Monday, December 28, 2020

Completely Conspicuous 550: Revolution Rock

I'm joined by guest Phil Stacey as we discuss our favorite albums of 1979. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- Jay turned 12, Phil turned 10 in '79

- "My Sharona" was the top song on the Billboard Hot 100, lots of disco

- Rod Stewart hit it big with "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy"

- New wave was getting attention

- A wealth of great albums

- Jay's favorite non-top 5 albums: The Knack, Graham Parker and the Rumour, Supertramp, AC/DC, Joe Jackson with two classic albums

- Phil's non-top 5 faves: Bob Marley, Blondie, Joy Division, Pink Floyd, Gang of Four, XTC, Michael Jackson, Neil Young, The Cars, The Police, The Kinks, Van Halen, Elvis Costello, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Prince, Talking Heads

- Phil's #5: Joe Jackson's killer debut is just packed with great, punchy songs

- Jay's #5: Pink Floyd with an epic concept album, their last great record

- Phil's #4 and Jay's #2: Neil Young ends an amazing run of albums with a killer (and heavy) record

- Jay's #4: Van Halen with a powerful sophomore album that expands their sound

- Phil's #3: Tom Petty's breakthrough record

- Jay's #3: Joe Jackson's second amazing record of '79

- Phil's #2 and Jay's #1: The Clash mixed a lot of styles on their masterpiece

- Phil's #1: Phil loves the B-52s, who exploded on the scene with an amazing debut

- Favorite songs: "The Guns of Brixton" (Jay), "Dance This Mess Around" (Phil)

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Saturday, December 26, 2020

The Ground Below: My Favorite Albums of 2020

Editor's note: Check out my podcast discussion with Jay Breitling about our favorite music of the year on CompCon (here's parts 1 and 2). 

Well, what more needs to be said about 2020? It seems every year when I do these wrap-up posts, I write about how the year sucked and hopefully the next one will be better. Uh, 2020 wasn't quite what anybody hoped for. Yep. Okay, on to the albums already. Here are my top 15.

15. Drakulas - Terminal Amusements

This was a surprise release for me because I had no idea who these guys were, but once I did a little research, I discovered they were led by Mike Wiebe, former frontman for the Riverboat Gamblers, a band I quite enjoyed in the mid-'00s. The band, which also features members of the Marked Men and Rise Against, is a self-described "concept band" wearing turtlenecks and medallions that began as an arty side project obsessed with new wave, power pop, proto punk and garage rock. What results is 30 minutes of punchy awesomeness that reminds one of an unholy combination of Devo, the Damned and the Dickies. Sign me up!

Recommended: "Dark Black," "Fashion Forward," "Pretty Tommy"

 

 

14. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Sideways to New Italy

On its second full-length release, the Australian combo returned with more of the jangly guitar rock it had become known for, mostly upbeat but with some new uncertainty weaving between the sunniness. The band has three singer-guitarists who all meld together perfectly, creating a compelling sound that propels these songs beyond simple jangle pop.

Recommended: "Falling Thunder," "Cars in Space," "The Second of the First"

 

 

13. Kestrels - Dream or Don't Dream

The dream of '90s guitar rock is alive and well. Nova Scotia's Kestrels delivers a terrific set of shoegazy bangers clearly influenced by My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr. Guitar god J. Mascis of Dino even contributes a hot solo on "Grey and Blue." Led by singer-guitarist Chad Peck, Kestrels packs the album with tons of fuzz and distortion, big catchy choruses, powerhouse drumming and lyrical guitar soloing. You know, the good stuff.

Recommended: "Vanishing Point," "Grey and Blue," "Everything is New"

 

 

12. Fontaines D.C. - A Hero's Death

A dark, roiling set of post-punk from a Dublin act that released an excellent debut only a year earlier, which made a splash here but was huge in the U.K. The band has expanded their sound from the previous album, adding in echoes of the Stooges, Interpol and Television. Frontman Grian Chatten explores the nihilistic struggles of maintaining independence in a corporate society. Fontaines D.C. is an excellent band that's only getting better.

Recommended: "Televised Mind," "I Don't Belong," "A Hero's Death"

 

 

11. IDLES - Ultra Mono

IDLES has a formula: Righteous sloganeering + post-punk bombast = Kickass songs. It's worked twice before and it's on full display on the UK act's third album. Frontman Joe Talbot makes no bones about the band's liberal leanings and it's well-timed with the social justice protests that filled 2020. IDLES have caught some flack from critics who think they're privileged white men shouting empty platitudes, and Talbot has some fun with that on this record. Getting hit over the head with righteousness can be a little much at times, but the band overcomes that with sheer power and enthusiasm.

Recommended: "Grounds," "Mr. Motivator," "Kill Them With Kindness"  

 

10. Destroyer - Have We Met

Dan Bejar returns with another sprawling, cinematic masterpiece. As the song notes, the vibe on the album is kinda dark, filled with existential dread, dead bodies and general mid-life dismay. Sonically, the record features more guitar than on recent Destroyer releases, but it's still more electronic than anything else.

Recommended: "Crimson Tide," "Kinda Dark," "Cue Synthesizer" 

 

 

9. METZ - Atlas Vending

Fourth release from the Toronto noise-rock power trio is a typically pummelling affair, but with some new flourishes. The band is locked in, echoing acts like the Jesus Lizard, Shellac and Fugazi in its precise sonic renderings. But there are new elements explored, like on the soaring "Hail Taxi" and the propulsive 7-minute closer "A Boat to Drown In," which veers into majestic shoegaze territory.

Recommended: "Hail Taxi," "Blind Youth Industrial Park," "A Boat to Drown In"

   

 

8. Jeff Rosenstock - NO DREAM

Catchy, punchy, vital release from one of my favorite artists of the last several years. Written before the pandemic, it captures the stuck-in-limbo angst of the last nine months of COVID life. Songs made to shout along with while you're stuck in your house waiting for life to return to normal.

Recommended: "Scram!" "State Line," "Ohio Tpke"

 

 

7. Eldridge Rodriguez - Slightest of Treason

Boston alt-rock stalwarts deliver a stunning release, combining feedback-drenched guitar work with tales of sad-bastard romantic woe. Frontman Cameron Keiber's vocals perfectly fit the mood with Brit-rock aplomb, echoing the likes of Jarvis Cocker as he navigates emotional highs and lows. The band is powerful and equally adept at mid-tempo laments as it is sweeping anthems. It sucks that they released this record right before everything shut down and weren't able to play it live.

Recommended: "Your Dead Boyfriend," "Another Boy With a Broken Heart," "Psychic Darts"

  

 

6. Sad13 - Haunted Painting

Sadie Dupuis has forged quite a body of work in the last several years, with Speedy Ortiz and more recently as Sad13. While Speedy definitely mined that '90s alt-rock vein, Dupuis has embraced her electronic pop side on Sad13 releases and especially on Haunted Painting. Incorporating a wide variety of nontraditional instrumentation including sitar, theremin and glockenspiel, Dupuis expands her sonic palette while still bringing the big choruses and occasional guitar flourishes. She explores death, aging and greed while keeping the sounds bouncy and synthy for the most part. A fun and deep album.

