Vinyl Community Podcasts

This round of BONUS TRAX starts with a bang as a couple of hot takes from the end of Surface Noise threaten to unravel the panel at the seams. Then we build the Band/Artist Merch Mount Rushmore. From endless reissues, remasters and deluxe box sets to T-shirts, toys, collectibles, coffee, liquor, sneakers, action figures, cruises—and just about anything else you can slap a logo on—which artists have turned their music, image and intellectual property into full-blown merchandising machines? But this isn’t just about who sells the most T-shirts. Which artists have been the smartest at extending their brand beyond the music? Who has created an instantly recognizable visual identity that can sell almost anything? Who keeps finding new ways to repackage the same catalog for another generation of fans—and convince longtime collectors to buy it all over again? We’ll nominate, debate and ultimately rank the artists and bands that represent the gold standard of maximizing their brand and extracting every possible dollar from their fanbase. KISS? The Rolling Stones? The Beatles? Grateful Dead? Taylor Swift? Metallica? Elvis? Who deserves one of only four spots on the Merch Mount Rushmore—and who gets left off the mountain? A spirited debate. A passionate fandom. Who wins...or loses? Only on BONUS TRAX!    ⏬⏬⏬⏬   For more on guest Norman Maslov (Mazzy): YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mazzysmusic IG: @mazzys_music   For more on Kendall (Spin Doctor and His Vinyl Mayhem):  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spindoctorandhisvinylmayhem IG: @spindoctorsvinylmayhem   For more on host Concert Buddie: https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie https://concertbuddie.com IG: @concertbuddie   For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency):  https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency IG: @fidelios_frequency   For more on Jason Roxas: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas   For more on Chris (Groove Seeker): https://www.youtube.com/@Groove_Seeker IG: @thegrooveseeker   For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts: https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com . . . . .   Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE   For more information on the Spinz Vinyl App for IOS and taking your collecting game to the next level, get your free download here:  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spinz-vinyl-record-scanner/id6758249212  

Record collecting has its temptations—and this week on Surface Noise, we’re confessing ours. We kick things off with the latest vinyl news and Current Events, including a hard look at the latest Maggot Brain reissue. Do collectors really need another copy, or is this exactly the kind of release that leads us directly into our main topic? But before we can jump into the topic de jour of the Power Hour, a bit of controversial news arrives in the chat, and friend of the show Norman Maslov (aka Mazzy) asks to jump on to defend his influential powers as a YouTuber. From there, our man on the scene - Kendall (aka The Spin Doctor and His Vinyl Mayhem) shares his opening weekend visit to the Goodwill store in Matthews, NC that sells records (and other retro media) exclusively in that storefront. His findings will provide some shock, a little awe, and some old fashioned "least surprising news, ever" feedback. Hint: grab your wallet.... Then it’s time to confess The Seven Deadly Sins of Record Collecting. Every vinyl collector has a weakness, but which habits cross the line from passion into obsession? We identify and debate seven of the biggest sins in the hobby: FOMO. Hoarding. Variant chasing. Condition obsession. Flipping. Upgrade addiction. And perhaps the greatest sin of all—buying records you don't actually like. Which ones are we guilty of? Which are simply part of collecting? And are there even worse vinyl sins that deserve a spot on the list? It's another spirited edition of Surface Noise: The Show of Record, Talking Records, featuring vinyl collecting, record collecting culture, new vinyl releases, reissues, music collecting, audiophile records, record collector habits, artist merchandise and plenty of opinions from the Vinyl Community.  📞 Call yo mama, this one is not for the faint of heart! ❤️‍🔥 ❤️‍🔥 ❤️‍🔥    ⏬⏬⏬⏬   For more on guest Norman Maslov (Mazzy): YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mazzysmusic IG: @mazzys_music   For more on Kendall (Spin Doctor and His Vinyl Mayhem):  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spindoctorandhisvinylmayhem IG: @spindoctorsvinylmayhem   For more on host Concert Buddie: https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie https://concertbuddie.com IG: @concertbuddie   For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency):  https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency IG: @fidelios_frequency   For more on Jason Roxas: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas   For more on Chris (Groove Seeker): https://www.youtube.com/@Groove_Seeker IG: @thegrooveseeker   For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts: https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com . . . . .   Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

