Épisodes

  • 21: Carpenters

    21: Carpenters
    May 4 2025
    Support the Official Release You can listen to Carpenters’ self-titled 1971 release on: Apple MusicSpotify Or purchase the LP on: Amazon Music Notes Carpenters’ discography up to their self-titled: 1969’s Ticket to Ride1970’s Close to You Carpenters’ Christmas Portrait, which we discussed at length in Episode 18.Eagles’ Desperado, which Michael wrote on at length here.The Beatles’ self-titled, most commonly referred to as simply The White Album. Marc mused off-hand that Carpenters’ strikingly simple album art reminded him of The White Album’s cover art. Craig Braun—credited for the design of Carpenters’ iconic typographic logo—is most well known for his work on the The Rolling Stones’ “Tongue and Lips” logo. Michael mused that Carpenters’ logo reminded him of Lucasfilm’s logo, which similarly showcases typographic symmetry. Richard’s ridiculous shirt in the LP’s gatefold. Despite his love of the record, Michael said Lord Huron’s Strange Trails sometimes drags (mentioned when noting how brisk and easy Carpenters is for any given listen). Listen to Episode 2 for a full deep-dive.John Bettis, who shares in songwriting credit with Richard throughout the album.Gerry Rafferdy, Randy Newman, and Devendra Banhart to Marc’s ears all had similar inflections or delivery to Richard.Paul Williams and his original performance of “Rainy Days and Mondays”, which caught Michael’s ire since to his ears Paul’s delivery had an unusual cadence and timing that failed to properly match the backing instrumental.The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine”. Fun song, terrible anchor for a Jimmy Buffett concert.Lord Huron’s Vide Noir & Tame Impala’s Lonerism Michael felt both rode the fine line of being almost too over-baked, but were able to stick the landing and make it work.“Groupie (Superstar)” by Delaney & Bonnie, which while performed adequately, Marc & Michael both felt didn’t capture the track’s core essence like Carpenters did.“Superstar”’s backing instrumentals were performed by none other than the Wrecking Crew, famous collection of studio musicians who performed for the likes of Sonny & Cher, The Mamas & The Papas, and of course the Beach Boys on Pet Sounds.Don’t lie, you love that scene from Tommy Boy, too.Abbey Road’s Side 2 Medley, arguably the most well known rock medley in history.Lonesome Dove, the miniseries Michael mentioned on the show and has been trying to get me to watch for years.The Zombies’ Odessey and Oracle, which Marc felt “Druscilla Penny” could slip right into.Henry Menchini, highly regarded as one of the greatest film composers in history. Go home, Apple Music, you’re drunk. 1970’s Lovers and Other Strangers, featuring the original recording of “For All We Know” by Robb Royer and Jimmy Griffin.Michael found Fighting Shadows by Jefferson Bethke and Jon Tyson to share similar themes in its use of “shadows” as Randy Sparks’ use in “(A Place To) Hide Away”.In “For All We Know”, Michael found it shared some lyrical connections with Fleet Foxes’ “Montezuma”.Lord Huron’s Lonesome Dreams, a record Michael similarly finds to be extremely familiar, comforting, and extremely easy to listen to start to finish. References Karen’s performance on “Superstar” was recorded in a single take: the first one.The Wrecking Crew getting their name from the grey hairs at the company that felt “Rock ‘n Roll” would ruin the industry.Carpenters were indeed the first to record Sometimes. The instrumental recording Michael referenced was released in 1972, a year after Carpenters’ performance on their self-titled.“Sunday Firesides: Be Someone’s Atmospheric Getaway” on Dying Breed, which Michael said exactly described the way Carpenters makes him feel; Carpenters is an emotionally warm sonic getaway. “What are you telling your partner? Well as far as I can tell if you live with someone [prior to the commitment of marriage] here’s what you’re saying to each other: ‘you’re the best I can manage at the moment’.” Dr. Jordan B. Peterson in “Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Live With Your Significant Other Before Marriage” Art ♫︎
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    1 h et 9 min
  • 20: Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes

