Record Store Day 2021: Shop Recommendations

Record Store Day is back with not one but two Saturdays (12 Jun and 17 Jul) stuffed with special limited edition releases. We spoke to a few of our favourite Scottish record shops ahead of RSD 2021 – read that interview here – and we also asked around for a list of recommended releases to snap up this year. 

Mixed Up Records

18 Otago Lane, Glasgow

KMD – Mr. Hood: 30th Anniversary Edition
“It’s great when they reissue albums that are hard to get and long out of print on vinyl. This is a hip-hop classic and a favourite. Been a long time since we've had this in the shop, even secondhand.”

Some Great Reward

520 Victoria Road, Glasgow

Alkaline Trio – From Here To Infirmary
“Ticks all the right nostalgia boxes, being a 20th anniversary reissue, and the song Private Eye is a particular favourite.”

Suzanne Ciani – Xenon
“Pretty excited about this first ever release of the electronic composer and legend’s groundbreaking musical effects for Xenon, in their isolated form. Beautifully presented in blue vinyl in a die-cut 7" sleeve.”

The Replacements – The Pleasure’s All Yours: Pleased To Meet Me Outtakes & Alternates
“This was recorded in the same studio as their heroes Big Star (as alluded to in their name-checking Alex Chilton). This looks to be an opportunity to see how the classic cult band formed one of their fan favourites.”

Tears For Fears – Live at Massey Hall
“Although they never seemed like a fashionable band to like growing up in the 80s, Songs from the Big Chair was such a well-crafted pop record, and this seems like a perfect opportunity to hear their classic songs performed in all their pomp from live shows captured in Canada back in 1985.”

Love Music

34 Dundas Street, Glasgow

"It's the classic rock artists that are exciting the old rockers at Love Music this year. The Madness B-Sides album looks interesting, and I'll definitely be replacing my 50-year-old copy of The Rolling Stones Hot Rocks with a shiny new 180 gram yellow vinyl version. There are two Steely Dan albums that haven't been on vinyl before, and the Joe Strummer picture disc won't last long. The Lathums live album and the Haim 7" single should both do well too."

Monorail

12 Kings Court, Glasgow

Ariana Grande – k bye for now (swt live)
“God IS a woman, and her name is Ariana. Probably this year's hottest release, a live album from one of the best chart-dominating singers to be doing it. The tracklist reads like a Now That's What I Call Music 2021 and no tears left to cry is probably one of the greatest pop songs in modern memory.”

Molly Nilsson – The Travels
“Every Molly Nilsson record is magical and moving and life-affirming. She’s Berlin-Stockholm but maybe a little Glasgow too, an emblem of the EU type of world we need to be back in. The Travels is a perfect title, a perfect record – originally released in 2013, this time around on green vinyl.”

Jonathan Richman – Having a Party With Jonathan Richman
“For years most of his records were out of print so it’s great rejoicing when one comes back in. Richman is an optimist, a believer, a true gem. This period of his music is groovy, light on its feet, lyrically sassy and in the moment. He’s an original, immediately recognisable in all that he does.”

Bobbie Gentry – Windows of the World
“Everything that Bobbie Gentry ever sung is worth listening to. She straddles country soul pop, makes it her thing whatever she does. This is an abandoned album from around the time of the great Hushabye Mountain which is here in two unreleased versions. Can’t wait to hear this one.”

Bill Fay – Time of the Last Persecution
“Described by Julian Cope as a 'bona fide classic album’, this is an out-of-time, single-minded oddity with a lyrically complex collection of songs and the great Ray Russell providing some beautiful guitar playing. First time fully legit vinyl release in a long, long time.”

Mogwai – ZeroZeroZero OST
“This is like a 2021 lap of honour from a group that keep getting better and better. Unreleased soundtrack to an eight-part crime series. Heavy hitters, you bet. On double white vinyl.”

Tangerine Dream – The Keep OST
“First official vinyl release of this mythical score for Michael Mann’s 1983 film. This was always intended as a standalone release with Edgar Froese subsequently adding a lot of additional work to the original cues. Essential head music for Tangerine Dreamers everywhere.”

Masahiko Sato – Belladonna of Sadness OST
“One of the most extraordinary soundtracks of all time, the original Italian release of was missing 13 lost cues. This beautifully packaged 7” unites two unreleased freak-fuzz belters that most fans agree to be two of the film’s finest themes.”

