Vinyl Community Podcasts

The Vinyl Summit 2026 is almost here, and we're heading to Salina, Kansas, to celebrate 40 YEARS of Acoustic Sounds! Join Concert Buddie and several of "The YouTubers" for a special LIVE preview of one of the biggest events of the year for vinyl record collectors, audiophiles, and music lovers! From October 15–18, 2026, Chad Kassem and Acoustic Sounds are bringing together the worlds of vinyl coll...

The waiting is ova! Record Store Day Black Friday 2026 is just around the corner, and the list is HERE! 📋 On this super-sized episode of Surface Noise, our crew of dedicated vinylists comb through some current events, take a detour down Shill Street™️, then dive headfirst into one of the latest anticipated event on the vinyl collecting calendar. Will it be a list worth waiting for, or to quote th...

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 w...

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, and the ever-rising cost of the hobby. First, we hit Vinyl Current Events, including the possibility of a Warne...

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 inevitab...

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 se...

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 i...

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...

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 hav...

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 H...

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 c...

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 rea...

Are vibrations quietly sabotaging your turntable’s performance? On this episode of Chasing Better Sound, David and Louie dig into the science—and sometimes questionable audiophile mythology—behind turntable isolation, vibration control, and resonance. From footfalls and suspended floors to speakers, subwoofers, furniture, and the turntable itself, they explore how unwanted mechanical energy can ma...

On this episode of Vinyl Community Podcasts, host Sam St. John (Americana Sam) sits down with Nashville multi-instrumentalist Matt Glassmeyer for a fascinating conversation about improvisation, analog recording, musical creativity, and his new supergroup Slow Accordion. Featuring Glassmeyer alongside Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers, bassist Ted Pecchio, and drummer Mark Rautabaugh, Slow Accordion...

The music world has lost one of its most beloved and influential voices. In this special episode of Surface Noise, we remember and celebrate the extraordinary life, music, and lasting legacy of Dolly Parton, who passed away at the age of 80. We reflect on Dolly Parton’s remarkable recording and film careers: the albums, movies, songs, performances, and stories that made her one of the most recogni...

Still 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, e...

This week on Surface Noise — the show of record, talking records - we dig into where vinyl has been, where it’s headed, and whether artificial intelligence could become the next unlikely chapter in record collecting. We kick things off with Current Events from the Vinyl Community, including the reported end of Columbia House — RIP to the legendary mail-order music club…or maybe not? We look at wha...

Surface Noise had a lot of flavor this week, but these Bonus Trax are sure to put the last spicy touch on the vinyl meatball of this messy, messy episode on Vinyl Community Podcasts! 🌯 Next up: The Most Stubborn Record to Find. Every collector has one. Maybe you've never seen it in the wild. Maybe you can find the album, but never the right pressing. Perhaps every copy is trashed, the price is ri...

This week on Surface Noise, we’re digging into vinyl collecting news, the records collectors are supposedly required to own, and a bonafide Beatles bomb goes off! 💣💥 We kick things off with Current Events and some of the latest stories affecting the music and vinyl community. What could the Veeps layoffs mean for outlets like Goldmine, BrooklynVegan, and other music journalists? Plus, with Natio...

As SURFACE NOISE moved into the BONUS TRAX segment, we return back from the border to hear about recent travels and record store exploration in new places from a couple members of the dais, and the records they rescued along the way. From there the discussion turns to a couple new areas that may be helpful in tracking down the black wax gold we need to scratch that record collecting itch. Are thes...

Get ready for another episode of Surface Noise: The Show of Record, Talking Records as we dive into the latest happenings in the world of vinyl collecting, record releases, and industry news! For the latest current events, the panel talks about a Rhino Reserve recall situation, the latest Vinylphyle release news underwhelming us, and a QUICK discussion on the Beatles/Rubber Soul box set announceme...

In this BONUS TRAX episode of Surface Noise, the conversation gets personal as the panel shares the biggest Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned throughout their vinyl collecting journey. Every collector has a story—and sometimes the most expensive education comes from experience. From buying the wrong pressings, overpaying for records, and selling albums we wish we'd kept, to trusting the wrong sell...

The conversation goes far beyond what's spinning on the turntable in this episode of Surface Noise, the Show of Record, Talking Records. 🎙️ We kick things off with the latest vinyl record collecting news and Current Events, including discussion surrounding the newly announced Mobile Fidelity (MoFi) reissue of Rodriguez's Cold Fact, the latest releases from Vinylphyle featuring Sheryl Crow and Coun...

Raise a glass and spin another record! On this episode of Pour One, Play One, host Alex from Columbus is joined by Americana Sam, Jason Arsenault, and special guest Chris the Grooveseeker for another round of craft beer and vinyl pairings, where every pour inspires a record from each panelist's collection. Chris makes his debut on the show with stories from his days collecting and aging rare craft...

The turntable keeps spinning on Surface Noise, as this edition of Bonus Trax is a fun exercise in "What If".  It's time for Top Billing. If you could create the ultimate concert featuring any three acts from any era, who would make your perfect lineup? There are no restrictions—living or deceased, solo artists or bands, any genre, any decade. We'll build our dream (or even nightmare) concerts, com...