Some large names in music have particular album releases tied to right now, Document Retailer Day. We spotlight just a few – and take a hear.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Document Retailer Day is right now. How will we observe it? What sort of card do you ship? Stephen Thompson from NPR Music is right here as our information. Stephen, thanks a lot for being with us.
STEPHEN THOMPSON, BYLINE: It’s a pleasure to be right here, Scott.
SIMON: I am afraid I do not know what Document Retailer Day actually is.
THOMPSON: Nicely, Document Retailer Day began in 2008 as a means of attracting prospects again to brick-and-mortar document shops – encouraging folks to stand up off their couches, cease simply listening to music via their computer systems, go to an precise document retailer and purchase some music. And together with that, Document Retailer Day has an entire bunch of form of sponsored, unique releases.
SIMON: Nicely, what sort of music are you wanting ahead to?
THOMPSON: For me, there are a pair that stand out. , one in all my favourite bands from the ’90s, Harvey Hazard, put out a document referred to as “King James Model…”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MEN (SHOW ME THE HERO)”)
HARVEY DANGER: (Singing) I bowed earlier than the avatar. He stated, the issue’s clear to me. You by no means bought over Morrissey. Yeah. I stated, effectively, proper you’re. It is a lot tougher to be underfed than under-understood, he stated. Yeah.
THOMPSON: …Twenty-five years in the past, which makes me really feel very previous. It is a fantastic document. It did not do very effectively, and now it is getting a deluxe reissue on vinyl with bonus tracks. That is one which I will definitely be in search of. Followers of the French band Air – they’ve a basic album referred to as “Moon Safari” from 1998. It is getting a deluxe reissue with reside tracks and demos and stuff like that. And it will get extra esoteric from there. There are some actually obscure titles, a few of which I am fairly enthusiastic about.
SIMON: Is that what the day’s for – in some ways, to rejoice music that possibly has been missed?
THOMPSON: Nicely, I feel they definitely attempt to have it each methods. You’ve gotten a mixture of titles which can be fairly esoteric to convey out the music nerds, however they will additionally usually have titles by larger artists. And every year, Document Retailer Day appoints a distinct ambassador – a form of large, A-list pop, rock, hip-hop star who will launch an unique title that can convey out extra informal followers. This yr, that artist is Submit Malone. And Submit Malone is dropping an album referred to as “Submit Malone Tribute To Nirvana,” which is the first-ever vinyl urgent of a livestream Submit Malone did in the course of the pandemic, the place he carried out a bunch of Nirvana songs.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “COME AS YOU ARE”)
POST MALONE: (Singing) Come as you’re, as you have been, as I need you to be, as a good friend, as a good friend, as a identified enemy.
THOMPSON: And that is being pressed as a Document Retailer Day unique – 17,000 copies. And so followers of Submit Malone will go to their native document shops and choose that up. There’s additionally a 7-inch single of “Fortnight,” which is the tune he did with Taylor Swift. That is definitely been on vinyl for a very long time. However for collectors who need this particular urgent of it, they will solely get it by way of Document Retailer Day.
SIMON: Stephen, I need to ask you fastidiously a few responsible pleasure.
THOMPSON: (Laughter).
SIMON: Perhaps one thing you may purchase and play only for your self over some headphones so nobody can hear it.
THOMPSON: (Laughter) , now that you simply point out it, there’s a title that I am very enthusiastic about. And I really feel like solely a small handful of individuals will likely be as excited as I’m, however there’s a urgent of an album by a gaggle referred to as The Rock-afire Explosion.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “WILL YOU MARRY ME”)
THE ROCK-AFIRE EXPLOSION: (Singing) And if solely it was mine to decide on, I would by no means ever need to lose my Lucy.
THOMPSON: Scott, have you ever ever heard of the Rock-afire Explosion?
SIMON: Positive. No, by no means.
THOMPSON: (Laughter) The Rock-afire Explosion was the animatronic band that performed in ShowBiz Pizza eating places within the Eighties. Chuck E. Cheese additionally has had…
SIMON: (Laughter).
THOMPSON: …These form of animatronic, you recognize, robotic bands.
SIMON: Yeah.
THOMPSON: However ShowBiz Pizza had a gaggle referred to as The Rock-afire Explosion, and so they performed authentic compositions unique to The Rock-afire Explosion. And I will likely be searching for out an album referred to as “Authentic Desires: Songs From Showbiz” by The Rock-afire Explosion.
SIMON: This can most likely not shock you. I have been advised that my tastes, just about in the whole lot…
THOMPSON: (Laughter).
SIMON: …Are what they name primary.
THOMPSON: (Laughter) Put on it with satisfaction.
SIMON: So – effectively, I need to open up to you. What I would like to purchase and hearken to are songs from the film model of “Cats.”
THOMPSON: (Laughter). Nicely, that might convey out Taylor Swift followers, ‘trigger she is within the…
SIMON: What does she sing from “Cats”? How do I not know this?
THOMPSON: She sings an unique tune. It isn’t from the unique “Cats” manufacturing, the place the entire film grinds to much more of a halt than it had already floor to convey out Taylor Swift to carry out a tune that didn’t get nominated for an Academy Award.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BEAUTIFUL GHOSTS”)
TAYLOR SWIFT: (Singing) All that I needed was to be needed.
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