💿 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:
- ✅ Blue Sky
- 🚫 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 🎙️
