(photo: John Carey)

Happy Record Store Day everyone!

It’s that time of year again when we celebrate the venerable cornerstone of the music industry’s existence; the hallowed halls where jazz freaks and emo geeks rub shoulders standing before the sacred racks, some scouring alphabetically, some randomly ransacking section “S” in search of scratch-free treasures.  Like musty old book stores, record shops have the same mystical power over visitors, as simultaneous attacks on the senses overload.  Dazzling and eye-catching album art competes with the unknown aural pleasures emanating from the in-house stereo system, prompting that age-old question, “What’s that playing on the speakers?”  This, as you’re well aware, is how the almost-extinct record store clerk (of the genus clericus boutiquos musica) draw their prey into their liar, enticing the victim with sonic pleasures and then, faster than the human eye can register, thrusting a copy of said LP into their hands, ringing up the sale and recommending the new one by Portishead, if you;re into that sort of thing.

You have to visit the official Record Store Day site to get the scoop on all the exclusive releases that are available tomorrow in celebration of this day.  Everyone from Springsteen to Grizzly Bear is doing something to mark the occasion, so I’m sure you’ll find something of value to you, whether you;re a collector or not.  As for me, I’m heading out to pick up the new Diana Krall CD as a gift for someone who’s celebrating a birthday this weekend, and maybe grab a couple of platters for myself while I’m at it.

And what about you?  Are you planning on (or did you, if you’re reading this after the fact) buy a new record today?  What suggestions would you make for other looking to buy  some new music?  Let us know by dropping a comment to this post.  It’ll be much appreciated.  And by the way, if you dig the super cool photo above, you should head on over to the super cool Fifty Foot Shadows website, where John Carey offers up some stunning images (including this photo) as desktop wallpaper.  I’ve been following his work for a number of years now, and I think he’s absolutely fantastic.

MP3: Department of Eagles “Classical Records”
Myspace: Department of Eagles