The wait is almost over as tomorrow is the 5th annual edition of Record Store Day, an international celebration of local record stores. Both of Buffalo's record stores are participating (we used to have more, but, that's why we now have Record Store Day) with Record Theatre (both locations) and Spiral Scratch Records featuring a veritable bonanza of special RSD releases covering an astounding variety of musical genres. Here's our guide to the Record Store Day releases that we're looking forward to:


Afrika Bambaataa/ MC5, Kick Out The Jams, 7" single. Not a mash-up (although that might have been cool), this single features the MC5 classic and the Afrika Bambaataa classic cover.


Animal Collective, Transverse Temporal Gyrus, LP. In 2010, Animal Collective and visual artist Danny Perez put on an audio/visual installation at the Guggenheim Museum, and this LP will be the only physical release featuring music from that installation. A must for Animal Collective fans.








Otis Redding/Aretha Franklin, Respect, 7" single. Features the Otis Redding original and the Aretha cover that you know and love.














Beach House, Lazuli b/w Equal Mind, 7" single. A lovely appetizer for the main course that will be the new Beach House album due May 15.




Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals Live From The Legendary Sun Studios, LP. Grace Potter and Co have become bona fide Buffalo favorites, and this live set recorded at the same Sun Studios where Elvis recorded his earliest (and finest) work will be a hot ticket.






Iggy and The Stooges, Live at All Tomorrow's Parties, LP. Live cuts hand selected by Iggy and The Stooges, plus an interview with Iggy Pop.














Sigur Ros, Hvarf-Heim, 2x LP. This special RSD vinyl release features electric and acoustic performances featured in the excellent Sigur Ros concert film Heima. Previously available only on boring cd.












The Flaming Lips, The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends, 2x LP. Featuring collaborations with Neon Indian, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Nick Cave, Bon Iver, Yoko Ono, Chris Martin, and Ke$ha previously available on handmade vinyl records hand delivered by Wayne Coyne to record stores in the Oklahoma City area and USB chips embedded in gummy skulls, gummy fetuses, and even gold dipped human skulls, this might well be the ultimate Record Store Day release.




The Black Angels, Lonely b/w Watch Out Boy, 7" single. Features new music from these magnificent psychedelic rockers from Austin Texas (who play The Town Ballroom August 4th!) and a free download of The Zombies classic "She's Not There."


Uncle Tupelo, 7" Singles Box Set. Before Wilco there was Uncle Tupelo, and this box set collects that seminal band's singles.




Arcade Fire, Sprawl II, LP. There's not a lot of info on this release. It's listed as an LP and not a 7" single so one would suspect that it's more than just a single. Arcade Fire fans will probably just pick it up on general principle.










Bruce Springsteen, Rocky Ground b/w The Promise, 7" Single. An excellent way souvenir for fans of The Boss.  Fans still buzzing about the show last week. 














M83, Mirror, 7" Single. Features an unreleased track off of Hurry Up, We're Dreaming on one side, and a cool engraving on the other.














The Breakfast Club and Pretty In Pink soundtracks, LP. Ideal for 80's fetishists, John Hughes fans, Molly Ringwald devotees, and anybody who wants to truly appreciate M83's Saturdays=Youth.














The Mynah Birds, It's My Time b/w Go On and Cry, 7" Single. Remember when you heard that back in the day Buffalo's own Rick James was in a band with Neil Young, and you said "get the ____ outta here" or "no ____ing way?" Well, it's true, the name of the band was The Mynah Birds, and one of their singles is going to be a RSD exclusive... an artifact of profound import for Buffalo music fans.






Other items of interest:


Buck Owens colouring book w flexidisc. You know you watched Hee-Haw back in the day. Don't lie.
Buddy Guy, This Is Buddy Guy, LP.
Cursive, Burst and Bloom, LP.
Deerhoof with Of Montreal, Stygian Bisection, 7" Single.
Destroyer, Destroyer's Rubies, LP.
Esperanza Spaulding, Radio Music Society, LP.
Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac, 180 gram LP. For the baby boomers.
Grateful Dead, Dark Star: Europe '72 Olympia Theatre Paris France 5/4/72. 180 gram LP.
Iggy and The Stooges, Raw Power, LP.
James Brown, There It Is b/w Pass The Peas, 7" Single.
Little Richard, Here's Little Richard!, LP
Lou Reed, Transformer and Rock N Roll Animal, LP.
Mastodon / The Flaming Lips, A Spoonful Weighs A Ton, 7" Single.
Miles Davis, Forever Miles, LP.
Pete Townsend, Quadrophenia Demos Part 2, 10" LP.
Phish, Junta Deluxe (Pollack Version), LP. Available in a pricey edition and pricier edition.
Public Image LTD, One Drop EP, LP.
Rough Guide: New Orleans, 180 gram LP.
Rough Guide: Psychedelic Africa, 180 gram LP.
St. Vincent, Krokodil, 7" Single.
Snapcase, Progression Through Vinyl, LP.
Social Distortion, Hard Times & Nursery Rhymes, LP
Wilco & Billy Bragg, Mermaid Avenue, 3x LP + DVD.


And that's not all. There's a ton of great stuff that's going to be available Saturday.


Spiral Scratch Records (291 Bryant, BFLO) will be having live performers in store, a coffee station, and deals, deals, deals. The University Plaza Record Theatre location (3500 Main Street, Amherst) will also be featuring live music all day long:


10:00 - 10:30  Sleepy Hahas


11:00 - 11:30  Ten Cent Howl

12:00 - 12:30  Seashell Radio

1:00 - 1:30  Vox Humana

2:00 - 2:30  Nicky Gordon

3:00 - 3:30  Cassi Meyerhoffer 

4:00 - 4:30  Cracker Japs

5:00 - 5:30 A Relative Term

6:00 - 6:30 Sleepy Sparrows

7:00 - 7:30 Ronald Raygun

8:00 - 8:30 High Flying Babys