The 16th edition of the annual event comes after the announcement that vinyl sales surpassed CD sales for the first time in 35 years in 2022. To honor one of my preferred music events, I have requested some members of "music is her passion society e.V." to share with us their favorite album/song released thus far in 2023 and the reasons behind their choices. We encourage you to get to know them.
Record Store Day is a yearly occasion that was established in 2008 and is observed on the third Saturday of April, as well as every Black Friday in November, with the intention of honoring the culture of independently owned record shops. On this day, new records, special editions, reissues, and rare items of various genres and preferences are typically released, bringing together enthusiasts, artists, and numerous independent record stores worldwide.
Our enthusiastic and passionate team has selected the following music releases for 2023:
KRISTIN JONES: "TOXIQUE EXIT" by BANDIT BANDIT
Certainly! "Toxique Exit" by Bandit Bandit is currently my favorite song of the year. The first few seconds of the track had me thinking it was Danko Jones, but then I was pleasantly surprised by the extraordinary female vocals and the infectious cowbell, which made me want to crank up the volume and listen to the song on repeat at least 50 times. It was truly an amazing experience! C'est fantastique!
The single released on 31 March celebrates the return of the French duo Maeva Nikolaus and Hugo Herleman and previews their forthcoming album to be released in autumn.
MIA: "ENDLESS SUMMER VACATION" by MILEY CYRUS
The album I fell hopelessly in love with this year comes from none other than"Endless Summer Vacation" by Miley Cyrus. Although I had no musical connection to her before, this album has totally inspired me from the first to the last track and I still love to listen to the 13 songs over and over again from the beginning to the end. The album provides the perfect soundtrack for me to drive through my absolute heart city of Los Angeles. But I also love to listen to the white-coloured vinyl in our Berlin living room. I think the naming of the two sides of the record as AM and PM is ingenious. I find that the respective half of the day can also be heard quite accurately in the songs. Because I love this album so much, I can't even say which song I like best, first, it was the dreamy "Rose Colored Lenses", then "Island" and "Wonder Woman", which Miley dedicates to her mother and grandmother. So I love not only the music but also the stories behind the songs, which, by the way, are also extremely well staged in the accompanying documentary to the album.
The album was released on 10 March 2023 and has undoubtedly marked the high point of the Nashville singer's career. The first single from End of Summer Vacation, titled "Flowers", was released on January 13 and has broken multiple records. As of today, the track has held the top spot on global charts for 12 consecutive weeks.
FABI: "DA HABEN WIR DEN SALAT" by SUKINI
My song of the year has taken the hearts of our entire family by storm. With "Da haben wir den Salat", the rapper Sukini has published a song on the subject of animal welfare and animal rights in a totally undogmatic way, which not only our children love. The music video is also very lovingly, sensitively and charmingly designed. I am very happy that Sukini makes such an important topic even more accessible for the children of this world through her music and also hopefully reaches out to many parents towards a plant-based diet for the whole family.
Sukini, who is also known as Sookee in the hip-hop scene, has released her second album of music for children which can also be enjoyed by adults. The title track of the album, "Da haben wir den Salat," is honest, direct, and immediate. Children have often asked for a song about animals at Sukini's concerts, and the result is a vegan song about not eating animals that conveys animal rights and animal welfare in an age-appropriate way.
RIKE JONES: "PAIN" by DINOSOUND
On March 1st, the Berlin-based band DinoSound released a high-energy track titled "Pain," which has become my favorite song so far. What I appreciate about this song is its exploration of important themes such as panic attacks, the inevitability of death, and the beauty of life despite its challenges. The lyrics acknowledge the fragility of existence and our fears, emphasizing the transient nature of life.
I highly recommend watching the accompanying video, which is a true masterpiece. It draws you in and captures your attention, and even after watching it five times, there are still new things to discover.
JIME: "AYLESBURY BOY" by BAXTER DURY ft JGRREY
Baxter Dury has crafted a unique artistic style that sets him apart from others, which I find appealing. As both a musician and a poet, he skillfully incorporates spoken word into his music, delivering his lyrics without any discernible inflexion. However, what truly captivates me about his work is the prominent presence of female voices in most of his pieces. These voices provide a counterbalance to the vivid imagination and narratives of Baxter Dury's characters in his songs, giving a clearer perspective that I find essential to his work.
In my personal opinion, the refined support of these female voices adds an extra layer of uniqueness to Baxter Dury's musical universe, which defies any specific genre and radiates prestige, elegance, and distinction. Madeleine Hart's frequent contributions to Dury's work showcase this, as does the delicate and smooth-as-silk voice of English singer JGrrey in "Aylesbury Boy," the lead track of Dury's upcoming seventh studio album "I Thought I Was Better Than You," slated for an early June release.
A few weeks ago, Baxter Dury released the second preview of his forthcoming album, entitled "Leon". This particular track boasts the impressive vocal talents of JGrrey and Madelaine Hart, whose voices blend beautifully to tell the story of two teenagers facing difficult circumstances in the Kensington neighbourhood during the 1980s. The narrative is delivered by Dury himself, whose wonderful narration adds depth and complexity to the song. Based on this preview, it appears that the album will have an elegant, yet somewhat muddled sound, which has already captured my interest and is likely to be one of my favorite albums of 2023. I am eagerly anticipating Dury's performance of it in Columbia Theatre Berlin on September 29th.
For all music enthusiasts, this day of dreams includes a remarkable array of newly released music. The 16th celebration of Record Store Day has set a high standard with respect to the quality, creativity, and variety of the music being released. Check out what's in store.
