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Record Collector Of The Month: December 2019

Written By Michele - December 28 2019

Hey there! My name is Trevor. I’m a photographer and videographer originally from Connecticut, currently living in Los Angeles. I’m obsessed with vintage cars, old movies, and film photography!

Favorite album: I feel this changes frequently for me, but for 2019 it’s been The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. I can listen to it on repeat for hours and never get tired of it. Plus, listening to it in the car has been a strangely therapeutic way of dealing with LA traffic for me!

First album: The first album I remember buying was Futures by Jimmy Eat World. I think I saw the music video for "Pain" on MTV before school one morning and bought the CD soon thereafter. I vividly remember listening to it on my Walkman on the ride to school for the rest of the year.

Favorite Enjoy The Ride or Enjoy The Toons release: Songs from Bluffington! I was a huge Doug fan growing up and to this day still find myself singing that theme song.

Favorite album artwork: Exit Planet Dust by The Chemical Brothers. The album’s artwork has been burnt into my brain since I discovered it. The image tells a story I want to know so much more about. Whenever I’m brainstorming photo projects it’s always the first reference image I look at!

What are your favorite local record shops, in case any readers are traveling through your town? Amoeba in Hollywood is a favorite on the West Coast. But I have to give a shout out to Red Scroll Records in Wallingford, Connecticut. It’s a place my friends and I spend hours shopping in, going through every single record they have!

What have you been listening to more frequently lately? Serge Gainsbourg, In Flagranti, Happy Mondays, The Cocteau Twins, and lots and lots of Drum and Bass.

What are some of your favorite albums you have in your collection?

New Order – "Blue Monday" (12” Single)

Master Mix: Red Hot + Arthur Russell

Mylo – Destroy Rock & Roll

Ed Banger - Ed Rec 100

Ed Banger - Let The Children Techno!

Any specific albums you wish you had on vinyl? What I would really love to do is build a collection of essential Acid House 12” singles from the late 80s. Earlier this year I became obsessed with the subgenre and it’s history. The one I wish I had the most though has to be Voodoo Ray by A Guy Called Gerald. That single is just intoxicating.

What album would you like to be pressed on vinyl? I would really love to see releases of the soundtracks for 24 Hour Party People (2002) and Hackers (1995). Both are in my top 5 soundtracks and it’s upsetting that neither have had a proper vinyl release yet.

What was the best album(s) you've discovered so far this year: Two new releases that have become my top albums of the year are “Building Better Worlds” by London Elektricity and “No Geography” by The Chemical Brothers. Both artists have been releasing for 20+ years and while both albums feel mature, at the same time they contain tracks that feel fresh and are some of my new favorites by them.

What will you be doing for the holidays? Celebrating Christmas with my family in North Carolina and then spending the rest of the year in Connecticut and New York City catching up with friends and eating lots of food!

Favorite holiday themed album in your collection? Peanuts Greatest Hits by The Vince Guaraldi Trio. This is essential holiday listening for me. I feel like it’s the soundtrack to the holidays and should always be playing in the background wherever I go!

What holiday albums do you wish you had in your collection? A Very She & Him Christmas and Christmas Party by She & Him. These albums sort of took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy them as much as I did when they were first introduced to me by a friend. Now I wish I had them in my collection for this holiday season.

What holiday albums would you like to be pressed on vinyl? The Aquabats! – Holiday Extravaganza! I absolutely love their cover of "Holiday Road." I know it’s maybe not technically a “winter” holiday song but it’s such a fun track and I tend to listen to it during this time of year!

What are some of your favorite things about the holiday season? I love celebrating the holidays with the people I love. I enjoy that moment after the holiday dinner when we’re all just hanging around, enjoying each other’s presence, and listening to music. That moment is my favorite and I look forward to it every year.

Scenario time! Lets say you decided to sell most of your possessions + live in a tiny house for the remainder of your years. You can only take 7 records. What are they (Here's the catch - for each person you live with, you have to make one of those choices their favorite album - the more people you live with, the less choices are yours)?

Well, for now it’s just me in the tiny house so luckily I get to enjoy MY top 7 records. Sort of tough to decide but these are definitely the records getting the most wear in my collection:

Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys

Apollo Atmospheres & Soundtracks – Brian Eno

5:55 – Charlotte Gainsbourg

The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan

Skylarking - XTC

The Fury of the Aquabats! – The Aquabats!

Bladerunner - Vangelis

Record Collector Of The Month: November 2019

Written By Michele - November 13 2019

Hi, It's me Brock Wilbur. Let's knock some of these things out.

I'm 35 and I've recently moved to Kansas City after a decade in Los Angeles. I wrote in TV and movies while also touring as a stand-up comedian and occasionally playing support roles in various rock bands. Originally from Salina, Kansas I lived for a decade in LA and around that area, but in this last year I moved to Kansas City. KC is quickly become the next Austin, and my wife and I are both journalists. We could keep our jobs covering the hell-fire that is America while also having the space to not murder each other in the same house.

Here's my vinyl line-in: in 2010 I was at a friend's party and I did that thing that you know you hate to see; when someone decides to change the music at a party that is not their own party. Instead of just changing an iPod to the next song, I attempted to switch records. I didn't understand how record speeds work. Anyway, it meant an Interpol record started playing way slower than that Interpol record should have played.

Instead of apologizing or attempting to get my party behavior under control to never again co-opt someone's party playlist, I instead went to Amoeba in Los Angeles and bought a few copies of my favorite albums. I didn't have a turntable yet, but I knew I needed to have my favorites on wax. Again, this is the sort of idiot behavior that gave me some fresh-ass wax releases an neither an ability to play them, nor a social situation where we playing them would've made it less awkward for anyone. I sincerely just miss every social prompt and years later love to point and say "Hey look at this this I love!" amid a void of everything.

I'm not an addict. But. I did come to understand early-on that vinyl appreciation and vinyl membership is this very odd and very specific society.

Favorite Enjoy The Ride or Enjoy The Toons release: Well, I just got my Scrooged release sent my way, so that's good. I think I stumbled into the label circa the pressing of The Fall of Troy and was like "well, let's see where this goes!" All killer albums aside, I think what I least expected (and was most thrilled) to see was the pressing of the Men In Black score. It's one of those things from exactly my 6th grade year, which made it exactly one of my first ten(?) compact discs ever purchased? In retrospect, a solid half of those were Elfman or Elfman adjacent, so of course this belonged there.

Favorite holiday themed album in your collection: I've worn out three copies of Charlie Brown. In the middle of summer I ordered three for this year because I need at least one for gift giving and maybe two for all the hours of holiday party I need to cover.

Favorite holiday themed wax variant: Anything around the Charlie Brown and/or Grinch soundtrack is usually pretty great. The uh... Enjoy the Ride Scrooged! release has some of the best holiday variants I've ever seen. Names and colors are just great all around. I promise I'm not sucking up.

Most unique holiday album in your collection: Low's 1999 Christmas album remains one of those things that's wonderful but I have no idea why it exists or who it was for. Maybe just me?

What are some of your favorite things about the holiday season?: It's a pretty great time for music in general. The midwest is a great place to get snowed in for days on end and with nowhere to go it's a delightfully forced opportunity to plow through some of my music backlog.

Since we are coming up on Thanksgiving, what are you thankful for?: We're all still here somehow. Really didn't see us making it through 2019. Not trying to jinx it but...

What are your favorite venues in your town to catch a show?: Kansas City has some incredible mid-small venues like recordBar, the Uptown Theater, and Riot Room. Records With Merritt just down the street from my house is my favorite little record spot in town and the incredibly intimate shows there are some of my favorite.

Favorite record shop you've stumbled upon while visiting another location?: My wife is from SF and each time we go back, we stumble into a new shop with some crazy amount of history and I have to be reminded that my records are not gonna fit in my carry-on bag for the trip back :<

What have you been listening to more frequently lately?: The Watchmen soundtrack is excellent but also makes me Pretty Stressed Out so that's... a lot. I've been spinning most of the career from Clutchy Hopkins and Shawn Lee. Their collab album "Fascinating Fingers" actually hasn't left my turntable in almost a week? So that's my jam right now.