Recommended: "Ghost (of a Good Time)," "WTD?", "The Crow"

  

 

5. Coriky - s/t

What the world needs now, among other things, is a Fugazi reunion. But since that's unlikely to ever happen, the new album from Coriky is a decent substitute. Featuring Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina teamed up with Fugazi bassist Joe Lally, Coriky sounds like the midway point between Fugazi and the Evens, the band with whom MacKaye and Farina previously released two albums. MacKaye's strident vocals are unmistakable as he rails against military drone use and our authoritarian government. But it's Farina's lead vocals on songs like "Say Yes" and "Too Many Husbands" that really shake things up and add a welcome perspective to Coriky's worldview. Musically, the band is tight and powerful. They're not Fugazi, but they don't have to be. 

Recommended: "Clean Kill," "Inauguration Day," "Hard to Explain"

  

 

4. Greg Dulli - Random Desire

Since the Afghan Whigs first split up in the late '90s, Greg Dulli has been consistently producing great music, even if it wasn't always noticed. Whether as the Twilight Singers, the Gutter Twins, the reunited Whigs or solo, he's been an incisive and cinematic observer of relationships good, bad and ugly. And even though he's calling this his first true solo album, every album he's made has been driven by Dulli. Random Desire features his patented piano-driven sweeping rockers, but there's more of an R&B feel to songs like "Scorpio" and "Lockless," which even includes a little electronic vocal tweaking. But you always know this is a Dulli album, devilishly exploring the dark side of romance and sexuality. And that's never a bad thing.

Recommended: "Pantomima," "The Tide," "A Ghost"

  

 

3. Bob Mould - Blue Hearts

Bob Mould has been kicking ass since the early '80s and judging by this latest album, he's not about to start slowing down. Much was made of lead single "American Crisis" because of its all-out rage at the state of affairs in this country, even though it was recorded before the racial and class turmoil that exploded this summer. Last year's Sunshine Rock was an uncharacteristically upbeat record, but Mould returns to the dark territory that much of his earlier work embraced. He's pissed out and he doesn't care who knows it. Backed once again by the ace rhythm section of Jason Narducy and Jon Wurster, Mould tears through a decidedly angry set of songs with the energy of a man 30 years younger. He draws on the anger of his younger self back in the '80s when AIDS was decimating his community, but focuses it now on different issues that are clearly devastating the country. And when Bob Mould speaks (or shouts), you'd better listen.

Recommended: "American Crisis," "Next Generation," "Forecast of Rain"

 

 

2. Protomartyr - Ultimate Success Today

Ever since they emerged on the national indie rock scene with their second album Under Color of Official Right in 2014, Protomartyr has made top-notch post punk music. With their third album since then, the Detroit act presciently (it was recorded in 2019) calls out fascistic government actions, predicts riots in the streets and even describes a virus causing public panic. Frontman Joe Casey's vocal style evokes Mark E. Smith at times, but this ain't no Fall cover band. Protomartyr can play mid-tempo one moment and rip into thrashing high gear the next. Nandi Rose Plunkett provides guest vocals on "June 21," offering an interesting counterpoint to Casey's ragged stylings. They've never been a party band, and they dig deep into the existential mire on this one. Sure, it's apocalyptic and foreboding, but Ultimate Success Today is still extremely entertaining.

Recommended: "Processed by the Boys," "Michigan Hammers," "Modern Business Hymns"

 

 

1. Run the Jewels - RTJ4

2020 has been a fucked up year, and Run the Jewels was prepared for it. The album was made last year, but it targets the same thing that had the country on fire this summer: Racial strife and the role of government/police in fomenting that unrest. Killer Mike and El-P have traversed this territory on their previous three albums, but RTJ4 amps it up to the next level here. "Yankee and the Brave" opens the album with a punch to the face through a fictional tale of the duo escaping from police, but it's on songs like "Walking in the Snow"(written about the death of Eric Garner at the hands of police but with clear parallels to the George Floyd killing this year) and "Goonies vs. ET" where they prove to be social critics of the highest order. There are some compelling guest appearances, including Pharrel and Zach de la Rocha on "Ju$t", 2 Chainz on "Out of Sight" and Mavis Staples and Josh Homme on the haunting "Pulling the Pin." And major props for the Gang of Four sample on "The Ground Below." But ultimately, RTJ4 comes down to Killer Mike and El-P, who just burn it all down on the most explosive album of the year. The fact that the album didn't get a single Grammy nomination illustrates how out of touch that organization is.

Recommended: "The Ground Below," "Yankee and the Brave," "Walking in the Snow"

 

 

Honorable mention: Car Seat Headrest - Making a Door Less Open; Hum - Inlet; Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters; Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher; Disheveled Cuss - s/t; Osees - Protean Threat; Throwing Muses - Sun Racket; Drive-By Truckers - The Unraveling; Drive-By Truckers - The New OK; Jason Isbell - Reunions; Bully - SUGAREGG; Lo Tom - LP2; Knot - s/t; The Beths - Jump Rope Gazers; Pearl Jam - Gigaton; Illuminati Hotties - FREE I.H.: This Is Not the One You've Been Waiting For; JARV IS - Beyond the Pale; Emerald Comets - Strangelands; Cloud Nothings - The Black Hole Understands; Sports Team - Deep Down Happy; No Age - Goons Be Gone; X - Alphabetland; Dogleg - Melee; Flat Worms - Antarctica; Savak - Rotting Teeth in the Horse's Mouth; EOB - Earth; Jehnny Beth - To Love is to Live; Psychedelic Furs - Made of Rain; Stephen Malkmus - Traditional Techniques; Fuzz - III; Ty Segall - Segall Smeagol; Damaged Bug - Bug on Yonkers; The Dears - Lovers Rock; Wolf Parade - Thin Mind; Porridge Radio - Every Bad; Peel Dream Magazine - Agitprop Alterna; Melkbelly - Pith; Dead Stars - Never Not Here; PUP - This Place Sucks Ass

Friday, December 25, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #353: December 25, 2020

Well, it's been quite the hellish year, but hopefully you're having a relaxed Christmas with your nearest and dearest. This week on Stuck In Thee Garage, I played two hours of holiday rock jams to celebrate Christmas Day. 


This playlist is even for that kid who got caught shoplifting at the Try-N-Save:

Hour 1

Artist - Song/Album

Eldridge Rodriguez - Baby I'm Alone Tonight (Christmas Time)/Christmas on the Allston-Brighton Line

The Walkmen - No Christmas While I'm Talking/Bows + Arrows

Gordon Downie - Christmastime in Toronto/Battle of the Nudes

Ween - Roses Are Free/Chocolate & Cheese

The Flaming Lips - Christmas at the Zoo/Clouds Taste Metallic

Broken Social Scene - Handjobs for the Holidays/Broken Social Scene

Run DMC - Christmas in Hollis/Tougher Than Leather

The Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)/Brain Drain

Piebald - Do Good Stuff/Piebald Presents to You, A Musical Christmas Adventure

Spinal Tap - Christmas With the Devil/This Is Spinal Tap

Lisa Simpson Featuring the California Prunes - O Pruny Night/The Simpsons: Testify

Cheech & Chong - Santa Claus and His Old Lady/Santa Claus and His Old Lady

Sloan - December 25/Kids Come Back Again at Christmas

The Minus 5 - Your Christmas Whiskey/Dear December

Greg Dulli - Candy Cane Crawl/Live at Triple Door

Kristin Hersh - Christmas Underground/Wyatt at the Coyote Palace

Titus Andronicus - No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future/The Monitor

