Completely Conspicuous 678: Knee Deep in the Hoopla

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we count down our favorite music of 2026 so far. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

• Breitling's #6: Kurt Vile's love letter to Philly
• KV writes songs about nothing and they're great
• Kumar's #6: Great album from Chicago's Ratboys
• Leading the wave of bands with sweet female vocals and rocking instrumentation
• Breitling's #5: 17-track compilation from the Laughing Chimes
• It's like a typewriter, retro and satisfying
• Kumar's #5: Hot indie rock from Philly's Gladie
• Led by former singer of Cayetana
• Breitling's #4: First new LP from Broken Social Scene in a decade
• Reembracing the combustible
• Freakin' Fanelli
• Bootlegs became readily available in the early '00s
• Kumar's #4: Montreal post-punk trio with an excellent release
• Political lyrics
• Breitling's #3: The Notwist returns with a sound that combines their different phases
• Back to basics
• Documentary captures their weirdness
• Kumar's #3: Austin synth-punk weirdos Drakulas return with gloriously fun release
• Featuring members of the Riverboat Gamblers and Rise Against
• Breitling's and Kumar's #2: We did it!
• Courtney Barnett with a triumphant album recorded in California
• Sings about everyday issues in her life
• Breitling's and Kumar's #1: We did it again!
• Alex Edkins of METZ with his second Weird Nightmare album
• Not as dark and heavy as METZ, but exciting and exhilarating
• Very hooky and uplifting
• Looking forward to new stuff from Kiwi Jr., Strange Pains, Johnny Foreigner, Afghan Whigs, The Cramps (archival release), The Fall, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Evil Island  
  

  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 677: Time for a Slacker Revolution

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling about the best music of 2026 so far. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

• AI music is apparently a thing on streaming services
• Saxophone Colossus, mfer (RIP)
• Blue dot syndrome: Tours getting canceled because of poor ticket sales
• Who woulda thunk Kiefer Sutherland couldn't sell out concerts?
• Many artists are trying to fill venues that are too big
• We're going to a lot of concerts
• Why is beer so expensive at music venues?
• What is a walking class?
• The Osbourne family has licensed an Ozzy hologram for use in ads
• ABBA does a hologram show of them in their prime
• Maybe older bands should be replaced by holograms
• Car Seat Headrest remade their 2016 album, removed swear words and drug references
• Books are being updated with current references
• AI is used a lot to make pop and R&B music
• Young H-Dawg is into grunge now
• Breitling's honorable mentions: Crooked Fingers, Sleaford Mods, Stomptalk Modstone, Softjaw, Reds Pinks and Purples, Mclusky, Fugazi, Hedge
• Kumar's HMs: King Tuff, Bevis Frond, New Pornographers, Gord Downie and the Sadies, Damaged Bug, Sub*T, Ecca Vandal, Broken Social Scene
• Breitling's #10: Philly's Nothing with a different sound
• Influenced by the singer's neurological disorder
• Kumar's #10: Mclusky returns with a killer mini-album
• Recent spate of touring has made the band even better
• Breitling's #9: Lofi Legs may or may not have released an album this year
• The time is right for a slacker revolution
• Kumar's #9: Joyce Manor sings about getting older
• LA trio makes with the emo pop-punk
• Breitling's #8: Reunited original lineup of the Grownup Noise
• Band deserves more props
• Kumar's #8: Pure pop magic from the Lemon Twigs
• Reminiscent of Sharp Pins and Redd Kross
• Breitling's #7: Pittsburgh's Feeble Little Horse persevere without Ryan
• All killer, no filler
• Kumar's #7: Canadian artist Daniel Romano continues to bring the heat
• Split up songwriting duties for this album
• 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 676: Out There

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

Show notes:

• Continuing our top 10
• Phil's #9: Trey Anastasio of Phish stretches out
• No studio version of the song
• Jay's #9: The concise awesomeness of Alex Lifeson
• A virtuoso in a band of virtuosos
• Phil's #8: Back to the jam with RIck Mitarotonda of Goose
• Another band that saves their best for the live setting
• Jay's #8: Another Matthew Sweet song, this time featuring Richard Lloyd on lead guitar
• Features a fake ending with even more soloing
• Phil's #7: Square dancing in gym class led Phil to this Beatles song
• George Harrison with a beautiful, heartfeld solo
• Great video, too
• Jay's #7: A ripping solo from J. Mascis from '93
• Video wasn't directed by Matt Dillon; he did the "Get Me" video
• Mascis has recorded a ton of great solos over the years
• Phil's #6: Eddie VH's magnum opus
• The instrumental that changed the face of hard rock
• Wasn't meant to be recorded at first
• Jay's #6: Less overplayed solo from Jimmy Page
• A lesser-known album from Zeppelin
• Phil's #5: Mick Taylor shines for the Stones
• The band started jamming at the end of the song and they kept recording
• Jay's #5: Robert Fripp with a ripper of a solo for Brian Eno
• Eno's first solo album after Roxy Music
• Phil's #4: The Allman Brothers' tribute to Django Reinhardt
• Three different solos
• Jay's #4: More Richard Lloyd along with Tom Verlaine on a 10-minute art-rock classic
• Kind of jam band adjacent
• Phil's #3: Neil Young with an epic love song
• Recording starts in the middle of a jam
• Jay's #3: Monster instrumental featuring Eddie Hazel's psychedelic playing
• Mike Watt does a cover with J. Mascis handling the guitar
• The interesting career of Prakash John
• Phil's #2 and Jay's #1: Hendrix blows minds with acid blues rock
• SRV does an incredible cover
• Jay's #2: Nasty riff and solo from Eddie VH
• One of Van Halen's darker songs
• Phil's #1: A Grateful Dead classic that highlights Jerry Garcia
• Cover of a Bonnie Dobson folk song
• Builds to a roaring crescendo

Completely Conspicuous is available wherever you get 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.