Completely Conspicuous 554: Demolition Man

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey as we discuss our favorite albums of 1981. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- Jay's #5 and Phil's #4: The Stones have a massive hit with a collection of outtakes

- Followed up with a massive stadium tour

- Jay's #4: Prince keeps getting better but not yet breaking through to the mainstream

- Pushing the envelope with explicit content

- Phil's #3: J. Geils Band's pop breakthrough

- Was "Centerfold" banned by WCOZ?

- Jay's #3: Fair Warning was my favorite Van Halen album

- Darker tone than other VH albums

- Phil's #5 and Jay's #2: Rush hits the sweet spot with Moving Pictures

- Side 1 is flawless

- Phil's #2: An underrated U2 record, even by U2 fanatics

- Got into it when it came out

- Phil's #1: The Police reach commercial success

- Hit their pop potential while maintaining their unique sound

- Jay's #1: Going out there with Mission of Burma's debut EP

- Hugely influential on scores of alt-rock bands who came later

- Favorite songs: "Demolition Man" (Phil), "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" (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 259: The Year in Rock Music, Part 2

Part 2 of my conversation with guests Jay Breitling and Mike Piantigini as we review our favorite music of 2012. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:
- Recorded at Clicky Clicky world HQ
- Breitling's #9 album of 2012 - Piantigini's #9
- The long, strange journey of Drivin N' Cryin
- Kumar's #9
- JB's #8
- MP's #8
- Lou Barlow's talkative
- JK's #8
- JB's #7
- The Breeders are reuniting
- MP's #7
- JK's #7
- Nirvana comparisons abound
- JB's #6
- The Clash meets Big Country
- MP's #6
- JK's #6
- JB's #5
- MP's #5
- JK's #5
- JB's #4
- Hipsters love the cassettes
- In praise of VH's Diver Down
- DLR's ill-fated radio show
- MP's #4
- Prolific Canadian geniuses rule
- JK's #4
- Bonehead of the Week


Music:
Hospitality - Betty Wang
Mission of Burma - Second Television
METZ - Wet Blanket
Johnny Foreigner - 3 Hearts
A.C. Newman - Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns

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

The Hospitality song is on the band's self-titled album on Merge Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.
The Mission of Burma song is on the album Unsound on Fire Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic. 
The METZ song is on the band's self-titled album on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Sub Pop.
The Johnny Foreigner song is on the EP Names. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.
The A.C. Newman song is on the album Shut Down the Streets on Matador Records. Download the song for free at MatadorRecords.com.

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 249: The Sound and the Fury

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

Show notes:
- Recorded at Chez Breitling
- Breitling: The Rocky soundtrack was big in his childhood in Philly
- Soundtracks went from simple scores to multiple artists
- Hulk Hogan's sex tape nearly ruined the Internet
- "Rock Around the Clock" made its mark
- Elvis, Beatles both used soundtracks well
- Having kids forces you to listen to children's movie soundtracks
- Kenny Loggins built his career around soundtrack hits
- The '80s saw numerous videos for soundtrack songs featuring clips from movie
- Journey contributed to the Tron soundtrack
- Heavy Metal soundtrack featured two different songs called "Heavy Metal"
- Soundtracks were a way for artists to keep their name out there between albums
- Breitling: Fond memories of the Xanadu soundtrack
- Kumar: Remember digging Frankie Valli's title track of the Grease soundtrack
- Rap and rock met in the Judgment Night soundtrack
- Jon Cafferty and Beaver Brown became big thanks to the movie Eddie and Cruisers
- Elliott Smith's contributions to Good Will Hunting made him a household name
- Rock artists like Mark Mothersbaugh and Danny Elfman became film composers

- To be continued

 Music:
Ty Segall - Femme Fatale
Spider Bags - Friday Night
METZ - Headache
Mission of Burma - 2wice

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

The Ty Segall song is on the compilation The Velvet Underground & Nico by Castle Face and Friends on Castle Face Records. Download it for free at Stereogum.
The Spider Bags song is on the album Shake My Head. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.
The METZ song is on the band's self-titled debut on Sub Pop. Download the song for free from Sub Pop.
The Mission of Burma song is on the album The Obliterati on Matador Records. Download the song for free from 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.

