Completely Conspicuous 147: Music Geek USA

Amanda Guest joins me on the podcast to discuss music geekdom. Listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- Check out Amanda's show Radioculars on WMWM Saturdays from 3-6 p.m. Eastern at Salem State University

- Amanda: Music geekery started when she got to WMWM

- Parents played radio for her while she was still in a crib

- Amanda's first musical memory: Manilow's "Copacabana"

- Kumar: Remember hearing War and Eric Burdon's "Spill the Wine" as 3-year-old

- As a kid, Amanda dug ABBA and Muppets albums

- Later she got into showtunes like Les Miserables, Cats

- She also liked NKOTB, Bon Jovi, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

- Kumar: Saw Alanis Morisette at the Paradise in '94

- WMWM's sister station is WFNX

- FNX DJ got Amanda into voiceover work

- She recited MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech

- Amanda's geekdom grew as she did radio show each week

- Easier to find more obscure music now

- Music licensing doesn't have same stigma it used to

- Amanda doesn't have too many female friends who are music geeks

- Amanda: Girls don't get as obsessive about music collections

- Guys tend to have much larger music collections

- Amanda won contest to see every concert at Paradise Rock Club in October 2009

- She went to 20 shows, spent 20 to 30 hours a week at the 'Dise that month

- Shows included Bajofondo, Blues Traveler, Bob Mould

- After that month of shows, Amanda took winter off from concertgoing

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Wintersleep - Trace Decay

Yuck - Georgia

Ringo Deathstarr - Imagine Hearts

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

The show is sponsored by Budget, the country's premier car rental service with 900 locations. Go to Budget.com/CompCon and save 10% off any reservation or $30 off a weekly rental.

The Wintersleep song is on the band's album New Inheritors on Tom Kotter Records. Download the song at the band's website.

The Yuck song is on 7-inch release Georgia on Transparent Records. Download the song for free at Force Field PR.

The Ringo Deathstarr song is on the album Colour Trip on Club AC30. Download the song for free at RCRD LBL.

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 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 Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 146: Hey DJ, Play That Song

I'm joined on the podcast by Amanda Guest as we discuss college radio. Listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- Amanda hosts Radioculars Saturdays from 3-6 p.m. Eastern at Salem State University

- Started working at station in 1994

- Amanda was a top 40 fan when got to college

- Station only played indie rock at the time

- Lots of uptalking at first

- First DJ name was Bob, followed by Cosmic Amanda

- First time slot was Tuesdays noon-3

- Later got the "coveted" Friday 6-9 p.m. time slot

- Online streaming means Amanda now has listeners all over the world

- Stuck with Friday nights for several years

- Left SSC and came back in 2000-2001

- Graduated in 2003, but kept doing a show

- Anyone can do a show, but preference is given to students

- Mid-'90s was a great time for music

- Only played noncommercial music, but had a playlist rotation

- Now WMWM is freeform

- Amanda plays indie rock from artists like Surfer Blood, Wavves, Thermals

- College radio has less influence now

- Feedback comes via Facebook, Twitter, IM

- Studio is all digital now; used to be mix of vinyl and CDs

- For a while, Amanda did a '70s disco show

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

The Twilight Singers (with Ani DiFranco) - The Blackbird and the Fox

The Morning Benders - Outlaw Blues

Gang of Four - Never Pay for the Farm

No Age - Fever Dreaming

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

The show is sponsored by Eastbay/Footlocker.com. Use the following codes to get athletic gear from Nike, Adidas, Asics and more. AFCOMP15 will get you 10% off any order of $50 at Eastbay.com, AFCOMP20 will get you 15% off any order of $75 at Eastbay.com and AFCOMPFL will get you 10% off any order of $50 or more at Footlocker.com.

The Twilight Singers song is on the band's forthcoming album on Sub Pop Records. Find out more and download the song for free from the band's Internet home page.

The Morning Benders song is on the album Subterranean Homesick Blues: A Tribute to Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home on Reimagine Records. Download the song for free from the band's site.

The Gang of Four song is on the forthcoming album Content on Yep Roc. Download the song for free at Reverb Nation.

The No Age song is on the album Everything in Between on Sub Pop, where you can download the song for free.

