Completely Conspicuous 266: Streets Ahead

Part 3 of my conversation with guests Mike Piantigini and Brad Searles as we discuss the new music we're looking forward to in 2013. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:
- Recorded at Piantigini Place, Somerville, Mass.
- Mike: New Big Dipper album is great
- Bettie Serveert is back with a new release
- Brad: The Neats reunion is happening
- Shockingly, Brad's never been to SXSW
- SXSW has grown into a huge spectacle
- Thumbs up to The Sinclair
- Def Leppard's Vegas residency
- Bob Mould can't play acoustic shows quietly
- Sting's "Back to Bass" tour
- Bands going out on a bad note
- Guitar Hero/Rock Band games flamed out quickly
- Do not taunt the Zoo TV
- Brad and Mike reminisce about the Merge Records 20th anniv. show
- Wilco's Solid Sound Festival is always good
- Bonehead of the Week


Music:
The XX - Reconsider
The Thermals - Born to Kill
Redd Kross - Stay Away from Downtown
!!! - Slyd

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

The XX song is on the album Coexist on XL Recordings. Download it for free at Chromewaves.
The Thermals song is on the album Desperate Ground on Saddle Creek. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Soundcloud.
The Redd Kross song is on the album Researching the Blues on Merge Records. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.
The !!! song is on the album Thri!!!er on Warp Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

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 238: Generation Gap

Another installment of Driving With Kumar as I discuss the generation gap that exists in pop culture. Listen to the episode below or download it directly.

Show notes:
- Recorded on the way to WFNX Boston Accents farewell show in Allston
- WFNX has been replaced by The Harbor, a "Variety Hits" station
- FNX lasted 29 years
- Driving through another torrential rainstorm
- Generation gap in music fandom driven by a couple of NPR blog posts
- Intern wrote about how she never pays for recorded music
- Ignited industry debate, including a battle of blog posts between David Lowery and Dave Allen

- Another post had an intern reviewing Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions...
- Kid wasn't born when the album came out in 1988
- His love of hip-hop is defined by current artists like Drake
- Couldn't relate to PE's intensity

- I was struck by the lack of knowledge or interest in older music
- Get off my lawn
- As a kid, I was fascinated by music that came out in the previous few decades
- Much easier now to hear music at a moment's notice
- I blame it on sensory overload
- You're going to listen to what your friends dig
- Can't blame kids for not knowing about older acts
- I'm not trying to get my own kids to listen to my music
- Enjoy the rhythmic sounds of nature pounding on my car roof
- The world is much faster
- Technology is advancing at amazing speeds
- Rain stops right as I get into the city
- Remembering the early MP3 players
- Some kids are getting into vinyl and cassettes
- Many old pop cultural references are lost on the young
- It's not too late for kids to learn about older music
- Plenty of great new music out there, too
- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Chelsea Light Moving - Frank O'Hara Hit
The XX - Angels
Blur - The Puritan
Mean Creek - Young & Wild

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!
The Chelsea Light Moving song is available for free download from Matador Records.
The XX song is on the forthcoming album Coexist on Young Turks. Download the song for free at Epitonic.
The Blur song is the B-side of the band's self-released 12-inch Under the Westway. Download the song for free at Epitonic.
The Mean Creek song is from the forthcoming album Youth Companion on Old Flame Records. Download the song for free as part of the Boston Accents Funeral Party Soundtrack 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; check out his site PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous 108: What's My Name?

The podcast's back as I take a look at the lasting impact of nicknames. Click here to listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly here (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- The story of "Lip"

- Nicknames I've had over the years

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

- Metric - Gimme Sympathy

- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Higher Than the Stars

- The XX - Basic Space

- Future of the Left - Arming Eritrea

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

The Metric song is on the self-released album Fantasies. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart song is on the EP Higher Than the Stars on Slumberland Records. Both songs are courtesy of IODA Promonet:

Metric
"Gimme Sympathy" (mp3)
from "Fantasies"
(Arts & Crafts Mexico)

More On This Album



The Pains of Being Pure At Heart
"Higher Than the Stars" (mp3)
from "Higher Than the Stars"
(Slumberland)

Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album



The XX song is on the album xx on XL Recordings. The Future of the Left song is on the album Travels With Myself and Another on 4AD Records. Download both songs for free at BeggarsGroupUSA.

The show is sponsored by Eastbay/Footlocker.com, a leading supplier of athletic footwear, apparel and sports equipment. The promo code AFCOMP15 gets you 15% off any order at Eastbay, the code AFCOMP20 gets you 20% off any order of $75 or more at Eastbay, and the code AFCOMPFL will get you 15% off any order at Footlocker.com.

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 here.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.