Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Röyksopp drew from their childhood in far northern Norway to create the vibes and textures on their debut record "Melody A.M". The podcast team meets up in person to record (for the very first time) and touch on repeating melodies, patience in songwriting, and of course, bad guitar solos Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion p...
Mar 21, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 43
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Drive Like Jehu's short-lived but influential recording career ended with "Yank Crime". The boys discuss earning a long song length, shouted vocal performances, and comparisons to 1970s prog music. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here: https://open.spotify...
Mar 14, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 42
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. David Bowie consumes nothing but cocaine, milk, and bell peppers while going down an occultist rabbit hole and working all hours of the night on his 10th studio album "Station to Station". The boys talk about indulgent song lengths, tasty arpeggios, and the Thin White Duke's considerable vocal range. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episod...
Mar 07, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 41
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Amy Winehouse had loads of talent but nonetheless ended in tragedy. The team discusses music as a commodity, single mic'ing drums, and whether anything is ever truly "new" anymore. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5je...
Feb 28, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 40
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Sparks has been called the greatest band you've never heard of and are the subject of a recent documentary by Edgar Wright. Their catalog is vast and intimidating but Kimono My House is considered their biggest success. The boys discuss mustaches styles, carnival music, and the commitment to being strange for 50 years. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] L...
Feb 21, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 39
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Beatles attempt to recapture the live band spirit and are documented throughout (most of) the process. The boys discuss the album "Let It Be" and the Peter Jackson documentary "Get Back" from the perspective of having sat through thousands of hours of band rehearsal and inter-band passive aggressive maneuvering. Aside from band trauma, they hit on the "Let It Be Naked" remix, Billy Preston's revital...
Feb 14, 2022•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 38
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Rage Against the Machine comes out swinging on their debut album. The team discusses a funky rhythm section, innovative guitar playing, and 1990's mixing techniques. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5DAEzJUcTf1GwCq290...
Feb 07, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 37
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. A duo calling themselves Air set sail from the French touch scene of the Paris 1990s and find sonic alchemy on their debut "Moon Safari". The boys discuss tasty bass lines, chill out music, and vintage synthesizers. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here: ht...
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 36
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Green Day sets their sights on a punk rock opera and stages a huge comeback with American Idiot. The fellows discuss mid-2000s compression techniques, arena rock singalongs, and being creative with power chords. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here: https:...
Jan 24, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 35
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. George Clinton and Funkadelic create "a musical experience" with their acid-infused album Maggot Brain. The boys discuss song length, naming rights, and echoplexes. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ZlYlpubAHDNzEkICwJ...
Jan 17, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 34
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The B-52's embraced surf rock, corny sci-fi, and 1950s kitsch on their 1979 self-titled debut. The boys welcome a special guest and discuss expressionist singing styles, improvised lyrics, and the power of "uncool". Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here: ht...
Jan 10, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 33
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Neneh Cherry was born cool as the daughter of international musicians. The boys discuss 1980s drum programming, bad rhymes, and strange spoken word intros. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this32 episode) here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1oBLMXtQcxllA5Wynyj2kM?si=...
Jan 03, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 32
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Loretta Lynn is a coal miner's daughter who writes about her life in a plain and occasionally shocking way. The team dives into professional songwriting inside the Nashville machine, how Loretta pushed the envelope throughout her career, and how 1960s mixing techniques affect our perception of this music. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our e...
Dec 27, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 31
The boys come together for a very special Christmas episode to share the songs that they truly love but make them feel "uncool" to listen to at the stoplight. We ceremoniously release each other of any guilt as nearly every song is (secretly?) great. Listen to our Guilty Pleasures playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0EUq9eJmuD892eop1biPYD?si=d95e715c74d74664 Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Intro music: When the Walls Fell by The Be...
Dec 25, 2021•49 min•Ep. 30
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Elvis Costello and the Attractions come off the road and into the studio to record their second album with a batch of songs honed on the stage. The boys talk about killer bass breaks, varied vocal stylings, and how the echoes of another Liverpool band made their way onto the tape. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist...
Dec 20, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 29
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Elliot Smith was a Portland darling when he started recording his 3rd record Either/Or and rocketed to national stardom after a handful of these songs appeared in the movie "Good Will Hunting". The boys talk about the origins of the "sad bastard" genre, vocals doubled and then doubled again, plus how the heaviness of grunge led us here. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComp...
