It's that time when Sonny & Rick like to reach into their bags to highlight some of their favorite finds of the year. They're joined by their resident doctor of mental health, Jannae - aka The Vinyl Doctor, to review, re-live, and share some of the best wax that this difficult year has had to offer.

After 6 months away from the mics, Sonny & Rick are back to reflect, re-visit, and react to the year that's been 2020 thus far, and how it's all affected their appetite for digging and sharing.

Andrew Boonkrong - the co-screenwriter of the new film, “Arkansas” - joins Rick and Sonny to talk about the making of the film (and how Covid-19 upended the big premiere). He also takes us all the way back to the golden era of the electro-indie rock scene.

Season Two of The Fox Crate Podcast kicks off amidst el virus de Corona, and both Sonny and Rick feel they’ve been training for this practice in social distancing their entire record-spinning/collecting lives!

We finally made it to our season one finale! ***This episode was recorded at the end of 2019***. We bring the season (and the year) to an end by highlighting a few of our favorite finds/records of the year and we brought back a very special guest to get in on the conversation with us. In vintage TFC fashion, we bring all the cuts to the forefront and put a bow on the first year of The Fox Crate Podcast. Thanks for sticking with us throughout Season 1 - more to come for Season 2. Stay hyped!

Our season one penultimate episode is a music nerd’s dream! We sat down with freelance writer, editor, and journalist - Andy Hermann, and the former vice-president of content at ARTISTdirect.com - Doug Kamin - to talk about the ever-changing landscape that is called “new media.” We re-live the glory days of what it was like to cover the music industry before the boom of blogs, podcasts, and streaming. We also get Doug and Andy’s takes on the future of vinyl collecting, and why Doug believes it to be just another fad. Andy and Doug also recount some of their personal favorite interviews that they conducted with the likes of Cameron Crowe, James Murphy, Stewart Copeland, and James Blunt. Lastly, Andy shares some of his favorite records with us, before he and Doug take on The Fox Crate DJ Challenge.

We got our very own Christmas special! We take a minute to talk about some of our favorite, and least favorite, holiday tunes of all time (mostly on wax). We also try to figure out the recipe for making a hit Christmas song - and debate if the genre lends itself more to a particular style of music. Lastly, Rick talks about some of the Christmas coal he’s received over the years, when digging for records.

We visited Paradise City Records and chatted with co-owner, shop keeper, DJ, artist, and fellow digger - Induce, AKA Ryan Smith. We got into the hustle of opening and running a record shop in Los Feliz, and heard some of the lessons he’s learned in year one. As an L.A. transplant from Magic City (Miami) - Ryan talked about his early digging days as a Hip Hop head/ DJ, and also discussed his current radio show at Dublab. Lastly, we asked Induce to walk us through his “dream” DJ set as we played some Italo bangers along the way.

We chop it up with Corey Scoffern, aka The Grouch, and take a retrospective look at his 25-year career/role in Hip Hop. We talk about his unconditional love for the game -  as a fan, producer, pioneering indie-artist, performer, group member, father and mentor - as he continues to evolve as an emcee, and collaborator. We definitely geek out on the lost art of sampling/digging for wax, and get his thoughts on releasing old and new projects via the vinyl format - including past and upcoming Record Store Day releases. Speaking of new projects – The Grouch speaks on his upcoming album/collaboration with Murs – Thees Handz – and what it’s meant to him to re-connect with his fellow Living Legends member. Lastly, we discuss his newest role as mentor – as he works with a 17-year old up-and-coming artist (Daniyel), and how he’s now coaching his daughter (Rio Amor) in fostering her emcee skills as a writer and performer. Bonus – The Fox Crate DJ Challenge featuring The Grouch! – The Grouch drops his dream DJ set - which includes some certified HEAT!

All the way from BK to CA, we welcome JonnyGo Figure to the podcast! It’s a Reggae history lesson - as we get into his upbringing as a young selector, his love for vinyl, and his current digging habits/approach. We discuss the moment he decided to temporarily ditch the decks for the mic - his Reggae/Hip Hop influences, and what it was like to work on his own record, the Crucial Showcase EP. Lastly, we put Jonny on the spot as he accepts The Fox Crate DJ Challenge, and preps his dream sets for Crrruuucial Fest!

Let's talk about the elephant (or horse, or kangaroo) in the room...that is cancel culture. We tackle the complex issue of knowing when, where, and how to "cancel" your problematic ex-favorite artist, record, and/or song. SPOILER ALERT - we're just as confused about it as the rest of ya'll - as the lines can get blurred from a music fan's perspective.

