Record Store Day Black Friday hits this Friday, 11/28, and this year’s lineup has some titles worth bundling up and getting in line early. Along with the picture discs and novelty pressings, RSD Black Friday brings several exclusives that TFN thinks is worth checking out: deep-dive archival boxes, punk history captured in its natural habitat, psych-rock flights pressed into bizarre shapes, and anniversary editions that earn their premium price tag. From Elektra-era legends to basement-born weirdos, these seven releases stand out from the chaos.
Love – The Complete Elektra Albums (5×LP Box Set, RSD Exclusive – 2,000 copies)
Why It Matters:
A crown jewel of this year’s Black Friday haul, this 5×LP set brings together Love’s complete Elektra-era catalog — from the raw beginnings of Love and Da Capo to the baroque psych masterpiece Forever Changes and the soulful riffage of Four Sail. For anyone who’s been circling the used bins trying to assemble clean copies, this box is a gift. It’s a definitive document of a band whose influence outshines their commercial footprint, and the ideal way to revisit one of the most quietly essential runs in ‘60s rock.
Collector’s Note:
Pressed as an RSD Exclusive in a run of 2,000, this box gathers all four albums with refreshed packaging tied to Elektra’s 60th anniversary. Expect this one to disappear fast — it has the same long-term “why didn’t I buy that?” energy as previous Elektra-themed archival boxes.
Ramones – Live at CBGB 1977 (Red Vinyl, RSD Exclusive – 6,000 copies)
Why It Matters:
This is punk in its natural state: sweaty, loud, fast, and happening in a room that barely contained it. Captured in 1977, this set is the Ramones at full sprint, just before they officially became legends. It’s a time capsule of downtown New York at the exact moment the scene tipped from cult to canon. RSD should always surface material like this — raw audio history that feels alive the second the needle drops.
Collector’s Note:
Pressed on red vinyl, limited to 6,000 copies, and labeled as a Rhino RSD Exclusive. First time this CBGB set has ever been released on vinyl. Many stores will blow through whatever they get — this one’s guaranteed line-starter material.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Live in ’24 (Picture Disc, RSD First – 1,500 copies)
Why It Matters:
For RSD Black Friday, Having Fun Records pressed a four-song set onto a paper airplane–shaped picture disc, inspired by the band’s infamous Flight b741 narrative. The music is pulled from Gizz’s massive Bootlegger live series, stitched together into a compact, high-energy blast that captures the band in full attack mode. It’s exactly the kind of left-field vinyl artifact that keeps Gizz’s extended universe fun to explore.
Collector’s Note:
An RSD First drop limited to 1,500 copies, with the novelty airplane-shaped picture disc and unique artwork created by Having Fun Records. Lots of King Gizzard bootleg fans out there with this limited initial RSD drop there might be some competition at the bins.
Son Volt – Trace (30th Anniversary Edition) (2×LP, Purple Vinyl, RSD Exclusive – 3,000 copies)
Why It Matters:
A pillar of alt-country and one of the defining records of the ’90s roots revival, Trace still hits like a postcard from the American highway: dusty, melodic, and full of quiet ache. This 30th Anniversary Edition pairs the original album with a full LP of bonus material, a move that deepens the story without diluting the record’s emotional punch. It’s the type of reissue anniversary campaigns should strive for — thoughtful, expanded, and genuinely worth owning.
Collector’s Note:
Pressed on double vinyl, with an RSD Exclusive run of 3,000 copies, and featuring newly remastered audio plus supplemental tracks. One of the more musically substantial reissues of the day.
Sugar – Copper Blue: The Singles Collection (4×12″ Set, RSD Exclusive – 1,500 copies)
Why It Matters:
Instead of a traditional album reissue, this set breaks Copper Blue into the four singles that carried the record through the college-radio universe. It’s a clever way to honor Bob Mould’s power-pop classic — not as an artifact, but as a string of near-perfect hooks delivered one after another. Packaging these singles as deluxe 12-inch discs makes the release feel both archival and fresh, giving longtime fans a new way to experience familiar songs.
Collector’s Note:
An RSD Exclusive limited to 1,500 copies, featuring all four singles as standalone 12-inch vinyl. A high-end set with collector appeal far beyond standard reissues — expect immediate demand from Mould completists and ’90s alt-rock devotees.
Soul Coughing – Ruby Vroom Remixes (LP, RSD Exclusive – 1,000 copies)
Why It Matters:
Ruby Vroom was already its own strange universe — a swing-jazz-sampled, beat-poetic, trip-hop-adjacent fever dream. These remixes sharpen, stretch, and warp those textures even further, many previously available only as promo-only oddities. Hearing these cuts collected on vinyl for the first time gives fans a chance to rediscover the band’s early experiments through a new lens. It’s weird, wonky, and undeniably cool — a perfect RSD left-field pick.
Collector’s Note:
Limited to 1,000 copies as an RSD Exclusive. First time these remixes have appeared on standalone LP, making it a sleeper favorite for collectors who like their ’90s alt-rock twisted and off-kilter.
The Dead Milkmen – Big Lizard in My Backyard (40th Anniversary Edition) (Green & Yellow Vinyl, RSD Exclusive – 3,000 copies)
Why It Matters:
A sarcastic, noisy, punk-goofball classic turns 40 years old, which is either horrifying or inspiring depending on your age. Big Lizard in My Backyard remains one of the most quotable, chaotic debut albums of the era, and this anniversary edition gives it the deluxe treatment it somehow always deserved. It’s a reminder that punk’s sense of humor is as important as its volume — and that the Milkmen’s charm hasn’t faded a bit.
Collector’s Note:
This 40th anniversary edition pulls out all the stops: LP1 comes on green vinyl with the fully remastered album, while LP2 arrives on yellow vinyl featuring a full set of alternate takes. The package also includes a lenticular die-cut cover. Pressed as an RSD Exclusive in a run of 3,000 copies, it’s easily one of the most display-ready and visually striking releases of the day.
Closing Groove
Black Friday might be built on hype, but these RSD titles cut through the noise. Whether you’re chasing punk grit, alt-country ghosts, psych-rock spectacle, or deluxe art-object packaging, this year’s haul delivers more than novelty — it delivers records with staying power. Grab what you can, spin something loud, and keep the spirit of the hunt alive.
A lifelong fan of new music—spent the '90s working in a record store and producing alternative video shows. In the 2000s, that passion shifted online with blogging, diving headfirst into the indie scene and always on the lookout for the next great release. Still here, still listening, and still sharing the best of what’s new.
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
