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Greg talks about the Germantown, MD band Clutch, whose album was released 20 years ago last week. Comprised of its original lineup since 1991, the hard rock band has developed a loyal fanbase nationwide. Songs: Clutch - “Worm Drink” Clutch - “Earth Rocker (Live)” Jay notes another milestone as the PBS program is about to begin its 50th season. The live music experience has produced some famous performances and is a beloved destination for many artists mid-tour. Each season features the top 13 meticulously documented performances from a season of 24-30 concerts. Artists are allowed to play whatever song they want and are given permission to participate in the mix and edit of the production. The past fifty years have brought a who’s who to the stage and we listen to a handful of past performances. Songs: Kenrick Lamar - “For Free, Live from Austin City Limits” Flaco Jimenez - “Ranchero, Live from Austin City Limits” Eric Johnson - “Cliffs of Dover, Live from Austin City Limits” Nick is curious about the state of AI generated songs and decided the best way is to dive right in. challenges an AI Song generating service to impress our hosts. This week we’re diving into Suno.ai. You’ll have to listen to hear how it goes… Song: Deerhoof - “The Perfect Me”
Leading off, Nick updates the gang on Neil Young’s reluctant return to Spotify and then discusses YouTuber George Collier. A college sophomore, George posts his favorite music or musician’s videos from YouTube with the staff notated score as the video’s caption. He then offers the sheet music for free in the description. You can find his channel at @GeorgeCollier https://www.youtube.com/@GeorgeCollier. Song: Deerhoof - “Scarcity is Manufactured” Greg brings us a brand new Three For Thursday -Trumpet Edition. Celebrating some of the great jazz trumpeters, we begin with Miles Davis, move onto Freddie Hubbard, and end with Clifford Brown. Songs: Miles Davis - “Paraphernalia” Freddie Hubbard - “You’re My Everything (from HubTones)” Clifford Brown and Max Roach - “Daahoud” Jay discusses one his favorite 90’s band, the Gin Blossoms. was one of the first music books he obtained in middle school and the band holds a special place in his heart. Formed in 1987 in Tempe, AZ, the band didn’t achieve major success until it shed its founding member and songwriter, Doug Hopkins, in 1992. The band’s success grew as Hopkins’ mental health and alcoholism declined, ending tragically in his suicide in December 1993. Songs: Gin Blossoms - “Hold Me Down” Gin Blossoms - “Hey Jealousy (Live in Tempe AZ Sept 1989)”
Jay has a special public service announcement for anyone over the age of 35 about music the kids are listening to these days. Inspired by a Pitchfork article, titled “The Musical Age of Shitpost Modernism,” details ‘a new frontier of profane genius that walks the tightrope between cringe and cool.' Chock full of pop-culture references and inside jokes, this is absurdist music made by and for Gen Alpha. Songs: AgusFortnite2008 - “Dos Jeans” real wayne - ‘Sticking Out Your Gyat For the Rizzler’ Oddwyn - “KRUSTY KREW ANTHEM” St Mercator - “Da Biggest Bird” Jay Foster - “Weird Liars” Get ready for it, it’s News with Nick! We begin with a fun story from friend-of-the-show (and “News with Nick” theme creator) Erik Lenhart, and then move onto news that the Black Crowes have reunited! Nick closes out with an impressive piece of legislation proposed by Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman that proposes adding a $4 to $10 tax to streaming services. The Artist Compensation Royalty Fund would guarantee all artists 1cent per stream for the first million streams a month and then equally distribute the proceeds to all artists after the first million streams. Song: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - “The Wheel” Finally, Greg concludes the episode with Vol. 8 of “Bangers & Mashups.” It’s all DJ Cummerbund, baby! Songs: DJ Cummerbund - “Dolphin’s May” DJ Cummerbund - “Wake Me Up Before You Go to Rehab” DJ Cummerbund - “Can’t Stop the Distance”
Greg found himself home in L.A. most of last week and decided to catch Extreme at The Bellwether. Living Colour opened the show. Tom Morello was in the crowd watching his childhood hero, Nuno Bettencourt. Mr. Bettencourt’s remains unaffected by time. It’s Tales From The Concert! Song: Extreme - “Get the Funk Out” Jay brings us two important remembrances. American sound and radio engineer Bill Heil, founder of Heil Sound, passed last week at the age of 83. Known for creating/inventing the modern rock sound system, Heil worked with legendary acts like The Grateful Dead & The Who, and invented the "Talk Box.” We also lost Brit Turner, drummer for Blackberry Smoke, last week at the age of 57. The Southern Country Rock band, founded in 2000, successfully combines blues, rock, and country with a jam-band worth ethic, amassing many loyal fans, including Jay. Songs: Zack Oakley - “Hypnagogic Shift“ Blackberry Smoke - “Waiting for Thunder“ Last week, Nick mentioned the success of Ye’s latest collaborative album with Ty Dolla $ign and then read a NY Times piece this week about the success of disgraced artists. The piece thoughtfully discussed the pushback on pop-culture’s cancellations and, to a lesser but present extent, the reality that it’s always been this way. It’s a rare dip into Sociology, but that’s where we’re end things this week! Song: Plantoid - “Wander/Wonder“