    20: Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes
    May 7 2024
    Support the Official Release You can listen to Jimmy Buffett’s Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes on: Apple MusicSpotify Or purchase Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes on: Amazon Music Links Michael’s writeup on Jimmy Buffett’s A1A mentioned during the show.Kenny Chesney, the other artist that was on heavy rotation during family vacations while growing up.Only you can stop ruining songs by mindlessly repeating them: “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, among the heaviest played Journey tracks and one which Michael famously detests as a result.“Yesterday” by The Beatles, among the heaviest played Beatles tracks and one which Marc famously detests as a result. Steve Goodman’s “Banana Republics”Jimmy Buffett’s autobiography A Pirate Looks at Fifty, which Michael references throughout the episode.“Johnathan Baham, songwriter of Lovely Cruise”, the BuffettNews.com forum discussion of the mysterious songwriter mentioned on the show.“In the Shelter”’s many appearances 1971’s High Cumberland Jubilee1977’s Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes2003’s Meet Me in Margaritaville Jesse Winchester’s “Biloxi”The Toledo Blade front-page interview with Fingers Taylor on his departure from the band. References “Key West is like an old dirty carpet; you shake it out and everything falls to the bottom. Everybody from the whole East Coast wound up at the end of the road in Key West at one point or another.” Jimmy Buffett quoting friend P.J. O’Rourke in the Delaney “I Have Found Me A Home” video interviews “The pavement runs out at the little village of Tambor, and we stop for cold drinks. Where the pavement ends and the dust begins is also the place where the time warp takes over. It has been only two days since we were opening Christmas presents in Palm Beach, but now we are bouncing along a dirt road in another world. When you are traveling on a trip like this in the right frame of mind, time and space will change. Things that seemed absolutely necessary two days ago slip from your mind. You find yourself looking out the window of the plane, boat, or car and daydreaming about going native. Time becomes something to be used, not saved. Many years ago, when I first experienced this feeling, I wrote a song about it called ‘Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes.’ It worked then, and it’s working now, as we drive west to the ocean in the land of pura vida.” Jimmy Buffett’s autobiography, A Pirate Looks at Fifty “As we drive to the airport the next morning [in Guadeloupe], we talk about the sentimentality we both seem to hold about the places we came from. Kino is a world traveler, but he is still attached to his roots in Guadeloupe. That kind of connection to the land is also a very Southern trait. I too move around the globe in an almost constant state of motion, but when I think of home, I think about Pascagoula and the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, not Long Island or Florida. Home is where you come from. It is not where you live at the present time, and though I doubt I will ever live in Alabama again, I will always think of it as home.” Jimmy Buffett’s autobiography, A Pirate Looks at Fifty Taylor is proud of the musical achievements of Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band, particularly the first three albums, but he feels that somewhere along the line their leader became more interested in making money and using gimmicks onstage than in making quality music. “We had a lot of fun, but we were always negotiating for more money and of course he’s never been one to let go of that stuff,” Taylor said. “I had some issues with him over money and a retirement fund, which we never had, although he did put a little something together for us eventually.” The concerts began to lose their appeal for Taylor. “It had all gotten to be a rote deal. The same old crap, the same show biz stuff, dancing girls and exploding props, this that and the other. I was tired of that. He’s a big-time businessman now and I think that’s what he really enjoys the most. Music is secondary. And music has always been the most important thing to me.” Fingers Taylor in his interview with the Toledo Blade “Life is a journey that’s measured not in miles or years but in experiences, and the route your life takes is built not of roads but of songs. How far is it from Key West to Miami? To some it is 147 miles. To me, it is about eleven songs.” Jimmy Buffett’s autobiography, A Pirate Looks at Fifty Art ♫︎
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    1 h et 7 min
  • 19: Infinite Arms

