Completely Conspicuous 604: New Pollution

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey about the music of 1996. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Phil's #5: Cowboy Junkies score with their first album of originals

- Jay's #5: Sebadoh with a sprawling collection of rockers and ballads

- Phil's #4: Soundgarden's last album of the '90s turned away from their big hit

- Jay's #4: Frank Black with another album of quirky greatness

- Phil's #3: Phish with a fan-friendly studio release

- Jay's #3: Cinematic-sounding crime saga from the Afghan Whigs

- Phil's #2: Double album that was the breakthrough for Wilco

- Jay's #2: After a brief breakup, Sloan comes back with a power pop classic

- Phil's and Jay's #1: Beck blows up with a spectacular album that explores multiple genres

- Favorite songs: "New Pollution" (Phil), "G Turns to D" (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 603: Bulls On Parade

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey about the music of 1996. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- In '96, Jay turned 29, Phil turned 27

- Days of little to no responsibility other than work

- Adventures in sports gambling

- Tougher year to come up with top 5

- The Macarena was all the rage

- Phil's non-top 5s: Rage Against the Machine, Fiona Apple, Sleater-Kinney, Tragically Hip, Dave Matthews Band, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Moe, Tracy Bonham, Luscious Jackson, Sublime, Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, Tom Petty, Tori Amos, Cake, Silver Jews

- Rolling Stone lists are sheer clickbait

- Jay's non-top 5s:  Soundgarden, Superdrag, Posies, D Generation, Weezer, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

- 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 347: Reeling in the Years, 1996 (Part 3)

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1996. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:
- Recorded via Skype
- Check out Brian's new radio show Unsolicited Mixtape
- Brian's #5
- Olivia Tremor Control made Brian's favorite Elephant 6 album
- Jay's #5 and Brian's #4
- Frank Black had a tough task following up Teenager of the Year
- Moved to a rawer sound
- In the middle of an excellent stretch of solo music
- Jay's #4
- Weezer's underrated (at the time) masterpiece
- Brian's #3
- Ween goes to Nashville
- Serious musicianship behind silly songs
- Jay's #3
- Afghan Whigs' Black Love was a cinematic concept album
- Serious Quadrophenia feel on the ballads
- Brian's #2
- Fountains of Wayne's debut was also underrated
- Jay's #2
- Sloan bounced back from short-lived breakup to put together a brilliant album
- Trading a Ween mix for a Sloan mix
- Brian's #1
- Pinkerton was the first album Brian liked and his friends didn't
- Serious dropoff in quality since then
- Jay's #1
- Beck followed up Mellow Gold with an amazing album
- Brian: Midnite Vultures is the best Prince album of the '90s
- Next up: 1988

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

Music:
Ex Hex - Don't Wanna Lose
Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas - Caught Up
Mini Dresses - In Two

The Ex Hex song is on the album Rips on Merge Records. Download the song for free for a limited time at KEXP.
The Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas song is on the album Secret Evil on Instant Records. Download the song for free at KEXP.
The Mini Dresses song is on the EP Three and available for free download at 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.

Completely Conspicuous 346: Reeling in the Years, 1996 (Part 2)

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1996. 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: Beck's Odelay was just outside my top 5
- New album's okay, but not great
- Brian: Cake, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Wrens' Secaucus
- The endless wait for the new Wrens album
- Brian was supposed to play piano with the Wrens but got sick
- Sticking up for Stone Temple Pilots' album
- Jay: STP were equal opportunity ripoff artists
- The '90s brought new wave of festivals: Lolla, Gathering of the Vibes, HORDE, Ozzfest
- Jay: No desire to go to Bonnaroo or Coachella
- Nothing better than seeing a band in a club
- Jay: Dug albums from D Generation, Sebadoh, Luscious Jackson, Johnny Cash, Chixdiggit, Brainiac, GBV, Maxwell, Westerberg
- Singing the praises of Live at Drew's
- Brian: Belle and Sebastian, Bill Frisell
- Frisell did the soundtrack to a Far Side cartoon
-  To be continued

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

Music:
King Tuff - Headbanger
Purling Hiss - Forcefield of Solitude
Young Adults - Old Kids

The King Tuff song is on the album Black Moon Spell on Sub Pop. Download the song for free for a limited time at Amazon MP3.
The Purling Hiss song is on the album Weirdon on Drag City. Download the song for free at KEXP.
The Young Adults song is available for free download at 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.

Completely Conspicuous 345: Reeling in the Years, 1996 (Part 1)

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1996. 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
- In '96, Jay was 28 going on 29
- Brian: 13 going on 14
- Grunge was fading, pop was back in a big way
- Two versions of "The Macarena" were on top 100 singles chart
- Brian: At the time, didn't feel like a pop year
- Bush made an album with Steve Albini
- Lots of unsuccessful followups: Ugly Kid Joe, Kriss Kross
- Metallica's Load lived down to its name
- Strange year for Van Halen: Twister soundtrack, followed by greatest hits album with two DLR songs
- VH went through three singers in a matter of months
- Michael Anthony, Everyman
- We deconstructed VH III in eps 315 and 316
- Nickelback's first album came out in '96
- KISS reunited with original lineup
- Hip hop went mainstream
- New acts on the rise, like The Roots, Outkast, Wu Tang Clan
- Roots of nu metal
- The death of rock criticism with David Fricke in Rolling Stone giving U2's new album a five-star rating
- Rolling Stone typically hands out good reviews to old-school artists like U2, Dylan, Stones
- Last time U2 did anything interesting was 1997's Pop
- The U2 backlash is fierce
-  To be continued

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

Music:
Whirr - Mumble
Withered Hand - Black Tambourine
Super Medusa - Doomed Boy

The Whirr song is on the album Sway on Graveface Records. Download the song for free for a limited time at Amazon MP3.
The Withered Hand song is on the album New Gods on Slumberland Records. Download the song for free as part of the Slumberland Records 25th Anniversary Sampler on Amazon MP3.
The Super Medusa song is on the EP of the same name, which is available for free download at 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.