The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

Laura Jane Grace opens up about tours and donating gear to the Punk Rock Museum, her massive vinyl obsession, the wild story behind her first Against Me! record and more. Topics Include: Nate and Laura Jane Grace preview her Punk Rock Museum dates She's donating her amp, guitar, and clothes, mostly for storage space Museum's jam room lets visitors actually play donated instruments Her photo greets everyone entering the Punk Rock Museum Favorite museum artifact: Joe Strummer's last bag of weed LJG is an avid vinyl collector who abandoned CDs entirely Her collection fills Ikea shelves plus boxes of seven-inches She now collects complete artist discographies, especially posthumously Bowie's late career shows the appeal of complete discographies She's donating a rare, flawed first-pressing Against Me record Physical vinyl feels more meaningful to her than streaming stats Reinventing Axl Rose has hundreds of variants; she's wary of the trend Axl Rose has never publicly acknowledged their tribute record She loves browsing new-arrival shelves during unhurried store visits Their first pressed record had accidental distortion, but still sold Touring made scheduling test pressings a constant headache Warner Brothers surprisingly gave White Crosses back to the band Her label, Total Treble, drew lessons from mentor Fat Mike She worries algorithm-driven social media and AI hurt musicians Her teenage son's DIY punk scene offers genuine hope She discusses redemption debates and a German venue's IDF controversy She closes by naming favorite record stores worldwide High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Punk in the Park founder Cameron Collins breaks his silence on a $250 political donation that split the punk scene - and reveals plans to bring the festival back. Topics Include: Punk in the Park traces roots back to pandemic Prior fests: Punk in Drublic, Sobroso, Scallywag festivals Live Nation courtship briefly paused earlier festival branding Punk in the Park debuted, drawing thousands nightly Cameron explains his hands-on promoter and producer role His punk awakening: hearing the Ramones as a kid Punk rock's meaning: distrust, self-reliance, misfit belonging Cameron opens up about his $250 Trump donation Donation explained as protest against Biden running again He admits regret, calling it a costly mistake Initial backlash was mild, mostly online chatter Dropkick Murphys' onstage denouncement escalated the controversy Cameron feels singled out versus other political donors He highlights years of charity and community giving Bands say they're paid and treated better here Festivals act as touring anchors for national routes Headliners reportedly earn more at fests than clubs Cameron's booking philosophy: all viewpoints get a stage Hard line drawn: Nazis and hate groups banned He booked a singer after his own separate cancellation He acknowledges marginalized fans' real safety concerns New Silverado festival branches into psychobilly and Americana Silverado revives a legendary Southern California festival site Cameron pushes for dialogue over reflexive cancel culture He shares a cross-political friendship with a fellow musician Conversation turns to America's deepening political polarization Cameron argues both parties ultimately serve the same interests He champions smaller government and personal freedom Cameron confirms plans to relaunch the festival by 2027 High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Bass legend Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, etc) reflects on Fripp, John Lennon, near-misses with Zappa, Pink Floyd, and life on the road. new Stick Men album "Let's Thrak Again" available here Topics Include: Scheduling chaos / Ron Carter Stickmen's "Let's Thrack Again" reworks a King Crimson rhythm concept Tony defines "thracking" — playing five against seven simultaneously Robert Fripp names complex King Crimson riffs with odd phrases Tony rarely forgets bass parts, even decades later Simple transitions, not hard parts, cause live disasters Upcoming Beat tour features Zappa alumni, except Tony Tony's first NYC band included ex-Mothers of Invention members Peter Gabriel froze onstage during a hostile Zappa co-bill Tony regrets missing a Herbie Hancock/Joni Mitchell session He also turned down touring with Pink Floyd David Gilmour flew in unannounced for a Les Paul tribute Radio Registry once dispatched interchangeable NYC session bassists fast Tony preferred live touring over endless studio session work He's a self-described "road dog" still touring at his age Off-stage, Tony writes memoirs, poetry, and takes photographs He owns many basses but doesn't consider himself a collector Discipline started as a side project before becoming King Crimson Tony chose the Chapman stick over bass in that first rehearsal Fripp lets players interpret parts; Gabriel invents wild new techniques Peter Gabriel suggested cymbals on fingers, inspiring "funk fingers" Tony