Record Store Day started in 2007. It’s an annual, worldwide appreciation of independent record stores that takes many forms, not least the releasing of several limited-edition records each year from a variety of pretty big-league artists.

Oxford’s Truck Store on Cowley Road is pitching in this year with celebrations over the weekend of 16/17 April. These will include in-store performances over the two days from a host of local artists, including these that have been confirmed so far: Young Knives, Little Fish, Richard Walters, Spring Offensive, The Half Rabbits. There will even be a bar in the shop over the weekend to provide that magical combination of shopping for music, listening to music and getting tipsy.

There’s a list of the vast array of special releases to mark Record Store Day on their website, and Truck Store will do their best to stock as many of these as they can.

Regardless of your feelings towards the age-old vinyl vs. CD vs. mp3 vs. 8-track cassette vs. wax cylinder debate, one cannot question the importance of independence in stores that sell music. It tends to mean good service, interesting stock and a step beyond the purely cut-throat commercial aims of international conglomerates. So make sure to support Record Store Day!