Not every shop is on board. Josh Harkavy, owner of Red Onion Books & Records, thinks the whole thing is kind of ridiculous. “Most of the releases are pretty silly,” he says. And the event itself, he says, “seems kind of exploitative.” (His shop is not participating; neither is his 18th Street NW neighbor Smash Records.)

But Record Store Day still stuffs customers into the aisles. Crooked Beat ordered most of the official releases, and is expecting big demand as usual. Both CD Cellar locations, too, ordered most of the slate, and Dupont’s Melody Records will have “everything that is available” to them. Som Records ordered a chunk, but skewed toward releases that shopowner Neal Becton personally favors. Meanwhile, Joe’s Record Paradise is throwing a party: ’60s psych act Fallen Angels is scheduled to perform, and local TV and radio personality of yore Barry Richards will be in the house signing copies of his new DVD/CD, Barry Richards TV Collection Volume 1. But while Record Store Day can get batty, don’t treat it like a Black Friday free-for-all. Customers blatantly scheming for eBay fodder—only one copy per person!—might leave empty-handed. Remember: It’s the holiday season. Be nice. And carry that spirit with you year ’round. “Every day should be Record Store Day,” says Harkavy. “Like how every day is Mother’s Day. You should always love your record stores.”

Crooked Beat Records is open noon to 9 p.m. at 2116 18th St. NW. (202) 483-2328. CD Cellar Arlington is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 2607 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. (703) 248-0635. CD Cellar Falls Church is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 709-B West Broad St., Falls Church. (703) 534-6318. Melody Record Shop is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 1623 Connecticut Ave. NW. (202) 232-4002. Joe’s Record Paradise is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 8216 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. (301) 585-3269. For more information, visit recordstoreday.com.

Photo by Flickr user Orin Zebest used under a Creative Commons license.

The most notable is Sockets Records' Bluebrain, who will be releasing a vinyl-only—and D.C.-only—7-inch with two sides. We've described the A-side, "The Pull," and B-side, "The Push," as, respectively "smooth but anxious" and ranging "from glitchy to lounge-like to totally Tron-appropriate." But there's an unexpected C-side, which is revealed only when the A- and B-sides are played simultaneously; the package is quite fitting for the cerebral fraternal duo.

Also available from Sockets will be a tape of children's songs from Edie Sedgwick, which we described as a "split between catchy, repetitive tracks like 'Boom Boom Baby' and an ethereal, somnambulant B-side designed to put a child to sleep."

Travis Jackson of Windian Records also sends word that "the Windian Caravan will be parked on 18th Street NW. We will have all of our singles and other swag," while Fan Death Records notes "If it makes any difference, the new Screen Vinyl Image 7-inch just came out in time for Record Store Day."

As for local record stores themselves, here's a rundown of what some will be doing to partake in the festivities (the full listing also appeared in this week's dead tree edition of Washington City Paper):

• Crooked Beat: Though the store won’t have the much-coveted Big Star release, it’ll have more than 200 other exclusive titles available—in addition to grab bags filled with promotional materials for the first 75 customers in line (five of ‘em will have a $25 gift certificate). Noon to 10 p.m. 2116 18th St. NW.
• Smash: Special releases like the Bad Brains 7-inch will be in stock, and Pabst Brewing Co. will be providing beer and swag. Says a Smash employee: “There will be a party atmosphere.” 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 2314 18th St. NW No. 2
• Som: To help man the crowd in the tiny 14th Street basement, not one but two Som employees will be on hand. Noon to 9 p.m. 1843 14th St. NW.
• Red Onion: At press time, Red Onion’s plans were still in flux, but there should be “snacks and treats for the kids,” says owner Josh Harkavy. Noon to 8 p.m. 1901-B 18th St. NW.
• Melody: The store is “definitely participating” and will be open regular hours. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 1623 Connecticut Ave. NW.

For more coverage of the rabid vinyl collector's favorite day, see the ever-enthusiastic Vinyl District. And, Click Track reports, a map of local stores created by graphic designer and Crooked Beat employee Holly Tegeler is available—should you get lost somewhere between 14th and 18th streets NW looking for that elusive Bad Brains 7-inch.

