Completely Conspicuous

This week, I've got an installment of Driving With Kumar, in which I discuss the endless amount of entertainment content available to consume. Show notes: - Driving to work - The joys of binge-watching TV - So much to watch, so little time - Book reading has suffered - No time for comics - Tons of music available to listen to whenever you want - More music released now than ever before - Listen to...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss Hollywood's love of reboots. Show notes: - Check out Matt's book Like a Comet: The Indestructibles Book 4 - Docudramas like The People Vs. OJ Simpson are doing well - Reboot of 24 sans Jack Bauer - Why would you remake a perfect movie? - Flip the concept - Matt's book idea - Need to reward original stories - Pixar's doing great work...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss Hollywood's love of reboots. Show notes: - Check out Matt's book Like a Comet: The Indestructibles Book 4 - Unnecessary reboots - The Ghostbusters remake was controversial - Westworld was a hit, but most viewers probably didn't see the original movies - Michael Crichton's trial by fire as a director - Channing Tatum is the mermaid in...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss Hollywood's love of reboots. Show notes: - Check out Matt's book Like a Comet: The Indestructibles Book 4 - All about recycling ideas - Some reboots are self-referential - The Brady Bunch Movie kicked off the reboot as parody - Johnny Depp: Master of the Reboot - Nic Cage's recent career choices - Some improve on the original or have...

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling about our favorite indie rock of 2016. Show notes: - Breitling's #4 - Frankie Cosmos is fronted by Kevin Kline's daughter - Engaging pop record - Kumar's #4 - Very political album from Drive-By Truckers - Breitling's #3 - Classic C86-style guitar pop - Good advice: Don't pay the ferryman - Kumar's #3 - Another outstanding release from Jeff Rosenst...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling about our favorite indie rock of 2016. Show notes: - Kumar's #9 - PUP comes into its own on second album - Breitling's #8 - A more experimental release from Hallelujah the Hills - Kumar's #8 - Car Seat Headrest's album had to be recalled thanks to Ric Ocasek - Breitling's #7 - Preoccupations expanded the sound of their debut (as Viet Cong) - Dumb...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling about our favorite indie rock of 2016. Show notes: - We are not Moviefone - Rough year for musician deaths - Trump's top 3 albums - A return to protest music? - Clicky Clicky HQ is fully Alexa-ized - The kids love the vinyl (well, the hipsters do, anyway) - Albums are back, sort of - Crowdfunding albums is becoming more prevalent - Breitling's bub...

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1990. Show notes: - Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output - Jay's #3 album of 1990 - Public Enemy was controversial - Homophobia was pervasive back then, especially in hip hop - PE scared white America - Brian's #3 - They Might Be Giants was in the middle of a classic run of albums - Song-a-Day Hotline - Jay's #2...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1990. Show notes: - Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output - Albums that just missed our top 5 of the year - Alice in Chains inspired a ton of copycat acts - World Party paid homage to many influences - Brian was a big Pantera fan in high school - Social Distortion's classic era - Living Colour came into their own...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1990. Show notes: - Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output - Things are getting weird - The Decline of Western Civilization docs are fascinating - In 1990, Jay was 22-23 and Brian was 8 - The '90s were still kicking off - Pivotal events were still yet to happen - Stevie Ray Vaughan died young - 2 Live Crew came to...

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss the aftermath of the election. Show notes: - Check out Matt's book Like a Comet: The Indestructibles Book 4 - Keeping friends after the election - It's getting personal - The canary in the coal mine - Reading things that you know will annoy you - Forced lefty - Giving up on the presidency - Don't encourage the Kardashians - Romney's...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss the aftermath of the election. Show notes: - Check out Matt's book Like a Comet: The Indestructibles Book 4 - Jay: Not moving to Canada - None of those celebs is leaving the country - Enthusiastic votes for Trump - Parallels to Brexit - Plenty of protests when Obama was elected - Scandals didn't hurt Trump - Clinton was a very Republ...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss the aftermath of the election. Show notes: - Check out Matt's book Like a Comet: The Indestructibles Book 4 - Thought this was going to be a very different show - Didn't expect a Trump victory - Social media was raw the day after the election - Family and friend disagreements - You can't change anybody's mind on social media - Friend...

