Completely Conspicuous

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1986. I've also got music from Superchunk, Bottomless Pit and Lazy. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - Sammy Hagar's lyrical prowess - Sam Halen? - Jay: Saw VH and DLR touring separately in summer of '86 - The sad tale of Jason Becker - Amnesty International's Conspiracy of Hope tour featured U2, Peter Gabriel, Sting - Led to ill-fated Police reunion - Bands that formed or released debut albums in '86: NWA, 2 Live Crew, Buffalo Tom, Pixies, Throwing Muses, Goo Goo Dolls, Firehose, Big Audio Dynamite - A comeback of sorts for Neil Young - Ramones album was plagued by bad '80s production - Jay was conflicted about XTC's "Dear God" - Brian's #5 album - Jonathan Richman's mostly under the radar career path - Jay's #5 - Eat 'Em and Smile out-Van Halened Van Halen - Brian's #4 - Mark Sandman's pre-Morphine act, Treat Her Right, released debut - Jay's #4 - John Lydo

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1986. I've also got music from Fucked Up, Mudhoney and Two Inch Astronaut. 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 - B

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss hipsters. I've also got music from Twin Peaks, Feral Jenny and Ancient Babes. Show notes: - Matt recently became a published author - Check out his YA superhero novel The Indestructibles - Matt: The definition of cool is not trying too hard - Shopping is simple if you don't care about trends - WTF is up with skinny jeans? - Changing office dress codes - Matt's office phobia - Hippies turned into yuppies - Aging well - Bronies are hipsters who have gone too far - The life cycle of a hipster - Matt lived in Hipster Ground Zero for a while - Saw early signs of the hipster look a decade ago - The seamy underside of politics - You need a lack of self-awareness to run for office - Some employers seem to want mindless worker drones - Conclusion: We're not hipsters   Music: Twin Peaks - Flavor Feral Jenny - Tearless Creep Ancient Babes - What Mean Expendable?   Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe an

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss the scourge of hipsterism. I've also got music from Bob Mould, The Hold Steady and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Show notes: - Matt recently became a published author - Check out his YA superhero novel The Indestructibles - Vin Diesel, businessman - The brilliance of True Detective - Hipsters: Is there a cutoff age? - '90s hipsters were into the grunge look - The mysterious allure of Mumford and Sons - Hipsters love shitty beer - Going to an effort to not look attractive - Of beards and men - Tattoos are trendy - The Beatles set the trends of their day - Where does it go from here? - For a few years in the late '90s, it was nu metal and baggy pants - We're all about the low-maintenance wardrobe - Hair today, gone tomorrow - To be continued   Music: Bob Mould - Hey Mr. Grey The Hold Steady - Spinners The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - She's On It/Jack the Ripper (live)   Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast direc

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we dissect the strange connections of '70s-era pop hitmakers. I've also got music from Deerhoof, Fat History Month and The Baseball Project. Show notes: - Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ - Christopher Cross' surprisingly long career - Producer Michael Omartian was in disco act Rhythm Heritage, which released the #1 hit "Theme from S.W.A.T." in 1976 - Also did theme from Baretta - Steve Barry formed Rhythm Heritage with Omartian - Barry produced Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods - Ric plans his funk album - Sammy Davis Jr. sang the Baretta theme - "Billy, Don't Be a Hero" was big hit for Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods - Ric's unsealed Bo Donaldson record - First discovered while touring with the Osmonds - The sadness of the 1970s package tour - The Osmonds actually had a few cool songs - "Hold Her Tight" was a Zeppelin sound-alike - Recorded during their "rock" phase, which didn't last long - Donny and Marie were the big moneymakers - Donny Osmond had a few

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we try to figure out how Christopher Cross became a pop star. I've also got music from Bedroom Eyes, Hymnals and Kinski. Show notes: - Recorded in at More Lost Time world HQ - All about the shrews in Shrewsbury - Record fairs are back - Where did Christopher Cross come from? - Went from San Antonio cover band to stardom - Produced by Michael Omartian - Omartian worked with lots of big artists, including Rod Stewart and Donna Summer - Lots of big names helped out on Cross' debut: Henley, Michael McDonald, Nicolette Larson - Cross didn't have a particularly great voice - Jay's Christopher Cross album - Pre-MTV fame - First single was "Ride Like the Wind," second was "Sailing" - Theme from Arthur was his biggest hit - Couldn't escape it on the radio for a while - Ric: Played plenty of music like this at Strawberries - "Think of Laura" was written for General Hospital - To be continued   Music: Bedroom Eyes - Wild Sins Hymnals - When You're Away Kinski - Confli

