Completely Conspicuous 329: Reeling in the Years, 1986 (Part 1)

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1986. 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 was 4 in '86; Jay was (cough) 18 and in college
- Jay: Watched a lot of MTV that year
- Brian: Paul Simon's Graceland was huge
- Peter Gabriel became a megastar
- Van Halen and David Lee Roth split up and released albums
- Brian: Musically, 1986 was all over the place
- Nine of the top 10 selling albums were released in '85
- Album sales were enormous back then
- The Bangles hit big with "Walk Like an Egyptian"
- Springsteen's Live 1975-85 was a big box set release
- First year of Rock Hall of Fame
- Rush and KISS were shocking admissions to Rock Hall in recent years
- Hair metal was thriving; even Judas Priest poofed up their hair
- Hip hop hit hard: Beasties and Run DMC made big impressions
- Aerosmith's career was revived thanks to Run DMC
- Brian: Worst moments include band breakups (Black Flag, Minutemen, Smiths, Dead Kennedys)
- "That's What Friends Are For": Great cause, awful song
- Lionel Richie went from cool in the Commodores to cheesy
- Deaths: Phil Lynott, Richard Manuel, Cliff Burton, Benny Goodman, Scatman Crothers
- Boston's long-awaited third album
- The Vinnie Vincent Invasion took hair metal to ridiculous extremes
- Wank guitar was all the rage
- To be continued...

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

Music:
Fucked Up - Paper the House
Mudhoney - Touch Me I'm Sick (live)
Two Inch Astronaut - Part of Your Scene (live on WVAU)

The Fucked Up song is on the album Glass Boys on Matador Records. Download the song for free at Matablog.
The Mudhoney song is on the EP Mudhoney on Top! KEXP Presents Mudhoney Live on Top of the Space Needle. Download the song for free at KEXP.
The Two Inch Astronaut song is available for free download (in exchange for your email address) as part of Exploding in Sound's EIS Sampler 2013-2014 on 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 309: Top of the Rock

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of 2013. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").



Show notes:
- Recorded at Clicky Clicky World HQ
- JB's #1
- Speedy Ortiz jumped to Carpark Records
- Sadie Dupuis is an actual poet
- JK's #1
- Queens of the Stone Age went to interesting places on ...Like Clockwork
- Matador's first #1 record
- Favorite live shows
- JB saw Lilys in a tiny venue
- Whirr and Nothing at Great Scott made Breitling's brain shake
- Krill, Speedy Ortiz record release shows
- Saw Soccer Mom several times
- JK: Golden Gurls, Soccer Mom and Reports at TT's
- Clicky Clicky benefit was great
- Saw Titus Andronicus twice
- Obits and Pile at TT's
- Just got ticket for Rocket From the Crypt reunion show in April
- Mission of Burma and Reports at the Sinclair
- JK: Vinyl continued to make comeback
- JB: The reality of YouTube as a legit streaming music service
- No sympathy for the record industry
- We're in a pop-driven era
- Novelty songs, bubblegum were huge
- Rock bands have no staying power on the charts
- Anticipated albums for '14
- JB: Johnny Foreigner, Lubec, Soccer Mom, Golden Gurls, White Laces
- JK: Titus Andronicus, Malkmus, Speedy Ortiz EP, Soccer Mom
- Many '80s bands will release new albums

Music:
Speedy Ortiz - No Below (live)
Mudhoney - I Like It Small

METZ - Can't Understand

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

The Speedy Ortiz song is on the band's Epitonic Saki Session. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Mudhoney song is on the album Vanishing Point on Sub Pop. Download it for free from Sub Pop.
The METZ song is part of the Adult Swim Singles Series. Download the song for free 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 fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Completely Conspicuous 269: Eyes on the Prize

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we present the first edition of the CompCon Awards. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").



Show notes:
- Recorded via Skype during the Oscars telecast
- Jay: Picking top albums of the 1970s was tough
- The CompCon Awards are an alternative to the Grammys looking at different categories
- First category: Best Band Name
- Brian saw Trail of Dead back in the day
- Best Sophomore Album
- Bands like The Strokes have struggled to follow up strong debut
- Nirvana's success both killed and launched a lot of terrible bands
- Dave Grohl backlash
- Pondering Weezer's decline
- Graham Maby rules
- Best Side 1
- Harking back to the heyday of vinyl
- First Van Halen album had killer side 1 and 2
- Bowie had an incredible run of albums in the '70s
- Best Side 2
- Other outstanding album sides
- The Chili Peppers haven't aged well
- To be continued
- Bonehead of the Week


Music:
Mudhoney - I Like It Small
Frightened Rabbit - State Hospital
Marnie Stern - Year of the Glad
Telekinesis - Ghosts and Creatures

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

The Mudhoney song is on the album Vanishing Point on Sub Pop. Download it for free from Sub Pop.
The Frightened Rabbit song is on the album Pedestrian Verse on Atlantic Records. Download the song for free at NPR.
The Marnie Stern song is on the album Chronicles of Marnia on Kill Rock Stars. Download the song for free at NPR.
The Telekinesis song is on the album Dormarion on Merge Records. Download the song for free at NPR.

