In this week’s NME…

Here at NME, we’re certainly not averse to a swiftly-delivered MP3 file, but if you’re asking where our hearts lie, it’s in the grooves of a vinyl record and in the racks of our local record shop. For this reason, we’ve put together a very special issue to celebrate the ever-growing EVENT on the calendar that is Record Store Day. We’ve got a special pullout of all the amazing stuff that’s happening, and all the mega-limited releases up for grabs (see you in the queue for that Arcade Fire 12-inch!). Most importantly, though, we’ve got a huge host of stars – Arctic Monkeys, Pete, The Horrors, Jack White and loads more – talking about the little bit of black plastic that first rocked their world.

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Elsewhere, we’ve got a stunning, totally exclusive interview with hip hop’s fastest rising megastar: Drake. We wanted to talk about all the girls queuing up outside his dressing room door, the drugs and the money, but he turned the conversation around and ended up opening his heart about inner sadness, alienation and lost love.

Then there’s an in-depth review of Jack White’s ‘Blunderbuss’. What do all the songs mean, and most importantly: is it any good?

Plus, there’s a report on Frank Turner’s career-high Wembley Arena gig, and big talk about how the venue next door – the one without a roof, where they play footy sometimes – might not be out of his reach for too much longer.