editor's note: we'd like to welcome our friend Mark Smotroff to Big Picture Big Sound with this, his first weekly column on music, aptly entitled, "Music Matters."
I am excited that my first column for Big Picture Big Sound features a preview of the upcoming holiday for music fanatics around the world: Record Store Day! In case you weren't aware, in 2007 a bunch of wise folks pooled their energies to create Record Store Day (RSD). On their website they describe it as a "celebration of the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA, and hundreds of similar stores internationally."
Typically held on the third Saturday in April, this year Record Store Day falls on Saturday, April 20. RSD marks a time when independent record stores -- and labels and artists -- unite to celebrate music with special limited edition releases made exclusively for the day. Some artists even make special in-store appearances. What is really great about this is that people are rediscovering the joy of going into an actual store to look for new music, to get turned onto new sounds by the staff there and also meet up with other like-minded individuals. It is a fun social activity that you just can't replicate via any online store or streaming service -- you have to physically get out of the house and go interact with real people.
What a novel concept, eh? ;-) Perhaps the Consumer Electronics industry could learn a few things from these indie record retailer folks. Just sayin' ...
Big Star : Nothing Can Hurt Me -- Soundtrack to the soon-to-be released documentary (Magnolia Pictures) featuring all previously unissued versions of classic Big Star songs. Limited edition (4,000 worldwide) two-LP translucent yellow vinyl (download card included) pressed at RTI.
Cream : Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6 2005 -- Three LP white vinyl box set, limited edition (1,500 copies).
The Cure : Kiss me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me -- Double LP, Red Vinyl, Numbered.
Deep Purple/Type-O Negative : Highway Star -- part of the "Side By Side" series of split 7-inch singles. This one is on trippy clear and purple opaque colored vinyl.
The Glove : Blue Sunshine : Long overdue reissue of the translucent blue vinyl version of this classic side project from The Cure's Robert Smith. Numbered Limited Edition.
The Zombies -- First time 180-gram reissue of their original US album, featuring the singles "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No" .
Biffy Clyro : Black Chandelier -- limited-edition black and clear splattered vinyl unreleased live performance of the new single (recorded in Switzerland) plus previously unreleased B-side. Limited edition of 2,000.
Small Faces : There Are But Four Small Faces -- Vinyl reissue of the second Small Faces record (US version) that has been out of print for years.
Surfer Blood : "Demon Dance" b/w "Slow Six" Tri Color 45-RPM single, contains two tracks from Surfer Blood's upcoming album PYTHONS
The Black Keys / The Stooges -- "No Fun" Split 7-inch "Side by Side" series features the original 1969 classic on one side and The Black Keys version on the flip, pressed on sassy orange & red sunburst splattered vinyl. Limited to 7,500 copies.
Gary Clark Jr. : Hwul Raw Cuts Vol. 2 -- Live EP limited edition of 3,000 copies (in three different colors, 1000 per color) mastered at 45 rpm and cut by Bernie Grundman mastering.
Don't miss this year's Record Store Day on Saturday April 20th. You can see a running list of RSD 2013 titles announced thus far at: www.RecordStoreDay.com.
TUNE IN/TURN ON
Wake Up Call -- Iceland's Sigur Ros are working on a new album called Kveikur, slated for release in June. Reports say the new material will be more aggressive - lets hope so, as for the first time this writer was underwhelmed with last year's snoozy-but-pretty Valtari.
Shock Rock -- Legendary Turtles/Frank Zappa vocalist Howard Kaylan has released his new book Shell Shocked written with rock journalist Jeff Tamarkin. Its available for sale on Amazon.com. If the book is even remotely as entertaining as Kaylan's wonderful DIY comic autobiographical movie "My Dinner With Jimi," then you should expect a splendid and enlightening read. While you are at it, you might as well order a copy of the movie too.
Scary Shiny -- The Flaming Lips' new album The Terror comes out mid April and you can still pre-order the limited edition SILVER colored vinyl in a gatefold sleeve. Yes -- SILVER vinyl. We've never seen a record in that color either. The Terror will be a three sided album with the fourth dedicated to a remix of "We Don't Control the Controls" and it comes with a digital download delivered to you on day of release (April 16). If the band's live world premiere of The Terror at SXSW was any indication, this should be a pretty wild ride; don't expect another Yoshimi or Soft Bulletin. Pre-order this at the Flaming Lips online store.
The Day After -- We're looking forward to the new Bowie album The Next Day out on vinyl at the beginning of April. More on that when we get our hands on a copy. The deluxe edition of the album is, however, available now as a 48 kHz / 24-bit download via HDTracks.com.
And Here's..... Kenny? -- The 2013 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (June 28-30) looks like a mother of all festivals this year. I mean... there are bands and artists playing there from almost every era of the past 50 years of popular music including The Rolling Stones, Sergio Mendes, Steve Winwood, Tom Tom Club, Elvis Costello, Johnny Marr, Kenny Rogers, Nick Cave, Public Enemy, Smashing Pumpkins, The Orb, Dinosaur Jr., Cat Power, Sinead O'Conner, The Hives, Amanda Palmer and... wait... Kenny Rogers??? Don't believe me? Check out the full artist list posted on the Glastonbury web site.
Mark Smotroff is a freelance writer and avid music collector who has done strategic marketing communications for the consumer electronics, pro audio and video games industries, serving clients including DTS, Sega, Sony, Sharp, AT&T and many others. Mark has written for EQ Magazine, Mix Magazine, Goldmine/DISCoveries Magazine, Audiophilereview.com, Sound+Vision Magazine and HomeTechTell.com. He is also a musician / composer who's songs have been used in TV shows such as Smallville and Men In Trees as well as films and documentaries. Mark is currently rolling out a new musical he's written. www.smotroff.com
