Nix Comics Record Wrap!

While in previous years I kept track of the records that I listened to on a daily basis, this year I didn't feel like keeping track.... Though when people started talking about their "Spossify wraps" and the new "listening Age" thing that was tied into it, I felt like maybe I should do something to talk about the expression of my musical tastes in 2025. It occurred to me that while I didn't do a log of everything-what-I-listened-to, I did by track all the records that I bought! So here it is... a wrap on the vinyl goodies that managed to pull money outta my cheapskate mitts!

Total Records Purchased: 137 So this total includes only the records that I know I'm keeping for a while. (There was a handful of 45s that I bought for the Sketchbook Picture Sleeves project.) 137 feels like a lot of records. Skip to the bottom of this page if you want the complete list. Over two and a half a week if you average it out, though it was a lot clumpier than that. I keep thinking I should adopt a one-in-one-out approach to save room in my home. I also keep thinking that selling some off wouldn't be a bad idea.

Where I Bought Records:

It's mostly still about the thrill of the hunt for me. I like digging through a pile of records and finding something cool and unusual. Mostly when I buy stuff on-line, it's new stuff on-line from friends, small distros/mail orders, or direct from artists. (That said I went a little crazy when I saw that I could just about complete my Original Sins collection at the Get Hip Store.) It's a little interesting that I had so much luck at Antique Malls this year. Ordinarily I dig out of habit at such places, to scoff at the pricing and selection in my mean hipster way. This year I actually found some great stuff. congrats on stepping up your booth game, antiques mall community!

Anyways, here's the breakdown:

Brick and Mortar Store: 69 Record Show/Fair: 36

Antique Mall: 16 On-Line: 17

Size Matters? 12" vs 10" vs 7"

I feel like I usually buy a lot more 7" records in any given year than album sized records. (7" bins are my favorite places to dig because most other collector nerds ignore them. They are the best place to find rarities in a record store.) Anyways, that's just an assumption on my part and the tale of the tape says "not so" in 2025.

Number of Records by Format:

12": 73 (6 of which were double LPs)

10": 2

7": 63

I wonder how much of this change was driven by a change in my home set up. I've moved a bunch of records upstairs so that I have better access to listen while I work. This has led to less of a focus on listening to 7"s. It's just more comfortable in the listen to LP length records in a work-a-day situation. It's a lot rarer that I'll indulge in playing a pile 7"s these days, which I think is an unintended consequence.

New vs. Used

It's not lost on me that my proclivity towards used records is in direct conflict with my indignance over the pittance paid to artists by Spossify and other music streamers. I'm a cheapskate, but I think artists should get paid for their work. When I by a used record, the artist gets 0 cents instead of the fraction of a cent they'd get if I played a record a few times on a streaming platform. I won't claim to have the solution to this bit of cognitive dissonance. It's just going to have to be a recognized lapse in my moral fiber. (FWIW: 9 of the 27 "new" records were what I'd consider new-new, released 2024 or later.)

I have no method for (or interest in) calculating my "listening age." That said, I do think the age of the records I purchased are telling about my tastes and my past. My taste veers towards the old fashioned. Stuff that was probably old even when I was young. I love mostly 50s, 60s, and 70s music, but I didn't become an active music buyer until the 80s and not a heavy consumer until the 90s. Reflectively, most of the records I purchased in 2025 are 30 or more years old! Also interestingly, records between 5 and 25 years old are the ones I purchased least frequently. I suspect that this is because between 5 and 25 years ago I was at least a part time reseller and didn't miss much of the then new stuff that I wanted. (I do miss paying wholesale to support my habit!)

New Records: 27

Used Records: 111

Age of Records Purchased:

Mean: 32 Median: 32

Mode: 29

Min: 0 (New) Max: 66

Only 2 unknown.

Local vs Not

I've paid new attention to purchasing local artists this year. I've not been great about it, though its something I'd like to say I am at least good at. Historically, when I went out of the house more, I'd pick up records at shows. Nowadays I'm a hermit and not even sure which bands and artists I'd like enough to buy their stuff. I think maybe one of New Year's Resolutions will be to buy twice as maybe local records.

