By: Kylie Kinnett
For the third time, Hybrid Records is preppingbrfor all vinyl enthusiast’s favorite bi-annual event, Record Store Day. Whatbrmakes this particular go around different than the others? We sat down withbrowner of the shop, Carlos Cooper, to find out what people can expect from thisbryears’ event and get an inside scoop on their latest release off the HybridbrRecords’ label, “Broozer”, from the Dallas based band, Odd Folks.
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So, what exactly is RecordbrStore Day?
Record Store Day is a bi-annual event that was created tobrcelebrate and promote independently owned Record Stores. The flagship day isbrthe third Saturday of April every year and there is also a smaller Record StorebrDay event on Black Friday. Labels and artists get together to release hundredsbrof exclusive vinyl records that can only be purchased from independentbrretailers. This takes huge retailers like Amazon and Best Buy out of thebrequation and encourages people to visit their local shop in person.
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What can people expectbrfrom the Record Store Day event at Hybrid Records this year?
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People can expect quite a bit this year. We have a twelve hour,brall day event planned from 11-11. We will have hundreds of exclusive titles onbrvinyl, an original release on our label, Live DJs during the day, live bands atbrnight, and free beer from our friends at Rebel Toad.
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A lot of people don’t knowbrthis, but Hybrid Records is also a record label. So, you guys are releasingbryour second record on the label on Record Store Day? Tell us about that.
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Hybrid Records started strictly as a retailer. But when you spendbrall your time with and around records, and constantly looking for new music,brsometimes you come across very promising independent and up and coming bandsbrwho do not have the resources to release their music on vinyl. So, it seemed a naturalbrextension of the store to start helping bands that we were inspired by and thatbrwe loved to listen to get their music on to vinyl and out in the physicalbrworld. Our first release was with an Austin band called Funeralbloom, which wasbra partnership with two other record labels. For our second, we found a bandbrcalled Odd Folks, who started out in College Station and have since relocatedbrto Dallas, and thought they were doing really great work.
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So, the band is frombrDallas. How did you get connected with them and ultimately decide to pressbrtheir record?
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The guitar player, Alex, has been a friend of mine since we werebr11 or 12 I’d say? I’m not entirely sure but we did meet in middle school when Ibrwas living in Midland. Anyway, he pursued playing music much more actively thanbrI ever did and I always kept an eye out for what his bands were up to. I sawbrthe latest band he was in, Odd Folks, released a really well-done music videobrfor their single “Friends” and had an active touring schedule. So, I saw a reallybrpromising and hardworking band that I had a vague connection with and who’sbrmusic I genuinely enjoyed and about an hour later I was in contact with thembrand we were starting the project.
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How would you describe OddbrFolks’ sound?
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Odd Folks has a very unique sound in that it’s instantlybrrecognizable and comfortable, but yet hard to put a finger on exactly whatbr“genre” it fits under. In simplest terms, they are a rock band. The “IndiebrRock” umbrella comes to mind, since it’s so vague and all encompassing, butbrthey also draw a lot of influence from pop-punk/punk rock and other DIY ethicsbr(they do all their recording and design work themselves).
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What do you hope to bringbrto the community with both your Record Store Day event and this new release?
brbrWe really just hope that with Record Store Day, andbrall our events, we can open a door for people to make their way into the shopbrwho maybe haven’t before or maybe have never felt a reason to. Because, evenbrthough Hybrid Records is a record store, it’s so much more. It’s an art gallerybrat times, a concert venue other times, and always a cultural gathering placebrfor people to get together and discuss everything from their favorite music orbrart, ponder existential questions, or even, for once and for all, decidebrwhether or not there is a difference between and dip and a sauce. Is BBQ saucebrone or the other, OR IS IT BOTH!?!? If even one person comes in on Record StorebrDay and finds a community here that they feel they can be a part of, or if onebrperson picks up the Odd Folks LP and realizes they love it, RSD would be abrsuccess.
You can pre-order the Odd Folks LP here and follow @hybridrecordstx on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with all things Record Store Day.
