Record Store Day 2011 in LA

This weekend is all about music and you don’t even need to venture out to the Coachella Valley to take part. April 16th is the fifth annual (fourth global) Record Store Day and it is being celebrated at more independent record stores around L.A. than we even knew existed. The limited-edition special releases and in-store parties and performances begin at midnight!

What’s so special about Record Store Day? Everything. Record Store Day is not merely an appreciation of indie music stores (whether vinyl- or CD-centric) and the lengths many go to to showcase and promote local bands and artists. It’s a celebration of the art of recording and packaging for retail and best of all, the true music fan’s lust for getting a hold of limited edition releases and one-offs. This year’s exclusives include a motherlode of special releases from the likes of Bad Brains, Daft Punk, Phish, Rolling Stones, Velvet Underground, Beastie Boys, R.E.M., Pinback and more.

Participating stores in and around L.A. include:

View Record Store Day in L.A. April 16, 2011 in a larger map

• Amoeba in Hollywood (limited-edition tees, guest DJs including Henry Rollins at 2 p.m., Fucked Up at 4)
• Fingerprints in Long Beach (opens 7 a.m., in-store DJ’s and performances by Foo Fighters [sold out] at 5 p.m., Brett Dennen at 7)
• At Coachella Arizona-based Zia Records hosts RSD with artist signings all weekend.
• Fat Beats on Melrose
• Headline Records on Melrose
• Origami in Echo Park
• Record Surplus on West Pico
• Rockaway in Silver Lake
• Vacation Vinyl in Silver Lake (Dublab and Dangerbird DJs, special RSD releases
• Canterbury in Pasadena
• Penny Lane in Pasadena
• Poobah in Pasadena
• Backside in Burbank
• Atomic in Burbank
• Freakbeat in Sherman Oaks
• Rhino Records in Claremont (special midnight – 2 a.m. sale)
• Left of the Dial in Seal Beach (opens at 7)
• Durty Mick in Long Beach (live afternoon in-stores)
• Vinyl Solution in Huntington Beach
• Burger Records in Fullerton
• Creme Tangerine in Costa Mesa
• 2Catz in San Pedro
• Studio Antiques in El Segundo
• Dark Realm in Downey
• Bionic in Buena Park
• The Record Jungle in Montebello
• Mad Platter in Riverside
• Angel City in Santa Monica
• Bombass Muzik in Vernon
• Buffalo Records in Ventura (free live music)

What are you hoping to get your hands on? Find out everything you need to know at recordstoreday.com or just run — don’t walk — to the nearest shop.

This post was syndicated from LAist.com, where I am Associate Editor. A direct link to my LAist.com post index is at the top of my blog. This post was originally published here on April 15, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.