Anyways, defining "Local" is always a bit sticky. Does it mean artists from Columbus? From Franklin County? All of Ohio? How long does the artist have to have loved and lived here to count? Do records on labels from Columbus by bands from out of town count as a "local record?" FWIW, I say naw on the record label thing and think the other metrics are a matter of degrees.

Bah! Now I gotta label things and I hate labels. Here we go anyway:

Not Local (117 records): Records where the artist(s) have no ties to Ohio or Columbus.

Local: (8 records): Records by artists who have loved and made music while living in the "Columbus area," a term that I leave deliberately ambiguous.

Local-Ish: (5 records): Records by artists who split the Columbus Area and whose recording careers predominantly occurred after they left. (Looking at YOU Dwight Yoakam...) Or records on labels with Columbus Area connections.

Ohio (7 records): Records by artists with Ohio ties.

2025 Favorites:

I've said on previous blog posts and on social media that I'm horrible at picking favorites. I felt a little obligated to in the context of an annual wrap, but I think it's fair to say that I enjoyed every record that I purchased in 2025. A lot. Nothing really stood out as being vastly superior to anything else... So I'm really just winging it here.

Favorite 12" Record: Various Artists: Swing For A Crime Picked this collection of stone-cold-killer noir-esque beat-ish songs and sound clips in Athens George. The gruesome pulpy graphics on the jacket are the reason I picked it as my favorite.

Favorite 7": Human Switchboard: Prime of My Life

Picked up this little bit of Ohio punk rock history at one of the Lost Weekend Records parking lot sales from Vinyl Shock Records. It's got a little bit of water damage (pic below is a grab from Discogs, not my copy) but the price was right I just couldn't resist it.

Favorite Local record: Tie: Ugly Stick Self Titled and Red Velvet Let Down Bottle of Booze (And A Shotgun)

I started out by saying that I'm bad at picking favorites, right?! Well here's proof. I couldn't pick just one favorite local record that I purchased. The Ugly Stick LP is a reissue of a cassette that came out in 1989. I remember that cassette lurking around the Brazilia coffee house when I first moved to Columbus, played by one or more of my coffee jerks. So happy that I now have it on wax! Picking up the Red Velvet Letdown 7" was a no-Brainer... Drummer Kent Groswiller is a past Nix contributor after all! Also, (bassist) TJ Steppe and I have been in each other's orbit since before the Trash Brats played at Rudy Goose Comics and I was surprised when TJ posted on-line that he had never been in a band released on vinyl before. Congratulations on a great record guys!

Honorable Mentions and Caveats:

I don't have guilty pleasures, but I do recognize that some of my collection choices are head scratchers. I picked up this Jeff Conaway record because I think he was a great actor. Everything he was in, from Grease to Taxi to Babylon 5, was made better by his performance. It's probably my favorite WTF? choice.

Also, I've ordered but not yet received my copy of Wreckless Eric's new "England Screaming" record. Based on what I've heard on-line and my general love of his past work, I suspect that this will bump "Swing for A Crime" once it arrives.

The Complete List:

