Hey all -

By now, you ought to be well aware of how Record Store Day is going down this year here at Twist — but just in case you're not, please click through HERE a short video tutorial, links to the RSD list, and other rules and tips you need to know before you come down! Please remember that if Colfax is a deterrent to driving here, 13th and 14th are perfectly good thoroughfares and you can access our free garage from either Elizabeth of Columbine streets. Hopefully this snow we're supposed to be seeing midday Friday will just be a minor event and though it'll be chilly overnight we're currently looking at an OK day once the sun is up on Saturday and howmuchwillitsnow.com predicts only about an inch of accumulation during Friday afternoon, so fingers are crossed for the best. But even if not, we've had heavy snows and freezing temps for nine of the last ten RSDs, and like true Coloradans y'all folks just layer and keep warm so I know you can handle it! Just a final reminder before we move on that you should follow the link above for one last run-through of the list and see what changes may have been made since the last time you checked. It's stayed stable since last week and we've now received everything we're getting, which despite allocations is a ton — 371 different titles by my unofficial count (that actually probably weighs more than a ton!). Should be a great day all around and we're looking forward to seeing you all here!

The labels tend to shy away from new releases right before RSD, but there are still a few new releases that have snuck out this week. Here are the highlights of what we got: experimental pop collective Animal Collective release Jetty OST, adding another left-field soundtrack to their catalog, available as an indie exclusive limited numbered release; underground hip-hop artist Elucid teams up with Sebb Bash for I Guess U Had to Be There, a dense and exploratory collaboration, available on CD and LP; Gary Klebe, lead guitarist of legendary power poppers Shoes, releases his first solo album Out Loud, available on CD and LP; indie newcomers Snocaps drop their self-titled debut, available on CD and indie exclusive blue marble vinyl LP; alt-rock cult heroes They Might Be Giants return with The World Is To Dig, continuing their long-running run of clever, offbeat songwriting, available on CD and yellow vinyl LP; ECM legend Miroslav Vitous brings Mountain Call to vinyl, a richly textured jazz session featuring an all-star cast, available on LP (CD already out); and UK pop-soul standout Jessie Ware returns with Superbloom, another sleek and sophisticated entry in her catalog, available on CD and LP.

In reissues, the labels are a little more generous with their pre-RSD releases, so we've got a good bounty this week and here are the highlights: the Verve Vault series delivers Cannonball Adderley's Cannonball's Sharpshooters, recorded in March 1958 with his own quartet just days before his all-star Somethin' Else session, alongside Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' 'S Make It, recorded late 1964 and featuring Lee Morgan and a rare appearance by John Gilmore outside Sun Ra's Arkestra, available on LP; hip-hop icons Beastie Boys revisit To the 5 Boroughs with a limited deluxe edition, available as a 2CD or 3LP set; the Chess Acoustic Sounds series brings Chuck Berry's St. Louis to Liverpool, his 1964 hit album, alongside Etta James' Tell Mama, the 1968 classic featuring one of her all-time signature songs, available on 180g LP; grindcore pioneers Carcass reissue Heartwork, their landmark melodic death metal album, available on indie exclusive purple/pink marble vinyl LP; noise-punk legends Flipper revisit Generic Flipper, widely considered their best, available as a limited yellow vinyl LP; Little Feat's self-titled album gets a deluxe reissue, with the CD version of the RSD LP arriving tomorrow, available on CD; pop superstar Jennifer Lopez revisits her 2001 sophomore album J.Lo, featuring hits like “I'm Real” and “Love Don't Cost A Thing,” available on LP; the Blue Note Classic Edition series delivers Blue Mitchell's The Thing To Do, a great 1965 hard bop session featuring Chick Corea, alongside Stanley Turrentine's Easy Walker, a 1968 soul-jazz date featuring McCoy Tyner, available on LP; jazz great Oscar Peterson Trio's At Baker's Keyboard Lounge, recorded in 1960, returns, available on CD and LP; John Prine's BBC Sessions sees a CD release of the RSD LP arriving tomorrow, available on CD; proto-punk pioneers The Stooges revisit Fun House via the Rhino Hi-Fidelity series, available on LP; Russian pop duo t.A.T.u. reissue 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane, their breakthrough album, available on CD and gold/green vinyl LP with poster; ambient electronic artist Tycho celebrates Epoch with a 10th anniversary reissue, available on black/blue marble vinyl LP; The Velvet Underground's Loaded returns as an indie exclusive Rhino Hi-Fidelity pressing, available on LP; and British Invasion legends The Zombies revisit their debut Begin Here, available on CD and indie exclusive clear vinyl LP.

