Vinyl Community Podcasts

The Power Hour of SURFACE NOISE may be over, but the conversation is just getting started. On this edition of BONUS TRAX, the crew sticks around for a spirited debate about The Anti-Grail: those expensive, rare, highly coveted records that collectors are supposed to want…but we simply don’t.

What happens when a record is considered essential, commands thousands of dollars, or sits atop countless wantlists—but the music just doesn’t connect with you? Are some records genuinely worth their legendary status, or are scarcity, collector hype and peer pressure doing most of the heavy lifting?

The panel puts some sacred cows on the chopping block, with Alice Coltrane, rare psych records, The Beatles’ infamous Butcher Cover, Vashti Bunyan, Nick Drake, Nirvana and plenty more entering the conversation. We also get into the difference between appreciating why a record is valuable and actually wanting to own it. As one viewer perfectly sums it up: “My grails are someone else’s dumpster crops.”

Along the way, things predictably wander off the rails with Billy Joel, record-flipping stories, questionable soundtrack purchases, U2 and Bono slander, Bob Dylan’s ’80s output, rare records worth thousands that nobody actually wants to hear—and a little friendly interrogation of Surface Noise viewers caught fraternizing with another livestream.

It’s loose, unfiltered and exactly what BONUS TRAX is supposed to be: the conversation after the conversation, when the Power Hour ends and nobody is quite ready to go home.

BONUS TRAX is part of the Vinyl Community Podcasts network — podcasts for, by and featuring members of the Vinyl Community. Wherever you go, take the music with you. Get some!

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For more on guest Alan Always:

https://www.youtube.com/@Alan_Always

Video link for his VC Lasagna Tag 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03uUcIcLYqM&t=66s

For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.youtube.com/@Groove_Seeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

How much is supporting your local record store actually worth—and when does loyalty start costing too much?

On this episode of Surface Noise — The Show of Record, Talking Records, we’re digging into some of the biggest conversations happening in vinyl collecting, record stores, reissues, till simmering for vinyl record collecting talk after SURFACE NOISE? Good...these BONUS TRAX aim to satisfy! 🤩

The panel jumps into a discussion asking whether vinyl preorders still necessary? Still joined by friend of the show Louie V (Vinyl Latte) whose recent blog post touched on this sensitive issue. Preordering once felt like the only way to guarantee you wouldn't miss a limited pressing, exclusive variant, or anticipated reissue. But with rising prices, delayed releases, questionable quality control, endless variants, and records frequently remaining available long after release day, are collectors better off waiting?

Still 'til the very end for a word from our new "sponsor" and re-kindle your inner thug. 😜

An informed collector is a better collector (at least that's what we keep telling ourselves). Join the brain train of vinyl record collecting!

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For more on guest Alan Always:

https://www.youtube.com/@Alan_Always

IG: @dj_alan_always

For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.youtube.com/@Groove_Seeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more on the returning legend Jose Moreno Rahn (aka John Bong, aka Al Pacino):

https://www.youtube.com/@josemorenorahn

https://auroracentralrecords.bandcamp.com

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

For more information on the Spinz Vinyl App for IOS and taking your collecting game to the next level, get your free download here: 

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spinz-vinyl-record-scanner/id6758249212

The conversation keeps spinning after Surface Noise as the crew throws the agenda out the window for another freestylin' edition of BONUS TRAX.

This time, it’s all about the records. The guys dig into recent pickups, rare 45s, albums desperately in need of a proper reissue, and the patience and perseverance it sometimes takes to finally land that elusive record. Along the way, the Beatles inevitably invade the conversation, Fleetwood Mac, Fanny and fusion enter the reissue discussion, and some decidedly unusual additions to the collection make an appearance.

Then it’s time for a little record-store road trip as Chance and Arnaldo compare notes from recent digging in Florida, including stops in Tampa, Orlando and Daytona Beach. From Foundation College Park and Park Ave CDs to the shops that delivered—and a few that definitely didn’t—the crew talks prices, inventory, grading, unexpected finds and the thrill of discovering something you weren’t even looking for.

Plus: bargain-bin “cheap heat,” Bobby Caldwell, Michael Henderson, jazz finds, condition upgrades, strange album covers, vintage T-shirts, listener comments and plenty of the usual detours that make BONUS TRAX what it is.