Get ready for it, we kick things off this week with “News with Nick.” Brian Wilson’s conservatorship, Vultures 1 tops the charts, and four Beatles biopics are up for discussion. Song: Tapir! - “Unknown” Next up, Greg brings us “Three For Thursday.” Idles latest album is their first work with producer Nigel Godrich and the band, while staying true to form, delves appropriately deeper with the new producer than on past albums. The influential Squarepusher is out with a new album, as is Australian progressive metal band Caligula. Songs: Idles - “Gratitude” Squarepusher - “Wendorlan” Caligula’s Horse - “The Stormchaser” Jay has prepared charts and diagrams to breakdown the drama over the Eagle’s long lost, or apparently stolen, handwritten lyrics to Hotel California. First lent, in the late 1970s, to writer Ed Sanders for an unpublished book about the Eagles, the handwritten drafts were sold to a rare manuscript dealer. The dealer, Glenn Horowitz, is now being charged, along with two other individuals, with “possession of stolen property.” We attempt to unravel the story, with moderate success. Song: Brigitte Calls Me Baby - “Eddie My Love”
Keith Grasso joins Nick & Jay to co-host a special episode remembering Bill Higgins, the founder and owner of Bill’s Music in Catonsville, Maryland, who passed last week at the age of 81. First opened in 1965, the store has been a staple store for Maryland musicians for the last 58 years. Jay & Keith both landed a job at Bill’s around 2002 and left in 2007. Jay went into the audio/visual industry, while Keith went on to open his own music store. This week we reminisce about the life and legacy of Bill Higgins. Songs: Beatles - “In My Life” Keith Grasso/Jay Rossman/Nick Kline - “Atlantic City“ (Bruce Springsteen cover)
If you take the extracted drums out of popular songs, can you still recognize the song? That’s the question Jay aims to answer with his latest game “Drums, No Chaser.” Song: John Hartford - “Joseph’s Dream” Nick presents the latest batch of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees. This year, fifteen different artists are in contention for induction, with the ceremony coming later this fall. The guys are in consensus about inducting A Tribe Called Quest, Jane’s Addiction, and Ozzy Osbourne, but split over Oasis and Dave Matthews Band. Song: Margaret Glaspy - “Get Back” Finally, Greg rounds out the show with a Three For Thursday (Greg’s Version). We catch up on the latest shows from the Red Not Chili Peppers, learn about the re-release of the 2004 documentary DIG! about the Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre, and hear some new tunes (including one from Greg’s new Jeff Beck project). Songs: Brian Jonestown Massacre - “Servo” Beck’s Bolero - “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers”
Due to the torrential L.A. rains and a total lack of interest, Greg neither attended nor watched the Grammy Awards this year. He was, however, kind enough to cover the show for us this year. (Thanks Greg!) Songs: Jeff Beck - “Stratus (Live at Ronnie Scott's)” Jay brings a rare, feel good, bipartisan news story this week as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle lock arms to keep AM radio alive. With major auto manufacturers ditching the old technology, the right claims censorship of conservative talk radio’s favorite little spectrum, while the left wants to put “Unsafe in Emergency” warning labels on the new vehicles. While shared frustration over amplitude modulation has gripped the nation, all is not lost. Turns out, according to Jay, internet radio is actually pretty awesome and we should all be listening to that now instead! Song: The Smile - “Read The Room” Internet Radio Stations: https://www.shadypinesradio.com/ https://www.wtmd.org/radio/ https://www.wwoz.org/ https://walmradio.com/jazz/ https://www.laurelcanyonradio.com/ https://motherearthradio.de/ Finally, Nick reports that UMG has called a time-out on TikTok as millions of videos went silent over the weekend. While the failed license negotiations are meant to generate better pay for the artists, UMG somehow completely botched it on the PR front as stories, such as the viral TikTok from @codyfrymusic https://www.tiktok.com/@codyfrymusic/video/7330516926667476255?pid=video_embed&referer_video_id=7330516926667476255&type=video&referer_url=nytresource://nyt-local-asset-host&refer=embed&embed_source=121374463,71838017,121331973,120811592,120810756;null;embed_share, of artists losing revenues dominates the news. Aren’t they supposed to be good at PR? Song: Plantoid -“G.Y. Drift”