Have you discovered any new artists lately?: There's this person called Lizzo. I know most of you haven't heard of her, but I think she's going places.

Any specific albums you wish you had on vinyl?: My last batch was the whole Cake catalogue and I wanted it for so long that I finally gave in and got the box set. I see that as being my last big purchase for a while.

What album would you like to be pressed on vinyl?: Frank Ocean's "channel ORANGE" on orange vinyl is one of those things that they keep promising is coming but... I'll believe it when I have it. Bootleg versions are out there for like $100 but that's... not a route I'm gonna go down.

Make sure to follow Brock on Twitter + check out his comedy albums, available a BrockWilbur.net

Record Collector Of The Month: October 2019, Part Two

Written By Michele - October 13 2019

Tell us a little about yourself: My name is Jorge Diaz, I live in Staten Island, New York (though I’m originally from Miami, Florida). I am happily married and have two daughters. I’m an attorney at a law firm in Manhattan. I started collecting vinyl seriously about 15 years ago when my wife bought me a turntable as a sort of fun, retro gift (unwittingly sparking my record collecting obsession!). I’ve been a huge music fan pretty much all of my life -- I can still remember my father playing Beny More and Celia Cruz records at home as a toddler and embarrassingly, I can also recall having to accompany my older sister to a Menudo concert when I was around 10 or 11. I started collecting cassette tapes in middle school (first tape I bought with my own money was U2’s “The Unforgettable Fire”) and later turned to CDs in college (first CD I remember buying was Metallica’s self-titled “Black” album).

Favorite album: I could never choose an all-time favorite album but one that will always rank highly is The Velvet Underground & Nico record, aka the “banana” album. Enough ink has been spilled on the significance of this album for me to add anything of real value to the discussion but suffice it to say that most, if not all, of the “alternative” or “other” music made in it’s wake would not exist without it. I managed to find a decently priced 1968 stereo pressing of it a few years back with the banana peel still beautifully intact!

First album: Like I said above, the 1st album I ever bought was a cassette tape of U2’s “The Unforgettable Fire” probably sometime in 1986 at a Spec’s Music store in Miami… unfortunately, I no longer have that cassette tape as I got rid of my tape collection when I made the switch to CDs. I do have it on vinyl though! I have very vivid memories of seeing U2 live on December 3rd, 1987 at the Orange Bowl for the Joshua Tree Tour – I was only 14 years old and this was my very first “real” show! Needless to say, this concert left a very lasting impression on me…

Favorite Enjoy the Ride Records release: My favorite would probably have to be Hans Zimmer’s score for “True Romance”, just a brilliant film all around.

Favorite album artwork: I’m gonna cheat a little here and instead of naming one particular album will name a label’s output of artwork during a certain period of time -- and that honor would have to go to Varese Sarabande for it’s artwork on the soundtracks (mostly horror films) it released during the 1980’s… simply unrivaled! OK, and just one more, the artwork that The Smiths put on their LPs and 12”s during their brief 5 year run is just perfect! And I have an almost complete collection of their entire discography on original UK Rough Trade pressings.

Favorite Halloween themed album in your collection: This would have to go to the original score for Halloween III – Season of the Witch by John Carpenter and Alan Howarth, a brilliant synth score which always gets me into the mood for the Halloween season and has influenced countless horror composers.

Favorite Halloween themed record artwork: Nothing will ever top the original Varese Sarabande artwork for the original Halloween film… I also really like the artwork on the one released in Japan with the pumpkin in white.

Favorite Halloween themed wax variant: One of my recent faves is what iam8bit did for the “Bates Motel” Original Soundtrack by Chris Bacon. They made a picture disc of where the label is a shower drain with strains of blood across the vinyl and when the record is spinning it looks like the blood is going down the drain… A brilliant homage to the “shower scene” in the original Psycho! Another one is what Mondo/Death Waltz did with their recent reissue of the “They Live” soundtrack by John Carpenter. The picture disc commanding you to “buy more records” ties in perfectly with the social commentary and themes of consumerism in the film.

Most unique Halloween album in your collection: one of them has to be my copy of the 2013 Mondo reissue of the original Halloween on 2 45 rpm LPs with the design packaging by Phantom City Creative with the cover art of The Shape’s mask and the image of Laurie Strode’s house inside his lips and inside the gatefold. The pressing itself sounds incredible on 45 rpm and including the cues from the film really help set the mood for the score.

What Halloween albums do you wish you had in your collection: One of my holy grails is an original Italian pressing of Fabio Frizzi’s score to L’Aldila (aka The Beyond) on Beat Records from 1981 – it goes for a small fortune on discogs and ebay and I have been searching for a reasonably priced copy for years. Thankfully, I do have a copy of the 2012 Mondo reissue (their 2nd vinyl release ever!) which I had signed by the Maestro Fabio Frizzi in 2017 when he toured his live score of the film and stopped in Brooklyn! Two other horror soundtracks that I’ve been on the hunt for are Luciano Michelini’s 1979 score to L’Isola Degli Uomini Pesce, aka The Island of Fishmen on the Italian label Cometa Edizione Musicali and Stelvio Cipriani’s 1982 score to Piranha 2 (Les Tueurs Volants) on the French label General Music France. Just check out the cover art on both of those, amazing!

Favorite local record shops: Academy Records (both the E. Village and Greenpoint locations) for jazz, psych, punk, indie, alternative etc, and the 18th street Manhattan location sometimes comes though with gems (I found my original Varese Sarabande of the Phantasia soundtrack there a while back for a decent price!). Human Head records in E. Williamsburg is a fantastic record store with a continuous influx of rare and hard to find records. Limited to One Records in the E. Village is a great little store focusing on super rare records, especially 90’s and 00’s indie and emo stuff. And gotta give a shout out to Rough Trade Brooklyn which I find myself at more and more for shows (their concert venue is one of the best sounding rooms in the city), artist signings and Q & As, and new releases.

Favorite local venues to see shows: So many to choose from, but the Bowery Ballroom is an institution at this point, seen countless amazing shows there over the years! Some more recent ones are Elsewhere (Brooklyn), Nublu (Manhattan), Murmrr Theater (Brooklyn) (recently saw an incredible show by Low there and looking forward to seeing Fabio Frizzi there in late November), and finally have to give a shout out to the sound room at Public Records in Brooklyn, where I recently saw Dean Hurley (of Twin Peaks sound design fame and recently released his own record titled Anthology Resource Vol. II Philosophy of Beyond on Sacred Bones Records, which btw, is one of the best current labels going). The sound system at Public Records is absolutely incredible!

Favorite record stores while visiting other locations: Double Decker Records in Allentown, PA, and Tiny Record Shop in Toronto, Ontario are probably the two best curated record stores I’ve ever been to! I have yet to visit Japan but from what I’ve read I’m sure I’d have my mind blown by the record stores over there.

What have you been listening to more lately: A genre that I’ve been getting into more as of late is the whole world of library music and realizing that it can be a very slippery and expensive slope. I have yet to start collecting original, individual titles but two recent compilations that I can highly recommend are “The Library Music Film – Music From and Inspired by the Film” put out by Legere Recordings in 2018 and another one titled “Unusual Sounds” by Anthology Recordings, which I believe is an imprint of the Mexican Summer label, also put out last year.

Another thing in the “horror world” that I’ve been loving lately is the return of Fangoria – it’s back and better than ever, just an amazing magazine made for true fans and by true fans, and the best part about it is that it is print only, keeping it old school.

Have you discovered any new artists lately: I am constantly looking for and discovering new music and artists so I’ll just list out a few recent ones which I can heartily recommend-

Garcia Peoples – Cosmic Cash, Natural Facts, One Step Behind

L’Epee – Diabolique

Modern Nature – How to Live

Rose City Band – s/t

Vanishing Twin – The Age of Immunology

Big Thief – U.F.O.F.