No agenda. No guardrails. Just record collectors talking records after the show of record has officially ended.

BONUS TRAX — from Surface Noise and the Vinyl Community Podcasts Network. 🧨💥

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For more on guest Adam Tiro (The Freight):

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFreightOfficial

IG: @the_freight_official

Music: https://thefreight.bandcamp.com

For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.youtube.com/@Groove_Seeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

For more information on the Spinz Vinyl App for IOS and taking your collecting game to the next level, get your free download here: 

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spinz-vinyl-record-scanner/id6758249212

After a week off, Surface Noise is BACK — and we’ve got plenty to talk about in the world of vinyl records, record collecting, music, and the Vinyl Community at large. On this episode we’re digging into the habits, obsessions, and choices that define us as vinyl record collectors.

First, we hit Current Events from around the vinyl world, including yet another audiophile reissue of The Cars that seemingly nobody asked for, a major counterfeit vinyl bust in the UK, and the apparently unstoppable Bret Michaels, who simply cannot quit touring.

Then we open up The Collection Within the Collection. Most serious record collectors eventually develop those weird little sub-collections hiding inside the larger collection. Maybe you chase promos and white label promos, hype stickers, Japanese pressings, Blue Note records, Christmas albums, movie soundtracks, private press records, colored vinyl variants, regional bands, or something even more specific. What started yours? Was it intentional—or did you suddenly realize you owned 30 records that all had one oddly specific thing in common?

It’s the must listen weekly conversation about vinyl collecting sure to inform, entertain, and complain!

This

is

Surface Noise.

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For more on guest Adam Tiro (The Freight):

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFreightOfficial

IG: @the_freight_official

Music: https://thefreight.bandcamp.com

For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.youtube.com/@Groove_Seeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

For more information on the Spinz Vinyl App for IOS and taking your collecting game to the next level, get your free download here: 

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spinz-vinyl-record-scanner/id6758249212

How much better is that expensive audiophile reissue—really?

On this episode of Chasing Better Sound, David and Louie welcome Mitch from Mitch & Max’s Vinyl Corner for a deep dive into one of the biggest debates in record collecting and high-end audio: original vinyl pressings vs. modern audiophile reissues.

The conversation starts with the importance of the source and quickly moves into the increasingly expensive world of premium vinyl. Are $100, $150—or even several-hundred-dollar—pressings actually delivering better sound, or are collectors sometimes paying more for marginal improvements, fancy packaging, and audiophile hype?

The guys compare originals and reissues from albums and artists including Steely Dan, Michael Jackson, Heart, Chet Baker, Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam and more, while discussing mastering choices, aging master tapes, AAA releases, digital processing, dynamics, detail, warmth, and why the “best sounding pressing” can depend as much on your system and preferences as the record itself.

David also breaks down his process for conducting vinyl “bake-offs,” including level-matched comparisons and evaluating bass, mids, highs, imaging, dynamics, vocals, vinyl quality—and ultimately sound quality per dollar.

Then the discussion turns toward what audiophile labels should be releasing. Instead of another trip through the same classic-rock catalog, is it time for more premium reissues of the music collectors who grew up in the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s actually want? Jeff Buckley’s Grace, ’80s and ’90s hip-hop, alternative rock, metal and other underserved titles all enter the conversation.

At the heart of the episode is a simple question every serious vinyl collector eventually faces:

Are we chasing better sound—or just chasing the next pressing?

Join David, Louie and special guest Mitch for an hour of audiophile vinyl talk, pressing comparisons, mastering rabbit holes, expensive records, overlooked bargains and plenty of opinions about where the audiophile reissue market should go next.

Chasing Better Sound is part of the Vinyl Community Podcasts Network—podcasts for, by, and featuring members of the Vinyl Community. Listen up, now! 👂🏻

🔉🔉🔉🔉🔉

For more on guest Mitch (c/o Mitch’s and Max’s Vinyl Corner)

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@MitchsVinylCorner

For more on David Bianco (Safe & Sound Texas Audio Excursion):

https://www.youtube.com/@SafeAndSoundTXAudioExcursion

IG: @audio_excursion

For more on Louie V. (Vinyl Latte):

https://www.youtube.com/@VinylLatte

IG: @vinyllattecafe

shop: vinyl-latte-shop.fourthwall.com

blog: https://blog.vinyllatte.com

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

On this episode of Vinyl Community Podcasts, host Sam St. John (Americana Sam) welcomes back Glenn Gretlund of 7A Records for a deep dive into the label’s latest Davy Jones release (on CD), Let Me Entertain You—a career-spanning collection that shines a light on a side of the Monkees star that often gets overlooked.

