Completely Conspicuous 586: Repeater

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey about our favorite music of 1990. Listen to the episode or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Our top 5 albums of '90

- Phil's #5: Jane's Addiction with a sprawling classic

- Jay's #5: Sophomore release from Living Colour explored a lot of different styles

- Phil's #4: Sinead O'Connor blows up with her second album

- Her SNL appearance in '92 caused serious controversy

- Sinead is alive and well

- Jay's #4: Kim Deal goes out on her own with the Breeders

- Phil's #3: Phish comes into their own with second album

- The jammier acts played the Northeast college scene in the late '80s/early '90s

- Jay's #3: Public Enemy blasts through with a strident, political album

- Phil's #2: Sonic Youth streamlines their sound on their major label debut

- Jay's #1: Fugazi continues sticking it to The Man on their first full-length album

- Phil's #1 and Jay's #2: Neil Young and Crazy Horse crank up the amps and embrace feedback

- Phil saw this tour with Sonic Youth and Social Distortion opening

- He might be making the best current music of his peers

- Favorite songs: "Fuckin' Up" (Phil), "Merchandise" (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.

Completely Conspicuous 585: All Shook Down

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey about our favorite music of 1990. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded in person at CompCon World HQ

- In '90, Jay turned 23 and Phil turned 21

- Phil's short career in foodservice

- Jay was a newspaper reporter in Peabody, Mass.

- Controversies over 2 Live Crew, Milli Vanilli and Madonna

- Lots of scenes happening: Alternative, New Jack Swing, Madchester, Seattle

- The era of the Jock Jam

- Albums that didn't make Phil's top 5: Uncle Tupelo, Allman Brothers, Pretenders, Living Colour, Breeders, Alice in Chains, Mother Love Bone, Pixies, World Party, Happy Mondays, Ride, Mazzy Star, Sundays, Cowboy Junkies, Replacements, INXS, Social Distortion, Bob Mould, Black Crowes

- Questions around the November Rain video (which came out in '91)

- Jay's non-top 5s: Afghan Whigs, Flaming Lips, Midnight Oil, Mark Lanegan, Robert Plant

- 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.

Completely Conspicuous 451: Reeling in the Years, 1990 (Part 3)

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1990. Listen to the episode below or download directly.
 

Show notes:
- Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output
- Jay's #3 album of 1990
- Public Enemy was controversial
- Homophobia was pervasive back then, especially in hip hop
- PE scared white America
- Brian's #3
- They Might Be Giants was in the middle of a classic run of albums
- Song-a-Day Hotline
- Jay's #2
- After a decade of weirdness, Neil Young re-established himself as a rock icon
- Took Sonic Youth and Social D on the road
- Brian's #1 and Jay's #5
- Kim Deal and Tanya Donelly teamed up
- Deal stepped out of Black Francis' shadow
- Brian's #2
- Pixies release their surfiest album
- When 3/4 of Pixies crossed paths with some interesting neighbors
- Jay's #1
- Jane's Addiction's tour de force
- Scored an accidental video and radio hit with "Been Caught Stealing"
- Starts out fast and punchy, ends with side 2 of long, epic songs
- Perry Farrell's transition from out-of-control rock freak to hippie uncle
- One more year to go: 1991

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

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.

Completely Conspicuous 450: Reeling in the Years, 1990 (Part 2)

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1990. Listen to the episode below or download directly.
 

Show notes:
- Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output
- Albums that just missed our top 5 of the year
- Alice in Chains inspired a ton of copycat acts
- World Party paid homage to many influences
- Brian was a big Pantera fan in high school
- Social Distortion's classic era
- Living Colour came into their own with second album
- Warren Zevon teamed up with the non-Stipe members of R.E.M. to do a covers album
- Elektra comp Rubaiyat featured unlikely covers
- Mark Lanegan's first solo album established his dark bluesy side
- Ride was on the crest of the shoegaze wave
- Brian's #5
- Ween established their eclectic reputation
- The strange journey of Sim Cain
- Jay's #4
- Fugazi at the peak of their powers
- Brian's #4
- Primus at their least jokey
- To be continued

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

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.

Completely Conspicuous 449: Reeling in the Years, 1990 (Part 1)

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1990. Listen to the episode below or download directly.
 

Show notes:
- Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output
- Things are getting weird
- The Decline of Western Civilization docs are fascinating
- In 1990, Jay was 22-23 and Brian was 8
- The '90s were still kicking off
- Pivotal events were still yet to happen
- Stevie Ray Vaughan died young
- 2 Live Crew came to prominence
- Oh, Milli Vannilli
- Disposable pop seemed to fade for a while
- Hammer and Vanilla Ice
- Madonna: Publicity generator
- Metal was tailing off after a strong decade
- Hip hop was getting stronger
- New Jack Swing was the thing
- Alternative rock was paving the way for Nirvana's breakthrough
- Pop charts were topped by the likes of Wilson Phillips and Roxette
- Sinead O' Connor's wild year
- Bands formed: Bikini Kill, Cracker, Body Count, Spin Doctors
- What about Tool?
- Broke up: Death of Samantha, Game Theory, Starship
- To be continued

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

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.