Vinyl Emergency

As one of indie-rock's busiest mastering engineers, TW Walsh has tackled almost 1,000 different projects, including releases for Sufjan Stevens, Ben Gibbard and The Shins. He's also had a longtime friendship and working alliance with former Vinyl Emergency guest David Bazan, writing and performing on albums for Pedro The Lion, Headphones and most recently Lo Tom, as Walsh and Bazan are joined by Starflyer 59's Jason Martin and Trey Many. As Lo Tom's debut full-length was released last month by Barsuk, and his newest solo effort Terrible Freedom came out in April, Walsh joins us to discuss his father's extensive record collection, the future of mastering in the age of digital DIY, how the benefits of streaming have prevented albums from growing on us, Elvis Costello's vast and diverse discography, whether Walsh will continue to press vinyl on his own and how he became the subject of one of Bazan's best-known lyrics. Visit twwalsh.com to buy his releases on vinyl or digitally, and pick up Lo Tom's new album fr

Original Violent Femmes drummer Victor DeLorenzo and his Nineteen Thirteen bandmate/cellist Janet Schiff discuss their own relationships with vinyl over the years, the unique sounds they're creating as a portable two-piece band and how a chance meeting at a diner spawned their musical kinship. Janet recalls "inventing" her own cello as a child, spinning records in her makeshift basement roller rink and whether or not to buy your bandmate's classic LP while he's in the record store with you, while Victor talks about the iconic artwork of the Femmes' self-titled debut and sets the record straight on their now legendary gig opening for The Pretenders at Milwaukee's Oriental Theatre in 1981, plus how it feels to have sports fans in packed stadiums around the world clapping along with his seminal percussion on "Blister In The Sun." Check out their two most recent albums, Music For Time Travel and The Dream, on Spotify and visit nineteenthirteen.com for upcoming gigs, their social media and more!

Despite vinyl's comeback, selling it online as a small, independent label is an uphill battle; Now imagine doing so door-to-door. As former Director of Operations for G.E.D. Soul Records, there were times when Nashville native David Guy would do just that: visit record stores across the country unannounced, selling funky 45's and adding to his own vast record collection along the way. Currently, David is a hard-working bassist for hire, having spent time in many G.E.D. Soul projects like The Coolin' System and DeRobert & The Half-Truths -- as well as Time Is Tight, a Booker T. & The MG's tribute act -- before joining up with Amanda Shires last year, touring behind her 2016 album My Piece Of Land and playing some of the largest shows he's ever done, opening for Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit. With even more excitement coming soon (Amanda and her band hit Red Rocks next month and film a set for PBS' Austin City Limits in a few weeks), David discusses some of his recent soul jazz finds on vinyl, the rem

2017 marks a big vinyl year for veteran singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash: Written primarily about the lives and deaths of her mother, father and step-mother (Vivian Liberto, Johnny Cash and June Carter-Cash, respectively), her 2006 record Black Cadillac was just pressed for the first time by Capitol as part of their 75th anniversary, and a 30th anniversary reissue of King's Record Shop -- the first LP to ever give a female country singer four number one Billboard singles from one album -- was also recently released by Sony Legacy/Columbia. Today, Rosanne discusses those albums making their way back to vinyl, her adoration for detailed liner notes, fair pay for artists in a digital world, the message she had carved into the dead wax of the first press of 1981's Seven Year Ache and spending an entire Christmas transfixed by the Beatles' White Album. We also talk about her role in the restoration of her father's boyhood home and her upcoming performance at the Johnny Cash Heritage Festival in Dyess, AR. Follow @

Texas native John Congleton's production, engineering and mixing résumé is as diverse as they come, spanning projects with everyone from Blondie to The Roots & Erykah Badu to Angel Olsen to Talking Heads' David Byrne to gospel legend Kirk Franklin. A Grammy-winner for his work on St. Vincent's 2014 self-titled album, Congleton also fronted The Paper Chase for over a decade, crafting some of the most feverishly manic and intriguing music known within indie-rock -- thanks to, in his words today, being "willing to destroy the integrity of a completely reasonable song for the effect of an audio hallucination." Last year saw the release of his first post-Paper Chase album under The Nighty Nite moniker, titled "Until The Horror Goes," and he's already produced five albums that have come out so far in 2017 from Nelly Furtado, Blondie, Future Islands, Xiu Xiu and Goldrapp. On this episode, Congleton recalls his early memories of ZZ Top and Fawlty Towers, the influence of Pink Floyd, Public Enemy and the BBC Radio

