By: Matthew Fox

April 16 is only two days away, which means music fans of all shapes and sizes are only two days away from joining hands, singing merrily, and skipping to their nearest record store. Upon reaching their destination, new release upon new release will be at their fingertips, and such a selection is bound to put even the strongest of us into shock. One slight downside to this day is that many of the new releases are confined to vinyl, since the holiday (it’s a holiday to me) is directed towards vinyl-collectors. Although I personally do not collect vinyl, there are still many CD releases I am pumped about. I’ll elaborate on a few.

Busdriver – ATM
For those of you who do not know, Busdriver is a hip-hop artist whose raps are as fast as they are quirky and intelligent. It’s been over two years since he has graced us with new material, and Record Store Day has given us a breath of fresh air! ATM may be released only on vinyl, but the reason I’m excited for it is what it alludes to. The two tracks on the 45 are brand new songs, and hints towards a new album coming out in the near future. I was a fan of Busdriver’s past album, Jhelli Beam, and am interested to see what he has up his sleeve next.

Of Montreal – The Past is a Grotesque Animal
For those of you who know me, you know that I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with this group. That being said, I could not be happier to see this track being re-released on Saturday. Of Montreal recently let out an EP, thecontrollersphere, which marked the end of Kevin Barnes’ (the singer) concept alter ego, Georgie Fruit. So what better way to revisit Georgie’s birth than to re-release the track that marked his beginning?! This track was the halfway mark on Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, and signified the start of the concept character. The release has the original track and a new version that was created for a Spike Jonze short film entitled “I’m Here.”

Omar Rodriguez Lopez – Telesterion
The guitarist of The Mars Volta’s solo work can be summed up in one word: bizarre. This is not to say that it’s a bad bizarre, but if you’re not into 10 minute jazz-fusion-experimental-psychedelic-rhinoceros-jam band-sometimes incoherent guitar soloing, you should probably steer clear. Every so often I get in the mood to listen to his solo stuff, and am excited to hear what he’s been working on recently. Before you run out and pick this one up, remember this: just because you’re a fan of The Mars Volta, do not assume you’ll equally enjoy Omar’s solo albums. I’m not trying to be disheartening, just disclaiming.

There are plenty of groups I didn’t mention that I am equally excited for, from Sonic Youth to The Flaming Lips to Mastodon. If you are curious about what releases are going to be near you, feel free to check out the official Record Store Day website, and make sure to go early. Most of the released are in limited numbers, so camp out, spend irresponsibly, and enjoy!

http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home

Matthew Fox lives in Nashville, TN. He drives a Jeep, frequently looks up cute pictures of animals online, and once won $15 off a lottery ticket. An archive of his blog posts can be found at foxtalks.wordpress.com.