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

From teenage Flaming Lips flyers to Nirvana and Soundgarden posters and record covers galore, Coop shares art-creation stories and the chaos of his record collection.
Grab one of Coop's "Poster Boy" books here!
Topics Include:
Introduces Poster Boy, his massive new career-spanning art book
Kickstarter (via Zoop) already blew past $40k raised
Coop admits he's "too much" of a record collector
Closing in on 10,000 records, out of shelf space
3,000-4,000 are 45s he actively spins as a DJ
Recalls chasing UK punk records early in his Discogs days
Loves Jamaican 45s for their rough, charming pressings
Tells story of scoring a stash of 60s garage 45s
Traces another haul to a Miami DJ's Jamaica trips
Confesses completist streak for The Fall, Guided by Voices
Owns up to buying every Bandcamp vinyl color variant
Prefers Bandcamp since money goes straight to the band
Talks Austin's record fair and reconnecting with old LA dealers
Describes current obsession hunting weird beatnik novelty 45s
Buys mostly on vibes and wild, bizarre label artwork
Explains how he broke into art through poster connections
Credits Greg Shaw and Long Gone John's Sympathy label
Became a top poster artist alongside Frank Kozik
Poster work opened the door to major record covers
Tells the wild origin story of the Lords of Acid cover
Discusses keeping Discogs updated for his family's future
Shares recent grails: a Beefheart 45, rare beatnik pressing
Explains his (mostly) organized system for shelving and DJ crates
Talks trading doubles, then wraps with a final Poster Boy plug
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
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Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

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