Ep540: Swami John Reis - Record Collector

Ep540: Swami John Reis - Record Collector

From The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds by The Vinyl Guide

March 23, 2026 · 1h 1m · Episode 540

About this episode

Swami John Reis discusses his passion for record collecting and the evolving nature of his collection.

Swami John Reis of Rocket from the Crypt and Drive Like Jehu digs deep on record collecting, the thrill of the hunt, running Swami Records , and why the next release always matters most. Get yer tix to the Punk Rock Museum's 3rd Anniversary Show here Topics Include: Swami John Reis joins to talk record collecting and Punk Rock Museum. His collection is evolving — trading old hardcore for more desired records. Collection is 95% 45s, driven by a lifelong musical pursuit. Early punk led him to hunt for MC5, Stooges, Velvet Underground. The thrill: records still exist that nobody knows about yet. Digging through boxes feels calming, healthy, and satisfying every time. Hawaii vintage shop surprise — radio station collection hidden outside for decades. Detroit and Pittsburgh are his highest strike-rate cities for finds. Always ask the clerk — the best stuff is never on the floor. Styrene vs vinyl: the label sticker is the definitive tell. Making records informed his collecting — plain white sleeves, big hole 45s. Pressing plant relationships are everything; affordability is the biggest challenge. Customs delays under the current administration are wrecking release schedules badly…

People in this episode

Guest: Swami John Reis

Topics covered

  • record collecting
  • punk rock
  • music history
  • artist interviews
  • vinyl records

Keywords

  • record collecting
  • Punk Rock Museum
  • vinyl records
  • music history
  • Swami Records

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rocket from the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, Swami Records, Punk Rock Museum

Books & works: MC5, Stooges, Velvet Underground

Places: Hawaii, Detroit, Pittsburgh

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