Part 2 of my conversation with guest James Gralian as we discuss the future of podcasting. I've also got music from Courtney Barnett, What Moon Things and Mattress Financial. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out James' show The Avs Hockey Podcast - Old media (radio, newspapers) is struggling - Radio stations need to think differently - Boston was once a great radio town - College radio is still going - Jay: Playing DJ on BFF.fm - Apple helped grow podcasting with iTunes - Talk radio is still popular - James' podcast has nothing to do with sports talk radio - Mo' money, mo' problems - Everything revolves around smartphones - Podcasting is about as DIY as it gets - Still having fun with it - James: There will be massive dropoff in conventional podcasts - Hard to keep up with all the shows - Similar to the amount of good TV out there - This American Life was originally rejected by NPR, went to PRI - It's not about SEO, it's about making good shows   Completely Conspicuous is available thr

Part 1 of my conversation with guest James Gralian as we discuss the future of podcasting. I've also got music from Mean Creek, Foxy Shazam and Nothing. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out James' show The Avs Hockey Podcast - Also produces podcast for Denver Symphony Orchestra - We last spoke on this topic four years ago - 10th anniversary of podcasting - Tools are more accessible than ever - James: Don't see as many quality podcasts as I expected - Apple has played big role, positive and negative - James listens to Radiolab, Welcome to Nightvale, Definitely Not the Opera, 99% Invisible, among other podcasts - There are many "two white guys talking" podcasts - Waiting for the next interesting thing - Most podcasters aren't in it for the money - James: Not sure whether sponsors are getting a good return - Trying to have fun and be creative with Avs Hockey Podcast - Professional podcasters vs. hobbyists - Marc Maron is a podcasting success story; turned his entire career around - Commerc

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1984. I've also got music from Hallelujah the Hills, Feral Jenny and Red Sea. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - Brian's #5 - Pretenders are very underrated - Chrissie Hynde got a late start in rock - Jay's #5 - Saw R.E.M.'s first national TV appearance on Letterman - Brian's #4 - Minutemen covered a wide range of styles - Mike Watt's interesting career - Scott Asheton, R.I.P. - James Williamson went from playing with Iggy to become a Silicon Valley exec - Jay's #4 - Van Halen inadvertently helped create hair metal - Brian's #3 - Meat Puppets created a unique sound - Most people became aware of them a decade later - Jay's #3 - Replacements' sound evolved from punk to more mature rock - Brian's #2 was his #1 when we started talking - Jay's #2 - Husker Du was coming into its own in '84 - So much good music on SST in the early to mid-'80s - Brian's #1 - Gordon Gan

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1984. I've also got music from Nancy, Benjamin Shaw and The Men. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - 1984: Brian was 2, Jay was 16 - A pivotal year for college/indie rock - Husker Du, R.E.M., Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Replacements - Aerosmith reformed, Yes bounced back - Classic lineup of Deep Purple reunited - The '80s wank guitar movement started with Yngwie Malmsteen - Early days of hip hop, thrash - Hair metal was emerging as a commercial force: Ratt, Twisted Sister, Dokken, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi - Van Halen's 1984 was huge - Eddie VH embraced synths - The beginning of the end of the Roth era of VH - MTV was a bigger hitmaker than radio - The middle of a bad stretch for Paul McCartney - Older artists rebounded: Kool and the Gang, Chicago, Stevie Wonder - Miami Vice incorporated MTV-style techniques - The video as movie trailer - Death of Marvin Gaye - Billy Squ