Vince Guaraldi Trio – Baseball Theme
“All the music that Guaraldi made for Charlie Brown is completely perfect, it’s so much part of our image of their world. Baseball Theme is from Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown from 1964 with an alternate studio take on the B-side. Cover stars Charlie and Snoopy. The best.”

Le Freak Records

159 Perth Road, Dundee

Timebox – Beggin b/w Girl Don’t Make Me Wait
“Although the Frankie Valli/Four Seasons original is an absolute doozy, there's something about Timebox's 1968 take – t's a bit more soulful, a bit more unpolished and they've got better barnets.”

Thirteen Records

13 Union Street, Dundee

Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor I & II
“Lupe's first Food & Liquor album was the very first CD I [Lee from the shop] ever bought with my own money so it always holds a special wee place in my heart. Really excited to see this package coming out. Kick, Push is still one of the greatest skateboard hip-hop songs ever!”

Assai Records

33 Union Street, Dundee; 1 Grindlay Street, Edinburgh

Bernard Butler – People Move On
"The Suede guitarists debut solo album originally on Creation Records, it features the incredible single Stay."

Donny Hathaway – Live
"One of my favourite live albums of all time, with stunning versions of What’s Going On and You’ve Got a Friend."

Garbage – No Gods No Masters
"The return of Garbage is always exciting and to have an RSD edition is really cool!"

The Thrills – So Much For the City
"A favourite since it was released in 2003 with the Big Sur single one of the songs of the decade for me. Never seen it on vinyl and I’m sure many of our customers are looking forward to picking this up."

Ilium

100 Marchmont Crescent, Edinburgh

Fontaines D.C. – Live at Kilmainham Gaol
“Over the past few years, it's been refreshing to see a revival of band music – Fontaines D.C. are at the centre of that. It's rare to see a group appeal to such a wide range of audiences. At a Fontaines gig you can find your everyday 6Music listeners alongside football casuals nostalgic for a 90s Britpop scene they weren't around for. Fontaines represent a reason to be optimistic for the future of band music. I'm excited to see what the future brings for them.”

Underground Solu’shn

9 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh

Art of Noise – Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise? / Who's Afraid of Goodbye?
“This was probably one of the first things that I bought as a kid. I would have been 12 when I got the cassette. It got me into music production, sampling, synthesizers. It’s a fantastically cheerful record, which we could all do with at this point."

VoxBox

21 St Stephen Street, Edinburgh

Desmond Dekker – King of Ska (The Ska Singles Collection)
“Ten impossibly rare singles in a box set.”

Ike & Tina Turner – Bold Soul Sister / Somebody (Somewhere) Needs You
“Amazing tracks. Ike's behaviour tarnished the legacy but a lot of folk still haven't heard how great they were.”

Mogwai – ZeroZeroZero OST
“We always sell loads of Mogwai. Love them to bits.”

The Stooges – Whiskey A Go Go
“My son is named after Iggy Pop. I think he's a great role model. I'll be sourcing a copy of this. Hope the sound quality is okay.”

Various Artists – Sassy & Strong: Forgotten Sides From Nashville's Finest Ladies (1967-1973)
“Compilation of late 60s female country singers.”

Warren Zevon – Preludes
“An artist I really admire. I was chuffed to see this on the list as I missed the CD release all those years ago. A double album of unreleased and rarities. I almost shed a happy tear.”

Beastie Boys – Aglio E Olio
“It's the Beastie Boys!”

Black Sabbath – Master of Reality
“Long awaited reissue of early metal classic in box with a poster.”

The Brian Jonestown Massacre/The Telescopes – Before I Forget/Come Down My Love
“I've developed an unhealthy obsession with The BJM over lockdown. I have pretty much all the albums now. So I need this release too. I wish Anton would stop releasing stuff so I can catch up. Then I think... No! Never change.”

The Coterie – A Swing To Folk
“This is a total wildcard. Originals are pretty rare. I came across this record and had it down as one of the most interesting album covers from Ireland I've ever seen. In a parallel universe, this is the album cover of a fuzzy, wah wah heavy guitar band. In our one, it's fairly straight folk covers. Worth it for the cover? I still don't know.”

Joni Mitchell – Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1
“I love these. Mining the archives. One for the fans.”