In City Lights: A guide to Record Store Day, a seriously murderous tire, Capital Fringe's Wattage, William Cepeda on film, Bread and Puppet Theater, and Meghan O'Rourke's grief memoir.

For vinyl enthusiasts, Record Store Day might as well be Christmas. Sure, there's no jolly fat man in velvet slinging gifts, but there will be exclusive records of all shapes, sizes and varieties. So set those alarms, wake up at the crack of dawn, and get ready to spend money you don't have at one of D.C.'s handful of music peddlers. Record Store Day is coming.

To get an idea of what to expect tomorrow, head over to the Vinyl District or Record Store Day's official Web site. Otherwise, we've got the rundown of D.C. record stores after the jump.

Red Onion Records and Books:

Red Onion will open at noon this Saturday.

"I've also got some people who might be playing outside. Possibly Olivia Mancini and a band called Family Portrait," Josh Harkavy, owner of Red Onion, said Thursday.

Despite getting "shorted" on some fan favorites, such at The Hold Steady or the Sex Pistols, Harkavy says he still has a ton of merchandise from Matador, Sub Pop, and XL, among other labels.

Red Onion has limited numbers of RODRIGUEZ "Inner City Blues" b/w "I'm Gonna Live Til I Die" 7", PETER GABRIEL/BON IVER "Come Talk to Me" and "Flume" Split 7", AGAINST ME! "I Was a Teenage Anarchist" 7", TED LEO "The Oldest House" and "North Coast" 7", NEIL YOUNG "Heart of Gold" 7", SURFER BLOOD/HOLIDAY SHORES "Take It Easy" (live) and "Your Motion Says" Split 7", BUILT TO SPILL "Water Sleepers" and "Linus & Lucy" (live) 7", FUCKED UP "Daytrotter Sessions" 7", CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG "Heaven Can Wait" and "IRM" 7", JOHN LENNON 7" box set, FELA KUTI Live 10", BEASTIE BOYS 12", PHOENIX "Fences" 12", BEACH HOUSE Zebra 12", JIMI HENDRIX Live @ Clark University 12", THE FLAMING LIPS Dark Side of the Moon cover, THE RAMONES Mania 12" set, JOE STRUMMER AND THE MESCALEROS Global A Go-Go and Streetcore 12"s, REM Chronic Town 12", SONIC YOUTH 12"s (Confusion is Sex, EVOL, and Hits are for Squares), MGMT Siberian Breaks 12", TV ON THE RADIO Dear Science re-release, and MODEST MOUSE The Moon and Antarctica re-release.

Red Onion will also have tiny, tiny supplies of SUPERCHUNK "Misfits and Mistakes" autographed 7" (2 available), OF MONTREAL 7" (2 available) JAPANDROIDS Posting Nothing in white vinyl (3 available), and ROKY ERICSSON/OKKERVIL RIVER True Love Cast Out All Evil advance LP (4 available).

Crooked Beat:

Crooked Beat will open at 11 a.m. this Saturday. For a detailed rundown of their plan for Record Store Day, check out their website.

The first 75 customers in the store will get grab bags filled with CDs, stickers, buttons, vintage 7"s, posters, key chains, and other goodies. Plus, five extra-lucky customers out of the 75 will find $20 gift certificates in their bags.

Crooked Beat will sell THE ROLLING STONES "Plundered My Soul" and "All Down the Line" 7", MUSE "Exogenesis: Symphony (parts 1-3)"/"Uprising" (live)/"Resistance" (live) 7", PETER GABRIEL/STEPHEN MARRITT "The Book of Love" b/w "Not One of Us" spilt 7", QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE Feel Good Hit of the Summer 10", BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN "Wrecking Ball" (live) b/w "Ghost of Tom Joad" (live) 10", ARTHUR RUSSELL Calling Out of Context double 12" set, PAVEMENT Quarantine the Past 12", BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW Eating Us LP, MAGNETIC FIELDS 69 Love Songs box set, and NADA SURF If I Has a Hi-Fi CD. But, eBay vultures, be warned: Crooked Beat is enforcing a "one copy per title per customer" rule for Record Store Day.