Love them or hate them, Pitchfork’s influence over the music industry for the last two decades is undeniable. When news leaked in mid-January that half the staff was let go and that the music review site was to be rolled into GQ Magazine, the internet lost it’s mind. But, does it matter? That’s what we’re talking about this week! Songs: Jet - “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is”
Coachella released the full lineup for its 2024 festival and, as the typeface grew smaller, so did Greg’s familiarity with the bands listed. He started wondering if the bands listed were even real. Then he realized this was all a great premise for a new game! “Marquee or Snarky” asks contestants to decide whether a given band can be found on the marquee, or whether Greg’s just being snarky. Song: Captain Beefheart - “Party of Special Things to Do” Next up, Jay shares a cautionary tale of an audiophile obsessed with building the perfect home stereo. Ken Fritz spent nearly forty years and one million dollars building a custom stereo, but the true costs were the relationships he lost along the way. It’s not an uplifting tale, but one that Jay has paid heed. Watch “One Man’s Dream” on YouTube, or read it about it in the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/interactive/2024/ken-fritz-greatest-stereo-auction-cost/. Song: Kassi Valazza - “Johnny Dear” Nick will kick things off next week with a long discussion of the recent Pitchfork news. Plus, we celebrate friend of the show Ciri Kline’s success on his YouTube channel (@ciriacoke https://www.youtube.com/@ciriacoke897). Song: Egyptian Blue - “Skin”
Nick was invited by his brother, Alex, to see Tool CFG Arena in Baltimore. Unaware of this, Jay self-gifted himself a great floor seat to the same show. Today, they join forces for another round of Tales from the Concert. Nick’s Songs: Umphrey’s McGee featuring Huey Lewis & Jeff Coffin - “Let’s Dance” Tool - “Jambi” Jay’s Songs: Tool - “Rosetta Stoned” The Black Crowes - “Wanting & Waiting” Greg came across this post https://www.ramseycastaneda.com/resources/thelonious-monk-advice-steve-lacy.html containing the advice that Thelonius Monk wrote down for Steve Lacy in 1960. These are words of wisdom that any musician should consider and reflect upon. Confident there are more out there, Greg went ahead and made this a bit. Get ready to receive some “Sage Advice.” Song: John Coltrane & Thelonius Monk - “Epistrophy”
Jay leads off with a true “Three for Thursday,” which includes something old, something new, and something blue. After hearing Bela Fleck’s recommended on another podcast, Jay’s been experiencing a bit of the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon all week regarding Mr. Fleck. Also, Ryan Adams has released five full length albums so far this year. Songs: Bela Fleck - “Whitewater” Ryan Adams - “Shinin’ through the Dark” Bela Fleck - “Rhapsody in Blue(grass)” Nick came across a recent NY Times piece on American guitarist, Cordell Jackson. Born in Mississippi in 1923, she is believed to be the first woman to produce, engineer, arrange and promote music on her own rock label. An eccentric creative with a thrash playing technique that she developed as a teenager, she first starting getting acknowledgement in the mid-80s, culminating in an appearance alongside Brian Setzer in a 1996 Super Bowl commercial. Songs: Cordell Jackson - “Rockin'Rollin'Eyes” Brian Setzer with Rock-A-Billy Icon - Budweiser Commercial While he’s homebound this week for jury duty, Greg was on the road with the Red Not Chili Peppers last week and shares his experience. Landing a gig at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA has taken years for the band, as the venue is owned, operated and booked exclusively through Live Nation. We hear what it’s like working with the industry behemoth and celebrate the band’s successful dalliance with the devil company…will there be more in the future? We’ll keep you posted. Song: Mitski - “A Pearl”
Greg spent last week at home for the holidays and had the opportunity to hang out, catch up and jam with his brother. Austin. Having recently moved to Brooklyn to pursue his jazz guitar career, we listen to The Loman Brothers jam and some new material from Austin Loman Group. Next up, Greg found a story about Michiru Aoyama, a Kyoto based musician that has recorded and released an album a day for over two years. Songs: The Loman Brothers - “Cherokee” Austin Loman Group - “After Image” Michiru Aoyama - “Topic” Next up, Jay ran across an interesting article in AP News about "Indie" artists “takin' a shine’ to country music and thought we could in and discuss a few examples. Jay presents a few “Indie Twang” tracks to determine how much country can be heard in this latest subgenre. Songs: Mitski - “My Love Mine All Mine” Big Thief - “Simulation Swarm” Wednesday - “Chosen to Deserve” Get ready for it, it’s “News with Nick” to close the show this week! Nirvana is dragged back to court over Nevermind's cover, Wilco’s 2024 Solid Sound Festival will feature features Wednesday, Jason Isbell and a handful of podcasters. Finally, we review some of the new albums we’re excited to hear this year. Song: Kaiju Demolition Squad - “Godzilla's Revenge” PS - By way of Mitski, Greg talks about the “Creep” chord progression, in theory.