Mint Field – Pasar de Las Luces

Cochemea – All My Relations

Broken Lamps – Kaleidoscope

Lorelle Meets the Obsolete – De Facto

And as far as recent soundtracks-

M83 – Knife + Heart

Michael Abels – Us

Jeff Herriott & S. Craig Zahler – Dragged Across Concrete

Ben Lovett – The Wind

Hildur Gudnadottir – Chernobyl, Joker

Squrl – The Dead Don’t Die

VA – Self Discovery for Social Survival

Cliff Martinez – Too Old to Die Young

Ben Frost – Dark

Bobby Krilic – Midsommar

Nicolas Britell – Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk, Succession

Mica Levi – Monos

What are some of your favorite albums in your collection: Hard to choose but here’s a few-

My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (Original pressing on Creation Records, back of sleeve signed by Debbie Googe)

David Bowie – Blackstar (Limited Edition on Clear Vinyl)

PIL – Metal Box (Original Limited Edition Boxset on Virgin Records in Metal Cannister)

Jay Chattaway – Maniac (Original on Varese Sarabande signed by Director William Lustig)

Joseph Lo Duca – Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2 (Originals on Varese Sarabande)

Any specific albums you wish you had on vinyl: A couple I’ve been trying to track down as of late- The Cure – A Forest 12” (Original UK Fiction Records)

The Clean – Great Sounds Great… EP (Original on Flying Nun Records)

What album would you like to be pressed on vinyl: One that I love that I’ve always wondered why it was never released on vinyl is the soundtrack to “Her” by Arcade Fire & Owen Pallett, one of my favorite films of the last decade and a truly gorgeous score.

The Beatles – The Beatles (White album) (both my daughters have this record permanently imprinted on their brains, I trained them well, lol!)

The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street

The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico (Banana album)

My Bloody Valentine – Loveless

Miles Davis – Kind of Blue

John Coltrane – A Love Supreme

The Cure – Disintegration or Depeche Mode - Violator (for my wife, I happen to love these albums too, and we’ve seen both these bands countless times!)

Record Collector Of The Month: October 2019 - Part One

Written By Michele - October 06 2019

Tell us a little bit about yourself: Hello record fans! I’m Joe Foster from West Des Moines, Iowa. I’m 41 years old and the vice president of a wine and spirits company. My wife Kara and I have twins, Mason and Audrey, who will be turning 5 in November. I have a stepdaughter, Ella, who will be 16 in November, she is my modern music buddy as my wife only likes two types of music: country and western. I started off in the adult beverage industry portraying Captain Morgan, so I guess you can say rum is in my blood. My family and I love all things Disney and the Haunted Mansion is easily my favorite ride. I collect patches, for a patch work shirt, from all of the fun and interesting places that I visit. I love taking vinyl records to concerts and conventions and getting them autographed by the people involved with them.

Favorite album: This is of course an extremely difficult question for any record collector, but for me it’s probably a tie between Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth and Shooter Jennings’ masterpiece concept album Black Ribbons. Both of those albums tell stories from beginning to end and show true artistic expression.

First album: The Hardee’s restaurant Gremlins 45 rpm records with story books! What great memories of my dad always getting those for me. The first record I ever bought for myself was Bryan Adams’ Reckless. I had that on vinyl before I even had my own record player. Hit after hit from front to back. If “Summer of ‘69” doesn’t make you feel something, you may want to check your pulse.”

Favorite Enjoy The Ride or Enjoy The Toons release: The Dark Crystal Deluxe Edition is easily my favorite Enjoy The Toons release, so far. That film is a slice of so many of our childhoods and reason so many of us like fantasy, sci-fi and horror films.

Favorite album artwork: Ghoulish Gary Pullin’s artwork for the C.H.U.D. release from Waxwork Records is just perfect as it captures the movie exactly as I remember it. His House 1 /House 2 Waxwork double LP is a close second. I’m a huge fan of his work in general and absolutely love seeing so many albums recently with his art.

Favorite Halloween themed album in your collection? I actually just got it! Songs of the Thinned Veil. My friend, composer Justin Burning, just released it on vinyl where it promptly sold out. I hope he will do a repressing so more people can discover this. Another friend Matt Dougherty does some guest vocals on this album so it’s been on repeat at my house. The art for this record was done by the incomparable Sam Heimer (frequent collaborator with Cadabra Records). This whole project was just a home run in my opinion. Plus watching people make passion projects come to life is just so cool!

Favorite Halloween themed record artwork? The Bates Motel deluxe package is essential for Halloween. The gate fold pop-up art and shower drain swirl vinyl are top notch in creativity.

Favorite Halloween themed wax variant? Joe Hill put out a spoken word horror story on vinyl called Dark Carousel. When I show people why I think colored vinyl is a form of art I show them that specific wax variant. From Cadabra Records spoken arts on vinyl, makes it impossible to choose just one from their gorgeous pressings.

Most unique Halloween album in your collection? Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth original soundtrack by Mark Fox. I have an autographed “blood” filled copy. Mark is an amazing guy and needs to do some more soundtracks soon!

What Halloween albums do you wish you had in your collection?
I’d like to eventually go back and get all of the variants of the Halloween albums from Mondo and all of the Friday the 13th variants from Waxwork Records. I have a pretty complete Nightmare on Elm Street collection already. I also have the soundtrack to Scream Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street by Alexander Taylor on order. I’m hoping it arrives in time for Halloween!

What are your favorite local record shops, in case any readers are traveling through your town? My friends and I camp out every Record Store Day at Wax Xtatic Record Audio Stereo Shop/Odds and Ends in Marshalltown, Iowa. John and Warren there are just the best. John always has something playing at volume 10 that makes you feel at home when you walk in the door! John’s forgotten more about music than I will ever know. I’m actually really lucky to have a great record shop scene here in Iowa close to the West Des Moines area where I live. Vinyl Cup, Marv’s Music, Rogue Planet and Zzz Records are all fun and ran by great people that put their customers first.

What are your favorite venues in your town to catch a show? Wooly’s in downtown Des Moines because if you get there early enough you can get as close to the stage as you want as its general admission! For acoustics Hoyt Sherman in Des Moines is an extremely acoustic old theater. I saw Bryan Adams play his Bare Bones acoustic show there and I have never heard anything sound better. Ever.

Favorite record shop you've stumbled upon while visiting another location Amoeba in San Francisco is an absolute go to when I’m in California for business. I was recently in New Zealand also for business and had the chance to get shown around the record scene by my buddy Johnny Andrews that lives there. One of the shops he took me to, Real Groovy, was a lot of fun and had just a great selection of all genres. If anyone is ever in Savannah, Georgia go seek out Graveface Records & Curiosities. Unique shop that owner, Ryan, also runs a great record label called Terrorvision. They put out all sorts of cult soundtracks!

*added note from ETR: There is currently a Graveface Museum in the works!

What have you been listening to more frequently lately? I’ve been listening to a lot of Eric Church. His songwriting is so intelligent and speaks to your soul. I’ve also been listening to a lot of movie soundtracks from my childhood. Big Trouble in Little China, House 1 and House 2, Monster Squad, and Gremlins. I’m a member of a great Facebook group called MondoWax and I get inspiration on what to listen to next by reading and watching what other members are listening to.

Have you discovered any new artists lately? Amigo the Devil. WOW. The first time I listened to his song “Cocaine and Abel” I remember thinking what the hell just hit me. What a talent. I need to see him LIVE. Rod Melancon is another emerging artist that more people need to check out as his music is raw passion and he tells stories like he has lived three full lifetimes.

What are some of your favorite albums you have in your collection? Aliens score as I absolutely love that film and James Horner. Interstellar score as Hans Zimmer created art that perfectly intertwined with that film and almost became another character on its own. The Nice Guys limited deluxe pressing. Young Guns 2 Garret’s Place Wax Mage variant which only 10 were made. Cadabra’s The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe read by Anthony D.P. Mann. Black Ribbons Ultimate Edition autographed by Shooter Jennings. The packaging is die cut and just layers upon layers of amazing dystopian art. Forbidden Planet signed by the composers. Gypsy signed by Natalie Wood, Karl Malden and Rosalind Russell.

