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

John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants discusses the evolution of the band's pioneering approach of music and technology to create innovative media and strengthen connections to their devoted fanbase. Topic Include: October Australia tour selling out TMBG’s last tour of Australia John’s car accident – broken ribs They Might Be Giants’ unconventional approach Early adopter approach, the gift economy Pioneering technological approaches The importance of Dial-A-Song Daily updates, the Dial-A-Song machine behaviours Where are the Dial-A-Song machines? TMBG’s impressions of Napster Challenges of the music industry in early 2000s Touring used to be a losing proposition Spotify and digital music returns for artists Vinyl is becoming a large return for TMBG What TMBG albums haven’t been reissued on vinyl? Loss of album artwork TMBG tapes and digital files 8-track version of “Book” TMBG never did a CD-ROM or enhanced CD TMBG approach and involvement with AI Music genres that lend themselves better to AI BBL Drizzy AI track Strangest song: playing “Saphire Bullets of Pure Love” backwards Backwards “Saphire” coming out on special 7” TMBG Instant Fan Club This Might Be a Wiki – TMBW.net Managing product flippers from Instant Fan Club A friend who used to be in Skull & Bones The story of 1st release “Wiggle Diskette” Distributing and nailing Wiggle Diskette on lamp posts around NYC 1985 TMBG cassette – reviewed by People Magazine Interview wrap up Aussies get your TMBG tickets here. Extended, Commercial-Free & High Resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

Lee Loughnane of Chicago shares memories of the band’s early period, the Chicago Transit Authority debut, Chicago’s live performances, rediscovered recordings and the band's enduring legacy. Topic Include: Lee Loughnane – intro Early days – memories of Jimi Hendrix Jimi wanted to play/jam with Chicago Terry Kath and Jimi got along well Learnings from Jimi and Janis Audience of high improvisation tolerance Chicago has so many hits, they can’t play them all in a show Touring with Earth Wind & Fire Playing when the power goes out Recording the 1971 Kennedy Center show Common to debut material live before recording The process of writing Chicago songs Jimmy writing the Ballet The naming of albums with Roman numerals Changing band name from Chicago Transit Authority Origin story of the Chicago band logo Releasing a double album as a debut Recording/rehearsing and writing 1st few albums Band house under the Hollywood Freeway AM radio wouldn’t play early Chicago material “Make Me Smile” single for AM radio Band was concerned about feasibility to do multiple albums Playing Carnegie Hall – recent remix and box set Remixing early Chicago records Challenge of playing live in early days Terry’s amp position on live stage Did Chicago record many early gigs? The Kennedy Center gig was special and recorded as such Chicago put out a lot of records early on Current tour going to Japan but not Australia Rediscovering Kennedy Center recording Debuting the song “Saturday In The Park” at the Kennedy Center Unheard Chicago songs and tapes been archived Chicago tapes – multitracks and masters Lee enjoys modern CDs much more than vinyl What’s Lee listening to these days? Lee never got into punk rock Interview wrap up Order "Chicago at the Kennedy Center" LP set here Extended, Commercial-Free & High Resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

Henry Rollins explores the intricacies of record collecting, sharing stories from his book series "Stay Fanatic!!!" and discussing his commitment to preserving rare music artifacts (Pt 2 of 2). Topic Include: Response for records that are costing thousands of dollars Buying original Misfits singles then getting them gifted from the band Obtaining Dischord and Black Flag records and artwork Preserving flyers at the time they were made Backing up Ian’s recording of The Cramps gig – Ivy holding the tape Collecting all the Black Flag gig posters when playing on the road Skipping meals to purchase archival page protectors Henry owns flyers and material that is the only known copy The scarcity of materials is a large attractor for Henry Lenny Kaye’s review acetate for Iggy & the Stooges “Raw Power” Henry keeps collections together for preservation “Do Not Sell At Any Price” by Amanda Petrusich Logic for spending lots on a record you want Robert Johnson song found by Alan Lomax Urban labels putting out music from Record Stores Page Hamilton reckons Be-Bop is the angriest music Henry takes no days off of writing Listening to The Damned “Machine Gun Etiquette” every Friday Drastic Plastic’s reissues of The Damned and The Cramps Henry plays The Damned “Strawberries” once each August Minor Threat opening for The Damned on Strawberries tour Charles Lindbergh left notes for future biographers Writing information and keep with records for future listeners Frustration on former owners who write or stamp on their records Regional pressings are so limited that copies with writing on it are only option Henry has a photographic memory for his record collection and condition Increasingly using software and laptops to track record collection Keeping records that he has nicer copies of – When possible, get 2 Process for preparing a record for adding to his collection What are the white whales Henry is chasing? Competing against a mythical nameless “German guy” “Stay Fanatic!!!” books are the way to share his collectibles Interview wrap up Order "Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 4" here Henry photo by Maura Lanahan Extended, Commercial-Free & High Resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