In home video, it's a nice, moderate volume week for new stuff on Blu-ray and 4K UHD. Here's what we got from this week's releases: First off, the Criterion Collection has upgraded and reissued two comedy classics on both Blu-ray and 4K UHD/Blu-ray combo packs — Monty Python's hilarious satirical 1979 look at religion (funded largely by George Harrison!) Monty Python's Life of Brian, and Ernst Lubitsch's pre-Code romantic comedy masterpiece Trouble in Paradise; also out on Blu-ray this week we've got the 1980 supernatural horror film Death Ship, a twofer of the 1984 underground cult musical/comedy Desperate Teenage Lovedolls and its 1986 sequel Lovedolls Superstar, French silent master filmmaker Louis Feuillade's 1918 crime serial Tih-Minh, the 1985 sci-fi/comedy UFOria, action/adventure hit Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (also 1985) starring Fred Ward in the title role, and the 1996 superhero action/comedy film The Phantom. In UHD/Blu-ray combo packages, we've got a couple cool titles to mention as well: the 1985 thriller Runaway Train (based on an original screenplay by Akira Kurosawa) and the 2012 anime Wolf Children. Lastly, out on UHD from Mondo Macabro is Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight (Blu-ray already available).

Outside the store, next door our pals at the Sie Film Center are closing in on finishing their retrospective of the comic giant Mel Brooks, screening the Hitchcock parody High Anxiety at noon on Record Store Day (April 18th), and closing strong on the next two Tuesdays with Blazing Saddles on the 21st and Young Frankenstein on the 28th. They've also got two upcoming series in June posted — one celebrating the World Cup in cinema with a varied batch of titles, the other called Bleak Week, which when you see the titles included will make a lot of sense. Given that my friend once (not inaccurately) described my taste in films as “boring Euro-bummers” this is right in my wheelhouse. Get info for all these screenings, plus more retrospective titles coming to the Sie by clicking HERE! And once you've had the weekend to cool off from Record Store Day, on Tuesday April 21st, Meow Wolf will be hosting the long-running U.K. indie rock band The Wedding Present, who (correct me if I'm wrong) haven't played here since a Gothic show back in 2005 — and now added to the bill as opener is Mark Robinson, lead singer of the beloved indie rock band Unrest, singing the music of Unrest. You can read about the show and get tickets for this rare treat HERE! Peeking out to May, Denver-based bassist/composer Matt Smiley (who by no coincidence I got to hang with at Big Ears this year) will be doing a very Big Ears-ish performance by conducting John Zorn's Cobra at the Muse Performance Space in Lafayette. It's a wild listening experience that occupies a space somewhere between instant composition and a game for the players, and it's far better experienced live than reading me trying to explain it. You can get more data and get your tix HERE! Also coming up in early May, Mike Watt has recovered enough from a recent illness to tour again, and he's doing two nights at HQ on Broadway on Thursday May 7th and Friday May 8th. The site doesn't allow me to point you to these specific shows, but if you need tix, you can click the link HERE and scroll down to the dates in question to pick yours up. And the day after that, on Saturday May 9th, garage/psych-rocker King Tuff will be bringing his show to Globe Hall, and you can find out more info and get tix for that by clicking right HERE! /p>

A little further in the month, "The King of Juke Joint Swing" - Wayne “The Train” Hancock — will be rolling into the Hi-Dive on Wednesday May 13th and you can get all the info you need and tix for that show HERE. But if that's not your thing, maybe the same night you'll be at Meow Wolf, seeing London post-punk band Dry Cleaning (with openers Hotline TNT) — which you can find out more about and get tix HERE. And if metal is more your bag, Finnish psychedelic black metal band Oranssi Pazuzu will be playing at the Bluebird on Friday May 15th with local metal heroes Wayfarer opening for them. Find out more about the show or get your tix HERE! And the week after that, Canadian electronic group Holy Fuck will be appearing at Cervantes on Tuesday May 19th and naturally you can find info and tix by clicking HERE. Lastly for now, the Levitt Pavilion has expanded their list of free shows for this season. As always, it's a great batch, including a Pride kickoff event with Tiana Major9, and concerts from The Flobots, Dessa, Black Uhuru, Rebirth Brass Band, Chali 2na and Cut Chemist, and many more. Check the whole lineup HERE and get the picnic baskets ready!

Although it's allergy season stuff is still going around, so be sure you're staying safe and healthy out there. Please feel free any time you visit to take advantage of our complimentary masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer while shopping to help keep yourself and your community healthy!

Cheers,
Patrick