About Spank Records

G'day. I'm Mick Brennan, though most people in the scene know me as "Digger." I've been running Spank Records out of Melbourne's inner-north for over twenty years now. Started the shop in 2004 with three milk crates of records and a stubborn belief that physical music wasn't going anywhere. Turns out I was right -- eventually.

Before the shop, I spent the better part of a decade playing drums in bands you've almost certainly never heard of. The Gutter Psalms. Fence Sitters. A brief stint with a noise-rock outfit called Carpet Burn that toured regional Victoria in a van held together by cable ties and optimism. None of it paid the bills, but all of it taught me what good music sounds like when it's made by people who actually mean it.

Spank Records started as a blog before it was a shop name. I wanted somewhere to write about the Australian independent music scene without the PR spin. The labels doing interesting work. The pressers worth hunting down. The bands playing Tuesday nights at the Tote to thirty people who'll remember it forever. That's still what this site is about.

I write about vinyl culture, record collecting, Australian indie labels, Record Store Day (the good and the bad), and the ongoing conversation about physical versus digital. I've got strong opinions about reissue pricing, coloured vinyl gimmicks, and why the major labels keep getting it wrong. But I'm also genuinely excited about where things are heading for independent music in this country.

If you're into digging through crates, supporting local artists, or just want to know what's worth spinning this week, you're in the right place. No algorithms here -- just taste, experience, and a deep love for the music that matters.

Drop into the shop if you're ever in Melbourne. I'll put something on the turntable that'll change your week.