The conversation keeps spinning with more BONUS TRAX, as the Surface Noise crew digs into two big questions facing the vinyl record collecting community. First up: the vinyl “death tax.” We've discussed this phenomena in passing before, but following the passing of Dolly Parton, prices for some of her records exploded overnight reaching ridiculous levels — is that sudden demand justified, or are collectors simply getting caught up in panic buying and speculation? The panel looks at skyrocketing asking prices, disappearing inventory, what happens behind the scenes at record distributors and labels when a major artist dies, and why collectors might be better served waiting for the market to cool down. Then we turn our attention to the future of VinylCon. After expanding into multiple markets, could VinylCon eventually become the first truly national record convention brand? We discuss the opportunities—and potential risks—of taking the model across the country, including market saturation, competition with established local record shows, the importance of independent dealers, and whether large national events and smaller regional shows can successfully coexist. Plus, plenty of the usual Surface Noise tangents, record talk, questionable humor, and collector chaos along the way! Join us, won't you? 🎭   ⏬⏬⏬⏬   For more on guest Amanda Schutzman: Website: https://www.wearesmelly.com IG: @amanda.sells.records and please consider a vote for her little guy in the "Baby of the Year" contest currently underway: https://babyoftheyear.org/2026/emmitt-f898   For more on host Concert Buddie: https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie https://concertbuddie.com IG: @concertbuddie   For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency):  https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency IG: @fidelios_frequency   For more on Jason Roxas: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas   For more on Chris (Groove Seeker): https://www.youtube.com/@Groove_Seeker IG: @thegrooveseeker   For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts: https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com . . . . .   Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE   For more information on the Spinz Vinyl App for IOS and taking your collecting game to the next level, get your free download here:  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spinz-vinyl-record-scanner/id6758249212  

Is there such a thing as a Record Collector Mid Life Crisis? This week on Surface Noise our special guest Amanda Schutzman helps us discuss whether longtime vinyl collectors eventually reach a point where the hobby fundamentally changes—from chasing more records to becoming far more selective about what deserves a place on the shelf. Other things such a "crisis" may make us ponder: When do you realize you might have too many records? Are you buying less vinyl than you were five years ago? We debate quality vs. quantity, upgrading existing copies vs. discovering new music, downsizing a record collection, and whether a vinyl collection can ever truly be considered “finished.” After years—or decades—of collecting, is there a natural phase shift where accumulation gives way to curation? Before that exercise in psychoanalysis we tackle the latest vinyl record and music news, including the new Bee Gees Vinylphyle release, Weezer’s Pinkerton selling out through Interscope Vinyl Collective (IVC), the latest from Capitol Music Club, including the 40th anniversary of Crowded House, a new Miley Cyrus release, developments involving Suno and Jason Isbell, and the passing of acclaimed jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson. If you're a longtime record collector questioning why you still need another pressing, a newer collector building your first serious vinyl collection, or simply a music fan wondering where this hobby eventually leads, join us for another round of opinions, debates, laughs, and a little collector existential crisis. Surface Noise — The Show of Record, Talking Records.   ⏬⏬⏬⏬   For more on guest Amanda Schutzman: Website: https://www.wearesmelly.com IG: @amanda.sells.records and please consider a vote for her little guy in the "Baby of the Year" contest currently underway: https://babyoftheyear.org/2026/emmitt-f898   For more on host Concert Buddie: https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie https://concertbuddie.com IG: @concertbuddie   For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency):  https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency IG: @fidelios_frequency   For more on Jason Roxas: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas   For more on Chris (Groove Seeker): https://www.youtube.com/@Groove_Seeker IG: @thegrooveseeker   For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts: https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com . . . . .   Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

Are vibrations quietly sabotaging your turntable’s performance? On this episode of Chasing Better Sound, David and Louie dig into the science—and sometimes questionable audiophile mythology—behind turntable isolation, vibration control, and resonance. From footfalls and suspended floors to speakers, subwoofers, furniture, and the turntable itself, they explore how unwanted mechanical energy can make its way to the stylus and potentially affect what you hear. The conversation looks at the different approaches to isolation, including rigid platforms, isolation feet, damping materials, foam, rubber, cork, and more sophisticated isolation technologies. But does every turntable and listening room actually need them? And when listeners report an improvement, how much is measurable performance—and how much might be expectation or confirmation bias? David and Louie also discuss how your floor construction, equipment rack, turntable design, cartridge, speaker placement, and listening environment can determine whether vibration is a genuine problem worth solving. Along the way, they examine the difference between isolation and damping, why low-frequency energy can be particularly troublesome, and whether expensive audiophile accessories always outperform simpler solutions. Plus, the guys catch up after some time away and discuss several new and upcoming audiophile vinyl releases—and the increasingly eye-watering prices that come with them. If you're looking to improve your vinyl playback, turntable setup, system isolation, resonance control, or overall analog sound quality, this episode offers a practical look at another variable in the never-ending pursuit of better sound. Is turntable isolation an essential upgrade—or another audiophile rabbit hole? Plug in for the latest edition of Chasing Better Sound to find out!   🔉🔉🔉🔉🔉   For more on David Bianco (Safe & Sound Texas Audio Excursion): https://www.youtube.com/@SafeAndSoundTXAudioExcursion IG: @audio_excursion   For more on Louie V. (Vinyl Latte): https://www.youtube.com/@VinylLatte IG: @vinyllattecafe shop: vinyl-latte-shop.fourthwall.com   For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts: https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com