Record Store Day Preview: Flaming Lips, Mastodon, “Mermaid Avenue,” Phish, Neon Indian, Black Keys, Arcade Fire, Preteen Zenith…

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Founded in 2007, Record Store Day has rapidly grown to be a much-anticipated annual tradition for music fans and vinyl collectors.  This year it falls on April 21st and as with 2010 (which saw the vinyl release of The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs with Henry Rollins and Peaches Doing The Dark Side of the Moon) and 2011 (Heady Nugs: First 5 Warner Bros. Records 1992-2002), The Flaming Lips are generating a lot of excitement in the weeks leading up to the big day…

(There was also a Flaming Lips with Stardeath/ Black Keys split single in 2009 – tying into Warner Brother’s Covered: A Revolution In Sound comp and book.  The former re-invented Madonna’s “Borderline,” while the latter took on Captain Beefheart’s “Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles”).

Details on the Lips’ forthcoming Record Store Day double album have already been posted at twitter/FutureHeartDay and facebook/TheFutureHeart, including previews of tracks with Nick Cave, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, and Edward Sharpe.  More information – including sneak peaks of collabs with Bon Iver, Ke$ha, Erykah Badu, Tame Impala, and others – are coming soon.

The Flaming Lips will also issue a “baby pink” 7″ of their 1999 Soft Bulletin classic, “A Spoonful Weighs a Ton” with metal titans Mastodon covering the same song as the B-side.  Additionally, The Lips are apparently creating a special bag for the event, as seen in the pictures throughout this post.  Get a sneak preview of Mastodon’s said cover in this video:

Mastodon are also on a Record Store Day split single with Feist: they cover her song “A Commotion” and she covers their “Black Tongue.” Bringing this story full circle, when Feist first discussed collabs and covers last fall – circa the release of her newest album, Metals, and the initial news of the her split single with Mastodon – she singled out The Flaming Lips (though so far nothing has come of her desire).

Hitfix: “I heard Wayne Coyne is doing a series of collaborations,” Feist enthused. “I need to get in on that, man. We just need find each other in some city while we’re on tour. Flaming Lips are one of my favorite bands.”

To find the stores near you participating in Record Store Day 2012 visit RecordStoreDay.com/Venues.

This year there’s also a Record Store Day app (for droid and iPhone), “‘Record Store Day in your pocket. For free!’ … it not only finds the Record Store Day participating stores nearest you, wherever you may be, it also keeps you up to date with all things RSD, all year long. Things like contests (enter from your phone!), video premieres (watch on your phone while waiting in line for your local record store to open), and exclusive release news (yep, you’ll have full access to the RSD 2012 release list, with descriptions AND artwork!)” Download here.

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Besides the Lips and Mastodon releases, here are other hotly anticipated Record Store Day 2012 releases so far announced:

• Preteen Zenith – the newest band led by Tim DeLaughter (Polyphonic Spree, Tripping Daisy) – issue a special limited edition version of their debut LP, Rubble Guts & BB Eye, ahead of its regular release on May 29th.  UPDATED March 7th: The Record Store Day version is a “swirled colored vinyl” that comes with a CD and limited art print (and is being mastered right now at Stan Getz’ A& R Records – the same pressing plant that has produced all of the Lips recent multi-color vinyl releases).  So far five Preteen Songs have been uploaded online – though it has yet to be confirmed which of them will be on the LP.  “Breathe” – their debut single from last summer – was followed by “Abstraction” and “Extraction,” and recently the two tracks linked in the tweets above: “Overcome” and “Damage Control” with Erykah Badu.
• Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions is out in a 3CD/DVD set (featuring the two previously issued volumes of Woody Guthrie lyrics set to music by Billy Bragg and Wilco plus 17 previously unreleased recordings, a 48-page booklet and Kim Hopkins’ 1999 film Man in the Sand).  Read more about a slew of like-minded projects commemorating Woody’s 100th birth year here.
• Neon Indian issue 10″ vinyl single “Hex Girlfriend” with a Twin Shadow’s remix on the B-side
• Andrew Bird covers Alpha Consumer’s “The Crown Salesman” and “Handsome Family’s “So Much Wine” on a new 7″
• Phish reissue 1991′s Junta – their debut studio LP – as a limited edition deluxe vinyl
• Widespread Panic release an exclusive live 12-inch, Live Wood
• The Black Angels’ issue 7-inch single “Watch Out Boy b/w I’d Rather By Lonely” with a bonus track download
• The Black Keys’ latest LP, El Camino, will be reissued on deluxe vinyl with a bonus CD, a limited edition poster, and a 7″ single of “Sister b/w Money Maker” (both live)
• Locked Down – Dr. John’s new album produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach – is out April 3rd on CD.  The vinyl edition will be released on Record Store Day.
• Arcade Fire issue special edition 12″ vinyl with Damian Taylor’s “Sprawl II” and “Ready to Start” remixes.  Listen to the two tracks here and here
• Sufjan Stevens and Rosie Thomas issue split single “Where Were You” and “Here I Am”
• St. Vincent releases “Krokodil” and “Grot” as a 7″ single
• The Civil Wars issue both a 7″ (“Billie Jean b/w Sour Times”) and a CD EP (Live at Ameboa)
• M. Ward releases new 7″ single “Primitive Girl” (b/w “The Twist” and a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven”)
• The Tallest Man on Earth releases 12″ single featuring “King of Spain,” “Where I Thought I Met the Angels” and a cover of Paul Simon’s “Graceland”
• Carolina Chocolate Drops take on Run-DMC’s “You Be Illin’ in a unique string-band interpretation – produced by Nashville legend Buddy Miller – on a 7” Coke-bottle green vinyl single paired with the original
• Xiu Xiu covers Erasure’s “Always” and Dirty Beaches covers Françoise Hardy’s ”Tu Ne Dis Rien” on a split 7″
• M83’s hidden track “Mirror” gets a 7″ issue
• David Bowie’s 1972 single “Starman” gets a 7″ picture disc with a Tops of The Pops performance on the flipside (previously unreleased and, until very recently, thought to be lost).  Thanks to Indie Ethos for pointing out the Bowie releases are UK only (see comment section discussion below for more info)
• Detroyer re-release 2006’s Destroyer’s Rubies on ruby red vinyl with 20-minute bonus track “Loscil’s Rubies”
• Metallica issue new EP Beyond Magnetic on 12″ colored vinyl.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers re-release deluxe 180 gram vinyl Stadium Arcadium box set
• Never To Be Forgotten: The Flip Side of Stax 1968-1974 is a limited edition box of 10 seperate 7″ singles reproduced – each a lost soul classic:

1. Mable John – Running Out b/w Shouldn’t I Love Him (1968)
2. Bernie Hayes – Cool Strut Pt. 1 b/w Cool Strut Pt. 2 (1970)
3. Lee Sain – Them Hot Pants Pt. 1 b/w Them Hot Pants Pt. 2 (1971)
4. Johhnie Taylor – Hijackin’ Love b/w Love In The Streets (1971)
5. Melvin Van Peebles – Sweetback’s Theme b/w Hoppin’ John (1971)
6. Mad Lads – Gone! The Promises Of Yesterday b/w I’m So Glad I Fell In Love With You (1971)
7. Emotions – My Honey And Me b/w Blind Alley (1972)
8. Rufus Thomas – Itch & Scratch Pt. 1 b/w Itch & Scratch Pt. 2 (1972)
9. Roy Lee Johnson & The Villagers – The Dryer Pt. 1 b/w The Dryer Pt. 2 (1972)
10. John Gary Williams – The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy b/w Ask The Lonely (1974)

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