Any specific albums you wish you had on vinyl?
My Holy Grail list:
Event Horizon soundtrack.
Aliens Xenomorph green blood filled variant.
Friday the 13th blood filled variant.
Everything is Fine by Amigo the Devil. The green and black rare marbled variant.
Just Push Play by Aerosmith. I know the artist that painted the album cover!
The Type O Negative Dead Again box set.

What album would you like to be pressed on vinyl?
I NEED Enjoy the Toons to press G.I. Joe to vinyl immediately! We need a two album set with the television score and the cartoon movie music, especially that opening credits theme song! Enjoy the Toons also needs to press The Real Ghostbusters to vinyl as well. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is in desperate need of a repress with all of the bells and whistles added to the packaging. The Scream 3 soundtrack is just a bonkers awesome sampling of early 2000s hard rock and needs a vinyl pressing. Night of the Creeps also needs the vinyl treatment. Zakk Wylde’s original Book of Shadows needs to happen soon. Finally I think a lot of us would love to see Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow get pressed.

Scenario time! Let’s say you decided to sell most of your possessions + live in a tiny house for the remainder of your years. You can only take 7 records. What are they (Here's the catch - for each person you live with, you have to make one of those choices their favorite album - the more people you live with, the less choices are yours. Yes, this includes tiny humans. If you want to include your furry humans, feel free)?
Daughter Audrey: Frozen movie soundtrack
Son Mason: The Greatest Showman movie soundtrack
Wife Kara: Jimmy Buffett's A1A
Step-Daughter Ella: Panic! at the Disco’s Death of a Bachelor
So that leaves three for me:
My Stan Lee autographed copy of the Guardians of the Galaxy DELUXE vinyl soundtrack and score. My stepdaughter and I met him right before he passed away and that was such an amazing memory that we will always cherish.
My Bruce Campbell autographed copy of Waxwork Records’ Evil Dead 2 score. I met Bruce while he was on a book tour and I remember him signing it with a paint pen. His handler was trying to rush me through the line and Bruce stopped him and made sure they were careful not to smudge the signature. I remember thinking how cool of Bruce to actually care about that and to take the time to make sure my memento wasn’t ruined!
Finally my Wes Studi autographed copy of The Last of the Mohicans soundtrack. That music is hauntingly beautiful. A filmmaker friend of mine Robert Dopf flew Wes in for a fundraising event for a movie he’s trying to get made that will actually feature Wes in it. Such a great night meeting Wes and a reminder that if you want your dreams to happen you have to go actually fight and make them happen!

Record Collector Of The Month: September 2019

Written By Michele - September 12 2019

Tell us a little bit about yourself: My name is Travis. I'm a special education teacher in Westchester and am married with two kids. I've got about 600 (estimated). I've been collecting for 6 years now. My love for vinyl started when I was a kid. My father would blast James Brown records every Saturday morning which instilled a love of Motown in me. I've been a collector my whole life but records seem to be something that have stuck and this obsession won't fade. I'd love to be featured sometime. I live in Mahopac, NY and just moved into this big old farmhouse. We refinished the attic and I have my own vinyl room upstairs that is slowly growing into a listening room(long work in progress). But I'm pretty happy with the setup so far. I have an old cabinet player I'm going to refinish but now am spinning on an ATLP120 downstairs and a cheapo one upstairs. My kids listen to records on a Peanuts Crosley from RSD in their bedroom.Started collecting a lot of punk/emo/hardcore bands and classic albums from youth. Then it expanded to soundtracks. I'm big into Mondo/Waxwork and the horror soundtracks for the artwork. Lately I've been nabbing a lot of boom bap hip hop albums I missed from the 90s.

Favorite album: Bright Eyes - I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning

First album: Michael Jackson - Thriller

Favorite Enjoy The Ride or Enjoy The Toons release: Phantom Planet - The Guest

Favorite album artwork: Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin’

Any albums//songs in your collection that you think our readers would like to see? I know they sound like crap but I’m really into picture discs. I have the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Soundtrack on picture disc. It came in this awesome box set with little masks to wear. The guy I bought it from in Germany found a case of them in some record store and half of them had water damage from a flood. I scored one of the clean ones. I also am extremely proud of my copy of The Shining soundtrack which I’m sure is long overdue for a repress, especially with the sequel coming out this year. Another special record is a motown band from Rochester called The Legendary Dukes. This is much more sentimental value than anything. My parents used to follow this band in the area and used to take me dancing as a young kid to their concerts. It was probably the best entrance into live music a kid could have had. Every weekend morning I was woken by the sounds of this album blasting at 7AM. There is no better way to start your day than with some classic Motown music. My soundtrack collection, especially those from Lakeshore, Waxwork and Mondo are something I treasure most because of the unique artwork each one of them houses. Some of my favorite standouts are Magnolia, Fight Club, Gremlins (heat/moisture sensitive jackets) and Evil Dead 2.

What are your favorite local record shops, in case any readers are traveling through Westchester? I am spoiled with two fantastic, yet different record stores in my area. My first go to, especially on Record Store Day is without a doubt Darkside Records in Poughkeepsie, NY. They are super nice, ship items easily, have a MASSIVE Record Store Day quantity and amazing events and live music throughout the year. They are excellent at bringing together the Westchester area. Whether it be local musicians, artists and craft foods and drinks, they curate and bring together the best the Hudson Valley has to offer. I also really dig The Vinyl Room in Wappingers Falls, NY. This is my dream date night spot. Imagine a place with old school hip hop djs spinning live (like Pete Rock), local craft beers on draft, a pizza window that you can order from that goes into the Italian restaurant next door, free play classic arcade machines like NFL Blitz, NBA Jam, Primal Rage and Street Fighter and bins upon bins of a stellar hip hop/jazz/reggae vinyl. This place has an amazing and welcoming vibe. It’s not what you’d expect in the heart of Wappingers Falls but it brings people in from the entire Hudson Valley and even up from the city. Definitely check it out if you’re heavy into the boom bap sound. Their live performances they are able to book are seriously phenomenal.

What are your favorite venues in Westchester to catch a show? If you live in the Hudson Valley, it’s no surprise that my favorite venue is The Capitol Theatre. By far this venue is the best at getting the largest range in popular artists. If you’re tired from working/parenting all day you can enjoy comfortable seating upstairs, or standing room downstairs. There’s no bad spot in the house. They are able to book the artists that often sell out Madison Square Garden or Barclays, but you get to see them in a smaller venue. However, I’m spoiled living 45 minutes from the city, so most of the live music I want to see is playing there. I’m still a sucker for shows at Bowery Ballroom, being that it’s my favorite venue in the city and totally worth the drive and hunting for a parking spot in the LES. However, babysitters are expensive so we often try to local live music at our local breweries such as Peekskill Brewery and The River Outpost Brewery. When I’m feeling angst-y, I’ll see if some of my middle aged emo bands are making a stop at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie. Sometimes Taking Back Sunday might book a show en route to NYC. Fingers crossed that the newly renovated Paramount Theater in Peekskill gets some new acts. It’s improving from comedians and Grateful Dead cover bands to 90s acts such as Collective Soul. That’s improvement right?!

Favorite record shop you've stumbled upon while visiting another town?Discogs has spoiled digging for me since having kids. I’m lucky while travelling to get a few minutes to hop into a record shop with the kids boredom and impatience ever growing. So I’ll speak of my favorite and first true record store experience. When I was in 8th grade I went on a Thanksgiving trip to Nantucket, MA with my Dad. He’s super cheap so of course he booked the trip off season during the precipice of winter leaving his disaffected and bored teenager (me) to go for long walks and secretly smoke clove cigarettes on the beach. During one of these long walks back home I stumbled on a basement record store. WIth the Beastie Boys anthology recently released and spinning in my discman (20 second anti-skip protection thank you very much) I nabbed the DJ Shadow album Entroducing. Prior to that I had only bought music at stores like FYE and Circuit City (RIP) but this was my opening to my love of Independent music stores.