Completely Conspicuous 232: Rock Box

Part 2 of my conversation with filmmaker Eric Green as we discuss his documentary about V66, the short-lived Boston music video channel. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:
- Recorded in Cambridge, Mass.
- Eric's documentary is called Life on the V
- V66 was on the air from 2/85 to 9/86
- Response to the topic has been great
- Doc is almost finished
- Music docs are in vogue
- Rumors that MTV was keeping an eye on V66
- Eric resisted the classic Behind the Music structure
- V66 was based in Worcester, Mass.; bands would visit before concerts there
- 9-year-old Eric got on the air with a phoned-in joke
- Cable TV was much different in the '80s; still hadn't made it to many rural areas

- Memories of USA Network's Night Flight video show
- Music docs: Stop Making Sense vs. The Last Waltz
- When V66 played Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" video, they took MTV logo out
- Eric received a lot of fan submissions of V66 videos taped on VHS
- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Mission of Burma - Second Television
David Byrne and St. Vincent - Who
Metric - Artificial Nocturne
Ceremony - I Don't Wanna Be Learned/I Don't Wanna Be Tamed

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

The Mission of Burma song is from the forthcoming album Unsound on Fire Records. Download the song for free at Rolling Stone.
The David Byrne and St. Vincent song is from the forthcoming album Love This Giant on 4AD. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Stereogum.
The Metric song is on the album Synthetica on Mom and Pop Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.
The Ceremony song is an unreleased track available for free download at Noisey.


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 226: Bottoms Up!

Part 2 of my conversation with special guest Ben Amirault as we discuss the growth of craft beer. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").
Show notes:
- Check out Ben's beer blog The Church Key
- Dogfish Head has branched out with TV show, limited edition beers
- Northeast has many great brewers: Magic Hat, Smuttynose, Baxter, Long Trail
- "Ice beer" was, and still is, a thing
- Regional pockets of great craft beer throughout the U.S.
- Some of beers can overdo it with the accents (fruit, pumpkin, caramel, chocolate, coffee, etc.)
- Jay: Not big into pairing certain beers with certain types of food
- Canadians will drink Bud or Coors because it's so light
- Ben: Hard to keep up with all the new brewers
- Recent trend is putting craft beer in cans
- Some brewers won't do it, but many are: Sierra Nevada, Harpoon, Oskar Blues, Baxter
- Great packaging can get you to try a beer
- The bomber is a great way to check out a new beer
- Some stores let you "make" your own six-pack from singles
- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Mission of Burma - Dust Devil
Father John Misty - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings
Hallelujah the Hills - Hungry Ghost Extraordinaire

The Men - Open Your Heart

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!
The Mission of Burma song is on the forthcoming album Unsound on Fire Records. Download the song for free at Team Clermont.

The Father John Misty song is on the album Fear Fun on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Sub Pop.
The Hallelujah the Hills song is on the album No One Knows What Happens Next on Discrete Pageantry. Download the song for free from Prefix Mag. 
The song by The Men is on the album Open Hearts on Sacred Bones. Download the song for free from 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.

Completely Conspicuous 218: Trademark of Quality

Part 1 of my conversation with special guest Ric Dube as we discuss bootlegs. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").



