The fifth annual celebration of all that’s great about real, bricks’n’mortar record shops, Record Store Day, takes place on Saturday 21 April. It’s an international event that sees musicians releasing limited edition special records that are only available in participating stores. Where to find a participating store in Oxfordshire? Why, Truck Store on the Cowley Road, and Rapture Records in Witney, of course!

Both stores will open up on 21 April at 9.00 am, and both will be carrying copies of some of the huge amount of limited releases that are due out on the day. These include records by Bob Dylan, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, T-Rex, Morrissey and Metallica and, roughly, 395 other artists. In previous years these limited editions have contained exclusive material, and sold out super-fast – so get there early.

Truck Store also hosts live music on the day, to further tempt in the music-lovers of Oxford. There will be free in-store performances starting at 1.00 pm from The Graceful Slicks, Bethany Weimers, The Old Grinding Young and The Epstein. Later on the same day, a special ‘after-party’ will be held at The Cellar in Oxford. This gig, co-organised with Oxfordshire Music Scene magazine, presents Kill Murray (who launch their new EP ‘A Drug To Shake You Up’ on Record Store Day, along with The Scholars and Robots With Souls. Gig punters also get free entry to the Extracurricular club night running at the same venue straight afterwards, which includes a one-hour live set from Coloureds. Phew-wee!

If that ain’t enough, Sonic Rising have recorded a new track, ‘Solar Eyes’ – a glorious chunk of psyched-out drone rock – to mark the occasion. You can hear the track using the player below, and if you like it, buy a very limited edition Record Store Day CD at Truck Store on 21 April, from which time it’ll also be available to download.

Celebrate! Buy records! Listen to music! Look at these websites: Truck Store / Rapture Records