Steve Beach (left) and Brian Mayer sit in a recording studio inside the Greenwood Public Library. The two created “The Vinyl Word,” a podcast that focuses on weird and quirky records from the past.Ryan Torales | Daily Diary
They were born from the depths of record album obscurity.
Songs about Abraham Lincoln, missionary life, and how to train a dog. Album titles include “The Goose Girl,” “Be a Better Bowler,” and “Karate Moves.” His art covers dreamy or nightmarish features of cartoon clowns, tuxedo-clad crooners, and awkwardly posed photos.
These records risked being discarded in the name of decency and lost to the trash heap of time.
That's where Steve Beach and Brian Mayer step in.
The duo, Beach from Greenwood and Mayer from the south side of Indianapolis, have spent the past two years unearthing these aural “gems” for their podcast, “The Vinyl Word.” In each episode, the two address the horrific nature of the music, the ridiculousness of the album concept, and the poor choices made in releasing these records to the public.
“There's a lot of sorting going on, not just gold sorting, but garbage sorting,” Beach said.
To put together the podcast, Beach and Mayer utilized the Greenwood Public Library's recording studio, which is equipped with professional microphones, mixing, and editing equipment, and more. The studio's free service has made the podcasting process much easier, giving me even more time to find terrible records.
“For us, this was a great place to record. Having it not inside the house allows us to focus more. We don't have dogs running up to us,” Meyer said.
When Greenwood Library officials were planning the second-floor maker space known as The Studio, they envisioned a place where patrons could experiment with different forms of creative expression. People can explore new art and create media by using kits and equipment they don't have at home. For example, you can learn how to use a Cricut machine, paint with watercolors, or sew.
The studio includes a recording room with professional lighting, microphones, mixing boards, cameras, and computers. Library cardholders can reserve time to create podcasts and video blogs using recording equipment.
“We wanted a space where people could come and utilize tools they might not otherwise have access to,” says Sharon Deitz, studio associate at the Greenwood Public Library's Studio . “Libraries are places where you can find resources and learn, and we understand that it's more than just books.”
The community responded. The studio is used by a variety of people, from businessmen who shoot advertising videos and photo shoots to local residents who use it to create American Sign Language tutorials.
“We have podcasters who come in and record on a regular basis, and we also have people who do video production and photography,” Deitz said.
Beach and Mayer discovered Greenwood's recording studio in December. At that point, they had spent a year and a half creating the Vinyl Word podcast, posting its first episode on March 20, 2022.
The idea for the podcast came about after Beach stumbled upon a strange recording: a sex education tutorial by a doctor named Earl Goldsmith.
“I thought this would be interesting to listen to. I had an old record player in the garage at the time, and Brian and I were listening to it outside with our friends,” Beach said. “I was commenting on it about how ridiculous it was.”
Mayer and Beach are longtime friends, bonded by a shared comedic sensibility. They were fans of the show “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” The show is a comedy show where the characters make fun of old movies while watching them. they wondered. What if you did a similar podcast using only old records?
“I had some of these records, but they were the odd kind. I've always been good at finding these strange, unique records,” Beach said.
Mayer thought it was an interesting idea, but was worried about finding enough material. Did they really have so many weird and wacky records to play the show with?
The answer was yes.
“We have rarely been more wrong about the amount of material available,” Mayer said.
The first episode was written by an artist named Miss Migsy, who told a story in rhymes to the accompaniment of a Hammond organ. From that first foray, Vinyl Word took off.
Beach and Mayer post new episodes every few weeks, finding time from their work and family lives. They look for strange records everywhere they can: thrift stores, garage sales, online. They became friends with the owner of Karma Records, an Indianapolis-based music store, who provided Vinyl Ward with part of their personal collection.
Once they decide on a record to feature, they listen to the album together and write a joke about it.
“A theme often emerges from that. Once a theme emerges, we make a conscious effort to revisit it,” Mayer said. “Not every joke has to be tied to it, but it helps to have it.”
Their goal is to keep each episode under 30 minutes.
“We wanted it to be a quick, interesting song that you could listen to on your way to work or while running errands,” Beach said.
While some of the records are by musicians, many “The Vinyl Word” features are educational, guiding listeners through specific activities, like bowling or preparing dinner.
“Diversity killed me. There are people who try to turn something that is educational, instructional, informative, dynamic into static,” Mayer said. . “It's very interesting trying to reconcile them.”
Initially, “The Vinyl Word” was recorded at home, with Beach spending hours editing and piecing together the episodes. Using Greenwood Library's recording studio made the process much easier.
“When I record at home, I put earphones in and listen to the record. So when I edited it, I had to take the audio out of the record and time the interactions,” Beach said. “Now we're talking and the records are playing together. That creates one track.”
The podcast has become a fun pastime for Mayer and Beach, and they plan to continue it as long as they can — the material is definitely out there, Mayer said.
“I really enjoy writing jokes, and you get to see how difficult a process it is and how rewarding it is when a joke is a hit,” he said.
At a glance
“Vinyl words”
What it's about: A podcast that explores strange and obscure records.
Who: Steve Beach of Greenwood and Brian Mayer of Southside Indianapolis.
To listen: Visit thevinylword.buzzsprout.com or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/thevinylwordpodcast.
