Record Store Day 2023 is rapidly approaching and for the third year in a row, the eCoustics team will be covering RSD 2023 in New Jersey, New York, California, Michigan, Alberta, Missouri, and Tennessee. We’re very excited this year because the list of quality recordings is better than usual; hopefully independent record stores will get more inventory as well which has become a sore spot for some.
Craft Recordings has a strong record of quality releases each year but we’re already saving it up for 3 of these titles. Violent Femmes!
You can read our previous coverage here and also listen to our rather animated group podcast here; not everyone agrees that the event is working as it should for smaller retailers or for those of us who have stood outside in the rain for hours hoping to get one of the 3-4 copies of a specific album that the labels have shipped.
From long-out-of-print rarities and cult classics to psychedelic treats and beloved soundtracks, these seven LPs will thrill music fans of all ages. Among this year’s offerings is an exclusive picture disc that celebrates the 40th-anniversary of the Violent Femmes and their 1983 self-titled debut (which features such enduring hits as “Blister in the Sun” and “Gone Daddy Gone”), plus the first vinyl reissue of Jonathan Richman’s acclaimed 1990 LP, Jonathan Goes Country.
Also available, via our sister label Varése Sarabande, is an expanded and collectible motion picture soundtrack for 2014’s How to Train Your Dragon 2, featuring music by John Powell and Sigur Rós’ Jónsi.
Other highlights include the first-ever American mono reissue of Chet Baker’s 1959 instrumental classic, Chet, as well as Flash & The Dynamics’ The New York Sound—a long-out-of-print 1971 Latin psych-funk rarity. Fans of Travis, meanwhile, will enjoy The Invisible Band (Live), which finds the Scottish band celebrating the 20th anniversary of their bestselling album with a hometown concert. Rounding out the list is the latest installment of the sought-after Jazz Dispensary series, Hotel Jolie Dame, which transports listeners to a fabulous party through psychedelic rarities and unexpected cuts from Dizzy Gillespie, Dorothy Ashby, Cal Tjader, and more.
Violent Femmes — Violent Femmes (1-LP; 40th Anniversary Picture Disc)
Limited to 6,000 copies worldwide, this collectible pressing kicks off the band’s 40th-anniversary celebrations and marks the very first Violent Femmes picture disc – mimicking the classic cover image on Side A and the jacket’s reverse side on Side B.
Various Artists — Jazz Dispensary: Hotel Jolie Dame (1-LP; Psych-Sunset Orange Marble Vinyl)
The latest edition in the sought-after Jazz Dispensary series, Hotel Jolie Dame, transports listeners back to the summer of 1978, where a party awaits deep in the heart of the French Riviera at Hotel Jolie Dame. This fantastical resort welcomes cosmic groovers of all forms to check in for a day (or a week) of love, abandonment, and sunshine, while a psychedelic soundtrack – featuring unexpected cuts from Dizzy Gillespie, The Blackbyrds, Dorothy Ashby, and more – keeps the vibe elevated all night long. Limited to 5,000 copies worldwideand pressed on Psych-Sunset Orange Marble vinyl, Hotel Jolie Dame features original jacket art by the Auckland-based graphic artist, Callum Rooney, whose psychedelic designs have been used by the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Mastodon, and A Place to Bury Strangers, among many others.
Travis – The Invisible Band (Live) (2-LP; Clear Vinyl)
For fans who weren’t able to attend the show, The Invisible Band (Live) captures that special evening, as the band performs every song on the album to a packed house of fans. Only available on RSD Exclusive vinyl and digital formats. Limited to 5,000 copies worldwide and pressed on clear wax, this 2-LP release marks the only physical edition of The Invisible Band (Live). As a special bonus, the vinyl package includes exclusive unseen tour photography from Ryan Johnston.
Jonathan Richman – Jonathan Goes Country (1-LP; Red Cowboy Boot Vinyl)
Returning to vinyl for the first time since its release, Jonathan Goes Country features AAA remastering, with lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Limited to 5,000 copies worldwide, this special edition also boasts Red Cowboy Boots-colored vinyl (a nod to the album’s jacket design).
Flash & The Dynamics – The New York Sound (1-LP; 180-Gram Purple Vinyl)
Returning to vinyl for the first time in decades, The New York Sound features AAA remastering, with lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Limited to 3,500 units worldwide, this special edition has been pressed on 180-gram purple vinyl at RTI for an optimal listening experience.
Chet Baker – Chet (1-LP; Mono, 180-Gram Black Vinyl)
This special edition of Chet marks the first mono version of the album to be released in the US since 1959 and features AAA remastering with lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Limited to 10,000 copies worldwide, the album is pressed at RTI and presented on classic, 180-gram black vinyl.
John Powell – How to Train Your Dragon 2: Music from the Motion Picture (2-LP; Red Multi-Color Splatter Vinyl)
Presented by Varèse Sarabande across two LPs in a gatefold jacket, this collectible edition of How to Train Your Dragon 2 is pressed on red multi-color splatter vinyl and follows RSD 2021’s green multi-color splatter pressing of the first How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack. In addition to extensive liner notes featuring interviews with composer John Powell and director Dean DuBois, this exclusive version features the film’s theme song, “Where No One Goes” (performed by Jónsi). Limited to 3,500 copies worldwide.
Related Podcast: A Look Back at Record Store Day 2021
