Patrick from the Almost Educational and Make Dad Read Comics podcasts joins Bill and Brian as we continue Debut Albums January to discuss Warren Zevon's self titled album (1976, Asylum). Often a misunderstood artist, the eclectic singer songwriter found success after falling in with like minded individuals in the mid-70s LA scene, including the producer for this album Jackson Browne. We talk about how Warren Zevon helped teenage Patrick expand his musical palette, why some people view him as kin...
Jan 18, 2016•1 hr 49 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday! Singer, songwriter, musician Jesse Elliot (jesseelliot.com) joins Brian and Bill once again to discuss Elvis Costello. We jump a couple albums into the artist's discography to discuss his single "Oliver's Army" from Armed Forces (1979, Radar/Columbia), the second album to feature backing band the Attractions. We discuss the polish and improved production on this album, Costello's move into New Wave, what the song's lyrics refer to, irony, the use of controversial lyrics...
Jan 14, 2016•19 min
Brian has recorded a special episode to honor the passing of David Bowie. In it, he explains how a simple soda ad brought the man into his life. It was during this time that Bowie's career was on the wane, coloring Brian's earliest memories toward the negative. But Brian speculates that--during Bowie's self-imposed hiatus--he was able to achieve icon status by staying out of his own way and instead becoming all things to all people.
Jan 12, 2016•12 min
Singer, songwriter, and musician Jesse Elliot (jesseelliot.com) joins Brian and Bill to discuss Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True (1977, Stiff/Columbia) as we continue to highlight debut albums in January's First Month of First Albums! Incorporating an innumerable score of influences, Declan Patrick McManus (aka Elvis Costello) burst out of the British pub rock scene with some spiky music and a brash attitude. We discuss how Jesse first came to know the music through a mix tape, inherited from his...
Jan 11, 2016•1 hr 42 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday! Bill and Brian follow up their episode on Big Star's seminal #1 Record by taking a listen to Those Pretty Wrongs' "Lucky Guy." A teaming of Big Star's Jody Stephens and LA-based singer songwriter Luther Russell, the song was released as a 7" single in June 2015. Brian and Bill use the context of Jody Stephens emergence as a songwriter within Big Star to talk about and frame the band's career over the intervening years that led up to this release. We talk about how the s...
Jan 07, 2016•33 min
Brian and Bill ring in the new year and kick off the First Month of First Albums with one that has the number "one" in the title: Big Star's #1 Record (1972, Ardent/Stax). Having grown tired of "the biz" after he helped bring his teen rock group, the Box Tops, to the top of the charts with his smokey vocals, Alex Chilton wanted to make his own original music and found a kindred spirit in fellow Memphis native Chris Bell. Thanks to the close relationship Bell had with Ardent Studios founder John ...
Jan 04, 2016•1 hr 50 min
It's Bonus Song Christmas! Wait, what? Didn't we say that the last Bonus Song Thursday was the last episode of the year? Well, it turns out Bill and Brian don't understand how calendars work and we didn't get our releases and recording days lined up so that we could talk about our listeners' suggestions for cool (and terrible) Christmas songs. So Bill took a little bit of time out of his Christmas Eve celebrations (which mostly consists of listening to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and dan...
Dec 25, 2015•20 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday! Brian and Bill cap off the year by reading and discussing the lists sent to us by the listeners of the podcast. Before we get to that, we take a listen to local favorites the Vaughns (thevaughns.bandcamp.com). Then we make our way through the lists of recommended albums, touching on what would be a valuable Dave Matthews Band or Husker Du album to cover. Also, we dive into a little bit about modern listening habits. Happy New Year!
Dec 24, 2015•26 min
Bill and Brian (really just Brian) count down their favorite albums from the 2015 calendar year! First we talk about why Adele didn't make the year end list and which pop artist could release the next great album. Then we discuss Brian's criteria for his choices, including the future legacy of these albums and the benefits of year end top 10s. In the course of the conversation, artists like Chicago and Lana Del Rey come up (but were not chosen for this list). Also, Bill shares some thoughts on t...
Dec 21, 2015•1 hr 43 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday! On our previous episode, Brian and Bill were joined by their awesome photo taking significant others, Amanda Guthrie (amandaguthriephtography.com) and Beanie Zee (beaniezee.com), to share some holiday cheer and talk about some of their favorite Christmas songs. But now, as we celebrate the release of the latest Star Wars film, we too must turn to the dark side to discuss some absolutely terrible songs. These songs are the Worst (with a capital W). Paul McCartney makes a...