isn't certain whether "Blood of Eden" used fretless bass He senses a song's emotion before lyrics are finished Tony learned King Crimson disbanded from a stranger at the opera He never actually felt Thrak function as a "double trio" No Australian dates planned yet, though he'd love to visit King Crimson's future depends entirely on Robert Fripp's instincts Aging has slowed his technical dexterity, but not memory He recalls John Lennon's advice: "don't play too many notes" High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Chad Kassem of Analogue Productions, Acoustic Sounds, QPR breaks down vinyl's post-COVID boom and bust, the fragile global supply chain behind every record, and his new Vinyl Summit celebration. Extended version of interview at Patreon.com/VinylGuide Topics Include: Nate welcomes back Chad Kassem to discuss vinyl and Vinyl Summit Chad recalls moving to Kansas in 1984 as CDs launched He rebuilt his collection, going against the CD trend Vinyl grew slowly for decades before COVID hit Chad bought his pressing plant and presses starting 2010-2011 CD had a 30-year lifespan; Chad always believed vinyl would survive COVID caused explosive demand, "gasoline on fire" growth Overbuying during the boom led to storage and inventory problems Chad had to borrow millions for the first time post-COVID Uneven state shutdown rules gave some competitors unfair advantages Post-COVID growth normalized back to its long-term slow trend Chad discusses his own taste: blues, jazz, rock from the 50s-70s Younger collectors now chase 90s titles like Alice in Chains Collecting interest shifts as older genres' fans age out Comparison to toy collecting trends fading with generations Rising interest in audiophile pressings like UHQR and One-Steps Chad explains why quality mastering and pressing both matter equally Originals aren't always better than modern remasters, and vice versa Small improvements across many steps add up to great records UHQR picks focus on undisputed classic albums Chad genuinely loves Kind of Blue UHQR sold nearly 40,000 copies combined Debate over pressing records at 33 vs 45 RPM speeds Vinyl compound and material costs rising, but slower than expected SACDs, reel-to-reel, and cassettes seeing renewed collector interest Only one lacquer manufacturer remains, a major industry vulnerability Skilled cutter-head repair techs are extremely rare and aging Chad discusses fragile supply chain: lacquers, tape, cutter heads Vinyl Summit announced: October 15-18, Salina, Kansas, 40th anniversary Event replaces old Blues Masters concerts, adds vinyl-industry access Details shared: tickets, guests, and proximity to Austin Record Fair High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

The Damned's Captain Sensible talks vinyl rarities, back catalogue, scented records, chasing the "perfect album," and what may be their final Australia and New Zealand tour dates. Topics Include: Captain Sensible is a record nerd - Still plays childhood favorites: Groundhogs, Pretty Things, Moody Blues, loves Bee Gees' first album Grew up around his dad's pub singing, informally musical Paper round savings meant records played obsessively, analyzed deeply Cites Shane Fenton's "I'm a Moody Guy" as formative Joe Meek's Telstar and tiny Holloway Road studio praised Recalls magical Motown Hitsville USA studio tour in Detroit "Sonar Deceit" track was band's Motown tribute song Lyric inspired by marine biologist's whale-stranding sonar theory Describes uncanny ability to instantly recall and replay songs Hosted radio challenge replaying requested songs live for charity New Rose confirmed as first UK punk single release Stiff Records signed them with a bribe of cheeseburgers Beating the Sex Pistols to release still amuses him Sydney Opera House gig ironic given past band bannings Royal Albert Hall sent rejection letters into the 1980s Mentions unlikely celebrity fans, including Australia's prime minister Recalls Barney Bubbles' art department and album cover mishap First pressing's mismatched back cover became a collector's item Says he collects 60s psych, not punk records himself Discusses Brian James tribute covers album made after his death Five reunion shows almost didn't happen, no live release planned Loves live show chaos, unpredictability, and Rat Scabies' drumming Confirms no hidden unreleased Damned tracks remain in vaults Notes band rarely controls or profits from its own catalog Explains "Strawberries" album concept and its scented vinyl insert Describes love of vinyl artwork, liner notes, and physical ritual Talks pursuit of first editions and test pressings today Names rare Cowsills albums as his current collecting holy grail Tells story of Sid Barrett nearly producing their second album Recalls haunted, sleepless sessions recording Machine Gun Etiquette Reflects on creative bond and offstage humor with Dave Vanian Closes with tour dates, S.F. Sorrow recommendation, and one-step vinyl talk High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide