Record Store Day 2014 - 3 Side by Side 7" - Love/Rush, Devo/Flaming Lips, Poison Idea/Pantera

Record Store Day has been less and less appealing to me each year.  The last couple of years that I have gone, I have seen 2 or 3 couples that go store to store and buy up 1 of anything (each) that may be worth a profit.  There seem to be so many of these people at the stores that getting excited for one of the rarities that I am interested in is not really worth it.  So, I tend to go in the early afternoon and just see what's there.  It's still fun and way less frustrating.

I've been getting side by side records each year and I think they are really unique.  A famous song that has an original version on one side of a 7" and a cover on the other side. This year, I picked up 3 different ones, including a Mystery Side by Side, which is in a black sleeve and you do not know the song or artist.

The mystery record is super interesting. The song is "7 and 7 is" written by Love in 1966 and the flip side is a cover by Rush, from 2004.  An excellent combination of performances.  The vinyl is really interesting as well, it is sort of a opaque yellow with vague pink inside of it.  One side, you can see only a little pink and the other, it is way more pronounced.

Next, is Gates of Steel by Devo from 1980 and covered by The Flaming Lips in 2013.  Again, another great choice for bands to share a split. This is printed on silver/gray vinyl and it almost looks like it has some sort of wrinkle in the dead wax, I've never seen anything like that before.

A Pantera singe from 1994? Very odd to see. The Badge by Poison Idea 1990 and covered by Pantera in 1994. Printed on transparent purple vinyl.

Protest the Hero: Volition - Indiegogo Donation Preorder on Transparent Orange Vinyl - Autographed

This was my first time ever contributing to a bands donation request.  They wanted to step away from the record label and release and record this record on their own and apparently, they received almost triple the amount of money that they were asking for in a very short amount of time.  I put in my donation and it was before the album was even in the studio.  So, from donation to being finished was a good 6 months + and during that time I had moved and it took another 2 months to get the package to my new address. But, in the end, it did arrive safe and sound.  

The artwork and layout for the Indiegogo version of the album is different than what was pressed for the general public. Both versions have great art and the regular cover is super interesting as well, but I am happy to have a copy of this version as it is very rarely seen (500pcs). 

Double transparent orange vinyl in a nice gatefold sleeve and autographed by the entire band... what more could you ask for?! 

4 Refused Represses! Rather Be Dead E.P./Everlasting/New Noise Theology E.P. & This Just Might Be.....The Truth

Finally, after a couple of years of searching, I have been able to get a copy of This Just Might Be..... the truth.  Original copies always ended way out my range and it clocks in around 31' or so... just never seemed worth $70 -$100.  So, recently Epitaph repressed this album along with The New Noise Theology and Rather Be Dead. Each is printed on color wax (albeit kinda lame colored wax) and simple sleeves.

  

Everlasting was repressed a few months earlier and this got a much better treatment.  This is on heaver vinyl with an awesome color pattern.  Also, this came with a Refused back patch, which I framed in my house.

Pump the Brakes has always been one of my favorite Refused songs. 

Gojira: L'enfant Sauvage (Double black vinyl)

I picked this up off of pre-order a long time ago and never posted it.  Gojira is one of my favorite, newer metal bands. Printed on double, 180g black vinyl in a nice, gatefold sleeve with a nice, thick spine.  This really stands out in the record shelf.  

Dubbed "The Infant Sausage", this album is an excellent example of Duplantier's unique songwriting abilities.

Gallows: Gray Britain Gray & Red Splatter Vinyl on Warner Brothers

 I stumbled across Gallows when I was living in Cork, Ireland. My local bar; Fred Zeppelins had a bartender who would play this album, in full from time to time.  There is no question that they have that distinct British punk rock sound, but there is more to them than that.  They have a very sincere emotion in this album that is very captivating.  It's a grim listen, but very satisfying.  

This was pressed by Warner Bros Records, which is odd and the color variant was pretty hard to find.  One source says that it was limited to 150 copies, but I have not been able to find any definitive information on it. 

Very minimal artwork and gorgeous vinyl.

The end of Misery disturbs me.... check it out.  The album version of the track has the pig squealing for 15-20 seconds or so. 

Life of Agony: River Runs Red - November Record Store Day Pressing on Transparent Red Swirl

One of my all time favorite Hardcore records was repressed on Brookvale records, out of Long Island.  Every year I go back to Long Island for Thanksgiving and we go shopping on Black Friday.  The guys who run Brookvale Records also owns Looney Tunes which is an independent record store which has become a staple in New York. I do all my Black Friday RSD shopping there and it so happens that they were releasing River Runs Red there, on Black Friday.  They've gotten in this habit or re-releasing classic local albums on limited vinyl. 

This was pressed in 3 variations, one is limited to 500 on splatter red/black and can only be purchased from them. Another was a press of 500 on blue for European distribution and then 1500 on solid red for general distribution.  I picked up 2 copies of the red/black swirl. What's strange is when talking to the owner, he mentioned a couple of times that it was the first pressing on vinyl.  However, I do have a Roadrunner/Cargo pressing of this, on black. 

This record will always be a classic in the New York Hardcore crossover scene.

Xibalba - Hasta La Muerte on Blue/Black Splatter Vinyl from Southern Lord - Limited to 500 Copies

This is, without a doubt one of my favorite albums in the last couple of years.  I have a copy of this on black, but really like the presentation on blue/black splatter and have been tracking them for a while. Xibalba is that perfect fusion of really heavy hardcore, mixed with doom influenced metal. Taylor Young produced the record, who worked with Twitching Tongues and Nails and I think he really brought across the brutality of their music. Regardless of your taste in Metal, this should appeal to you somehow.