Cassette Store Day is an international, annual observance intended to recognise the value of

Compact Cassette The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Ottens ...

s as a music format. Cassette Store Day was first held in 2013. The celebration was inspired by

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

, which acknowledges the importance of

record store A record shop or record store is a retail outlet that sells recorded music. In the late 19th century and the early 20th century, record shops only sold gramophone records, but over the 20th century, record shops sold the new formats that were ...

s and the

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...

music format.

Origin

Cassette Store Day was conceived by a group of

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

s based in the UK. In a blog post for ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'',

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

DJ Jen Long explained that she collaborated with Steven Rose of Sexbeat Records and Matt Flag of Suplex Cassettes to establish the observance. According to Long, although Cassette Store Day was inspired by

, the intention of Cassette Store Day is focused on celebrating cassettes rather than supporting shops—whereas the latter is the main goal of RSD. The first Cassette Store Day was observed on 7 September 2013. More than twenty-eight shops, including Rough Trade in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, participated by stocking special limited-edition cassettes. Some stores also hosted live performances. Cassette Store Day 2013 releases were led by the labels Sexbeat, Kissability, and Suplex Cassettes. New releases for Cassette Store Day 2013 included albums by

Fucked Up Fucked Up is a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2001. The band consists of Damian Abraham (vocals), Mike Haliechuk (guitar, vocals), Josh Zucker (guitar), Sandy Miranda (bass), and Jonah Falco (drums, vocals). From ...

and Fair Ohs, as well as cassettes reissues of material by artists including

The Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals), Derek Brown (keyb ...

At the Drive-In At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's most recent line-up consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, vocals), Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (dru ...

, and

Haim The name ''Haim'' can be a first name or surname originating in the Hebrew language, or deriving from the Old German name '' Haimo''. Hebrew etymology Chayyim ( he, חַיִּים ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''Ha ...

. Despite a major decline in popularity after the introduction of

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...

s, cassette sales are slowly increasing along with sales of other analogue formats. In June 2014, Cassette Store Day confirmed that the observance would continue into a second year. Despite continually unsteady cassette sales in recent years, founder Steve Rose expressed confidence in the cassette tape's "currentness" in the "DIY and underground scenes due to its affordability and ease". By 2016, shops in the US and UK were joined by participants in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, and Japan. Entering its seventh year in 2019, International Cassette Store Day is now managed in collaboration by Blak Hand Records (UK), Burger Records (USA) and Side-B Creations (Japan).

Reception

Founder Steve Rose did not anticipate resounding success for Cassette Store Day. However, he has predicted that the inexpensive and easy manufacturing of cassettes will help to steadily encourage their reintroduction. On the other hand, Bobby Owsinski wrote in ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

'' that cassettes were too dilapidated to see the same resurgence as vinyl records. Writing for ''

Washington City Paper The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focused ...

'', Sean Gray expressed reservations about Cassette Store Day and Record Store Day. Gray observes that as cassettes and records become more popular, prices may rise to exorbitant rates, making it difficult for collectors to enjoy the formats. Emma Garland of The Four Oh Five stated that while Record Store Day may overshadow small labels and artists, Cassette Store Day gives small labels better access to the celebration of analogue formats.

Releases

2013

In 2013, more than 50 cassette editions of releases were issued for Cassette Store Day. The three founding labels, Sexbeat, Kissability, and Suplex, were supplemented by 4AD,

Transgressive Records Transgressive Records is an independent record label based in London, formed in 2004. Its founders, Tim Dellow and Toby L, first met at a Bloc Party gig organised by Toby's Rockfeedback website. The label's debut release was "1am" by the Subwa ...

Bella Union Bella Union is a British independent record label founded in 1997 by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. It is now run solely by Raymonde. History After releasing records with 4AD for a large part of their career, Cocteau Twin ...

, and other small independent labels. Exclusive releases and reissues included: *

Deerhunter Deerhunter is an American indie rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2001. The band currently consists of Bradford Cox (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Moses Archuleta (drums, electronics, sound treatments), Lotus Plaza, Lockett Pundt (guitar, ...

– ''

Monomania In 19th-century psychiatry, monomania (from Greek , one, and , meaning "madness" or "frenzy") was a form of partial insanity conceived as single psychological obsession in an otherwise sound mind. Types Monomania may refer to: * De Clerambaul ...

'' ( 4AD) *

– ''

The Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...

'' (

) *

– '' Hidden World'' (Sexbeat) *

– ''

Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama * ''Forever'' (1992 film), an American ...

