Vinyl Emergency

A lot has changed since Evan Weiss last came on this podcast over nine years ago -- marriage, a plethora of new music, and a deliberate "one in, one out" strategy to balancing his record collection. But one thing that's stayed the same (perhaps even increasing) is his steadfast drive to spotlight forgotten records of his heroes, friends or total strangers, which he now accomplishes through a Patreon for Storm Chasers LTD; giving subscribers exclusive access to limited runs or releases that never came to turntables until now. On the heels of his latest album with Pet Symmetry, Evan walks us through how love songs and LSD shaped the band's "biggest" LP to date, and what dream releases he hopes are in Storm Chasers' future. Get updates, vinyl and more via petsymmetryband.com, plus catch Into It. Over It. opening for Minus the Bear on select dates this fall. 

This is an encore presentation of a previous episode, originally airing in 2016.  --- Currently a writer on CBS' Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Brian Stack started on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 1997, winning an Emmy for writing on the show ten years later and appearing as the caped and mustachioed Interrupter, hapless door-to-door salesman Hannigan and the ghost of old-time radio crooner Artie Kendall, among a slew of other characters. He followed Conan to both his truncated tenure at The Tonight Show and his current TBS program, but moved with his family back to New York and joined the Colbert staff in September of 2015. Having also made appearances on 30Rock, The Office, New Girl and Parks & Recreation, Brian talks today about his love for The Replacements, what vinyl box set he recently bought despite no longer owning a turntable, and yes... what it's like to open for Slipknot. Follow @brianstack153__ on Instagram.

It's been nearly two decades since the tender indie film Once -- an intimate depiction of two struggling musicians at multiple crossroads -- became a global phenomenon, earning stars and songwriters Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová an Oscar for their tremendous ballad "Falling Slowly." Based in Dublin, the picture won over audiences with its modesty, as director/writer John Carney chose a rather fly-on-the-wall look to the ebbs and flows of artistic collaboration. Together known as The Swell Season, their first LP together in over 15 years arrived last week (titled Forward), bringing in a new generation of fans who may have missed the duo's magic the first time around. Today, Hansard divulges whose handwritten lyrics he keeps in his wallet, Irglová shares the music that quelled her nightmares as a kid, and the pair discuss how they've each managed to balance songwriting with parenthood. Find tour dates, social media and Forward on vinyl at theswellseason.com.

Vinyl Emergency is where your favorite songwriters, producers, record label owners or other personalities who just love music come to discuss how vinyl's mere existence has shaped their lives and careers.

With a new solo album dropping later this month — In the Heart of the Mountain, his first in over 15 years — Lucero frontman Ben Nichols addresses why some of his recent songs feel like graphic novels, how he’s reconnected with the mythological Arkansas of his youth, and the parts of him that still wrestle with his southern heritage. Vinyl pre-orders, tour dates and more can be found at bennichols.net.

A vocal advocate for artist rights and a senior lecturer on all things music business at the University of Georgia, David Lowery discusses today the recent losses of Sly Stone and Brian Wilson, learning accounting while on tour, and how Camper Van Beethoven expanded their legend through record store performances. David's latest release -- a 3LP set titled Fathers, Sons and Brothers -- is available now. Tour dates for all of David's projects are available at davidlowerymusic.com, crackersoul.com and campervanbeethoven.com. Also, check out thehiddenjams.org, in beta testing, as David and a group of current and former students attempt to upset the recorded music algorithm. 

This is an encore presentation of a previous episode, originally airing in September 2022. "Planting By The Signs," S.G.'s latest album, comes out on June 20th. -- S.G. Goodman delivers both a voice and a lyrical wisdom that feel perfectly worn in -- like that of an artist who's been crafting decades worth of masterful, soul-baring material. What's all the more astounding is that she's only a few albums in to what will hopefully be a long, deep career. The publication Bitter Southerner defines her sound as "driven by love, sometimes by defiance, but always by a delight in singing out... like the declaration of an artist who knows exactly who she is, backed by a band that blows the roof off the studio." On today's show, S.G. shares her affection for Herb Alpert's "Ladyfingers," some candid struggles with diagnosed OCD, the unique way in which her Marantz receiver was acquired, and the underappreciated comforts of house slippers. Find tour dates, social media and more at sggoodman.net.

This is an encore presentation of a previous episode, originally airing in April 2021. --- Over the last twenty-five years with acclaimed acts like Nickel Creek, I'm With Her and Watkins Family Hour (as well as her own solo material), Sara Watkins has become one of the most prolific musicians in folk and bluegrass. Dig into your record collection, and you'll also find her work on albums from Steve Earle, The Decemberists, Mandy Moore, Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett and Father John Misty, to boot. Today, Sara discusses how vinyl has played a major factor in her life, right down to how her dad crafted a makeshift turntable out of a sewing needle and paper. Find Sara's socials, upcoming live dates and more info at SaraWatkins.com.

Though a rather one-off side-project, David Bazan says his Headphones LP may be his most stressful artistic expression. Though the band Pedro the Lion was his breadwinning endeavor at the time, he admits to losing interest in guitar, album by album. Suddenly, dabbling in synthesizers led to not just a new avenue for songwriting, but a borderline obsession, bringing his gear everywhere from lakeside family vacations to vacant movie theatre parking lots in order to perfect these unconventional sounds, alone. Putting the album to tape was a whole other hill to climb, leading to David staying up several days straight, attempting to finish incomplete songs literal minutes before the rest of his band would hear them for the first time, and then record them. But fast-forward to now, and the lone Headphones album is regarded as a crucial corner of David's discography, one that he's now revisiting with a new deluxe 20th anniversary vinyl edition, available in multiple color variants, from both Suicide Squeeze and Unde

Jay Ryan and Jason Harvey, bassists for the Chicago-area trio Dianogah, describe the route to -- and surprise release of -- their new, career-spanning 5LP box set. Visit landland.bandcamp.com to order this limited pressing, and follow @dianogah_official on Instagram for more updates.

Harvey Danger vocalist Sean Nelson makes a good case for his group being, in his words, "the last band through the door" of the alternative revolution: Though the quartet went gold thanks to the frenetic, inescapable "Flagpole Sitta" as the nineties closed, the landscape for them (and cohorts such as Cake, Semisonic or Fastball) would look much different a year later. By 2000, a sudden contingent of beefy backwards cappers, led by the likes of Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach, had commandeered arenas and the airwaves as an antithesis to pop radio. Paired with a massive label shake-up, this left Harvey Danger's expansive second album King James Version DOA. But like a lot of unsung masterworks, many have praised King James Version over the last quarter century for its dialed-in cacophony and sarcastic swagger -- enough to drum up major excitement for a first-ever vinyl pressing, which hit shelves as a Record Store Day exclusive recently from both Barsuk and Latent Print Records. Today, Nelson gives us the full arc o

After 15+ years on the road, Seattle's Minus the Bear said goodbye in 2018... but not for long. Marking two decades since the release of their second album, Menos El Oso -- heralded by both critics and fans alike -- the five-piece are back this year to play the album in full across the country. A sprawling, math-rock masterclass, Menos takes listeners on a globetrotting trail through Spain, Ireland, Los Angeles and more, while vocalist/guitarist Jake Snider inhabits characters seeking escape, be it from fever dreams, crime scenes or soul-crushing day jobs. Today, Jake is joined by guitarist David Knudson, as the pair breakdown Menos track-by-track. Along with host Jim Hanke, they dive into the meanings behind some of the band's most impactful songs twenty years later, and how the genre-bending experimentation of Danger Mouse and DJ Shadow influenced the LP. Catch Minus the Bear at this year's Best Friends Forever Fest in Las Vegas, or on tour cost-to-coast, this fall. Visit minusthebear.com for tickets, socia

On the heels of a fiery new album (Here We Go Crazy), influential indie icon Bob Mould reflects on how record store culture informed Hüsker Dü's formation and why the jukebox singles of his youth still help him get out of the occasional songwriting stalemate. Visit bobmould.com for tour dates, social media and more. 

This is an encore presentation of a previous episode, originally airing in August 2023. --- The two sounds Tommy Prine says he remembers most growing up were having the AM radio on or his father (renowned singer/songwriter John Prine) workshopping tunes at the kitchen table. Journeying through adolescence, his eclecticism later manifested through acts like Outkast and System of a Down. But now, on the heels of This Far South — his debut album — Tommy has found his own unique voice that marries his mom’s Irish wisdom and his dad’s dry Midwestern/Southern wit. On today’s show, Tommy shares why Radiohead’s “Videotape” speaks to him, his experiences working with Nashville talents Ruston Kelly and Gena Johnson on This Far South, and how the artwork for this album feels like both an ending and a beginning. Visit tommyprine.com for your dates, socials and more.

Long before Hot Ones became a viral sensation, there was Man v. Food. Over four seasons on the Travel Channel, host Adam Richman cruised the country going toe-to-toe with fiery chicken wings, monster-sized pizzas, pizza-sized burgers and more. Though the Brooklyn native demolished eating challenges that boggled both the mind and the belly, the heartbeat of MvF was in the small sandwich shops and hole-in-the-wall diners that were suddenly given a national stage. Since then, he's remained an in-demand, jovial educator of eating -- whether helping demystify menus via the YouTube series Pro Moves, embracing UK cuisine through Discovery+'s Adam Richman Eats Football, or tracing the origins of our favorite culinary brands on The Food That Built America (now in its sixth season). On today's episode, Adam dissects the similarities between food and music culture, his vinyl collecting habits, the classic rock staples he first heard through Beastie Boys samples, and the connections he's made with world-class performers

Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon (Knives Out, The Shape of Water, Boardwalk Empire, Groundhog Day) and acclaimed musician Jason Narducy (Split Single, Bob Mould Band, Superchunk, Verböten) discuss their friendship through song, and their current tour performing Fables of the Reconstruction -- R.E.M.'s third album -- which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Tickets are available at concertedefforts.com, and you can watch Michael and Jason perform “Driver 8” with their band on The Tonight Show here. Follow @jasonnarducy on Instagram, plus catch the drama Eric Larue -- Michael's first film as director -- arriving in theaters this spring. 

Championed over the years by the likes of Americana superstar Scott Avett and music mogul Seymour Stein, the music of Clem Snide mainstay Eef Barzelay has become an optimistic, yet matter-of-fact touchstone in a weary world, whether crafting his own musings or covering the inspirational hits of Journey. NPR dubs him "the most underrated songwriter in the business today, with a sneakily firm grasp on poignancy and humor," and while Eef's evocative tone is of a similar caliber to Jeff Mangum or John Darnielle, his sentimental and visual lyricism puts him in a unique category. On this week's program, Eef discusses embracing the unknown, diving back into vinyl with his adult son, and the quandary of carrying on the Clem Snide moniker. Plus, a run-in with a New Jersey state trooper while shooting the album cover for 1999's Your Favorite Music. Eef hits the road later this month; tour dates and tickets are available at clemsni.de. His latest album Oh Smokey is available digitally, or on vinyl from foreignleisure.c

With high marks from The New York Times, Pitchfork and more -- plus overwhelming support from the indie record store community -- Jeff Parker's latest album The Way Out of Easy is inarguably one of the most discussed and heralded jazz LP's of the 2000's. Fully improvisational and recorded live to tape with the ETA IVtet, monikered after Parker and his bandmates spent nearly half a decade playing weekly at the Enfield Tennis Academy (a since-defunct Los Angeles cocktail bar), the album is a transcendent 80 minutes of hazy ambiance and nuanced exploration that rewards both devout jazz enthusiasts and genre newcomers at every turn. This week, Jeff speaks about his first time on vinyl with the influential Chicago collective Tortoise, paying tribute to his parents through two different albums, a recent exuberant conversation with Flea, and which rapper he dreams of working with. Follow @jeffparkersounds on Instagram and find The Way Out of Easy at intlathem.bandcamp.com or wherever you get music.

In 1995, a fervent and wry rapper (Sean Daley, aka Slug) and a dexterous deejay (Anthony Davis; Ant for short) helped co-found a platform to help put Midwest -- and more precisely, Minnesotan -- hip-hop on the map. Three decades later, Rhymesayers Entertainment is one of the most popular and influential modern rap labels in existence, releasing seminal LP's by MF Doom, Freeway, Aesop Rock, Brother Ali, and Atmosphere: Slug and Ant's infectious repartee that helped define the Rhymesayers aesthetic from the jump: While Daley puts the listener in a metaphorical chokehold -- thanks to a volatile delivery of vulnerable self-reflection -- Davis' textured musical milieu allows plenty of room for revelry within a hybrid of soul, gospel and rap's golden age. On this week's episode, the pair ponder how record shopping has actively made their lives better, why racially integrated album covers usually lead to great music, and when their first-ever appearance on vinyl became a time capsule of their first-ever collaboratio

Bruce Springsteen once said that the secret to good songwriting was striking a balance between the personal and the universal: Get specific with people and locations first before shading in the rest with the kinds of generalities that make your listener relate, and hopefully, feel something. Craig Finn -- leader of the rough-and-ready, Grammy-nominated outfit The Hold Steady -- has subscribed to this philosophy in spades, garnering a cult-like fandom over 20+ years. On critically-acclaimed albums like Separation Sunday and Boys & Girls In America, the band has wheeled-and-dealed jaw-dropping tales of overdoses, arrests, confessional debauchery, and post-party pathos on par with any binge-worthy crime drama. Yet, despite those circumstances, the most fervent fans of The Hold Steady often connect most with the undying optimism that lies within Finn's brash and bewildered characters -- many of which show up on multiple tracks. Recorded in front of a live audience at Pinwheel Records in Chicago, Craig spotlig