Record Store Day 2024: What releases should you be looking out for?

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This Saturday is Record Store Day, the annual celebration of independent record stores who come together to curate exclusive releases to treat music fans the world over.

Since the first edition in 2008, Record Store Day (RSD) has played a major role in reviving vinyl record sales, which were at an all-time low in the mid-aughts. Since then, sales have been at their highest level since 1988.

It’s an essential day of the year for music lovers seeking to grow their ideal record collection, and the list of 2024 releases is as expansive as ever, with the reissuing of classics, one-off releases of rarities, and exclusive live performances pressed on vinyl for the very first time.

From David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac and The Beatles to Mavis Staples and Paramore, fans will be faced with many difficult choices, as some pressings are rarer than others – and therefore don’t come cheap.

So, what releases should you be looking out for?

Here’s our round-up of the 17 best Record Store Day releases for 2024 (in no particular order) – 17 for 17 years strong…

NB:RSD 2024 takes place for the second time on 20/04, which many know as 420 – international cannabis day. So, without condoning or condemning, consider your LPs well, and they might be the perfect soundtrack to a cheeky mowing the grass session.

AIR – Kelly Watch The Stars

AIR

French duo AIR went stratospheric in 1998 with their debut album ‘Moon Safari’, with hits like ‘Sexy Boy’ and ‘Kelly Watch The Stars’. 

‘Moon Safari’ has already received a deluxe reissue this year, and the band are touring Europe playing the album live in its entirety for the first time. 

So, what better time to head back into orbit with this 12” picture disc? 

It looks lovely too. 

De La Soul – Live at Tramps, NYC, 1996

De La Soul

Recorded on 16 May 1996 at New York’s famous Tramps nightclub, this “RSD First” release captures the magic of a live De La Soul performance. 

The band were hip-hop pioneers and their album ‘3 Feet High And Rising’ was the birth of alternative hip-hop.

Live at Tramps features the original De La Soul trio along with guest appearances by Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Common, and the Jungle Brothers. 

Not one you want to miss out on.

The Beatles – Limited Edition RSD Turntable + 4 singles

The Beatles

You may have heard of them, and cursed be the lucky ones who get their mitts on this gem. This limited edition turntable, featuring a Beatles-branded dustcover and turntable facing, includes 3″ records of four songs they performed 60 years ago on the Ed Sullivan Show: ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, ‘Til There Was You’, ‘She Loves You’, and ‘I Saw Her Standing There’. 

There are 2300 out there, so it is doable – but that’s worldwide mind you.

Gabriels – Live From London 2023

Gabriels

British-American three piece Gabriels bagged our number one spot for last year’s Best Album of 2023 with their debut ‘Angels & Queens’. So it should be no surprise that they make our RSD list. 

Recorded at Sommerset House and Union Chapel, this five-song EP should be a top priority. 

We’re already very excited to hear singer Jacob Lusk’s velvety falsetto on EP closer ‘Amazing Grace’…

Any chance of touring Europe soon, lads? 

Blur – Parklife / Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

Blur

Nothing terribly new about these two releases, as they don’t feature any bonus material. 

However, they’re collectors’ items as picture discs. 

Blur’s seminal 1994 album turns 30 this year, and RSD is celebrating with a special, limited edition zoetrope picture disc pressing. 

As for 1977’s ‘Rumours’, one of the greatest albums ever released, the LP gets a first-time picture disc release. 

Not essential gets, but fans take note.

David Bowie – Waiting In The Sky (Before the Starman Came To Earth)

David Bowie

To mark what would have been David Bowie ’s 77th birthday, a new vinyl LP from David Bowie is being released for Record Store Day this year. ‘Waiting In The Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth)’ is a collection of early recordings from Trident Studios in 1971, which were created for the then-provisional track listing of what would become ‘The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars’ album. 

Essentially, this is the album that 1972 LP could have been – a unique insight into the blueprint to a classic, with four songs that didn’t make the final album, including fan favourites ‘Velvet Goldmine’ and ‘Holy Holy’.

Talking Heads – Live at WCOZ 77

Talking Heads

Another iconic performance on vinyl for the first time… 

Originally recorded in 1977, parts of this performance were originally released as a part of ‘The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads’. This pressing has their performance for WCOZ in full as a double LP pressing. Featuring fourteen tracks (seven are previously unheard from the original two-track tapes) the recording includes ‘Psycho Killer’, ‘Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town’, and unreleased takes of songs such as ‘Thank You For Sending Me An Angel’ and ‘The Good Thing’. 

Yes please.

At The Drive-In – In / Casino / Out

At The Drive In

This one has been out of print for ages, and features tracks like ‘Alpha Centauri’, ‘Napoleon Solo’ and ‘A Devil Among The Tailors’ – all favourites for fans of the now disbanded post-hardcore outfit from Texas. 

This second album, released in 1998, may not have enjoyed the same commercial and critical success as their magnum opus ‘Relationship of Command’ two years later, but it’s an energetic punk ride that’ll bash your eardrums into submission and melt your face. 

So, a good time.