'' (

Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

) *

Los Campesinos! Los Campesinos! are a seven-piece indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales, formed in early 2006 at Cardiff University. Though the band formed in Wales, none of the members are Welsh people, Welsh. The band has gone through several lineup changes dur ...

– ''A Good Night For a Fist Fight'' (Kissability) * Twink – ''

Think Pink In their most common sense, the terms thought and thinking refer to conscious cognitive processes that can happen independently of sensory stimulation. Their most paradigmatic forms are judging, reasoning, concept formation, problem solving, a ...

'' (

Burger Records Burger Records was an American independent record label and record store in Fullerton, California, United States. The label was founded in 2007 by Sean Bohrman and Lee Rickard, members of the power pop band Thee Makeout Party. The record/video s ...

)

2014

Over 300 cassette releases were coordinated for the second Cassette Store Day. Notable releases included: * Andrew Jackson Jihad – ''

Christmas Island Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...

'' (

SideOneDummy Records SideOneDummy Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1995 by Bill Armstrong and Joe Sib. The label began as a way for them to release music for their friends' bands. Thereafter SideOneDummy launched the care ...

) *

Julian Casablancas + The Voidz The Voidz (formerly Julian Casablancas + The Voidz) are an American rock band. They consist of Julian Casablancas (vocals), Jeramy "Beardo" Gritter (guitar), Amir Yaghmai (guitar), Jacob "Jake" Bercovici (bass, synthesizers), Alex Carapetis (d ...

- ''

Tyranny A tyrant (), in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defend their positions by resorting to rep ...

'' (

Cult Records Cult Records is an independent record label founded by Julian Casablancas (of The Strokes) in 2009. Initially used as an imprint for Casablancas' solo releases, Cult later became a standalone label, and in June 2014 entered a label services ag ...

) *

The Gaslight Anthem The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 2006. The band consists of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing vocals), ...

– ''

The '59 Sound ''The '59 Sound'' is the second studio album by American punk rock band the Gaslight Anthem, released on August 19, 2008, by record label SideOneDummy. In December 2008, eMusic named ''The '59 Sound'' the best album of 2008. ''NME'' rated it as ...

'' (SideOneDummy Records) *

Karen O Karen Lee Orzolek (born November 22, 1978) is a South Korean-born American singer, musician, and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist for the indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Early life She was born in Seoul, South Korea, the daughter of a Ko ...

- ''

Crush Songs ''Crush Songs'' is the debut solo studio album by Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead vocalist Karen O. It was released on September 5, 2014, by Cult Records. "Rapt" was released as the album's lead single on July 29, 2014. Background and recording The songs w ...

'' (Cult Records) *

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a d ...

– ''

They'll Need a Crane "They'll Need a Crane" is a single and song by They Might Be Giants. In addition to vinyl and cassette releases, the single was released as a 3-inch CD. "They'll Need a Crane" was the first song the band performed on network television, in 1989 o ...

'', ''

(She Was A) Hotel Detective "(She Was A) Hotel Detective" is a song and single by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released as a single on May 5, 1988, two years after the release of ''They Might Be Giants'', the album on which it originally appeared. The " ...

'', ''

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

'' (Idlewild Recordings)

2015

In 2015, over 100 titles were released exclusively for Cassette Store Day. Shops in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany participated. Exclusive releases included: * Alex G – ''Beach Music'' (

Domino Recording Company Domino Recording Company or simply Domino is a British independent record label based in London. There is also a wing of the label based in Brooklyn, New York that handles releases in the United States, as well as a German division called Dom ...

) *

Beach Slang Beach Slang was an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in May 2013. The band underwent several line-up changes, with lead vocalist/guitarist James Alex serving as the band's leader, figurehead, chief songwriter and sole ori ...

– ''HERE, I MADE THIS FOR YOU'' ( Polyvinyl Record Co.) * Foals – ''

What Went Down ''What Went Down'' is the fourth studio album by British rock band Foals, released on 28 August 2015 via Transgressive Records in the United Kingdom. The album is produced by James Ford, known for his work with Simian Mobile Disco, The Last ...

'' (

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

) *

– ''

'', ''

American Slang American slang is slang that is common in, or particular to, the United States. The term can refer specifically to: Language *California slang, slang used in California English, or which originates in California *Hawaiian Pidgin, English-based C ...

'' (

) *

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...

– ''

Dookie ''Dookie'' is the third studio album and the major label debut by American rock band Green Day, released on February 1, 1994, by Reprise Records. The band's first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo, it was recorded in late 1993 at Fantasy ...