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss whether the world is getting dumber. I've also got music from Johnny Foreigner, Spray Paint and Pampers. Show notes: - Guy got fired after calling in sick and then posting video on YouTube - Another guy made it with a cow and had a buddy film it - Reality TV rewards dumbasses - It's a lazy Buzzfeed world - Beard transplants? Really? - Pre-ripped jeans - There's still good rock music out there - In praise of Mark Knopfler - Bravo, dude who came up with Shit My Dad Says - Medical bills are obscene - Selling your old junk - The bottom fell out of the sports card market - We fall for stupid memes designed to rile people up - Outrage culture - We're all dumb   Music: Johnny Foreigner - Stop Talking About Ghosts Spray Paint - Spock Fingers Pampers - Guts   Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review! The Johnny Foreigner song is on the album You Can Do Better on Alcopop! Records. Downloa

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss whether the world is getting dumber. I've also got music from Cloud Nothings, Eagulls and The So So Glos. Show notes: - There are studies that claim humans are getting dumber - Our IQs are supposedly dropping - We rely on smartphones for a lot of information - We're cramming so much info in our heads - Smart TV: True Detective did it right - Disney Channel sitcoms hark back to hacky TV crap of the '70s - Movie industry favors bigger, louder, dumber - Sometimes it's good to watch dumb stuff - Anonymous online comments are a prime source for idiocy - Wasting time online is so easy - People are so self-involved - Reality TV is a haven for dummies - People will do anything to get on TV - The Onion keeps fooling people - Beauty pageants - Our ability to self-incriminate Music: Cloud Nothings - I'm Not Part of Me Eagulls - Possessed The So So Glos - Lost Weekend   Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we examine music from a couple of forgotten artists from the 1970s. I've also got music from Ovlov, Palehound and Baked. Show notes: - Recorded in late January at More Lost Time world HQ - Edward Bear's prom song - They were better when they stuck to guitar rock - Band radically changed their sound - Ric breaks out a 1971 single by Tom Hartman, formerly of the Aerovons - Hartman and band when to England because of the Beatles - Strong resemblance to Sloan's Navy Blues sound - Ric's tips for finding good vinyl at flea markets - Aerovons had a serious Beatles fixation - Very McCartney-esque - Produced by none other than Mike Post - Ebay's a good way to get rare vinyl   Music: Ovlov - Moth Rock Palehound - Holiest Baked - Danelectroladyland   Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review! The Ovlov song is on the album am. The Palehound song is on the Kitchen 7-inch. The Baked song is on the EP S/T Casse

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we look at the career of an obscure 1970s Canadian band that had a huge hit and then disappeared. I've also got music from Protomartyr, The Collected Fictions and Cloud Nothings. Show notes: - Recorded in late January at More Lost Time world HQ - What the hell is Edward Bear? - Named after character in Winnie the Pooh - Their one big hit, "Last Song," is instantly recognizable - Sounds like a studio act - No high or low end in '70s AM pop hits - Manilow had great timing - Second single from that album hit top 40 - Singer Larry Evoy was the one constant member of the band - Opened for Led Zeppelin in '69 - First album had a psychedelic "acid rock" sound - Geddy Lee's mellower uncle - Going for a Canned Heat/Steve Miller Band/Doors vibe - Endless jamming - Early Edward Bear ain't half bad - Opportunistic band, like The Police - Riding whatever music wave was trending - To be continued   Music: Protomartyr - Come & See The Collected Fictions - It Don't Matte

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we dissect the disaster that was Van Halen III. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - Jumping into an 8-minute epic snoozer - Rumors that the VH brothers had jammed with Ozzy around this time - Nuno Bettencourt has been touring with Rihanna - Jay happens to have issue of Guitar World from '98 nearby - The joys of the Columbia House Record Club - Michael Anthony's MIA for most of the album - Eddie compared his singing voice to Roger Waters meets Tom Waits - DLR says they're working on new VH album for mid-2015 - Brian: VH III was bad in a different way than expected - Jay: Almost an Adult Contemporary sound - Jay: Also haven't heard anything from VH's Balance, the last Hagar album - Record sales from the '90s were ridiculous; nearly everything sold well - Bizarre cover of Balance was actually PhotoShopped pic of Wolfgang VH - Putting shitty albums in your iTunes - The latest VH album was what Ae

