Season 8

Pink Floyd's 'Animals', a lyrically dark, musically dense concept album loosely based on George Orwell's 'Animal Farm', is as eerily precient today as it was when first released in 1977. Rob and this week's guest, Portland, Oregon songwriter...

For our 400th episode (!!!) we're joined by musician Jonathan Hischke (Hella, Dot Hacker, E V Kain), who brought us a record that got under his skin when he first heard it in 1999 - Rob's too! - and continues to astound: The Flaming Lips' beautifully...

Are novelty records cool? Probably not, but this week's guest, musician/songwriter Nick County, makes the case that the best ones are artistically valid, culturally relevant and - most importantly - a hoot! We embraced the weird and dove head-first...

This week's guest, Nathan Levine (Instagram @Boysgiant), brings us Swedish dream-pop band The Radio Dept. and their 2006 release 'Pet Grief'. Lush, evocative melodies? Check. Understated, melancholic delivery? Check. It's a vibe... Songs discussed in...

Released in 2008 and quickly lumped in with the soon-to-be-maligned British nu-rave emergence, Late Of The Pier's one-and-only release 'Fantasy Black Channel' now stands out as a bit of an undersung cult classic. This week's guest Josh Mackenzie (The...

For our latest Patron-curated episode, we asked our Patrons to send in songs referencing a form of transportation. All aboard!! *If you'd like to start participating in these episodes, head over to and become a Patron Songs discussed in this episode:...

This week's returning guest, Chicago native and Patron Mick Hans, brings us Britain's The Only Ones and their 1979 US release 'Special View'. While you might not be familiar with the band, you almost certainly have heard their iconic - often-covered -...

Our guest this week, Chicago singer-songwriter/guitarist Nikki O'Neill, moved around a lot as a child. A LOT. But no matter what life threw at her, Al Green's 1972 landmark soul/R&B release 'Let's Stay Together' always felt like home. ...

You might recognize actress Megan Mullally from her Emmy Award-winning stint on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, or her many other comedic roles. What you MIGHT not know is that she's also an accomplished singer, releasing three albums with her band...

Legendary musician and multi-disciplinary artist Kim Gordon released a banger of a solo album in 2024, the blistering, sonically vicious 'The Collective'. This week we're joined by guests Alexander Hacke (Einstürzende Neubauten) and Danielle de...

What more can be said about returning guest Steve Michener (Big Dipper, Volcano Suns) that hasn't been said already during his SEVEN previous appearances?!? Perhaps not much, but Steve is ALWAYS a great guest, and he returns with a gem of a record...

Is 'Spirit Of Eden', the fourth studio album by British band Talk Talk, a deceptively understated masterpiece or an indulgent musical experiment gone awry? Rob and this week's returning guest Tom Lawery fall decidedly in the former camp. Released in...

Before discovering punk rock and forming New Jersey hardcore band Detention with his brothers Daniel and Paul, bassist Kevin Shields was a rock and roll kid. He bought the Johnny Winter And 'Live' album because he thought the cover looked cool, and no...

Recorded and mixed over six days, Philadelphia band Webb Chapel's latest release - 'World Cup' - represents the band’s transition from primary songwriter Zack Claxton's solo project to a more collaborative effort. The resulting amalgamation of...

For this special Patron-curated episode, we asked our Patrons to send in their favorite song about religion and/or God. We got an eclectic batch of submissions, running the gamut from the holy to the heretical. Joyful noise indeed! Songs discussed in...

This week we're joined by Richmond, VA Circuit Court Judge Richard Campbell. No, we're not in trouble - Richard, who wrote the book "Gettin' Kinda Itchie: The Groups That Made the Mamas & the Papas", is here to talk The Mamas & the Papas and...

As can often happen to records made by virtual unknowns that end up selling over 30 million copies worldwide, Alanis Morissette's uncensored diary of an album 'Jagged Little Pill' is perceived by many with a degree of snark and cynicism. Our guest...