Vinyl Emergency

Latest Episodes:

Episode 32: Vinyl For A Cause / Jesse W. Johnson Sep 09, 2016

Show notes

Vinyl For A Cause is a Chicago-based record label based around music being a driver for charitable good. Every release features two bands covering each other on both sides of a limited-edition seven-inch record that'll never be repressed. Each band also chooses a charity of their choice, where a large portion of the record sales are donated to. Joining the show today are VFAC co-founder Adam Victorn and singer-songwriter Jesse W. Johnson, who appears on one of the VFAC's first releases -- a split 45 between himself and Coed Pagent -- expected to be out later this year. On this episode, we discuss the inspiration for Vinyl For A Cause and their partnership with the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, both Jesse and Adam's experiences getting their own records pressed for the first time, where they think the vinyl industry is headed, the age of crowdfunding and much more. Plus, Jesse plays "Stand to Smile" -- a new, unreleased song -- live and acoustic! Visit vinylforacause.com and jessewjohnson.com for more info on our guests this week. SPONSORS: Pinwheel Records, 1722 W. 18th St. in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood; KeepersRecordClub.com, where you can save 10% on all subscriptions with promo code VINYLEMERGENCY at check out. If you like the show, leave us an iTunes review or donate to keep us up and running and you'll be entered into the Mint Condition Coalition, giving you entry into a gigantic giveaway at the end of 2016 for records and swag from Vinyl Me Please, Warner Bros., Topshelf, Wax Mage, Hey Mercedes and much more. Visit vinylemergency.com and click 'donate' for more info! Follow @VinylEmergency on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Show questions and feedback are welcomed at vinylemergency@gmail.com.

Episode 31: Chris Banta (Brother O'Brother / Romanus Records) Sep 02, 2016

Show notes

Brother O'Brother vocalist/guitarist and Romanus Records founder Chris Banta has been wowing vinyl collectors as of late with incredibly innovative pressings ranging from the world's first four-color, glow-in-the-dark, liquid-filled LP to a recent seven-inch on Fonoflo Records with customized Monopoly money inside. Based out of Indianapolis, the band's creativity when it comes to vinyl -- as well as their frenzied, retro sound -- have recently scored them gigs at Third Man Records' Nashville and Detroit locations, leading to Chris even using one of Jack White's amps during their set! You may have heard Heather and Sarah from Wax Mage Records sing his praises back on episode 17 of the show, and today he discusses Brother O'Brother's paint and confetti-fueled music video for "You Would," the rare hydra press he did for Third Man act The Greenhornes, how Third Man's Ben Blackwell purchased Chris' first glow-in-the-dark dinosaur bone record, his own pressings going for hundreds of dollars on Discogs, an upcoming Star Wars-themed variant Chris is working on and much more! Follow @brotherobrother_ and @romanusrecords on Instagram to check out all the crazy vinyl we talk about on this episode.

Episode 30: Joe Goodbody, stonemason of Westminster Abbey Aug 26, 2016

Show notes

Visiting from England, one of my best pals Joe Goodbody stops by to discuss record shopping in the UK, the recent Brexit disaster, the Blur/Oasis feud and his dad's days booking bands for Socialist Workers Party benefit concerts in the 70's. As a stonemason at Westminster Abbey -- regarded as the Queen's church and the final resting place for some of Britain's most respected names -- Joe also discusses what it's like to work daily with material that goes back thousands of years and how he's likely the only person alive to have touched Charles Dickens' skull! Follow @JoeGoodbody on Twitter and Instagram, and visit Westminster-Abbey.org for more information. SPONSORS: Pinwheel Records, 1722 W. 18th St. in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood; KeepersRecordClub.com, where you can save 10% on all subscriptions with promo code VINYLEMERGENCY at check out. Follow @VinylEmergency on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Show questions and feedback are welcomed at vinylemergency@gmail.com.

