Like many vinyl collectors, I have mixed feelings when it comes to the retail holiday that is Record Store Day. On one hand it brings thousands of people to independent record shops who may not otherwise shop at their friendly local record store. On the other hand, it creates a oversaturated market of cash-grab vinyl releases and attracts a crowd of eBay flippers that somewhat taints the experience.
I know I’m not treading new ground here with my conflicted emotions, and I don’t begrudge the flippers who spend days in line overnight in order to take advantage of the FOMO market RSD creates. I don’t condone the flippers either, but hey if you have the time and the money and think you can make a quick buck off people who missed the latest Taylor Swift RSD title, then more power to ya.
So far I’ve participated in 17 Record Store Days and I’ve done so at most of the major record shops in the area (Sonic Boom, Silver Platters and Easy Street Records). Each year is slightly different and each store does things a little differently.
So what was my Record Store Day 2025 experience like?
In the 17 years I’ve been participating in Record Store Day, this was by far my most chill and relaxing RSD to date. It helped that I avoided the three major shops and went to the fairly new, and very small, shop Musicology Co. It also helped that there wasn’t anything I absolutely had to have for my collection that was offered as part of this year’s more than 400 RSD titles.
While some shops had lines that started as early as 36 hours before the shops opened for RSD, I arrived at Musicology Co 90 minutes before opening and was roughly the 25th person in a line that would ultimately come to be about 50 people. I know from experience that I would have had to of arrived at Silver Platters as early as 8 p.m. the night before, or earlier based off this year’s crowd, in order to secure a spot like that in line there.
The tradeoff of deciding to not line up at Silver Platters like I’ve done for the past six or seven years is that Silver Platters has the best system for dealing with RSD demand. Their system involves handing out the complete RSD list to everyone in line and once you recieve a list you put a mark next to the titles you want. Then, when the store opens a clerk will take your list and pull your items for you.
There’s no digging through bins to find what you’re looking for, or fighting with the person next to you because you both grab the same album at the same time. Also, you’re rewarded for showing up early because you get a number that corresponds with your place in line. So if you’re the 34th person in line, you get the 34th pick of what’s left from whatever the other people in front of you didn’t pick up. The downside of taking that approach for the shop is that it doesn’t allow customers to stay in the store and continue to shop after getting their Record Store Day goodies.
Once I found out people were camping out in front of my usual RSD haunt more than a day in advance I decided to trade what I’ve known for the unknown and hit up Musicology. And while I didn’t get everything I was interested in (someone bought the Gorillaz “Demon Days” live LP I wanted), I left satisified and excited about my haul. It helped that the tiny shop only let in five to seven people at a time, which caused zero commotion in the store and made for an easy, friendly shopping experience.
So what did I walk away with during my RSD adventure? Here’s the rundown of what I picked up.
Colemine Records “Soul Slabs Vol. 4”
This was at the top of my list. A compilation of pure soul music fire that sounds great on wax. It’s one of the titles that can still easily be found at various shops, so if you see if pick it up. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
Rage Against the Machine “Live on Tour 1993”
The last time I bought a RATM record on RSD it was also a live album and the recording quality was garbage. I’m happy to report that is not the case with this release, which includes a live version of every track off the band’s 1993 debut album.
Belly “King”
The 1995 album from the group that gave you “Feed The Trees” is filled with 90s sounds that will transport you back in time. And a nice bonus is that the record comes in a bright green colorway.
Chevelle Point No. 1
In my humble opinion, the debut album from Chevelle is by far their finest hour. The Steve Albini produced record sounds great on vinyl with deep low end and crisp highs.
Harvey Danger “King James Version”
The lone local artists on my list, the sophomore record from HD comes on pretty blue wax and with lots of extras. Make sure to scan the QR code on the liner notes to get access to tons of Harvey Danger goodies.
Camper Van Beethoven “Telephone Free Landslide Victory”
This one is my lone disappointment from RSD. I saw Cracker at the Tractor last year and thought this would be a good pick up, but there’s too many instrumentals for my liking. I’m not sure if this one will ever get a second spin.
Soul Asylum “After the Flood: Live From the Grand Forks Prom”
I’m a sucker for live albums and this one looks to be a lot of fun. It’s a recording of a prom Soul Asylum played in Grand Forks, North Dakota in 1997 and it has covers like “Sexual Healing” and “School’s Out.”
Video Game Lo-Fi: Curga Records Sampler
Sometimes I need something a little different to listen to when relaxing. This album falls under that category with it’s lo-fi beats around tunes from Kirby, Baldur’s Gate, Sonic and other games.
