Before The Stream

Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums!  Johnny Holiday, aka Anthony LaMarca, shows up to drop some knowledge and drop the mic on these holiday music talks. We talk about Anthony's memories, Anthony's own Christmas song, his favorite holiday albums, how to produce a Christmas album, and so much more.  Subscribe, rate and review.  Email: beforethestreampodcast@gmail.com IG/Twitter: beforethes...

Maybe holiday music doesn't come from a store. Maybe holiday music means a little bit more. Andrew Carlson drops back by the podcast to talk to Jason about how his relationship with the holidays and holiday music has evolved. The two friends try to decipher if they actually know anything about Mannheim Steamroller and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and so much more.  Subscribe, rate and review. Email:...

Guys! We're eating junk and watching rubbish. You better come out and stop us!  Lauren Smith stops by to chat with Jason about her experience with holiday music as a child and as an adult.  Subscribe, rate and review. Email: beforethestream@gmail.com IG and Twitter: beforethestream

There's room for everyone on the nice list!  Rob Collier joins Jason to bash through the snow and through some holiday music talk. Rob shares his memories, associations, favorites, and even takes a little quiz. Jason continues to puzzle over why there's seemingly an endless demand for new Christmas music. Please subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, and rate and review! Email: beforethestr...

Podcasts Actually... are all around.  In the 2nd of several short December talks, John Mosloskie (guttersparrow.bandcamp.com) joins Jason to talk about his experiences, from childhood and as an adult, with Christmastime and holiday music. Subscribe, rate and review.  Email: beforethestream@gmail.com IG and Twitter: beforethestream 

December is here, 2020 is ending! This is the first of several short talks about holiday music and much more with previous guests of the podcast.  Natasha Alexandra (NLX, Sound Sentiments, PoLe) joins Jason to talk about childhood holiday rituals, favorite holiday music and movies, etc etc.  Subscribe, rate and review. Email: beforethestreampodcast@gmail.com IG and Twitter: beforethestream

People can get a podcast anywhere, ok? They come to Before the Stream for the atmosphere and the attitude.  The fantastic Annie Nero (Bonny Light Horseman, Muzz, Craig Finn, Fruit Bats) joins Jason to talk about Shudder to Think's 1994 album  Pony Express Record .  The two friends discuss their first impressions of the record back in the 90s, how it sounds to them now, and all of the memories and...

Drummer Brian Kantor (Fruit Bats, Nina Persson, etc) joins host Jason Bemis Lawrence to discuss Def Leppard's 1987 hit album  Hysteria. The two friends have a blast discovering that they were children when they last give this cassette a proper spin, reliving childhood memories that the music conjures, and reevaluating the album now as adult musicians in what feels like a very distance, future worl...

The dramatic conclusion of Jason's talk with David Nagler (davidnagler.com) about Jeff Buckley's album  Grace.  Picking up where Part 1 left off, the friends discuss David's interview with Jeff Buckley in the 90s, the 3 times David saw Buckley live, if the album suffers from the trappings of 90s production, and so much more. Please subscribe, rate and review. Twitter Instagram Email us at beforeth...

In part 1 of 2, David Nagler (davidnagler.com) joins Jason to discuss Jeff Buckley's debut studio album Grace.   David talks about his work in music journalism in the early to mid 90s and how it led to his discovery of Buckley. The two friends recall how the record sounded when they first heard it and examine how it sounds to them now, the significance of Jeff Buckley then and now, and so much mor...

Do ear worms live in peaches?  Podcaster, musician, and author Mick Sullivan (thepastandthecurious.com) joins host Jason Bemis Lawrence to examine the 1995 self-titled debut album by The Presidents Of The United States Of America, and so much more.  Is this album children's music? Is it sexually explicit at times? Is it just a good time that doesn't require much analysis?  The longtime friends dis...

Do we stress you out? Our sweaters are on backwards and inside out.  Brooklyn singer/songwriter and artist Lauren Smith joins host Jason Bemis Lawrence to discuss Alanis Morissette's classic album Jagged Little Pill, including what they remember about listening to it when it came out, and how they hear it now. The conversation revolves strongly around lyrics, songwriting, production, and Alanis' l...

Friends for over 25 years, host Jason Bemis Lawrence and Travis Smith connect to discuss Smashing Pumpkins' album Siamese Dream. They talk about listening to the record and learning songs from it in high school in the 90s, seeing the band live back then, how they perceived music in culture in high school, and the album's impact on them going forward.  Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast....

It's a Hootie Extravaganza!  Andrew Carlson (Names of War, The Building, Heather Woods Broderick) joins Jason to discuss Hootie & The Blowfish's mega hit debut album.  So many memories, so many questions. The guys do a song by song analysis with thoughts about lyrics, musicianship, songwriting, the 90s, and so much more.  It's a long episode, but hey, it's a long album, right?  Please subscribe, r...

Dan Goodwin (djamesgoodwin.com), the brilliant record-maker behind recent releases from Bob Weir, Kevin Morby, The Hold Steady and so many more, joins host Jason Bemis Lawrence to talk about Soundgarden's 1991 album  Badmotorfinger .  Dan talks about the album's impact on him growing up and how it has remained one of his top all-time records, while Jason realizes he never absorbed it the way he th...

Bassist extraordinaire Logan Coale (logancoale.com) joins host Jason Bemis Lawrence to discuss Dave Matthews Band's 1998 album  Before These Crowded Streets.  Is this music radio-friendly? Is it overproduced? Underproduced? What's kept DMB together all these years? And is Dave a creep, or is he playing a character? Or is he just a terrible lyricist?  Jason and Logan try to answer these questions a...

Anthony LaMarca of The Building ( thebuildingmusic.com ) and The War on Drugs joins host Jason Bemis Lawrence to discuss Pearl Jam's 1993 classic album  Vs.  Because of their difference in age, they had varying interpretations of the album when it was released but they agree that it was hugely influential and formative for both of them. They talk about visiting Pearl Jam's tape vault, compare and...

How cool is Dave Pirner? No seriously, we're trying to figure that out.  Host Jason Bemis Lawrence and his guest Dr. Rob Collier converse about Soul Asylum's 1992 hit album  Grave Dancers Union.  They examine their memories of learning about the band, the music videos associated with the album, live shows they attended, Pirner's main lyrical device, and much more.  Please subscribe, rate and revie...

Is this the best STP album? Is it the statement with which they stepped out of the shadow of grunge bands like Pearl Jam? Does this album title mean anything? Who would play the band members in a biopic? Did Aerosmith really call a record "Big Ones"? Host Jason Bemis Lawrence and his guest John Mosloskie (guttersparrow.com) discuss the 3rd STP studio album  Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gif...

Was the main allure of Silverchair's debut album the fact that they were 15 years old when they made it? How does the music hold up now that we're all older and even more aware of the music they were influenced by. Should we be listening to the lyrics of a 15 year old? Was their producer listening to the lyrics?  Host Jason Bemis Lawrence and his guest Peter M. Murray ( petermmurray.com/ ) discuss...

On the first episode of Before The Stream, host Jason Bemis Lawrence and his guest Natasha Alexandra (NLX) talk about Nine Inch Nail's debut album Pretty Hate Machine . They discuss their memories of first listening to the album, what has aged well, what hasn't, NIN's live show, and the validity of various reviews of the album.  Should we be listening closely to the lyrics? Which of Trent Reznor's...