    19: Infinite Arms
    Aug 6 2023
    Support the Official Release You can listen to Band of Horses’ Infinite Arms on: Apple MusicSpotify Or purchase Infinite Arms on: Amazon Music Links Marvis Pro, the iOS music player Michael mentioned using to see his play counts.Vacationer’s Relief, the only album that came close to Infinite Arms’s play count number in Michael’s library. You can read Michael’s previous review on the record here.Michael mentioned having a Fracture print of Infinite Arms, which is a picture printed directly on glass for a minimal, sleek presentation. This is his current collection. Sun Kil Moon’s Benji, the album Marc claimed to be a perfect foil to the easily digestible and repeatable Infinite Arms. You can listen to our previous discussion on the record in Episode 8.Band of Horses’ new lineup during Infinite Arms, and would remain unchanged for years—the first “true” Band of Horses lineup: Benjamin BridwellCreighton BarretRyan MonroeBill ReynoldsTyler Ramsey The star at the center of the pivot point in the album art is Polaris (more commonly known as the “North Star”). The star seems to stand still in long exposure photography while the rest of the northern hemisphere stars spin around it due to the North Star being in a (mostly) direct line with the Earth’s rotational axis with respect to the North Pole.Christopher Wilson, the Photographer for Infinite Arms’s cover art and all the band’s album art up to that point. (information courtesy of the Albums app on iOS).Michael’s insane graph of “vibrancy”/”energy” by track number 53rd Grammy Awards in 2011, the same year Arcade Fire famously secured Album of the Year with The Suburbs. You can read Marc’s thoughts on The Suburbs here.Marc found “Factory” to share similarities with Paul McCartney and Wings’s “Let Me Roll It” off 1973’s Band on the Run and Vacationer’s “Turning” off 2018’s Mindset. You can read Marc’s review of Band on the Run here or listen to our discussion on Mindset in Episode 14.“Factory” utilizes both a Memotron and Theremin. The Theremin also appeared in Lord Huron’s “Love Like Ghosts” & “Way Out There” off 2015’s Strange Trails, and you can listen to our previous discussion on that record in Episode 2.Michael’s writeup on Jimmy Buffett’s A1A mentioned during the show can be found here, the finest publication on the site thus far.The Last Bison’s Quill, a record Michael felt was similar to “Compliments” since they both are high in character and charm in large part because of their imperfections.Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House, the record Marc felt similarly leaned into “everything & the kitchen sink” production.Eagles, a classic rock band Michael could very easily see playing “Laredo”ChrisCorradi’s comment on the “bullet in my Kai Lorenzo” lyric on genius.com“Band Of Horses Survived… Barely”, The SPIN interview Marc mentioned where Ben touches on his then-recent separation with his spouse.“Grumpy Old Men” (the 1993 film) and “Old City Bar” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra both evoked similar feelings and visuals in Michael as “Blue Beard”.The Explorer’s Club, a classic rock & roll and classic pop-influenced band that Marc found strikingly similar to Band of Horses’ experiments in “Blue Beard” and “Dilly”.“I need more cowbell!”Long in the Tooth and Repo Records referenced in the show are Marc’s favorite record haunts in the Philly area. Support your local music stores!Marc kept saying “Dilly” was very “70’s” but meant to say “60’s” (oops).Ludo’s “Good Will Hunting by Myself”, the song Michael mentioned takes the stereotypical “I’m better off without you, anyway” attitude from pop breakup songs and cranks it up to a comical extreme.Admiral Fallow, the band Michael mentioned was also sometimes similarly “rough” in vocal delivery like in “Evening Kitchen” and also works because of those edges.Arcade Fire’s “We Used To Wait”—which explicitly and intentionally makes the audience “wait” for a final chorus that never again returns—Michael cheekily claimed to be the antithesis to the infinitely repeating chorus in “Older”.“Basement Shows” (also known as “House Shows”), a staple of Philadelphia college life.“Are You My Neightbor?”, a deep cut Marc made to the classic VeggieTales episode. Yes, this was a real thing.Grizzly Bear’s “Colorado”, a song Marc found just as boring as “Neighbor”. Yes Michael, I will put it down there.The Arcade Fire lyric Marc was flopping around trying to remember is “Took a drive into the sprawl / To find the house where we used to stay”, where their usage of “house” instead of “home” is meant to communicate emotional distance and lack of attachment to the physical place they grew up.Please use a good podcast player!Rooibos tea is best tea.Premium Steap and August Tea are incredible tea suppliers and are “Marc & ...
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    1 h et 30 min
  • 18: Christmas Portrait

    18: Christmas Portrait
    Dec 13 2022
    Support the Official Release You can listen to Carpenters’ Christmas Portrait on: Apple MusicSpotify Or purchase Christmas Portrait on: Amazon Music Links Carpenters’ “Superstar”, featured in this classic car ride karaoke scene from Tommy Boy.Episode 3: “The Christmas Draft”, where Marc drafts “Merry Christmas Darling” & discusses at length with Michael & Aimee. Check it out for a more thorough discussion on the track.Brian Wilson & The Beach Boys Brian Wilson (self-titled, 1988). Certain segments and tracks on this record strongly resemble Richard’s on tracks like “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”.That’s Why God Made the Radio (2012), which Michael felt too strongly resembled Richard’s vocal style (and not in a good way). We listened to Christmas Portrait (Special Edition) from 1984, which is a compilation of select tracks from… Christmas Portrait (original 1978 release)An Old-Fashioned Christmas (1984) Karen’s voice type is contralto, which is a somewhat rare vocal range you might recognize from artists like… NikoBeach House’s Victoria Legrand May Crowning, you know, where songs like “Ave Maria” actually belong.“Is ‘Ave Maria’ really a Christmas song?” by Marc Minter, a senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Diana, TX. The correct answer is, “it’s not.”Michael’s “A Christmas Song” judgements S Tier: Nat “King” ColeSo close! Amy Grant (see Episode 3 for the context behind Michael’s “branded by an iron” joke)Honorable Mention: Bing CrosbyClunker: Christina AguileraSurprisingly Good, But Blows It: Shawn MendesJust No: PentatonixSelf Important Rubbish: Michael Bublé More on the history behind Merry Christmas DarlingThe app Michael mentioned is Marvis Pro, one of the finest music players available today“It’s Over 9000!”HBO’s The Last of Us Trailer (Marc was confusing it with the HBO 2023 Lineup trailer) ♫︎
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    1 h et 8 min
  • 17: Shuffle Roulette

