Editorial - Record Store Day

There's a whole lot of negative noise about Record Store Day again this year. There's no denying that the major label's cynical approach to high priced repressings of almost anything, and the inevitable flood of titles that are already appearing on eBay are downsides of a day with uniformly positive intentions.

While it's fashionable to bag RSD for these (and other) reasons, let's make the best of it, and celebrate its noble purpose. The day, after all, was set up to celebrate independent Record Stores, and we certainly haven't reached a point where these stores can get along comfortably without your support.

I openly acknowledge that independent labels are getting a rough deal at the pressing plants, because of RSD pressings by major labels, but does that mean we should boycott the day itself?  Hell, no. Why punish your local indie store(s) - if you're lucky enough to still have any - for the greed of the major labels? By doing so, you're helping to silence the independent voice of the music community, and empowering the major labels to be even more dominant.

So, visit your local independent on Saturday. Enjoy the events they have organised for you. Boycott the major label RSD releases if you want to make a statement, but buy some records from your local if and when you can afford it. Never feel bad about buying used if that's what your budget necessitates - you're getting a better deal, and the store is probably making a better margin on it. And visit some of the other 364 days of the year too, even if it's just for a chat. And if you want to support the Indie labels who are marginalised by the majors at this time of the year (as a reader of this blog, I expect that you already do), buy some records or downloads directly from them, or their artists at shows.

I hope you all have a great day on Saturday, and see it as a chance to celebrate in the proper spirit.