Episode 29: Matthew Sweet Aug 19, 2016

Show notes

This year marks the 30th anniversary of alternative guitar-pop hero Matthew Sweet's debut album. His stretch of critically-acclaimed classics from 1991 through 1997 -- Girlfriend, Altered Beast, 100% Fun and Blue Sky On Mars -- delivered some of the most memorable college-radio hits of that decade, mixing sonic ambitiousness with a knack for lovelorn nostalgia and pristine vocal harmonies. Before he hits the road in September for a series of Midwest and east coast tour dates, Matthew talks about his recent Kickstarter campaign to fund his next album Tomorrow Forever, his early memories of vinyl as a kid, his cameos in the Austin Powers trilogy, his days in the Athens, GA music scene and fighting with then record labels about not wanting to appear on the cover of his albums, which leads to the story of how the iconic Girlfriend album cover came to be. Visit MatthewSweet.com for tour dates and album news, and follow him on Twitter @IAmMatthewSweet.

Episode 28: Tom Mullen (Washed Up Emo, Legacy/Sony) Aug 12, 2016

Show notes

Through his various jobs in music marketing, Tom Mullen has always been and still is a fan, first and foremost. Making a website for one of his favorite groups led to a storied career with punk/indie labels like Equal Vision and Vagrant to larger companies like EMI and Legacy Recordings/Sony Music, where he is currently Senior Director of Creative and Marketing Partnerships. He's had the pleasure of working directly with icons such as Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Cyndi Lauper and more, though indie-rock fans know him well as the founder and voice behind the Washed Up Emo podcast and IsThisBandEmo.com, a search engine devoted to the seemingly ageless debate about where bands stand within the genre. Today, we discuss the venerable emo museum of videos, flyers and other memorabilia that fans and bands send his way, some out-of-print seven-inches he was recently gifted, why MTV called him about rare Nirvana video footage he unearthed and JeffBuckleyCollection.com -- worked on directly with the Buckley family -- which allows fans to digitally browse through the late singer/songwriter's record collection. Follow @WashedUpEmo and @tommullen on social media, and subscribe to the Washed Up Emo podcast on iTunes! PLUS: Learn how to win a rare split seven-inch from two Washed Up Emo favorites: Bob Nanna (Braid, Hey Mercedes, Lifted Bells) and Matt Pryor (Get Up Kids, New Amsterdams); Only 160 exist of this screen-printed gem, pressed on yellow vinyl! SPONSORS: Pinwheel Records, 1722 W. 18th St. in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood; MusicDirect.com, where you can get 15% off with promo code EMERGENCY for a limited time on all music orders; KeepersRecordClub.com, where you can save 10% on all subscriptions with promo code VINYLEMERGENCY at check out. Follow @VinylEmergency on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Show questions and feedback are welcomed at vinylemergency@gmail.com.

Episode 27: David Bazan (Exclusive Live Performance) Aug 05, 2016

Show notes

Through projects like Pedro The Lion, Headphones, Overseas and Lo Tom -- as well as his solo material -- David Bazan is known as one of today's most prolific, affecting songwriters. In recent years with manager Bob Andrews at Undertow, he has explored various ways to bring his music directly and more intimately to his fans, whether through his 7" vinyl subscription series, doing house shows vs. large club tours, his Alone At The Microphone DVD or various releases that beautifully reshape songs he's previously released, giving them new angles. Today, David chats extensively about America's current political climate, the richness of Tom Petty's "Wildflowers," what it's like to be in a band with those who made the first album he ever bought and much more. We also hear 2 EXCLUSIVE LIVE PERFORMANCES from David, recorded live at Chicago's Lincoln Hall. Follow @DavidBazan on Twitter and Instagram, and visit DavidBazan.com for tour dates and more.