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 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 Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 145: Comedy is Not Pretty

Guest Ric Dube joins me on the podcast as we conclude our discussion about comedy. Listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- Appearing on The Tonight Show doesn't have same impact it once did

- Three categories of comedy

- 1) Comics who came up as standups and leave it behind for acting

- 2) Comics who both act and do standup

- 3) New comics who are like indie rockers

- Comedians are getting the word out online, through podcasts, live shows

- The Dane Cook conundrum: his fans aren't necessarily comedy fans

- Howard Stern: Going to satellite meant too much of the dwarves and strippers

- YouTube is a goldmine for comedy fans

- The Onion News Network keeps National Lampoon aesthetic alive

- Ric liked The Onion Movie

- Comedy album is not what it once was

- Dube just bought new Doug Benson album directly from his site

- Adam Carolla does free podcast, sells downloadable live shows

- Sponsored podcasts are similar to 1950s television

- Comedians use online marketing to build their audiences

- Dube: Comedy is still very healthy

- Check out Dube's special comedy episode of More Lost Time

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Eternal Summers - A Salty Salute

Johnny Foreigner - The Most Beautiful Widow

The Thermals - Never Listen to Me

Teenage Fanclub - What You Do to Me

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

The show is sponsored by Eastbay/Footlocker.com. Use the following codes to get athletic gear from Nike, Adidas, Asics and more. AFCOMP15 will get you 10% off any order of $50 at Eastbay.com, AFCOMP20 will get you 15% off any order of $75 at Eastbay.com and AFCOMPFL will get you 10% off any order of $50 or more at Footlocker.com.

The Eternal Summers song is on the band's new album Silver on Kanine Records. Download the song for free at RCRDLBL.

The Johnny Foreigner song is a Sparklehorse cover the band's label Alcopop! is giving away at Clicky Clicky.

The Thermals song is on the album Personal Life on Kill Rock Stars. Download the song for free at Pitchfork.

The Teenage Fanclub song is on the album Bandwagonesque and the compilation Four Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-Six Seconds. Download the song for free at Insound.

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 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; find out more at . Thanks to Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 144: Keep 'em Laughing

Special guest Ric Dube joins me on the podcast for part 2 of our conversation about comedy. Listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- Ric don't need no Instant Google

- Corporate websites still suck

- As a kid, Dube had a book that reprinted comedy bits

- Early SNL had no respect for structure

- ABC Dunhill released a Gabe Kaplan album after "Welcome Back, Kotter" was a hit

- Making fun of Chinese people was no big deal in the '70s

- Jerry Lewis' terrible comeback flick Hardly Working

- Leno made a crappy buddy cop comedy with Pat Morita

- Dube saw Joe Piscopo and Treat Williams in "Dead Heat" in the theater

- SNL in the '80s was a mixed bag

- Dick Ebersol brought a sports philosophy to SNL

- Lorne Michaels returned in '85-'86 with new blood

- Eddie Murphy's "Comedian" album was one of first comedy albums Kumar bought

- Dube didn't have a problem with the PMRC

- Kumar knew most of the routines on Murphy's album before he actually heard them

- Murphy's more homophobic routines haven't aged well

- Kumar: Didn't enjoy watching raunchy shows on TV with parents

- Dube's dad took 6-year-old Ric to see Jack Lemmon's "Save the Tiger"

- Kumar was able to see Mel Brooks movies as a young kid thanks to lax Canadian movie ratings

- Ric's mom didn't see the psychological impact of "Dumbo" on kids of divorce

- Eddie Murphy's ice cream man bit came true with Ric's son

- Murphy was never the same after he started making music

- More comedic actors nowadays did not get start as standups

- Zach Galifanakis is great standup, good in movies

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

The Black Angels - Telephone

The Henry Clay People - Switch Kids

Deer Tick - Piece by Piece, Frame by Frame

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

The show is sponsored by Budget, the country's premier car rental service with 900 locations. Go to Budget.com/CompCon and save 10% off any reservation or $30 off a weekly rental.

The Black Angels song is on the band's new album Phosphene Dream on Blue Horizon Records. Download the song for free at the Daily Rind.

The Henry Clay People song is an unreleased track the band is giving away for free.

The Deer Tick song is on the album The Black Dirt Sessions on Partisan Records. Download the song for free at Force Field PR.

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 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 Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 143: Hardy Har Har

Special guest Ric Dube joins me on the podcast as we discuss our comedy influences. Listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- Dube got into standup comedy through listening to albums with his dad

- Johnny Carson's Tonight Show was huge for comedians

- Only three main channels in the '60s and '70s

- Audience is diluted now by cable, DVRs, Internet

- Kumar: Listened to sketch comedy on radio from National Lampoon, Firesign Theater

