Our most anticipated Record Store Day 2023 releases

10 essentials from the Record Store Day 2023 list.

Record Store Day, the annual celebration of record stores and vinyl culture, is fast approaching with 100s of limited releases hitting the shelves on April 22. The VF team has dived into the extensive list of releases to pick out 10 vinyl releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on.

From contemporary indie-rock to ’60s jazz-funk, there is something for everyone.

Picks selected by VF’s Kelly Doherty and Becky Rogers.

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Beach House

Become

(Bella Union)

Become EP features five new songs from the sessions for Beach House’s excellent 2022 album Once Twice Melody. Left out of the album because of the duo’s belief that the songs “all fit in a world of their own”, Become promises to be a “scuzzy” outing from the Baltimore masters of texture and atmosphere. Any new music from Beach House is a treat and this crystal-clear vinyl exclusive is set to grant an insight into a side of the band that we rarely see.–KD

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Brian Eno

Forever Voiceless

(UMR)

FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE, Brian Eno’s 2022 outing, featured the ambient legend leading with vocals for the first time since 2005. This edition sees him back in the voiceless seat as he reworks the album as an instrumental collection. Releasing on clear vinyl, Forever Voiceless sees Eno playing almost all instruments throughout to communicate his perspectives on environmental destruction. Despite being pitted as “not a protest album”, it’s a release that invokes action.–KD

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Celeste

Lately

(UMC/Polydor)

Let the rich voice of Celeste soothe your soul. British-American soul singer Celeste releases a pink vinyl EP this Record Store Day featuring an extended version of her major single “Strange” as well as her recent track “To Love A Man” on vinyl for the first time. Initially released as limited-run EP in 2019, Lately is another versatile collection from a wonderful voice in contemporary soul.–KD

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Heroin

Discography

(Southern Lord)

San Diego hardcore band Heroin may have not lasted long but their caustic contributions laid the groundwork for the sound of post-hardcore and screamo to come. This compilation brings together the band’s output from the ‘90s alongside a session recorded at Inner Ear Studios and previously unreleased material. Like many of their contemporaries from the sprawling, implosive DIY punk scenes of the ‘80s and ‘90s, Heroin shone bright and burnt out fast, but this release is a rare chance to relive the thrill.–KD

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Oh Sees

Smote Reversor

(Castle Face)

One for Oh Sees, Thee Oh Sees and Osees fans alike. This double-LP release of Oh Sees’ 2018 album Smote Reversor serves up the group’s prog-psych era, all on golden fleece-coloured vinyl. A pinnacle release in the group’s timeline, Smote Reversor, somehow merges Sabbathian metal-tinged hooks with warped ‘60s swirling melodies, all overarched by a looming sense of unhinged darkness. An essential in any prog-metal fan’s collection.–BR

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‘Ol Dirty Bastard

Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version

(Rhino/Elektra)

The debut solo album from Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘Ol Dirty Bastard is a certified classic, thanks to the rapper’s unpredictable delivery. Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version distills the unique, wildly entertaining energy that ODB brought to Wu-Tang Clan into a full-length release that is theatrical, unrelenting and an all-round good time. Revisit the 1995 album with this two-LP picture disc Record Store Day edition.–KD

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Porridge Radio

7 Seconds / Jealousy

(Secretly Canadian)

Porridge Radio’s 2020 single, “7 Seconds”, was an exploration into the “end of something that was never right”. Dripping in synth-pop goodness, the track was a step away from Every Bad with its centrepiece keys riff that reflect ‘80s new wave. Now coming to vinyl for the first time, the song is accompanied by a B-side demo of the confessional ballad “Jealousy”, which was featured on their most recent album Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky.–BR

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The Slits

Rough Cut – (Un)Cut – The Demos And Alternative Mixes

(Island)

Producer Dennis Bovell’s rough mixes of The Slits’ iconic debut album, Cut, were discovered during research for a 2009 anniversary CD deluxe edition and are making it to vinyl for the first time this Record Store Day. This reissue features their dub-punk take on Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”, alongside classics “Typical Girls”, “Instant Hit”, “Shoplifting” and more. The LP also includes a Q&A essay reflecting on the album’s recording by guitarist Viv Albertine.–BR

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Snapped Ankles

Blurtations

(The Leaf Label)

These forest-loving art-punks love a cover. For Record Store Day 2018, they released Violations, a 12” featuring CAN, The Fugs, Comateens and Joey Beltram, but this year Snapped Ankles are back imposing their wonky Kraut-motorik solely on Blurt. Blurtations follows their 2022 cover of “A Fish Needs A Bike”, which honoured Blurt’s “simplicity of groove, whilst maintaining a fierce outsider stance”. With a similar absurdist approach to the Tim Milton-led Dada-jazz punk outfit, this six-track, yellow vinyl 12” will slot perfectly into the groups’ eccentric back catalogue.–BR

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Yusef Lateef

Detroit: Latitude 42° 30′ Longitude 83°

(Arc Records / Brownswood)

Receiving a vinyl reissue for the first time since its release in 1969, Yusef Lateef’s Detroit is an ode to Lateef’s hometown and is a precursor to the jazz-funk sounds of the ‘70s. Despite not being held in the same regard as other releases from the multi-instrumentalist, Detroit has plenty to offer in raw grooves and rhythms. An accessible entry from the legend that’s getting a second life thanks to Gilles Peterson and Arc Records.–KD