Stop, shop and rock 'n' roll

Everyone in the local record-selling business seems to agree on two things: Record Store Day rocks, and this year's hottest exclusive item should be the vinyl edition of the Hold Steady's new album.

Beyond that, the Twin Cities' resilient indie music retailers have varying views and different approaches to what has turned into the biggest shopping day of the year for many record shops nationwide.

Happening again Saturday, Record Store Day was spawned three years ago by an Atlanta shop owner as a way of promoting indie stores' continued value and vitality in the age of iTunes. The idea has caught on like wildfire, as bands and record labels pitched in by offering up a catalog full of limited-release 7-inches, vinyl editions and other special items available exclusively for the special day.

The limited vinyl edition of the Hold Steady's new album, "Heaven Is Whenever," precedes the official release date by three weeks. Other exclusive RSD items are coming from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Devo, Phoenix, the Black Keys, Drive-by Truckers, Mastodon, Godsmack and our own Owl City.

The event caught on so quickly, some stores were caught off guard last year. "There was a line outside the door when I got here, and I was the only one scheduled to work," Treehouse Records manager Dan Cote recalled with a wince. "This year, we're opening an hour or two earlier [9 or 10 a.m.], and there'll be three of us here."

Most other stores will open early Saturday, too, and some are even offering free breakfast food for the early risers (including the Electric Fetus and Extreme Noise). In addition to the exclusive items on order, most of the RSD participants are also throwing storewide sales and beefing up their stock for the big day. Some shops are also hosting free in-store performances and holding contests.

Perhaps the biggest preparations are happening over at Hymie's Records. Saturday will be the cultish store's last day in the funky -- both the good and bad kind of funky -- two-story building at 3318 E. Lake St, its location for 23 years. New owners Dave and Laura Hoenack, who bought the store last year, said the site has simply become unworkable, with water leakage a constant problem.

There's still plenty of good news at Hymie's, though. The store already has a new location being prepped just a few blocks away at 3820 E. Lake St. Formerly Papa John Kolstad's Mill City Music, the new site sits right next to the hip Blue Moon Coffee shop and offers about 25 percent more space. And that's all on top of Hoenack's report that business has more than doubled since he took over Hymie's -- a hefty bump he attributed to bringing in turntable repair services and stereo equipment, plus stocking new vinyl and simply starting up a website (hymiesrecords.com).

"Record Store Day seemed like a good day to officially go out with the old, in with the new," Hoenack said.

Saturday might be the day local music fans discover the newest of the participating RSD shops, Dusty Pixels, which opened up in August in the old CD Warehouse space in Uptown, 2443 Hennepin Av. S. The store features used CDs, vinyl and -- the extra niche that every surviving record shop seemingly needs to find -- vintage video games. You can believe store co-owner Will Markwardt's pledge that "first and foremost, local artists deserve a spotlight" at the store, since he's one himself (singer/guitarist in the Absent Arch).

Luckily for everyone, all the stores around town are well stocked in local releases, which is probably why musicians are lining up to support them on Record Store Day. Solid Gold will once again throw its star power behind the Fetus by playing an after-hours RSD party with Idle Hands at Nick & Eddie's restaurant, tickets for which will be given out to the first 200 people who spend $15 or more at the store. Martin Devaney is even expected at two different shops, Hymie's and Eclipse Records (singing at the former and DJ-ing at the latter).

"It's still a very volatile market, so anything that can be done on behalf of independent record stores is a good thing," said Eclipse co-owner Joe Furth. "This really is a great thing for us."

Here are some exclusive RSD items that store managers suspect will be their hot sellers -- in addition to the Hold Steady album.

Scott Farrell, Down in the Valley (8020 Olson Memorial Hwy., Golden Valley): Jimi Hendrix live vinyl set; Pantera 108-gram vinyl, first three albums; Bon Iver/Peter Gabriel 7-inch.

Dan Cote, Treehouse Records (2557 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls.): Magnetic Fields' "69 Love Songs" vinyl edition; Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street" outtake 7-inch; Beach House 12-inch single.

Brad Stiffler, Extreme Noise (407 W. Lake St., Mpls.): F-ed Up's Daytrotter 7-inch; Hot Water Music's live 7-inch; Bouncing Souls' picture disc.

Storyhill's new 'Shade'

The disc was produced by Dan Wilson, who also recorded their 2007 eponymous comeback disc. There's real blood all over the Civil War epic "Better Angels," while the wounds are internal but still gory in songs such as "Well of Sorrow" and "Dangerous Weapon" (sample line: "Yes, that was love you stabbed through the heart / He struck you back and left you reeling"). You might want a pick-me-up from the bar before Storyhill's release party Saturday at the Guthrie's Proscenium Stage (7:30 p.m., $20).

Random mix

Keeping the jazz fires burning alongside his Pines and Mystery Palace bassist duties, James Buckley performs Friday and Saturday at the Artists' Quarter (9 p.m., $10) to tout "Signal Me," the third album by his namesake trio with J.T. Bates on drums and pianist Bryan Nichols. The limited-release collection is made up of looser and more experimental tracks from the same sessions as last year's masterful disc, "Knowing and Losing," but these didn't quite fit that album's cohesive feel. ...

While he's dressing up with Ruby Isle for Friday's Voltage: Fashion Amplified showcase, Mark Mallman's next move will be to mark the 10th anniversary of his well-received but out-of-print second album, "How I Lost My Life and Lived to Tell About It," which featured Kat Bjelland and members of 12 Rods as guests. He's reissuing the record and will perform it twice in its entirety April 30-May 1 at the Kitty Cat Klub. ...

The first big block party lineup of the year has been announced: Memory Lanes' free parking lot bash over Memorial Day weekend will feature Chooglin', Skoal Kodiak, Gay Witch Abortion and No Bird Sing on May 29, and Halloween, Alaska, Black Blondie, Lucy Michelle & the Velvet Lapelles and the Evening Rig on May 30, plus lots more. ... Retribution Gospel Choir deservedly earned the local-band slot for the June 19 Rock the Garden lineup outside the Walker Art Center, announced Tuesday with MGMT, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings and OK Go also on the bill. ...

P.O.S. is playing the first big national festival of the year this weekend, Coachella (in Indio, Calif.), and he prepped for the big gig by playing a series of smaller, nearly unannounced shows this week featuring his bandmates in Building Better Bombs backing up his rap anthems along with regular DJ Plain Ole Bill. Suffice it to say you haven't heard "Drumroll" until it's done with live drums. Here's hoping this live lineup isn't for big fests only.