Happy New Year! Thank you so much for listening. We’re about to conclude another year of great music and conversations and we have some of our favorites to share. This year we’ve decided to each bring our favorite artist, album and show of the past year. We’d love to hear yours, please reach out on Facebook or Instagram if you care to. ALBUM OF THE YEAR: by Thee Oh Sees () by Kelela () by Black Pumas () SHOW OF THE YEAR: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard at Hollywood Bowl on June 20, 2023() Queens of the Stone Age at The Anthem on August 14, 2023 () Nod to Nanook by The Experience & Delightfully Deranged at 8x10, Baltimore on 12/20/23 () ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Black Pumas () Sleep Token () Charley Crockett () SONGS: Thee Oh Sees - “Blank Chems” Kelela - “Washed Away” Black Pumas - “More Than a Love Song” King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Magenta Mountain (Live at Hollywood Bowl 6/20/23)” King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “The River” The Experience & Delightfully Deranged - “The Black Napkins” Black Pumas - “Sauvignon” Sleep Token - “The Summoning (Live from Wembley Arena 12/16/23)” Charley Crockett - “Welcome to Hard Times (Live from the Ryman Auditorium)”
While it may not be the extravaganza of years past, we are back again with our 4th Annual Holiday Show! This year we’re listening to some lesser known holiday songs and Greg takes on a classic Vince Guaraldi song, in theory. Thank you all for listening! We wish you a safe and happy holiday season! The Holiday Songs: Keith Richards - “Run Run Rudolph” Paul Simon - “Getting Ready for Christmas Day” The Resilient - “Hallelujah/Sleepwalk” Keith Grasso - “Blue Christmas” Doug Munro & La Pompe Attack - "Sliegh Ride" Lucius - "Christmas Time Is Here" Loretta Lynn - “To Heck With Old Santa Claus” Bill Evans - “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
Nick joins us in a fever state with a News with Nick. Twice the fun, half the accuracy! We learn about the sequel to Spinal Tap, celebrate TayTay as Time’s Person of the Year, and dig into a Senate Bill that may fix the concert ticketing problem (fever dreaming!). Song: The Dears - “Never Destroy Us” Greg’s version of “Three for Thursday” involves two songs, two other things and some follow up! Greg sings us the theme, catches us up with the Red Not Chili Peppers latest tour schedule, updates us on Sleep Token’s continued success, and has some follow up thoughts on past topics. Song: Sleep Token - “Take Me Back to Eden” Wayne Krantz - “Whippersnapper” Jay debuts a new bit called "If I Could Turn Back Time." In it, he alters a moment in history and presents a hypothetical scenario for discussion. For our first run we discuss what might have happened to Nirvana if Kurt Cobain lived. Song: Norma Tanega - “Treat Me Right”
Jay kicks us off this week with a remembrance and celebration of the late Shane MacGowan, who died last week at the age of 65. Known best as the frontman for the Celtic punk band the Pogues, MacGowan brought traditional Irish music to the UK punk scene of the 1970s & 80s. His lyrics were both crass and profound, his voice fit his hard-lived appearance perfectly, and he will be missed. Songs: The Pogues - “If I Should Fall From Grace With God” The Pogues - “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda” The Pogues (feat. Kristy MacColl) - “Fairytale of New York” Elaborating on a story from last week’s News with Nick, we learn more about the lead up to New Mountain Capital’s acquisition BMI. Alongside ASCAP, BMI appealed to the Justice Department in 2014 for an update to the 1941 consent decrees that control major aspects of their organizations. In response, the Justice Department refused to modify any of the restrictions and added new requirements that seem to force the organization to find a better way to do its business. Read more from the NYTimes here https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/21/arts/music/bmi-sells-new-mountain-capital.html and here https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/05/business/media/how-a-justice-department-ruling-could-affect-your-favorite-musician.html. Song: White Denim - “Matter of Matter” Finally, Kaz’s brother Mike thinks Taylor Swift’s song “Don’t Blame Me” sounds curiously close to Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” and wants Greg to look into it. is a bit that does just that. Greg busts out the keyboard and breaks the songs down to determine whether there’s something to the claim. Songs: Hozier - “Take Me to Church” Taylor Swift - “Don’t Blame Me”