Dec 17, 2015•25 min
Bill and Brian celebrate the season by having their significant others Beanie Zee (beaniezee.com) and Amanda Guthrie (amandaguthriephotography.com), both very talented photographers, join them to count down their favorite Christmas songs. We discuss our individual relationships with the holiday and share some memories about what what Christmas means to us. Between the 4 of us we end up with an interesting selection of songs that include the classics, some universally cherished songs, some kind o...
Dec 14, 2015•1 hr 32 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday! And Bill and Brian welcome indie rocker Andrew Kolbenschlag of Small Planet Radio (smallplanetradio.com) to continue talking about some Gaslight Anthem-adjacent music--namely, primary singer-songwriter Brian Fallon's side project the Horrible Crowes. We talk about how the band evolved over it's 5 albums, where this fits within that trajectory, how these guitar tones differ from the Gaslight anthem, and a little speculation about what Brian Fallon's upcoming solo LP will...
Dec 10, 2015•18 min
Small Planet Radio's Andrew Kolbenschlag (vocals, guitar, and keys) joins Brian and Bill as our first guest in a month (!) to talk about New Jersey natives The Gaslight Anthem and their album The '59 Sound (2008, Side One Dummy). On their sophomore effort, the band matured into the Springsteen-by-way-of-punk-rock sound that had made them stand out on their previous release. Drawing on punk rock energy, classic guitar tones, and bittersweet anthems about youth, the band found a voice that they co...
Dec 07, 2015•2 hr 4 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday! And Brian and Bill are here to continue talking about Carole King's long and immensely successful career as a songwriter for other artists throughout the '60s. We take a listen to the Monkees' "Porpoise Song" written by King and her songwriting partner (and then-husband) Gerry Goffin for the 1968 film starring the band, Head. Brian details the Monkees' career as Bill is amazed in his enjoyment of the song. We also take some time to look at our Facebook page and discuss ...
Dec 03, 2015•24 min
Bill and Brian have finally reached the end of Massive November, and we close it out with the classic Tapestry (1971, Ode) by legendary songwriter Carol King. Having written many hits for artists like the Shirelles, the Monkees, and Aretha Franklin throughout the '60s, King struck out as a performer herself in the early '70s. With her second album as a performer, she found inspiration after moving to Laurel Canyon and coming under the influence of singer songwriters like James Taylor and Joni Mi...
Nov 30, 2015•1 hr 51 min
It's Bonus Song Thanksgiving! Bill and Brian revisit the pre-Buckingham/Nicks era of Fleetwood Mac in a little more detail by discussing the Bob Welch penned "Hypnotize" off the band's 1973 album Mystery to Me. We discuss Welch's jazz influenced style and how the beginnings of the band's sound on Rumours started here. Additionally, we discuss the Great Polly Controversy of 2015 as we amend our comments on Nirvana's "Polly" and its electric versions. Happy Thanksgiving!
Nov 25, 2015•23 min
Bill and Brian continue the Massive Month of Massive Albums That We Also Call Massivember by talking about Fleetwood Mac's Rumours (1977, Warner Bros.) The band's second album with its most well known lineup (and 11th overall!), found them flourishing under the leadership of guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and the mystical voice of Stevie Nicks. The band reached new heights, selling 40 million copies of this album worldwide, drawing inspiration from their recent breakups, within and without the ban...
Nov 23, 2015•1 hr 47 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday! And Bill and Brian delve a little deeper into Nirvana's catalog by discussing the band's cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" from their MTV Unplugged performance. The guys talk about the elegiac nature of the song, how well the Unplugged performance works as an album, Nirvana's ability to bring a nuanced touch to their softer songs, and Pat Smear. Additionally, we talk about why we won't by discussing Radiohead's OK Computer anytime soon but where listen...
Nov 19, 2015•21 min
Bill and Brian continue "Massivember" (?) this week by delving into the watershed alternative album Nevermind (1991, DGC) by Nirvana. With their second album and major label debut, the band was launched into superstardom by the iconic hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" off the album. Paving the way for scores of alt bands to follow, the style and sound of this music was oft imitated, sometimes verging on copycats. Brian and Bill discuss Nirvana's formation, the Seattle sound, and how the music...
Nov 16, 2015•2 hr 6 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday! And Bill and Brian return to discuss some more about Michael Jackson and his collaborations with Sir Paul McCartney. Released on McCartney's album, the poorly received Pipes of Peace (1983, Parlophone/Columbia). The guys talk about how this is a better song than most give it credit for, the production on the song and its corresponding album, the picaresque video, and the falling out between the singers over a royalty dispute. Also, we read a listener email, which leads ...