    17: Shuffle Roulette
    Nov 6 2022
    Shuffle Results (Spoilers!) Marc: “Michicant”, off Bon Ivers’ self-titledMichael: “Empty Room”, off Arcade Fire’s The SuburbsMarc: “Who Can I Turn To?”, off Tony Bennett & Bill Evans’ Together AgainMichael: “Won’t Want for Love (Margaret In the Taiga”, off The Decemberists’ Hazards of LoveMarc: “I Want To Tell You”, off The Beatles’ RevolverMichael: “Quiet Air / Gioia”, off ~Robin Pecknolds’ solo album~ Fleet Foxes’ ShoreMarc: “Wake Up Sunshine”, off Chicago’s Chicago IIMichael: “Blue Ridge Bazaar”, off River Valley Rangers’ Wide OpenMarc: “It Was A Pleasure Then”, off Niko’s Chelsea GirlMichael: “This Changes Everything”, off The Last Bison’s Dorado EP Links Michael’s etched stone slab he calls a laptop, the 15” Mid 2012 MacBook Pro.Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us: Part 1The iRiver iFP-390T, the old MP3 player our sister & honorable co-host, Aimee, bestowed onto Michael many years ago Bewilderingly in a triangular Toblerone shape. What a wild time that was. Link to high resolution Bon Iver artwork to explore the details discussed on the showDeep Blue, the Chess artificial intelligence that was the first to beat Grant Master Garry Kasperof in a game on February 1996 (though Kasparov did indeed pull through and win the overall match that year)No Dumb Questions, Episode 141: “Weak People Make Bad Times”The Incomparable Episode 173z: “Human Santapede”, the undisputed king of all Christmas music podcast episodes where Tony Bennett & Bill Evans’ Together Again was mentioned.My Brightest DiamondTim BurtonAdmiral FallowPaul McCartney & WingsMarc got the name wrong, that repulsive laboratory-clean band is called Pentatonix. It’s bad.The Last Bison’s first and independently released LP, QuillMarc’s a bozo, “I Want to Tell You” is technically in the A major key and simply features intentionally harsh and dissonant chords in the later-half of the verse progression. Please write in to tell him how wrong he is.George Harrison’s “Something” off The Beatles’ Abbey Road and his double LP, All Things Must PassFleet Foxes’ current members, as of November 2022: Robin PecknoldSkyler SkjelsetCasey WescottMorgan HendersonChristian WargoChristopher Icasiano “Wading In Waist-High Water” guest artist is Uwade Akhere, who apparently did record her part in-personExamples of Chicago “Necedah Oldies” at our Aunt & Uncles’ property: “25 Or 6 To 4”“Saturday Tn the Park”“Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” “Gary needs a new pair of shoes!”Special shoutout to Amos Housworth for his kindness at Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live back during the Süda tour, hope to see you & the band again soon!Trixie & Katia’s UNHhhhCheck out our site’s new dark theme! Switch your operating system into “dark mode” to view.In contrast to what’s reported in the aftershow, Marc ended up fixing their previous, subpar typeface by replacing it altogether with Work Sans (and did end up regenerating all previous episode art, after all)B.O.A.T stands for Bust Out Another Thousand”, by Dude Dad ♫︎
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    1 h et 12 min
  • 16: Vide Noir

    16: Vide Noir
    Aug 9 2022
    Support the Official Release You can listen to Lord Huron’s Vide Noir on: Apple MusicSpotify Or purchase Vide Noir on: Amazon Music Links Lord Huron’s discography leading up to Vide Noir Mighty - EP (2010)Into the Sun - EP (2010)Lonesome Dreams (2012)Strange Trails (2015) Riverside Theater in Milwaukee, WILord Huron’s “Video Postcard” promotional shorts“Fool For Love” music video from 2015’s Strange TrailVide Noir 2 minute album teaserVide Noir’s 30 minute album promo “Products of the Universe with Marsha Tanley”, which among many things spoofs shopping channels from the 80’sVide Noir’s listing on IMDbMentioned credits Mixer: Dave FridmannMasterer: Greg Calbi Fortune teller machines (the one we remember was “Zoltar”)Long Lost, Lord Huron’s 2021 follow-up to Vide Noir (don’t worry, we’ll get to it at some point)Direct link to our Episode 2: Strange Trails conversation where Aimee asked where we thought the band would go next for their then-unannounced third LP.Jesca Hoop’s Memories Are NowThe Power Of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles DuhiggIMDb’s Vide Noir pageMichael’s Easter Egg Hunt “The Night We Met” Official Lyric Video CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY: EMERALD STAR CC SERVICESFlash of the Emerald Star at the very end (watch closely!) “Products of the Universe with Marsha Tanley” “Spiritual Advisor to Ms. Tanley: GEORGE RANGER JOHNSON” “Brain Scratch”, Cowboy Bebop’s 23rd episodeHannah Hillam’s relevant comic References “Balancer’s Eye” is one we created ourselves, making up our own myths as we go. We’re trying to keep it so all that stuff is still around in this world too. You’ll see things that appeared on other records, ideas or names cross over to [Vide Noir]. In movies and literature and comic books, I’ve always liked where there’s connectedness or crossover. We need someone to control the lore and keep tabs on it [laughs]. Inverview with Ben Schneider in Stereogum’s “A Look Inside The Insular World Of Lord Huron”, by Ian Cohen SCHNEIDER: You know, I guess I haven’t had to yet, so I’m not sure, at least with “Strange Trails.” On “Lonesome Dreams” there was kind of a central character named George Ranger Johnson, who is this really underappreciated, prolific author. BLOCK: Who you invented, yeah. SCHNEIDER: Who I invented, yes. But he - yeah, I do kind of miss George. You know, he might pop back up again some time. BLOCK: You haven’t seen the last of him yet? SCHNEIDER: Haven’t seen the last of George Ranger Johnson, no. Interview with Ben Schneider in NPR’s “Lord Huron Wants You To Dance At The Apocalypse”, by Melissa Block Art ♫︎
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    2 h et 6 min
  • 15: Shields

