Reviving a lost culture: Record Store Day 2011

"How is it I walk into that shop looking for a Laura Marling album and walk away with a recording of jazz flute?! How?" This is not an irregular occurance when I'm at home. It's the holidays, and living in a small town with no music scene to speak of (the only live music venue closed down last year) means my thirst for finding new bands has resulted in frequent trips to the local record store.

It's a goldmine for music old and new, on both CD and vinyl, and over the last two years far too much of my student loan has gone into buying records based on nothing more than the vendor's recommendation and some cool looking cover art. (That recording of jazz flute, by the way, turned out to be well worth its £8.95). Yet sadly shops like these have become an increasing rarity on our streets. The industry has had to adapt to the digital age perhaps more so than any other business - music is now consumed as individual tracks rather than a carefully crafted album being appreciated as a whole; many prefer a simple download to buying the physical product, and as such the culture of the record store is being lost.

However, there are plans to reverse this trend. In 2007 Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Don Van Cleave and Brian Poehner founded Record Store Day, an annual event designed to revive record store culture and bring together 700 independent stores across the US. The UK followed suit in 2009, and this year will incorporate 180 stores throughout the UK in a celebration that attempts to return the industry to its roots, and help independent stores survive in an increasingly competitive market.

Hunter Smith of Jumbo Records in Leeds, one of the stores taking part in RSD, cites offshore-based internet vendors as their main competitor at the moment. "The loophole in the VAT law allows offshore companies to sell their goods at much cheaper prices, leaving independent stores struggling to keep up." Smith founded his store in 1971, and has seen the industry change a lot since then: "There are far more specialist genres, but it makes it more interesting that way - live music here is the best its been in a long time." So how does he plan to match the download market? "Our key advantage is customer service - there are fewer stores around these days meaning people are coming from further afield, and they're prepared to do so to hear our recommendations and opinions on new releases." The personal touch is the heart an soul of the business - I went into my local store a couple of days after I got home and was greeted with "Lucie! You're back! How's York? How's the flat? Have you heard the new Panda Bear album?". I had. I bought it. And four others...

But RSD isn't just about keeping independent stores in business - it's about showing how vital they are to the industry, too. "In terms of breaking new bands into the industry," says Smith, "local records stores are really important." In honour of the event, 252 artists and bands are releasing exclusive special edition tracks, including ones from Radiohead, Lady Gaga, Arctic Monkeys, Foals, Villagers and Wild Beasts. Many of the stores taking part will be holding special events to promote the day - what will Jumbo Records be doing? "There will five live acts playing, including Ellen and the Escapades and Hannah Chigwell."

Record stores are far from outdated. They offer a chance to step outside your comfort zone, be challenged by new music and take a risk. I can't be the only one that still gets a geeky thrill from discovering a new band, studying the cover art and engrossing myself in the sleeve notes. Support your local record store today and I guarantee you won't be disappointed. A final word of advice - take whatever recommendations they offer you. So, has Smith got any for me? "Low!" he enthuses. Point taken. Low it is.

For a full list of participating stores, click here. In the mean time, let's all enjoy Wild Beasts' special edition release.

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