The Kinks - Father Christmas/Single

Uncle Salty - If Only Christmas Were Every Day/Salty Holiday Tunes

R.E.M. - Merry Xmas Everybody/Single

My Morning Jacket - Xmas Curtain/At Dawn

The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick/The Beach Boys' Christmas Album

James Brown - It's Christmas Time (Part 1)/Single

Marvin Gaye - Purple Snowflakes/A Motown Christmas, Vol. 2

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects/It's a Holiday Soul Party

George S. Irving - Heat Miser/The Year Without a Santa Claus

Thurl Ravenscroft - You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch/How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Yo La Tengo - Rock N Roll Santa/Merry Christmas From Yo La Tengo

The Sonics - Santa Claus/Here Are the Sonics

Pearl Jam - Santa God/2007 Christmas Single

Jesse Malin and the St. Marks Social - All the Way From Moscow/Love It to Life

The Dollyrots - Messed Up Christmas/A Very Dollyrots Christmas

Letters to Cleo - If I Get Home On Christmas Day/OK Christmas

  

 

Monday, December 21, 2020

Completely Conspicuous 549: Just What I Needed

I'm joined by guest Phil Stacey as we discuss our favorite albums of 1978. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- Jay turned 11, Phil turned 9 in '78

- Big festivals, including Texxas Jam

- Lots of disco on the singles chart

- Phil's favorite non-top 5 albums: Ramones, Blondie, The Who, The Clash, Elvis Costello, Jerry Garcia Band, Bob Marley, Rolling Stones, The Jam, Devo, Bob Seger, AC/DC, Tom Petty, Little Feat, Big Star, Marvin Gaye, Springsteen, Warren Zevon, Cheap Trick

- WKRP in Cincinnati on DVD and music licensing (UPDATE: Turns out a bunch of the music was restored on a recent DVD set)

- Cheap Trick At Budokan is one of the greatest live albums ever

- Jay's favorite bubbling under albums: The Police, Rush, Dire Straits, The Who, Peter Gabriel

- Phil's #5: Neil Young revisits the laid-back sound of Harvest

- Phil's #4 and Jay's #4: Talking Heads explore a more danceable sound

- Phil's #3: Debut from The Police made a big splash

- The long journey of Andy Summers

- Jay's #3: Contrasting opinions on Some Girls, but has some great Stones songs

- Jay's #2: Elvis Costello and the Attractions with an angry classic

- Phil's #1 and Jay's #5: Debut from The Cars has no bad songs

- Phil's #2 and Jay's #1: A revolutionary debut from Van Halen

- Favorite songs: "You're All I've Got Tonight" (Phil), "Running With the Devil" (Jay)

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Friday, December 18, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #352: December 18, 2020

The benefits of being early are plentiful, but for a lot of us, it can be a challenge. This week on Stuck In Thee Garage, I played songs about being early in hour 2. It'll get you so fired up, you'll smash your alarm clock in celebration.

This playlist has got you, babe:

Hour 1

Artist - Song/Album

Mourn - This Feeling Is Disgusting/Self-Worth

Bully - Let You/SUGAREGG

Guided By Voices - Mr. Child/Styles We Paid For

Nothing - Say Less/The Great Dismal

Peel - Citizen X/Peel

Steve Hartlett - bugs in the face/molting

Eels - Baby Let's Make It Real/Earth to Dora

AP Simpson - Overcorrect/Foolproof

McLusky - 1956 and All That/Gateway Band (McLusky Live)

Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm/Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Palaces of Montezuma/Nick Cave Alone at Alexandria Palace

The Paranoyds - Hotel Celebrity/Pet Cemetery

Fever Queen - Demolition/The World of Fever Queen

Sweet Spirit - Fear Is a Lie/Trinidad

TV Priest - Decoration/Uppers

Kestrels - Feels Like the End/Dream or Don't Dream

IDLES - War/Ultra Mono


Hour 2: Early

Radiohead - Morning Bell/Kid A

Destroyer - In the Morning/ken

Jody Porter - Four in the Morning/Saving For a Custom Van

The Who - Early Morning Cold Taxi/The Who Sell Out

The Third Bardo - I'm Five Years Ahead of My Time/Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era

The Tragically Hip - Ahead By a Century/Trouble at the Henhouse

The Gap Band - Early In the Morning/Gap Band IV

Run the Jewels - Early (feat. Boots)/Run the Jewels 2

Obnox - Wake and Quake/Bang Messiah

...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Another Morning Stoner/Source Tags & Codes

Chandos - Early Peakers/Rats in Your Bed

Versing - Early Spring/Nude Descending

Nine Inch Nails - Ahead of Ourselves/Bad Witch

Fu Manchu - Today's Too Soon/Start the Machine

Rush - Distant Early Warning/Grace Under Pressure

 



Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Completely Conspicuous 548: Like a Punch In the Face

 

It's part 2 of my Zoomtastic conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of 2020. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- On to our top 10

- Kumar's #10: Dan Bejar with another great cinematic Destroyer album

- Breitling's #9: A hooky rock record from Bully

- Kumar's #9: METZ with an accessible yet pummeling record

- Breitling's #8: Spectres with a disconcerting release

- Kumar's #8: Jeff Rosenstock has become a reliably excellent indie rock stalwart

- Breitling's #7: Hop Along's Frances Quinlan goes solo

- Reppin' for the new movie Sound of Metal

- Kumar's #7: Boston act Eldridge Rodriguez with a sweeping, epic album

- Dog walkin' time

- Breitling's #6: The Psychedelic Furs with the superb comeback album nobody expected

- Kumar's #6 and Breitling's #4: Sadie Dupuis (aka Sad13) branches out with a pop-driven release

- Breitling's #5: A true banger from IDLES

- Kumar's #5: The Coriky album is as close to a Fugazi reunion as we're gonna get

- Kumar's #4: Greg Dulli delivers a compelling solo release

- Breitling's #3: Fiona Apple unleashes a bold and uncompromising record

- Kumar's #3: A pissed-off Bob Mould with a timely blast of angry anthems

- Breitling's #2: Happyness with a quirky collection that echoes an Elliott Smith-Teenage Fanclub mashup

- Kumar's #2: Protomartyr predicts everything and continues to get better

- Breitling's #1: Phoebe Bridgers hits the big time with a masterpiece

- Kumar's #1 and Breitling's #10: Run the Jewels with a vicious, vital hip-hop record that captures the desperate vibe of 2020 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the Apple Podcasts directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Friday, December 11, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #351: December 11, 2020

If there's one thing that's obvious about humans, it's that we're a violent species. Bloodthirsty, even. It started with the cavemen and it continues to this day. So it made sense that I played songs about violence in hour 2 of Stuck In Thee Garage today. There were plenty to choose from. I'd suggest playing this episode loud. It'll blow your face off!


This playlist has you cornered:

Hour 1

Artist - Song/Album

Steve Hartlett - water weight/molting

Smashing Pumpkins - Anno Satana/Cyr

Vanderocker - Supercell/The Good Punk

NOi!SE - Price We Pay/Single

The Reverbs - Trusted Woods/Strum & Thrum: The American Jangle Underground 1983-1987

Windbreakers - All That Stuff/Strum & Thrum: The American Jangle Underground 1983-1987

Salem 66 - Seven Steps Down/Strum & Thrum: The American Jangle Underground 1983-1987

Will Butler - Electrolite/Going to Georgia

Titus Andronicus - Closer to Fine/Going to Georgia

Superchunk (feat. William Tyler) - When I Laugh/Going to Georgia

Sloan - Rag Doll/B Sides Win Vol. 1 1992-97

Jale - Again (Frank Mix)/Brave New Waves: Jale

Rheostatics - Lyin's Wrong/Brave New Waves: Rheostatics

AC/DC - Shot In the Dark/Power Up

Fuzz - Mirror/III

METZ - Framed by the Comet's Tail/Atlas Vending

McLusky - Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues/Gateway Band (McLusky Live)

 

Hour 2: Violence

Parquet Courts - Violence/Wide Awake!

