Photo by Leroy Freeman and the Freeman Cartel

Last year on Record Store Day I spent the day in a record store that had been in Brooklyn for over 41 years with Eilon from Dust & Grooves, digging through 45s, Lps, and other assorted music. The year before I spun 45s in an independent record store in Jersey. This year it’s most likely going to be a bit different. Since the birth of the baby, I’ve tried unsuccessfully to dig with a stroller. Maybe when he’s a bit older it will work. I did find out that he has a fondness for Brazilian music, especially Gilberto Gil. I bought a bunch of vinyl this week at my local, so I will just have to see how the actual RSD pans out. Last year I wrote an opinionated article in regards to RSD. I got a great response from Michael Kurz, one of the co-founders of Record Store Day. If you haven’t read it, you can check it out here. Since the article I wrote, Record Store Day has taken off. It had nothing to do with my article I assure you, but the independent retailer as well as the record store customers have all joined together to make this the biggest RSD in existence. With in store appearances (Dusty Grooves in Chicago has the great Otis Clay performing in their store), releases from everyone from Miles Davis to Lee Perry to The Black Keys and every kind of band in between, it seems RSD 2012 has finally gotten it’s propers. Recent articles in Rolling Stone and Billboard magazine have propelled RSD to the mainstream, and with that, the vinyl record come back to the public’s eye once again.

Like I said last year, every day is Record Store Day here at Flea Market Funk, but I can’t help, after a year of reflection to realize that the record could use any help it gets, even from it’s own holiday. So, if you’re going to be trying to get those special releases on RSD, and you have a smart phone, you’re going to have to find these record stores. The best thing going today is The Vinyl District’s Record Store Locator App. It’s GPS based, with the following new features:

Fully searchable keyword search. You can now search by keyword: city, state, zip code, or use the original geo-location search.

– Keep up with The Vinyl District blog.
– Record store directory – find stores via geo-location or keyword search (zipcode, city, state, country, etc).
– In-app social network to discuss music, sign-in to & comment on shops. Follow your record buying friends.
– Record fair calendar for many periodic record fairs taking place throughout the year in the US & UK.
– Share to Facebook & Twitter.
– Stores listed in over two dozen countries

Let’s face it, vinyl sales were plummeting from the late 70’s until about six years ago. With the invention of the cassette, the CD, and now the MP3, the increased portability of these formats drove record sales down. In a digital age where you can take your whole music collection with you, it’s interesting that the record is now making a comeback. I think it’s a good thing, and if companies want to get together and celebrate it, well, who is going to stop them? The vinyl DJ and audiophile are not the only ones championing the vinyl record, it’s gone mainstream. Everyone is jumping on the band wagon, and even though those of us who have never left vinyl can always say that, any publicity to this beautiful format is welcome. That being said, what are you doing on Record Store Day?

Keep Diggin’!