Greg catches us up on the past two weeks been subbing as lead guitarist for “Victory Kid.” Song: Jawbreaker - “Fireman” Out last week, André 3000’s comes 17 years after the release of Outkast’s final album . The new album is a complete divergence from André’s rap roots as it features 87 minutes of exploratory ambient instrumental music, with André in the role of flautist. This led Jay on a search for other artists that have released similarly unexpected albums, and he landed on a new segment he’s calling “Curveballs.” Songs: André 3000 - “I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time” Willie Nelson - “Do You Mind Too Much If I Don’t Understand” () Paul McCartney - “Transpirtual Stomp” () Stevie Wonder - “Earth’s Creation” () Pat Metheny - “Part 1” () Nick brings us news from the music industry over the past two weeks with another News With Nick. Hall sues Oates; BMI is acquired by a private equity firm; The Hives have a new franchise opportunity; and more. Song: Raze Regal & White Denim - “Complaining In Heaven”
Happy Thanksgiving! We’ve reassembled to celebrate the holiday together and enjoy a sponsor paid feast of, mostly potatoes. We’re recounting the concerts that we’re most thankful for, and we’d love to hear about yours (Comment on our episode page https://youshouldcheckitout.com/episodes/224): Nick decided to spin this topic and broke his three into categories. First are the concerts with friends, like the King Gizzard & Black Midi shows he saw with Jay last year. Next we have concerts with family, like Queens of the Stone Age with his brother Alex, Local Natives with his sister Jillian, and the Brian Regan show earlier in the year with Mom, siblings & their spouses. Finally, it’s concerts performed by friends and attended with friends and family…which was just a way to bring up the Red Not Chili Peppers. Songs: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Presumptuous” Queens of the Stone Age - “My God is the Sun (Live at The Anthem)” Local Natives - “Wide Eyes (Live at 9:30 Club)” Red Not Chili Peppers - “Can’t Stop” Greg runs through the shows that he’s most thankful for seeing, particularly because the artists he saw have since passed. In 2001, Greg and a college buddy had the chance to catch Pantera at Towson Center Arena. That same year, Greg’s interest in jazz is piqued when he attends a Michael Brecker Masterclass at the University of Maryland. Finally, his freshman year of high school, he stood front and center for the Stone Temple Pilots show at the Patriot Center. Songs: Pantera - “Walk’ Michael Brecker (w/ Herbie Hancock and Roy Hargrove) - “The Sorcerer (Live at Massey Hall)” Stone Temple Pilots - “Crackerman” Jay received the best kind of Christman present from his Aunt Patti, concert tickets! In 1997 he saw American Bluegrass musician Russ Barenberg at a small venue in Tennessee. Next up, it’s springtime, junior year in high school, and a weekend away with his girlfriend in Philadelphia to see the Dave Matthews Band. Finally, if you know Jay, you’ve likely heard this one. Bruce Springsteen at M&T Stadium, Jay is in the front row because of the Boss’ general admission lottery system. (Check out the photo over on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/youshouldcheckitout/) Songs: Russ Barenberg - “Flabston and Chubby Go South” Dave Matthews Band - “Lie in Our Graves” Bruce Springsteen - “The Promised Land”