Covering live performances from 1979 through the early 2000s, Let Me Entertain You finds Davy Jones stepping well beyond the familiar hits and love songs. Glenn takes Sam inside the two-year process of assembling the collection, tracking down the best available master tapes and choosing performances that showcase Jones’ versatility as a singer, musician and live entertainer. The result mixes Monkees favorites with solo material, deep cuts and unexpected covers ranging from Van Morrison and Harry Nilsson to Robbie Williams and Ian Dury.

Sam and Glenn discuss Jones’ ability to read a room and change a set on the fly, his underrated musicianship, his devotion to his fans and the remarkable range of venues represented on the collection—from intimate clubs with only a few hundred people to arenas packed with screaming fans in Japan. They also explore how Jones’ post-Monkees career evolved, his enduring popularity overseas and why Glenn believes Davy could sometimes be an even more compelling performer onstage than he was on record.

The conversation also pulls back the curtain on 7A Records itself: working with the Davy Jones estate, locating rare recordings, deciding when imperfect sound quality is worth preserving for historical importance, and the advantages an independent label has when approaching archival releases from the perspective of a fan.

Plus, Glenn offers a glimpse at what may be ahead for 7A Records—including hopes for future Monkees-related projects, additional Davy Jones material, possible work involving the Michael Nesmith archive, and upcoming releases from other artists on the label.

It’s a conversation about Davy Jones, The Monkees, archival music, physical media and the work that goes into making sure important recordings don’t remain scattered, forgotten or unheard. And it's here on Vinyl Community Podcasts, now!

Learn more about 7a Records.

For more information on this release:

www.7arecords.com/product/davy-jones-let-me-entertain-you

For more information on American Sam: 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Americanasam1994

IG: @americanasam94

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

This round of BONUS TRAX starts with a bang as a couple of hot takes from the end of Surface Noise threaten to unravel the panel at the seams.

Then we build the Band/Artist Merch Mount Rushmore. From endless reissues, remasters and deluxe box sets to T-shirts, toys, collectibles, coffee, liquor, sneakers, action figures, cruises—and just about anything else you can slap a logo on—which artists have turned their music, image and intellectual property into full-blown merchandising machines?

But this isn’t just about who sells the most T-shirts. Which artists have been the smartest at extending their brand beyond the music? Who has created an instantly recognizable visual identity that can sell almost anything? Who keeps finding new ways to repackage the same catalog for another generation of fans—and convince longtime collectors to buy it all over again?

We’ll nominate, debate and ultimately rank the artists and bands that represent the gold standard of maximizing their brand and extracting every possible dollar from their fanbase. KISS? The Rolling Stones? The Beatles? Grateful Dead? Taylor Swift? Metallica? Elvis? Who deserves one of only four spots on the Merch Mount Rushmore—and who gets left off the mountain?

A spirited debate. A passionate fandom. Who wins...or loses? Only on BONUS TRAX! 

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For more on guest Norman Maslov (Mazzy):

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mazzysmusic

IG: @mazzys_music

For more on Kendall (Spin Doctor and His Vinyl Mayhem): 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spindoctorandhisvinylmayhem

IG: @spindoctorsvinylmayhem

For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.youtube.com/@Groove_Seeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

For more information on the Spinz Vinyl App for IOS and taking your collecting game to the next level, get your free download here: 

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spinz-vinyl-record-scanner/id6758249212

Record collecting has its temptations—and this week on Surface Noise, we’re confessing ours.

We kick things off with the latest vinyl news and Current Events, including a hard look at the latest Maggot Brain reissue. Do collectors really need another copy, or is this exactly the kind of release that leads us directly into our main topic? But before we can jump into the topic de jour of the Power Hour, a bit of controversial news arrives in the chat, and friend of the show Norman Maslov (aka Mazzy) asks to jump on to defend his influential powers as a YouTuber.