Henry Rollins dives into the fascinating world of record collecting, sharing insights through his book series "Stay Fanatic!!!" and discussing his passion for preserving & sharing music history. Topic Include: The origin story of “Stay Fanatic!!!” Writing about The Stooges Learning to scan, archive material Telling the stories with early band materials Transcribing from handwriting, then speech to text Henry doesn’t get rid of records Acquiring individual and collections of records Bands that reinvigorated his interest: OSEES, Ty Segall, etc Label out of China – Old Heaven Books Seeing Keiji Haino in Tokyo Metallica closing a show for Iggy Pop Can Henry talk about his new project? What is Henry’s tolerance for bootleg material? Going to “see” David Bowie and Joy Division through their bootlegs Aggravation with bad recordings sold on bootlegs Understanding band reluctance to put out some recordings Stopping releasing spoken word CDs as they end up on YouTube Signatures get put on eBay near immediately Henry no longer signs things Stopping people from bidding on fake signatures Henry’s routine with Discogs and eBay The anxiety of chasing Discogs and eBay alerts Missing out on fresh listings of a holy grail Buying items that were misstated in the listing Educating inexperienced sellers on proper listing The 1st world problem of collecting records Breaking even on the “Stay Fanatic!!!” Books The genius of artists like John Coltrane and The Fall Henry’s early years – His mother loved books and music Road Manager Ward brings a portable turntable on the road 15 feet on the unplayed records shelf Henry describes his home stereo system His system is set – very few changes Leveraging experts to work on the setup Collecting personal items from musical heroes The Adverts, UK Subs clothing are in Henry’s collection Order "Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 4" here Henry photos by Jacob McCann IG @blokeyoucantrust and Heidi May Extended, Commercial-Free & High Resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

David Yow discusses "RACK", the first Jesus Lizard album in 26 years, his acting career, stage vs. screen, dangerous moments of live performances & more! Topic Include: David Yow meets Skater the cat Penny the cat meets Skater “Rack” is the first album in 26 years Releases on Touch and Go and Ipecac Inspiring bands and albums for David Being inspired by punk bands in Austin Taking inspiration from The Incredible Shrinking Dickies Starting with bass then moving to vocals with Scratch Acid Coming up in a scene alongside Butthole Surfers Avoiding a musical speed trap Skater asks David a question Mixing the vocals lower in the mix Steve Albini’s awareness of new album Talk of having Steve Albini’s ashes in space What is David’s signature dish? Is David a good handyman? Does David miss performing in downtimes for his bands? Comparing playing live with acting An actor’s job is to make the director’s dream come true Good chance of tour dates in Japan and Australia Acting in FREE L.S.D. movie Does he have a different persona for the stage? Preparation for a live show – involves beers The most dangerous performance of his career The band thought David was dead Does David know his limits for performance? The Jesus Lizard show at Garden Amp – June 2024 Any apprehension about extending the Jesus Lizard catalogue with “Rack”? The process for song writing for “Rack” David isn’t the person who tracks the master tapes Random find of Scratch Acid tapes in an Oklahoma warehouse Engineer/Producer SPOT part of the Austin scene Making all Jesus Lizard albums with 4-letter words What were alternative titles before “Rack” was decided There probably won’t be another Jesus Lizard album Does David have a record collection? What does he collect? “Tonight You Look Like a Spider” Monolith edition Making physical items, sculptures The cover art of “RACK” Holes in the backstory of “Hide & Seek” It’s good to have mystery in lyrics The story of the Nirvana / Jesus Lizard split 7” Interview wrap up Order the new Jesus Lizard LP "RACK" here. Order the "FREE LSD" Blu-Ray and CD package here Extended, Commercial-Free & High Resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

