"If You Ever Get Lonely, Just Go To the Record Store And Visit Your Friends"

RECORD STORE DAY - SATURDAY APRIL 18TH.

This Saturday is the Second Annual Record Store Day, which is the day that music lovers such as you and I are encouraged to take the opportunity to stop downloading and support your local record shop. Some of my favourite music-related memories have to do with spending hours perusing the local record stores, staring at those huge elaborate covers and stewing over whether or not it would be in my best interest to drop my hard earned money on that rare 3 disc clear vinyl box set that included the one song that I had never heard of, in amongst 15 other songs that I've already purchased about five other times before. I think back to my formative years growing up in the sleepy industrial town of Oshawa, and walking into a little place on Simcoe Street called Star Records. This place was awesome! At that age, I was hungry for all things relating to progressive rock, and I remember being encouraged, nay... instructed, to pick up anything and everything by The Strawbs. Since then, it didn't matter which town I moved to next, there was always a small record store that I could check out. In Brampton, it was the now sadly defunct New World Records on Queen Street. When I moved to Oakville, there was Recordings on Kerr Street, with its massively intimidating basement of vinyl, where I picked up my first Van Der Graaf Generator album, several rare releases by The Cure and a little something by Generation X. Right across the street was the much smaller but still endearing Cactus Records, where the owner reluctantly let me have his last copy of The Mothers of Invention's Uncle Meat. And then the move to Burlington introduced me to Looney Tunes on Brant Street, where I had picked up Big Star, Captain Beefheart and 13th Floor Elevators all in one shot. Now of course, I live in downtown Toronto, and places like Soundscapes, Criminal Records and Rotate This! have enabled me to create even more memories.

Yes, I have no problem remembering what I bought at these stores and approximately how old I was at the time. But I can't remember the albums that I've picked up at the more popular chain retailers. The chains simply lack the personality that comes from frequenting the local indie record store. I do download quite frequently these days from sites like eMusic and Zunior, but I'm sorry, nobody feels like reminiscing about the tunes I've downloaded from an impersonal spot on the internet. In the same way that the advent of the VCR failed to completely destroy a movie buff's need for a cinematic experience at the movie theater, I still have that need to enjoy the feeling that comes from asking for a recommendation from your local record store clerk. And I hope that the record stores will always continue to be here to fill that need.

Here's what some of Toronto's record stores are up to on Saturday:

Sonic Boom (512 Bloor St W) is hosting the biggest event on Saturday, starting at 4pm. They will be giveaways, exclusive releases and tons of live bands, including Hooded Fang, Green Go, Sunparlour Players and more. The full band listing is here and the price is free with a non-perishable food item.

Criminal Records (493 Queen St W) is also hosting a couple of free in-store performances featuring Rock Plaza Central at 6pm and Great Bloomers at 7pm. There will also be sales and prizes and things all starting at 11am.

Soundscapes (572 College St W) is offering 10% off all CD's, vinyl, DVD's and books.

Rotate This! (801 Queen St W) is also offering 10% off of all purchases on that day, as well as a bunch of 'limited edition record store day only' stuff, whatever that means!

And finally Sunrise Records (336 Yonge St) also has some live performances by Emma Lee, Honeymoon Suite, Thriving Ivory and others. Full band list is here.

Other stuff:
Just a couple of other interesting local concert news announcements that you likely already know:

The Olympic Island Festival was announced on Monday, and this year it looks like Broken Social Scene will be headlining again. Also on the bill is Explosions In The Sky, Thunderheist, Beach House, Apostle Of Hustle and Rattlesnake Choir. The date is July 11th and the cost is $57.50. Should be good but I just saw BSS and I don't really feel like paying that much so I think that I'm likely to sit this one out.

And The Decemberists are coming to the Kool Haus on Monday August 3rd with The Heartless Bastards supporting. The tickets are an insane $30.50 and they go on sale on Thursday April 16th. Don't quote me, but I believe that they will be performing their latest rock opera The Hazards Of Love in its entirety. The album seems to be polarizing the masses but I think that it's absolutely brilliant, and their most impressive release by far. Of course, I'm an unapologetic prog lover so make sure that you judge my opinions accordingly.

The quote above is from Penny Lane, Kate Hudson's character in Almost Famous.