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

Radio Birdman's Deniz Tek shares tales from his memoir Full Throttle, from early Stooges & MC5 memories, Lou Reed's part of the Radio Birdman story, becoming a doctor, flight surgeon and piloting the band through their final 50th-anniversary shows.

"Full Throttle" book here | Deniz' solo work

Topics Include:

• Deniz Tek joins from Hawaii, crediting moderation and coffee for longevity.
• His memoir Full Throttle arrives October 27th.
• Birdman documentaries revealed bandmates' hidden frustrations and poor communication.
• Murray Engelhart's Retaliate First illuminated the scene surrounding the band.
• Mum taught him to read; his Turkish migrant dad drove achievement.
• Engineering at Michigan, then medicine, partly to dodge his dad's classes.
• A non-rock-loving father still bought his first electric guitar.
• Mum's old 78s, then Beach Boys and Beatles records with allowance.
• First sighting of Iggy: behind the counter at Discount Records.
• MC5's high energy versus the Psychedelic Stooges' oil-drum noise experiments.
• How the Stooges lifted jazz riffs the night before recording.
• Three months of lessons, then learning guitar by ear from records.
• Australia's vibrant 1967 scene had become stale covers by 1972.
• AC/DC as early rivals; Birdman skipped the suburban pub slog.
• A Lou Reed no-show launched the Oxford Hotel residency.
• Rob Younger, already a fan, loved Deniz's firsthand Detroit stories.
• Music first, medicine second: a day job buys creative freedom.
• Flow state links medicine, flying, and music, alongside discipline and checklists.
• Emergency medicine's surprises and over 100,000 patients seen.
• Joining the Navy as a lieutenant; guards saluting his car.
• Playing Philippine bars with shipboard band Dust in the Rotor Heads.
• New Race bootlegs traced to Ron Asheton's sold rough-mix cassette.
• Albert Studios tape stash discovered; New Race reissue now underway.
• Ending Radio Birdman at 50 years and the setlist-building dilemma.
• Prime Minister Albanese hangs backstage

Phonots by Jeremy Belinfante

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

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Circle Jerks drummer Joey Castillo reveals the story behind the new "Revenge of Nervous Breakdown" record, the importance of Raymond Pettibon cover art and what's next for the Keith Morris-fronted juggernaut.

Preorder Circle Jerks "Revenge of Nervous Breakdown" single here - or here in the UK

Topics Include:

• Joey returns from tour and adjusts to life back home.
• Tour life, family logistics, and dogs that act up when he's away.
• How a Circle Jerks Black Flag single came together.
• Fans kept asking for Black Flag songs; Keith said no pressure.
• Road-testing Depression, Revenge and Nervous Breakdown at European festivals.
• Why Joey calls Keith Morris the blueprint for every Black Flag singer.
• Everything Went Black versions became Joey's template for the songs.
• The first Black Flag EP and Keith's staccato vocal delivery.
• Recording live, in set order, at Tim Armstrong's studio.
• Keith rejects the first take: "That doesn't sound like us."
• Pillow out of the kick drum; the second take nails it.
• The closing block where these songs send crowds bananas.
• Other contenders discussed: Gimme Gimme Gimme and Louie Louie.
• Discovering Nervous Breakdown via older friends and Rodney on the ROQ.
• Growing up in Gardena, where skating and punk went hand in hand.
• South Bay bands like Redd Kross, Descendents and Nip Drivers.
• A neighbour's red sparkle kit and an instant connection.
• Self-taught by playing along to records, no formal lessons.
• A friend's tip lands him the Wasted Youth gig as a teen.
• Fixing bad habits, practice pads, and Neil Peart's mid-career reinvention.
• Learning by watching Lucky Lehrer, Chuck Biscuits, Bill Stevenson and Spit Stix.
• Replacing Chuck Biscuits and Dave Grohl: respect what's already there.
• Why Chuck Biscuits remains his favourite drummer to watch.
• Still feeling like a kid behind the kit at 60.
• Dream gigs: Bon Scott-era AC/DC, Iggy Pop, and Cheap Trick.
• A short reunion stretches into 2027, plus the Repo Man shows.
• Keith's legendary stage raps, curfews, and when the band nudges him.
• Six or so new songs demoed; only killer tracks will see release.
• Raymond Pettibon's cover art and his lifelong bond with Keith.
• What's next: Doom Regulator, a Bronx Halloween show, maybe Australia.

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

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Ahead of Mudhoney's Australian tour, Mark Arm talks vinyl rarities, bootlegs, Australian imports that blew Seattle's mind, and the daunting task of singing Chris Bailey's songs in The Saints 73–78.

Mudhoney's Aussie Tour Info & Tix here | The Saints 73-78 Aussie Tour Info here

Topics Include:

