Billy Strings, Bruce Springsteen, the Grateful Dead and More Unveil Exclusive Record Store Day Releases
Record Store Day’s full 2026 inventory has arrived, once again celebrating physical media and the shops that have facilitated its renewed vogue with a massive haul of exclusive releases. A whopping 363 products will be offered only in independent record shops on April 18, spanning a vast array of artists and genres.
Among the most exciting entries for Relix readers will be Billy Strings’ Live from NPR’s Tiny Desk, an exclusive EP release of the bluegrass firebrand’s December 2025 Tiny Desk session. The 12” milky white vinyl package, limited to 7,000 pieces, is the only physical release planned for his memorable live set, which featured intimate and ripping treatments of “Red Daisy,” “My Alice,” “Malfunction Junction” and “Gild the Lily.”
Live rarities for an intergenerational cohort of rock’s biggest names account for several of the most enticing exclusives. Bruce Springsteen’s Asbury Park homecoming performance at Sea.Hear.Now 2024, previously available to stream on nugs.net, will receive a five-LP release limited to 6,050 copies in the U.S. Pink Floyd’s bootleg Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 was unveiled as a Blu-ray in the band’s Wish You Were Here 50 set and will be released as an LP only on RSD. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ mythical, widely bootlegged 1978 broadcast on WBCN-FM will finally see an official release on luxe 180g pink and green vinyl. Neil Young fans will have the chance to take The Chrome Hearts’ 2025 Love Earth Tour home with an exclusive live album including cuts like “Ohio,” “Harvest Moon” and “Like a Hurricane.” Steely Dan’s Live in America is somehow their first-ever official live vinyl release.
As always, the good old Grateful Dead are well represented with the expansive Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA 6/11/76 five-LP box and On The Back Porch Vol. 3, the band’s latest easy listening collection in collaboration with Dogfish Head Brewery and archivist David Lemieux.
Some of the many other artists represented include Jerry Garcia, Talking Heads, The Who, John Coltarane, George Harrison, John Prine, Robert Plant, Bill Evans, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile,13th Floor Elevators, Flying Lotus, David Bowie, Brian Wilson, Roy Ayers, Art of Noise, Camper Van Beethoven, Jeff Buckley, Ahmad Jamal, The Cars, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Sonic Youth, Neko Case, Son Volt, Tyler Childers, King Crimson, The Cure, The Db’s, Cream, Waylon Jennings, T. Rex, Khruangbin, Laura Marling, Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Bunny Wailer and more. Find the full list here.