Lou Reed - Video Violence/Mistrial

Tin Machine - Under the God/Tin Machine

Chelsea Wolfe - Birth of Violence/Birth of Violence

Blonde Redhead - Violent Life/Masculine Feminine

El-P - Habeas Corpses (Draconian Love)/I'll Sleep When You're Dead

Rage Against the Machine - Bullet In the Head/Rage Against the Machine

Superchunk - Punch Me Harder/No Pocky For Kitty

Rancid - Cash, Culture and Violence/Life Won't Wait

Frank Black - Kicked In the Taco/The Cult of Ray

Minor Threat - Bottled Violence/The Complete Discography

Rollins Band - Civilized/Weight

Helmet - Give It/Meantime

Dead Moon - 54-40 or Fight - Killing Me/What a Way to See the Old Girl Go

 


Monday, December 07, 2020

Completely Conspicuous 547: 2020 Hindsight

It's part 1 of my Zoomified conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of 2020. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- This podcast is not affiliated in any with MovieFone.

- The first time in nine years that we're not talking the year in rock in the same room

- No live shows after early March

- Breitling last saw Hallelujah the Hills at Great Scott last November, Kumar saw Drive-By Truckers at Somerville Theater in March

- Devastating economic impact on all the non-musicians who work to put concerts together

- If approved, Save Our Stages act would aid live venues

- Many independent Boston-area venues have already closed

- Great Scott may reopen in a new location

- No touring means no income for many smaller artists

- Streaming royalties need to be updated and increased

- The Breitlings enjoyed Strange Brew recently

- Plenty of livestreams, free, for charity and for profit

- Bandcamp Friday has been a good way to help out artists

- Online radio has been fun

- Breitling is doing a show with a couple of fellow Wesleyan DJs called Parcheesi Redux

- Parcheesi Redux Thursday (along with the other shows) is on Mixcloud

- Kumar's show, Stuck In Thee Garage, is in its 7th year on BFF.fm

- Great way to discover new music

- Our favorite music

- Breitling's picks from the midyear that didn't make his top 10: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Soft Pink Truth, Gigi Masin, Peel Dream Magazine, Mandarina Duck, Destroyer

- Kumar's midyear picks that didn't make final top 10: Flat Worms, Dogleg, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Drakulas, Car Seat Headrest

- More Breitling on-the-bubble picks: Susie Derkins, Hum, Coriky, Mountain Goats, Milky Wimpshake, Somerset Thrower, Nothing, METZ, Bob Mould, The Brother Kite, Paper Birch

- More Kumar honorable mention picks: Psychedelic Furs, Kestrels, Fontaines D.C., Pearl Jam, Lo Tom, Disheveled Cuss, Emerald Comets/Ex-Hyena

- Next week: We count down our top 10 albums

Completely Conspicuous is available through the Apple Podcasts directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Friday, December 04, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #350: December 4, 2020

Milestones are important. They denote key markers, achievements that are meaningful. Today's installment of Stuck In Thee Garage radio is episode 350, which is a substantial number. To celebrate, I played songs based on a mixtape I made way the hell back in January 1995.

This playlist has cat-like speed and reflexes:

Hour 1

Artist - Song/Album

Dick Dale & the Del-Tones - Pumpkin & Honey Bunny/Misirlou/Pulp Fiction soundtrack

Frank Black - Freedom Rock/Teenager of the Year

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Blues X Man/Orange

Bad Religion - Hooray For Me.../Stranger Than Fiction

Sonic Youth - Screaming Skull/Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star

Pearl Jam - Spin the Black Circle/Self Pollution Radio 1/8/95

Superchunk - Saving My Ticket/Foolish

Sugar - Gee Angel/File Under: Easy Listening

R.E.M. - Circus Envy/Monster

The Tragically Hip - Fire In the Hole/Day For Night'

Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Piece of Crap/Sleeps With Angel

Big Chief - Lion's Mouth/Platinum Jive

Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet - Having an Average Weekend/Savvy Show Stoppers

Sloan - Coax Me/Twice Removed

Velvet Crush - Hold Me Up/Teenage Symphonies to God

Guided By Voices - Gold Star for Robot Boy/Bee Thousand

Ween - What Deaner Was Talking About/Chocolate & Cheese

Beck - Nitemare Hippy Girl/Mellow Gold

 

Hour 2

 Jeff Buckley - Mojo Pin/Grace

Soundgarden - Head Down/Superunknown

Nirvana - Where Did You Sleep Last Night/MTV Unplugged In New York

Alice In Chains - I Stay Away/Jar of Flies

Revels - Bring Out the Gimp-Comanche/Pulp Fiction soundtrack

Liz Phair - Supernova/Whip-Smart

Luscious Jackson - Deep Shag/Natural Ingredients

Beastie Boys - Root Down/Ill Communication

Dambuilders - Smell/Encendedor

Teenage Fanclub - Hang On/Thirteen

Pavement - Gold Soundz/Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Red Red Meat - Flank/Jimmywine Majestic

Silkworm - Into the Woods/In the West

Shudder to Think - X-French Tee Shirt/Pony Express Record

 

 


Friday, November 27, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #349: November 27, 2020

The strangeness of 2020 continued this week as many folks wisely avoided the large family gatherings they usually participate in every Thanksgiving. That may or may not have been a good thing, depending on how you feel about your family. This week on Stuck In Thee Garage, I played songs about family in hour 2. 

Hopefully you're not hallucinating over leftovers.


This playlist will have you saying, "Hey, buddy!"

Hour 1

Artist - Song/Album

Kiwi Jr. - Cool Returns/Cool Returns

PUP - Anaphylaxis/This Place Sucks Ass

Gorillaz - The Valley of the Pagans (feat. Beck)/Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez

Eels - Anything For Boo/Earth to Dora

Elvis Costello - Hetty O'Hara Confidential/Hey Clockface

Oceanator - January 21st/Things I Never Said

Antonioni -  Malcomer/Single

Nilufer Yanya - Crash/Feeling Lucky?