(Among other products, Crooked Beat will also have the FLAMING LIPS, SONIC YOUTH, JOE STRUMMER AND THE MESCALEROS, JIMI HENDRIX, PETER GABRIEL/BON IVER, MGMT, OF MONTREAL, and RAMONES listed throughout this post.)

Smash! Records:

Smash! will open at 11 a.m. As of Friday afternoon, Smash! had not gotten its merchandise for Record Store Day.

"We're supposed to get them some time today," Daisy Lacy, co-owner of the store, said Friday. "[The record companies are] waiting until the last minute, I guess to keep people in the dark. You know, build the excitement."

(Lacy expects the store's orders to arrive sometime this evening.)

This Saturday also marks Smash! Records's three year anniversary in its Adams Morgan location. To celebrate, Lucy plans to offer refreshments for all customers.

Surprisingly, Smash! has never dove into the insanity behind Record Store Day before this year—in the past, the store didn't order any of the exclusive products sold on Record Store Day.

"We actually didn't order any of the special stuff before," Lucy said. "If the whole idea [behind Record Store Day] is to keep record stores alive and it brings more people in the door, then it's probably all right."

Melody Records:

Melody Records will open at 10 a.m. Heather Horne, an indie buyer who has worked at the store for more than six years, thinks that this year's Record Store Day is going to be huge.

"This year seems a lot bigger," Horne said Thursday. "There's a lot more releases because the record companies are getting behind it more. They can actually make money, so they're actually going to support it."

Horne also suggests that customers arrive early to grab the Melody's exclusive Record Store Day stock.

"There are limited numbers of everything ... I would definitely say it's modest," Horne said Thursday.

Melody Records will sell THE DOORS "People are Strange" and "The Crystal Ship" 7", THEM CROOKED CULTURES "Mind Eraser" and "Hwy 1" (live) 10", BLACK KEYS "Tighten Up" and "Howlin' for You" 10", TOM WAITS Mule Variations 12", MONSTERS OF FOLK self-titled 12", NEKO CASE Middle Cyclone 12", JOSH RITTER So Runs the World Away LP, JEFF BECK Emotion & Commotion 12", ANI DIFRANCO Live @ Bull Moose CD, and MOUNTAIN GOATS Life of the World to Come DVD.

(Among other products, Melody Records will also have the SPRINGSTEEN, MODEST MOUSE, SONIC YOUTH, ROLLING STONES, and AGAINST ME! listed throughout this post.)

Som Records:

Som Records will open at noon. Owner Neil Beckton promises a 10% sale on all used records throughout the day, as well as an in-store performance by Lightfoot at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, Som will have GODSMACK "Crying like a Bitch" b/w "Whiskey Hangover" 7", YEAH YEAH YEAHS "Skeletons" 7", GOGOL BORDELLO "We Comin Rougher" and "Trans Continental Hustle" 7", COHEED AND CAMBRIA "Guns of Summer" b/w "Pearl of the Stars" 7" , DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS "Your Woman is a Living Thing" and "Just Maybe" 7", ELVIS COSTELLO Live at Hollywood High 7" EP, JOHN FAHEY The Yellow Princess 12", and JOY DIVISION 12" box set.

(Among other products, Som Records will also have the PHOENIX, NEIL YOUNG, SPRINGSTEEN, ROLLING STONES, RODRIGUEZ, JIMI HENDRIX, and BLACK KEYS listed throughout this post.)

Parties and Concerts:

• Starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Olivia Mancini, Paul Michel, Tone, and New Rock Church of Fire will perform at St. Stephen's Church to raise money for the much-loved Fort Reno summer concert series. Tickets are $10 for all ages, but anybody who presents a receipt from a D.C. area record store—dated April 17, of course—only has to pay $5. (Presented by The Vinyl District and Fort Reno.)
• Kicks! and The Vinyl District will host the official post-Record Store Day party at the Black Cat from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. The event will feature DJs Sara and Kim—veterans of Kicks! monthly dance parties—as well as John Davis of Title Tracks.

