Vinyl Emergency

Before his profile as a musician exploded, actor Noah Reid thought of his songs as "a little closet that I could put my thoughts and feelings into." But in early 2018, that door came off its hinges. As his character Patrick Brewer, on the eventual Emmy-winning Canadian TV comedy Schitt's Creek, Noah performed a remarkably grounded and unfeigned acoustic cover of "The Best," usually known as a reach-for-the-rafters power ballad, made popular in the late 80's by the incomparable Tina Turner. TV Guide went as far as to say that Noah's contribution created "the most romantic scene on television," and the mania around Noah's take on the tune only grew larger once Schitt's Creek came to Netflix. On the cusp an upcoming tour, he checks in this week to discuss the horror story of his first vinyl pressing, the surreal "cosmic needle drops" of his Amazon Prime series Outer Range and the many ways he treasures music's imperfections. Tour dates, merch, social media and more are available at http://noahreid.com.

A lot has changed since Evan Weiss last came on this podcast over nine years ago -- marriage, a plethora of new music, and a deliberate "one in, one out" strategy to balancing his record collection. But one thing that's stayed the same (perhaps even increasing) is his steadfast drive to spotlight forgotten records of his heroes, friends or total strangers, which he now accomplishes through a Patreon for Storm Chasers LTD; giving subscribers exclusive access to limited runs or releases that never came to turntables until now. On the heels of his latest album with Pet Symmetry, Evan walks us through how love songs and LSD shaped the band's "biggest" LP to date, and what dream releases he hopes are in Storm Chasers' future. Get updates, vinyl and more via petsymmetryband.com, plus catch Into It. Over It. opening for Minus the Bear on select dates this fall. 

This is an encore presentation of a previous episode, originally airing in 2016.  --- Currently a writer on CBS' Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Brian Stack started on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 1997, winning an Emmy for writing on the show ten years later and appearing as the caped and mustachioed Interrupter, hapless door-to-door salesman Hannigan and the ghost of old-time radio crooner Artie Kendall, among a slew of other characters. He followed Conan to both his truncated tenure at The Tonight Show and his current TBS program, but moved with his family back to New York and joined the Colbert staff in September of 2015. Having also made appearances on 30Rock, The Office, New Girl and Parks & Recreation, Brian talks today about his love for The Replacements, what vinyl box set he recently bought despite no longer owning a turntable, and yes... what it's like to open for Slipknot. Follow @brianstack153__ on Instagram.

It's been nearly two decades since the tender indie film Once -- an intimate depiction of two struggling musicians at multiple crossroads -- became a global phenomenon, earning stars and songwriters Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová an Oscar for their tremendous ballad "Falling Slowly." Based in Dublin, the picture won over audiences with its modesty, as director/writer John Carney chose a rather fly-on-the-wall look to the ebbs and flows of artistic collaboration. Together known as The Swell Season, their first LP together in over 15 years arrived last week (titled Forward), bringing in a new generation of fans who may have missed the duo's magic the first time around. Today, Hansard divulges whose handwritten lyrics he keeps in his wallet, Irglová shares the music that quelled her nightmares as a kid, and the pair discuss how they've each managed to balance songwriting with parenthood. Find tour dates, social media and Forward on vinyl at theswellseason.com.

Vinyl Emergency is where your favorite songwriters, producers, record label owners or other personalities who just love music come to discuss how vinyl's mere existence has shaped their lives and careers.

With a new solo album dropping later this month — In the Heart of the Mountain, his first in over 15 years — Lucero frontman Ben Nichols addresses why some of his recent songs feel like graphic novels, how he's reconnected with the mythological Arkansas of his youth, and the parts of him that still wrestle with his southern heritage. Vinyl pre-orders, tour dates and more can be found at bennichols.net.

A vocal advocate for artist rights and a senior lecturer on all things music business at the University of Georgia, David Lowery discusses today the recent losses of Sly Stone and Brian Wilson, learning accounting while on tour, and how Camper Van Beethoven expanded their legend through record store performances. David's latest release -- a 3LP set titled Fathers, Sons and Brothers -- is available now. Tour dates for all of David's projects are available at davidlowerymusic.com, crackersoul.com and campervanbeethoven.com. Also, check out thehiddenjams.org, in beta testing, as David and a group of current and former students attempt to upset the recorded music algorithm. 

This is an encore presentation of a previous episode, originally airing in September 2022. "Planting By The Signs," S.G.'s latest album, comes out on June 20th. -- S.G. Goodman delivers both a voice and a lyrical wisdom that feel perfectly worn in -- like that of an artist who's been crafting decades worth of masterful, soul-baring material. What's all the more astounding is that she's only a few albums in to what will hopefully be a long, deep career. The publication Bitter Southerner defines her sound as "driven by love, sometimes by defiance, but always by a delight in singing out... like the declaration of an artist who knows exactly who she is, backed by a band that blows the roof off the studio." On today's show, S.G. shares her affection for Herb Alpert's "Ladyfingers," some candid struggles with diagnosed OCD, the unique way in which her Marantz receiver was acquired, and the underappreciated comforts of house slippers. Find tour dates, social media and more at sggoodman.net.