Are We Static - The Godfather/Single

MorMor - Don't Cry/Single

Vanderocker - Cult For You/The Good Punk

Smokescreens - I Want to Know/A Strange Dream

Soft Plastics - Rope Off the Tigers/5 Dreams

NOi!SE - Base Rage on the Front Page/Single

FUZZ - Returning/III

Blinker the Star - The Band Is Back In Town/Juvenile Universe


Hour 2: Family

Jane's Addiction - Had a Dad/Nothing's Shocking

Snowball II - Meet Yr Dad/Flashes of Quincy

Soundgarden - Full On Kevin's Mom/Louder Than Love

Sly & the Family Stone - Family Affair/There's a Riot Going On

De La Soul - My Brother's a Basehead/De La Soul Is Dead

A Tribe Called Quest - Kids.../We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service

Misfits - Mommy Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight/Walk Among Us

Hot Snakes - I Hate the Kids/Suicide Invoice

Sebadoh - Sister/Bubble and Scrape

Iggy Pop - Sister Midnight/The Idiot

Queens of the Stone Age - Christian Brothers/Sick Sick Sick

Jeff Buckley - Dream Brother/Grace

Pointed Sticks - Somebody's Mom/Part of the Noise

Jesse Malin - Sister Christian Where Are You Now/Broken Radio

Mother Love Bone - Capricorn Sister/Apple

Mudhoney and Sir Mix-a-Lot - Freak Momma/Judgment Night soundtrack




Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Completely Conspicuous 546: Watching the Detectives

I'm joined by guest Phil Stacey as we discuss our favorite albums of 1977. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- A startling number of great releases in '77; a lot of terrific debuts

- Singles chart was topped by disco and pop: Rod Stewart, Andy Gibb, Streisand, KC and the Sunshine Band, Engelbert Humperdinck

- Jay's non-top 5 faves: Ramones had two albums, Sex Pistols, Johnny Thunders, the Damned, Richard Hell, Iggy Pop, Cheap Trick had two, Bowie had two, Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, Rush, Neil Young, The Clash, Wire, Max Webster 

- Jay: My dad had disco mixtapes,

- This was recorded before Johnny Lydon said he had flea bites on his dong

- Phil's non-top 5 favorites: Grateful Dead, Television, Jackson Browne, Billy Joel, Elvis Costello, the Kinks, AC/DC, Dead Boys, Queen, Linda Ronstadt, Wire, Clapton

- The cover of Queen's News of the World scared young Phil; Kmart had a cleaned-up alternate cover

- Jay's #5: Peter Gabriel's solo debut went in new directions, combining art rock and new wave

- Phil's #5: A fiery, concise debut from the Clash (UK only)

- Jay's  #4: Guitar rock meets post punk from Television

- Phil's #4: Bob Marley breaks through in the U.S.

- Jay's and Phil's #3: Talking Heads' debut didn't sound like anything else

- Jay's #2: Iggy Pop worked with Bowie in Berlin to produce an electronic-influenced sound

- Phil's #2: The ubiquitous Fleetwood Mac album is getting popular again

- Remains vital despite massive overplaying of certain songs

- Jay's #1: Elvis Costello burst on the scene with biting lyrics, catchy classics

- Phil's #1: The controversial Steely Dan with a jazzy, meticulous opus

- Favorite songs: "Watching the Detectives" (Jay), "Josie" (Phil)

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Friday, November 20, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #348: November 20, 2020

Friends are important. In these bizarre COVIDian times, it's tough to keep up with your friends. It's definitely an important part of life that's been lacking the last several months. This week on Stuck In Thee Garage, I played songs about friends in hour 2. I mean, it IS Friday...


The official "Bye Felicia" playlist:

Hour 1 

Artist - Song/Album

TV Priest - This Island/Uppers

Descendents - Hindsight 2020/Suffrage

Weep Wave - Bury the Bones/Single

Blinker the Star - Terror of the Heart/Juvenile Universe

Peel - Persona/Peel

Ex-Hyena - Instant Fires/Artificial Pulse

Doves - Carousel/The Universal Want

Satalights - Aura Lee/Little Star

A Thousand Plateaus - Even the Sun Has a Dial/A Thousand Plateaus

Eels - Are We Alright Again/Earth to Dora

Ghost of Vroom - Rona Pollona/Ghost of Vroom 2

Jeff Tweedy - Guess Again/Love Is the King

Drive-By Truckers - The Perilous Night/The New OK

Slow Pulp - Channel 2/Moveys

Plants and Animals - Get My Mind/The Jungle

Left Field Messiah - Fuzz Machine/In Praise of Bombast

 

Hour 2: Friends

Pavement - Best Friend's Arm/Wowee Zowee

The Lemonheads - Hate Your Friends/Hate Your Friends

Sonic Youth - My Friend Goo/Goo

The Kinks - All of My Friends Were There/The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society

Led Zeppelin - Friends/III

Alejandro Escovedo - Always a Friend/Real Animal 

The Hold Steady - Your Little Hoodrat Friend/Separation Sunday

The Pursuit of Happiness - Man's Best Friend/Love Junk

Sloan - Friendship/Between the Bridges

TUNS - Back Among Friends/Tuns

Sleater-Kinney - Bury Our Friends/No Cities to Love

Shopping - Asking For a Friend/The Official Body

Sir Babygirl - Everyone Is a Bad Friend/Crush On Me

LCD Soundsystem -All My Friends/Sound of Silver

Pugwash - Be My Friend Awhile/The Olympus Sound

Thurston Moore - Fri/end/Trees Outside the Academy

Queens of the Stone Age - Fairweather Friends/...Like Clockwork



Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Completely Conspicuous 545: Beat on the Brat

I'm joined by guest Phil Stacey as we discuss our favorite albums of 1976. Listen to the episode below or download directly.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- America was all about the Bicentennial in 1976

- Disco was picking up steam

- Arena rock and MOR was huge

- Phil's non-top 5 favorites: Eagles, Zeppelin, Steely Dan, Bowie, Zevon, J. Geils Band, Rolling Stones, Boz Scaggs, Joni Mitchell, Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Peter Tosh, Wings, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Seger, Modern Lovers  

- Like a lot of '76 records, don't love a lot of them

- AC/DC re-released Dirty Deeds five years later in the U.S.

- Bob Seger liked the double entendres

- Jay's non-top 5 faves: Max Webster, Blondie, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Blue Oyster Cult, Queen, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty

- Phil's #5: Jerry Garcia solo release spawned some Dead staples

- Jay's #5: Aerosmith continues their strong mid-70s run

- Phil's  #4: Petty's stellar debut

- Jay's #4: Zeppelin releases a sprawling, epic album

- Phil's #3: Dylan's last great album for a while

- Jay's #3: Bowie releases yet another masterpiece

- Jay's #2: Rush doubles down with a sci-fi classic

- Phil's #2 and Jay's #1: The Ramones burst on the scene with an influential debut

- Phil's #1: Stevie Wonder with an epic double LP

- Favorite songs: "Beat on the Brat" (Jay), "Sir Duke" (Phil)

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Friday, November 13, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #347: November 13, 2020

The thing about getting older is when you look back at certain times in your life, you tend exaggerate your feelings about them, either positively or negatively. For me, 1980 was a pretty good time. I was blissfully ignorant about where life was going to take me, and when you're 12, that's not a bad place to be. This week on Stuck In Thee Garage, I played songs from 1980 in hour 2. 

I also had no idea that about 15 years later, the guy on the right would be the biggest star in Hollywood.


This playlist is not living a double life:

Hour 1

Artist - Song/Album

Descendents - On You/Suffrage

Bad Religion - What Are We Standing For/Single

Bob Mould - Password to My Soul/Blue Hearts

Drive-By Truckers - The New OK/The New OK

Fever Queen - Good Mistake/The World of Fever Queen

Slow Pulp - At It Again/Moveys

Plants and Animals - House on Fire/The Jungle

METZ - Hail Taxi/Atlas Vending

Fuzz - Spit/III

PUP - Nothing Changes/This Place Sucks Ass

Jeff Tweedy - Gwendolyn/Love Is The King

Gord Downie - Traffic Is Magic/Away Is Mine

Laura Jane Grace - Hanging Tree/Stay Alive

Miranda Winters - Little Baby Dead Bird/All-Purpose

Hallelujah the Hills - Enough Blood to Bathe a Zombie/The World Is Most Certainly Haunted And I Am One of Its Best Ghosts

!!! - Feels Good/Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy, Vol. 2

Arcade Fire feat. David Byrne - This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)/Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy, Vol. 2

 

Hour 2: 1980

XTC - Generals and Majors/Black Sea

David Bowie - Up the Hill Backwards/Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

The Clash - One More Time/Sandinista!

Peter Gabriel - Not One of Us/Melt

AC/DC - Shake a Leg/Back In Black

Ozzy Osbourne - No Bone Movies/Blizzard of Ozz

Van Halen - Loss of Control/Women And Children First 

Motorhead - Live to Win/Ace of Spades

Talking Heads - Crosseyed and Painless/Remain In Light

Prince - Head/Dirty Mind

Parliament - The Agony of Defeet/Trombipulation

The Cars - Gimmie Some Slack/Panorama

The Pretenders - The Wait/Pretenders

X - Johnny Hit And Run Paulene/Los Angeles

Black Flag - Revenge/Jealous Again

 

Friday, November 06, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #346: November 6, 2020

It's been a week, hasn't it? Very stressful for obvious reasons. I like to deal with stress by cranking out great music, so this week on Stuck In Thee Garage, I played live songs that surpass the studio versions for the entire two hours. Definitely played more 8-minute songs than I ever have before, that's for damn sure. But it sure made the Enchantment By the Sea dance go by quickly.


This playlist tells Biff to shove it:

Hour 1

Artist - Song/Album

Radiohead - Bodysnatchers/In Rainbows - Live From the Basement

Ex Hex - Waterfall/Live at WVAU

Sleater-Kinney - Jumpers/Live at the Riviera, Chicago 6/16/05

Talking Heads - Life During Wartime/Stop Making Sense

R.E.M. - Pretty Persuasion/Live at Rockpalast 10/2/85

U2 - Bad/Wide Awake In America

Lou Reed - Intro-Sweet Jane/Rock 'N' Roll Animal

David Bowie - Suffragette City/Live at Nassau Coliseum 

The Tragically Hip - New Orleans Is Sinking/Live in LA 5/3/91

Nirvana - About a Girl/MTV Unplugged in New York

The White Stripes - Hello Operator-Baby Blue/Peel Session 7/25/01

Fugazi - Styrofoam/Live at Irving Plaza 4/4/95


Hour 2

Jane's Addiction - Trip Away/Live at King County Fairgrounds, Lollapalooza '91

Sloan - Lucky For Me/Live at Vermonstress 10/11/92

Sonic Youth - 100%/Live at Brixton Academy 12/14/92

Queens of the Stone Age - Avon/Live at the Melkweg 6/24/02

Sugar - A Good Idea (Live at the Cabaret Metro 1992)/Copper Blue reissue

The Who - A Quick One (While He's Away)/The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus

Spoon - Don't Buy the Realistic/Live at KTRU 1997

Superchunk - Slack Motherfucker/Clambakes Vol. 10: Only In My Dreams Live in Tokyo 2009

Mission of Burma - Academy Fight Song/Live on WERS 9/21/80

Pixies - Caribou/Live on WERS 1/18/87

The Twilight Singers - Teenage Wristband./Live in Amsterdam 11/28/06

Mike Watt - Big Train/Live in Chicago May 1995

Neil Young and Pearl Jam - Rockin' In the Free World/Live at the MTV Music Awards 1993

Pavement - Debris Slide/Live in Hamburg 3/7/94




Friday, October 30, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #345: October 30, 2020

Boo! Yeah, I know. Halloween is a tad anti-climactic this year. I mean, how scary are monsters and ghosts and whatnot when compared to a global pandemic and this impending election? Pardon me if I don't jump at every floor creak this year. Nevertheless, it's still an excuse to play two hours of spooky, scary and just plain weird rock jams on Stuck In Thee Garage. Crank it up while you're having a drink at your local haunted hotel.


The freaktastic playlist:

Artist - Song/Album

Ministry - Everyday Is Halloween/Twelve Inch Singles (1981-1984)

Sonic Youth & Lydia Lunch - Death Valley '69/Bad Moon Rising

Frank Black - Six Sixty Six (live)/'93-'03

The Breeders - Hellbound/Pod

clipping. - Say the Name/Visions of Bodies Being Burned

Sad13 - The Crow/Haunted Painting

Ringo Deathstarr - Chainsaw Morning/God's Dream

Alice In Chains - Them Bones/Dirt

Kyuss - Demon Cleaner/Welcome to Sky Valley

Ramones - Pet Sematary/Brain Drain

The Afghan Whigs - Big Top Halloween/Big Top Halloween

The Dead Weather - Hang You From the Heavens/Horehound

Death From Above 1979 - Right On, Frankenstein!/The Physical World

Pavement - The Hexx/Terror Twilight

Wolf Parade - Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts/Apologies to the Queen Mary

TV On the Radio - Let the Devil In/Return to Cookie Mountain

Joy Division - Dead Souls/Still

Lemonheads - Skulls/Lovey

Metallica - Last Caress-Green Hell/The $5.98 EP: Garage Days Re-Revisited

Misfits - Die Die My Darling/Misfits

Entrance - Grim Reaper Blues/Prayer of Death

The Tragically Hip - Inevitability of Death/Day For Night

Toadies - Possum Kingdom/Rubberneck

Alice Cooper - I Love the Dead/Billion Dollar Babies

Cheap Trick - The Ballad of T.V. Violence/Cheap Trick

Iron Maiden - Only the Good Die Young/Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

Black Sabbath - Hand of Doom/Paranoid


Friday, October 23, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #344: October 23, 2020

As is my wont with this show, I like to get nostalgic from time to time and play music from certain milestone years. At this point in time, 2010 feels like the very distant past to me. Things were very different in my life and the world. All we can do at this point is sidle up to the bar and order something strong. And enjoy some good rock songs.


This playlist is Boyd Crowder-approved:

Hour 1

Artist - Song/Album

PUP - Rot/This Place Sucks Ass

Osees - Terminal Jape/Protean Threat

IDLES - Kill Them With Kindness/Ultra Mono

Fever Queen - Night Vision/The World of Fever Queen

Sad13 - Oops..!/Haunted Painting

Sweeping Promises - An Appetite/Hunger For a Way Out

Miranda Winters - Double Mirror Light/All-Purpose

Rilo Kiley - Glendora/Rilo Kiley

Laura Jane Grace - Shelter in Place/Stay Alive

Gord Downie - About Blank/Away Is Mine

Smokescreens - On and On/A Strange Dream

Kurt Vile - Speed of the Sound of Loneliness/Speed, Sound, Lonely KV

Soft Plastics - Here's Where the Sun Was/5 Dreams

Bob Mould - Baby Needs a Cookie/Blue Hearts

Future of the Left - Arming Eritrea/Live at Highbury Garage 1/12/16

Throwing Muses - St. Charles/Sun Racket

Knot - Orange/Knot

Fontaines D.C. - You Said/A Hero's Death


Hour 2: 2010

Grinderman - Evil!/Grinderman 2

Black Mountain - Old Fangs/Wilderness Heart

Neil Young - Angry World/Le Noise

LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls/This Is Happening

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Bottled In Cork/The Brutalist Bricks