Dimitri Coats dives into the creation of OFF!'s groundbreaking film project "Free LSD". Hear the story behind the band’s journey with punk legend Keith Morris and the eight-year odyssey that led to their ambitious cinematic swan song. Topic Include: Interview intro The inception of "Free LSD" How different is “Free LSD” from the original “Watermelon” plans? Learning how to write a script Buzz and Dale of Melvins played on some Free LSD demos Mario was originally written into the movie Early filming at live shows for movie prep OFF! almost didn’t survive losing the rhythm section Dimitri’s background in acting Greater confidence in acting than music Working with Malcolm McDowell Managing OFF! prepared him for movie production Jonathan P Shaw was attached very early on Sculpting the mood and emotion of the film Bringing in new fans to OFF! through the movie OFF!’s breakup and potential reanimation Keith and Dimitri’s focus is diverging The community of friends that appear in the film Working with Jack Black – filming on an iPhone How DH Peligro saved “Free LSD” The passing of DH Peligro Participation of David Yow, Davey Havok, Don Bolles, Zander Schloss Coordinating concepts that carry through the album, movie and packaging Giving the band permission to try new things Retiring the band directly after their most ambitious project OFF! is exhausted and ready to move on Conflict and evolution of friendship and bandmates of Dimitri and Keith Keith and Dimitri helped one another reinvent themselves Big contributors to the film, revising the script to budget The meticulous details of the film The crew following Dimitri’s vision The challenges during filming the movie The process of developing OFF! music There was a lot of extra songs/outtakes from the Free LSD sessions The Blu-Ray / CD package of “Free LSD” Potential additional theatre screenings & Q&A The Blu-Ray / CD will be the only place for fans can hear 2 of the outtakes Lots of easter eggs, details and additional layers to the movie Interview wrap-up Order the "FREE LSD" Blu-Ray and CD package here Stream "FREE LSD" to your home here. Extended, Commercial-Free & High Resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

Blag Dahlia of Dwarves discusses band history, collectible records, the challenges of running a label and the balance of art and business, as well as new and reissued Dwarves vinyl. Topic Include: Dwarves should be a record collector’s goldmine Blag’s early memories of getting record collections Listening to rap, electronic, industrial – not much punk Dwarves records have an inherent collectability Making the various collectible Dwarves records Ralph Champagne album was a tough sell for Dwarves fans Why hasn’t there been a proper Dwarves concept album? Blag is an author – lending those skills to a narrative in music Who is closer to the real person: Blag Dhalia or Ralph Champagne? The Greedy record imprint for Dwarves material The Burger Records scandal missed the Dwarves Blag is very hands-on with creating records He doesn’t enjoy running the label – but good help is hard to find Being underwhelmed by publicists Blag would rather write and record and leave the rest to others Dwarves artwork – creating special covers, logos, etc Limited parody covers by John at PunkNews.org Record collectors love the parody covers Time is right for a Dwarves renaissance Hard to find a good booking agent Did any prior labels push back on the vision of Dwarves? Bad feelings about Sub-Pop Did Dwarves ever get approached by major labels in the early 90s Major labels missed aligning with a songwriter like Blag Marilyn Manson has a big budget and industry marketing A Dwarves rebirth would require a movie / documentary Blag controls majority of Dwarves materials Has there been serious discussion of a Dwarves movie? The most collectible Dwarves record Collectible Dwarves Sub-Pop variants Dwarves still do 7” records – not many bands still do Interview wrap up Get Dwarves records and merch Tix for upcoming Australian tour Extended, Commercial-Free & High Resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