What have you been listening to more frequently lately? Life would be easy if I was into only one or two genres. My tastes changes with the seasons. Dance, indie pop and hip hop are my summer daytime jams with more chill campfire Birkenstock wearing jammy music at night. Now that Pumpkin Spiced Latte time is upon us, I am pulling out the brooding emo and emo-core bands as well as dark Indie bands (My Chemical Romance, She Wants Revenge, Senses Fail) These are great at getting in the Halloween spirit. Some of my favorite this year are new albums by the following artists (in no particular order) are Vampire Weekend, LIzzo, The Highwomen, Lana Del Rey, Bastille, Black Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Chance the Rapper, Gang of Youths, The National, Red Hearse, Carly Rae Jepsen and Robyn.

Have you discovered any new artists lately? I never got into the Avett Brothers but the other day I heard the song “I and Love and You” on the radio and I was floored. It’s one of those songs that immediately makes your life long mix-tape. Anything Jack Antonoff touches usually turns to gold so I’m really digging his brief but brilliant band Red Hearse. It’s amped up dance R & B soul/funk with some of the most catchy songs I’ve heard all year.

Any specific albums you wish you had on vinyl? Reel Big Fish -Turn the Radio Off - Enjoy The Ride pressed it but I can’t find it anywhere for less than $150. Definitely makes the song “sellout” sting a little bit more.

Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark - George S. Irving (Caedmon Records) My favorite childhood books with some of the coolest artwork ever created. This was voiced by my friends Grandfather and I can only find it on cassette. The last one on eBay went for $350. Hoping with the movies release someone will repress this gem. It’s definitely my most sought after album.

Skee-Lo - I Wish - No explanation needed.

She Wants Revenge - self titled - this would definitely be spinning this time of year.

What album would you like to be pressed on vinyl? I would like all of Kanye’s catalogue pressed. I have some German bootlegs that sound like crap but am still crossing my fingers for an absurd box set. It’s always interesting how hip-hop albums take so long to get pressed since the digitization of DJ culture. All hip hop used to be pressed for the demand from DJs to scratch. Now, it often takes years to get a great hip hop album pressed to quality vinyl.

What have you been listening to more frequently lately? Seeing bands live always makes me go back through catalogues. I saw Conor Oberst at a small club in Norwalk, CT this summer. So for the next two weeks I was living off his solo and Bright Eyes albums. Also, I have been consuming a lot of 90s pop rock and alternative music. I saw the Ra Ra Riot, Jimmy Eat World and THird Eye Blind tour this summer and was super impressed with how many amazing songs Third Eye Blind has. Jimmy Eat World is one of my favorite bands and these dudes are always in it for the long haul.

Scenario time! Let’s say you decided to sell most of your possessions + live in a tiny house for the remainder of your years. You can only take 7 records. What are they (Here's the catch - for each person you live with, you have to make one of those choices their favorite album - the more people you live with, the less choices are yours. Yes, this includes tiny humans. If you want to include your furry humans, feel free)?

You can’t grab an album without explaining its purpose. So here goes:

For me: Bright Eyes - I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning - to me he’s the Millennial’s Bob Dylan. This album was my wake up on a Sunday in the city and walk 80 blocks to the East Village soundtrack. There was always a neighborhood that perfectly represented each track.

Jimmy Eat World - Clarity - early college years, late nights driving in cars emoting with my best friend.

For my wife: Robyn - Body Talk RSD - but still one of my favorite dance albums ever. Sometimes you just gotta dance and cry at the same time, Robyn can do that for you.

For my 5 year old daughter: the dance parties have just started so obviously Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion

For my 2 year old son: terrible twos = Beastie Boys - Anthology: The Sounds of Science

For the family: Sam Cooke - Portrait of a Legend - this music makes everything alright

One for the road: Weezer - Blue Album - you can hate on Weezer but this album is perfection.

Record Collector Of The Month: July 2019

Written By Michele - July 18 2019

Tell us a little bit about yourself: My name is Jared Gallagher-Gallagher 27, and I live out in Norristown which is just west of Philly. I got married young at 20 to my partner of 7 years, Audrey. We are of no relation, of course, but had the same last name before we got married. A rare opportunity that cant be passed up. So we hyphenated, haha. We have two sphynx cats (Tut, and Jax), an iguana (Dre aka Big Drako), and a standard poodle puppy (Jeannie). We are a fun loving group. I work with 401K's and retirement investing, though admittedly it is hardly a field of interest. I spend my time spinning records, tending to my plants, playing guitar, and watching my Optikinetics projector. I love rolling through the city or hitting up Longwood Gardens with a crew. Anything I do I try to see through the lens of inclusive community. David Bazan, Alt-j, and Pete Silberman (the Antlers) played living room shows at our place (not all at the same time lol). Everything I love to do I want to foster a community around. I am energized by seeing people I love engage each other through music— it brings me life.

Favorite album: Shit, of all time? That tends to change with the moons so I’ll use moon phases as genres and just do my best.

- On a full moon catch me spinning Jesus Piece - Only Self. Brutal Philly death metal.

- Waning Gibbos moons puts me more in a Ceremony - L Shaped Man place. Post-punk realness for the saddest

- The last quarter half moon; Saba - Care For Me. Honest, introspective hiphop

- During a waning crescent I'll be spinning Title Fight - Floral Green. If you know, then you know.

- On a new moon Tame Impala - Currents. Psych-Pop God Kevin Parker can do no wrong

- Waxing Crescent - Frank Ocean - Blond. Needs no description

- The first quarter half moon is for Warpaint - The Fool. Indie queens of groove and upbeat lounge.

- And Finally the waxing gibbos moon is for Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow. Philly shoegaze for the glossed over drinker.

Even doing this with 7 albums was really hard. There are so many albums that take me where I need to go.

First album: First vinyl purchase was Florence and the machine's Lungs back in 2011/2012. Got it because I wanted something both Audrey and I would enjoy. First ever album I paid for was a CD. I picked up 3 from an FYE on the same go around Christmas 2001. I copped Creed - My Own Prison, POD - Satellite, and a Smashmouth album, I think Astro Lounge. Not my proudest music moment, but I would still smack a hand tryna turn any of these off hahaha.

Favorite Enjoy The Ride or Enjoy The Toons release: Fuck all, none other than Foxy Shazam - S/T. I caught them at the Croc Rock supporting their self titled while i was in college. They were on tour with Circa Survive and Anberlin (Anberlin was headlining so you know it was a long time ago lol). Nobody does it like Foxy did. The Frontman, Eric Nally, lit, smoked, and ate a fist full of cigs from the crowd. Then chugged a bottle of water and started screaming as the bridge of a song went into a breakdown. Apparently he did it multiple nights, there are videos. The man is wild. I thought their self titled album would never hit wax, but y’all made it happen and i will love you forever for it.

Favorite album artwork: Balance & Composure - The Things We Think We're Missing. That album art is what got me into lighting effects and liquid oil wheels. Phenomenal lp too.

Any albums//songs in your collection that you think our readers would like to see? I have a good spread of protest vinyl that's good fun for the whole family, but if you prefer apolitical content and bright fun colors I have quite a few really pretty pressings. The Waxmages are particularly talented at pressing impossible concepts. Really it's the vinyl scene in Cleveland. There are a lot of crazies out there. Waxmages, Quality Time, Romanus, Greenway to name a few. If you haven't peeped their content you should. Really insane stuff other there.

What are your favorite local record shops, in case any readers are traveling through Philly? Philly is packed with sweet records shops, it's crazy. Any time I go elsewhere I see how lucky I am and how great Philly is. Don't argue with me on this. No one fucks with Philly. Alright, my top three favorite spots:

Mainstreet Music in Manayunk. A smaller shop, but they are knowledgeable, eager to help, host a lot of events. Great people over there.

Creep Records in Northern Liberties has everything you want, and there is a glass shop in it. This is my RSD spot, lots of people my age and feels more like a party. Probably my A1 spot if you got a knife and I gotta choose.

Last but not close to least - Repo Records. If you are rollin though and you only have time to hit one shop, go to Repo. Its Iconic. They got the goodies with that old Philly feel.

