Music shops around the area prep for Record Store Day

For true music fans, stepping into a music store that specializes in records can feel a lot like going to church.

Just as the holy books in a church preserve the words that serve as the foundational beliefs for millions across the world, so too do records preserve the vibrations that ignite the soul and have also shaped many people’s beliefs on everything from governments to relationships. 

It is this passion for music that first prompted Matt Kindler, owner of Clarizio Music Center, to expand into record sales two years ago.

In a recent interview with Night & Day, Kindler and his daughter Riley, explained how they came to expand that center to a record store as well, having started with the decades-old music store, which is in the same strip mall as the record department.

“We had this space — which was used for lessons, rock bands, etc. — for years, and basically COVID kind of squashed all those programs for us, so this room was just sitting here,” Kindler said, referring to the space the record department currently exists in. 

“At the same time, our record collection at home was growing and growing,” said Riley. “We would watch [1995 comedy film] ‘Empire Records’ and joke that dad was going to be the grumpy man behind the counter one day.”

At Clarizio, a diversity in musical genres is on full display. Looking for some old-school Dolly Parton? There she is. How about some 90s era Tribe Called Quest? One need only move about three sections over to 90s hip hop and there are their albums. 

Kindler and Riley explained that the tastes and styles of the prototypical record store patron has changed over the years, from classic rock to more alternative

RECORD STORE DAY

One day where most record store owners in this area see the gamut of fans is Record Store Day, which this year is scheduled for Saturday, April 20. Every Record Store Day, hundreds of record stores around the world, including Clarizio, as well as Lofidelic in Belmar, participate in a special sales and exclusive distribution of albums and artist merchandise, with an emphasis on celebrating independently-owned music stores. 

“Our store’s only been here a little over two years,” said Kindler. “A lot of our customers aren’t really familiar with what Record Store Day is; some of them are learning.”

“It’s a group of about 1,400 stores that participates…You have to meet certain guidelines and requirements of your store; brick-and-mortar…locations, and there’s a pledge you have to sign,” said Kindler. “There’s a list of rules that are dos and don’ts for the store.”

He spoke about the titles that are available on Record Store Day — however, he clarified that not every store carries every record, and that there is always a limited amount of vinyl to go around. The aim of this is to increase traffic at different physical locations to generate new customers to these unique local businesses, and hopefully keep them coming back throughout the year for more.

“It’s made up of a list of titles,” said Kindler. “This year there’s close to 400 different titles; these titles are only available to the independent record stores that participate in Record Store Day. It’s not at Target, it’s not on Amazon, it’s not anywhere else; it’s only exclusive releases to independent record stores that participate.”

“Sometimes there are things like represses of older records; whether it’s a different color, or an alternate cover or there’s a different master,” said Kindler’s daughter Riley, a current senior at Brick Memorial High School and manager of the store. 

Kindler explained that there are several categories of releases for Record Store Day, including “Record Store Day Firsts,” which come out on the day of the event but will possibly be rereleased.

“‘Record Store Day Exclusives’ are the much more desirable titles,” he said. “Those are only exclusively printed for that day; once they’re done, they’re done.”

“Along with those titles, the most important part is the quantities,” said Kindler. “Most of the [Record Store Day releases] are usually very low in quantity — you’re talking 3,000 or fewer pressings. A lot of some of the more desirable ones they might even do 1,500.”

Kindler explained that there has been a line around the building in the past few years of Record Store Day at Clarizio.

“Our first customer has been the same girl the past few years,” said Riley. “She gets here for Record Store Day at 11:30 the night before; her mom and her take turns on the sidewalk so I buy them coffee in the morning.”

Kindler said that some customers don’t realize the minimal quantities of records that are printed for the yearly event, which leads to some people possibly not receiving the exclusives they were expecting.

“That’s where our new customers tend to get confused — some people think they can walk in on 4/20…[but] our orders had to go in in the second week of February this year,” said Kindler. He further explained that the store polls its customer base using Facebook and other social media to determine what the most sought-after pressings are for the year.

“We put out asking our customers for their requests; what they were interested in,” he said. “What we order, because of the limited quantities of some of these titles, we might not get; we may order 20 and we could get three. We don’t know that sometimes until three days before.”

Some Record Store Day firsts this year include: Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan “Stick Season”/”Lacy” from the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, Chappell Roan’s single “Pink Pony Club” and The 1975 “Live at Gorilla.”

Just a few of the Record Store Day Exclusives for this year include a rerelease of stoner duo Cheech and Chong’s 1978 soundtrack for “Up in Smoke” on green vinyl, Pearl Jam’s new LP “Dark Matter,” a picture-disc LP re-pressing of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” and “Re: This Is Why,” a ruby-colored vinyl remix album of the album “This Is Why” by 2024 Record Store Day ambassadors Paramore.

“The exclusives are what become much more desirable. In the past two Record Store Days there’s been a Taylor Swift release…she was the ambassador two years ago. She had a single called ‘The Lakes;’ there was only 10,000, which is a high number for Record Store Day, but when you’re talking Taylor Swift numbers that’s a drop in the bucket,” he said.

This year is a bit different; though she is not on the official Record Store Day release list, she does have a release coinciding with the day prior — Taylor Swift’s upcoming album “Tortured Poets Department” is set to release on April 19.

According to the Record Store Day official website, “There are a lot of independent stores that participate in Record Store Day. Not all of them will choose to participate in all promotions, or carry all releases. Just because a store is listed here does not mean it will have the goodie or record you’re looking for. That said, find a store near you and check with them directly. It’s always a good idea to be BFFs with your neighborhood record store.” 

ANNUAL EVENT

According to the official website for the now-annual event, “The first Record Store Day took place on April 19, 2008. Today, Record Store Day is celebrated at independently-owned brick-and-mortar record stores around the world.”

“The great thing about Record Store Day is that it does cover pretty much all genres; it’s not all focusing on rock; there’s country, jazz is a big one,” said Kindler. “When they do come in and pick up these Record Store Day titles, they hopefully — and most of them do — shop the rest of the store. It does bring exposure to the store. When we did our first Record Store Day two years ago, we were only open for three months; nobody really knew we were here, but we had people finding us on that day looking for the hot titles that every other store was sold out of.”

“This drop was a very big pop one; they really hit contemporary music, also a lot of ‘90s…It brings younger people — people around my age — in here,” said Riley, who professed her fandom of the late ‘90s crooner Jeff Buckley.