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we dissect the disaster that was Van Halen III. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - An addendum to our look at 1998 - VH III featuring Gary Cherone on lead vocals - Jay hasn't heard the album, Brian's heard it twice - Last VH album with Michael Anthony - Many long songs - Produced by TV theme composer Mike Post - Pleasant acoustic instrumental to start album - Mission statement: We will wuss you - Cherone sounds a lot like Hagar - Brian: "Without You" not as bad as I remember - Eddie needed an editor - Tough position for Cherone to be in - EVH played some bass on album - Restrained drum sound from Alex VH - Songs drag on way too long - The "go get a beer" song - Extreme acquitted themselves well at Freddie Mercury tribute concert - Mike Post produced artists like Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton - Severe lack of kickassery - Jay saw both Van Hagar and DLR in the summer of '86 - Brian saw Pixies rec

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1998. I've also got music from Screaming Maldini, Brawlers and Grass is Green. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - Brian's #3 - Sean Lennon was considered the poor man's Beck - Yuka Honda was married to Lennon, now married to Nels Cline - Jay's #3 - Totally slept on QOTSA in '98 - Homme's first post-Kyuss band - The greatness of Them Crooked Vultures - Brian and Jay have same #2 - Frank Black got dropped by a major label - First album by major arist commercially released online - Jay: Pete Townshend made some great solo albums in early '80s - Brian's #1 - Billy Bragg and Wilco covering Woody Guthrie - Jay's #1 - Sloan has four talented songwriters - Paul Stanley's stage raps - The end of The Best Show on WFMU - Mourning a great radio experience - Next up: 1984 Music: Screaming Maldini - Soweto Brawlers - Instagram Famous Grass is Green - Vacation 2.0 Completely Co

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1998. I've also got music from Built to Spill, Guillermo Sexo and Bill Janovitz. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - Remember Blues Brothers 2000? - Goo Goo Dolls went Hollywood - Brian: QOTSA released its debut - Rob Halford came out; first prominent metal dude to do so - In retrospect, '80s heavy metal was steeped in gayness - Bubbling under albums - Jay: Fugazi, GVSB, RFTC - Brian: Elliott Smith, The Catholics, Flin Flon, Tortoise, The Lounge Lizards - Jay: Pearl Jam, Neutral Milk Hotel, Pulp, Beasties, Tragically Hip, Cat Power - Brian's #5 album - Hello Nasty is the last classic Beasties album - Jay's #5 and Brian's #4 - Beck does a 180 from Odelay - Later Beck material rehashes older sounds - Jay's #4 - Afghan Whigs fully embrace soul and R&B - Greg Dulli can do no wrong - 1965 was the last Whigs album...until this year - To be continued Music: Built to Sp

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1998. I've also got music from Johnny Foreigner, Fuzz and The Dismemberment Plan. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - The Pixies' ongoing bass situation - Brian: Zwan was underrated - Pixies have become the butt of jokes - In 1998, Jay was 30, Brian was 16 - We both had just started dating the women we would marry - In '98, being eclectic became cool - JK: Was getting into more funk and soul - Big year for pop - TRL started in '98 - Lots of one-hit wonders: Eagle Eye Cherry, Chumbawumba, New Radicals - The New Radicals featured former child actress in band - JK: Saw Fastball open for Matthew Sweet in a tiny pub in Portland, Maine - Semisonic's drummer wrote book about the record industry - The MP3 revolution began in '98 with MP3.com - MP3.com got sued by the labels before Napster - BS: Beginning of Latin influence and the height of the short-lived swing dance craze

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Lewandowski as we discuss his latest bold career move. I've also got music from She Sir, Protomartyr and Red Fang. Show notes: - Recorded at BGL HQ - Sometimes you like the people more than the job - BL stayed to raise his daughter for a while - Now situation is different - The time to restart is now - Is this all there is? - Pressure's on to succeed now - Trying to get disciplined - The Secret is good for finding parking spaces - Finding that elusive "dream job" - Acting is an interesting but difficult pursuit - Job misery can cause physical pain - Working overnights - The future is unwritten - BL: It's not exactly what I thought it would be Music: She Sir - Condensedindents Protomartyr - Scum, Rise! Red Fang - Behind the Light Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review! The She Sir song is on the album Go Guitars on Shelflife Records. Download the song for free at Largehearted Boy. The Proto