What are your favorite venues in Philly to catch a show? For a smaller gig, Johnny Brenda's. Nice intimate setting to see up and coming musicians, bands that are making a comeback, or (for me) a place to see mewithoutYou. mewithoutYou usually plays a set after Xmas before new year and it's a riot. Kensingers are like 3 bucks there too so easy peasy.

Big show, The Fillmore. Great sound, beautiful spot.

Best of the mfin best is Union Transfer. Size wise UT is between the other two, but it's got the best sound, coolest security, and the best line-ups.

Favorite record shop you've stumbled upon while visiting another town? I spent some real time at Redscroll Records in CT. definitely my favorite shop away from home.

What have you been listening to more frequently lately?

Imma just list a few out

Denzel Curry - ZUU

Crumb - Jinx

Fury - Failed Entertainment

Nilyfer Yanya - Miss Universe

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - And Now For The Watchamacallit

Tyler - Igor

Cloakroom - Time Well

Flying Lotus - Flamagra

Stella Donnelly - Beware of the Dogs

the list goes on, on, and on.

Have you discovered any new artists lately? (Doesn't have to be someone new on the scene, can be new to you) Froth, Empath, Club Night, Otoboke Beaver, Devil Master, FEELS, Jaala, Leikeli47 IDLES, Faye Webster, Barrie, Tierra Whack. Those are the artists I just started on over the last 2-3 months.

What are some of your favorite albums you have in your collection?

Tame Impala - Currents

DIIV - Is The Is Are

Ceremony - L Shaped Man

Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition

Jesus Piece - Only Self

Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch (this was a wedding album for us)

Any specific albums you wish you had on vinyl?

A lot of Sorrow by The National would be cool to own.

BADBADNOTGOOD - BBNG2

Beast Coast - Escape From New York ( slept on that one)

The Presidents of the United States Of America - S/T

What album would you like to be pressed on vinyl?

T.R.A.M. Lingua Franca

Any Creed record ;)

The Presidents of the United States Of America - S/T

Surrogate - Diamonds and Pearls

If you make any of these happen I will start a cult in worship of your sovereignty and immortalize your name. You will never be forgotten, and the syllables of your name will echo in eternity. (hahahhahaha, noted!)

I only live with my partner, Audrey so she would cop Father John Misty - I Love You Honeybear. I would need to bring Title Fight - Floral Green, Ceremony - L Shaped Man, Jesus Piece - Only Self, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Flying Microtonal Banana, BADBADNOTGOOD/Ghostface Killah - Sour Soul, and Beyonce - S/T. But if we are being honest bet this list would change every time you ask me.

Record Collector Of The Month - June 2019

Written By Michele - June 19 2019

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Name: Brant Bell

Age: 38

Location: New Albany, Ohio

Profession: Web Developer

Fun Facts: The first CD purchase I made with my own money was Sheryl Crow's Tuesday Night Music Club. I also owned and loved MiniDiscs when they came out which coincided with the rise of Napster and Limewire.

Hobbies: Playing golf, coaching my son's baseball team, playing video games, acting as a taxi driver for my kids.

Favorite album: Weezer (Blue Album) by Weezer

First album: My first vinyl record was a Christmas gift from my wife -- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by the Smashing Pumpkins. I didn't even have a record player at the time!

Favorite Enjoy The Ride or Enjoy The Toons release: All the Ozma reissues, but specifically Rock and Roll Part Three. The original pressing was a picture disc so the reissue was welcomed with open arms. A close second would be Phantom Planet's The Guest.

Favorite album artwork: Mondo has some of the best artwork in the industry when it comes to vinyl releases. The Fight Club soundtrack that makes you rip apart the outer sleeve to get to the record is both awe-inspiring and cruel at the same time. Their artwork for The Fifth Element and Batman Returns soundtracks are gorgeous, but my pick would be Mondo's release of the Home Alone soundtrack. The gatefold artwork incorporates the various traps used in the movie to go along with the sleeves that can make the house appear well lit or dark from one side of the sleeve to the other. It pays perfect homage to the movie which is a testament to its thoughtful design/creation.

Any albums//songs in your collection remind you of Summer? Dave Matthews Band reminds me of summer and concert season in general. I'm lucky enough to have all the Live Trax sessions that have made their way to vinyl so far along with the RSD releases they've done of Live at Red Rocks and Live at Luther College.

What are your favorite local record shops, in case any readers are traveling through your town? I'm lucky to live and work close enough to the Ohio State University campus which has an abundance of amazing stores. My favorites range in this order: Records Per Minute, Used Kids Records, Spoonful Records and Lost Weekend Records.

Favorite record shop you've stumbled upon while visiting another town? Finders Records in Bowling Green, Ohio and Culture Clash in Toledo, Ohio are both highly recommended.

What have you been listening to more frequently lately? I've been listening to a wealth of female artists lately. The list of EPs that I've enjoyed lately include: Elley Duhe, Sasha Sloan, SHAED, Maggie Lindemann, Lennon Stella and Kiiara. Meg Myers and Amy Shark both released full albums last year that I still have in rotation. Lizzo's Cuz I Love You is a stellar summer album for sure.

Have you discovered any new artists lately? (Doesn't have to be someone new on the scene, can be new to you!) There have been a ton of up-and-coming artists that I wish could break big enough to gain national attention, but I'm pulling hardest for Dermot Kennedy. His sound is familiar, but unique and rock/pop enough to get airplay across various stations. Think of Damien Rice, but less moody and more uptempo. His arrangements, vocal phrasings, Tiny Desk concert, covers, etc. showcase a talent that could explode if he maintains his current output.

What are some of your favorite albums you have in your collection? I have all of Bob Dylan's records including the magnificent Bootleg Series which was quite an undertaking. My favorite of his is still Blood on the Tracks. Fortunately, my favorite records from the 90s have found their way back to vinyl through represses over the years so I'm happy to own Everclear's first two records, Bjork's Post and Homogenic and even things like the Home Alone soundtrack.

Any specific albums you wish you had on vinyl? I wish I had Beck's Midnite Vultures and Dave Matthews Band's Before These Crowded Streets on vinyl. Both have been rumored to be getting repressed, but nothing has materialized.

What album would you like to be pressed on vinyl? The first two Rentals albums (Return of the Rentals and Seven More Minutes), the Toadies' Hell Below/Stars Above, Everclear's Invisible Stars, Rob Dougan's Furious Angels, Once a Tree's Phoenix and Dave Matthews Band's Before These Crowded Streets and Busted Stuff albums to go along with Dave's solo album Some Devil.

Scenario time! Lets say you decided to sell most of your possessions + live in a tiny house for the remainder of your years. You can only take 7 records. What are they (Here's the catch - for each person you live with, you have to make one of those choices their favorite album - the more people you live with, the less choices are yours. Yes, this includes tiny humans)? My wife would take the Grease soundtrack while my son would take Dermot Kennedy's Keep the Evenings Long. My daughter would be a little more unpredictable (she's a teenager) so I'll guess Taylor Swift's 1989 for her. That leaves me with four choices so I'll take: Weezer's Blue Album, Smashing Pumpkin's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Daft Punk's Tron: Legacy soundtrack and Burial's Untrue.

Record Collector Of The Month: May 2019

Written By Michele Falcone - May 15 2019

Tell us a little bit about yourself: I am Michael Wilder. I was born in the panhandle of Florida, then eagerly escaped to Seattle and am now living in NYC. I have been avidly making, hoarding, and listening to music for about 41 years. My girlfriend and I just renovated a home with space enough for the entire 3500+ collection (FINALLY!?!). I'm also building a recording studio so very soon I will be fighting a daily temptation to never leave the house. I organize, declutter, interior design/decorate, etc.....for clients on referral here in the city. Like Marie Kondo but taller and with zero dogma. We go to shows A LOT. It's NYC and everybody plays here making it impossible to NOT find a show worth seeing every single day. Sometimes several options meaning hard choices and a few tears.

Favorite album: I couldn't possibly pick a favorite album. I love The Afghan Whigs' 'Congregation' just as much as I do Zombi's 'Spirit Animal' with thousands in-between.

