As the Black Friday edition of Record Store Day approaches at the end of this week, it is important to have a plan when heading to your local indie store. So Surviving the Golden Age presents the top 10 releases we will be looking for.
10. They Might Be Giants: Flood LP / The Dead Milkmen: Big Lizard in My Backyard LP / Fishbone: Truth and Soul LP
Asbestos Records is re-issuing a trifecta of 80s/early 90s classic: They Might Be Giants‘ first platinum record Flood, The Dead Milkmen‘s 1985 debut album Big Lizard in My Backyard, and Fishbone‘s most positively reviewed album, Truth and Soul all on colored vinyl!
09. St. Vincent: Pieta 10″
The two songs included on St. Vincent‘s Pieta 7″ were recorded exclusively for RSD. “Pieta” has already become a mainstay in the St. Vincent live show and “Sparrow” is its counterpoint with a deep musing on death and loss. The 10″ record is presented in a deluxe, die-cut, foil-embossed package.
08. Ben Kweller: It Ain’t Christmas Yet 7″
If you’re the sporting type, you may want to take a run at Austin-ite Ben Kweller‘s holiday themed 7″. This big hole 45 RPM is pressed on translucent red vinyl, with a few pink or green splattered editions thrown into the mix.
07. J. Mascis: Fade Into You/Outside
From the same recording sessions that brought his solo debut Tied to a Star comes two unreleased J. Mascis tracks. One being a cover of Mazzy Star’s 90s classic “Fade Into You” and the other being the original “Outside.”
06. David Bowie: Sue (Or In A Season of Crime) 10″
For those wanting to hear the new David Bowie track specially recorded for Nothing Has Changed but not wanting to shell out the cash for the three CD set, this 10″ record is for you. Containing said track “Sue (Or In A Season of Crime),” it is backed with another new non-Nothing Has Changed “Tis a Pity She’s a Whore.”
05. Death Grips: Government Plates 12″
Why would you pay for something that was given away free on the internet? Maybe because this exclusive vinyl release of Death Grips‘ Government Plates digital mixtape come packaged with a replica of the stamped California license plate featured on the cover.
04. Various Artists: Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 Cassette
Just as the Star Lord would have it, you can now get Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 on cassette featuring a few tracks not featured in the film.
03. The Afghan Whigs: Gentlemen at 21
Sometime the record you buy is as cool as the stuff that comes with the record. Such is the case of the re-release of Afghan Whigs’ fourth album, Gentlemen at 21. The 3 LP set includes all original eight demos for the album, recorded at John Curley’s Ultrasuede studio space in Cincinnati and are previously unreleased. The bonus material also includes the original Debonair b-sides, including “Mr. Superflow” and a cover of the southern blue-eyed soul classic “Dark End Of The Street”, along with three songs recorded live for KTCL in Denver, previously issued on the What is Jail Like EP. The set comes packaged with a faithful reproduction of the original sleeve art and its striking front cover image along with reproductions of promotional items from the original 1993 release, including 1 of 5 different 8×10 B&W promo photos, a 2×5 sticker w/the Afghan Whigs “STAX” logo and the famous “Do Not Disturb” plastic doorhanger.
02. Wu Tang Clan: C.R.E.A.M. 10″
If crazy die cuts are your thing, look no further than the reissue of Wu Tang Clan’s single “C.R.E.A.M.” The limited collectible single is on special die-cut vinyl in the shape of the group’s iconic logo.
01. Outkast: Player’s Ball 10″
After celebrating their 20th anniversary with a tour that brought them to nearly every major music festival the world over, Outkast is reissuing their debut single “Player’s Ball” on 10” translucent green vinyl. This limited, numbered single features a rare extended version of the track alongside two tracks from the duo’s acclaimed 1994 debut, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik.