Dec 13, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 28
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Violent Femmes rolled out of their native Milwaukee like a freight train, conquering college radio for a couple decades to come. The crew discuss the benefits of simply constructed songs, the perennial marketability of teenage angst, and the recording studio swagger needed to "reinvent" rock and roll. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our e...
Dec 06, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 27
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Ice Cube's 3rd solo release comes in the wake of the 1992 LA riots and is lyrically topical at every turn. The boys discuss tips on how to sample the 1970s effectively, Cube's various forays into acting, and the origins of G-funk. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this ep...
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 26
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Madonna is already a hitmaker as she enters the studio to make her 4th album "Like a Prayer", but she's looking to expand her musical scope and win true artistic credentials for the first time. The boys discuss her collaboration with Prince, the use of modes in hit singles, and how a series of well-produced music videos shaped our perception of these songs. Email us your complaints (or questions / comme...
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 25
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Touted as proto-prog rock, Spirit throws the sounds of the upcoming decade of the 70s into a blender on their album 12 Dreams of Dr Sardonicus . The boys talk about mixing genres, how age is just a number when you're a rock drummer, and the potential payoff of bringing a 300lb hammond organ to a show for a single song. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] L...
Nov 15, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 24
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. As the son of Afrobeat pioneer and Nigerian political activist Fela, Femi Kuti has a lot to live up to. The boys discuss the wisdom of not changing chords, ways to get live energy on a studio recording, and the long legacy of Afrobeat on Western music. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we...
Nov 08, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 23
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Steve Earle dreamed of being like his idol Townes Van Zandt. The boys discuss cookie-cutter country production tropes, the 1980s as a nadir of country music popularity, and why very experienced songwriters sometimes miss their mark. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this ...
Nov 01, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 22
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Velvet Underground cut their first record in a nearly condemned building with Andy Warhol peering over their shoulders. The boys have a contentious conversation about bad drum takes, out of tune guitars, and the visceral punch that a 2-chord song can pack. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the ...
Oct 25, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 21
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Iron Maiden kicks off a true heavy metal institution with their 1980 eponymous debut album. The boys talk about time signature changes creating tension and release, 70s prog rock's connection to 80s metal, and stacking up quadruple guitars. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced ...
Oct 18, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 20
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. ZZ Top, aka the little ol' band from Texas, head into a Memphis studio to record their 3rd album, unaware that chart-topping success is just around the corner. The boys discuss double guitar tracking, seamless song transitions, and public domain grooves. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs ...
Oct 11, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 19
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. TLC were assembled as a female answer to BelBivDevoe, but with CrazySexyCool they far surpassed the comparison and entered the music industry record books. The team talks about the tasteful use of horns, the downstream effect of signing a bad contract, and the delicate bass production on "Waterfalls". Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episo...
Oct 04, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 18
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Count Basie conducted his world famous orchestra across 6 decades, and this 1958 release was one of his most commercially successful. The crew look to a more expert jazz opinion this week while getting into economical piano playing, large-band recording techniques in the 1950s, and the origins of the Kansas City sound. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] L...
Sep 27, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 17
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Police went out on top as one of the biggest bands in the world, releasing their final album Synchronicity at the apex of their popularity. This week, the gang talks unlikely collaborations, dentist office soundtracks, and how smash hit singles influence the critical perception of an album. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our episode comp...
Sep 20, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 16
This week we have a special episode! The boys come together to "add back" 5 albums to the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" list (Harry Belefonte's Calypso , Indigo Girls Swamp Ophelia , Weird Al Dare to Be Stupid , The Meters Look-Ka Py Py , and Dr Dog's Easy Beat ) Everyone sounds off on a personal favorite that's been omitted and plays a couple representative tracks from the album while everyone else reacts and breaks them down. Check out our playlist of "add backs" to the 1001 list:...
Sep 16, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 15
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Zombies called it quits 4 months before their 2nd album was even released. This week, the boys dig into identity theft in the pre-internet age, World War I (again), and just who holds the power in a band. Can a mix of pop, experimentation, and a second-hand mellotron re-animate this 60-year old album? Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at [email protected] Listen to our e...
Sep 13, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 14