Jay finally finds an appreciation for Todd Rundgren’s 1973 experimental album, . Songs: Todd Rundgren - “Hello It’s Me” Todd Rundgren - “International Feel” Todd Rundgren - “You Need Your Head” Todd Rundgren - “When the Shit Hits the Fan / Sunset Blvd.” Nick is traveling for work and joins us alongside Greg this week. Spending his evenings strolling the span of Long Beach, he brings us a travelogue Three for Thursday. Songs: Midlife - “Citations” Ásgeir - “Borderland”Arbor Labor Union - “Hovering Stone” Greg pulled the short straw & brings us this years Grammy nominees! Song: Black Pumas - “Rock & Roll”
Aloha! Greg reaches us from Hawaii with another blast from the past, reminiscing about the 30th anniversary of Nirvana’s . The band’s return to a pre- grunge, under the direction of Steve Albini, marked the band’s last release before singer Kurt Cobain death. We listen to a newly released live clip, as well as some remastered demos/b-sides from the session. Songs: Nirvana - “Sappy (2023 Remaster)” Nirvana - “I Hate Myself And Want To Die (2023 Remaster)” Nirvana - “School (Live In Los Angeles, Great Western Forum - December 30, 1993)” With the re-release of their 1984 concert film , Jay has been thinking a lot about The Talking Heads. Formed in New York City in 1975, the band helped pioneer New Wave music. Jay has especially come to love their 1980 album , the last produced by Brian Eno. Songs: The Talking Heads - “Crosseyed and Painless - 2005 Remaster” The Talking Heads - “Girlfriend is Better (Live) - 2023 Remaster” The Talking Heads - “(Nothing But) Flowers - 2005 Remaster” Friend of the show Erik Lenhart contributed suggested our final segment this week, in an SMS to Nick over the weekend. “I’ll be curious if you guys mention the new Beatles song in the podcast?” Erik sent with Siri. “New Beatles song, you say?” Nick replied. “Oh, AI assisted to boot! Thank you sir, I’ll be sure to talk about this.” Song: Beatles - “Now and Then”
Nick leads off this week with an NY Times deep dive into the field of Music Therapy. Considered effective at helping patients deal with chronic pain, anxiety, limited mobility and hypertension, its popularity, along with the number of practicing music therapists, has grown considerably in the past decade. [NY Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/30/well/mind/therapy-music-anxiety-mental-health.html] Song: GUM - “Argentina” Inspired by a video post from friend-of-the-show, Travis Orbin, covering “Ars Morendi”, Greg decided this week to discuss Mr. Bungle’s 1999 album . The album was due to come out the same day as Red Hot Chili Pepper’s , but RHCP singer Anthony Kiedis had Bungle’s release date changed, sparking a feud between the groups. Greg believe Mr. Bungle’s was their last great album and the pinnacle of the groups magic. Songs: Travis Orbin - “Ars Morendi (Mr. Bungle Cover/Interpretation)” [YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0040LonjZeQ] Mr. Bungle - “None of Them Knew They Were Robots” Mr. Bungle - “Goodbye Sober Day” Finally, Jay brings us an update on Spotify’s latest attempt to fix the inequities of streaming royalties for artists…which is to say, they’re cutting out the little guys entirely, cracking down on long play noise tracks, and refusing to confirm any of it after the story ran on both Billboard & Music Business Worldwide (MBW). While the challenge of paying artists fairly for streaming royalties is bigger than Spotify, the company sure does make it harder on themselves. Song: Robert Finley - “Waste of Time”
The new Rolling Stones album has finally arrived! As Jay was listening and celebrating it sounding exactly how he hoped and expected, he “stumbled” upon a review from his favorite website, Pitchfork. Thus begins the latest edition of YSCIO’s oldest bit, “Review the Review.” The guys discuss Mr. Haver Currin’s blistering take down of the celebrated band’s 2nd album in 20 years, and share their thoughts about the album as well. Song: Molly Tuttle - “Take the Journey” Compliments to friend of the show Kresimir for pointing Nick to a story about the developers behind the iOS app new app . The freeware AI-powered noise reduction tool boasts studio quality noise reduction. After reading up on the features and giving them a try, Nick definitely recommends checking them out. Song: Thee Oh Sees - “Stunner” Greg is up last this week, and brings with him a brand new bit. Inspired by a comment from a recording engineer in a recent session, “Demo-itis” is a segment where we listen to the earliest demo of popular songs. Anticipating this will be a recurring segment, we’re going to just call this Round 1. It’s a strong one, evenly spanning four decades and yet somehow mostly sounding reggae… Here are your demos: Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Californication” Pink Floyd - “Money” Men at Work - “Down Under” Green Day - “Basket Case”