First album: KISS' Rock 'n' Roll Over. I was seven and that put my musical life on it's course. My bedroom was wall-to-wall and ceiling covered in KISS posters all the way through high-school.

Favorite Enjoy The Ride or Enjoy The Toons release: Probably True Romance with 7" and adapter and I REALLY love the gatefold!

Favorite album artwork: Also can't be done but I REALLY love gimmick covers and have bought albums just for that reason. From Grand Funk Railroad's 'Shinin' On' to Torche's 'Meanderthal', covers are first impressions and a chance at great art so how artists/labels completely wreck that opportunity is beyond me.

Did you snag any albums from the RSD 2019 list? RSD 2019 gave this house the Todd Rundgren box, WaxTrax! Industrial Accident with VIP ticket to see Ministry in Brooklyn, The Crow Soundtrack, Pearl Jam Live at Easy Street, Prince's The Versace Experience, Marty Willson-Piper's 'Hanging Out in Heaven', Cheap Trick's Epic Archives Volume 3, and A-ha's 'Hunting High and Low Alternate Mixes'. We had to take it easy this year due to the buying-a-house thing. That hurt. A lot.

What are your favorite local record shops, in case any readers are traveling through your town? Sadly, stores are closing left and right but Generation Records is holding strong so they're my usual go-to. Also, Academy Records whenever I'm around any of their three locations.

What have you been listening to more frequently lately? Most frequently as of late has been a four hour Yacht Rock playlist that I made back when that video series first came out. We're fortunate to have a giant yard with a grill and a smoker so now that winter is finally over, we're embracing every sunny day in our own little oasis. That playlist along with Rhino's 'Left of the Dial' boxset and the Blue Thumb Records compilation tend to be our BBQ trifecta. In-between those days, we're sonically all over the place.

Have you discovered any new artists lately (doesn't have to be someone new on the scene, can be new to you)? Funny, I have a series that I send to friends called 'New Means New To You' which is two hours of music NOT on the Billboard Top 200 year by year starting with 1976. Inquire to newmeansnewtoyou@gmail for a free link! Having been such an avid collector for decades and working in/frequenting record stores since the 80's, there's not much that I'm not already familiar with. I know it sounds a hair know-it-all but it's all I've done my whole life (I didn't own a TV for over a decade!?!). I am loosely open to suggestions, though.

What are some of your favorite albums you have in your collection? The entire Prince catalog. I have a copy of Rainbow Children that is NOT plagued with the pressing issue but it RARELY gets played for obvious reasons ($$$). Sloan's 'Action Pact'. The Datsuns self-titled. The entire Bowie catalog, every Coil album.....they're all favorites really. I don't keep records that I won't listen to....outside of the few simply having an amazing cover, like Jobriath.

Any specific albums you wish you had on vinyl? I wish that I had Super Furry Animals' 'Rings Around the World' on vinyl. A lot.

What album would you like to be pressed on vinyl? 'Rings Around the World' or Dramarama's aptly named 'Vinyl'. Your choice. Whenever you guys are ready.

Scenario time! Lets say you decided to sell most of your possessions + live in a tiny house for the remainder of your years. You can only take 7 records. What are they (Here's the catch - for each person you live with, you have to make one of those choices their favorite album - the more people you live with, the less choices are yours. Yes, this includes tiny humans)? I am very fortunate that my girlfriend and I have similar tastes in music so while narrowing down to just seven would be almost as terrifying as having to live in a tiny house, we certainly agree on Bowie 'Nothing Has Changed', The Church 'Hindsight', The Cure 'Standing On A Beach', The Doors 'Best Of', Paul McCartney 'Wingspan', Queen 'Greatest Hits', and Prince 'The Hits 1',. We absolutely MUST go with hits packages in a dire situation such as this.....or maybe just choose death?

Record Collector Of The Month: April 2019

Written By Michele Falcone - April 17 2019

Tell us a little bit about yourself: My Name is Nick Perry. I am 45 years old. I live in Cleveland Ohio. I work at NASA as an IT Systems Administrator. I have been a drummer in local bands in Cleveland, Ohio since the mid 90's and still play. Bands I have been in, in the past, have had the pleasure of opening for the likes of Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Peter Frampton, The Smithereens and The Knack. I have been married for 21 years to my amazing wife and we co-produced two equally amazing kids. I live and breathe music. I go to several concerts a year, as well in and around the Cleveland, Ohio area. I also really enjoy taking photos and videos at every concert I go to. I am an avid autograph seeker/collector of signed anything and I currently have a vinyl collection of 4,000 albums and counting!

Favorite album: My favorite album of all time would have to be from my biggest musical hero - Bruce Springsteen: The Wild the Innocent & The E Street Shuffle because to me, it is the best white man soul album ever made! It embodies the spirit of Van Morison like no other. That album is solid from start to finish!

First album: The First album I ever bought was when i was 9 years old in 1983 at the local mall (remember record stores in malls?), the 7" for the Genesis song, "That's All." My dad drove my brother and I to the mall to buy any record we wanted to buy with our own money and this is what I bought!

Favorite Enjoy The Ride or Enjoy The Toons release: My favorite Enjoy The Ride release has to be: Hasbro Studios Presents '80s TV Classics: Music from The Transformers - I was addicted to that cartoon in the 80's as a kid. I watched it everyday after school along with G. I. Joe!

Favorite album artwork: My favorite album artwork has to be the 2016 reissue of Pink Floyd's Meddle. It has this raised texture feel to it. It also has my favorite Pink Floyd song on it called "Fearless."

Did you see anything on the RSD 2019 list that you plan on picking up? Oh, I have gone every year to RSD in both the spring and black friday RSD except the first two years. This year I picked up all of these:

Stiv Bators - STIV: No Compromises No Regrets

Bingo Hand Job (R.E.M.) - Live At The Borderline 1991

David Bowie - The World of David Bowie

James Brown - Sho Is Funky Down Here

Duran Duran - As The Lights Go Down

Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks – Test Pressing

Peter Gabriel - Rated PG

Steve Gadd Band - Steve Gadd Band

Green Day - Woodstock 1994

Greta Van Fleet - From The Fires

Billy Joel - Live at Carnegie Hall 1977

Elton John - Live From Moscow

John Lennon - Imagine (Raw Studio Mixes)

Pearl Jam - Live At Easy Street

Pink Floyd - A Saucerful of Secrets (Mono)

Elvis Presley - Live at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, NV August 23, 1969

Robert Plant - Fate of Nations

Otis Redding With Booker T. & The M.G.'S And The Mar-Keys - Just Do It One More Time!

Matthew Sweet - The Blue Sky On Mars Tour

Jeff Tweedy - Warmer

Weezer - (Teal Album)

Weezer - Dusty Gems and Raw Nuggets

Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch - Twin Peaks Season Two: Music and More

Office Space Soundtrack

Stax Does The Beatles

Howard Stern's Private Parts

The Crow (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The Parliaments - Baby I Owe You Something Good

What are your favorite local record shops, in case any readers are traveling through your town? IMHO, the best record store in the Cleveland area is Record Den in a suburb of Cleveland called: Mentor. I cannot recommend that place enough. Super knowledgeable staff and a selection of vinyl like no other locally in Cleveland! They also get the most RSD variety/quantities in Ohio twice a year! One more shout-out for Cleveland is that we have an amazing vinyl pressing plant here called: Gotta Groove Records, that presses tons of vinyl for local Cleveland bands and tons of big names worldwide.

Have you discovered any new artists lately? (Doesn't have to be someone new on the scene, can be new to you!) Yes! Greta van Fleet and The Better Oblivion Community Center. With Greta, that band just proves rock will never be dead and it is not currently dead like many have been saying. I have always liked Conor Oberst and him teaming up with Phoebe Bridgers for BOCC is a truly amazing combo.

What are some of your favorite albums you have in your collection? I would say the 142 signed albums i have gotten(so far) myself after concerts in and around Cleveland. Out of all of those, I would say my favorites are :

I am a HUGE fan of Teenage Fanclub and the whole band signed every single one of my TFC albums. All of their albums!

