Record Store Day 2011 is Saturday (4/16)! Shops will be flooded with limited/rare releases from tons of notables (watch a video below of some of the stuff), and they will hopefully make lots of money. Some area stores will also host free live events...

Other Music, though they seem to have scaled it back a bit from last year, has a special show scheduled for Saturday, but set your alarm clocks.

We also have a very special in-store performance on Saturday from NYC's own Regina Spektor ...The first 100 customers who buy her new RSD 7" Four from Far at Other Music on Record Store Day will get one ticket to see a private solo performance Regina is giving right next door to OM at 2 p.m. on Saturday. That's the only way to see the show, so come on down early, get in line and buy her new RSD 7" record.

Regina will also be screening her concert film Live In London later that night at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Anyone who can't get in to the live show, will get $3 off admission with an Other Music Record Store Day receipt (show it at the box office).

OM will also have "a ton of cool gifts and prizes, records, CDs and swag, including a backpack and a gift certificate for a pair of sneakers from our friends at Onitsuka Tiger for the first five customers who spend $250 or more". Other Music opens at 11am.

As previously discussed, Obits, The Jay Vons, I Hate Our Freedom, and Spa Castles will team up on Saturday, but Generation Records have also added DJ Sets from Yo La Tengo (all three members), Tom Scharpling (WFMU's Best Show), Eric Davidson (New Bomb Turks), Bill Dolan (American Standard), Mike Longo (Hoboken Heartthrob). Doors are at 11AM, bands start at 1PM... full set times and flyer are below.

As also previously discussed, Damon & Naomi play a free in-store at Sound Fix Records who open at 10:30am on Saturday.

Eula will appear at Permanent Records "throughout the day" before playing Bruar Falls later that night with Shark?, Ghost Bunny, Pow Wow & DJ Ron Like Hell as part of their Maurice Narcisse record release party.

As discussed, Fat Beats & Waxpoetics will open a pop-store in DUMBO that will host a ton of hip hop/funky notables including The Stepkids, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Neek The Exotic & Large Professor, CSC Funk Band and many more. The pop-up store opens at noon.

East Village Radio will broadcast live from Academy Records in the East Village (12th between 1st & A) from 4 - 6PM.

Kim's Music & Video will host Angel Olsen (5pm) and Bow Ribbons (6pm) for RSD, with the store opening at 9AM.

Though it isn't exactly a record store or a free show, Fontana's will host a "RSD Afterparty" from 3PM to 7PM with Lady Lamb The Beekeeper, The Kickdrums, Midnight Spin, and The Pass. The show costs $10.

Cake Shop used to be a record store and it will be again on Record Store Day. As Bill said, "Eternal Summers also play Cake Shop on Saturday (4/16) which is the venue's Record Store Day extravaganza, featuring a slew of great -- mostly local -- bands. The downstairs will be a record mart during the day (noon - 6PM). Bands during the evening include the previously-mentioned McDonalds, Natural Child, Widowspeak, Overlord, Hands & Knees, Night Collectors and Twitchers." The flyer is reposted below.

Looney Tunes in West Babylon is sure to actually be looney, as the store will host free shows by Thursday, Kevin Devine, The Pretty Reckless, Alex Skolnick, Grace Read, Tiger Riot, and Hotel of The Laughing Tree starting at 2PM. More details on how to get into see each band (each has a different entry condition) head to the Looney Tunes site.

Vintage Vinyl in NJ has... John Leguizamo. (whatever works)

J&R Music World will host Lez Zeppelin "and others to be announced" on Record Store Day. Doors open at 10AM.

Elsehwere you have Dom playing in Newbury Comics right before TV on the Radio do a signing, My Morning Jacket at CD Central in Lexington, Off! at Fingerprints in Long Beach, tons of bands at Grimey's, The Growlers and special guest at Origami Vinyl, and much more. There will be a Record Store Day tent at Coachella for those braving the sun at the sold out fest this weekend. Check the Record Store Day site for many more listings (though note their list is far from complete).

What did we miss?

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BrooklynVegan is also a proud Record Store Day partner this year. Look for our metal-centric ad in a free Decibel mini-mag that will be available at various record stores on Saturday. The cover looks like this:

If you can't get the mag, you can also download the free sampler that comes with it online And though heavy music isn't strongly represented this year live, we are happy to remedy that in recorded format by giving away a massive prize pack of vinyl to one (seriously) lucky reader. It includes:

• Trap Them's Darker Handcraft on vinyl
• a Kvelertak t-shirt
• Red Fang - limited edition Wires 7" vinyl
• A prize pack of Goes Cube 7" vinyl featuring every song on Of Tides & Drifts "Property" (sorry, the label informed us that they instead only have "Property" for this contest)
• Obscura - Omnivarium LP on vinyl (clear, not available to the public, 100 copies pressed)

Details on how to win, RSD videos, flyers and schedules and stuff, below...

Continue reading "a guide to Record Store Day 2011 (NYC in-stores, Regina Spektor @ Other Music, a big metal vinyl contest & more)"

My only complaint about the December 18th Prince show at Madison Square Garden was how short it felt. It was under two hours. I would have gladly taken three. I thought for sure we'd get a nice chunk of extra songs in the 2nd encore, but instead we only got a nice chunk of extra celebrities. Not that watching Sherri Sheppard of the View, Whoopi Goldberg (also on the View), opener Sinbad, Spike Lee, Spike Lee's son, Jamie Foxx, Naomi Campbell, Alicia Keys, Professor Cornel West, Tavis Smiley, opener Larry Graham (who also had his bass), Questlove (who also drummed) (and whose afro and tweeting were unmissable from where I was sitting before he left his seat to get on stage), Busta Rhymes, John Leguizamo (who I also saw on the will call line when I walked in), Sheila E (who was already up there performing), Prince's amazing band and backup singers and others dancing around on the love symbol-shaped stage wasn't fun, but I would have gladly traded it for a few more songs.

And speaking of Larry Graham whose band Graham Central Station opened, he was very worth getting there early for. Graham was the bass player for Sly & the Family Stone, and he paid that band tribute with a five-song medly that Prince himself came out to play on. For an opener, the energy in the half-packed room was huge.

Sheila E's appearance during Prince's set, especially her performance of her hit song The Glamorous Life was another serious highlight, though unlike as advertised, it wasn't the only show on the "tour" she showed up for. She didn't play at the 12/15 Izod Center show, but she did play during the second of three encores (yes, they got three) at the 12/17 Izod show, and it has been announced she will play with Prince again at MSG tonight (12/29). The full lineup for tonight's show is: 7:30 - Mint Condition, 8:15 - Janelle Monae, 9:00 - PRINCE (w/ Sheila E). UPDATE: She didn't actually play with Prince on 12/29.

If you miss tonight's show, you still have one more chance on 1/18. Tickets are still on sale for that one (no openers have been announced yet though, that I know of). Janelle Monae and Prince were both spotted at Lauryn Hill last night, and will probably collaborate on stage tonight.

A few more mostly-encore pictures from the 12/18 MSG show, and some videos and the setlists from the last 2 shows, below...

Continue reading "Prince played Izod Center & MSG w/ lots of friends, plays MSG again tonight (pics, setlists & stuff)"