Later this week, we'll have your comprehensive guide to what you can buy on Record Store Day and where. As far as I can tell, there isn't a lot of D.C.-related music to buy that day—Exit Clov has an exclusive 7-inch; Crooked Beat will be giving away some local stuff, if you get there early. And then there's this, the DVD release of the documentary I Need That Record! The Death (or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store. Appearing in the film (and in the trailer above) is Ian MacKaye, who drops this knowledge bomb: "There may well be people who work in the record industry who like music, and they might even care about music. But I can assure you, the people who own the labels, all they care about is money." Hence, your local record store is fucked.

Or not! Record Store Day is all about showing love for your favorite mom-and-pop ops. So the DVD's timing —the film has been making the film-fest rounds since '08, and it'll see a wider DVD release in July—is perfect.

So it's a bummer that for Record Store Day on April 17, some of D.C.'s indie labels have no plans for exclusive releases—although their reasons are fairly understandable. As far as I can tell, most D.C. bands are also opting out, even though nine shops in the city are participating, according to the event's Web site. (Then again, this brings up a question we've already pondered this month: Can we still consider Ted Leo a D.C. artist? Either way, the 7-inch he's dropping looks pretty cool.)

This brings me to the erudite D.C. indie-pop band Exit Clov, which recently dropped the album Memento Mori, and which has an excellently curated covers 7-inch planned for Record Store Day. To wit, the tracklist:

1. "Sing Your Life" (Morrissey)
2. "Steppin' Razor" (Peter Tosh)
3. "The KKK Took My Baby Away" (The Ramones)
4. "Mongoloid" (Devo)

In an e-mail, Exit Clov member Susan Hsu (who, by the way, used to work at Washington City Paper) writes that the Cover Boy EP will be available at Crooked Beat and Som Records, and hopefully elsewhere, too. The EP's first track is a pretty, lush, and somewhat loungelike foil to Morrissey's abrasive, stop-bitching-and-start-a-band original: What sounds like a taunt from the Moz's mouth is sweet encouragement coming from Hsu and her twin sister, Emily.

DOWNLOAD: Exit Clov – Sing Your Life (Morrissey cover)

Not much, at least from the ones I've contacted. The annual event, in which geeks like me flood independent record stores across the country to pick up exclusive releases, takes place on April 17 this year. And some of the more notable indie labels, like Sub Pop and 4AD, have begun announcing what limited-press releases they'll be dropping to send some cash in the direction of those endangered retail beasts. (If you want that exclusive Beach House record, there's a good chance some local stores will have it. Just line up early.)

But some of the more notable D.C.-based labels say that while they appreciate what Record Store Day does, at least this year they won't doing anything big for it.

"We've tossed around ideas in the past and come up with vinyl discounts and the like for our direct stores but that's about it," writes Dischord's Alec Bourgeois in an e-mail. "Generally speaking we like things that help put the spotlight on independent shops. The more people talk about record stores in the present tense the better. On the other hand we don't usually get officially involved with 'sponsored' events and we don't like to toss out 'limited edition' things. So—in reality I guess we kind of straddle the issue."

Todd Hyman, who runs Paw Tracks, Carpark, and Acute Records from D.C., says the labels don't have anything planned for this year's Record Store Day—and wonders if record stores are altogether doomed, anyway.  "Record Store Day is a little too late in the game in my opinion," he writes in an e-mail. "But happy to help if I can."

Others are more enthusiastic: The Vinyl District blog, an official sponsor of the vent, has been counting down to Record Store Day for several weeks.

Good morning! I consumed a lot of soup and chili and beer last night and am paying for it today!

