Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Completely Conspicuous 632: Don't You Evah

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey about the music of 2007. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

  • Phil's #5: Sharp alt-country debut from Deer Tick
  • Jay's #5: Nick Cave rocks out with Grinderman
  • Phil's #4: Compelling raunch rock from QOTSA
  • Jay's #4: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists with another quality ripper
  • Phil's #3: Soulful belter Sharon Jones with a great throwback
  • Jay's #3: Radiohead's "pay what you want" experiment
  • Labels were not happy that they took the risk
  • Phil's #2: Dad-rock kings Wilco with a mellower affair
  • Jay's #2: The original Dino Jr. lineup with their first album since '88
  • Phil's and Jay's #1: Spoon breaks through with a classic
  • The decline of rock as a popular genre
  • Favorite songs: "Don't You Evah" (Jay), "Impossible Germany" (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.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Completely Conspicuous 631: Into Action

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey about the music of 2007. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

  • In 2007, Jay had a kid starting kindergarten; that kid graduates from college soon
  • Zeppelin played two reunion shows
  • Separating the music from artists' bad behavior
  • Daughtry had the #1 selling album of '07
  • Phil's non-top 5s: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, the National, St. Vincent, Jason Isbell, Okkervil River, Buffalo Tom, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Arctic Monkeys 
  • Let's hear it for Dad Rock
  • On Madonna's career
  • Discovering music through commercials or movies
  • Music services
  • Jay's non-top 5s: LCD Soundsystem, the Dears, Tim Armstrong, Black Francis, Thurston Moore, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, Ray Davies, Beastie Boys
  • To be continued

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.

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Completely Conspicuous 630: Goin' Against Your Mind

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey about the music of 2006. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

  • Jay's non-top 5s: The Black Angels, Mission of Burma, Twilight Singers, The Tragically Hip, Girl Talk, Iron Maiden, Lemonheads
  • Phil's #5: Beck's last really good album, especially the first half
  • Jay's #5: First solo release from Pulp's Jarvis Cocker
  • Phil's #4: Last Drive-By Truckers album with Jason Isbell expands their world view
  • Jay's #4: Expansive and excellent outing from TV On the Radio
  • Phil's #3: Droney, psychedelic fuzz from the Black Angels
  • Jay's #3: Yet another great one from the Hold Steady
  • Phil's #2: Sharp debut from Jack White-led Raconteurs
  • Jay's #2: Sweeping double album from Sloan, chock full o' power pop goodness
  • Phil's #1: Guitar greatness from Doug Martsch and Built to Spill
  • Jay's #1: Audacious debut from Arctic Monkeys
  • Arctic Monkeys caught on with a whole new audience
  • Favorite songs: "I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor" (Jay), "Goin' Against Your Mind" (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.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Completely Conspicuous 629: Star Witness

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey about the music of 2006. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

  • First episode of the year
  • In 2006, Jay had two little kids
  • Phil was having fun
  • When you don't know anybody playing the festival
  • Top-selling album of the year was High School Musical soundtrack
  • The Who released an album in 2006
  • Phil's non-top 5s: Neko Case, Destroyer, the Hold Steady, the Walkmen, Dylan, Heartless Bastards, Tom Petty, Eagles of Death Metal, Black Keys, Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth, Pearl Jam, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Jay: Check out Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
  • To be continued

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.

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Completely Conspicuous 628: 2023 and Me

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of 2023. Listen to the episode below (or download directly).

Show notes:

  • We're in there like swimwear
  • On to the top 10 lists
  • Breitling's #10: Return to from by Fog Lake
  • Breitling's #9: Frog's new release unexpectedly has received critical praise 
  • Kumar's #9: Another consistenly great album from Protomartyr
  • Breitling's #8: Minimalist excellence from Colleen that tests Jay's French pronunciation skills
  • Kumar's #8: After an 11-year absence, the Hives' formula de rock still kicks ass in 2023
  • Breitling's #7 and Kumar's #10: Yo La Tengo still bringing the heat, opening the album with 7-minute feedback-laden ripper
  • Kumar's #7 and Breitling's #6: Supergroup is actually super, Voltroning into a monster act
  • Kumar's #6: Return of the rock with Queens of the Stone Age, chock full o' bangers from a super-tight band
  • Breitling's #5: Philly represent with Golden Apples dropping indie pop/rock with the fuzz bass and some wooder ice
  • Kumar's #5: SF's Pardoner brings an assortment of guitar sounds from the last 50 years to their latest slack masterpiece
  • The '90s sound (and look) is still thriving
  • Breitling's #4: More of the Philly goodness with Purling Hiss with the lo-fi hooky guitar rock
  • Kumar's #4: Indie power-pop supergroup Eyelids delivers the super-catchy goods
  • Breilting's #3: Bay Area shoegaze concern Blue Ocean returns with a weird and rewarding album
  • Kumar's #3: Sharp, concise indie post-punk from Kansas-via-Boston act Sweeping Promises  
  • Breitling's #2: Ohio-based indie act Connections connects with melodic rockers; RIYL GBV, Feelies
  • Kumar's #2: New Zealand post-punk that smashes through with punchy, catchy rippers
  • Breitling's #1: Long-awaited reunion album from American shoegaze icons Drop Nineteens does not disappoint
  • Kumar's #1: Going into Hellmode with Jeff Rosenstock, who has been consistently releasing excellent albums for the last several years; additional layers of maturity and depth make this release all the more satisfying 

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.

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Completely Conspicuous 627: The Year in Music, Let It Bleed Edition

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of 2023. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

  • Recorded at Clicky Clicky HQ
  • The 14th year of "Year in Music" episodes
  • Taylor Swift is big, but not bigger than Starbucks
  • Breitling making fun of Croz
  • Perfect synergy: The Stones tour sponsored by AARP
  • Hall v. Oates
  • KISS passes the torch to digital avatars of themselves
  • The "new" old Beatles song
  • Check it out on the YouthTube
  • Spotify blows
  • The kids love the streaming and whatnot
  • Check out Parcheesi Redux Tuesday and Thursday on Mixcloud
  • Also check out Brad Searles' show The Almanac on the first Wednesday of every month
  • Shout out to the Rollins Archive
  • Breitling's honorable mentions: Ted Pauly, Everything But the Girl, Cupid and Psyche, Everasting and Zilla, Superchunk
  • Kumar's honorable mentions: Pile, Model/Actriz, Yves Tumor, Fucked Up, Shame, PJ Harvey, Peter Gabriel, Marnie Stern, Replacements' "Tim" reissue, Breeders' Last Splash reissue, Feelies live album of VU covers
  • To be continued

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.

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Completely Conspicuous 626: Entertain

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey about the music of 2005. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

  • Jay's #5 and Phil's #4: New Pornographers with another all-star power pop classic
  • Phil's #5: Early '70s singer-songwriter jams from Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
  • Still in the era of artists putting out overlong albums
  • Jay's #3: Spoon expands their sound, grows their popularity
  • Phil's #3: A powerful R&B belter from Sharon Jones
  • Jay's #2: Queens of the Stone Age with a punchy follow-up to a monster hit
  • Phil's #2: Beck with an Odelay-esque release with a nod to Latin music
  • Phil's #1 and Jay's #4: Sleater-Kinney drops a monster rock album 
  • Jay's #1: Another winner from The Hold Steady, blending big riffs and nerdy scenester tales
  • Jay makes a Rush joke
  • Favorite songs: "Jumpers" (Phil), "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" (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.