Black Friday Finds

I hope everyone made it to their local indie record store on Friday for all the great special releases.

I made it to Amoeba in Berkeley, Calif., where I picked up The Black Keys' 45 RPM edition of Brothers. The package includes the album on double 45 RPM vinyl as well as a bonus 10-inch disc of six previously unreleased tracks.

In addition, I got U2's Wide Awake In Europe EP, which features three live songs from their recent tour. The first side has the previously unreleased "Mercy," recorded in Brussels.

And, I was able to get the Bruce Springsteen and The Gaslight Anthem 45s. The Springsteen 7-inch features "Save My Love," a new song off The Promise album, and the great song "Because The Night" on the flip side.

The Gaslight Anthem 7-inch features the band covering "Tumbling Dice." The B-side is their own "She Loves You." The single comes in four different colors, with the cover matching the color of the vinyl.

There was a nice little line in front of Amoeba before the doors opened. When folks were let inside, they jammed around the special releases, so you had to be a little aggressive, but everyone was friendly.

It was a good day to hold vinyl lovers over until Record Store Day in April.

Black Friday News

Hi Vinyl Fans:

Shopping on the day after Thanksgiving has become a tradition for many folks, but I've done my best to avoid the mall crowds over the years, This time, I'm happily heading to the indie record stores on Black Friday. A number of special vinyl releases will be offered that day. Now, it's not officially another Record Store Day, but you will find a number of super-cool releases from Bruce Springsteen, Black Keys, Metallica, and others.

Here's a link to a list of the Black Friday specials.

It's a great way to start the holidays.

Pre-orders Announced for Austin Lucas' Latest

The pre-sale for Austin Lucas' Collection gets under way Nov. 2.

If you have never heard Lucas, I urge you to check him out. He's a terrific singer with an arsenal of killer songs. I recently bought his Somebody Loves You album, which turned me into a fan. I then quickly picked up Common Cold and Putting The Hammer Down.

Lucas is a tough guy to categorize, and that's a good thing. He came of age in the basements of DIY punk and hardcore, but he also has a strong alt-country vibe. It all works together beautifully.

The terrific Suburban Home label reports that Collection will be pressed on two colors—150 on whiskey-coke and 350 on pink. Pre-orders get an automatic digital download.

To listen to Lucas and learn more about the label, visit them at www.vinylcollective.com.

November Releases

Hey, Vinyl Fans:

There's a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks. There's no slow down of good stuff in November.

Here are a few of the albums I'm looking forward to:

Elliott Smith—An Introduction to ... Elliott Smith (Kill Rock Stars) has a Nov. 2 release date.

Bruce Springsteen—A three-disc vinyl package of The Promise hits the streets Nov. 16. That will go nicely with the The Promise:The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set, with its three CDs and three DVDs. There are 21 unreleased songs here. Am I dreaming?

Norah Jones—...Featuring Norah Jones (Blue Note) also has a Nov. 16 release date. The album collects the collaborations that Jones has done during the past decade with everyone from Ray Charles to Ryan Adams.

Taylor Swift—Country's biggest star releases Speak Now (Big Machine) on vinyl also on Nov. 16.

Cowboy Junkies—Renmin Park (Diverse) gets its vinyl release Nov. 16, a busy day indeed.

Rolling Stones—The Rolling Stones unleash a couple of mammoth box sets. The Rolling Stones 1964-1969 (Universal) features nine remastered albums. The notable albums on this collection of early materials include Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed. The Rolling Stones 1971-2005 includes 14 remastered albums. Both sets, which will cost you about $350 each, have a Nov. 22 release.

$18,000 White Stripes Record

A White Stripes' single just sold for a whoppin' $18,000.

The band released its second single "Lafayette Blues" a dozen years ago, with a performance at the Gold Dollar in Detroit. There was a delay in printing the sleeves, so Jack White and David Buick, head of Italy Records, the label that released the single, hand-painted 15 covers. Copies sold for 6 bucks that night. Over time, these precious 45s and their unique covers have been the Holy Grail of White Stripes collectors.

The Third Man Records site reports that one of these records just went for $18k.

Cowboy Junkies Report

The Cowboy Junkies performed last weekend at Bimbo's 365 Club in San Francisco, a terrific venue in North Beach.

There was no "Sweet Jane." No "Cause Cheap Is How I Feel." And, no "Murder, Tonight, In The Trailer Park." No problem. Even without those classic Junkies song, the band played a fabulous, full show.

The evening featured several selections from the band's latest release, Renmin Park, the first of four albums the Junkies plan to unveil during an 18-month period. This first volume in the Nomad Series was inspired by Michael Timmins' recent journey to China. While the song cycle has some Asian influences, it is still very much a Cowboy Junkies album led by Margo Timmins' unmistakable vocals.

The band has always supplemented its rich catalog of outstanding original material with well-chosen covers. The San Francisco show featured the band's "Bea's Song" and "Hunted." The Junkies also performed a beautiful version of the Rolling Stones' "Moonlight Mile" and a terrific performance of Vic Chesnutt's "Supernatural." The next album in the four-part Nomad Series will be a collection of Chesnutt numbers.

Vinyl fans can expect Renmin Park to get the vinyl treatment. Diverse Records reports that it will be out at the end of October and that it sounds amazing.

Never Shout Never Pre-Sale

Never Shout Never's Harmony will be released Oct. 25, according to the Because Sound Matters website.

It will be available on limited-edition yellow vinyl. The first 300 pre-orders get a poster signed by Chistofer Drew.
All pre-orders are automatically entered to win a vintage record player decorated by Never Shout Never.

For more info, visit Because Sound Matters.