'' (

) *

Kylesa Kylesa is an American heavy metal band that was formed in Savannah, Georgia. Their music incorporates experimentalism with heavy riffs, drop-tuned guitars and elements of psychedelic rock. The group was established in 2001 by the former member ...

– '' Spiral Shadow'', ''

Ultraviolet Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nanometer, nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 Hertz, PHz) to 400 nm (750 Hertz, THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than ...

'' (

Season of Mist Season of Mist is an independent record label and record distributor with subsidiaries in France and the United States. The record label was founded in 1996 by Michael S. Berberian in Marseille, France. From the start releasing black metal, pag ...

) *

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...

– ''

Bad Magic ''Bad Magic'' is the twenty-second and final studio album by the British rock band Motörhead. Released on 28 August 2015, it is the fifth release under the UDR / Motörhead Music collaboration of the previous five years. Due to the death of ...

'' (UDR) *

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

– Drones (

Helium 3 Helium-3 (3He see also helion) is a light, stable isotope of helium with two protons and one neutron (the most common isotope, helium-4, having two protons and two neutrons in contrast). Other than protium (ordinary hydrogen), helium-3 is the ...

) *Philiac - This Appalling Ocean

2016

Cassette Store Day 2016 took place on 8 October 2016. In addition to the original founding labels, CSD was to be led in the US by Burger Records, in Germany by Späti Palace and Mansions and Millions, in France by Balades Sonores, and in Japan by VSI.

2017

Cassette Store Day 2017 took place on 14 October 2017. Management for International Cassette Store Day was assumed by Brit Williams (Blak Hand Records), Sean Bohrman (Burger Records) and Takamasa Endo (VSI). Events took place in the US, Japan, UK, China, Australia, Indonesia, and Europe. Having taken over UK duties from Cassette Store Day's founders, Brit Williams stated "For the past few years, Cassette Store Day has been the most anticipated release we do at Blak Hand. It gives us a chance to showcase some of our best bands by throwing out a mixtape so people can hear the distinct sound of what we do. I know for many, CSD is the perfect chance to get music heard to broader audience and bring people together through the art of the tape. We’re thrilled to once again celebrate all things analogue and help bring attention to some up and coming artists and labels in the country." Sean Bohrman of Burger Records also commented on the success that CSD has had at increasing the relevancy of cassettes. Over 300 bands and labels worldwide participated in the event. Notable releases included

The White Stripes The White Stripes were an American rock duo from Detroit formed in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (songwriter, vocals, guitar, piano, and mandolin) and Meg White (drums and vocals). After releasing several singles and three albums with ...

reissues of their first three albums, ''

'', ''

De Stijl ''De Stijl'' (; ), Dutch for "The Style", also known as Neoplasticism, was a Dutch art movement founded in 1917 in Leiden. De Stijl consisted of artists and architects. In a more narrow sense, the term ''De Stijl'' is used to refer to a body o ...

'' and ''

White Blood Cells White blood cells, also called leukocytes or leucocytes, are the cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and derived from mult ...

'' which were printed onto white tape exclusively for Cassette Store Day through

Third Man Records Third Man Records is an eclectic, vinyl-focused independent record label founded and owned by Jack White, Ben Blackwell and Ben Swank. The company operates out of three locations—Nashville, Tennessee, Detroit, Michigan, and Soho, London—with ...

2018

2019

The 2019 edition featured ''Oil Wars'' by Philiac,

Jay Reatard James Lee Lindsey Jr. (May 1, 1980 – January 13, 2010), known professionally as Jay Reatard, was an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee. He was signed to Matador Records. He released recordings as a solo artist and as a member of the Reat ...

's '' Blood Visions'', ''

Old LP ''Old LP'' is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band That Dog, released on October 4, 2019, by UME. The album is the band's first since their 2011 reformation and received positive reviews from critics. Recording and release So ...

'' by that dog., and '' Midi Swamp'' from

Dr. Dog Dr. Dog is an American rock band based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Its lineup consists of Toby Leaman (bass guitar), Scott McMicken (lead guitar), Frank McElroy ( rhythm guitar), Zach Miller (keyboard), Eric Slick ( drums), an ...

but print runs were curtailed by a shortage of

ferric oxide Iron(III) oxide or ferric oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula Fe2O3. It is one of the three main oxides of iron, the other two being iron(II) oxide (FeO), which is rare; and iron(II,III) oxide (Fe3O4), which also occurs naturally a ...

2022

In 2022 Cassette Store Week was launched by Tapehead City, it took place from 9th to 15th of October. https://www.cassetteweek.com

References

External links

MySpace Page
{{Authority control September observances Unofficial observances Music retailers 2013 introductions