Record Store Day: Giving music to the people

On Saturday, music stores around the world will be participating in Record Store Day. What began last year as an event sponsored by a handful of independent U.S. music retailers has now gone worldwide, as England, Canada, Japan, Italy, Iceland and others have signed on to celebrate what many consider, in this age of iPods and iTunes, an anachronism: the record store.

Locally, Monster Music & Movies in West Ashley and Cat's Music in Summerville are doing their part. (52.5 Records downtown and Soundwave Records in Summerville also have notable Record Store Day activities. Find out more about 52.5 on Page 3, and Soundwave on Page 7).

Galen Hudson, district manager of Monster says of the event, "We want to change the conversation. There's so much bad press out there. It's as if no one buys CDs anymore, and records stores don't exist. But people are buying records. People still care about it."

And plenty do. Last year's inaugural Record Store Day event was kicked off with an in-store appearance by Metallica at Rasputin Music in San Francisco, and countless other artists and record companies have signed on to promote the now-global event.

At Monster, music fans will be able to purchase vinyl and CD releases available only April 18 from artists such as My Morning Jacket, Cold War Kids, Tift Merritt, The Pretenders, Pavement, Sonic Youth and Iron & Wine.

Wilco is rush-releasing a new DVD release that will be available exclusively to independent record stores on Record Store Day.

And dozens of other artists, including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Slayer and Modest Mouse will be releasing special Record Store Day Exclusive seven-inch singles containing music only available on those releases.

"Last year, we didn't know what to expect," says Hudson, "but the record labels have stepped up, a lot of artists have embraced it."

Visitors the West Ashley Monster store will be treated to live performances by Cary Ann Hearst, Crowfield, Owen Beverly, Plainfield Project, Number One Contender, Speed of the Puma and others. And at Cat's Music, it's sister store in Summerville, bands Reliable Sources, Sex Bomb and Goldmouf will be performing live.

There will be an outdoor cookout and a sidewalk sale, featuring $1 used CD's and $2 used DVD's, along with literally thousands of recently obtained used LP's. Customers can even purchase a box for $10 and fill it with as many sidewalk LP's as they can fit.

Hudson says last year's event had a very "party atmosphere," due in no small part to the outdoor cookout and sidewalk sale.

Gov. Mark Sanford and Charleston Mayor Joe Riley have been invited in the hopes that they might square off in a round of "Guitar Hero," the popular, music-based video game.

Representatives for both are checking their schedules. "The idea behind Record Store Day," says Hudson, is to "hear new music and make new friends," stressing that the event is meant for those who appreciate how integral the independent record store has been, and remains, to the art of music. "It's not all about business, it's not all about making a buck," says Hudson.

Record Store Day is meant to highlight a business that, for many, has become a labor of love and might remind many aficionados why they fell in love with music in the first place.

If you go

Here are the Record Store Day event schedules for Monster Music & Movies and Cat's Music. 52.5 Records and Soundwave Records are also participating.

For more information on the worldwide event, visit www.recordstoreday.com.

Monster Music & Movies

Where: 946 Orleans Road, West Ashley.

Phone: 571-4657.

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Band schedule:

Noon: Quasiphonics

1 p.m.: DJ Ricky Lee

2 p.m.: Owen Beverly

3 p.m.: Cary Ann Hearst

4 p.m. : Crowfield

5 p.m.: Plainfield Project

6 p.m. : Number One Contender

7 p.m.: Speed of the Puma

Cat's Music

Where: 1305-A North Main St., Summerville.

Phone: 832-7704.

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Band schedule:

Noon: Reliable Sources

1 p.m.: Marcus Allen

3 p.m.: Sex Bomb (Flipper tribute band)

4 p.m.: Donner Party of 5

6 p.m.: Goldmouf

7 p.m.: Alcoholocaust