Here I am, here I am, on cloud eight and a half

So on Saturday it was Record Store Day. For those who do not know what this is (and don't worry I hadn't heard about it until this year) it's a day where record stores put on events and sell limited pressings of things, mostly vinyls.

I love the idea of this day and in theory I would have really enjoyed being at it but there is a slight issue with the fact that all the shops were crowded. it didn't help that it was a Saturday but normally places like Reflex and Beatdown have so few people in it's nice and quiet and enjoyable. Yeah, not on RSD. All the hipsters were out in force wanting to get their mitts on the overpriced (because it's vinyl and limited edition!) goods before anyone else can. Or, apparently, the people who want to extort the hipsters (or even just fans of that artist) further by buying up as much as they could and selling it on eBay. But it was a pretty enjoyable time and I did get a few things (including the two vinyls I had gone in for so that was the most important part).

So T-B, L-R: 

• Regina Spektor Sings Two Bulat Okudzhava Songs In Russian (Limited 7" white vinyl)
• Lanterns On The Lake: Low Tide (Limited 12" vinyl)
• Bridie Jackson and the Arbour: Bitter Lullabies (Not actually a RSD release but a local band who I caught playing in Reflex and were excellent with their folkiness and acousticy, violiny, double bassy, pretty hamoniness. Definitely want to see them again live (they're playing at the Leases Green festival :3)).
• She & Him: Volume One (Limited 12" Yellow vinyl)

I only went in for the first two (and I'm so glad I was able to get them, especially the LotL because they're a wonderful local group who I first heard supporting Explosions in the Sky and The Sage).

So far I can only listen to Bridie Jackson and She & Him because I ripping vinyls is not the easiest thing to do and only She & Him came with a free download code (MOST USEFUL! I think all vinyls should do that now!).

For those who know and understand Bridie Jackson sounds a lot like Beccy Owen, that should tell you what kind of music it is, kind of folky-pop-acoustic-gloriness. Listening to the album now and Promises Are Broken is actually amazing. It's a cappella choral and omgI'mgoingtodieofhowamazingthissounds! I love seeing a small band or something and then buying an album and discovering amazing new music to listen to that I wouldn't have otherwise. It's not like I can just stumble across them on amazon or something. It has a goddamn bassoon in it! I cannot wait to listen to the other wonders I picked up.

I do feel horrifically hipster going out and buying vinyl but I'm trying to work out why I have an aversion to that as a term or even, shock of all horrors, ever being labelled that. I think it's the people who make up the term. I mean I buy vinyls, I wear checky shirts and glasses that I don't need, I buy and use old SLRs and have a satchel. I know I'm stereotyping but isn't that what genreising people is? Just a series of things that they all seem to do? I try not to think about what "type" of person I am. I try not to label myself too much and not because I think I'm so original ( I mean I am but only so far as everyone is) but because I don't want to fall into mental trappings of thinking I can only like this because I am this person or that person. I mean I was talking to Blue about this and we have decided that we need so many different wardrobes of clothes for the different days and people we are on those days. While I think it's important sometimes to have labels just to have a starting point or a descriptor for conversation, I think that getting too bogged down in words is a bad thing.

I'm very much looking forward to summer. I want summer dresses in pretty colour. Sunshine and good music. I want lazy days with people I enjoy the company of. Beach days, barbeques, grab-the-guitar-and-sing-until-the-moon-comes-out, pimms, bare feet, bare legs, Buxton, Hamlet, parties.

I think I need to go and buy so many dresses and skirts, I don't have enough for this summer of awesome that I'm planning in my head!

All of the love and lemons, Buttercup xxxxxxx