Each year, Record Store Day arrives with an avalanche of releases on a whole variety of media. Generally produced in relatively small quantities and invariably described in terms of their exclusivity and collectability, they present a challenge to distribution and wallets alike. Here you can read about the offerings from two labels: California’s Real Gone Music and North Carolina’s Yep Roc Records.
Real Gone Music’s 2026 Black Friday Record Store Day releases include two from Barenaked Ladies and one from Tom Verlaine.
“Each year, Real Gone Music strives to release something above and beyond for Record Store Day/Black Friday,” said Gordon Anderson, Co-President of Real Gone Music. “This crop is really special; we worked directly with the Barenaked Ladies albums for two 30th anniversary releases and got to work with the estate of one of my heroes, Tom Verlaine.”
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies’ 1996 album Born on a Pirate Ship celebrates its 30th anniversary with its first-ever LP release, remastered for vinyl and adding a couple of bonus tracks, Trust Me (from the Shoe Box EP) and Back (a B-Side on the US Brian Wilson CD single). The last side is reserved for a skull-and-crossbones etching.
Rock Spectacle is a live album which represented their breakthrough in the US and teed up their ascent with its Stunt follow-up. For its vinyl debut on its 30th anniversary, the record has been remastered for vinyl and pressed on orange vinyl, with a printed inner sleeve.
Tom Verlaine
Live in NYC 1996-2006 is a double-LP collection of completely unreleased live performances drawn from four different New York shows spanning the years of 1996 to 2006. Songs were from his solo albums ranging from his first self-titled release to The Wonder, Flash Light, Words from the Front, Around, and Songs and Other Things, plus three songs new to his discography. Compiled and mastered by Verlaine’s long-time engineer and bandmate Patrick Derivaz, with artwork contributions by his partner, the artist Jutta Koether, and liner notes by Derivaz, Koether, David Fricke, Jimmy Rip, David Licht, and Tony Shanahan, Live NYC 96-06 is pressed on blue vinyl.
Yep Roc Records meanwhile has listed four special releases from its catalogue for Record Store Day Black Friday 2026. This year’s selection includes deluxe anniversary editions of Chuck Prophet’s Temple Beautiful, Fountains of Wayne’s Sky Full of Holes, and The Fleshtones’ Solid Gold Sound!, alongside a limited-edition coloured vinyl reissue of John Doe & The Sadies’ Country Club.
Chuck Prophet
Celebrating the 15th anniversary of Chuck Prophet’s love letter to San Francisco, Temple Beautiful deluxe set brings together the original studio album plus Strings in the Temple Live, and a collection of previously unreleased demos. Available on vinyl and CD for the first time, Strings in the Temple Live is paired with a CD of rare demos exclusive to this release, offering an early glimpse of the songs that would become Temple Beautiful. The collection includes the original studio album and live album on both LP and CD, along with a poster and a 32-page booklet featuring lyrics, photos, and liner notes by Holly Gleason. Don’t forget Chuck plays our 25 year event in Liverpool next month.
Fountains of Wayne
Celebrating the 15th anniversary of Fountains of Wayne’s fifth and final studio album, Sky Full of Holes [editor’s note: I know people will hate this but this is still basically my favourite album ever recorded], this exclusive for Record Store Day Black Friday edition brings the 2011 release back to vinyl for the first time since its original pressing. Sky Full of Holes includes fan favourites Someone’s Gonna Break Your Heart, The Summer Place, and A Road Song. Written by Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood, the album remains a fitting final chapter in the power pop band’s studio discography. Long out of print, Sky Full of Holes returns on sky blue vinyl.
The Fleshtones
The Fleshtones reach their 50th anniversary in 2026 with a 25th anniversary special reissue of their 2001 album, Solid Gold Sound! Originally released in limited quantities and long out of print, this newly remastered and pressed on gold vinyl edition features two previously unreleased bonus tracks from the original sessions: Drink, Drank, Drunk and a cover of The Orlons’ The Wah-Watusi.
John Doe & The Sadies
What began as a post-show, whiskey-fuelled promise between X and The Knitters’ John Doe and The Sadies became Country Club, a spirited collection of classic country songs and four originals including one penned by Doe and Exene Cervenka; the album blends traditional country, rock ‘n’ roll, and a touch of psychedelia. The Countrypolitan sound of late-1960s Nashville meets Bakersfield honky-tonk, with Doe’s distinct vocals backed by the formidable guitar work of brothers Dallas and Travis Good. Long out of print, Country Club returns on limited-edition orange-smoke vinyl.