Los Campesinos! - This Is a Flag. There Is No Wind/Romance Is Boring

Superchunk - Crossed Wires/Majesty Shredding

Das Racist - Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell/Shut Up, Dude

The 20/20 Project - Back to Work/Employees of the Year

Girl Talk - Oh No/All Day

Spoon - Written In Reverse/Transference

Les Savy Fav - Sleepless In Silverlake/Root For Ruin

Drive-By Truckers - After the Scene Dies/The Big To-Do

Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union/The Monitor


Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Completely Conspicuous 544: In the Light

I'm joined by guest Phil Stacey as we discuss our favorite albums of 1975. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- RIP to EVH

- We both saw VH in 1986

- In '75, Phil turned 6, Jay turned 8

- "Love Will Keep Us Together" was the #1 song of the year

- Disco was starting to emerge

- The S.N.A.C.K. concert

- Phil's non-top 5: Parliament, Burning Spear, Patti Smith, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Dylan and the Band

- Jay's non-top 5: AC/DC, Rush, The Who, Supertramp, Springsteen, McCartney/Wings

- Phil's #5: The Who tries some different sounds

- Jay's #5: Pink Floyd follows up a classic with another classic

- Phil's #4 and Jay's #3: Bowie moves into another phase

- Jay's #4: Queen breaks through with "Bohemian Rhapsody"

- Phil's #3 and Jay's #2: A gut-wrenching release from Neil Young

- Phil's 2: Dylan's 15th album is one of his best

- Phil and Jay's #1: A double album that highlights all the different facets of Zeppelin's sound

- Favorite songs: "Tonight's the Night" (Jay), "In the Light" (Phil)

- Things were happening

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Friday, October 16, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #343: October 16, 2020

Vision is one of the most important senses for obvious reasons, but even if you have perfect vision, you can miss things. This week on Stuck In Thee Garage, I played songs about vision in hour 2. There's some good stuff in here, but I don't think it will make you see dead people.


This playlist has a twist ending:

Hour 1

Artist - Song/Album

Kiwi Jr. - Undecided Voters/Single

Laura Jane Grace - SuperNatural Possession/Stay Alive

Disheveled Cuss - She's Odd/Disheveled Cuss

METZ - Pulse/Atlas Vending

Jack White - Don't Hurt Yourself-Ball and Biscuit-Jesus Is Coming Soon/Live on SNL

Denzel Curry - Live From the Abyss/Single

Slow Pulp - Falling Apart/Moveys

Lydia Loveless - Love Is Not Enough/Daughter

The Mountain Goats - Get Famous/Getting Into Knives

Eli Gardiner - Tattered and Torn/The Fire and Medicine

Hallelujah the Hills - Are You Happy Now?/The World Is Most Certainly Haunted and I Am One of Its Best Ghosts

Sad13 - Ghost (of a Good Time)/Haunted Painting

Ex-Hyena - Shades/Artificial Pulse

Surfer Blood - New Direction/Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy, Vol. 2

Stone Gossard - Near/Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy, Vol. 2

Bob Mould Band - In a Free Land (Live in Seattle 2019)/Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy, Vol. 2

 

Hour 2: Vision

Soundgarden - Searching With My Good Eye Closed/Badmotorfinger

Dead Meadow - Seven Seers/Old Growth

Pedro the Lion - All Seeing Eye/Phoenix

Gary Numan - Observer/The Pleasure Principle

Low Fat Getting High - Can't See Anymore/Low Fat Getting High

Diarrhea Planet - Emmett's Vision/I'm Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

Golden Gurls - I Can See the City/Typo Magic

Cloud Nothings - Giving Into Seeing/Here and Nowhere Else

Television - See No Evil/Marquee Moon

The Who - I Can See For Miles/The Who Sells Out

Buffalo Tom - The Seeker/Single

Minutemen - Don't Look Now/Double Nickels on the Dime

Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight/I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight

David Bowie - Sound and Vision/Low

Foo Fighters - See You/The Colour and the Shape

Split Single - Never Look Back/Fragmented World

Spoon - Something To Look Forward To/Kill the Moonlight

 

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Completely Conspicuous 543: You Really Got Me

 

I'm joined by guest Brian Salvatore as we remember the greatness of Eddie Van Halen. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "Save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Last spoke in late March but feels a lot longer ago

- We've been fascinated by Van Halen's career, the good and the bad

- Eddie had dealt with cancer before

- Death still came as a shock

- Plenty of musician deaths this year: Neil Peart, Andy Gill, David Roback, Kenny Rogers, Bill Rieflin, Bill Withers, Adam Schlesinger, John Prine, Florian Schneider, Pete Way, Peter Green

- Eddie was iconic and eternally youthful

- Brian: First video I remember seeing was "Jump"

- Played on Letterman a few times

- Jay: Stopped listening to VH in '91 and didn't again for almost a decade

- The "Right Now" video was surprising

- Dropoff in quality after Roth left

- 2012's A Different Kind of Truth was a decent way to go out

- Hopefully there will finally be some archival VH releases

- Who buys greatest hits albums?

- Eddie's guest appearances

- Jay: First became aware of VH in 1980 when Women and Children First came out

- Eddie had been quiet for several years

- Roth was doing a Vegas residency and opening for KISS just before the pandemic shutdown

- Missing live music

- Plenty of livestreams to check out

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts and anywhere else you get podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Friday, October 09, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #342: October 9, 2020

It's become an all-too familiar activity in the last few years, mourning the loss of a great artist. And it happened again this week with the death of Eddie Van Halen at the age of 65 to cancer. As old as that may seem for rock n' roll, he was still young in the grand scheme of things. And he'll forever be that youthful speed demon, leaping through the air as he fired off another ridiculously awesome guitar solo.

I paid tribute to EVH today on Stuck In Thee Garage in hour 2, playing a mix of Van Halen favorites you don't often hear and guest appearances he made on other artists' albums. Let remember him as he was, grinning as he blew our minds. (Or showing up in the occasional SNL skit.)


This playlist (and the cradle) will rock:

Hour 1

Artist - Song/Album

Pixies - Hear Me Out/Hear Me Out

Hoodoo Gurus - Get Out of Dodge/Get Out of Dodge

Midnight Oil - Gadigal Land/The Makarrata Project

METZ - Blind Youth Industrial Park/Atlas Vending

PUP - Edmonton/Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy, Vol. 2

Guided By Voices - Game of Prices (Live at the Teragram Ballroom, 12/31/19)/Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy, Vol. 2

Wolf Parade - ATA/Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy, Vol. 2

Sloan - Silence Trumps Lies/Silence Trumps Lies

Smokescreens - I Love Only You/A Strange Dream

Jeff Rosenstock - DONE DONE DONE/2020 Dump

Gord Downie - Useless Nights/Away Is Mine

Kurt Vile - Gone Girl/Speed, Sound, Lonely KV

Hallelujah the Hills - Lemonade Pop Rocks Candy Bar Ibogaine/The World Is Most Certainly Haunted and I am One of Its Best Ghosts

Disheveled Cuss - She Don't Want/Disheveled Cuss

Sad13 - Good Grief/Haunted Painting

IDLES - Carcinogenic/Ultra Mono

Bob Mould - Next Generation/Blue Hearts

Osees - Red Study/Protean Threat

 