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1985. Show notes: - Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output - Jay's #5 - Brian: "I'm a major label sellout guy" when it comes to R.E.M. - R.E.M. started getting rock radio airplay in '85 - When MTV News was a thing - The evolution of Stipe - Brian's #2 - The Pogues: A love 'em or hate 'em band - Shane McGowan has t...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1985. Show notes: - Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output - Bands that formed in '85: Bevis Frond, Big Dipper, Crowded House, Guns 'N Roses, Hootie and the Blowfish, Jane's Addiction, Radiohead - Bands that split up: Minutemen, Hanoi Rocks, Kajagoogoo - Brian's bubbling under albums: Prince, Minutemen, Jonathan R...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1985. Show notes: - Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output - 1985: Jay graduated from high school, started college in the fall - Jay was 17 going on 18, Brian turned 3 - Jay: Listened to a lot of AOR, hard rock, metal - Started getting into U2 - The year of rock charity - Undercurrent of college rock - MTV was gro...

Part 2 of my conversation with author Greg Renoff as we discuss the rise and fall of the guitar hero. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Buy Greg's book Van Halen Rising at Amazon or get a signed copy from the Van Halen Store - Flash guitar in the '80s: VH, Motley Crue, Ratt, Quiet Riot - Ratt was once replaced on a bill by Molly Hatchet - Billy Squier's downfall - Molly Hatchet unsuccessfully tri...

This week, it's part 1 of my conversation with author Greg Renoff as we discuss the rise and fall of the guitar hero. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Buy Greg's book Van Halen Rising at Amazon or get a signed copy from the Van Halen Store - Greg: As a kid, started playing stepfather's old acoustic guitar - An uncle got him into Hendrix, Clapton, Leslie West - Jay: First guitar hero was Jimmy Pa...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Wardlaw as we discuss the decline of rock radio. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Matt's podcast Lost Together - Van Cherone: Matt defends Van Halen III - Eddie VH's lack of new material - Buy Greg Renoff's great book Van Halen Rising - Eddie sounds good again - Age is becoming a factor - Jay: Saw both DLR and VH in 1986 - The MTV effect - Earl...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Wardlaw as we discuss the decline of rock radio. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Matt's podcast Lost Together - Matt first got into radio as a kid in Odessa, TX - Jay: Started listening to AM rock stations in Toronto in late '70s - Matt later moved to Cleveland area, heard a lot of Canadian bands on radio there - The enduring popularity of Tro...

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey as we discuss fantasy sports. Show notes: - No interest in daily fantasy sports - Big ad blitz when daily fantasy leagues hit the scene - The kids love the gambling - Sports gambling is much easier now - Vegas now has an NHL franchise - The Super Bowl is more spectacle than game - "I call him Gamblor" - Senior citizens take buses to casinos - Playin...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey as we discuss fantasy sports. Show notes: - Jay: Renewed interest in baseball in the past year - Watching sports without cable TV can be tricky - Head-to-head format can be tough - Paying attention to statistical details - When fantasy leagues go bad - Our fantasy hockey league fell apart because of money - The problem with having people you don't k...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey as we discuss fantasy sports. Show notes: - Fantasy sports is big business - Rooting against your favorite team - Phil: Got into fantasy baseball in early '90s - Jay: Started a league in '91 with work friends - Paid a service to compile stats reports - So much more now to distract you from draft prep - Started with AL-only league - Early fantasy foo...

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1995. Show notes: - Recorded live from Brian's back porch in Ringwood, NJ - Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output - Brian's #2 - Rentals' debut is on par with Weezer's best - Brian's #3 and Jay's #2 - Jay: Saw Foo Fighters' first tour, opening for Mike Watt - Foo debut came out of nowhere - Grohl released a solo...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1995. Show notes: - Recorded live from Brian's back porch in Ringwood, NJ - Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output - Brian's bubbling under albums: ODB, Morphine, Boss Hog, Hum - Brian Salvatore: Humbuster - Jay's bubbling under: Rancid, Mad Season, Elastica, Matthew Sweet, Yo La Tengo - Brian: White Zombie, No Do...