- Watched SNL, Fridays, SCTV

- Stereos used to be furniture

- Dube's uncle would invite friends over to listen to new comedy LPs

- Kumar: Watched reruns of "Bob Newhart Show" with dad

- Comedy in the '70s went from a social to a solitary experience

- Differing opinions on SCTV

- Kids in the Hall was a brilliant show

- Letterman's 12:30 a.m. NBC show was amazing

- Kumar went to one of the last Letterman shows on NBC; Leno was guest

- Leno was hilarious back in the day

- Marc Maron's podcast features great interview with Judd Apatow

- As 16-year-old, Apatow interviewed Seinfeld, Leno, Shandling about comedy

- Steve Martin's autobiography focuses on standup days

- Martin got a job at Disneyland to get into showbiz

- Apatow started as a busboy in a comedy club

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Japandroids - Heavenward Grand Prix

Marnie Stern - Transparency is the New Mystery

Grinderman - Heathen Child

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

The show is sponsored by Eastbay/Footlocker.com, a leading supplier of athletic footwear, apparel and sports equipment. Use promo code AFCOMP15 to get 10% off any order of $50 or more at Eastbay.com, AFCOMP20 to get 15% off any order of $75 or more at Eastbay.com, and AFCOMPFL to get 10% off any order of $50 or more at Footlocker.com.

The Japandroids song is part of the band's ongoing 7-inch single series. Download the song for free at Pitchfork.

The Marnie Stern song is from her eponymous forthcoming album on Kill Rock Stars Records. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Grinderman song is on the Grinderman 2 album on ANTI Records. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

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 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 Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 142: Back to Work

This week on the podcast, it's another installment of Driving with Kumar as I discuss the daily commute. Listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- We spend a good chunk of our lives commuting

- I've got a 25-minute commute now

- First job out of college was in Peabody, Mass.

- Commute shortened from 45 to 20 to 5 minutes

- Longest commute was to Cambridge, nearly 90 minutes

- Salem is super-busy in fall with tourists

- My commute's about to change for the better

- Plenty of folks who commute for hours each day

- More people are willing to travel farther

- I like working closer to home

- Telecommuters can work from anywhere

- People do many other things while driving

- Bumpy streets brought to you by town of Marblehead

- Cue old guy cell phone rant

- People get a lot braver behind the wheel

- Stereo helps make commute more bearable

- When I was a reporter, I was driving out to stories all day

- Commute's a good time to clear your head or do some thinking

- Ran to work a few times

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

The 20/20 Project - Back to Work

Cee Lo Green - Georgia

The Knux - Floozy

Del the Funkee Homosapien - Phoney Phranchise

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

The show is sponsored by Budget, the country's premier car rental service. Go to Budget.com/CompCon and save 10% off any reservation or $30 off a weekly rental.

The 20/20 Project song is on the self-released EP Employees of the Year. Download the song and EP for free at Bandcamp.com.

The Cee Lo Green song is from his forthcoming album The Lady Killer on Warner Bros. Records. Find out more and download the song for free at his site.

The Knux song is on the self-released EP F*ck You, which is available for free download via RCRDLBL.

The Del the Funkee Homosapien song is on the album Both Sides of the Brain on Hieroglyphics Imperium Records. The song is available through IODA Promonet:

Del the Funky Homosapien
"Phoney Phranchise" (mp3)
from "Both Sides Of The Brain"
(Hieroglyphics Imperium)
Buy at Napster
Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon MP3
Buy at appliedSB / MCNE (Groupietunes)
Buy at mTraks
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 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 Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 141: Memories Can't Wait

I'm flying solo on the podcast this week as I discuss the lasting power of the mix tape. Listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- Music takes you back to specific time or place

- Couldn't listen to "Wild Horses" for a few years

- Joe Jackson's "I'm the Man" brings back good memories

- Made mix tapes on clock radio with tape deck

- Mix tapes have made a comeback

- Started writing series called Mixology to look back at old mix tapes

- Oldest mix tape I have was recorded in 1981

- Lots of hard rock and prog rock featured

- Was surprised to hear that I recorded little bits on some of the tapes

- 1981 started out great

- Eighth grade was a lot of fun

- But we knew were moving to Washington state soon

- Moved in November

- Radio stations there sucked, so mix tapes kept me going

- Didn't make another mix tape until I got to college

- Made a few tapes in college, but really started making a lot after I graduated

- Listening to those old tapes really reminds of me of good and bad times

- Last mix tape was made in 1999 until my tape deck died

- Still make CD and iTunes playlist mixes

- Bonehead of the Week

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

The show is sponsored by Eastbay/Footlocker.com, a leading supplier of athletic footwear, apparel and sports equipment. Use the promo code AFCOMP15 to get 10% off any order of $50 or more at Eastbay, AFCOM20 will get you 15% off any order of $75 or more at Eastbay, and AFCOMPFL will get you 10% off any order of $50 or more at Footlocker.

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 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 Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.