Hour 2: EVH

Van Halen - Atomic Punk/Van Halen

Van Halen - D.O.A./Van Halen II

Brian May and Friends - Star Fleet/The Star Fleet Project

Van Halen - Women In Love/Van Halen II

Nicolette Larson - Can't Get Away From You/Nicolette 

Van Halen - Secrets/Diver Down

Van Halen - Romeo Delight/Women and Children First

Brian May and Friends - Let Me Out/The Star Fleet Project

Thomas Dolby - Close But No Cigar/Astronauts & Heretics

Thomas Dolby - Eastern Bloc/Astronauts & Heretics

Van Halen - House of Pain/1984

LL Cool J - We're the Greatest/Authentic

Van Halen - Bullethead/A Different Kind of Truth

Van Halen - Unchained/Fair Warning

 

 

Tuesday, October 06, 2020

Completely Conspicuous 542: Raised on Robbery

 

I'm joined by guest Phil Stacey as we discuss our favorite albums of 1974. Listen to the episode below or download directly.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- Phil finally got a haircut

- In '74, Phil turned 5, I turned 7

- Capt. and Tennille got married, Sonny and Cher got divorced

- "The Streak" was a big hit

- Phil: Looking back, liked more songs than albums in '74

- Not a long list of albums we liked

- Radio was the main source of how people discovered music at that time

- Phil's likes: Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, Bob Marley, Lou Reed, Gram Parsons, Big Star, Van Morrison, Clapton

- Jay's likes: Rush's debut album, Genesis, The Who, Queen, Steely Dan, Aerosmith, Zappa

- The various, very different, phases of Genesis' sound

- Queen is more popular than ever

- Jay's #5: Supertramp's breakthrough

- Phil's #5: Another great Stevie Wonder album

- Jay's and Phil's #4: Neil Young with a mellow classic, powered by "honey slides"

- Jay's #3: Big Star with an underrated power pop gem

- Phil's #3 and Jay's #1: Bowie closing out his glam period with a bang

- Phil's #2: Steely Dan featured a ton of guest musicians

- Jay's #2: Lou Reed releases a killer live show

- Phil's #1: Joni Mitchell hits it big with a jazzier sound, with help from Cheech & Chong

- Backed by Tom Scott, who later was bandleader on both the Pat Sajak and Chevy Chase late night shows

- Favorite songs: "Raised on Robbery" (Phil), "Diamond Dogs" (Jay)

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Friday, October 02, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #341: October 2, 2020

With things so screwed up these days, there are a lot more excuses for being late to things. "Time has no meaning anymore" has become a mantra. There's a lot to be said about punctuality, but dammit, lateness is more interesting. That's why I played songs about lateness in hour 2 of today's installment of Stuck In Thee Garage (plus great songs from a ton of new releases this week).


Hey, it's the "I Didn't Do It" playlist:

Hour 1

Jeff Rosenstock - Dept of Finance/2020 Dump

Bob Mould - Siberian Rainbow/Blue Hearts

IDLES - Anxiety/Ultra Mono

Sad13 - WTD?/Haunted Painting

Bully - Hours and Hours/SUGAREGG

Dig Nitty - NYC/Reverse of Mastery

Ian Isiah - Can't Call It/AUNTIE

Smokescreens - Streets of Despair/A Strange Dream

Osees - Upbeat Ritual/Protean Threat

Disheveled Cuss - Shut Up/Disheveled Cuss

All Them Witches - Enemy of My Enemy/Nothing as the Ideal

Gord Downie - Hotel Worth/Away is Mine

Nada Surf - Sick Day/Saving For a Custom Van

Throwing Muses - Upstairs Dan/Sun Racket

The Psychedelic Furs - Stars/Made of Rain

Protomartyr - Bride & Crown/Ultimate Success Today

Kestrels - Keep It Close/Dream or Don't Dream

Lo Tom - In a Van/LP2


Hour 2: Late

The Jim Carroll Band - It's Too Late/Catholic Boy

Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers - Apocalypse Now (& Later)/Bought to Rot

Albert Hammond Jr. - Rocky's Late Night/Francis Trouble

Greg Dulli - Early Today (and Later That Night)/Amber Headlights

Van Halen - Hear About It Later/Fair Warning

Queen - It's Late/News of the World

Pavement - Elevate Me Later/Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

The Feelies - Sooner or Later/Time for a Witness

Wilco - The Late Greats/A Ghost is Born

Lubec - Late Bloomer/Concentration

Okkervil River - The Latest Toughs/Black Sheep Boy

Art Brut - Late Sunday Evening/It's a Bit Complicated

The English Beat - Save It For Later/Special Beat Service

Elliott Smith - See You Later/New Moon

Beach Slang - Too Late to Die Young/The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us

Buffalo Tom - Late at Night/Big Red Letter Day


Friday, September 25, 2020

Stuck In Thee Garage #340: September 25, 2020

Gather 'round, kids. Ol' man Koomdogg is gonna tell you about a time when mixtapes were actually made with tapes. I celebrated another birthday this week and it reminded me of a mix I made for my 30th birthday way the hell back in 1997. That tape kicked so much ass that I decided to recreate it for this week's installment of Stuck In Thee Garage. No new stuff, just 90 minutes of quality jams (and some additional songs of similar vintage to fill out the show).

Sit back and crank it up.

This playlist will cause furniture to move:

Hour 1: Side A

The Simpsons - Itchy & Scratchy Theme/Songs In the Key of Springfield

The Pursuit of Happiness - I'm an Adult Now/Love Junk

Sloan - G Turns to D/One Chord to Another

Kim Mitchell - Rumour Has It/Akimbo Alogo

Van Halen - Sinner's Swing!/Fair Warning

Iggy & the Stooges - Raw Power/Raw Power

MC5 - Kick Out the Jams/Kick Out the Jams

New York Dolls - Looking For a Kiss/New York Dolls

Cheap Trick - He's a Whore/Cheap Trick

Led Zeppelin - Custard Pie/Physical Graffiti

The Who - Young Man's Blues/Live at Leeds

Thin Lizzy - The Rocker/Live and Dangerous

The Cult - Peace Dog/Electric

Living Colour - Elvis Is Dead/Time's Up

PJ Harvey - 50 Ft. Queenie/Rid of Me

The Pretenders - Precious/Pretenders

 

Hour 2: Side B

Bob and Doug McKenzie - Take Off (feat. Geddy Lee)/Great White North

The Tragically Hip - Nautical Disaster/Day For Night

Beck - Novacane/Odelay

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Flavor/Orange

The Delta 72 - It's Alright/The Soul of a New Machine

Rocket From the Crypt - Middle/Scream, Dracula, Scream!

Rocket From the Crypt - Born in '69/Scream, Dracula, Scream!

Pavement - Stereo/Brighten the Corners

Sugar - Hoover Dam/Copper Blue

Homer Simpson - It Was a Very Good Beer/Songs In the Key of Springfield

Cracker - Happy Birthday to Me/Cracker

Max Webster - Hangover/Live Magnetic Air

The Afghan Whigs - Miles Iz Ded/Congregation

Helium - Pat's Trick/The Dirt of Luck

Luscious Jackson - Surprise/Natural Ingredients

The Amps - Tipp City/Pacer

The Muffs - End It All/Blonder and Blonder

 

Day After Day #292: Misirlou

Day After Day is an ambitious attempt to write about a song every day in 2024 (starting on Jan. 4). Misirlou (1962) Sometimes when we look a...