Podcast - Wax & Wane

Recently, I sat down with my dear friends Todd Stonehouse, Jeff Gower and Jenny Gower-Toms and dove into a discussion about the state of records today and how each of us got to where we are with our collections. The conversation features talk on the rising cost of new vinyl, our crotchety views on hipsters and some nostalgic memories of our earliest records. All in all, it's a great talk that explores some of the deeper reasons we value physical media and how records can be therapeutic and meaningful. Plus, there are lots of laughs. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Todd, Jeff and Jenny. I know I did.

On the first episode in 23 months, Matt is back with opinions on Joe Corre burning the artifacts of punk, the new turntable from Shingle, a dollar bin darling LP you may have missed and a look back at the carnage of 2016.

Episode 010 started as a conversation between Matt and Dan McKernan about Dan's Primer piece on Otis Redding. Instead, the two of them had a 90 minute conversation about music, music lineage, audiophiles for fathers, playing in local bands and general music geekery that skirted the edges of Otis Redding's legacy. It's a terrific - if meandering conversation. Enjoy.

On Episode 009, Matt runs through a bunch of tour dates and music news, then follows it up with a rambling diatribe on the stupidity of the Grammy Awards. Add to that a discussion of a new technology that might allow vinyl lovers the ability to cut their own LPs and another entry for the Reissue Wish List that adds up to another hour of vinyl nerdery.

My friend David Baldwin just worked up a great installment of The Primer for us about his love for XTC. We recently sat down for a chat about his piece, his love for XTC and how the idea of vinyl is incredibly alluring for him - and also fraught with a bit of danger. It's a really fun conversation and a great companion to Dave's terrific Primer piece. Enjoy.

On this episode Matt picks up the torch from John Cusack's character Rob in High Fidelity and packs an hour full of his favorite side one openers. The list of luminaries ranges from The Soft Boys to The Velvet Underground, 13th Floor Elevators to The Jam and several others.

Matt starts the long holiday weekend with a guilt filled rant around the Thanksgiving holiday that morphs into a discussion of entry-level cartridges and the last of his ideas for your holiday wish list. There is also a functioning turntable made from Legos, a tale of crate digging glory and of course, another the reissue wish list.

This time around, Matt wonders how Apple's plan with the Beats Streaming service will affect music sales and the state of physical media. Plus, he takes that issue a step further by investigating a new piece in the Atlantic Monthly on how record labels are using the Shazam app to predict the next hit record. There is also a recap of Matt's recent haul at Vertigo Records in Grand Rapids, excitement of the Ride reunion announcement and a plea to get a very special Pernice Brothers record issued on vinyl. There is a lot here to digest. You best get started.

On episode #2, the focus is on songs about or in reference to real people. The set of songs features gems by Serge Gainsbourg, David Bowie, John Cale, The Pixies, Teenage Fanclub and more. Plus, there's that Bauhaus number you knew we were gonna spin.