Completely Conspicuous 336: Album vs. Playlist

This week, it's an episode of Driving With Kumar as guests Dave Olson and Phil Stacey join me to discuss whether the album is an endangered species. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").


Show notes:
- Recorded on the way to Fenway Park
- A BBC radio exec proclaimed the album is about to be extinct
- "Playlists are the future"
- Phil: Listen to a lot of albums by new or unfamiliar artists on Spotify
- Much different listening experience when we were kids
- Dave: Worked in restaurants as a kid and brought mix tapes to listen to
- Albums brought more lasting satisfaction
- Phil: Song order is interesting
- Sometimes an album only has 1 or 2 good songs
- Deep cuts
- Hunting for B-sides
- Digging through back catalog
- The vagaries of bubblegum pop
- Kids don't listen to albums as much anymore
- Phil likes the jam bands
- Commercial radio is in rough shape
- Music sales are a fraction of what they once were 20+ years ago
- The power of licensed music in movies and TV
- MTV used to be a huge music influencer
- The vinyl resurgence
- Mixes or playlists can have interesting choices
- Offending people with mixtape selections

Music:
Speedy Ortiz - Bigger Party
Dead Stars - Wasted

Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal

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

The Speedy Ortiz song is part of the Adult Swim Singles Series. Download the song for free at Adult Swim.

The Dead Stars song is on the album Slumber on Old Flame Records. Download the song for free at KEXP.
The Parquet Courts song is on the album Sunbathing Animal on What's Your Rupture? Download the song for free at KEXP.

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 310: Had Enough

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Lewandowski as we discuss his latest bold career move. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").


Show notes:
- Recorded at BGL HQ
- Momentous life decision
- BL was working as a web guy at a Boston hospital
- Commuted four hours each day
- Didn't get promotion and decided to quit
- BL: I just hated what I did
- Haven't felt urgency to find something new
- JK: Got a job right out of college and never stopped working
- Taking chances
- BL: Played it safe early on and missed out on working on MTV's The Real World
- Getting encouragement from friends not many kindred spirits
- Layoffs are a different thing entirely
- Going back to a job you left
- The very brief heyday of CMGI
- The ever-changing world of venue names
- BL: Need to figure out next move by February
- Commute is a huge factor
- Cramming into crowded trains gets old fast
- BL's been doing standup part-time the last few years
- Hosting a standup show that's growing slowly
- Not easy to get paid to do what you love
- People selling stuff at home parties: Hats, jewelry, food
- Get-rich schemes are the American Way
- Scratch tickets as a strategy
- BL: Take a lower-paying gig to support the real goal?
- Trying to separate money from career
- To be continued

Music:
School of Seven Bells - Lafaye
Sadie Dupuis - X Actually

Dead Stars - Fractured

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

The School of Seven Bells song is on the album Ghostory on Vagrant Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Sadie Dupuis song is a solo recording available for free at Stereogum.
The Dead Stars song is on the EP High Gain. Download the song for free 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.