• Mark Arm preps for Mudhoney's Australian tour, then the Saints.
• He's worked at Sub Pop's warehouse for 21 years.
• Not a collector anymore; he's cleaning out via Discogs.
• Bandcamp lets fans try before buying; vinyl prices feel abhorrent.
• The rarest "Touch Me I'm Sick"? The plain black radio copies.
• Sub Pop's colored "Loser Edition" first runs get band input.
• Holding Mr. Epp's first seven-inch felt unbelievable at age 20.
• A cheeky flyering campaign caught the eye of Seattle's Pravda label.
• Rodney on the ROQ played them, briefly charting above Toni Basil.
• Music wasn't a career, just entertaining bored suburban friends.
• Rock records were banned at home; his mother loved classical.
• He smuggled forbidden seven-inches home under his coat.
• Radio staples like "Radar Love" gave way to Cosmo's Factory.
• Devo on Saturday Night Live was a Beatles-on-Ed-Sullivan moment.
• He thought bands needed virtuosos, until friends started making noise.
• Downtown punks, he realised, came from the same suburbs.
• Steve Albini tipped him off to the Saints' Prehistoric Sounds.
• A surf chat in Torquay sparked Saints 73–78.
• Nailing Chris Bailey's phrasing and facing Saints purists felt daunting.
• New Saints material? Ed has old songs; Mark's open.
• Tom Hazelmyer ran Amphetamine Reptile from a Marine barracks footlocker.
• His holy grail: Randy Holden's Population II, found in Vienna.
• Records as time machines: even bad Jefferson Starship lyrics stick.
• Doo-wop's market vanished, Stones records stall, yet Rumours keeps repressing.
• His wife's first Stones album? Black and Blue, a stubbed-toe start.
• Early Mudhoney bootlegs, possibly Long Gone John's, felt like a badge.
• Deep Six codified Seattle's heavier punk underground.
• Gambles on Australian imports like the Scientists and Feedtime paid off.
• 1990: bunking above the Lansdowne, and an empty second Auckland night.
• Now: East Coast dates, Raglan surfing, and Saints shows with Jim White.

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

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Author Ben Merlis traces the Beastie Boys' wild leap from young hardcore punks to rap's first number-one album, revealing the rare records, recordings and scrapped ideas behind Licensed to Ill.

Pick up "Licensed To Ill at 40" book here

Topics Include:

• How a short 2017 article landed Ben Merlis this book deal
• Why the Beasties' punk-to-rap story fits Ben's two obsessions perfectly
• The process of writing the book
• Pollywog Stew: an unknown pressing run
• How a Black Flag show sparked the Beastie Boys' hardcore beginnings
• The Upper Broadway loft where they formed, demoed and played first
• Lucky, well-connected teens, and why young genres are meritocracies
• Scrapping an EP, crank-calling Carvel, and stumbling into Cookie Puss
• Downtown dance-punk, and sets that switched from hardcore to rapping
• Def Jam's surprising origins as Rick Rubin's punk label
• Meeting Rubin over a bubble machine; Kate Schellenbach gets pushed out
• Rubin, Dr. Dre, Hurricane: were the Beastie Boys' DJs really members?
• Rock Hard & Beastie Groove
• Def Jam's collectible burgundy-sleeve era, and how to spot them
• British Airways steals Beastie Revolution and pays out $40,000
• The settlement money buys an 808 instead of a Rickenbacker
• No band cooperation, then a surprise interview with Mike D
• The grief behind the jokes: losing parents young
• Counting the White Castle references on License to Ill
• Opening for Madonna at $500 a night with fifteen minutes' material
• Recording Licensed to Ill, and pinning down its real release date
• Fight for Your Right: written last-minute on Palladium cocktail napkins
• MTV, race and radio: how they scored rap's first number one
• The album's shockingly offensive working title, and why CBS killed it
• The crashing-plane cover, Led Zeppelin worship and uncleared samples
• A runaway tour, alienated fans and a messy split from Def Jam
• Rubin blocks their movie, royalties stop, and lawsuits follow
• Legacy: everything dope and whack about the 80s in one album
• Rare pressings: tour show vinyl, blank Spanish LP, "Licensed to Kill"
• French seven-inch box sets, Peruvian covers and a Japanese laserdisc

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

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Original Nirvana drummer Chad Channing shares stories from the Bleach era, Love Buzz single & other collectables, getting knocked out by Chris's bass and digging through his rare vinyl.

Topics Include:

• Chad's prized find: an original Australian Dirty Deeds from a rummage sale
• Hunting a Bill Evans record, and why jazz demands clean vinyl
• Dad played LA jazz bass; Mom once sang with Chet Baker
• How jazz quietly shaped his "drummer for the song" philosophy
• Describing his drumming style in one word: adaptive
• Nirvana's only instruction when he joined: powerful but simple
• Coming from a math rock band with 13-part songs
• The one time Kurt openly praised his drumming: In Bloom
• How "About a Girl" got its name from Chad
• Kurt finishing Bleach lyrics in a notebook while driving to the studio
• Shelved songs, lost tapes, and Chad's forgotten cassette in the box set
• Owning Love Buzz single #3; Kurt had #1, Chris #2
• His blank-label Bleach test pressing, housed in a homemade cover
• Nate authenticates Chad's Australian Waterfront blue vinyl live on air
• The ultra-rare purple Waterfront pressing and why most were destroyed
• Swirled Sub Pop variants, and why he's never played some
• Knocked out by Chris's bass at the Bleach cover photo show
• Tracy Marander's undeveloped rolls of never-seen Nirvana photos
• Sub Pop steering early decisions while the band went along
• Packed European shows: the moment they realized something big was happening
• The Blew EP and its gynecologist-chair cover he never chose
• Hiding under the drum riser with Kurt as bottles flew
• Stuck alone in a broken Manchester elevator for half an hour
• His European tour posters, including the coveted Lush show poster
• Could his beat-up distortion pedal be Kurt's missing Astoria pedal?
• A gifted Mustang, his kit at MoPOP, and heirlooms for his kids
• Smart Studios sessions, and Dave Grohl keeping his drum parts
• Here She Comes Now, Sappy, and becoming a Nirvana fan afterward
• MS, a childhood leg injury, and a memoir about 73 moves

The wonderful photo by Rosetta Greek

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

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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

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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

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• 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
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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

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• 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
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• Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide