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

SNFU founders Marc and Brent Belke discuss band history, rare recordings, records, vinyl reissues on Trust Records, upcoming events at the Punk Rock Museum & more. Topics Include: Marc and Brent Belke join from Vancouver and Victoria to discuss SNFU's December 5th Punk Rock Museum exhibit and album re-release.The exhibit coincides with Trust Records' re-release of SNFU's debut album "...And No One Else Wanted to Play" with extensive extras.The re-release includes a 53-page booklet with rare photos, interview excerpts, and a full record of early demos and alternate versions.The exhibit features band paraphernalia, posters, t-shirts, and artwork, originally displayed at a Saskatchewan museum last summer before moving to Vegas.Marc and Brent will provide guided tours at the Punk Rock Museum and participate in a roundtable discussion on December 5th.The brothers describe Edmonton's early 1980s scene as intimate with only 50 people, mixing new wave, rockabilly, and emerging hardcore sounds.Getting punk records in Alberta meant ordering from New York stores via mail, waiting two months, and receiving only 25% of selections.Pivotal records included Bad Brains' ROIR cassette, Let Them Eat Jellybeans compilation, Sex Pistols' debut, and Minor Threat's Out of Step.The LA hardcore scene heavily influenced SNFU, with bands like Circle Jerks, Social Distortion, and Youth Brigade making significant impressions.SNFU formed when Marc and Brent's band lost members, recruiting bassist Curtis and drummer Evan Kaufmann based on personality over experience.Singer Chi Pig brought irreverent humor and sarcastic lyrics that became central to SNFU's identity and separated them from serious hardcore bands.The band recorded their debut album in two weeks with limited preparation, creating the raw energy that defined their sound.Early SNFU combined hardcore speed with melodic elements, drawing from both aggressive punk and bands like The Damned and Buzzcocks.The band signed with BYO Records for their second album, appreciating the DIY ethos and direct artist-to-label relationship.SNFU toured extensively across North America, playing everywhere from established venues to DIY spaces and experiencing varied punk scenes nationwide.The brothers discuss how the band's legacy feels incomplete, with the Trust re-release helping emphasize positive aspects of their history.Brent left SNFU to attend music school, studying jazz and strings, and now works creating music for film projects.Marc emphasizes Trust Records' meticulous approach, taking four years to perfect the release compared to SNFU's tendency to rush.Both brothers have never visited the Punk Rock Museum and look forward to experiencing it while giving tours on December 5th. High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-iosSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spotAmazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonSupport the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Mike Watt played with Iggy & The Stooges for over 10 years - today he shares all about his times with the brotherhood - Iggy, the Asheton Brothers, Steve Mackay, the comeback tours, The Weirdness, the end of the road and more! Topics Include: High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Larry Mullins (Stooges, Swans, Nick Cave) discusses his love of the Stooges, playing with Iggy and the Asheton Brothers and shares how he and Mike Watt reworked several Stooges tracks for multiple Record Store Day releases, including a 40-minute version of "We Will Fall", available RSD-BF 2025. Topics Include: High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Jen Keenan reveals how she built a thriving vinyl destination in rural Arizona, Queen B Vinyl Cafe, combining record sales with coffee roasting, ramen, and live music in a 12,000-person town. Topics Include: High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Guitar pioneer Randy Holden reveals how record label incompetence destroyed his 1970 masterpiece Population II, leading to depression, exile in Hawaii, and eventual vindication through cult status. Get Population II and III at Riding Easy Records or preorder Population II reissue at Noble Records online Topics Include: Riding Easy Records Extended and High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Jack Prine shares intimate stories about his legendary father John Prine, discusses the new "You Got Gold" movie, the history and state of "Oh Boy Records" and reveals intentions for unreleased recordings from the family archives. Check out screenings of "You Got Gold - A Celebration of John Prine" here Topics Include: Extended and High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Bootsy Collins shares tales of P-Funk, Praxis, Buckethead and community work, philanthropy and mental health advocacy. Bootsy online | Bootsy & Buckethead single | "Is there Anybody Out There" podcast Topics Include: High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

In an extraordinarily rare interview, artist Raymond Pettibon discusses his journey, from early punk rock works to present day artistic themes, technique and rhythms, the Getty archives and more. Topics Include: High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Photos by John Newsom https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Toody Cole of Dead Moon discusses their vinyl rarities, the DIY ethic of the band, owning a mono cutting lathe, refusing major labels, inspiring a generation of musicians around the world. DeadMoonUSA.com | Zipper LP Reissue | Melbourne 2025 shows Topics Include: November 2025 Melbourne shows High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Record nerd Harry Portnof started Greenway Records, revived Reverb Appreciation Society, and leads Levitation's label operations - today we nerd out with him on the elaborate vinyl variants and the clear passion for vinyl the Levitation festival inspires. Topics Include: High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Paul Riedl and Morris Kolontyrsky of Blood Incantation discuss the incredible 1st year of the album "Absolute Elsewhere", how it's transformed their lives and art, the creation of the record, the band's deep interest in vinyl collecting and lots more. Enter to win a signed vinyl copy of "Absolute Elsewhere" by becoming a sponsor at Patreon.com/VinylGuide Topics Include: High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Mastering Engineer Dave Gardner & Audio Archivist Catherine Vericolli discuss the preservation of the Westbound Records audio catalogue, including the masters of legendary recordings by Funkadelic, The Counts, Ohio Players & more. Topics Include: Dave Gardner (mastering engineer) and Catherine Vericoli (archivist) introduce their specialized roles Mastering serves as link between creative process and manufacturing standards Catherine transfers analog tapes to highest possible digital quality preservation Physical restoration work includes extensive mold and splice remediation tasks Much archival work involves "audio archaeology" detective work with clues Working backwards from incomplete information when documentation is missing completely Common assumption that old records were always done "the right way" Reality reveals beloved records often weren't made using proper methods Got rare access to examine entire Westbound Records collection together Westbound Records started late 1960s by distributor Armin Bolodian in Detroit Detroit-based independent label achieved regional success with multiple hit records Funkadelic, Ohio Players, Detroit Emeralds were among their major successful acts Complete catalog reissue approach rather than cherry-picking just popular hits Assets moved between multiple locations over decades, not everything returned Found various generations and copies of tapes for each release Maggot Brain original masters were believed to be permanently missing Discovery of missing masters hidden in completely unmarked white archive boxes Original tape playback speeds rarely match speeds of vinyl releases Spent entire week meticulously fine-tuning correct playback speeds for accuracy Academic ethnomusicologist confirmed musical key was wrong on commercial releases Many recent European reissues contain fundamentally inaccurate speed and sound Double 45 RPM format avoids sonic compromises required for long sides 27-minute album sides on 33 RPM required major audio quality sacrifices All-analog cutting process preserves original sound character without digital conversion Unreleased material exists primarily in unprocessed multitrack tape format only Dennis Coffey played guitar on many more Funkadelic recordings than known Analog tape degradation accelerating rapidly, especially problematic for digital formats Cultural preservation mission drives their passionate collaborative archival restoration work Asset paranoia and trust issues affect access to important historical recordings Primary motivation remains saving irreplaceable music for all future generations High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Kevin Smith and Josh Roush discuss punk cinema and share how the DIY ethos of punk rock influenced both their filmmaking careers and their lifelong love of music and vinyl records. September 20 at the Punk Rock Museum - book now! Topics Include: Wrong Reasons High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Hüsker Dü & UltraBomb bassist Greg Norton discusses the Miracle Year of 1985, vinyl rarities, the archive fire, Reflex records, the making of Zen Arcade, the Punk Rock Museum and more See Greg at the Punk Rock Museum Sept 9 | Preorder "Hüsker Dü - The Miracle Years" here Topics Include: Greg Norton announces September 9th Punk Rock Museum guided tour and performanceNorton discusses favorite museum pieces including Joe Strummer's guitar and burned DOA StratocasterBand's archive mostly intact despite Grant Hart's 2011 house fire destroying materialsNorton used to own 7,000 vinyl records but downsized after difficult movesHüsker Dü formed through Minneapolis record store connections at Melody Lane and CheapoBand members met when Bob Mould heard Grant Hart blasting Ramones musicNorthern Lights record store basement became their rehearsal space after hoursTwin Tone rejected their demo, leading to self-releasing on Reflex RecordsBand assembled and sold first singles themselves, no distribution deals initiallyBREAKING NEWS: Numero Group announces "Hüsker Dü 1985: The Miracle Year" box setPreviously unreleased First Avenue live recording from January 1985 finally gets release1985 was pivotal year with 150 shows, multiple album releases across continentsBand road-tested new songs before recording, sometimes writing during soundchecksMost basic tracks recorded in one or two takes maximumZen Arcade conceived as rock opera double album from the beginningMinutemen rushed Double Nickels release to match Zen Arcade's double formatProducer Spot mentored Hart and Mould while engineering at Total Access StudiosJello Biafra praised Zen Arcade as bringing "self-indulgence back to rock"Current band Ultra Bomb working on third album with rare vinyl issuesNorton hopes to finally tour Australia after decades of missed opportunities Extended and high resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Photos by @insomniac199 https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Shooter Jennings reveals how he discovered hundreds of unreleased recordings his father Waylon made between 1974-1984, including stunning covers now being released as "Songbird" - plus more musical stories from the lives of the Jennings family. Order the new "Songbird" LP here. Topics Include: Extended and high resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Australian guitarist Davey Lane discusses his new album 'Finally, a Party Record', joining You Am I at 18, meeting Paul McCartney & nerding out on vinyl! Listen to the new album here. Topics Include: Finally, a Party Record Extended and high resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Lifelong Elvis collector Ian McQuillan discusses the rarest records of Elvis Presley - from Sun Records worth $10,000+, international rarities, even shares insider tips for spotting counterfeits, and explains why young collectors are driving a thriving market for the King's rarest vinyl. Topics Include: Ian McQuillan Extended and high resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Nick Aguilar of Frankie and the Witch Fingers and Slaughterhouse is a vinyl maniac! Today we discuss his collection, his obsession, the rarities and a life of music & record collecting. Topics Include: See Frankie and the Witch Fingers and order their vinyl here. High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ioshttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-spothttps://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazonPatreon.com/VinylGuide

Obsessive vinyl collector and radio & MTV legend Matt Pinfield discusses his music collection, holy grails, music industry stories, his recent health scares and sharing stories at the Punk Rock Museum. The Punk Rock Museum info and tickets are here Matt's book "My Insane Improbable Rock Life" is here Topics Include: Cherry Slush High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

Gibby Haynes discusses his upcoming EU/UK tour, the completed Butthole Surfers documentary, early punk memories, near-death stage experiences, vinyl reissues and lots more. EU/UK Tour Tickets here Topics Include: European & UK tour 50+ Minutes Extra-Extended and high resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8