Record Store Day 2025

🎺 A great year for Jazz reissues and live recordings - what did you get?

Waiting in line at 6:30 a.m. at Bullmoose Music, Portsmouth, NH

Every April, vinyl collectors, music nerds, and casual crate diggers get up extra early for one of the few modern “holidays” built around the love of music (for most of us). But before I dive into how my day went and what I found, here’s some background on how this tradition began…

Record Store Day launched in 2008, born out of a simple but necessary idea: spotlight independent record stores and the culture they help keep alive. Digital music was eating into physical sales, and many indie record shops struggled to stay open. Inspired by Free Comic Book Day, a small group of store owners and label folks came together to create something new. They picked a Saturday in April and worked with both artists and labels to create exclusive releases and a strong marketing campaign.

Every year, the event has grown, with new exclusive vinyl releases, more participating artists, and more fans showing up early to get their hands on something new and rare. Artists big and small, along with indie and major labels, have gotten involved. Record Store Day has also gone international, with stores in Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia getting involved.

Unfortunately, RSD is not without its flaws. Some releases are nearly impossible to find, and I’ve seen some resellers scoop them up to flip online. Some folks waiting in line feel like major labels have started to dominate the release list. But even with those concerns, the day's spirit remains primarily strong. I mean, we’re still supporting our local music communities and keeping vinyl alive, which reminds us all why we love records in the first place, right?

Snow falls early on Record Store Day in Portsmouth, NH

This year, I awoke to a snowstorm, which rarely happens in mid-April, so my plans changed. Initially, I was destined for Deep Groove Records in Brunswick, Maine, where they had $1 bins of vinyl, live DJs all day, donuts and coffee, a taco truck under a tent, and a friendly, happy, and knowledgeable local owner. Saddened by Mother Nature, I stayed local and went down to Bullmoose, where I was 50th in line just 90 minutes before opening. I joined the cold, snowy crowd outside where we all received numbers from friendly staff and then, gently, each made our way to get coffee and hot cocoa before reassembling in line shortly before 8 a.m. The vibe was laid-back; people talked about what they hoped to find and shared stories from past years.

bullmoosestores

A post shared by @bullmoosestores

There’s nothing like holding a new record in your hands—especially one you’ve been looking forward to for weeks. Whether you leave with a stack or just that one record you had your eye on, Record Store Day reminds me that music isn’t just something we listen to. It’s something we experience together.

Let me know what you found this year! I’d love to hear all about your haul and experience. Here’s mine:

• Various Artists: Jazz Dispensary – Night Lights

  Label: Craft Recordings (smoke-hued blue vinyl)

• Various Artists: Gilles Peterson presents International Anthem

  Label: International Anthem Recording Co. (frozen Lake Michigan vinyl)

• Various Artists: Alts 'N Outs

  Label: Blue Note (180g opaque blue vinyl)

• Gerry Mulligan Meets Thelonious Monk

  Label: Craft Recordings/Riverside Records (180g black vinyl)

• The Verve – Voyager 1

  Label: Virgin/Vernon Yard Recordings (black vinyl)

• Gil Scott-Heron – Moving Target

  Label: LMLR/Arista (bright red translucent vinyl)

A compilation of alternate takes and outtakes from Blue Note recording sessions with rare performances by Cannonball Adderley, Grant Green, Art Blakey, Jimmy Smith, and Sonny Clark.

This double LP compilation chronicles the London-based radio host, DJ, and curator's long-standing affinity for and interaction with artists and music from the Chicago-born record label International Anthem.

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RSD 2025 PLAYLIST

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