Q&A Remix With Tina Roumeliotis

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 Tina Roumeliotis.

Have you ever bought a record just for the artwork?

YES! I have a few where I bought an extra to frame and of course if the alternate cover/variant was pretty! Some are just too perfect to resist!

What is your most memorable vinyl buying experience?

Any time I’m browsing a record store is a good time in my book but I kind of have a love/hate relationship with Record Store Day. The excitement to grab those exclusives is great but add in waiting in long lines only to find that what you wanted was very limited and sold out is not a vibe. I will say, however, that finding something that has been on your wantlist for ages and seeing it in a used bin or restock is very exciting!

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

Usually the New Releases. I miss the days of running to the store on release day and seeing that new release on the shelf waiting for you. 

What’s the most treasured album in your collection and why?

Oh wow! That’s a hard one. I’m going to go with Garbage’s self-titled debut, the 20th anniversary hot pink rerelease from 2015. It was one of the first ones I got when I started my vinyl collection and being they’ve been my favorite band since I was 13, it’s very special to me. If not that, then anything I have from flor because they are my absolute loves along with Garbage.

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

To an extent! I guess it depends on how much I like the artist lol! I’d say I have the most records from Taylor Swift. The Holly Humberstone and Kelsea Ballerini ones are getting up there too. Holly had so many rad variants of Paint My Bedroom Black that I couldn’t resist!

What is/are your white whale records?

I am DYING to get my hands on the orange variant of The Band CAMINO’s tryhard EP. Would also love to snatch Garbage’s debut original press from 1995 but that’s definitely out of my price range!

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

I searched long and hard for the pink variant of Kelsea Ballerini’s Unapologetically a few years ago until a copy finally popped up on Discogs for a decent price! Also was pretty excited to grab Kacey Musgraves’ Same Trailer Different Park confetti variant a few years ago.

Do you have a favorite live record?

Really enjoying the live section of Tears For Fears’ Songs For A Nervous Planet lately. They are my number one bucket list band to see live. They toured with Garbage a few years back and I still feel the sting of missing out on that one.

Who/what got you hooked on records?

I’ve always been a fan of physical media. I like being able to study the artwork and the inner sleeves while zoning out. It’s always been a form of meditation or therapy for me. I collected CDs for so long and thought it was time for an upgrade about 8 years ago.

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

I have a few, but honestly, everything sounds great with headphones! 

Fiona Apple - Tidal

Gypsy & The Cat - Gilgamesh 

Hundredth - Somewhere Nowhere

The Paper Kites - twelvefour

What genre is most represented in your collection?

Probably pop and indie-pop. Big fan of collecting records I listened to when I was younger so a lot of Britney Spears, Spice Girls, Michelle Branch but also newer stuff like Olivia Rodrigo, Caroline Polachek, The 1975, etc.

Tell us a little about your favorite record store.

Darkside Records - located in Poughkeepsie, NY - has been such a godsend! The first time I went there in 2018, I scored Garbage’s Version 2.0 when no stores had it and from then on I was hooked. I’ve sold to them a ton, even sold my aunt’s massive collection to them recently and they’ve just been so helpful and great to interact with. They have a killer social media presence and buying from them online is a breeze. There is zero typical record store snark with them that you find here in NYC and that’s always a plus haha! Good times all around. I’d be there every week if I lived closer.

Tina Roumeliotis is a writer/author from NYC. She’s an avid vinyl collector and the founding editor of The Daily Listening. Her first poetry book, Fools Like Me, is available now on Amazon. You’ll most likely find her introverting in her bedroom with her music collection and a pair of headphones.

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