Greg saw two shows, so we’re in for a double dose of “Tales from the Concerts” this week! Greg finally gets to hear how Sleep Token sounds live, plus another fantastic Les Claypool & The Flying Frog Brigade. Song: Lee Moses - “California Dreaming” Jay reveals some new gems from the latest iteration of Rolling Stone’s “250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” Taylor Swift has released a movie of her latest concert, and it’s breaking some serious records. The film earned $96 million in the US in its first week. Song: Joseph Spence - “Brownskin Girl” Nick wants to discuss Rudolph “Rudy” Isley, who passed away last week at his home in Illinois. He was a founding member of the Isley Brothers, which formed in the 50s with brothers Kelly & Ronald. They wrote and recorded some milestone songs, across multiple genres, throughout their 6 decades making music. Though he left the group in 1989 to become a minister, his contributions helped create and establish their reputation. Songs: The Isley Brothers - “Testify Pts 1 & 2” The Isley Brothers - “It’s Your Thing” The Isley Brothers - “What It Comes Down To”
Get ready for it, it’s “News with Nick.” Bandcamp’s employee union wants recognition from Songtradr, the acquiring company was unavailable for comment. We briefly discuss the horror at the Supernova festival in Israel, targeted by Hamas militants as part of a much larger surprise attack. At the time of this writing, at least 260 people were confirmed dead. Some good news as the BBS announced that Oasis tops the chart for most streamed albums of the nineties. Finally, the best news of week comes out of Canada as Drake has announced that he will take a break from music to focus on his health. Here’s to a slow recovery! Song: Wilco - “Cousin” Greg is back and excited to share some new music he’s been listening to with a “Three For Thursday.” Soft Play, the band formerly known as Slaves, turned their fan hate into the lyrics of the newest track “Punk’s Dead,” Roger Waters has released “Dark Side of the Moon (Redux),” and Tool opens for Metallica at Powertrip. Songs: Soft Play - “Punk’s Dead” Roger Waters - “Eclipse” (from ) Tool - “Pneuma” Jay brings us the first full-on segment of the week after reading a story from The Verge about the growing dysfunction between the Discogs community and it’s owner. Recent updates to its pricing structure for sellers, along with some speculative funny business regarding the algorithm, seems to be simmering up to a potential mass exodus. Time will tell, but Discogs was also not available for comment. Song: Black Pumas - “Mrs. Postman”
Jay has something old, something new, and something blue-ish…it’s Three For Thursday. We hear a track from the 1969 album by Bloodwyn Pig, a new song Tyler Childers, and another impressive new track from The Rolling Stones. Songs: Bloodwyn Pig - “The Modern Alchemist” Tyler Childers - “Rustin’ in the Rain” The Rolling Stones - ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven (feat. Lady Gaga & Stevie Wonder)” Nick learned late last week about the decision by Epic Games to sell Bandcamp a mere 18 months after acquiring it. Purchased by the Australian based music distribution service Songtradr, the fate of the site remains unclear but Nick is optimistic that Bandcamp could be a great fit. Song: Animal Collective - “Broke Zodiac” Due to scheduling issues and some technical issues, Greg recorded his segment remotely this week. After performing with The Resilient at a wounded veteran 5K event in Pennsylvania, the band headed down to Maryland to record some tracks at Stages Music Arts. Greg will be back next week but we appreciated the update and can’t wait to hear the new music.
