Ahead of Record Store Day 2023, we asked hosts from The Current put together a list of tips on how to purchase, take care, and enjoy your records. They even wanted to let you all know about what they have their eyes on for this year’s Record Store Day releases!

Jill Riley

Vinyl & Record Store Day Tips:

• It’s never too late to organize your records, no matter how long you’ve been collecting or how many piles are sitting around your living space. I’m pretty basic as I organize the bulk of my albums into alphabetical order and use the website/app Discogs to catalog my records. It’s so handy to have that app on my device for a few different reasons: not only to avoid repurchasing an album I already own, but I can research the average price for a used copy and find specific information about the various pressings. The information is user generated, but I’ve found it to be really well organized and easy to use.

• Some of the diehard vinyl collectors will wait in line for many hours before the store opens on Record Store Day, hoping to score a few of the items on the RSD list. My experience is that if you show up early, there’s either a number system or some kind of method and order to prevent chaos with the RSD exclusive releases. And remember — stores do not carry every single title on the RSD list. Some stores will sell out of the RSD exclusives you want, other stores will still have it in stock at the end of the day, so make the rounds to multiple places and spread around your support!

  And if you’re a casual shopper, just bring your patience, a good attitude and a curious mind. The stores will be busy. I find that I enjoy the social part of the day and meeting other folks who have an appreciation for the format. I especially like seeing families out together, sharing stories about the “old days” and passing on the love of vinyl to a new generation. Don’t sleep on the used bins, plenty of stores will make sure their used and new stock is ready for a wave of customers on Record Store Day. We are incredibly fortunate to have so many independent record stores in the Twin Cities metro area. Visit a shop you’ve never been to before and you may find yourself finding some great treasures while digging through the crates.

Record Store Day Picks:

• I like to find the strange and unusual on Record Store Day. There are two reissue albums I’m hoping to see, because it’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever see the original pressings or be able to shell out the money for a used copy. I hope I can score one or both of these RSD releases because I would love to play them for the Vinyl Tap pick on The Current’s Morning Show, which you can hear around 6:30 a.m. each and every weekday morning! Never heard of Vinyl Tap? I grab a record from my collection, cue it up on the turntable in the studio, talk about it and play it for you!

  • Hal Blaine ‘Psychedelic Percussion’ (1967)

    In the 1960s and 70s, Hal Blaine was part of an elite group of Los Angeles session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew and is said to be the most recorded drummer in history. In addition to his studio work on over 35,000 recordings, he released a handful of albums under his own name. Psychedelic Percussion has 12 tracks, each titled after a groovy, psychedelic word or phrase, representing each month of the calendar.

  • Crispin Hellion Glover ‘The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be’ (1989)

    Actor Crispin Glover (George McFly from Back to the Future) made a super weird album with Barnes and Barnes (the two guys best known for “Fish Heads”). The liner notes included a phone number for people to call in the case they find the solution to “the big problem”. That number was active up until the year 2007. Perhaps this reissue will bring Glover’s search for the answers back to life? Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the album’s title is pronounced The Big Problem Does Not Equal the Solution, The Solution Equals Let It Be.

Jessica Paxton

Vinyl Tips:

• I'm pretty particular when it comes to storing and playing my albums (yes, they are alphabetized and I always put the vinyl back in the sleeve when I'm finished listening) — but I certainly need some help when it comes trying to keep track of what I already own. I love shopping for used vinyl but inevitably I end up buying something I already have. How many copies of Marshall Crenshaw's iconic debut does one gal need?!?

Record Store Day Picks:

• The release I'm most excited about is Tonight Longhorn, the limited edition vinyl featuring 28 previously unreleased tracks by Hüsker Dü, recorded at the legendary Jay's Longhorn Bar in Minneapolis between July 1979 and September 1980. Twenty-eight new tracks by Hüsker Dü??!? And recorded live at the bar where the Minneapolis indie rock and punk rock music scene was born? When Jay's Longhorn opened in June 1977, it was the only venue in Minnesota that regularly featured original punk rock, new wave, and indie rock. Almost overnight, the Longhorn became the go-to stage for national bands (Blondie, Talking Heads, The B-52's, Elvis Costello, the Police) routing through Minneapolis — and the home stage for emerging local bands like Flamingo, Fingerprints, Curtis Almstead Thumps Up, Hypstrz — and later bands like Hüsker Dü, Suicide Commandos, the Replacements, the Suburbs, and the Wallets. This upcoming release is a rare opportunity to revisit Hüsker Dü as an emerging band — and a time capsule trip back to an incredibly important era in Minnesota music.

Jade

Vinyl Tips:

• Purchase albums for their cover art (especially when you are overseas and have never heard of the band)

• Enjoy the crackle and pop

• Don’t worry too much about the $1 - $5 records; unless you have an out-of-this-world sound system, they’ll play the music just fine.

• Don’t store your records over a heat source or on top of each other

Record Store Day Picks:

• Ones I’ll be keeping an eye out for — I can shop for regular records any day — I want the compilations on Record Store Day in the hopes I get to discover something new.

  • Death – Fate: The Best of Death

  • Various Artists – Surfin’ The Great Lakes: Kay Bank Studio Surf Sides of the 1960s

  • Soul Jazz Records Presents – New York Noise — Dance Music From The New York Underground 1978-82

Ayisha Jaffer

Vinyl Tips:

• Don’t be so precious with your records. Actually enjoy them for their intended use. Don’t be like me and leave them in their packaging for far too long. Lay on the floor with your favorite drink, stare at the ceiling and listen to your records.

Record Store Day Picks:

• Beach House – Become 

• ‘Ol Dirty Bastard – Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version

• Koko Taylor – I Got What It Takes

• The Donnas – Early Singles 1995-1999

Diane

Vinyl Tips:

• Dance to the music!

• Don’t use your records as frisbees

Record Store Day Picks:

• Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It In People (20th Anniversary)

• The Cactus Blossoms - If Not For You (Bob Dylan Songs Vol. 1)

Bill DeVille

Vinyl Tips:

• I am big fan of plastic sleeves on the outside of my records. It stops the cover art from fading and helps prevent rips on the packaging. I also love having a nice brush to remove dust from the vinyl record before playing.

Record Store Day Picks:

• I am exited about The Cactus Blossoms RSD release of If Not For You (Bob Dylan Songs Vol. 1) — I am such a huge fan of these local fellas. I love their harmonies on this batch Dylan covers. Plus, the record looks pretty cool! The vinyl is blue.

• Another one I am excited about is The Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet album. It will be issued in gray, white, blue or black swirl vinyl. It'll be fun to watch it spin on your turntable!   

This feature is part of The Current’s 89 Days series, helping you enjoy the best of the season with weekly guides to events, entertainment, and recreation in the Twin Cities.