They're making a list, and checking it twice -- no, not Santa Claus, the KEXP DJs! Record Store Day is coming up on Saturday, April 20th, and our DJs are more excited than a kid on Christmas morning. Yesterday, DJ Kevin Cole shared his wishlist and shopping tips, and today we have a chat with seasoned record-hunter DJ Stevie Zoom, and our long-time Afternoon Show DJ assistant Jon Hamilton.
How early do you wake up for Record Store Day?
Jon: I'm going to be in line an hour and fifteen minutes before Silver Platters opens. People are going to be lined up at Easy Street Records before bars close in West Seattle. Easy Street Records is the first record store on the west coast to open on Record Store Day, so it's always crazy.
Stevie, which stores are you going to?
Steve: I don't want to tell you. That's part of my strategy. I hope to be at that store an hour ahead of time with a mega cup of coffee.
Jon: You just have to drink it slow since you'll be in there for an hour.
Have you ever fought over a record, where there was only one copy left?
Steve: I've not had a fight over a record, but I did have a record in my hand of which the store only had one copy, and a voice behind me said, "Has anybody seen..." and, I, uh...
Jon: You can admit who it was.
Steve: It was the Grateful Dead's Live at Winterland record. And I proudly held it up and said, "Yeah, I've seen it right here in my hand."
Jon: Which I wouldn't have done! I'd be afraid it would turn into a fight. I would've tucked it under my arm.
Steve: I did think of that for a few seconds, but it was more fun this way.
Do you guys have any favorite Record Store Day purchases from previous years?
Steve: One of my favorites was the Beth Ditto/Simian Mobile Disco EP. Also, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros' Benefit Concert For Striking Firefighters.
Jon: I got The Breeders Fate to Fatal EP in 2009. It's hand-numbered and the cover is hand-screenprinted by the band. I've always imagined that Kim Deal personally screenprinted mine. There was also this really cool live 7" a few years ago -- one side is Bonnie "Prince" Billy, and the other side is Lou Barlow. That was really limited, I want to say about 300 copies or something ridiculous, and it took me a while to find that one. I had to go to three different stores.
Is that how many you tend to hit on average? Jon: Historically, I'd hit three, but this year, I might only go to one.
Steve: In the past, I've hit two stores, because I've also been on the air here. This will be the first Record Store Day that I don't have to work.
Jon: I have to work on the weekends, too, but I always use vacation time for Record Store Day.
Steve: I've thought about that.
Do you have any Record Store Day strategies?
Steve: One suggestion is to visit record stores in the middle of the following week, because sometimes shipments are late.
Stevie Zoom's 2013 Record Store Day Wishlist:Alejandro Escovedo/Chris Scruggs 10" 78rpmBest Coast 7" Fear of My IdentityCasket Girls s/t 12" EPElizabeth Cook & Jason Isbell 7"Donny Hathaway 7" Need My LoveFela 12" Sorrow Tears & BloodOld 97s & Waylon Jennings 2x7"Richard Thompson 7" Salford Sunday (He signed the b-side of 25 random copies)Frank Turner 7" Recovery(v/a) Cotillion Records Soul 45s (1968-1970) 7" box set
Jon Hamilton's 2013 Record Store Day Wishlist:LPs-White Stripes "Elepahant"-Frightened Rabbit "Midnight Organ Fight"-Built to Spill "Live"-Casket Girls "Casket Girls"-Flaming Lips "Zaireeka"-Willie Nelson "Crazy"-Sigur Ros "Agaetis Byrjun"-Dazed and Confused
7"s-Black Keys/Stooges-Grouplove/Frightened Rabbit/Manchester Orchestra-Willie Nelson-O+S-Pujol-Ty Segall-South Park
10"-Mumford & Sons
Today, April 27th, marks the 20th anniversary of The Posies' landmark album Frosting on the Beater, and to celebrate, Audioasis host Sharlese Metcalf, along with KEXP staffers Chris Beiter and Janice Headley, reached out to founding members Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow to ask "twenty questions."
Don't forget, this Saturday, April 20, is Record Store Day, and among the many exclusive LPs, EPs and singles you'll be able to purchase on vinyl, you'll also be able to attend free in-store performances at hundreds of record stores around the country. You can find a list of Record Store Day perfor…
This Saturday, April 20th, is Record Store Day, which has become like a national holiday for me and my fellow music lovers and record collecting geeks. It’s an annual event to celebrate independent record stores — and tons of artists contribute cool, one-of-a-kind, limited edition releases that are…