Greg loves bringing Nick & Jay music that push their comfort levels and that’s usually music of the heavy persuasion. That’s right, we’re doing another Heavy Rotation! This week he’s focusing on heavy music featuring female artists… Songs: Kylesa - “Tired Climb” Code Orange - “Mirror” Turnstile - “Mystery” Jay found a brand new album out by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is not a band name but, in fact, the government agency charged with promoting the safety of consumer products. The album, called “We’re Safety Now Haven’t We” aims to make their message viral. Enjoy! Songs: CPSC - “Phone Away” CPSC - “Se Pone Caliente” Larry Townsend - “Welfare, Just a Temporary Way of Life” Metro Trains in Melbourne - “Dumb Ways to Die” CPSC - “Beats To Relax / Be Safe To” Finally, Nick is coming to us this week from a conference in Augusta, GA and he has some music to share. We’re ending the episode with a brand new Three For Thursday! https://kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/bootlegger Songs: Clem Snide - “Ballad of Eef Barzelay” Petter Eldh - “Hawk Mountain (feat. Eric Harland)” bootleg gizzard - “Music to Think Existentially To”
Nick shares a recent financial report from Variety summarizing the RIAA’s (Recording Industry Association of America) latest mid-year report. [Variety https://variety.com/2023/music/news/riaa-mid-year-2023-vinyl-streaming-1235725989/amp/] Song: Superviolet - “Big Songbirds Don’t Cry” Greg takes us back to Hot Topical, this week to discuss the controversy surrounding recent comments that Rolling Stone founder, Jann Wenner, made in a NY Times interview. [NY Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/15/arts/jann-wenner-the-masters-interview.html] Song: Baroness - “Last Word” Finally, after seeing a story speculating that Paul McCartney’s broken guitar may sell for $5000, Jay decided that a game of “Over/Under” was in order. Nick & Greg are given the story behind a piece of music memorabilia & a fictitious auction price. They must decide whether the real item sold over or under that price. Song: Norah Jones - “Why Am I Treated So Bad? (feat. Questlove & Christian McBride)”
What begins, for Jay, as a segment, ends as a . Who: The Janine Wilson Band (with Jay) Where: Clarksville Commons How: Cats and Dogs (the raining type) Song: The Rolling Stones - “Angry” Next up, Nick gives us the latest on another . Over 50% of musicians surveyed in the UK make less than £14000 a year (about $17500 at the time of recording) [The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/sep/11/nearly-half-of-working-uk-musicians-earn-less-than-14000-new-census-finds], French distributor Believe stands firmly against Deezer’s new streaming distribution plan [Digital Music News https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2023/09/11/believe-deezer-umg-artist-centric-model-response/], and kids in Decatur, Indiana are trying out instruments with the local symphony [Greensburg Daily News https://www.greensburgdailynews.com/news/local_news/schools-host-try-it-sessions-for-new-musicians/article_6d399758-4750-11ee-8ca8-6ff095fcd9fe.html]. Song: Captain Beyond - “Mesmerization Eclipse” Finally, Greg has some stories from road to share this week as well. Friends of the show, The Resilient, played an amazing show this past week. Agreeing to a speaking and performance gig at the VA Hospital in Columbus, the band went into it the engagement hoping to give a solid show and a little unsure what to do with the speaking part. What followed was a truly touching experience for Greg and the band. Song: Brad Mehldau - “Exit Music (For a Film)”
Greg leads off with a tasty clip from his gig last week and then leads us on our seventh “Bangers & Mashups” expedition. We explore the past (DJ Morgoth), present (DJ Cummerbund), and, potential future (DJ LoVi) of the genre, while continuing to refine our definition of what makes a good mashup. Songs: DJ Morgoth - “Never Gonna Give Up Your Teen Spirit” DJ Cummerbund - “Sweet Lord House” DJ LoVi - “Meshuggar Hill Gang” Next, to celebrate Labor Day, Jay presents us with songs of the working man. Music has, throughout history, been a powerful vehicle for amplifying the voices of the downtrodden, sometimes doing it through storytelling, commiseration, or even humor. Jay gives us a taste of each… Songs: “Union Maid” featuring Billy Bragg, Mike & Ruthy Merenda, Dar Williams, and New York City Labor Chorus John Lennon - “Working Class Hero” Johnny Paycheck - “Take This Job and Shove It” Last up, Nick submits the band for contention in the next “Dad Rock” listicle and then brings us a new Pitchfork article. “Why Songwriters Can’t Have Their Own Strike—Yet” [Pitchfork https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/why-songwriters-cant-have-their-own-writers-strike-yet/] summarizes the decisions from the US legal system that have crippled musicians ability to organize for better compensation. The article points out, however, that the tides may shift if the House approved “Protect Working Musicians Act” is taken up by and passed by the Senate. While Greg remains dubious about the effectiveness of unions as a means of negotiation, he firmly supports having more money. Nick would like anyone who does agree that unions can be effective at negotiating better pay, to send their Senator a letter via this helpful website: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/support-the-protect-working-musicians-act Songs: Woods - “Strange to Explain” Woods - “The Void”