From the hoods of SGV, to the streets of Japan, our guest - DJ Spiñorita - always holds it down for her music craving peeps. She joins us to talk about her DJ upbringing, early struggles, and how it all came together for a DJ who now spins across the globe. We talk about her recent tour in Japan and her own vinyl-digging club, Club Diggies. We also speak to her passion for pushing new artists – via the decks and her NTS radio show, Casual Play. She stresses the importance of paying it forward in this DJ hustle and what it means to represent the culture as she moves forward. Lastly, it’s show-and-tell featuring some of her favorite records, as she puts together her dream set list. featuring: Beastie Boys, The Roots, Steve Loria, A Tribe Called Quest, Biz Markie, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Jaydee, Sharon Redd, Sergio Mendes, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Bobby Oroza, Ethereal, XL Middleton, Zackey Force Funk, La Sonora Ponceña, Mark De Clive Lowe, Steven Julien, Dego & Kaidi, Gary Gritness, Loose Ends, Snoop Dogg

We get into the evolution of the digger, and how our own taste in music has evolved - reminding us that we’re getting old AF in this music discovery game. We debate and review the work of one of our Hip Hop superheroes, Common - and highlight his most slept-on record, Electric Circus (7:30). There’s a breakthrough in figuring out where Rick made a left turn on Rock music (19:50). Plus, we discover why Sonny started collecting Reggae on wax (31:10). Lastly, Sonny re-collects his Hip Hop encounter with Michael Keaton (34:28). featuring: Ras G, JonnyGo Figure, Apollo Brown, Blink 182, A Tribe Called Quest, Common, Milo, Kings of Leon, Mars Volta, At The Drive-In. Alien Ant Farm, Franz Ferdinand, Lila Downs, Mano Negra, Mana, Bush, De La Soul, Kanye West, Eric B. & Rakim, Third World, J Balvin, King Tubby.

The Fox Crate Podcast goes back on the road as we meet up with one of our favorite fellow vinyl-community diggers, The Vinyl Doctor. She’s a psychologist by day, and a wax collector by night - and she can relate to the struggles of irrational digging and vinyl trauma. In this episode, Jannae speaks to mental health awareness, the potential therapy that can be found in music, and the chasm between vinyl obsession and vinyl addiction. We also get into some of her favorite records, record shops, and ultimate DJ setlist. Without trying, The Vinyl Doctor also gets Sonny and Rick to cop to some of their own social anxiety disorders. featuring: JonnyGo Figure, Sam Cooke, The Clash, Papa Roach, Cri Cri, Trio Los Panchos, Lee Morgan, Nu Shooz, Nirvana, Danny Elfman, Pantera, Alvin & The Chipmunks, Kendrick Lamar, Jose Jose, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queen, Green Day, The Beatles, Incubus, Los Tres Caballeros, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Mary Jane Girls, Connie, Selena

After a brief hiatus/retreat, Sonny and Rick are back and ready to rock with a new podcast intro song. This episode is a very Brooklyn-themed one, as they take a deep look back at the iconic Hip Hop album, and duo - Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star. They reflect on the bars and careers of Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli, 21 years later, and speak on the creative evolution of all artists. Sonny goes as far as using a Kobe analogy for Mos Def/Yasiin Bey - which gets Rick to admit his true feelings for the Mamba Mentality. Featuring: JonnyGo Figure, Black Star, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Reflection Eternal, Common, Andre 3000, 2Pac, Slick Rick, De La Soul, Mike Zoot, Gregory Isaacs, Dec. 99th, Connie Price & The Keystones, Jewel, No Doubt, Flying Lotus

Sonny and Rick return home and talk about their recent digging adventures up in Oakland and the ATL. Rick swoons over his finds at Criminal Records in Atlanta, while Sonny proves he’ll go to great lengths to get a quick dig in - no matter where or who he’s with. They also get into their respective wax organization methods, and take a moment to acknowledge the set’s newly installed The Fox Crate Wall. Featuring: The Heptones, Amerigo Gazaway, Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill, Junior Brammer, Lighter Shade of Brown, Counting Crows, Living Legends, Flying Lotus, Dr. Dre, Craig Mack, High Fidelity, Gregory Isaacs, Raphael Saadiq, Ozomatli, Mos Def, Incubus, Bag Raiders, Billy Stewart, Gil Scott-Heron

Sonny and Rick sit down with the owner of Mxxnshine Records, Mr. Manny Mxxnshine, to talk about his shop (in Whittier CA), his hustle, and his humble beginnings as an entrepreneur. They discuss what it’s like to own a brick-and-mortar record shop in 2019 and how to compete - and get real about what it takes to thrive and survive. Lastly, they jump into Manny’s DJ upbringing and get into all the jams that helped shape and influence his life and his shop. Featuring: James Brown, Morrissey, Smoking Popes, Travis, Miranda, Barbara Mason, Royal Crown Revue, Deep Purple, Eurythmics, Stray Cats, Brian Setzer, Carlos & The Bandidos, Ice T, Chaka Khan, DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, Fat Boys, Egyptian Lover, DJ Quik, Alicia Myers, Daft Punk, Stardust, Nas, Keni Burke, Groove Theory, Pennywise, Alphaville, Keith Sweat, Oasis

The Fox Crate goes travellin’ as Sonny and Rick visit Primo Tury - their first ever guest - to talk some music, some shit, and re-live some memories of growing up together. They dive into Tury’s wild history of music-going experiences - including some of the wax he owns, his holy trinity of artists, and his undying love for The Wu. Featuring: Rhetta Hughes, The Beatnuts, Banda Macho, Sonora Dynamite, Dick Dale, The Doors, Bouncing Souls, Frank Sinatra, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Steel Pulse, Pennywise, NOFX, 2pac, Bob Marley, The Delirians, The Frightnrs, 311. Sublime, Sugar Minott, Gregory Isaacs, Nirvana, Weezer, Ice Cube, Wu-Tang. Ghostface Killah, Alborosie, Tribal Seeds, Durand Jones & The Indications