Show notes:

- Check out Ric's latest project, Trademark of Quality

- Powered by BBQ

- TMOQ doesn't have actual bootlegs, but features essays about them

- Bootlegs comprise anything not released by a record company

- Jay: Discovered bootlegs and imports in record stores in the '80s

- Ric: First boot was a Springsteen live set from '81

- Jay: First boot was a Zeppelin live box set

- Both sound terrible

- Ric: Most bootlegs he owns are of The Replacements

- A lot of originally bootlegged 'Mats B-sides have turned up on official reissues

- Jay: Bought Prince's Black Album in late '80s from bootleg tape vendor at UNH

- Ric made cassette sleeves in early '90s for bootlegs with manga images

- Ric: Recorded bootlegs at live shows

- Also sold VHS tapes

- Jay: Had a list of bootlegs for sale in early '80s

- Used to get bootlegs from the old Rockit Records stores in '80s and '90s

- Ric: Pitching your bootleg wares to record stores

- Now there's countless boots available for free online

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Mission of Burma - Red (live on WERS)

The Minutemen - One Reporter's Opinion/Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing (live at The Blue Note)

The Dirtbombs - Ode to a Black Man (live at The Blind Pig)

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

The Mission of Burma song is from a live set recorded at WERS-FM on 9/21/80. Download the song for free from the Live Music Archive.

The Minutemen songs are from a show recorded live at The Blue Note in Columbia, MO, on 5/12/84. Download the songs for free from the Live Music Archive.

The Dirtbombs song is on from a show recorded live at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, MI, on 7/15/05. Download the song for free from the Live Music Archive.

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 87: King of the Road

I'm on my own for this episode of the podcast, as I introduce a new segment: Driving with Kumar. I recorded the segment while driving to and from work. Click here to listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly here (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- DWP: Driving While Podcasting

- My iced tea habit

- Going to Toronto for vacation

- Catching up with an old buddy

- Happy anniversary

- Driving through Salem

- Planning a road trip

- Nine quick years

- Driving home

- Thoughts on the demise of WBCN

- Growing up on radio

- Pinhead of the Week

Music:

- Mission of Burma - 1-2-3-Partyy!

- Spiral Stairs - Maltese Terrier

- Brendan Benson - Feel Like Taking You Home

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

The Mission of Burma song is on the band's forthcoming album The Sound The Speed The Light. The Spiral Stairs song is on the forthcoming album The Real Feel. Both albums are on Matador Records, where you can download both songs.

The Brendan Benson song is on the album My Old, Familiar Friend on ATO Records. Download the song at Stereogum.

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 music blogs Clicky Clicky and Keeping Some Dark Secrets. Additional music used in the show is by Me and Boris the Bull, which is the brainchild of the mighty Mark Campbell. Thanks to Justin Labarge for the album art; find out more about his mad web skillz at Bold Everything Interactive.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous Episode 55: Give It Away

Greetings again. Just recorded the latest episode of CompCon. Good collection of tunage again this week. You can download it here (right click and "save as").

The show notations, if you will...

Topics:
- Presidential campaign fatigue
- Giving music away for free
- Pinhead of the Week

Music:
- Nine Inch Nails - Discipline
- The Black Angels - Doves
- Mudhoney - In 'n Out of Grace
- Mission of Burma - Max Ernst
- Santogold - LES Artistes

Promo:
- New England Podcasting.

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes and Podcast Pickle podcast directories. Subscribe and write a review!

The song from Nine Inch Nails is on the new album The Slip; visit http://theslip.nin.com/ to find out more and download the album for free. The Mission of Burma song is on the reissue of the classic album Vs. The album is on Matador Records, where you can find out more and download the song.

The Mudhoney song is on the reissue of the album Superfuzz Bigmuff. The song is courtesy of Sub Pop Records, where you can find out more and download the track.

The Black Angels song is on the new album Directions to See a Ghost on Light in the Attic Records. The Santogold song is on her self-titled album on Downtown Records. Both songs is provided by IODA Promonet:

The Black Angels
"Doves" (mp3)
from "Directions To See A Ghost - iTunes Exclusive"
(Light In The Attic)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album



Santogold
"L.E.S Artistes" (mp3)
from "L.E.S Artistes"
(Lizard King)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
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 by visiting his excellent music blog. Additional music used in the show is by Me and Boris the Bull, which is the brainchild of Mark Campbell.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.