Us here at The 405 love our records. Why else would we be here? We also love independent record stores and choc ices, and while we can’t marry all three, we can do our best to wed the first two and participate in this year’s Record Store Day by giving you some of our picks and, more importantly, giving you a full list of all the UK RSD 2011 releases! Read on to find my personal picks and download our printable form so you can form your shopping list! Please tell us your most wanted below and if we’ve missed anything or made any mistakes, please let us know and we’ll amend ASAP! Download our FULL PRINTABLE UK LIST for 2011 here or here!
The Wake - Box Set I was first introduced to Glasgow’s The Wake when someone referenced them in a review of The Minks’ debut 7” ‘Funeral Song’. When I found out later on that their 1982 classic “On Our Honeymoon” was getting reissued by none other than Minks’ label Captured Tracks I was overjoyed – their treatment of all the DIY post punky stuff that they’d put out so far (see: Crystal Stilts) had been fantastic. And now to find out that they’re rereleasing the two rarest of The Wake’s singles (pre Factory Records’ “On Our Honeymoon” and post Factory Records single “Crush The Flowers” on the illustrious Sarah Records) along with covers by Captured Tracks alumni Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing has me over the moon. Essential purchase for anyone interested in anything lo-fi.
Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar EP (7” EP) The Rolling stones really don’t need any introduction, nor does the song Brown Sugar, which, as you all know, is one of the greatest songs of all time. Rereleased in the now rare picture sleave, this is a good chance to get hold of a recording that, while not being scarce, is now difficult to find in a good condition.
Beach Boys - Good Vibrations (2x10”) Limited to 500 78rpm repressing of the original track (plus alternate versions!) this is going to be one hell of a fanatics dream, as well as a piece of interest. Beg borrow or steal an old 78” player for this, it’s going to be worth it!
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (12" Single) Fleet Foxes are back! And as harmonising and wonderful as ever! After a brief break, in which we learned just how much J Tillman misses the Fleet Foxes when he goes solo (sorry fans, that record just don’t cut it for me), Fleet Foxes return to take their crown as the best modern folk band. Helplessness Blues, first single off of their new album, is released on a ltd. pressing for record store day, and it’s one that you’re gonna want for summer...
Gold Panda - Marriage (with remixes) (12” remix EP) For the last single here, I’ve chosen everyone’s favourite misanthropic bamboo eater, Gold Panda. Marriage is possibly one of the best tracks off of an album full of killers, and here it’s given the remix treatment by fellow 405 Favourite Baths, as well as Forest Swords, Halls and Star Slinger. Because we can’t decide whether we love Baths or Gold Panda more, here’s both of them together.
The Black Angels - Another Nice Pair (LP) Everyone’s favourite modern garage-psyche revival band have kindly rereleased some of their finest material for us on record store day. Not only will you find Another Nice Pair on delicious red vinyl, they’ve also included download codes for some of their old and rare EPs and, because they’re so lovely, they’re including 100 signed inserts into random copies. Bonus. Also look out for Phosgene Nightmare, out on 10” white vinyl. Aren’t these chaps great?
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX - We’re New Here (LP Box Set) This remix album’s been a bit divisive and I can understand why. No, there isn’t the soul and the passion and the beauty that was in Scott-Heron’s original, but in place of it is some brilliant tunes and lines that sounds akin to the new dubstep era. It’s not post dubstep or anything like that, but the mood is the same and the two sound interlinked. It’s not the original, but does that matter? Half the people that listened to this and instantly derided it are the people heralding Fantastic Mr Fox, Blake, Mount Kimbie etc. as the future of music for chopping up and playing with hundreds of vocal tracks that are unimportant. The end results all sound great, and that’s what matters. Rant over, this box set seems a bit somewhat indulgent for an album of remixes, but it should be good fun to listen to. Proper loud cuts of this are a must. Scott Heron also has an unreleased track coming out on 7” (“It’s Your World”) that you should all look out for as well...
Panda Bear - Tomboy (LP + T-Shirt bundle) Ok, so you can stream this now, so it’s not exactly big that you can buy it a bit early. But the vinyl is clear and exclusive and you get a top with it as well, so you no longer have to choose between records and clothes.
Primal Scream - Screamadelica (2xLP AND repress of rare EP!) Screamadelica. One of the finest points of the nineties, which retrospectively was useful because the nineties was pretty low on them. God knows it’s gone through a lot of repressing, special editions and features in magazines, so maybe this isn’t all that necessary, but the real draw is the EP that comes with it – the scarce Dixie Narco EP which hasn’t seen wax for about 20 years now.
V/A – Mute Votworts - (LP + CD) Unreleased track compilations can mean one of two things – the label is failing and needs more cash so they’ll flog you any old demo, or it can mean there’s a bundle of lost vault classics that might’ve not made the cut for albums, but are all polished and shiny and waiting to be adored. Luckily this is Mute putting this out, so we know we’re in for some real fucking quality. In this you’ll find unreleased tracks from Grinderman, Liars and Yeasayer along with many, many other good’ns. And possibly most droolworthy of all – an unreleased Can track from 1970! That’s right ladies and gents. Unreleased Can. From the era that they were amazing rather than less than amazing but still awesome. Words fail me. I need this now. (obviously can’t link you to an unreleased track, so here’s Spoon by Can for your aural amusement.)
BONUS! Because we’re so nice, here’s one last pick that should prove to be amazing. Lightnin’ Rod/Jimi Hendrix - Doriella Du Fontaine (7” Single) You know that bloke who did Purple Haze? Yeah, that one, Hendrix or whatever. Well, it turns out he worked with a poet in the late 60’s/early 70’s and accidentally invented rap. Who knew?