Nov 12, 2015•23 min
Bill and Brian start off the month of massive albums with the biggest and bestselling album of all time, Michael Jackson's Thriller (1982. Epic). Following up on the success of his collaboration with Quincy Jones on 1979's Off the Wall, Jackson re-teamed with the producer to create this career defining record. Hailed as the album that saved the music industry, no less than 7 of Thriller's 9 tracks were released as singles. Bill and Brian discuss how they view Michael Jackson, his career, and the...
Nov 09, 2015•1 hr 46 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday! Bill and Brian are once again joined by musician and songwriter Eric Nelson (thelightsbeneath.com) to discuss some music by the legendary blues rockers Led Zeppelin. We tackle the behemoth tune "Stairway to Heaven" off the band's legendary untitled album (1972, Atlantic). In the midst of talking about what makes "Stairway" so great (and maybe not so great), we stumble across an epic Zeppelin vs. The Who debate! We also discuss Celebration Day and Eric makes a selection ...
Nov 05, 2015•25 min
Brian and Bill are joined by musician and music aficionado Eric Nelson, guitarist of the Lights Beneath (thelightsbeneath.com), to discuss Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy (1973, Atlantic). Hot on the heals of their massive arena rock success with their previous untitled record and "Stairway to Heaven," the band released an album of tunes that cemented their reputation for studio prowess and furthered their dynamic range with cross-genre experimentation. Brian, Bill, and Eric discuss how Eric w...
Nov 02, 2015•2 hr 1 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday! We didn't want to burden you with twice over 2 hour long podcasts in the same week, so we take a slice out of an album and discuss a single song on this episode. Following up on our episode on Say Anything's ...Is a Real Boy, we discuss "Judas Decapitation" from their album Hebrews (2014, Equal Vision). Bill and Brian discuss how the band continued to mature and challenge themselves 10 since their breakthrough record with an album featuring zero guitars. Afterwards, we ...
Oct 29, 2015•38 min
Singer, songwriter, and musician from the band Centennials (centennials.bandcamp.com), Rhonette Smith, joins Bill and Brian to discuss one of her favorite albums, Say Anything's ...Is a Real Boy (2006, J Records). Written and recorded during a period of mental instability for primary songwriter Max Bemis, the album plays with emo tropes and attempts to break the mold. Originally written to be part of a rock opera, the album finds solid ground with great songs, great tones, and a solid team behin...
Oct 26, 2015•2 hr 4 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday! We jump 30 years into the future after discussing Willie Nelson's Stardust on the previous episode to talk about his 2006 collaboration with Ryan Adams, "Blue Hotel" from the album Songbird. We discuss who Ryan Adams is, if this was basically a Ryan Adams album, and Willie and Ryan's production choices. Also, Joe picks an album to take as his own from the stack of LPs lying around the studio!
Oct 22, 2015•17 min
Musician and podcaster Joe Galuppo (check out his NJ indie rock radio podcast at diningroomradio.net) joins Bill and Brian to discuss Willie Nelson's Stardust (1978, Columbia). Having abandoned Nashville in favor of the so-called "outlaw country" scene, Willie found mainstream success and stardom with his country records in the early 70s. although some thought Stardust would ruin his career, Willie proved that he could make an album of standards from the "great American songbook" a hit. In this ...
Oct 19, 2015•1 hr 47 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday! Bill and Brian talk about the Talking Heads side project of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, Tom Tom Club, and their song "Genius of Love" off their self titled debut album (1981, Sire). Brian and Bill discuss the band's formation, the lasting influence of the song, the Great 1981 Adrian Belew Coup, Mariah Carey and her legacy, and we read a few listener emails about Bare Naked Ladies and Big Star!
Oct 15, 2015•26 min
Podcaster Alex Gomory, of the Riff n Ralk Music Tock podcast (riffnralk.com), joins Bill and Brian to discuss Talking Heads' Remain in Light (1980, Sire). The band's fourth release in as many years found them trying to work as a cohesive band and experimenting with both technology and world music. Utilizing loops and digital sounds, the band also focused on utilizing African polyrhythms, creating unique songs that were met with unanimous critical acclaim. Brian, Bill, and Alex discuss how Alex d...
Oct 12, 2015•1 hr 38 min
It's Bonus Song Thursday, and Brian is still missing! Bill takes this opportunity to fill in some blanks left from when he talked about Mono (the album, not the disease) by talking about Paul Westerberg's Stereo (2002, Vagrant). Bill shares some of his favorite tunes from the album. Then, he talks about some exciting news in the world of the Great Albums, including what podcast he guested on, a new partnership, and a fun show that should appeal to the Venn diagram of listeners of this podcast an...
Oct 08, 2015•22 min