Despite dubbing themselves a "baby band" when comparing their short history in the music business to those that have championed their work, Muscle Shoals, Alabama siblings Lydia and Laura Rogers have a strong connection to the history and romanticism of vinyl records. From putting on mini-concerts for each other on their parents' waterbed -- in sync with Highway 101 and Linda Ronstadt albums -- to Jack White recording and putting the duo to vinyl for the first time, the Secret Sisters' love for the medium matches their undeniable devotion to the art of songwriting. Since that first Third Man seven-inch, they've continued to work with producers who eye authenticity as an integral part of their aesthetic: the legendary T. Bone Burnett, current Nashville staple Dave Cobb and most recently Brandi Carlile, who helmed the Sisters' emotional new album You Don't Own Me Anymore, a title that speaks volumes to the trials and tribulations of heartache, bankruptcy and professional distress that nearly killed the Sisters'

Grammy-winning Atlanta hip-hop collective Arrested Development exploded in the early 90's with hits like "Tennessee," "People Everyday" and "Mr. Wendal," as the band's debut LP -- 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of... -- would quickly be certified 4x platinum. 25 years since that first record, and with a limited orange vinyl repress newly released by Universal Music, Arrested Development frontman Speech joins us to talk about the influence and legalities of sampling, his first exposure to vinyl through the promos his father received as a nightclub owner, the fascinating LP artwork of Funkadelic, the Ohio Players and Earth, Wind & Fire, being the first rap artist in his native Milwaukee to be on vinyl, and how crate digging in the 80's fueled not just hip-hop, but the music industry as a whole, while turning producers and DJ's into audio historians. Follow @speech__ on Twitter and Instagram, and get the band's music, tour dates and more at adtheband2.com!   

Seattle-area native Ed Brooks has engineered, mastered or lent a hand on some of the biggest indie records of the last two decades, such as Death Cab for Cutie's Transatlanticism, the self-titled Fleet Foxes debut and dozens of releases from Minus the Bear, Cursive, the Decemberists, Mastodon and more. His résumé also extends to albums for R.E.M., Heart, the B-52's and an astounding 70+ projects alone for Pearl Jam, including the mastering of their enormous bootleg CD series, which kicked off in 2003. Today, Ed fondly recalls some early vinyl memories of Buck Owens and Alice Cooper, his obsession with speakers as a teenager and why he shifted from engineering and producing into mastering in the late 90's. He also recommends a few Seattle-area record stores, chimes in on the vinyl vs. digital debate, and shares what it was like to be present for the creation of one of R.E.M.'s biggest hits, "Man on the Moon." Visit ResonantMastering.com or follow them on Facebook for more info on Ed's work!

Milwaukee isn't necessarily known worldwide for musical diversity, but it's safe to say that Milwaukee-area bands of all genres often share members, stages and a mutual respect for one another vs. a divisive, competitive mentality that might take place in a larger city. Andy Menchal is just one of the many versatile MKE musicians who has played in an array of acts over the years, from The Goodboy Suit's brand of intense indie-rock to the sweat-inducing dance-punk of Temper Temper to Polyvinyl alt-country troubadours Decibully to current five-piece Dramatic Lovers (featuring members of The Promise Ring, Maritime and Decibully). They recently released their debut 7" of Brit-pop-influenced shoegaze -- which wouldn't be out of place if released by 4AD or Creation Records -- and as a massive vinyl enthusiast, Andy talks today about his record collection, the Milwaukee music scene, how food and craft beer culture intersects with the world of vinyl, the record label he started with Sylvan Esso's Nick Sanborn, and mo

As an award-winning composer, Dave Porter communicates mystery, tension, levity and everything in between with riveting instrumental music for film and television. Whether through Breaking Bad's hauntingly iconic theme or a percussion-heavy backdrop that emphasizes panic on Better Call Saul, Walter White himself Bryan Cranston has called Dave's work "evocative, meaningful and an essential part of the storytelling" we see every week. With highly-respected boutique record label Music On Vinyl releasing Dave's score to Better Call Saul's first two seasons June 9th -- and a terrific third season wrapping up June 19th on AMC -- Dave joins us to discuss why he wrongly assumed the score for Breaking Bad would never sell on vinyl, where he was the first time he heard Prince, his process behind the scenes, how his time in both Washington DC and New York City shaped his artistic growth and much more. Follow Dave on Twitter @daveportermusic, and visit his website at daveporter.tv.  