Cannonball Adderley – Burnin’ In Bordeaux: Live in France 1969

Cannonball Adderley

This year marks the first official release of ‘Burnin’ In Bordeaux: Live In France 1969′, which captures legendary saxophonist Cannonball Adderley at his best. 

And that’s saying plenty. 

Transferred from the original tape reels recorded by the ORTF and housed in the INA (Institut national de l’audiovisuel) archives, this limited-edition 2 LP set is a must-buy.

We can’t wait to indulge. 

Fools Garden – Lemon Tree

Fools Garden

The German band’s biggest hit is out with this limited-edition RSD release, which coincides with Fools Garden’s 33rd anniversary in 2024. 

Best of all, the vinyl is shaped like a lemon and includes four audio tracks: ‘Lemon Tree’ (naturally), ‘Probably’, ‘Suzy’, and ‘Outta Love’. 

Good luck getting your hands on this one though – there are only 900 copies out there. 

When life doesn’t give you lemon-shaped vinyls… 420 it is. 

Jessie Ware – Tough Love (10th anniversary rerelease)

Jessie Ware

Two years ago for RSD, we got the 10th anniversary deluxe version of Jessie Ware’s debut album ‘Devotion’. This year, we get the same treatment for her second album, the fantastic ‘Tough Love’ – which turns 10 in 2024. 

Pressed on solid white 140-gram vinyl, this will feature the original album (with singles ‘Tough Love’, ‘Say You Love Me’, ‘You & I (Forever)’ and ‘Champagne Kisses’) plus some bonus tracks – including mixes from Cyril Hahn, Shift K3Y, Alex Adair, and TCTS – as well as the song ‘Meet Me In The Middle’, from the soundtrack to 50 Shades Of Grey. It was the best part of the film, so embrace it.

Jeff Buckley & Gary Lucas – Songs To No One 1991-1992

Jeff Buckley & Gary Lucas

This is the first time the album has been available on vinyl in more than twenty years – and the first time it will be available on colored vinyl. 

‘Songs To No One’ captures Jeff Buckley at the very beginning of his short career, accompanied by his original writing partner Gary Lucas. The songs are from studio sessions, home tapes and intimate performances, and they form an indispensable archive that charts Buckley’s progression towards his debut (and final) studio album, 1994’s ‘Grace’ – which turns 30 in August 2024.

Expect that one to show up in our Album anniversary series… 

Pharoah Sanders – Harvest Time / Love Will Find A Way

Pharoah Sanders

Luaka Bop share limited edition Japanese radio edits of ‘Harvest Time’ and ‘Love Will Find A Way’ on this limited edition 7″, released as an accompaniment to the label’s recent reissue of Sanders’ 1977 album ‘Pharoah’. 

Purely for the striking Japanese artwork and the image of Sanders looking mildly paranoid, this will be a must-have for Sanders completists.

And we here at Euronews Culture are Sanders completists. 

Mavis Staples – Have A Little Faith

Mavis Staples

The 84-year-old soul and civil-rights icon may have had a career rejuvenation in the eyes of a whole new generations of fans through her collaborations with Run The Jewels and Justin Vernon, but it all began with ‘Have A Little Faith’, her proper career relaunch in 2004. 

The album was released after a hiatus of roughly eight years. She financed it from her savings, as she was turned down by a dozen labels before Alligator expressed interest. Turning 20 this year, it’s an album you’ll want to revisit time and time again, and an RSD’24 essential.

Lost In Translation – Deluxe Edition

Lost in Translation

Chances are you probably already own a copy of this stellar soundtrack, which has previously been released during RSD. However, the soundtrack to Sofia Coppola’s film gets a deluxe edition this year, which includes a bonus LP curated by original supervisor Brian Reitzell, featuring additional tracks included in the film (but not on the original soundtrack) from Peaches, The Chemical Brothers, as well as the karaoke tracks from the film – including ‘God Save The Queen’, ‘Brass In Pocket’ and ‘Nobody Does It Better’.

Maybe not one to splash out on if you already have the original LP, but on the off chance you don’t, reach for your wallets.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Piñata (10th Anniversary rerelease)

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

A modern hip-hop classic celebrates a decade… 

‘Piñata’ is the first collaborative studio album by American rapper Freddie Gibbs and record producer Madlib, and it’s… well, it’s great. 

Plus, artist Jeff Jank returns to his iconic cover with faux-Zebra hide. 

And we don’t know about you, but any vinyl is made instantaneously better by a furry sleeve.

(The Furry Sleeves – great punk band name that, don’t you think?)

Paramore – Re: This Is Why

Paramore

After the career boosting success of ‘This Is Why’ (one of our favourite albums of 2023), Paramore released a remix album titled ‘Re: This Is Why’. 

Never-before released on a physical format, the album features Bartees Strange, Wet Leg, Foals, Romy, The Linda Lindas and DOMi & JD Beck. 

You may already own the album, but who doesn’t want to hear ‘The News’ retooled by The Linda Lindas, ‘C’est Comme Ca’ courtesy of Wet Leg and Julien Baker’s take on ‘Thick Skull’? We certainly do. 

There we have it. Enjoy your RSD & 420 – and take it easy on the devil’s cabbage.

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