Nick Sciacca (@sixtwenty2 on Instagram) is a graphic designer, artist, cyclist, and record collector based out of Brooklyn. Nick did some art work back in the day for many tri-state bands (mine included) and continues to put out stellar art work both personally and professionally.
His vinyl collection is as extensive as the list of shows he’s been to; Nick happens to be the only person I now know who has The Last Crime's epoynymous 10-inch EP. Someone should re-press that. He also has a massive, I mean massive, collection of NYHC demos:
How did you get into collecting records?
I started collecting 7-inches, CDs, and tapes at punk/hardcore shows on Long Island. 7-inches were cheap so it was an easy entry point for collecting. It wasn't until I was in college in NYC that I started getting more serious about collecting and started to acquire more LPs (and too many CDs). In the mid-late '90s, there were only one or two record stores worth going to on Long Island, (None of the Above Records, the PWACs backroom record store); once I was in NYC there were more options.
Sound & Fury Records (RIP) and Generation Records were my main go to shops in NYC and I was able to acquire a lot of great albums. I also had a roommate at the time who was a bit of a hippy, but had a pretty big record collection, and I think that put the bug in me to start taking record collecting more seriously.
What was the first record you bought with your own money?
This is tough, but to my recollection and based on what I still possess, I'll say my first LP was Def Leppard Pyromania and my first 7-inch was Rick Springfield’s single for "Jessie's Girl." I bought these both with my allowance from doing chores around the house, mowing the lawn etc. Initially I was collecting CDs, cassettes and records, but after time this became too much so I paired down to just vinyl.
Some of the first punk/hardcore records I bought were Judge Bringin It Down, Burn 7-inch, Earth Crisis Firestorm and All Out War, Mind Over Matter Hectic Thinking, and probably Silent Majority This Island Earth. I still own too many CDs that are all collecting dust in storage, maybe one day I'll unload them to a friend.
We all have one record that we sold that we completely regret, what is yours?
I rarely sell my records. However, I do regret giving a few records away or loaning records to people that never quite made it back, like Indecision/Shutdown split, Youth Crew ‘95, and Indecision Believe 7-inch. A huge regret due to the memories connected to those records and bands.
I gave away the Wide Awake CT Hardcore 7-inch on Schism that is worth some good money on Discogs these days, but I didn’t love the record and someone really wanted it at the time. I think I picked up the record from a distro box at a Huntington YMCA show in the late '90s on a whim.
On the other side of that, what’s the white whale record you were finally able to get, or is it still out there?
Biggest white whale record I was able to score for a great price was Sleep Vol 2 on Off the Disk Records. I snagged it from eBay years ago, and, if I remember correctly, Keith Huckins brother was the one selling it. Its current range on Discogs is $68 on the low end and $268 on the high end; I don't recall how much I paid, but it wasn't a lot.
Current white whale records, Karp S/T (really any Karp record since my collection is sorely missing them all), Cave In Beyond Hypothermia (I still cannot believe I missed this when it was released, great band and I remember seeing them at Deja One on Long Island with Dave Scrod on vocals), Witchcraft S/T, and US Christmas Run Thick in the Night.
Is there a single record or a band that you always buy when you see it?
Eyehategod. RIP Joey.
What’s a record or genre in your collection that might surprise the readers?
Not sure I have anything too surprising, however I suppose Songs: Ohia and Run the Jewels are two artists that are outliers in my collection, and a few Springsteen records.
What’s the last record you bought?
With the pandemic still lurking that's really tough to answer because I've been ordering so many records and several just haven't arrived yet.
Here’s a list of some of my favorite acquisitions of 2021:
- Sunken Temple Records - A Piece from the Beast Compilation: great comp featuring some excellent NYC/LI bands released on like Gospel, Total Meltdown, Herjaza, Kaiju Daisenso (covering a State Secedes song!) Edgar and Stillsuit! Fuckin' Stillsuit and Gospel on the same comp, I'm sold!
- Touché Amoré - Lament: I slept on this band for quite awhile, but once I picked up Is Survived By I couldn't miss any future releases. They don't disappoint, they tug at all the right heartstrings for me.
- Melvins - Five Legged Dog: a compilation of Melvins covering old Melvins songs acoustically!
- Quicksand - Distant Populations: another band that I never miss a release when they put something out. Consistent quality output, I can't think of a band that Walter has done or been involved in that I haven't liked.
What are your Top 5 record stores, or places you get your vinyl?
In NYC, I'll regularly go to Limited to One, Generation, and Academy. Online, I tend to order directly from bands, bandcamp or from labels. It's not like you got a VERY catalog to go through and make selections anymore.
What are the records you think everyone should own on vinyl?
The cliché answer is Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Vol. 4, Master of Reality, and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath are all essential. Aside from the great NYHC albums (Bad Brains, GB, AF, Cro Mags, Judge, SOIA, etc.) I would say the following are essential records in anyone's collection; Inside Out No Spiritual Surrender 7", His Hero is Gone Monument to Thieves, Neurosis Through Silver In Blood, Black Flag Damaged, Deadguy Fixation on a Coworker....this list could go on forever!
Do you have a long term plan with collecting?
Nope, but living in NYC in an apartment makes record collecting somewhat limiting based on space. I've tried to slow down my purchases...it has not worked.
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Tagged: record collector
