The Sheepdogs Named Record Store Day Ambassadors
More than 250 stores across Canada are participating in the annual event that falls on April 21 this year.
By FYI Staff
Audiophiles and music enthusiasts are getting cranked up for April 21, a day that celebrates the joys of recorded music and a day that shines the spotlight on independent record retailers through the now internationally known Record Store Day.
Hundreds of record labels go berserk with exclusive releases of new and classic singles, albums and soundtracks on vinyl, cassette and even CD – in a bid to support and celebrate the best independent record stores and tap the wallets of seemingly insatiable fans.
Among the hundreds of one-off releases, some of the most in-demand items are set to be previously unreleased records by David Bowie, a 20th anniversary reissue of Suede’s self-titled album on silver vinyl, The Maccabees Wall Of Arms on picture disc, and many more new exclusives from the likes of Madonna, The Cure, Arcade Fire, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Sigrid, Abba, Ramones, John Coltrane, Cheech & Chong, Pink Floyd, Rage Against The Machine, and Joy Division under their original name of ‘Warsaw’.
Saskatchewan’s own The Sheepdogs are named as “Record Store Day’s Champions of Canada.” The honour has been bestowed on the bearded rockers as part of the lead up to April 21. The band joins notables Elton John (2017 RSD Champion of Great Britain), Jack White (2013 RSD Ambassador) and Dave Grohl (2015 RSD Ambassador) in celebrating independent record stores. To commemorate the announcement the band sat down with their record collections to reminisce about some of the most meaningful vinyl from their collections.
Other than Arcade Fire and The Sheepdogs, a wide range of fellow Canadian artists will have specialty items available, including Lhasa de Sela, Manchild, The Road Hammers, Jerry Cans, The Glorious Suns, Platinum Blonde, and the Trews.
The Sheepdogs will be releasing an exclusive pressing of the live performances of “Nobody” and “I’ve Got a Hole Where My Heart Should Be,” both of which were recorded at the YouTube Creator Space in Toronto. This pressing will be a 7” vinyl and will only be available to Record Store Day shoppers. The band will also be releasing the first ever vinyl pressing for their first two LPs, Big Stand and Trying to Grow. In all, 254+ stores will be participating in the event across Canada this year. The complete list (as it stands now) can be found here and the official Record Store Day release list can be found here.
