Record Store Day 2012: How stores from Nashville to Reykjavik are (or aren't) celebrating

Saturday marks the fifth annual Record Store Day. It's a day designed for independent record shops around the world to shine, where they receive exclusive releases from artists (this year's participating bands include Arcade Fire, Katy Perry and David Bowie, among many others) and host in-store concerts. In short, it's a time where music fans shun their laptops and buy music they can put their hands on.

Over the last few years I've lived in both Toronto and Vancouver, and know well how important the day is to record shops and music fans here in Canada. However, in an effort to examine the impact of the day internationally, I decided to check in with some shops around the world. Based on suggestions and personal favourites, I picked up the phone and started dialing.

Here are the results:

Reykjavik, Iceland

Lucky Records, Hverfisgata 82

CBC Music: Are you celebrating record store day?

Lucky Records: Yes. We have been for the last two years. I was planning on doing a big concert, but have been draining my house, so have had other priorities. We've got one concert planned, though.

CBC Music: What local album will you be recommending to customers?

Lucky Records: The great [self-titled] album by Eldberg – a progressive rock band. They put a lot of money into it.

Berlin, Germany

Melting Point, Kastanienallee 55

CBC Music: Are you celebrating record store day?

Melting Point: What? No. It's bullshit to me. I don't know the need of it. We have tons of records here and sell them every day. I heard about International Record Store Day from someone else. I don't a care about a record store day.

CBC Music: If someone came into your store on Saturday, what local album would you recommend?

Melting Point: DJ Mitch – he's very good. A house DJ from Berlin.

CBC Music: Thanks. What was your name again?

Melting Point: Mitch.

CBC Music: Are you DJ Mitch?

Melting Point: Yes.

Paris, France

Ground Zero, 23 Rue Sainte-Marthe

CBC Music: Will you be celebrating record store day tomorrow?

Ground Zero: Yes, of course! We have a lot of records especially for this event. We will do a special room for these records. Indie rock artists who have made new records – Arcade Fire, Sigur Ros, Arctic Rock ... even David Bowie.

CBC Music: What's been the top-selling French indie rock album lately?

Ground Zero: Yeti Lane's new album – rock with a psychedelic touch. It's indie pop, but progressive.

Nashville, Tenn., U.S.A.

Ernest Tubb Records, 417 Broadway

CBC Music: Are you doing anything special for Record Store Day?

Ernest Tubb Records: No sir. Haven't heard of it.

CBC Music: It's a day where independent record stores are promoted, and hopefully receive more business. If I came in and asked for a great local act tomorrow, who would you recommend?

Ernest Tubb Records: Hmm, I don't know. Rascal Flatts or Jamie Johnson? They sell good.

CBC Music: Business is good then?

Ernest Tubb Records: Not as good in the summer as in the winter – when everyone is buying Christmas presents.

Dublin, Ireland

All City Records, 4 Crow St., Temple Bar

CBC Music: What are your plans for Record Store Day?

All City: We are setting up decks on the ground floor and downstairs. Local people can come in and spin a 20-minute set of whatever music they like. We started out as [a] hip-hop shop, but we've branched into a lot of different genres – techno, house, U.K. funky and dub step.

CBC Music: And if someone comes in tomorrow looking for some electronic, who would you recommend?

All City: Sunil Sharpe – he has his own label. He's from Dublin, and he's getting well known around the world.

New York City, U.S.A.

A1, 439 E 6th St, New York

CBC Music: What do you have planned on Saturday?

A1: We're going to put a lot of cheap stuff outside in the bins. A few exclusive techno records and an exclusive record from DFA. People that will walk in A-1 will leave with a big bag of goodies.

CBC Music: Have you been marking the day since it started?

A1: We didn't even know about it at first. One day [in April] we had a great day, we didn't know it [was Record Day]. We were oblivious. We're not that cool after all! People told us it was Record Store Day, so we registered online.

CBC Music: If I came in Saturday, what record would you point me to?

A1: Anything on the label L.I.E.S. Ron Morelli is the CEO of L.I.E.S. Records and he's been putting out techno records in the most grassroots way. It's the specialty of the store. and he's doing great stuff. It's all underground techno and sounds amazing. Most are recorded with analog tape machines and 808s.