So: that half-time show. Very boring; Townshend and Daltrey looked and sounded old; pretty lights; blah blah, yes we all agree. More importantly! With the Who, the Super Bowl now seems to have run out of A-list nostalgia acts to rock its halftime show, unless it can convince, like, Pink Floyd or Bob Dylan or Led Zep to play next year. Barring those very unlikely possibilities, and since the Super Bowl won't book acts not on Medicare following the Janet Jackson incident, I have a few suggestions from the dad-rock B-list:

• Electric Light Orchestra: "Don't Bring Me Down" played during an ad last night, and I've been hearing the group more and more on classic-rock stations. Increasingly, it feels like Jeff Lynne's synthetic, symphonic outfit is being revised into a Great Seventies Band, as opposed to a stock one. Ideal setlist: "Mr. Blue Sky," "Sweet Talkin' Woman," "Boy Blue," "Don't Bring Me Down," "Telephone Line," "Evil Woman," with accompaniment by the New York Philharmonic and 39 NASA scientists.
• Styx: On the condition that the group produces a full staging of Killroy Was Here.
• Guns N' Roses, current lineup: Just be prepared to reschedule the Super Bowl three, four, or five times while enduring promises that it will be the Super Bowl's greatest statement ever.
• But whatever you do: Don't book Bon Jovi. We're begging you.

Related: On the music of last night's Super Bowl; if great filmmakers directed the Super Bowl.

- Former Black Eyes member Hugh McElroy's Ruffian Records posts a lengthy update. In the label's pipeline: The long-brewing Sockets Records/Ruffian compilation; Twitter and Facebook pages that it doesn't link to; more free downloads; "secret plans"; and McElroy's new band, Cephalapods, will make its live debut on March 26 at Velvet Lounge.

- Snowmaggedon or snowpocalyspe? Gawker explores.

- The Vinyl District is already counting down to Record Store Day, set for April 19.

Have a great day!

Tomorrow is Record Store Day. Get pumped. Here's a good idea of what the local stores will be carrying:

PAVEMENT: LIVE IN GERMANY LP SONIC YOUTH/JAY REATARD SPLIT 7 SONIC YOUTH/BECK SPLIT 7" ARTHUR RUSSELL: LOVE IS OVERTAKING ME 2LP CAMERA OBSCURA: FRENCH NAVY 7" ELVIS PERKINS: LORRAINE, LOOKOUT 7" BLACK KIDS: WIZARD OF AHHS 10" BOB DYLAN: DREAMING FROM YOU 7" BRANDI CARLILE: DOWNPOUR 7" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: WHAT LOVE CAN DO 7" DEPECHE MODE: WRONG 7" JANES ADDICTION: MOUNTAIN SONG 7" JENNY LEWIS & ELVIS COSTELLO 7" JESUS LIZARD: INCH 7" SINGLE BOX SET LEONARD COHEN 7" MC5: 7" MY MORNING JACKET: LIVE 10" NEW ORDER: TEMPTATION 7" SLAYER: PSYCHOPATHY RED 7" SUBLIME: SUPERSTAR PUNANI 7" SMITHS 7" STOOGES 7" VARIOUS ARTISTS: THIS LP CRASHES HARD DRIVES WILCO: ASHES OF AMERICAN FLAGS DVD WHISKEYTOWN 7" YEAH YEAH YEAHS: IT'S BLITZ LP GUIDED BY VOICE: HOLD ON HOPE 10" BEN HARPER: SHIMMER & SHINE 10"

The Vinyl District has been partnering with the Industry on this one. We're just riding shotgun. Here's a breakdown of what some of the local stores are doing (we will be adding to this list throughout the day):

Crooked Beat:

They will be opening at noon on Saturday. "We'll have them behind the counter, all on display on the walls. I'm unpacking the Jesus Lizard. It's unbelievable. Eight seven-inches," says owner Bill Daly earlier this week. He adds that he has 25 Flaming Lips/Black Lips seven-inches.

Crooked Beat will also have the Sonic Youth/Beck split seven-inch, the Pavement Live LP, and Arthur Russell's Love is Overtaking Me LP. Etc!

For the first 75 customers, the store will also be giving away goodie bags filled with tons of indie label samplers (Merge, etc.), stickers, posters, buttons, etc. In three of these bags, the store has placed $25 gift certificates.

"We're getting calls, several a day now," Daly says. People are mostly calling about the Sonic Youth-Jay Reatard split, the Smiths, the Stooges and MC5 reissue singles.

"It's kind of nuts. Last year was our busiest day of the year—there was only about nine releases. And this year, it's over 60," Daly says. "Ryko said they were sending stuff I don't know about. Grizzly Bear seven-inches are being included."