This is an encore presentation of a previous episode, originally airing in April 2021. Wild and Clear and Blue, Sara's latest album as a member of I'm With Her, was released on May 9th. --- Over the last twenty-five years with acclaimed acts like Nickel Creek, I'm With Her and Watkins Family Hour (as well as her own solo material), Sara Watkins has become one of the most prolific musicians in folk and bluegrass. Dig into your record collection, and you'll also find her work on albums from Steve Earle, The Decemberists, Mandy Moore, Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett and Father John Misty, to boot. Today, Sara discusses how vinyl has played a major factor in her life, right down to how her dad crafted a makeshift turntable out of a sewing needle and paper. Find Sara's socials, upcoming live dates and more info at SaraWatkins.com.

Though a rather one-off side-project, David Bazan says his Headphones LP may be his most stressful artistic expression. Though the band Pedro the Lion was his breadwinning endeavor at the time, he admits to losing interest in guitar, album by album. Suddenly, dabbling in synthesizers led to not just a new avenue for songwriting, but a borderline obsession, bringing his gear everywhere from lakeside family vacations to vacant movie theatre parking lots in order to perfect these unconventional sounds, alone. Putting the album to tape was a whole other hill to climb, leading to David staying up several days straight, attempting to finish incomplete songs literal minutes before the rest of his band would hear them for the first time, and then record them. But fast-forward to now, and the lone Headphones album is regarded as a crucial corner of David's discography, one that he's now revisiting with a new deluxe 20th anniversary vinyl edition, available in multiple color variants, from both Suicide Squeeze and Undertow. On this episode, David gives us the how's, where's and why's on the entire Headphones experience, two decades removed. Catch Pedro the Lion opening for Grandaddy this fall, as well as live streams of their 30th anniversary performances. Details, tickets and more are at  pedrothelion.com.

Jay Ryan and Jason Harvey, bassists for the Chicago-area trio Dianogah, describe the route to -- and surprise release of -- their new, career-spanning 5LP box set. Visit landland.bandcamp.com to order this limited pressing, and follow @dianogah_official on Instagram for more updates.

Harvey Danger vocalist Sean Nelson makes a good case for his group being, in his words, "the last band through the door" of the alternative revolution: Though the quartet went gold thanks to the frenetic, inescapable "Flagpole Sitta" as the nineties closed, the landscape for them (and cohorts such as Cake, Semisonic or Fastball) would look much different a year later. By 2000, a sudden contingent of beefy backwards cappers, led by the likes of Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach, had commandeered arenas and the airwaves as an antithesis to pop radio. Paired with a massive label shake-up, this left Harvey Danger's expansive second album King James Version DOA. But like a lot of unsung masterworks, many have praised King James Version over the last quarter century for its dialed-in cacophony and sarcastic swagger -- enough to drum up major excitement for a first-ever vinyl pressing, which hit shelves as a Record Store Day exclusive recently from both Barsuk and Latent Print Records. Today, Nelson gives us the full arc of how King James Version was born, died and rose again, taking its throne on 12-inch format to mark the album's 25th anniversary. Follow @officialharveydangerarchive and @actualseannelson on Instagram for updates. You can also hear The Wonder of It All, Sean's engaging podcast on the blessings and curses of fame, via this link or wherever you listen.

After 15+ years on the road, Seattle's Minus the Bear said goodbye in 2018... but not for long. Marking two decades since the release of their second album, Menos El Oso -- heralded by both critics and fans alike -- the five-piece are back this year to play the album in full across the country. A sprawling, math-rock masterclass, Menos takes listeners on a globetrotting trail through Spain, Ireland, Los Angeles and more, while vocalist/guitarist Jake Snider inhabits characters seeking escape, be it from fever dreams, crime scenes or soul-crushing day jobs. Today, Jake is joined by guitarist David Knudson, as the pair breakdown Menos track-by-track. Along with host Jim Hanke, they dive into the meanings behind some of the band's most impactful songs twenty years later, and how the genre-bending experimentation of Danger Mouse and DJ Shadow influenced the LP. Catch Minus the Bear at this year's Best Friends Forever Fest in Las Vegas, or on tour cost-to-coast, this fall. Visit minusthebear.com for tickets, social media and more.

On the heels of a fiery new album (Here We Go Crazy), influential indie icon Bob Mould reflects on how record store culture informed Hüsker Dü's formation and why the jukebox singles of his youth still help him get out of the occasional songwriting stalemate. Visit bobmould.com for tour dates, social media and more. 

This is an encore presentation of a previous episode, originally airing in August 2023. --- The two sounds Tommy Prine says he remembers most growing up were having the AM radio on or his father (renowned singer/songwriter John Prine) workshopping tunes at the kitchen table. Journeying through adolescence, his eclecticism later manifested through acts like Outkast and System of a Down. But now, on the heels of This Far South — his debut album — Tommy has found his own unique voice that marries his mom's Irish wisdom and his dad's dry Midwestern/Southern wit. On today's show, Tommy shares why Radiohead's "Videotape" speaks to him, his experiences working with Nashville talents Ruston Kelly and Gena Johnson on This Far South, and how the artwork for this album feels like both an ending and a beginning. Visit tommyprine.com for your dates, socials and more.