Since launching in 2011, Dig Me Out has been essential podcast listening for music fans, as Tim Minneci and his co-host Jason Dziak dive head-first into classic albums, one-hit wonders, specific music scenes and more -- all within the alt-rock/indie universe -- often accompanied with an intriguing artist interview or a roundtable of journalists, musicians or fellow podcast hosts chiming in. Today, Tim drops in to discuss the current (and future) state of vinyl reissues, his work as a college radio DJ and program director, record stores near his native Buffalo NY suburbs, how fans of Dig Me Out are constantly introducing him to music he missed the first time around, and his captivating new blog -- Music Reissues We Need -- that focuses on albums that need a first time pressing on vinyl or at least a quality, commercially-available repress. Visit DigMeOutPodcast.com and MusicReissuesWeNeed.tumblr.com to follow the podcast and blog, and order Tim's two books -- 2013's Power Ballad and this year's Small Stories

As a longtime employee of Razor and Tie -- known for their compilation and reissue work in the 90's -- Mark Piro is living the dream that any record collector would want: Founding your own imprint and putting out high-quality represses of classic albums that haven't seen the light of day on vinyl in ages. Inspired by the work of Mobile Fidelity, Analogue Productions and ORG, Mark heads Analog Spark, dedicated to using only the best original sound sources, vinyl plants, jackets and sleeves while repressing favorites of yesteryear (Dave Brubek, Sam Cooke, Ella Fitzgerald) as well as much-needed alternative-rock reissues for Blind Melon, The Cranberries and Ben Folds, where original copies still go for several hundred dollars. Today, Mark discusses his journey in founding the label, his completist tendencies with The Beatles discography, how playing Rock Paper Scissors with Smashing Pumpkins' James Iha led to him scoring one of his prized Oasis possessions, how his vinyl habits differ from his co-hosts on the po

Not only has record subscription service Vinyl Me, Please been supplying record lovers with exclusive album presses each month -- whether they be well-known classics, brand new releases or long-buried gems -- since early 2013, but they've also amped up their written content substantially since hiring on Oshkosh, WI native Andrew Winistorfer as their Senior Editor. The written portion of the site has become so popular in fact, that VMP recently had their first book published -- 100 Albums You Need In Your Collection -- a 250+ page, hardcover must-have for any record addict, available now at your preferred independent book retailer as well as Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble and other major chains. Today, Andrew schools me on mainstream country as well as discusses his career in journalism, the incredible backstory to Marvin Gaye's "Here, My Dear" album, why major names in hip-hop aren't clued in to vinyl's resurgence, the popularity of VMP's recent Gorillaz and Fiona Apple pressings, some gems in his vast v

If you're a vinyl collector, a film buff or both, you likely know Waxwork Records' attention to detail, as they've pressed horror movie and cult classic scores and soundtracks on lushly-colored vinyl accompanied with extensive liner notes and mind-blowing packaging since 2013. Today, Waxwork CEO and co-founder Kevin Bergeron discusses his favorite New Orleans record stores, the process in selecting and pressing Waxwork releases, being a member of the first U.S. band to ever tour Cuba, working with Martin Scorsese on 2016's Taxi Driver release, his thoughts on this year's runaway hit thriller Get Out, and EXCLUSIVE news on upcoming Waxwork pressings for Queen Of Earth, The Exorcist, The French Connection, several Friday The 13th sequels and more! Tune in as well to enter to win a beautiful purple pressing of the score for 1980's Altered States by legendary composer John Corigliano! Visit WaxworkRecords.com for more info on the label and upcoming releases. Plus this week, we discuss this weekend's Record Store

Timothy Showalter -- the voice and mind behind Strand of Oaks -- describes himself as a "smiling, sweaty, straight-out-of-a-river wild man" this week, and the vibrant album cover of this year's "Hard Love" encapsulates his aura so well, it nearly jumps off the shelf. His infatuation with vinyl and music in general is contagious and vast, expressing his adoration in this episode for anyone from "Weird Al" Yankovic to Endless Boogie. Today, we also discuss the crazy night that led to the cover photo for "Hard Love," why having his face on his album covers plays into his joy of digging for vinyl, what some of his discography is going for online (and why he won't buy anything on vinyl over the internet), what the best sounding album in his collection is, loaning Basic Cable Band leader Jimmy Vivino his guitar when Strand of Oaks recently played Conan, his obsession with dub music, whether one can truly be present while listening to music alone, and much more!  Visit StrandOfOaks.net for tour dates, social media,