Artist	Title	Label
1-4-5s	Rock Invasion	Estrus Records
5.6.7.8's	Teenage Mojo Workout	Time Bomb Records
Asphalt Jungle	Planté Comme Un Privé	Skydog
Bamboo Kids	Suck The Life Out Of Me b/w Right On	Pro-Vel Records
Bangles	Doll Revolution	Real Gone Music
Beat Happening	Look Around	Domino
Billy Childish & The Chatham Singers	Step Out!	Spinout Nuggets
Bloodshot Bill	Get Loose Or Get Lost	Goner Records
Boyce & Hart	Alice Long (You're Still My Favorite Girlfriend)	A&M Records
Boys From Nowhere	The Bridal Album	Skyclad Records
Buck Owens And His Buckaroos	(It's A) Monsters' Holiday	Sundazed Music
Carl Perkins	My Kind Of Country	Mercury
Carnival Season	Won't Get Heard	Rats-Bane Records
Catholic Boys	Hurt To Hate	Bancroft Records
Catholic Boys	Dead Ball	Trick Knee Productions
Chris Spedding	I'm Not Like Everybody Else	RAK
Cookies	Chains / Stranger In My Arms	Dimension
Coyote Men	Two Sides Of The Coyote Men	Estrus Records
Cynics	Stranded In Madrid Live At The Ya'sta	Impossible Records
Dave Edmunds	Born To Be With You	RCA Victor
David Johansen	David Johansen	Blue Sky
David Johansen	King Of Babylon	Passport Records
Davie Allan & The Arrows	Cycle-Delic Sounds	Tower
Diaboliks	Itching For Action	Dionysus Records
DM Bob & The Deficits	Bad With Wimen	Crypt Records
Dr. Feelgood	Sneakin' Suspicion	Columbia
Dwight Yoakam	I Sang Dixie	Reprise Records
Dwight Yoakam	It Only Hurts When I Cry	Reprise Records
Dwight Yoakam	Brighter Days	VIA Records , Thirty Tigers
Emperors	I Want My Woman	Beatrocket
Equals	Baby Come Back / Hold Me Closer	Collectables
Feelers	Learn To Hate The Feelers	Dead Beat Records
Fire Dept.	L' Auf D'or	M'lady's Records
Flamin' Groovies	Grease	Jungle Records
Flamin' Groovies featuring Chris Wilson	A Collection Of Rare Demos & Live Recordings	Marilyn Records
Fleshtones	Soul Madrid	Impossible Records
Gaunt	I Can See Your Mom From Here	Thrill Jockey
Gaunt	Kryptonite	Thrill Jockey
Gonn	Fellow Slave / The Wind	MCCM Records
Gravel	Not Alive	Estrus Records
Harlow Wilcox And The Oakies	Groovy Grubworm	Plantation Records
Hives	The Hives Forever Forever The Hives	Play It Again Sam
Hollywood squares	Hillside Strangler: Restrangled	Rave Up Records
Hoodoo Gurus	Like Wow-Wipeout	Big Time
Human Beinz	Nobody But Me	Capitol Records
Human Switchboard	Prime Of My Life	Square Records
Hysteric Narcotics	Never Do Know / I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore	Raffscallion Records
Jalla Jalla	Hospital Waltz / Jukebox Jive	Twang! Records
Jeff Conaway	Jeff Conaway	Columbia
Jeffrey Lewis	A Turn In The Dream-Songs	Vintage Voltage
Jenny Mae	A New World Record	American Pop Project
Jerry Lee Lewis & Linda Gail Lewis	Roll Over Beethoven / Secret Places	Smash Records, Mercury
Joe Ely	Lord Of The Highway	Hightone Records
Joe Ely	Dig All Night	Hightone Records
Joe Ely Band	Live Shots	Southcoast Records, MCA Records
King Khan & BBQ Show	Live At Izola	Lathesville
Kwyet Kings	Cherrypie	Screaming Apple
Kwyet Kings	Been Where? Done What?	Screaming Apple
Link Wray	Rumble (1956-62)	Acrobat
Little Richard	Try To Help Your Brother	Mainstream Records
Little Willie John	Leave My Kitten Alone / Let Nobody Love You	King Records
Long Ryders	I Had A Dream	Zippo Records, Demon Records
Louis Prima With Gia Maione & Sam Butera And The Witnesses	Prima Show In The Casbar	Prima Magnagroove
Maharajas	Opposites Attract	Chaputa! Records
Marianne Faithfull	Summer Nights / The Sha La La Song	London Records
Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels	Too Many Fish In The Sea & Three Little Fishes  / One Grain Of Sand	New Voice Records
Mo-Dettes	Paint It Black	Deram
Mondo Topless	I Want To / Real Gone Girl	WorryBird Disk
Mono Men	Mystery Girl	Estrus Records
Mortals	The One	Shake It! Records
