Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Completely Conspicuous 333: The Long and Winding Road


Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Lewandowski as we discuss working, childhood homes and corporal punishment. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:
- Brian: Writing for a prepper show called America Unplugged
- Getting your news from Pat Robertson
- Visiting your childhood home
- Jay: Toronto suburb I once lived in tripled in size within a few years
- Brian hasn't been back to Buffalo since '93
- Corporal punishment was once acceptable
- Brian: Worst punishment was kneeling
- Don't eat your vegetables, kids
- Louis CK is doing his own thing
- Brian saw Eels (without Steve Perry)
- Unconventional frontmen
- Jay: Never had to see the Wiggles
- Dan Zanes' children's music is pretty listenable
- Brian liked Raffi
- The Creationism Museum looks fun
- Preparing for the End Times
- Great ideas come in unlikely places
- Dream journals
- Brian has similar dreams over and over
- We worked out some issues

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

Music:
The Afghan Whigs - Matamoros
Lubec - Almost Vince
Dum Dum Girls - Under These Hands

The Afghan Whigs song is on the album Do to the Beast on Sub Pop. Download the song for free from Soundcloud.
The Lubec song is on the forthcoming album The Thrall. Download the song for free from Bandcamp.

The Dum Dum Girls song is on the album Too True on Sub Pop. Download the song for free from Soundcloud.

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.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Completely Conspicuous 332: It's a Living


Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Lewandowski as we discuss writing for reality TV, early jobs and freelancing. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").


Show notes:
- Brian's doing freelance work for The Sportsman's Channel
- "Inhumane interest stories"
- Worked on a Sarah Palin-hosted show
- Writing ads for a new Penn Gillette show
- Jay: Never seen It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- Tales of Brother Dave, who once had a following
- Supermarket jobs
- Working on the night crew
- Brian's brush with a suicidal/homicidal security guard
- Bill Murray's showing up in random places
- When you're younger, you tend to bond more closely with co-workers
- Brian's getting along with himself these days
- Working from home
- Brian took a break from comedy but is now writing jokes again
- Back up your online work
- To be continued


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

Music:
The Vaselines - One Lost Year
Jawbreaker Reunion - E.M.O.
Kittyhawk - The Daily Dodger

The Vaselines song is on the album V for Vaselines on Rosary Music. Download the song for free from Soundcloud.
The Jawbreaker Reunion song is on the album Lutheran Sisterhood Gun Club. Download the song for free from Bandcamp.
The Kittyhawk song is on the Droughts/Framework/Kittyhawk/Prawn split. Download the song for free from Bandcamp.

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.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Completely Conspicuous 331: Reeling in the Years, 1986 (Part 3)


Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1986. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").


Show notes:
- Recorded via Skype
- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic
- Brian's #3
- Feelies' second album was very influential
- Jay's #3
- R.E.M. debuts heavier guitar sound
- Band kept going too long
- Brian's #2
- They Might Be Giants got off to great start
- Lots of NJ love
- Jay's #2
- Husker Du's amazing stretch
- '80s production techniques hurt some great albums
- Grant Hart dominated Candy Apple Grey
- Brian's #1
- Camper Van Beethoven released two albums in '86
- Jay's #1
- '86 was the year of thrash
- Metallica at their best
- Drawbacks to sound fidelity with MP3, but convenience is worth it
- Hair metal also thrived in '86
- Next up: 1989

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

Music:
Los Campesinos! - Little Mouth
The Fresh & Onlys - Animal of One
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Simple and Sure

The Los Campesinos! song is on the soundtrack to the movie Benny and Jolene. Download the song for free from Stereogum.
The Fresh & Onlys song is on the album House of Spirits on Mexican Summer Records. Download the song for free from KEXP.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart song is on the album Days of Abandon on Yebo. Download the song for free from KEXP.

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.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Completely Conspicuous 330: Reeling in the Years, 1986 (Part 2)


Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1986. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").


Show notes:
- Recorded via Skype
- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic
- Sammy Hagar's lyrical prowess
- Sam Halen?
- Jay: Saw VH and DLR touring separately in summer of '86
- The sad tale of Jason Becker
- Amnesty International's Conspiracy of Hope tour featured U2, Peter Gabriel, Sting
- Led to ill-fated Police reunion
- Bands that formed or released debut albums in '86: NWA, 2 Live Crew, Buffalo Tom, Pixies, Throwing Muses, Goo Goo Dolls, Firehose, Big Audio Dynamite
- A comeback of sorts for Neil Young
- Ramones album was plagued by bad '80s production
- Jay was conflicted about XTC's "Dear God"
- Brian's #5 album
- Jonathan Richman's mostly under the radar career path
- Jay's #5
- Eat 'Em and Smile out-Van Halened Van Halen
- Brian's #4
- Mark Sandman's pre-Morphine act, Treat Her Right, released debut
- Jay's #4
- John Lydon put together a crack session band including Steve Vai and came up with a great album
- Lydon was set to tour in Jesus Christ Superstar but show was cancelled
- To be continued...

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

Music:
Superchunk - Untied (live)
Bottomless Pit - Fleece (live)
Lazy - Party City (live)

The Superchunk song is part of the band's Epitonic Saki Session. Download the set for free at Epitonic.
The Bottomless Pit song is part of the band's Epitonic Saki Session. Download the set for free at Epitonic.
The Lazy song is part of the band's Epitonic Saki Session. Download the set 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.