The Monk is making a list… checking it twice… damnit, are all of these UK-only releases?!

The Powers That Be® have finally seen fit to publicize this year’s Record Store Day® list of rarities to battle over in the trenches come April 20th, 2013. In keeping with trends, this years there are more bands with releases that I want, followed by many more that I could care less about. The operative word is “more.” I had been closely following the official website as well as having downloaded the RSD app for one of my devices. But the last time I checked [and I checked often] the app was still all about Black Friday 2012.  Finally, with one month left until the day itself, The List has been dropped to the waiting masses. What looks good from here?

• Brian Eno x Nicolas Jaar x Grizzly Bear:  Lux remix 10″ [2000 copies]
• Conny Plank / various: The Conny Plank reWork sessions – 12″
• David Bowie: Drive-In Saturday Night b/w Drive-In Saturday Night (Russell Harty Plus Pop Version) – 7″ Picture Disc [3000 copies]
• Pulp: After You 12″ [1600 copies]
• Austra + Gina X: Mayan Drums 12″ [350 copies]
• King Crimson:  Going Schizoid With King Crimson: Collectables Set [CD 450 copies]
• Lloyd Cole & Hans-Joachim Rodelius: Rodelius-Schnieder 7″ [200 copies]
• The Three O’Clock: Live at The Old Waldorf 2/9/82 [425 copies]

I’ve highlighted the ones that go beyond “interesting” to “must have” in monksblood red. I am very excited to hear the fruits of Pulp’s return to the studio. They reformed after Jarvis Cocker got divorced, in a classic “get the band back together” move. Until now, though, it’s been about playing live only. This is their first new single.

The Austra/Gina X 12″ of “Mayan Drums” makes my brain boil over! It’s been exactly 29 years since Gina X has released any new music and this is it!!! And there is but a handful of copies available!!!!!!! [calm down, Monk] Adding fuel to the fire was that I recently saw Austra in concert and they are a fine, modern group with excellent musical values.

I have grooved to the new Lloyd Cole and Rodelius releases that Tapete Music and Bureau B have been releasing and I’m excited to hear fruits of their seemingly unlikely collaboration which I’ve previously written about. This 7″ is in a scant 200 copies, but I can imagine the Krautrock-loving staff at Harvest Records will be snapping up this one. Hopefully, I will too.

And the final thing that greatly intrigues me is the vintage Three O’Clock live album from 1982! It looks like this year’s sequel to the live ’81 DEVO album from last year’s RSD and I am happy to see the Three O’Clock reactivated of late. They play Coachella this year, but hopefully I’ll get the chance I never had 30 years ago if they tour widely. If that never happens, I’m more than interested in the LP of their live set.

That’s a nice list, but as usual, where things get very interesting are only available on the other side of the pond. The UK list is shot through with many core collection desirables, to wit:

• Frankie Goes To Hollywood: The Eye Has It  shaped 7″ picture disc
• John Foxx: Underpass Dave Clark/Oh The Gilt remixes 12″
• OMD: The Future Will Be SIlent 10″ picture disc
• Simple Minds: Promised You A Miracle [remix] 12″
• Ultravox: Vienna white vinyl LP

It’s not a long list, but if you’re me, it’s a powerful one! I have not been able to ascertain if the contents of the FGTH pic disc are anything I really need. “Maximum Joy” [Frankie Said version] is the A-side and the B-side is an instrumental version of “Is There Anyone Out There.” I’ve let my FGTH collecting lapse though. There are bigger and better fish to fry.

Like John Foxx, for example! The new remixes of “Underpass” sound like they are the same two offered as a premium for VIP tickets for last year’s Foxx tour with The Maths. Since I will never be able to see John Foxx live, I bristle at exclusive music only available to fans in the UK who spend $100 to see Foxx soundcheck live. Fortunately, for my sanity, so far, Foxx has later released these VIP premium tracks more widely. I don’t mind limited artifacts for anal-retentive collectors†, but as long as I can get the music, I’m happy.

† This Monk no longer has the money to play that game…

Another knife twist is the OMD 10″ pic disc with cuts from their new “English Electric” album… plus a single track [“Time Burns”] that appears on this 10″ picture disc exclusively. So not only does OMD have a track that’s insanely difficult to get in America, it’s on a freaking picture disc. Why not just print it on the side of a cereal box while you’re at it, guys? I’m getting really tired of RSD exclusives being issued in a lo-fi garbage format like picture disc.

And just like last year, Simple Minds conspire to put my money in the pockets of  poachers with another new remix of a classic track, this time backed with the new track from their “Celebration” greatest hits album, “Broken Glass Park.” Last year’s Minds remix 12″ was  a corker, and this year they got Mylo [?] to reconfigure their breakthrough hit, “Promised You A Miracle.”

We’ve got a month until Zero Hour, so wish me luck as I would extend it to you, dear readers. It’s not like I don’t already wake up at 4 AM on a Saturday anyway to walk the dog any way. Why not drive over to the west side and sit in a queue with other record geeks. Yikes, I just thought of a good reason why not to do it as I have guests during that weekend! Oh well…

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