Daly says to expect a huge early crowd. "We are getting phone calls from people who are saying they will be lining up at 8 o'clock in the morning," he says. "Last year there was 50 people in line as soon as we opened. Everyone was pretty well behaved....I'm just telling people you got to wait in line."

Red Onion Records and Books:

The store is opening at noon. Owner Josh Harkavy says they will be having a 10-percent-off sale on everything except the Record Store Day releases. He says he's got a bunch if not the bulk of the special vinyl releases including the Matador stuff and the amazing compilation This LP Crashes Hard Drives which features tracks from Sublime Frequencies, Numero, Honest Jons, etc.

"I'm hoping it's not too crazy," Harkavy says. "I'm glad there's all this interest in Record Stores."

Som Records:

The 14th Street shop has one thing the other stores do not: Benjy Ferree. The singer-songwriter will be playing at the shop at 7 p.m. We interviewed him recently and admired his latest album. So except a few Washington City Paper employees in attendance!

The store will also be doing a 10-percent-off sale all day long. They'll have the Domino and Thrill Jockey compilations. K Records has sent them some stuff as well. Also among the stacks will be Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life on 180 gram.

Melody Records:

The store will be opening at 10 a.m. They will have the Wilco DVD. They will have a bunch of vinyl giveaways (samplers) and some limited-edition seven-inches such as Green Day and Jane's Addiction reissues.

"It's great to showcase the independent stores," says indie buyer Heather Horne. "We're obviously doing something right if we beat out Circuit City. It's going to keep getting bigger....We've gotten tons of calls. Everyone is excited."

Horne says people have already started coming in to the store thinking it's already Record Store Day. "We had a group of four or five teenagers come in earlier (today)," she says. "They were like 'What do you have for Record Store Day?' We showed them what we have but obviously we can't give away anything until tomorrow."

This Saturday, hipsters nationwide will saddle up their fixie riders and head down to their local vinyl outlet for Record Store Day. The holiday, created two years ago by a coalition of well-connected romantics (presumably while smoking a peach hookah and watching Empire Records), celebrates the culture of indie record emporia in the face of encroachment from "corporate behemoths." In order to participate, a store must be a "physical retailer whose product line consists of at least 50 percent music retail, whose company is not publicly traded and whose ownership is at least 70 percent located in the state of operation."

The event is a fine idea. It promotes community and a healthy disdain for corporate homogenization, which is what a lot of good music is about. But big-box music retailers aren't exactly going gangbusters these days. Trans-World Entertainment Corporation, the exquisitely evil-sounding conglomerate that owns Sam Goody, F.Y.E., and Strawberries, has seen its stock price fall by 92 percent in the last five years. Really, these stores and your local Championship Vinyl analog are similar inasmuch as they share a common foe: the iTunes Music Store.

Record Store Day implicitly condemns iTunes, and official event ambassador Jesse Hughes (from The Eagles of Death Metal) even goes so far as to liken buying music online to playing Guitar Hero instead of guitar. But as New York Times blogger Verlyn Klinkenborg notes in a 2008 post, iTunes, with its vast catalog of far-flung artists and user-generated reviews, is far from an indifferent, imperial merchant. Local bands can get their self-recorded album on iTunes just as easily as they can get it on the shelves of their local indie shop. Even artists are grateful for iTunes's astounding ability to lure customers away from free-download sites, which seemed destined to cripple not only indie music stores, but musicians as well. Sure, a lot of them are using Record Store Day as an excuse to put out a bunch of b-sides; but how much you wanna bet those go right to iTunes, with the bands' blessing?

Those who bemoan the decline of the indie music stores shouldn't villify iTunes. If anything, they should be thankful, on an aesthetic level, that it has driven many of the big chain stores out of business. Indie shops, meanwhile, will always be around, just like vintage clothing stores and antiques dealers. They serve a niche market, and that market is entirely justified in gathering to celebrate them. But celebrants should not be too hard on iTunes: It may be a huge corporation that wants your money; but it may let you hang on to your soul.

Be sure to check out Jason Cherkis' upcoming roundup of local Record Store Day events.