Q&A Remix With Justin Cox

The Q&A Remix is a frequent column on IHTOV in which people from all walks of life answer a set of pre-written questions about their vinyl collection. Today we welcome writer and podcaster Justin Cox.

Have you ever bought a record just for the artwork?

I bought a record called Persuasive Percussion (1959) from an estate sale because its cover had this minimalist black-and-white dot pattern that represented soundwaves–very cool and clean looking. The purpose of the record was to test the fidelity and EQ of your new stereo. It’s sick.

What is your most memorable vinyl buying experience?

I borrowed three Against Me! records from my brother and left them in my car on a 100-degree Sacramento day. They melted and I immediately bought him replacements, a $100 mistake I won’t forget. I still have the bendy ones.

What’s the first area you head for in a record store?

Used and/or punk.

What’s the most treasured album in your collection?

Probably Either/Or (Elliott Smith) or Running on Empty (Jackson Browne).

What one record in your collection would you be most eager to share with new friends?

Against Me! put out a 12” EP in 1999 that got fucked up in the rendering process or something. They pressed 500 and, after selling like 100 at the release shows, buried the rest in the basement of a good dude I interviewed on my podcast. He mailed me a copy with the original zine and stuff enclosed. Sounds insane, kicks ass.

Are you a completionist when it comes to artists? Which artist do you have the most records from?

Not a completionist, but I do have the first five Jackson Browne records from the 70s. Sort of complete in a way.

What is your greatest “score;” could be on value or rarity or something you were looking for the longest?

I saw an unknown Phoebe Bridgers in 2015 opening for Conor Oberst at the Grass Valley Performing Arts Center. She blew my mind so I bought the only record she had: a “Smoke Signals/Motion Sickness” 7-inch single that now sells for a few hundred dollars. She was working the booth and signed it “Grass Valley Kicks Ass.” I’m not sure if that increases or decreases its value. Increases it for me personally.

Do you have a favorite live record?

Live at Fillmore East by The Allman Bros.

Who/what got you hooked on records?

My dad. I got into all of his old ‘70s records when I was in high school.

What are your first memories of listening to records?

I had open-campus lunch and I’d sprint home, microwave a burrito, and listen to Creedence or James Taylor or whatever for like 34 minutes and then hustle back.

What’s your favorite record to listen to on headphones?

I once ran through the falling snow down Addison Street just outside of Wrigley Field to try and catch an L Train while listening to Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Most transcendent headphones moment of my life.

Tell us a little about your favorite record store?

Borders Books in Sand City, CA circa 2005. I unloaded a lot of my bellhop tip money in that dying chain store.

What’s the weirdest record you own?

Maybe Maximum Rocknroll (1989) by NOFX, sort of unofficially released a few years before they started writing compelling songs with hooky melodies. It sounds like shit.

How has your record collection and appreciation for vinyl evolved over the years, and what has influenced your tastes?

Vinyl purchases for me are rare and specific: Either a cheap used record jumps out, or a friend’s band releases a cool record that I want to support, or I decide an album is an all-timer and worth having (very rare).

What’s the last record you played?

The Slider by T Rex.

Justin Cox is a writer and podcaster who lives with his family on an island in the PNW. His podcast is called After the Deluge, which has gone album by album through the discographies of Jackson Browne, Bright Eyes, and Against Me! Next up is Bon Iver if he can get his shit together. Justin writes songs under the name Routine Layup and his vinyl collection is modest and messy but he doesn’t mind that. @routinelayup on bluesky

I Have That on Vinyl is a reader supported publication. If you enjoy what’s going on here please consider donating to the site’s writer fund: venmo // paypal