From there, our man on the scene - Kendall (aka The Spin Doctor and His Vinyl Mayhem) shares his opening weekend visit to the Goodwill store in Matthews, NC that sells records (and other retro media) exclusively in that storefront. His findings will provide some shock, a little awe, and some old fashioned "least surprising news, ever" feedback. Hint: grab your wallet....

Then it’s time to confess The Seven Deadly Sins of Record Collecting. Every vinyl collector has a weakness, but which habits cross the line from passion into obsession? We identify and debate seven of the biggest sins in the hobby:

Which ones are we guilty of? Which are simply part of collecting? And are there even worse vinyl sins that deserve a spot on the list?

It's another spirited edition of Surface Noise: The Show of Record, Talking Records, featuring vinyl collecting, record collecting culture, new vinyl releases, reissues, music collecting, audiophile records, record collector habits, artist merchandise and plenty of opinions from the Vinyl Community. 

📞 Call yo mama, this one is not for the faint of heart! ❤️‍🔥 ❤️‍🔥 ❤️‍🔥 

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For more on guest Norman Maslov (Mazzy):

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mazzysmusic

IG: @mazzys_music

For more on Kendall (Spin Doctor and His Vinyl Mayhem): 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spindoctorandhisvinylmayhem

IG: @spindoctorsvinylmayhem

For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.youtube.com/@Groove_Seeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

The conversation keeps spinning with more BONUS TRAX, as the Surface Noise crew digs into two big questions facing the vinyl record collecting community.

First up: the vinyl “death tax.” We've discussed this phenomena in passing before, but following the passing of Dolly Parton, prices for some of her records exploded overnight reaching ridiculous levels — is that sudden demand justified, or are collectors simply getting caught up in panic buying and speculation? The panel looks at skyrocketing asking prices, disappearing inventory, what happens behind the scenes at record distributors and labels when a major artist dies, and why collectors might be better served waiting for the market to cool down.

Then we turn our attention to the future of VinylCon. After expanding into multiple markets, could VinylCon eventually become the first truly national record convention brand? We discuss the opportunities—and potential risks—of taking the model across the country, including market saturation, competition with established local record shows, the importance of independent dealers, and whether large national events and smaller regional shows can successfully coexist.

Plus, plenty of the usual Surface Noise tangents, record talk, questionable humor, and collector chaos along the way!

Join us, won't you? 🎭

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For more on guest Amanda Schutzman:

Website: https://www.wearesmelly.com

IG: @amanda.sells.records

and please consider a vote for her little guy in the "Baby of the Year" contest currently underway: https://babyoftheyear.org/2026/emmitt-f898

For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.youtube.com/@Groove_Seeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

For more information on the Spinz Vinyl App for IOS and taking your collecting game to the next level, get your free download here: 

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spinz-vinyl-record-scanner/id6758249212

Is there such a thing as a Record Collector Mid Life Crisis? This week on Surface Noise our special guest Amanda Schutzman helps us discuss whether longtime vinyl collectors eventually reach a point where the hobby fundamentally changes—from chasing more records to becoming far more selective about what deserves a place on the shelf. Other things such a "crisis" may make us ponder:

When do you realize you might have too many records? Are you buying less vinyl than you were five years ago? We debate quality vs. quantity, upgrading existing copies vs. discovering new music, downsizing a record collection, and whether a vinyl collection can ever truly be considered “finished.” After years—or decades—of collecting, is there a natural phase shift where accumulation gives way to curation?

Before that exercise in psychoanalysis we tackle the latest vinyl record and music news, including the new Bee Gees Vinylphyle release, Weezer’s Pinkerton selling out through Interscope Vinyl Collective (IVC), the latest from Capitol Music Club, including the 40th anniversary of Crowded House, a new Miley Cyrus release, developments involving Suno and Jason Isbell, and the passing of acclaimed jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson.

If you're a longtime record collector questioning why you still need another pressing, a newer collector building your first serious vinyl collection, or simply a music fan wondering where this hobby eventually leads, join us for another round of opinions, debates, laughs, and a little collector existential crisis.

Surface Noise — The Show of Record, Talking Records.

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For more on guest Amanda Schutzman:

Website: https://www.wearesmelly.com

IG: @amanda.sells.records

and please consider a vote for her little guy in the "Baby of the Year" contest currently underway: https://babyoftheyear.org/2026/emmitt-f898

For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.youtube.com/@Groove_Seeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE