Episode 105 Recap

💿 Vinyl is Alive and Gen Z is Spinning It

This week’s episode is a love letter to vinyl—with a healthy dose of awe for Gen Z’s unexpected role in its resurgence. Host Mark Bradbourne opens with personal pickups and an industry-wide nod to a generation that gets it.

🛍️ Mark’s Latest Vinyl Haul:

  • Living Colour – Vivid
  • Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
  • Iron Maiden – Live After Death (his first-ever music purchase, a cassette)
  • Dream Theater box set
  • Violent Femmes – Self-titled
  • Extreme – Pornograffitti

He’s now tracking everything on Discogs and shopping online—but only from indie record shops. 🖤

📏 “Someone started measuring collections in linear feet. I’m getting there…”


📈 Vinyl by the Numbers (via the Vinyl Alliance Report)

🧠 Gen Z, surprisingly, is fueling the vinyl renaissance:

  • 🧑‍🎤 76% buy vinyl monthly
  • 📻 80% own turntables
  • 💸 29% say vinyl’s getting too pricey
  • 🛒 84% prefer buying in-store
  • 🧘‍♀️ Love the “intentionality” & album listening culture

💬 “They’re rediscovering all the things Gen X and Boomers loved about music.”


🔥 5 Songs That Don’t Suck This Week

1. 👑 God Save the Queens – Vienna Vienna

A bold, sarcastic, anti-bigot anthem delivered with raw rock urgency and a razor-sharp chorus. Imagine Queen + Rage + drag realness. 🔥

“Straight-ahead rock with a big middle finger to hate.”

🎸 For fans of: Maneskin, IDLES, P!nk with a punk twist


2. 🌇 LA – Couch

Smooth, soulful, and instantly arresting. Mark and his daughter literally stopped mid-convo in the car when this came on. Sarah Bareilles meets Lake Street Dive.

“When music stops a conversation—that’s when you know it’s good.”

🎧 For fans of: Gracie Lawrence, Norah Jones, Allen Stone


3. 🍷 Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine – Luke Spiller

Struts frontman goes glam-theatrical with a Mercury-meets-Bowie solo debut. Theatrical, fuzzy, and addictively melodic once you shake the Struts comparison.

“Took me a minute, but now I catch myself humming it.”

🎤 For fans of: Queen, Jet, The Darkness


4. 🔮 Wildfire, Gone Gone Gone / Death Song – Rabidology

A minimalist, hypnotic percussion-forward piece with Tibetan bowls, shimmering textures, and meditative vocals. More sonic experience than pop song.

“An audio cornucopia. I was tranced.”

🧘‍♂️ For fans of: Sigur Rós, Bon Iver’s weirdest side, soundtrack vibes


5. 🥀 Time With My Sins – The Head and the Heart

Mark finally listened after years of algorithmic nudging—and regrets waiting. Warm harmonies, rich lyrics, Petty-esque storytelling.

“Spotify was right. I should’ve clicked sooner.”

🎶 For fans of: The Wild Feathers, Tom Petty, The Lumineers


🧠 Final Thoughts: Vinyl is Community, Not Just Consumption

Mark closes by reflecting on how Gen Z’s appreciation for physical music restores his hope in the future of fandom.

🎙️ “Vinyl is a break from our screens—and from our scroll.”

If you’re a casual streamer, cool. But if you’re here? You’re probably a superfan. Welcome to the club.


🌐 Engage With the Podcast

👕 SongsThatDontSuck.net – The hub for:

  • Podcast episodes 🎙️
  • Newsletter 📬
  • Merch store 🛍️
  • Artist recommendations 🤘

Mark’s online, but only where it counts:

  • ✅ Instagram
  • ✅ Blue Sky
  • 🚫 Twitter
  • 🚫 Facebook
  • 🚫 Threads

🎨 …and I quote…

❝ The vinyl revival isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about intentionality and building community. And Gen Z is crushing it. ❞
— Mark Bradbourne 🎙️

Author: MB

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