Episode 26: Collector's Club with Kristian Sorge (Record Nerdz Podcast) Jul 15, 2016

Show notes

Host of the Record Nerdz podcast Kristian Sorge joins me to discuss his 5,000+ collection of records, his urge to collect only the rarest forms of any particular album, digging at the world's largest record fair in Holland, and his day-job as a casting director, working on films like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist." We also talk about specific rare releases in his collection from The Misfits, Run The Jewels, Shellac and more, plus we find out what on earth a "vinyl hot stamper" is! Follow both Kristian and Record Nerdz on Instagram (@thepunkguy and @recordnerdz, respectively), and find the Record Nerdz podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud or however you listen to podcasts.

Episode 25: Doug Sohn of Hot Doug's Jul 08, 2016

Show notes

For 13 years, Doug Sohn was the purveyor and head chef of Hot Doug's, one of Chicago's many must-eat establishments before the encased-meat emporium closed in the fall of 2014. During that time, Doug served up to 800 sausages a day -- with each usually being named after a musician, actress or former Cubs player. Lines wrapped around the block no matter the weather, and Hot Doug's gained acclaim from foodie household names like Anthony Bourdain and Graham Elliot. Those with the dedication to get the restaurant's logo tattooed on their body even ate for free for life there, as documented in 2013's Hot Doug's: The Book. But for those who missed out on experiencing the deliciousness of Hot Doug's the first time around, his frankfurters can now be found in the bleachers section of Wrigley Field -- along with Doug himself most home games -- as well at "takeover"-type events that raise money for local charities. Today, Doug discusses his vinyl memories, The Untitled Hour podcast he's co-hosted with Chicago musician Nick Marcos for the last year, various jobs he held prior to opening his own restaurant, his discovery of punk and new-wave in high school, thoughts about Instagram foodie culture, concerts that broke out at Hot Doug's, his partnership with the Cubs and much more! Visit hotdougs.com and follow @HotDougs on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with everything sausage-related. Also be sure to subscribe to The Untitled Hour on iTunes or however you listen to podcasts, and follow @UntitledHour on Twitter and Instagram!

Episode 24: Josh Caterer of the Smoking Popes (Exclusive Live Performance) Jul 01, 2016

Show notes

Chicago's Smoking Popes are one of my seminal favorite bands, having released several crucial albums of lovelorn power-pop including 1994's Born To Quit and 1997's Destination Failure. Gaining notoriety via soundtrack appearances on films like Clueless, Tommy Boy and Angus, the band split up at the turn of the century, reformed 11 years ago, and have since added a few more proper full-lengths to their catalog while focusing their performances primarily around the Midwest. Recorded on a rainy night in his church office, singer/guitarist Josh Caterer -- now a pastor of music and worship -- discusses the influence of his father's record collection on he and his bandmate brothers, getting the first few Popes seven-inches pressed, the process of reissuing Born To Quit on vinyl, astonishing interactions with both Morrissey and Dave Grohl, the new EP Black As Midnight from his blues-focused band Jackson Mud, and so much more! PLUS Josh graciously performs two songs LIVE and exclusively for Vinyl Emergency! Follow @joshcaterer on both Twitter and Instagram, and visit SmokingPopesMusic.com and JacksonMud.com for social media, live dates and more info on both bands.

Episode 23: MLB broadcaster Joe Block Jun 24, 2016

Show notes

Aside from music and vinyl, baseball is my next biggest passion so it's a thrill this week to welcome former Milwaukee Brewers and current Pittsburgh Pirates play-by-play radio announcer Joe Block to the show! Today, we discuss record stores he remembers in his native Detroit growing up, how collecting vinyl is not unlike having baseball cards as a kid, his love for Motown and hip-hop over the years, working with "Mr. Baseball" himself Bob Uecker during Joe's tenure in Milwaukee, life on the road during the 162-game season, who gets him starstruck, what cities might be due for an MLB expansion team, and much more! Be sure to follow Joe on Twitter @joe_block, and follow the show @VinylEmergency on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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