Celebrating Record Store Day with Whiskeytown, The Obits and strangely enough, Taking Back Sunday.

Some 20-odd years ago, the record industry was beginning to do a damn effective job of convincing music buyers that they needed to upgrade from vinyl to compact disk. If I didn't know better, I'd say we're in the throes of the exact opposite, only this time it's the format preference of the consumer that's driving this unlikely phenomenon. Anything to get people out to the stores I suppose, but trust me, I'm hardly complaining. Today was the 2nd annual Record Store Day, and it has grown exponentially since last years comparative "dry run." In fact there were some 50+ "exclusive" RSD releases that dropped today at roughly 1000 participating stores from bands ranging from Pavement to Slayer. Here are a trio of 7"s that rocked my little corner of the world.

A 45 with two completely unreleased tracks from the long defunct, Ryan Adams-helmed Whiskeytown was a no-brainer on the wish lists of many folks today, and as luck would have it, it delivers in spades. Featuring two previously unreleased tracks from the "Baseball Park Sessions," circa the band's 1998 debut, Faithless Street, it's a wonder why the pensive ballad "San Antone," and the nimble, slide guitar-treated flipside "The Great Divide," were left off the reissue of that aforementioned album. A real treat for Whiskeytown enthusiasts, and dare I say a must.

One Rick Froberg, formally of Drive Like Jehu and Hot Snakes is the proud leader of his fourth and most recent collective, The Obits. Significantly less abrasive than his former endeavors, this one-off platter of licorice pizza is downright poppy, sing-songy even, especially the a-side, "I Can't Lose." The Obits have very recently issued their debut LP, I Blame You for Sub Pop. As you'll notice in the pic directly to your left, this 7" features an inner sleeve with various pics of record sleeves of Sub Pop releases from yesteryear.

Long Island, post-hardcore stalwarts Taking Back Sunday are set to unleash album # 4, New Again at the stroke of midnight on June 2. Side one features a preview cut, "Carpathia," and while not exactly a fit to be enshrined in say a desert island time capsule, they still beat 95% of their competition hands down. The B-side is a another new cut, recorded live in '08, and exclusive to this release. Enjoy (or not). 
 

Whiskeytown 7"

A. San Antone

B. The Great Divide 
 

The Obits 7"

A. I Can't Lose

B. Military Madness 
 

TBS 7"

A. Carpathia

B. Catholic Knees (live Columbia, MO December '08) 
 

Whiskeytown: Hear

The Obits: Hear

Taking Back Sunday: Hear