For the third year, independent record stores across the country are celebrating Record Store Day (recordstoreday.com). On Saturday, April 18, more than 700 stores, including more than a dozen in Northeast Ohio, will offer piles of exclusive, limited-edition music and merchandise and in-store appaearances by musicians.
Square Records (824 W. Market St., Highland Square, Akron, 330.375.9244) is selling $20 mystery bags of posters, music and T-shirts. The store is concentrating on 7-inch records, including a Black Keys/Flaming Lips split, Pavement and Guided by Voices. Low in the Sky's Joe Minadeo will play improvised electronic-acoustic sets at 2 and 6 p.m. Chill indie band Dinomania will play at 8 p.m.
Record Den (7661 Mentor Ave Mentor, 440.946.9909) has ordered 4,000 assorted pieces, including the new Slayer single "Psychopathy Red." Only 5,000 copies of the blood-red vinyl 45 were made worldwide. The Pretenders' "Break Up the Pavement" single will also be available on red vinyl, with an unreleased track.
Beginning at 5:30 p.m., Music Saves (15801 Waterloo Rd., 216.481.1875) and the awesome new vinyl-oriented Blue Arrow Records (16001 Waterloo Rd., 216.486.2415) will host live music indoors and outside, with Brian Straw, Prisoners, HotChaCha and the Very Knees.
Celebrating its 14th anniversary, Ultrasound (36495 Vine St., Willoughby, 440.975.9570) will have a Jesus Lizard 7-inch box set, Guided by Voices' Hold on Hope (on vinyl for the first time) and EPs from Death Cab for Cutie, MC5 and the Stooges.
"[Record Store Day] reminds people there are independents in any business that need to survive," says Record Den owner Gary Beaumont, "or there are one or two businesses that will control everything."
Learn more about specials and limited-edition music at C-Notes, Scene's music blog, at clevescene.com.
European dubstep DJ Stenchmen hosts Sub:merged, Jason Burns' new monthly dubstep party at the Euclid Tavern (11629 Euclid Ave., 216.229.7788) on Saturday, April 18. At last month's inaugural event, a loud, diverse crowd did a lot of sweaty dancing.
Injektion XL has released a free, metal-flavored mixtape, Extended Family Vol. 2, at injektionXL.com. The underground rockin' rap group plays Peabody's (2045 E. 21st St.) on Saturday, April 18.
Drummer Joe Vitale (the Eagles, Joe Walsh) will speak at the Rock Hall and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Fourth Floor Theater at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 15. Admission is free; e-mail [email protected] or call 216.515.8426.
Even though their eponymous group split amicably last year, Johnny La Rock and Mush Mouth return to action together with separate projects on Wednesday, April 22, at the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124). La Rock will perform with his new electronic/post-hip-hop group Presque Vu; Mush Mouth will play a solo set.
