This Saturday is Record Store Day (RSD), which began in 2007 as a way to celebrate (and draw business to) independent, brick-and-mortar record shops all over the globe. In the Cincinnati area, four longtime record shops with loyal fanbases will officially participate — Everybody’s Records in Pleasant Ridge, Shake It Records in Northside, Mole’s Record Exchange in Clifton Heights and Phil’s Music & Memories in Cold Spring, Ky. That means you’ll be able to get your hands on some of the thousands of exclusive, RSD-only releases coming out this year from a wide range of acclaimed artists, new and old. (For the full rundown of RSD exclusive releases, click here.)
The local shops usually do it up big for RSD. At Everybody’s Records, you can listen to live music (including a 2 p.m. acoustic set from Jody Stapleton and Brandon Losacker of Jody Stapleton and the Generals) and DJing (from local Reggae DJ squad Queen City Imperial Soundsystem at 5 p.m.) throughout your RSD adventuring at the store.
At Shake It, Grammy-winning (for his work on Dr. John’s last album) rocker Brian Olive performs at 6 p.m., while Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker of Wussy play at 8 p.m. Shake It is offering a 10 percent discount on purchases for anyone bringing non-perishable food items for Churches Active in Northside’s Choice Food Pantry.
Shake It’s “record label” branch is also getting in on the RSD fun, putting out a pair of new, limited, exclusive releases by a couple of local music giants. Saturday at the shop, you’ll be able to pick up a live vinyl album featuring a performance at Shake It by The Greenhornes more than a decade ago. The Live at Shake It Records 2001 LP featuring 14 tracks representing the band’s first three albums (one song was previously released by the label on a 7-inch in 2002, but it went out of print instantly). Shake It will also release an EP of songs by Walker and Cleaver — a.k.a. Wussy Duo, which plays when the full band is not available. The CD features seven tracks from the slimmed-down lineup.
Area Rock trio Buffalo Killers will have a new EP available for RSD. The band — which will play a free release party Friday at MOTR Pub in Over-the-Rhine — is releasing the six-track EP, Ohio Grass, on “Herb Green”-colored, 12-inch vinyl for RSD.