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 262: Anger is an Energy

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss anger management. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").
Show notes:
- Recorded at Chez Phillion, Salem, Mass.
- The joys of home ownership
- We've talked in the past about profanity and politics, which both tie in to anger
- Many forums available for people to vent anger
- Dealing with crazy co-workers
- Matt's an angry man at times
- Running can be therapeutic...or not
- Getting behind the wheel instantly amplifies anger level
- Road rage is scary
- Are we an angrier society than we used to be?
- Like driving a car, social media makes you a lot braver
- Online comments can be particularly vicious
- Putting up with conflicting opinions on Facebook
- The gun debate has stoked anger on both sides
- Matt has a "Spanish face"
- Matt: The rest of the world sees Americans as "overweight, angry and armed"
- Some friends love to troll "the other side" online
- Seagull Facebook: Fly in, make a bunch of noise, crap on everything and fly away
- Anger is stoked at sporting events
- Alcohol doesn't help
- Giants fan beaten at Dodgers Stadium
- Matt wrecked his shoulder venting on a punching bag
- To be continued
- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Mudhoney - The Only Son of the Widow of Nain
Camper Van Beethoven - Someday Our Love Will Sell Us Out
Guided By Voices - She Lives in an Airport
Lovestreams - Shock Corridor

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

The Mudhoney song is on the forthcoming album Vanishing Point on Sub Pop. Download it for free (in exchange for your email address) at SubPop.com.
The Camper Van Beethoven song is on the band's new album La Costa Perdida on 429 Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.
The Guided By Voices song is on the self-released album The Bears for Lunch. Download the song for free from Soundcloud.
The Lovestreams song is available for free download from the Lovestreams Tumblr.

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 186: The Farther I Go

This week on the podcast, I've got some dispatches from my trip to Seattle. Listen to the show below or download it directly (right click and "save as").



Show notes:

- In Seattle for work

- Went to high school for few years in town three hours away

- Greeted by old man crashing into me on escalator

- First time in Seattle since 1983

- Visited Experience Music Project

- Seattle supposedly has last working monorail

- Went running down by the waterfront

- Caught a Mariners baseball game

- Met an old buddy from high school

- Plenty to see in the city

- Had we not moved, I might have gone to college in Seattle

- Major heatwave everywhere in U.S. except Seattle

- Checking in on last night in Seattle

- Finished working

- Got together with another old high school friend

- I got way off track on my way there and was an hour late

- Enjoyable trip

- When I first moved away, kept in touch via letters

- Stopped writing back when I got to college

- Was able to reconnect via Facebook

- Interesting to see how our lives turned out

- When I moved, we were all 15-year-old dorks

- Similarly reconnected with a childhood friend in Toronto a few years ago

- A bit of uncertainty meeting somebody you haven't seen in 30 years

- It's amazing how much you forget over the years

- Used a lot of public transportation in Seattle

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Band of Horses - The Funeral

Mudhoney - In 'N' Out of Grace

The Murder City Devils - Idle Hands

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 Band of Horses song is on the album Everything All the Time on Sub Pop, where you can download the song for free.

The Mudhoney song is on the deluxe reissue of the album Superfuzz Bigmuff on Sub Pop, where you can download the song for free.

The Murder City Devils song is on the album In Name and Blood 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. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous Episode 56: This is Your Brain on Drugs

Just cranked out the latest ep of CompCon. Some good stuff, methinks. Do check it out here (right click and "Save as").

Show notes...

Topics:
- The world of pharmaceutical drugs
- The obsolescence of the necktie
- Pinhead of the Week

Music:
- Mudhoney - I'm Now
- Wolf Parade - Language City
- The Chelsea Smiles - Nothing Wrong
- The Black Halos - Disbelief
- The Zambonis with James Kochalka - Hockey Monkey

Promo:
- New England Podcasting

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

The Mudhoney song is on the new album The Lucky Ones. The Wolf Parade song is on the new album At Mount Zoomer. Both songs are courtesy of Sub Pop Records, where you can find out more and download the tracks.

The Zambonis song is on the album More Songs About Hockey...and Buildings and Food on Tarquin Records; find out more and buy the album here.

The Black Halos song is on the new album We Are Not Alone. The Chelsea Smiles song is on the album Thirty Six Hours Later. Both albums are on Acetate Records and both songs were provided by IODA Promonet:

The Chelsea Smiles
"Nothing Wrong" (mp3)
from "Thirty Six Hours Later"
(Acetate Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Napster
Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon
Buy at mTraks Download
More On This Album



The Black Halos
"Disbelief" (mp3)
from "We Are Not Alone"
(Acetate Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Napster
Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
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 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.

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.

Completely Conspicuous Episode 43: Brother, Can You Spare a Buck?

Another long weekend came and went. I'm still cranking away at my NaNoWriMo book; I'm up to 17,000+ words. Found time to run a 10-mile race in Andover Sunday morning and set a PR with a time of 1:16; it was 29 degrees out and I was running in shorts, so I figured that made me run faster. Took the girls bowling today.

And here's the latest episode of tha CC. Download it directly here (right click and "save as").

The show notes, maestro...

Topics:
- The troubled U.S. economy
- The impact of 20somethings on the workplace
- Pinhead of the Week

Music:
- Thurston Moore - Fri/End
- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Berlin
- The Black Furies - Murder City Shakedown
- Mudhoney - Blindspots
- Jarvis Cocker - Don't Let Him Waste Your Time

Promo:
- New England Podcasting.

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

The song from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is on their album Baby 81 on Red Int/Red Ink Records; find out more here. The Jarvis Cocker song is on his album Jarvis on Rough Trade Records; find out more here. Both songs are courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

The song from Mudhoney is on the album Under a Billion Suns; find out more here. The song is courtesy of Sub Pop Records.

The song from Thurston Moore is on the new album Trees Outside the Academy on Ecstatic Peace Records; find out more here. And the Black Furies song is on their album Death Trip Saturday Night on Gearhead Records; find out more here. Those two songs were provided by IODA Promonet.

Thurston
"Fri/End" (mp3)
from "Trees Outside the Academy"
(Ecstatic Peace)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Napster
Buy at GroupieTunes
More On This Album



Black Furies
"Murder City Shakedown" (mp3)
from "Death Trip Saturday Night"
(Gearhead Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at GroupieTunes
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; find out more here.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.