Brian Wilson signed No Pier Pressure

Brian Eno's albums: Ambient 4(On Land), Discreet Music and Music For Films

Ian Hunter signed Mott the Hoople box set

Peter Wolf - A Cure for Loneliness - signed by Peter

Ginger Baker - A Drummer's Tale - Signed by Ginger

The Zombies - Odessey & Oracle - Signed by all 4 original living members

Otis Redding - Otis Blue - Signed by Steve Cropper

Rush - Hold Your Fire - signed by Aimee Mann

Tears For Fears - Songs from the Big Chair - signed by Roland and Curt

Pink Floyd - The Wall - signed by Roger Waters

AC/DC - Flick of The Switch - signed by Angus Young

Footloose Soundtrack - signed by Kevin Bacon

X - Wild Gift - signed by all original members

The Kinks - The Kinks are The Village Green Preservation Society - signed by Ray and Dave

Dave Mason - Alone Together - signed by Dave

Wilco - Alpha Mike Foxtrot - signed by whole band

Donovan - A Gift From a Flower to a Garden - signed by Donovan

Any specific albums you wish you had on vinyl? I wish i could afford a copy of an original: Beatles - The Beatles Yesterday and Today, Butcher Cover and the last two Bowie box sets released thus far: A New Career In A New Town (1977-1982); Loving The Alien (1983-1988).

What album would you like to be pressed on vinyl? This is a tough one because most of what was not on vinyl is now on vinyl because of the demand for vinyl these days. I would say a non-limited edition of The Elvin Jones album called Genesis. Everybody needs to hear that masterpiece!

What have you been listening to more frequently lately? On vinyl, I have been listening to alot of old school punk from the 70's and 80's by: The Dead Boys, Stiv Bators, The Germs, Cheetah Chrome, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned - just to name a few!

Men At Work - Business as Usual - For My 18 year old Daughter, Grace

The Ramones - Ramones - For My 14 year old Son, Nick

The rest are for me and for me to get the rest to really like!

Teenage Fanclub - Songs From Northern Britian

Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle

The Cure - The Head on The Door

U2- War

SHHHHHHH...If i could sneak 8 instead of 7, I would add this one as well!

Rush - Permanent Waves

Record Collector Of The Month: March 2019

Written By Michele Falcone - March 20 2019

Tell us a little bit about yourself: My name is Jeff and I live in San Diego with my wife and dog. I teach 6th grade at a local elementary school. I started collecting records a little in high school, but the bug didn’t really bite until I finished college. I started working at a label called Ubiquity Records and got really interested in digging. We used to host vinyl nights at local bars in Orange County and from there I haven’t stopped buying records.

Radio is also a passion of mine. When I was 15 I would walk down to a community radio station once a week in my hometown. I would bring my carrying case of cd’s and play all my punk/pop punk/ska cd’s for anyone who turned that far left on their radio dials. In college, my radio show taste changed from punk rock to hip hop to jazz and then finally to more funk/soul. I still host a show today on community radio here in San Diego. The show is called Sip and Spin and I play mostly funk/soul and then talk about our local beer scene. For more information you can visit my instagram @sipandspinradio

Favorite album: Gilles Peterson Digs America Vol. 1 - this is a compilation Gilles Peterson, a famous British tastemaker/DJ, put together. I have bought so many albums because they had a song featured on this album. The artwork is cool and the write-ups about the songs are first class. Without this album, my musical taste would be completely different.

First album: Officially, my first album was probably Jock Jams or Bush’s Razerblade Suitcase. I think those were both given to me as gifts. However, the first time I went to a music store by myself was in Pacific Beach, San Diego. The music store no longer exists. I purchased NOFX’s Liberal Animation and the Descendent’s I Don’t Want to Grow Up.

Favorite Enjoy The Ride or Enjoy The Toons release: I first heard of Enjoy the Ride records when they released the Nicktoons album. Whenever I have people over, I’ll try and wax some nostalgia and put that one on. I also really enjoyed the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Doug, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles records. When I go out and play records at bars, I’ll bring my pizza slip mats and people constantly ask me about them.

Favorite album artwork: Blank Blue – Western Water Music Vol. 2 - This is a project by DJ Nobody from Los Angeles. If I am being completely honest, I don’t really like this album. However, the artwork on the cover is amazing. I was working at Ubiquity Records and I watched our art director put it together. It was fun to watch him go from a tiny idea to a beautiful album cover.

Did you see anything on the RSD 2019 list that you plan on picking up?

John Cage Meets Sun Ra - John Cage Meets Sun Ra

Francois De Roubaix - Les Levres Rouge

The Parliaments - Baby I Owe You Something

Poppies: Assorted Finery From The First Psychedelic Age

Rough Guide To Arabian Jazz

Soul Slabs Vol 2

Weezer - Weezer (Teal Album)

13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

Goblin - Yell

SOUL JAZZ RECORDS PRESENTS STUDIO ONE Showcase 45 Box Set

What are your favorite local record shops, in case any readers are traveling through your town? I live in San Diego and we have a lot of great places to choose from. My favorites in town are Beat Box Records, Re-Animated Records and Folk Art Records. Each offer different types of records, but all of them have a friendly and informed staff.

What have you been listening to more frequently lately? Radiohead. When an artist puts out a new album (Thom Yorke – Suspiria), I tend to go down the rabbit hole of their previous albums. My wife and I also just signed up to run a marathon. I’ll put on a Radiohead album and get lost in it. It helps me forget how many more miles I have to run.

Have you discovered any new artists lately? (Doesn't have to be someone new on the scene, can be new to you!) ZAPP – I was reintroduced to ZAPP because of a collaboration between them and Tuxedo. ZAPP has been around forever and they are just so much fun. It’s also a great record to pull out when I’m playing vinyl for a crowd when the mood just calls for something extra funky.

Here Lies Man – This is like if Black Sabbath and Fela Kuti had a baby. They are on a label called Easy Rider Records – who also put out amazing stoner rock compilations. RIYL: Brownout, The Budos Band, or Anitbalas.

What are some of your favorite albums you have in your collection? Less Than Jake - Hello Rockview, Losing Streak, and Border and Boundaries. All of these albums got recent reissues and I picked all of them up. Less Than Jake was such an important band in my life growing up. I don’t listen to them as much anymore, but whenever I hear the first notes of Border and Boundaries it takes me back to high school and driving around in a boring town.

Darondo – Didn’t I (45) – Back when my wife and I were living in Oakland, I had a really difficult teaching assignment. I needed a win really bad. One day I looked out my bedroom window and saw a box of what I thought were records sitting on the curb. I ran downstairs as fast as I could and to my delight, I was right. There had to be 200 funk/soul records just for me. Inside was the Bay Area’s own Darondo. This is definitely a “Holy Grail” album for me. If you haven’t heard of Darondo, do your homework. His life was a total trip. You might recognize his song from a Breaking Bad episode.

Any specific albums you wish you had on vinyl? All the Cake albums. There was a record store box set that was put out a few years ago. I talked to a record store about it and they assured me that it wouldn’t sell out first thing in the morning. I took my time waking up and getting down to the record store only to find that it was the first thing that sold out. Sad…….

Early Hank 3 – I know it’s out there and it isn’t incredibly hard to get, but I’ve never picked it up. I see his newer stuff and that isn’t particularly for me.

What album would you like to be pressed on vinyl? DJ-Nu Mark’s Hands On. I bought this album on CD from Amoeba Music Hollywood my freshmen year of college. I was a Jurassic 5 fan and knew he was part of that group. That album truly changed my taste in music. I started to appreciate music samples and taking music and doing something completely different with it.

Presidents of the United States of America – S/T - People have talking about a vinyl print of this record for such a long time. There are so many classic 90’s jammy jams on this guy.

Gilles Peterson – Digs America Vol. 1

Sharon Jones – I Learned the Hard Way

Less Than Jake - Hello Rockview

Cake – Fashion Nugget

DJ Nu Mark – Hands On

My dog Penny picks The Stooges – S/T (Its got the song "I Wanna Be Your Dog")

My wife Jaime picks Adele - 25

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