Alabama’s independent record stores are alive and well, feeding that special feeling music lovers get when dropping a needle on a turntable to listen to some good old-fashioned vinyl.

And on Saturday, April 20, they’ll join record stores across the world in celebrating Record Store Day (RSD) with a variety of special activities and offers, in addition to the release of scores of RSD-exclusive music planned across the globe. For a partial list of those releases, click here.

According to recordstoreday.com, RSD was conceived in 2007 during a gathering of independent record store owners and employees “as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1,400 independently-owned record stores in the United States and thousands of similar stores internationally.” The first RSD took place in 2008.

Of course, independent record stores aren’t just wonderful places to physically browse through music albums, DVDs and yes, even cassettes, 45s and, in some places, 78s. They’re also a place to sell and sometimes trade your old vinyl and other forms of music for something new – or old.

It’s also a perfect day to snatch up records made by Alabama artists, young and old. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia and the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in Birmingham are two places to explore Alabama’s musical heritage. You can also listen to podcasts that explore Alabama music and musicians at Alabama News Center’s Notes from Home series site.

Birmingham’s Seasick Records has taken this year’s RSD celebration a step further, creating a special map, designed by Drew Ryan, pinpointing the locations of all 26 independent record stores across the state. The first 300 people to make a purchase at Seasick Records on RSD get a free tote bag with the design.

Here’s the unofficial newly released Alabama Record Store Guide, courtesy of Seasick Records:

Check out your local, Alabama independent record store during Record Store Day.

Village Green Records in Montgomery has loads of 7-inch vinyl singles from the 1980s for sale; old folks call them 45s. (Village Green Records / Facebook)

Village Green Records in Montgomery is a great place to peruse the bins on Record Store Day. (Village Green Records / Facebook)

Renaissance Records in Birmingham’s Five Points neighborhood has been serving music lovers for more than 20 years. (Renaissance Records / Facebook)

There’s nothing like the feeling of dropping a needle on a piece of vintage vinyl. (Douglas Sacha / Getty Images)