Conceived in 2007, Record Store Day is a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding the thousands of independent record stores internationally.
Falling on the third Saturday of April (this year April 20), this is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music.
Special vinyl and CD releases and promotional products are created exclusively for the day, and hundreds of artists around the globe make special appearances and performances. And in-store festivities are known to extend to cook-outs, meet and greets with artists, djs and so on.
A comprehensive website lies at RecordStoreDay.com and, as one would expect with an industry staring down the advancement of technology, theres an app available for iPhone and android. Find your nearest store and get updates on exclusive Record Store Day and Back to Black Friday releases (complete with descriptions and pictures).
In Vancouver, participating stores are Red Cat, Audiopile, Neptoon, Highlife, SCRAPE, Dandelion, Zoo Zhop, Vinyl, Beat Street, Sikoras and Zulu Records.
Want to go deeper? Get your hands on a copy of Last Shop Standing, a fascinating UK documentary about the rise, fall and rebirth of independent record stores.
