5 to buy: Dallas musicians share their favorites on vinyl for Record Store Day

The common needle that drops on Record Store Day is the love of good old-fashioned vinyl records. Of course it is. Record Store Day, on Saturday, April 21, tends to inspire two types of diehards: Get up before dawn to stand in line for limited releases, or casually stroll in for a few beers and free in-store performances.

To get you jazzed about Record Store Day in Dallas, we asked some of our favorite musical luminaries to tell us a bit about the wax plates they reach to when it's time for them to listen instead of create.

Vaden Todd Lewis (of the Toadies)

AC/DC, Back in Black. "This one got me jumping on the sofa like an idiot when I was 14. Very stripped down, ballsy production. I still try to emulate those sounds. This album caused me to work backward to older, arguably better, albums with Bon Scott, a personal hero."

The Cars, The Cars. "There's not a song on this record that wasn't on the radio at some point. Side two dives into Pink Floyd territory, with dovetailed songs and trippy production."

Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon. "This is just a great record."

Queen, Jazz. "'Mustapha' is one of my all-time favorite songs. This record wanders all over the place and kills all the way through."

Talking Heads, Remain in Light. "This is a great 'headphone' record, quirky and moving."

Sarah Jaffe

Harry Nilsson, Nilsson Schmilsson. "This record takes me back to when I used to live in Denton. The first time I ever heard Harry Nilsson was when [fellow former Denton musician] Robert Gomez put on The Point and played me 'Me and my Arrow.'"

Nina Simone, Wild is the Wind. "Nina Simone's voice will forever move me in a way I cannot explain. She sang from some depths which only my insides comprehend."

Khruangbin, The Universe Smiles Upon You. "They're a current fave, but soon-to-be all-time. They just make fantastic music and put on a fantastic show -- and rep Texas to top it off."

Gorillaz, Plastic Beach and Royksopp, Junior, offered without explanation. 

Tim DeLaughter (of Polyphonic Spree and Tripping Daisy)

Brian Eno, Ambient 1: Music For Airports. "This record exudes a calm that spills out all over the air, one of the finest ambient records ever made. It also doubles as a nice birthing tool, as it accompanied the births of all four of my children."

Walt Disney Productions' Story and Songs from Robin Hood. "Although this a storybook record, it still serves a prominent place in my heart. As a kid, when I would fall ill and have to stay home from school, we would go to the pharmacy to get the needed meds, and I would also grab a record. I'm positive these records had an influence on me in relation to the Polyphonic Spree. It was my first introduction into symphonic orchestrations. The way they used the instruments to tell the story, helped you visualize what was happening, and opened my imagination to the possibilities."

Jane's Addiction, Nothing's Shocking. "Julie [Doyle, my wife] and I took a road trip to Florida in the late '80s, I bought this record for our trip. I think we pulled into Florida from Dallas in Julie's convertible Volkswagen Rabbit, sunburned and hoarse from singing these songs the whole way there."

Ozzy Osbourne, Blizzard of Ozz. "In my early teenage years, I got into heavy metal, and in the mix of it all was this record. I could relate to Ozzy's voice and I loved the way he would glide his voice with the music. This is when I started to experiment with vocal effects to help me glide. It eventually became my vocal sound on most of my songs -- and still is to this day. I just listened to this record the other day, and was belting it out shaking my head back and forth. I love it!"

Harry Nilsson, A Little Touch of Schmilsson in The Night. "This, in my opinion, is one of the finest recordings in the history of record making. The production is at its very best, and this little gem happened as a lark, it seems. This record is super fantastic in recording and delivery, by an amazing vocalist and songwriter. I think this record should be in every collection, it's good anywhere and at anytime of the day."

Rhett Miller (of Old 97's)

David Bowie, Hunky Dory. "This is the one I go back to all the time. My son, who mostly likes hip-hop music, counts 'Life On Mars' among his favorite songs. I count this as a minor yet somehow massive victory."

T. Rex, The Slider. "I have probably listened to this one more than any other during my decades on the planet. Some people will try and tell you that Electric Warrior is better. These people are wrong."

R.E.M., Lifes Rich Pageant. "This one meant the world to me when I was disaffected teenager. The fact that I get to be friends with these guys now in real life still confuses me."

X, Under The Big Black Sun. "Everything I said about R.E.M. applies to this record as well."

Old 97's, Hitchhike To Rhome. "How tacky is it that I would include one of my own records? Omnivore recently issued this on vinyl. The fact that I'm able to play my kids a vinyl recording of an album that my band made 25 years ago sort of blows my mind. Plus I can be tacky sometimes."

Record Store Day is Saturday, April 21. Special events will take place throughout D-FW, including the annual events at Good Records, Josey Records, Docs Records and Vintage, and more. Visit recordstoreday.com for more information.