way to get all the snow out of the gears without just leaving it to melt, which struck me as the best way to achieve Rust...which we all know never sleeps]

Oscar, The Cat, also thought this was a strange idea.

It was an epic ride that the next few days could hardly stack up against. Now, I know I titled this entry Group Rides [covered], Blizzards [covered] and Concerts [forgot about til now]. To be fair to myself, I wrote that title last week. But watch me work the magic of blogging. I can mark this thing as having been posted 4/6/14 - Now the problem with the concert bit, is that I'm not totally sure what I was referencing. I don't think I attended a concert in those 4 days. I did sing with my choir...maybe that was it.



Regardless. Till next time.

-Erik
Soundtrack of the Moment: Aivi and Surasshu - Distance (Bicycle Trip)

30 Days of Biking 2014 (Day 1 and 2)

Greetings world. Here is me, trying to awaken this old blog out of its slumber.

I've always enjoyed writing here (and writing in general), but I've always done so rather intermittently. This makes sense, given that the self-described subject of the blog is "A blog about productivity and pushing thought into action." A blog about productivity has very little to say when you are not feeling very productive.

But!
Amongst other things, to reinvigorate this whole bit, I've decided to document my participation in this year's #30daysOfBiking movement. I've participated the last several years and if my memory serves me correctly this is year 5 for those who started it (Patrick, Zach, et al.).

I've loved doing it in years past, but this year is the first year that I've decided to try and be more involved with the documenting, social media, process, as well as the group events and group rides.
For those unaware, 30 days of biking is a pledge to ride your bike, everyday in April. All 30 days. For some that may seem daunting, for others not so much. There are not ride length requirements or anything of that sort...just make sure you get on the bike. (To pledge, or for more info see www.30daysofbiking.com)

For those of you who know me, you know I love to bike. I've always enjoyed it and always been big on using it as a form of transport. But a few years back I really started to get in to long distance biking. This required training and a goal. That goal was CANDISC. The trip was awesome and the training and riding that led up to it and followed it were even more awesome. In short, I was hooked.

So, this winter....to be brief, I have experienced what has been the most difficult Winter of my adult life (Now is the Winter of our discontent...). I won't bog down the generally uplifting tone of this post by going into details, but suffice it to say, a couple of personal issues, a few medical issues, a less perfect for me job, and a regular battle with seasonal affective disorder, all got together to try destroy me this winter. They did a good job, but here it is April 2nd, and I'm standing.

Me. Standing. On a thing. Near our campsite, on Candisc.

 So, I've decided that I'm going to wake the hell up for spring and try and push my life a little harder with some positivity and productivity. Part of that will be involving myself as deeply as I can with #30DaysofBiking. I've gotten on the bike for day one and two already, as well days -2 and -1 (There is no zero...) and while there were things worth documenting...The start of this and push I'm going to give are more worthy of the word count. Speaking of, I'm kinda getting into the Twitter thing big, which was not the case previously, if nothing else to teach myself to be more concise.

If nothing else, #Twitter allows me to practice making concise statements, despite liking big words. #LongWinded #twitterFlood #ForHowLong?
— Erik MD (@Erik_M_D) April 2, 2014

So. Here we go. Riding bikes and doing stuff. I've got choir and maybe a concert tonight. Oh and I've discovered my U-lock is missing...30 days of biking and #2days of Frustration.

-Erik
Soundtrack of the Moment: Chvrches - "Strong Hand"