Nick Lowe & His Band	Go 'Way Hound Dog	Yep Roc Records
Ohio Express	The Very Best Of The Ohio Express	Buddah Records
Original Sins	Big Soul	Bar/None Records
Original Sins	Alice D.	Psonik Records
Original Sins	Move	Psonik Records, Skyclad Records
Original Sins	Get You There / Come On Up	Chaos Records
Original Sins	American Cheese Product (4 Slice EP)	Bedlam
Pack	Pack	Ugly Pop Records
Paley Brothers	Tell Me Tonight	Sire
Patti Smith	Looking For You (I Was)	Arista
Peach Kelli Pop	Peach Kelli Pop	Burger Records
Penelope Houston And Her Band	Glad I'm A Girl	Iloki Records
Phil Seymour	Phil Seymour	The Boardwalk Entertainment Co
Piranhas	The Piranhas	On/On Switch
Plasticland	Wonder Wonderful Wonderland	Pink Dust
Police	Nothing Achieving / Fall Out	Illegal Records
Pretenders	I Go To Sleep	Real Records
Pretenders	If There Was A Man	Warner Bros. Records
Prisoners	The Last Fourfathers	Big Beat Records
Prisoners	Hurricane	Busy Bee Production
Purple Merkins	Dig It !	Dionysus Records
Red Velvet Letdown	Bottle Of Booze (And A Shotgun)	Not On Label (Red Velvet Letdown Self-released)
Renegades	Cadillac / I Was There	Norton Records
Revillos	Attack!	Superville Records
Robin Luke	Susie Darlin' - Volume 1:The Rockin' Fifties	Bear Family Records
Ronald Koal And The Trillionaires	Ronald Koal And The Trillionaires	No Other Records
Roy Head	Wigglin' And Gigglin'	Back Beat
Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs	Ring Dang Doo / Don't Try It	MGM Records
Sammi Smith	He's Everywhere / This Room For Rent	Mega
Sammy Masters	Rockin' Red Wing / Lonely Weekend	Lode
Satan's Pilgrims	Live at Jackpot Records	Jackpot Records
Scruffy The Cat	Boom Boom Boom Bingo	Relativity
Scruffy the Cat	Tiny Days	Relativity
Sean Tyla	Sean Tyla's Just Popped Out	Polydor, Zilch
Seeds	Fallin' Off The Edge	GNP Crescendo
Shades Of Blue	Oh How Happy	Impact Records
Shonen Knife	Pretty Little Baka Guy + Live In Japan!	Rockville, Gasatanka Records
Sir Bald Diddley And His Right Honourable Big Wigs	Get Ahead Get A Fez!	Alopecia Records
Southern Culture On The Skids With Don Howland	Tantrum	Sympathy For The Record Industry
Southern Culture On The Skids With Don Howland	Cockroach Blues	Sympathy For The Record Industry
Split: Betty Machete And The Angry Cougars / Howling Commandos	Twelve Bone Rattling Tales Of Terror	ColumbusBlood Records
Split: Pee Wee Herman / Surf Punks	Surfin' Bird / My Beach	Columbia
Split: Popdefect  /  The Outsideinside	Strychnine / Psycho!	Dionysus Records
Split: The Floyds Of Flatbush  /  The M-80's	You're Mine / I Can't Be True	Black Lung
Standells	Riot On Sunset Strip	Tower
Stevie Wonder	Living For The City	Tamla
Streetwalkin' Cheetahs Meet Cherie Currie	Cherry Bomb	Alive Records
Supersnazz	Diode City	Time Bomb Records
Suzi Quatro	Rock Hard	Dreamland Records, Inc.
Teengenerate	Live At Shelter	Ugly Pop Records
Thee Shams	Gotta Be Something / Go On Livin	Licorice Tree Records
Tommy Tucker	Long Tall Shorty	Checker
Ugly Stick	Ugly Stick	Good Times Rock 'n Roll Club
Universal Vagrants	Universal Vagrants	Get Hip Recordings
Various	Las Vegas Grind Volume Four	Strip
Various	Swing For A Crime	GMG
Various	Wild Original Rock And Roll	White Label Records
Various	Show Me  What You Got!	Candy Records
Various	Nobody To Love (Mid-60s Teen Folkpunk: 18 Tales Of Tension & Trauma)	Teenage Shutdown!
Various	Breaking Glass: Garage Rock From Toledo Ohio	Culture Clash Records
Various	Ho-Dad Hootenanny Too!	Crypt Records
Various	Wild Things (New Zealand Freakbeat 1966-1968)	Vostok
Vibrasonic	If I Were A Rich Man	Get Hip Recordings
Wanted	Lots More Where You Came From	Detroit Sound
William Bell	I'll Show You / Monkying Around	Stax
Woggles	The Big Beat	Wicked Cool Record Co.
Wreckless Eric	England Screaming	Tapete Records