Record Store Day, the annual celebration traditionally held on the third Saturday in April, allows music lovers and collectors alike to spend the day browsing exclusive releases and rare LPs all while supporting independent small businesses in their local communities.
This year, in honor of Record Store Day, the Philadelphia radio station WXPN – 88.5 FM on radio dials — is releasing a limited-edition album featuring emerging Philly-area musicians. "WXPN Homegrown Originals" includes six original songs, many of which were recorded for the radio station's ongoing concert series.
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Copies of the album will be available at Main Street Music in Manayunk, Repo Records in South Philadelphia, Siren Records in Doylestown, Forever Changes in Phoenixville and Newtown Book & Record Exchange in Newton.
"The Philly area is home to exceptional musical talent and independent record stores, and this special album release gives WXPN and local music lovers a way to support them both," John Vettese, host of "WXPN Local," said in a release. "These are artist whose music we feel deserves extra exposure and exploration, so we're happy to make 'WXPN Homegrown Originals' available for free on Record Store Day."
Vettese, who joined the WXPN team as a volunteer in 2006, wrote the liner notes for the album. The full track listing for the Record Store Day LP can be found below. Each side of the LP includes three original songs, according to WXPN.
• Catbite: "I Call Your Bluff"
• Snacktime: "I Don't Give A Damn"
• Riverby: "Birth By Sleep"
• Cosmic Guilt: "Cautious Lovers"
• Sug Daniels: "Leave Your Window Open (Bishop's Collar)"
• Echo Kid: "I Try"
Catbite is a neo-two tone ska band that formed in Philly in 2018. The group, made up of Brittany Luna, Tim Hildebrand, Ben Parry and Chris Pires, has released two successful albums and is touring the U.K. before returning to states for a performance at Broken Goblet Brewing in Bensalem on April 22.
The band's single, "Call Your Bluff," dropped in July 2021 ahead of the release of Catbite's sophomore album, "Nice One." Check out the official music video below.
Snacktime, a seven-piece brass-heavy band from Philadelphia, was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic and has become something of a city staple. The band spent much of its early days performing at Rittenhouse Square and The Singing Fountain in East Passyunk, playing boot-stomping covers of hits by Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire and Dua Lipa. The band released its first album, "Sounds From The Street: Live," last July.
After moving to Philly from South Jersey in 2015, Riverby lead singer August Greenberg wrote about 150 songs, according to the band's website. Greenberg formed the band with help from Tyler Asay in 2018, releasing "The Guide To Oversharing" in 2019 before signing to an independent label to help jumpstart the band's debut album, "Smart Mouth." "Birth By Sleep" is a single from the band's sophomore album, "Absolution."
Philly-based supergroup Cosmic Guilt officially formed in 2019, but the 10-piece country-rock band didn't truly debut until the release of "Cautious Lovers" in the summer of 2021. The heart-wrenching tune put the band on the map among fellow roots and alternative rock groups, leading to the release of the group's self-titled EP in 2022. Their most recent single, "Queen of the Dream," is available to stream now.
Sug Daniels is a singer, songwriter and music producer whose blend of folk, R&B and lo-fi aims to create a soulful musical experience with messages of hope and joy. Daniels, who has been releasing music steadily since late 2020, most recently dropped "When I'm Gone," available to stream or purchase on Bandcamp.
Echo Kid, the latest musical project from Brendan McHale and Christian Turzo-Egan of RFA, was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 after the duo put their original band's operations on hold. After releasing their debut album, "Folks At Home," in early 2021, Echo Kid got to work on new, experimental rock tracks for "Fever Dream," released last spring.
Music lovers can snag a copy of the WXPN album for themselves while browsing Record Store Day exclusives, including Taylor Swift's "folklore: the long pond studio sessions," on Saturday, April 22.