Record Store Day 2021 Wishlist
In normal times, Record Store Day would be right around the corner, the usual Saturday in April marked by indie record stores stocking exclusive releases and music lovers lining up to grab them. But, as we keep be reminded in meetings at work and e-mail campaigns from seemingly every company in the world and just, you know, the reality of everyday lives, these are unprecedented times, and over a year after the initial lockdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Record Store Day once again will be a little different — but what hasn’t changed is the extensive list of releases.
This year’s list dropped today, and as has become the norm for RSD, it’s jam-packed with releases — about 450 of them — from soundtracks and compilation albums to icons like Prince, Tom Petty, and The Who to present-day chart toppers like Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande to indie darlings, from reissues of beloved classics to new exclusives.
As with anyone readying their lists (and credit cards), a few releases in particular caught my eye.
The Cure — Faith and Wild Mood Swings
The Cure has been faithfully releasing reissues of their work for RSD, and this year’s picks are a picture disk of 1981's dark, moody Faith — celebrating its 40th anniversary — and 1996’s more upbeat Wild Mood Swings.
Elton John — Regimental Sgt. Zippo
An RSD fan himself, Elton John is among the artists using the occasion to revisit old material, in particular 1968 psychedelic concept album Regimental Sgt. Zippo. While snippets have popped up over the years — in last year’s box set Elton: Jewel Box in particular — the project was never released in its entirety until now.
Haim — “Gasoline”
Sister band Haim’s “Gasoline” is something of an earworm, with its soft, singable melody, and for RSD, the band is releasing the remixed version featuring Taylor Swift on 7" — the first physical release of the track.
Matt Bellamy — Cryosleep
Muse frontman Matt Bellamy went solo with Cryosleep and is delivering it in physical form as a 12" picture disk, with versions of tracks like “Unintended,” “Bridge Over Trouble Water,” “Take a Bow,” and more.
The Struts — Strange Days
British band The Struts released the aptly named Strange Days during quarantine, with impressive guest spots from Tom Morello, Robbie Williams, Albert Hammond Jr., and members of Def Leppard, and, of course, the hooks and guitars the band has become known for. If an energetic Struts show is out of the question, an exclusive RSD release of Strange Days is second best.
Various Artists — Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack
From Jon Brion’s lovely, bittersweet score to tracks from The Polyphonic Spree and fantastic use of ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” — despite not being in the film itself — the soundtrack to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is wonderful. This combined with the movie’s own merits make this a must-have for fans.
Like last year, RSD will take place over two days, called Drops, in order to decrease the size of crowds descending upon stores. They will be held on June 12 and July 17.
