Record Store Day celebrates the indie spirit

Despite what you might have heard, you don't have to buy music in a cavernous box that displays compact discs next to dishwashers. And you don't have to buy it as an invisible computer file, either.

Good old-fashioned independent record stores - that's right, record stores - still rock all over the suburbs.

To prove it, retailers from Des Plaines to Geneva will fly their rock 'n' roll flags this weekend with special deals on music, raffles and other activities.

The suburban celebration is part of the second annual Record Store Day, a national effort to shine a light on the unique pleasures to be had buying music inside mom-and-pop stores from people who are passionate (and knowledgeable) about rock 'n' roll.

"This is a fantastic idea," said John Thominet, owner of Rainbow Records in Barrington. "It lets people know that we haven't gone away. I really hope that parents will bring their kids in and show them buying music is about more than clicking a computer mouse."

More than 1,000 stores across the country will participate in the event. Record Store Day officially takes place on Saturday, April 18, though some stores will offer deals throughout the weekend.

Suburban stores plan to celebrate the day in high style. For example:

Thominet, a fanatical music collector who bought Rainbow Records in 1998 and moved it to Barrington in 2006, said he will play nothing but vinyl records in his store on Saturday, focusing on a different decade each hour. Most of his stock - used vinyl and CDs as well as new material - will be on sale, and he'll hold drawings for special prizes like posters and T-shirts.

Kiss the Sky records in Geneva will offer food and drinks throughout the day Saturday. The store will give away a free turntable with each purchase of $200 in used vinyl and $300 in new vinyl, and like many stores participating in Record Store Day, Kiss the Sky will sell a series of limited CD releases offered specifically for the event by Bruce Springsteen, My Morning Jacket and more. (Go to recordstoreday.com for a full list of the special releases.)

Platterpus Records in Addison, while not fitting the traditional mold of the indie record store, also has activities on tap. Platterpus is a vinyl-only establishment that conducts the majority of its sales via the Internet. Customers can shop in the Platterpus warehouse by appointment, though, and the owners are opening up the facility for a Record Store Day pre-party from 3 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 17, (it won't be open on Saturday).

"We'll be giving away tons of cool stuff, and most of our stock will be marked down," said co-owner Christopher Grey of St. Charles. "Even though we are an online retailer, we share that indie spirit, and we wanted to let people get a jump on Record Store Day."

The buzz surrounding Record Store Day is gratifying to local retailers because just a few short years ago, many people thought record stores had become obsolete, driven to near-extinction by the low prices offered in big-box chain stores and the convenience offered by digital downloading.

Lately, though, an unlikely hero has emerged for indie stores: the vinyl LP record. Roughly 1.8 million vinyl records were sold in 2008, according to a Neilsen SoundScan report. That's an 89 percent increase over the previous year. More than two-thirds of those records were purchased at indie record stores.

The albums sold include used records from the 1960s and 1970s, as well as new releases from contemporary bands like Radiohead and the White Stripes. Today's records are made of 180-gram vinyl that sounds better and is more durable than the LPS of old.

"That's why I don't think it's just a temporary fad," said Bob Sluyter, owner of Shooting Stars Records in Carpentersville, another participating Record Store Day retailer. "The new stuff, whether it's brand-new music from current bands or reissues of older music, is of really great quality. Young people are really interested in it."

In addition to the popularity of vinyl, suburban retailers say they've noticed a renewed appreciation for the cultural experience a visit to a record store provides.

"These places have atmosphere," Thominet said. "They're a place where you can talk about music, discover new things. I don't think you can get that anywhere else."

Local stores

The following suburban stores will participate in the second annual Record Store Day this weekend. For a list of all participating stores in the Chicago area, go to recordstoreday.com.

Algonquin Records, 532 E. Algonquin Road, Des Plaines (847) 827-0673; algonquinrecords.com

Kiss the Sky, 301 W. State St., Geneva (630) 232-1888, kissthesky.net

Platterpus Records, 40 S. Addison Road, Suite 200, Addison (847) 490-5696; platterpus.com

Rainbow Records, 714 S. Northwest Hwy., Barrington (847) 304-0721

Sunshine Daydream, 2027 E. Euclid Ave., Mount Prospect (847) 299-2622; hippiegeneralstore.com

Shooting Stars Records, 50 E. Main St., Carpentersville (847) 836-9007