Previous guest Levi Seitz of Seattle's Black Belt Mastering has an impressive résumé, including work with Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie, Macklemore collaborator Wanz and doing vinyl cutting for last year's Pearl Jam Vault Series release and Mother Love Bone reissues. This past December, another previous guest Rocky Votolato recorded three nights of performances at Levi's home, which has now been spun into "Live At Black Belt," Rocky's first live album, cut to vinyl by Levi and limited to 500 vinyl copies on pink/white swirl. This week, Levi returns to discuss how this new project came to be and how it was recorded, the distinct difference between "vinyl mastering" and "mastering for vinyl," working recently with Halo composer Marty O'Donnell, true sound differences between 1LP or 2LP releases cut at 33RPM vs. 45, how you can tell if records in your own collection have had to be re-cut, the importance of matrix numbers within the deadwax, the myth of the "hot stamper" and a fun Paul McCartney story.  

Last week, we hit our 50th episode of the show, and as a thank you for your support, it's time for an episode devoted entirely to vinyl giveaways! Tune in this week to hear some great new tunes and learn how to win free, limited-pressing LP's from instrumental jazz/folk guitarist Ross Hammond (Sacramento, CA), traditional pop vocalist/songwriter Lincoln Barr (Seattle, WA) and indie-rockers La Historia (Rockford, IL). And if you're an artist or record label that would like your music showcased or your vinyl given away via our podcast, don't hesitate to get in touch over email: vinylemergency@gmail.com!   SPONSORS: Pinwheel Records at 1722 W. 18th St. in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood; Vinyl For A Cause, promoting charitable good, one record sale at a time; Flipbin: the handy as hell, flip-thru, now-playing, keep 'em close, flip/play/display storage for your favorite vinyl records. Use promo code EMERGENCY to save $10 off your order, for a limited time!   Follow @VinylEmergency on Facebook, Twitter and Instagra

Whether performing solo or fronting the power-trio Noah's Arcade, Noah Gabriel's songs are powerful dissections of characters in desperate times, often taking even more desperate measures. Based just north of Aurora IL, Noah has opened for the likes of the Old 97's and Robert Randolph, crafting his own blend of Americana by pulling equally from the fiery blues of Stevie Ray Vaughn as well as the wry folk witticisms of Lucinda Williams.    Recently, with the help of producer and longtime friend Adam Gardner, Gabriel has made his most introspective and best album yet with "Dead Reckoning" -- a concept record about terminal illness, death and the grieving process. Gardner, who recently moved back to suburban Chicago, built a strong reputation doing session work in Nashville with Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb (Beck, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell) and collaborating with artists like Sturgill Simpson, Keb' Mo', Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett and others.   Today, Noah and Adam sit down to talk about their

Kansas City, MO quartet Shiner are seen as giants of the indefinable mathy/space-rock scene, having built a rabid cult following while touring with acts like Jawbox, Hum and more during the mid-90's/early-00's. For the last five years, the band has done sporadic reunion shows in support of pressing their albums to vinyl for the first time, beginning with 2001's "The Egg," followed by "Starless" (2000) and most recently "Lula Divinia," coinciding with that record's 20th anniversary this year. Today, vocalist/guitarist Allen Epley discusses his journey from 70's AM favorites to indie heavyweights like The Jesus Lizard, his current musical role in Chicago's production of the Blue Man Group, recent happenings with his current trio The Life & Times, how the remastering process works for the Shiner vinyl pressings -- plus how Fall Out Boy's Joe Trohman got that reissue campaign going -- and more! You can order "Lula Divinia" on black or splattered vinyl at shiner.seenmerch.com as well as purchase the latest Lif

From highly-influential albums like 2001's "The Tyranny of Distance" and 2003's "Hearts of Oak" to his collaboration with Aimee Mann in The Both to the charming, seemingly effortless covers he's laid down in salute to Tears For Fears, The Pogues, Split Enz and more, it's abundantly clear that Ted Leo loves the art of songwriting. Through his kinetic guitar work and a voice that reaches for the rafters, he can jump remarkably from a protest motif to waxing nostalgic, or the 2 Tone movement to power pop, often within the same song. And while it's been a long seven years since his last proper album with the Pharmacists, that doesn't mean one of indie-rock's brightest and most passionate performers hasn't been busy. Announcing that he's honed nearly three albums worth of new material since 2010's "The Brutalist Bricks," the timing was right for a Kickstarter launch earlier this month to fund his upcoming full-length sans label structure. While admitting he had some fears about crowdfunding, Ted's fans and fellow