Noise Floor

After a busy few years of solo albums and collaborations, Conor Oberst and his bandmates reconvened for The People's Key. We explore the album's new sonic adventures, its connections to science fiction and Rastafari, and its place as the intended (or maybe not) Bright Eyes swan song. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.co...

This week we're retracing our steps all the way to Cassadaga, the follow up to I'm Wide Awake and Digital Ash and another fascinating evolution of the Bright Eyes sound. We cover our favorite lyrics, themes of mysticism and the search for contentment, and the album's critical reception. We went long on this one because Cassadaga is a truly rich text. Also: A brief digression on The Masked Magician...

We're back with the other 2005 Bright Eyes album (or maybe the 2005 Bright Eyes album, depending on which side of the band you prefer), Digital Ash In a Digital Urn. We get into our differing experiences with the album over the years, unpack the overarching themes of time, destiny, and death, and heap much deserving praise on Mike Mogis's production work. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on...

On I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, one of two albums released on the same day in 2005, Bright Eyes put their folk influences front and center. We get into our history with this beloved record, the themes of renewal and rebirth, New York City, and the band's most enduring hit, "First Day of My Life." Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpo...

Our Bright Eyes series continues with Lifted or The Story Is In the Soil, Keep Your Ear To the Ground, the album catapulted Conor Oberst to stardom. We get into the album's grand ambitions, resonant themes, and explore another era of B-sides and EPs. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF051

It's our 50th episode! We're not doing anything particularly special to celebrate, just continuing our Bright Eyes series with Fevers and Mirrors, the last album before the band found its way to the mainstream. We break down the recurring imagery, the infamous, surreal fake interview, and dip into the EPs and bonus tracks from this remarkably prolific era of Conor Oberst's career. Find us on the i...

Our Bright Eyes series continues with the first canonical Bright Eyes album (or is it?). We explore Conor's growth as a songwriter on Letting Off the Happiness, the contributions of producer Mike Mogis, and a slew of B-sides and EPs from this era. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF049

It's fall, which means it's time to break out the acoustic guitar and get emotional with us as we go through the Bright Eyes discography. In this episode, we recount our personal histories with the midwestern emo/folk legends, touch on Conor Oberst's pre-Bright Eyes work, and break down the group's somewhat haphazard first album, A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997. Find us on the...

It's time for a palate cleanser between series, so we're talking about one of the biggest one-album wonders of the pop punk scene: Box Car Racer. We get into the dynamics in Blink-182 and Tom Delonge's life that led to this side project, how 9/11 and existential angst informed the songs, and how the album holds up over two decades later. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefl...

Our series on The Armed comes to a close with their latest album, The Future Is Here and Everything Needs To Be Destroyed. We break down the band's return to their aggressive roots and what the album has to say about existing in our present moment. And as always, we rank the discography. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmai...

On Perfect Saviors, The Armed shed the aliases and antics in order to "be a reliable narrator." The result is their most expansive, accessible album yet, but it still has plenty of surprises. We get into every turn, from acoustic guitars to jazz fusion to the secret EP hidden inside the vinyl packaging. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisef...

This week we refract into ULTRAPOP, arguably The Armed's magnum opus and inarguably another compelling turn in their discography. We cover the songs, the fascinating and absurd marketing campaign, and the culmination of the ULTRAPOP era in Live At the Masonic. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF044

Rise Against is back with their 10th album, Ricochet, so we're checking in on the Chicago punk stalwarts. We go deep on the band's approach to these songs with producer Catherine Marks, the discourse around the album's politics, and decide where it slots into our discography rankings. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.c...

Our series on The Armed continues with a discussion of their third album Only Love. We break down the boundary-pushing songs, the literary and historical reference points, and how to trick Ben Koller into playing drums in your band. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF042

The Armed recruited guest drummer Nick Yacyshyn and proceeded to push the limits of their sound further than ever on their second album. We might not be pushing the limits of podcasting in the same way, but we are digging into Untitled, its commentary on modern media culture, and the band's incredible music videos. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us...

One of modern hardcore's premiere acts, The Armed are notable for the shocking intensity of their shows as much as their penchant for mystery, pranks, and performance art. But before all of that mystique formed, the Armed were "just" a hardcore band from Detroit (or were they?). On the first episode of this series, we get into the band's history, their debut album These Are Lights, and a handful E...

For the final episode in our series on The Hotelier, we're joined by Lauren Lederman to talk poetry, Pitchfork Fest, and, of course, Goodness. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF039

It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to call Home, Like NoPlace Is There the defining album of an entire emo era. We get deep into weeds (or, more appropriately, wildflowers) of The Hotelier's second album, its themes, and its legacy. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF038

It's time for a new series, so we're digging into a short but spectacular discography: The Hotelier (or The Hotel Year, if you were around for the early days). This week we cover their early EPs and their debut album, It Never Goes Out, a burst of youthful idealism tempered with deep sadness. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast...

We're taking a little break between series to count down our favorite albums of the first half of 2025, including Laura Stevenson, Coheed and Cambria, and more. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF036

We're capping our My Chemical Romance series with a survey of the band's non-album output, from the Conventional Weapons singles series to "Fake Your Death," "The Foundations of Decay," and what may or may not exist of The Paper Kingdom. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF035

Look alive, sunshine! Our My Chemical Romance series continues with their final proper album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, a bright, power pop-inflected concept album (and expanded universe comic series) about rebellious gangs, evil corporations, android gods, and, sometimes, the experience of being in My Chemical Romance. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagr...

Come one, come all to this tragic podcast! We're joined by Watch No Evil co-host Zach Siegel to discuss My Chemical Romance's magnum opus, The Black Parade. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF033

We're rising out of our coffins this week to talk about My Chemical Romance's breakthrough smash Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. We get into the mash-up of emo angst and pop punk choruses, the intense behind-the-scenes moments chronicled in Life On the Murder Scene, and the enduring legacy of this album. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noise...

This week we're starting a new series, and it's a big one. My Chemical Romance is a foundational band for us and for the entire emo/punk genre. On this episode, we get into the band's origins, their connections to Noise Floor faves Thursday, and of course their first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.co...