People get so worked up about RSD. It's for the kids, man. Kids and people who care to own replica British Invasion 45s, I guess. Fact of the matter is it get people in the door. What's the harm.. 

For the first time maybe ever, I'm going to buy an RSD release this year: 
http://www.numerogroup.com/products/bedhead-live-1998 

"Captured during their Transaction de Novo tour, Bedhead's Live In Chicago finds the group upon the fabled stage of the Empty Bottle. For their April 16th, 1998 performance, recording engineer Bob Weston set up in the facility's basement, tracking the entire performance onto a mobile 16-track ADAT unit. Mixed by the band and mastered at Chicago Mastering Service, these previously unreleased sessions celebrate the band's live show in ultrahigh fidelity. Limited to 1,000 copies. Includes a download coupon, and three additional tracks recorded in similar fashion at San Francisco's Bottom of the Hill on March 14th, 1998." 

First ever commercially issued live recording by a defunct band. Recorded and mastered by a quality engineer. That's my kind of RSD release. 

Brandon 


--------------------------- 
Brandon Burke 
Archivist for Recorded Sound Collections 
Hoover Institution Library and Archives 
Stanford University 
Stanford, CA 94305-6010 
vox: 650.724.9711 
fax: 650.725.3445 
email: [log in to unmask] 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Aaron Levinson" <[log in to unmask]> 
To: [log in to unmask] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 5:05:19 PM 
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Record Store Day and the Ambivalent Branding of Independence 

I found the article both right and wrong in approximately equal measure. I like the fact that my many friends who or work at these stores have a Christmas in July moment but I dislike the often superfluous things that are sometimes put out. His blanket contention that virtually any/all unsold RSD releases hemorrhage in value every subsequent day is untrue. Some will and some most certainly will not. 

Is it a marketing driven strategy? 
Of course, but that doesn't make it bad... 

AA 

Sent from my iPhone 

> On Apr 14, 2015, at 7:39 PM, Eric Cartier <[log in to unmask]> wrote: 
> 
> Hi all, 
> 
> The eighth annual Record Store Day (RSD) is set for this Saturday, and Eric 
> Harvey, Pitchfork contributor/Assistant Professor of Communication at Weber 
> State University, wrote an interesting article about RSD: 
> http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/736-record-store-day-and-the-ambivalent-branding-of-independence/ 
> 
> I regularly visit record stores to look for and buy used vinyl, I 
> occasionally purchase select new releases with accompanying download cards, 
> and I've attended three consecutive RSDs, but I'm not sure I'll participate 
> in RSD this year. The manufactured exclusivity of the often overpriced 
> records and their unequal distribution/availability are problematic. 
> 
> What do you all think about this recorded sound holiday? 
> 
> Sincerely, 
> 
> Eric Cartier 
> Digital Librarian 
> University of Maryland Libraries