Some large names in music have particular album releases tied to right this moment, Report Retailer Day. We spotlight a number of – and take a pay attention.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Report Retailer Day is right this moment. How can we observe it? What sort of card do you ship? Stephen Thompson from NPR Music is right here as our information. Stephen, thanks a lot for being with us.
STEPHEN THOMPSON, BYLINE: It’s a pleasure to be right here, Scott.
SIMON: I am afraid I do not know what Report Retailer Day actually is.
THOMPSON: Properly, Report Retailer Day began in 2008 as a means of attracting clients again to brick-and-mortar report shops – encouraging individuals to stand up off their couches, cease simply listening to music via their computer systems, go to an precise report retailer and purchase some music. And along with that, Report Retailer Day has a complete bunch of type of sponsored, unique releases.
SIMON: Properly, what sort of music are you wanting ahead to?
THOMPSON: For me, there are a pair that stand out. You already know, certainly one of my favourite bands from the ’90s, Harvey Hazard, put out a report known as “King James Model…”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MEN (SHOW ME THE HERO)”)
HARVEY DANGER: (Singing) I bowed earlier than the avatar. He mentioned, the issue’s clear to me. You by no means obtained over Morrissey. Yeah. I mentioned, nicely, proper you might be. It is a lot tougher to be underfed than under-understood, he mentioned. Yeah.
THOMPSON: …Twenty-five years in the past, which makes me really feel very outdated. It is a great report. It did not do very nicely, and now it is getting a deluxe reissue on vinyl with bonus tracks. That is one which I will definitely be in search of. Followers of the French band Air – they’ve a traditional album known as “Moon Safari” from 1998. It is getting a deluxe reissue with dwell tracks and demos and stuff like that. And it will get extra esoteric from there. There are some actually obscure titles, a few of which I am fairly enthusiastic about.
SIMON: Is that what the day’s for – in some ways, to have a good time music that perhaps has been missed?
THOMPSON: Properly, I feel they definitely attempt to have it each methods. You’ve a mixture of titles which can be fairly esoteric to convey out the music nerds, however they will additionally usually have titles by larger artists. And every year, Report Retailer Day appoints a special ambassador – a type of large, A-list pop, rock, hip-hop star who will launch an unique title that may convey out extra informal followers. This yr, that artist is Put up Malone. And Put up Malone is dropping an album known as “Put up Malone Tribute To Nirvana,” which is the first-ever vinyl urgent of a livestream Put up Malone did throughout the pandemic, the place he carried out a bunch of Nirvana songs.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “COME AS YOU ARE”)
POST MALONE: (Singing) Come as you might be, as you have been, as I would like you to be, as a buddy, as a buddy, as a recognized enemy.
THOMPSON: And that is being pressed as a Report Retailer Day unique – 17,000 copies. And so followers of Put up Malone will go to their native report shops and choose that up. There’s additionally a 7-inch single of “Fortnight,” which is the tune he did with Taylor Swift. That is definitely been on vinyl for a very long time. However for collectors who need this particular urgent of it, they’ll solely get it by way of Report Retailer Day.
SIMON: Stephen, I need to ask you rigorously a few responsible pleasure.
THOMPSON: (Laughter).
SIMON: Perhaps one thing you may purchase and play only for your self over some headphones so nobody can hear it.
THOMPSON: (Laughter) You already know, now that you simply point out it, there’s a title that I am very enthusiastic about. And I really feel like solely a small handful of individuals will probably be as excited as I’m, however there’s a urgent of an album by a bunch known as The Rock-afire Explosion.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “WILL YOU MARRY ME”)
THE ROCK-AFIRE EXPLOSION: (Singing) And if solely it was mine to decide on, I might by no means ever need to lose my Lucy.
THOMPSON: Scott, have you ever ever heard of the Rock-afire Explosion?
SIMON: Certain. No, by no means.
THOMPSON: (Laughter) The Rock-afire Explosion was the animatronic band that performed in ShowBiz Pizza eating places within the Nineteen Eighties. Chuck E. Cheese additionally has had…
SIMON: (Laughter).
THOMPSON: …These type of animatronic, you realize, robotic bands.
SIMON: Yeah.
THOMPSON: However ShowBiz Pizza had a bunch known as The Rock-afire Explosion, they usually performed unique compositions unique to The Rock-afire Explosion. And I will probably be looking for out an album known as “Authentic Goals: Songs From Showbiz” by The Rock-afire Explosion.
SIMON: This can in all probability not shock you. I have been informed that my tastes, just about in all the pieces…
THOMPSON: (Laughter).
SIMON: …Are what they name primary.
THOMPSON: (Laughter) Put on it with delight.
SIMON: So – nicely, I need to speak in confidence to you. What I might like to purchase and hearken to are songs from the film model of “Cats.”
THOMPSON: (Laughter). Properly, that will convey out Taylor Swift followers, ‘trigger she is within the…
SIMON: What does she sing from “Cats”? How do I not know this?
THOMPSON: She sings an unique tune. It’s not from the unique “Cats” manufacturing, the place the entire film grinds to much more of a halt than it had already floor to convey out Taylor Swift to carry out a tune that didn’t get nominated for an Academy Award.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BEAUTIFUL GHOSTS”)
TAYLOR SWIFT: (Singing) All that I needed was to be needed.
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