Record Store Day 2023: What's on in Scotland

After a weird few years for Record Store Day, the 2023 edition looks to be back to business as usual, with one big day to celebrate loads of lovely releases, as well as all of our favourite local vinyl dealers while you’re at it. As we always say, records are for life, not just for Record Store Day, so don't let this be the only day you venture out on a record shopping spree.

Our Record Store Day 2023 picks

We digress. This year, Record Store Day is taking place on Saturday 22 April and will present you with an opportunity to treat yourself to some interesting represses, limited edition compilations and fun soundtracks. There are four OSTs coming from Italian composer extraordinaire Ennio Morricone – pick from Senza Sapere Niente di Lei, Le Foto Proibite di una Signora Per Bene, Il Serpente and Gli Occhi Freddi della Paura, or get all four. Doctor Who fans will want to get their hands on The Amazing World of Doctor Who; with stories and features from the 1970s annuals of the same name, it's been pressed onto vinyl for the first time and features a whole host of recognisable Doctor Who voices and sounds.

London label Soul Jazz Records have five special RSD titles coming this year too. We’re particularly excited for the 20th anniversary one-off limited edition heavyweight special edition coloured vinyl of New York Noise: Dance Music from the New York Underground 1978-82 featuring Liquid Liquid’s Optimo and Alan Vega’s Bye Bye Bayou. Speaking of Alan Vega, there’s also a special RSD Suicide release – A Way of Life Rarities EP – up for grabs featuring rarities from their third studio album A Way of Life, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. If you’re a fan of seminal London post-punks The Slits, you’ll have the chance to hear Typical Girls as well as their iconic version of I Heard It Through the Grapevine like never before as their 1979 album Cut gets a ‘rough mixes’ release as Rough Cuts. 

Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s 1995 debut album Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version is getting a special picture disc pressing for RSD. The long-out-of-print collaborative album from Dirty Projectors and Björk, Mount Wittenberg Orca, is also getting a reprint, and an extended one at that, with a whole host of live, demo and rehearsal versions on top of the album’s modest seven tracks. Closer to home, Self Esteem’s debut album Compliments Please is getting a repressing for RSD, and there’s a Blur double LP from 1994 – The Special Collectors Edition. Originally only released on CD in Japan, it features a collection of B-sides from their first three studio albums.

Record Store Day 2023 events in Dundee

But of course, it’s not just all about those special RSD releases and represses. A big reason for heading out on 22 April is that it’s a great excuse for getting together with your local community of record lovers, and a lot of our favourites are taking part this year, as we’ve come to expect. In Dundee, Le Freak Records (159 Perth Rd) will have a whole host of RSD releases up for grabs, with local selectors spinning tunes in the shop all day, while on Union Street, both Thirteen Records (no. 13) and Assai Records (no. 33) will also be taking part in the day. The Edinburgh (1 Grindlay St) and Glasgow (231-233 Sauchiehall St) branches of Assai will also be joining in the fun, of course, and while our Assai pals haven’t quite ironed out the particulars yet, they have confirmed that there will be breakfast rolls and teas for those in the queue, special giveaways for early birds and in-store appearances. 

Record Store Day 2023 in Glasgow

Staying in Glasgow, Strip Joint Records (956B Argyle St) are open and selling RSD releases this year, as are Some Great Reward (674 Pollokshaws Rd) who also have entertainment planned, with live sets from Zerrin and Blue Kanues (Vivarium Sounds), and DJs from the Radio Buena Vida roster playing vinyl-only sets. Catch the likes of Cordoroy Dreams, Leon Cerrone (Joints & Jams), Maveen and WeeG from midday.

Over at Monorail Music (12 Kings Ct, 97 King St), you'll find an RSD shindig too, with live sets from Jill Lorean, L, Dancer and The Bluebells, plus DJ sets from Boosterhooch, Dirt Brooks, DJ Death Wish, DJ Bloodstain, Brother Joseph and Suzy Lee Kidd. On top of all this, the Last Night From Glasgow label are throwing a party at their Music From Big Blue shop (1103 Argyle St / The Hidden Lane), with in-stores from 12-8pm featuring The Bluebells, Sister John, Michael M and more.

Record Store Day 2023 in Edinburgh and Leith

In Edinburgh, Thorne Records (125 Bruntsfield Pl) will be playing records and handing out beers throughout the day, while if you fancy a more chill one, relative newcomers Slow Progress (53 Blackfriars St) will be celebrating their first RSD with coffee and snacks to help get you through.

Meanwhile, things will be bouncing at the nearby Underground Solu’shn (9 Cockburn St), with live sets from latest Heavenly Recordings signing Eyes of Others, Lost Map/Moshi Moshi’s Callum Easter, The Countess of Fife and Capricorn One as well as DJ sets from Lord of the Isles, Rebecca Vasmant, Martyn Flyn and Alien Communications. Down in Stockbridge, VoxBox Records (21 St Stephen St) take over the just-round-the-corner St Vincent’s Chapel (St Vincent St) again with a whole host of live music from Cloth, Constant Follower, L.T. Leif, Broken Records, Hailey Beavis, Carla J. Easton and more throughout the day. 

In Leith, Good Vibes (151-153 Constitution St) are ramping things up at their friendly neighbourhood record store and studios space with performances through the day from the Athens of the North label, Rachel Sermanni and The Micro Band. The evening will see the party move from day to night as Good Vibes team up with local community radio station EHFM for a party at Lost In Leith. There will be live sets from Maranta and Night Caller, as well as an EHFM afterparty courtesy of a b2b set from DJs Saint Sunday and Percy Main, with a Good Vibes pop-up record shop, of course.

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A full rundown of the 2023 Record Store Day releases, as well as your local stockists can be found at recordstoreday.co.uk