    15: Shields
    May 26 2021
    Support the Official Release

    You can listen to Grizzly Bear’s Shields on:

    • Apple Music
    • Spotify

    Or purchase Shields on:

    • Amazon Music
    Links
    • Grizzly Bear’s discography
      • Yellow House (2006)
      • Veckatimest (2009)
      • Shields (2012)
      • Painted Ruins (2017)
    • “Damn BOI HE THICC”
    • Albums: available now for free on the iOS App Store
    • Mentioned credits:
      • Ben Wilkerson Tousley
      • Richard Diebenkorn
      • Michael H. Brauer
      • Ryan Gilligan
      • Bob Ludwig
    • “That Guy” is Real Estate’s Alex Bleeker, who famously writes a token song per album, such as:
      • “Wonder Years” from 2011’s Days
      • “How Might I Live” from 2014’s Atlas
      • “Diamond Eyes” from 2017’s In Mind
    • Shields: B-Sides
    • Aftershow: The Last of Us Part II. If you haven’t played it, play it. It’s a masterpiece.
    References

    Chris Bear and I went to Mexico for a month. It was in Baja, this cute little cheap place. There was no one around, no cell reception. We could focus on doing stuff. We wrote ten songs and were so stoked. Then we brought it to the other two guys and they were like, “We’re not understanding what you’re going for here. This isn’t really our vibe.” We were deflated. The only song from the Mexico sessions that made it was “Yet Again.”

    Ed Droste, genius.com

    Art

    ♫︎
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    1 h et 23 min
  • 14: Mindset

    14: Mindset
    Sep 1 2020
    Support the Official Release

    You can listen to Vacationer’s Mindset on:

    • Apple Music
    • Spotify

    Or purchase Vacationer on:

    • Amazon Music
    Links
    • Michael’s review on 2014’s “Relief”
    • Vacationer’s Discography leading up to Mindset
      • Gone (2012)
      • Relief (2014)
    • Phoenix
      • Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009)
      • Entertainment (2013)
    • Kenny’s other projects
      • The Starting Line
      • Person L
    • “Mindset” Cannabis strain merch
    • Paul McCartney & Wings’ “Let Me Roll It”
    • WALK THE MOON
    • Mumford & Sons
    • LUDO
      • HalLUDOween
    References

    “And that’s one of the things that I really enjoyed, was that first time I’d hear him hunting for a chord change and I’d think ‘Man, he’s just gone right off the edge because he’s not ever gonna get close. He’s way out there in some area that’s just–he’ll never get back. And if he’s successful, gets out of there, people are going to say, I’ve lost my tone center, don’t know where the hell I am and stuff. And then, eventually, he’d figure out what it was he wanted to do. A lot of it was just hunting and pecking, the way some of us type.”

    “Tony Asher Interview”, AlbumLinerNotes.com

    Art

    ♫︎
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    1 h et 30 min