Completely Conspicuous 241: Go It Alone

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we discuss our favorite solo artists. Listen to the episode below or download it directly.
Show notes:
- Re-recorded via Skype
- Jay: Robert Plant's music has evolved since Zeppelin's breakup
- Brian: John, Paul and George in a three-way tie

- Harrison's All Things Must Pass is a standout
- McCartney's good when he works with others (Elvis Costello, Youth)
- Jay: Favorite solo artist is Pete Townshend
- His three early '80s solo albums were excellent
- Last 25 years have been focused on Who tours
- Brian: Top pick is Frank Black
- He's consistently made good records since Pixies split
- Jay: Rod Stewart's solo career has been mostly awful
- His work in Faces, Jeff Beck Group and first few solo releases was strong
- Brian: Jagger should not be allowed to make solo albums
- Jay: Keith Richards' solo work is good
- Jay: The four guys in Sloan should each release solo records simultaneously a la KISS
- Brian: Steven Drozd would make an interesting solo album

- Brian: Rivers Cuomo should make a stripped-down, non-Weezer record
- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Robert Plant - Little Hands
Frank Black and the Catholics - Nadine
Sloan - Coax Me

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Robert Plant song is on the compilation More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album on Birdman Records. Download it for free from Epitonic.
The Frank Black and the Catholics song is on the album Show Me Your Tears on SpinART. Download the song for free from Epitonic.
The Sloan song is on the album Twice Removed on Geffen. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at NoiseTrade.
The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous 240: One Man Mutiny

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we discuss our favorite solo artists. Listen to the episode below or download it directly.
Show notes:
- Re-recorded via Skype
- Brian: Ray Davies has made two great solo albums
- NBC cut Davies from Olympics closing ceremony broadcast
- Jay: Ted Leo has been consistently great for the last decade
- Brian: After Roxy Music, Brian Eno went on to long and interesting career
- Jay: Neil Young has been erratic, but when he's on, he's great
- Brian: Jonathan Richman has moved from post-punk hero to troubadour
- Jay: Peter Gabriel is much more than "Sledgehammer" and "Solsbury Hill"
- Moved past the crazy costumes he wore live with Genesis
- Brian: David Byrne continues to make interesting music
- Jay: Mark Lanegan's post-Screaming Trees career has been varied and uniformly excellent
- To be continued
- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Under the Hedge
Peter Gabriel - Here Comes the Flood (live)
David Byrne - Fuzzy Freaky (remix)

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Ted Leo and the Pharmacists song is on the album The Tyranny of Distance on Lookout Records. Download it for free from Epitonic.

The Peter Gabriel song was recorded for the Guitar Center Sessions in 2010. Download the song for free at PeterGabriel.com/GuitarCenter.

The David Byrne song is on the album Visible Man on Luaka Bop. Download the song for free at IODAPromonet.com:

David Byrne
"Fuzzy Freaky" (mp3)
from "The Visible Man"
(Luaka Bop)

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More On This Album


The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous 239: Solo Flights

I celebrate six big years of podcasting with part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we discuss our favorite solo artists. Listen to the episode below or download it directly.

Show notes:
- Recorded via Skype
- Brian contends that Bob Mould's work in Sugar is better than Husker Du; Jay vehemently disagrees
- Jay: Elliott Smith went in a different direction after Heatmiser
- Are Josh Homme or Dave Grohl considered solo artists?
- Jay: Lennon and McCartney both made great albums on their own, but also some clunkers
- Jay: Michael Jackson became probably the biggest artist of all time
- Ozzy's early solo work was terrific
- The ridiculous story behind Sabbath's Born Again album
- Paul Simon's still going strong
- Phil Collins was huge in the '80s
- Brian: Mike Nesmith's early solo work was excellent
- Jay: Nick Cave forged a dark path after The Birthday Party
- Brian: Ryan Adams made a classic album and several good ones
- Mike Watt's soldiered on over the years
- Jay: Stephen Malkmus has been consistently good since Pavement
- Brian prefers the later Pavement albums
- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Bob Mould - A Good Idea (live)
Ryan Adams - Shakedown on 9th Street (live)
Mike Watt - Against the '70s (live)
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - (Do Not Feed the) Oyster

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!
The Bob Mould song is on the EP Live at the Bottom of the Hill. Download it for free (in exchange for your email address) from New.Official.fm.
The Ryan Adams song was recorded live at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston on 2/21/09. Download the song for free at Archive.org.
The Mike Watt song was recorded live at the Metro in Chicago on 5/6/95. Download the song for free at Archive.org.
The Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks song is from the album Pig Lib on Matador Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.