Dig it: Where to celebrate Black Friday Record Store Day

Black Friday. For anyone who’s not a fanny-pack wearing aunt named Lois, this day of commercial worship is truly a dark and borderline offensive tradition. Around the nation millions of Americans will line up for their Keurigs and flat screen TV’s. Hell, some hot to trot money pinchers have already set up camp.

But now, for the rest of us, there’s hope. The great minds behind the annual Record Store Day celebration have truly given us a reason to get into the holiday spirit: Back to Black Friday Record Store Day. Crate diggers, hold on to your sleeve protectors, because the day is almost upon us. That’s right, a second Record Store Day has been planned for Friday, November 29, with a whole new bunch of exclusive LP’s to offer. Granted it’s a smaller Record Store Day and while its release line-up may not be as distinguished as its progenitor, it’s still got some very cool records to get after. We’ve got the scoop on where to go to grab the special releases.

Because every participating record store doesn’t get every release, you might have to do a little searching if you want something in particular. Greenpoint has recently become Brooklyn’s record store central, so that’s as good a place as any to start your collecting, at any one of these four stores:

Earwax Records – 167 North 9th Street, a short walk down 9th street from Rough Trade and boasting a newer, cleaner vibe, Earwax will open at 10am

C0-0P 87 – 87 Guernsey Street, begin your Greenpoint odyssey at this quaint little neighborhood wax-work monument, open at 11am.

Academy Annex – 85 Oak Street, newly relocated but just as expansive as ever, the annex is open at 11am.

Permanent Records – 181 Franklin Street, open at 11am

And you’ll also be nearby to Williamsburg’s Rough Trade NYC  (64 North 9th Street), newly opened this week, complete with a cafe, bar, performance stage and now officially the largest record store in NYC, this is as good a place as any to start your journey. Open at 9 am

Of course, on a day like today, it’s good to hit all your bases, which means a trip to Manhattan. There’s some absolutely beastly record stores that have been confirmed for RSD and if you get to these stores early enough, it’s almost certain they’ll have what you’re looking for:

Kim’s Video and Music, located at 124 1st Ave between 7th Street and St. Marks, is the first record store to open in the entire city at 8am. So if you don’t find what you’re looking for there, you’ll still have a few hours before the rest of the record stores open.

Academy Records, located at 415 E 12th St, between Ave A & 1st Ave, the Village Voice’s Best Vinyl store in NYC for 2012 will be participating and is not that far of a walk from Kim’s.

Other Music, located at 15 E 4th Street, between Broadway and Lafayette, is bound to have the release you’re looking for.  Get there super early though, because even though they open at 11am, it’s one of the most popular record stores in the city and is bound to have a line around the corner of Broadway.

Three other stores to check out are:

Generation Records – 210 Thompson Street, open at 11am

Bleecker Street Records – 188 W 4th Street, open at 10am

Turn Table Lab – (great for hip hop if you’re interested in the Nas release)  – 120 E 7th Street, open at 1 pm

Some of the freshest releases to look out for at each store include: the Ender’s Game inspired Flaming Lips LP Peace Sword, A Musical Tribute to Shel Silverstein featuring musical renditions of his most cherished poems by folk artists such as My Morning Jacket, Dr. Dog and Andrew Bird, as well as exclusive reissues from The Doors, Harry Nilsson, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, Nas, and Paul Simon. Check out a full list of the exclusive releases at the Record Store Day Website.

While Record Store Day can certainly be hectic, it’s safe to say no one’s going to be trampled. After all, the best part about record day isn’t the numbered releases or colored pressings; it’s about the community that comes out, lines up, and celebrates the music. Let’s hope this is a tradition that continues every year.

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