Record Store Day in Ottawa – Participants + Special Releases
We here at Ottawa Showbox cannot think of a better way to take part in Support Local Month than walking into your friendly neighbourhood independent record store and buying some fresh new wax at a discounted price. I don’t care how much of a music freak you are – record store owners are bigger music freaks and they make a living out of it. So why not support them in the process?
Record Store Day is an internationally recognized celebration of independent record stores. Founded in 2007, RSD is a consumer-friendly event that happens twice annually, offering deals that will please hardcore vinyl fans, audiophiles, and casual music listeners at the same time. But it’s not all about ‘Black Friday’ madness or saving money. Each store’s celebration is unique – some have live music or DJs, while others have exhibits or meet and greets with fans. Any way you look at it, records stores have been important parts of our communities for decades, thus we must celebrate them in style. However, not all record stores are pledged signatories to RSD. As they put it,
The stores with this mark have signed the Record Store Day Pledge, which means they have agreed to act in the spirit of Record Store Day, and sell the commercial Record Store Day releases to their physical customers, on Record Store Day; not to gouge them, or hold product back to sell them online.
Participating Ottawa Record Store Day outlets:
| CD Warehouse – Ottawa | Ottawa, ON | VISIT WEBSITE | ||
| Vertigo Records | Ottawa, ON | VISIT WEBSITE | ||
| LEGEND RECORDS | Ottawa, ON | |||
| Compact Music | Ottawa, ON | VISIT WEBSITE | ||
| The Record Centre | Ottawa, ON | VISIT WEBSITE |
RSD DISCLAIMER: There are a lot of independent stores that participate in Record Store Day. Not all of them will choose to participate in all promotions, or carry all releases. Just because a store is listed here does NOT mean it will have the goodie or record you’re looking for. That said, find a store near you and check with them directly. It’s always a good idea to be BFFs with your neighbourhood record store.
Some of our picks of Record Store Day exclusives (details courtesy of LA Times)
Nirvana “In Utero 2013 Mix.” – Initially recorded with engineer/mixer Steve Albini in a two-week span at a cost that was said to be about $25,000, parts of “In Utero” were ultimately smoothed out before the record was given an official release. Shame, as the Albini mixes capture the always-on-edge sound of Nirvana better than the final product. So it’s better late than never that surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic allowed Albini to remix “In Utero” so it better reflects the original vision.
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Queens of the Stone Age “…Like Clockwork. (Black On Black)” – This all-black limited edition vinyl pressing — just 1,200 copies available in the U.S. — is probably more for die-hards only. But it’s also a good excuse for all of us to revisit the hard rock band’s most recent album. This year’s “…Like Clockwork” presented the long-standing John Homme-led project in a more vulnerable state. That doesn’t mean it’s a record for softies, only that Homme is not yet done exploring his vocal and melodic limits.
Limited edition double vinyl, 180 gram black on black Black Friday edition of the critically acclaimed release. Limited to 2,400 worldwide. 1,200 (US); 2,400 (Worldwide).
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Elvis Costello & The Roots “Wise Up: Thought Remixes and Reworks” – Remix EP overseen by Elvis and The Roots, four new exclusive remixes and three interludes, created by the artists exclusively for this release.
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Replacements ‘All Shook Down’ – Rolling Stone’s 1990 review of The Replacement’s final album opened with the line, “America’s best band is back where it belongs: the garage.” Fastforward to 2013, when the band reunites for some long-awaited live shows. ‘All Shook Down’ has now been remastered from original analog tapes, with a quality pressing it has never seen, giving new life to this classic LP for its first ever US release on vinyl.
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For the full list of Record Store Day Special Releases, click here.