Hugh Cornwell takes us through early records of his life, rare records of the Stranglers, solo materials, analogue recording and more. Topic Include: Aussie tour, New Album Does Hugh have a record collection? Early music in the Cornwell household Hugh’s early musical trainings Quitting PhD program to pursue music Formation and evolution of The Stranglers Recollection of the early UK punk scene Keyboards fill in a lot of sound United Artists investment in The Stranglers Bonus singles in early Stanglers albums Does Hugh have masters and tapes for post Stranglers material? Making materials available on vinyl Remixing and removing keyboards from recordings Running digital files to analogue provides improved sound Memories and learnings from Steve Albini Moments of Madness LP and road testing songs Leaving songs to be finished in the recording studio Song and lyric writing process Hugh’s movie Podcast Discussion of Silent movies Interview wrap up Hugh Cornwell's Aussie tour info here Preorder new LP "All The Fun of the Fair" here. Extended, Commercial-Free & High Resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

Society System Decontrol (SSD) self-released several landmark hardcore punk records in the early 80s. Out of print for over 4 decades, SSD has only recently reissued their two masterpieces "The Kids Will Have Their Say" and "Get It Away" on vinyl. Today SSD founder Al Barile takes us through the making of those records. Topic Include: Interview start The continued popularity of SS Decontrol music Al was a natural leader for the hardcore scene Naturally managing risk Jumping to an album – no singles for SSD 1900 units of “The Kids Will Have Their Say” Self-funding the album, selling the initial pressing Recording “The Kids Will Have Their Say” Was Al happy with the original recordings? Al doesn’t enjoy listening to “The Kids Will Have Their Say” Comparing Trust reissue with original Xclaim Issues getting the tapes back from a label Original pressing of “The Kids….” goes for > $1k Why were there no repressings before the recent Trust reissue CD issue of “Power” Has Al hung onto his records? White cover of “The Kids Will Have Their Say” designed by Bryan Ray Turcotte Original concept & artwork for “The Kids Will Have Their Say” The difference in recording “Get It Away” Was “Get It Away” always envisioned as an EP? The cover songs that SSD performed Original 4800 copies of “Get It Away” Running the X-Claim! label/imprint All X-Claim! bands ran their own vinyl pressings What is the source of the “Get It Away” reissue Will there be reissues of “How We Rock” and “Break it Up” Al’s health update Al wants everyone to get a colonoscopy The SSD book “How Much Art Can You Take?” Interview wrap up Order "The Kids Will Have Their Say" and "Get It Away" on vinyl here. Order the book "How Much Art Can You Take" here. Extended, Commercial-Free & High Resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

The Saints made history with the record "(I'm) Stranded" in 1976 - nearly 50 years later founder/songwriter Ed Kuepper is revisiting the early Saints material with some old bandmates and new friends, including Mark Arm of Mudhoney. Today Ed and Mark discuss the impact and legacy of The Saints with an upcoming tour and 4LP Boxset. Topic Include: How did Ed and Mark come to work together? How did Mark originally experience The Saints? Prehistoric Sounds didn’t make it to the US Did Sire get behind The Saints? Promo copies of “Eternally Yours” seem to be plentiful Choosing “(I’m) Stranded” and “No Time” for the Fatal Records single Recording session for “(I’m) Stranded” & “No Time” Was there a 2nd mix before making the Fatal records single? Master tapes and multitracks have been lost Were there test pressings of the Fatal Records single? Sending singles around the world, getting 1st reviews Getting telegrams from record labels across the world Rare contents of the upcoming Saints boxset Original mix of the “(I’m) Stranded” LP – test pressings and remix The album was recorded in the same studio as the single Potential for technology to separate the instruments of the “(I’m) Stranded” single EMI’s response to the updated album mix Mark’s feeling good about upcoming tour The Saints Paddington Town Hall show recording Playful rivalry with Radio Birdman Ed and Chris Bailey were on good terms and jointly planning the boxset and reissues Present day contact with Kym Bradshaw Any discussion of Saints shows beyond the Australian dates? Will Mark be singing only or possible guitar as well? Hard-Ons version of “Know Your Product” The additional photography in the Saints boxset The original name of the album was “Erotic Neurotics” with a different cover Memories of the photo of The Saints and Nick Cave from Melbourne The status of the album cover location and artwork Interview wrap-up Extended, Commercial-Free & High Resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8