Ken Richardson

[UPDATE: This year's event is over now, but the RSD Web site remains active all year.]

Since this is the fourth annual Record Store Day, you should know what to do: Go to your local store and buy lotsa "records," be they vinyl LPs, CDs, or whatever else your shop happens to carry.

Another major aftershock has hit Japan - which, again, hits home the fact that the country needs our help.

Behold this mighty box indeed. (Click on image for larger view.)

It's a Limited Edition Gift Set of 100,000 copies, and here's what you get:

Back in NYC - after 9 days and nights of SXSW Music, Film, and Interactive in Austin, Texas - I finally have time to mull over the 21 acts I managed to see during the music portion of the festival.

That perfect 21 might suggest that I had a lucky hand at SXSW this year. But as is the case every year, I heard much that was good and some that was . . . not.