BBC Music: Record Store Day 2018

An introduction into Record Store Day which is happening today (Saturday 21 April) across the UK.

Over 200 independent record shops across the UK come together today (Saturday 21 April) for Record Store Day, a celebration of their unique culture. And BBC Music is supporting it all the way with programmes and coverage across Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, 6 Music, local BBC TV, S4C and online.

Many stores and cities are hosting artist performances and events to mark the occasion and special vinyl releases have been created exclusively for the day from artists as diverse as ABBA, Arcade Fire, The Courteeners, David Bowie, Grateful Dead, Hawkwind and Wolf Alice.

Legendary DJ Goldie has released an exclusive vinyl for Record Store Day of unreleased and remastered tracks from his 25 years of music-making.

This is the third year that BBC Music has partnered the event, and to kick it off in style Lauren Laverne's 6 Music programme will broadcast live from the world's oldest record shop, Spillers in Cardiff, on Friday (10am-1pm). 

Welsh singers Gwenno and Gruff Rhys will play Lauren's Desert Island Disco; North American songstress Haley will perform live, and female turntablist Shiva Feshareki will treat the live audience and listeners to an original composition. Lauren will also chat to Ashli, who runs the shop, and the punters who come in.

All of 6 Music's programmes will celebrate Record Store Day on Record Store Day itself. Radio 3's Record Review will join in the fun too, as host Andrew McGregor is joined by guests Katy Hamilton and Chris O'Reilly to mark the day with their selection of new releases and a discussion about the various ways of consuming recorded classical music.

Record Store Day is a great chance to support new music and the shops that need your business all year round, so find your local participating store today and spend a care-free hour or so flicking through new and classic vinyls.

This post originally appeared in Ariel