Completely Conspicuous

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss media-driven hysteria. I've also got music from King Tuff, Greylag and Dream Police. Show notes: - Check out Matt's new book, The Indestructibles: Breakout - Reading newspapers was once a thing - Boston was a strong two newspaper town - The Herald used to delight in tweaking the Globe - Election ads go for the blue collar vote - "Lik...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss media-driven hysteria. I've also got music from Dan Mangan and Blacksmith, GravelRoad and Wimps. Show notes: - Jay and Matt, bitchin' and drinking beer - Enough with the pumpkin beer - We've both worked in the media - There's always a hot topic to get upset about - Ebola's got everybody worked up - It's been around for 40 years, but...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we look at the career of '70s pop star Leo Sayer. I've also got music from Menace Beach, Thee Oh Sees and The Fresh & Onlys. Show notes: - Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ - Check out our new web series Trust Fund Challenge - In '77, Sayer hit it big with "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" - Jumped on disco bandwagon - Hit #1 and was on charts for 1...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we look at the career of '70s pop star Leo Sayer. I've also got music from Nude Beach, The Vaselines and Happy You. Show notes: - Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ - Check out our new web series Trust Fund Challenge - Just watched the 1969 grindhouse flick The Babysitter - Rated X then, pretty tame by today's standards - Our society's pruder in so...

Part 2 of the latest installment of Driving with Kumar as I share some thoughts while driving to and from my 25th college reunion. I've also got music from Ty Segall, Wormburner and The Pharmacy. Show notes: - No regrets about college years - Could have graduated a semester early, but chose to stay for full year - Got a job before I graduated - Worked first few months at newspaper while also worki...

Part 1 of the latest installment of Driving with Kumar as I share some thoughts while driving to my 25th college reunion. I've also got music from Sleater-Kinney, Coaches and The Cherry Wave. Show notes: - Coached in a youth soccer tournament before driving up to University of New Hampshire - Haven't gone to a college reunion before - Still see many friends from college on occasion - Nearly flunke...

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1996. I've also got music from Ex Hex, Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas, and Mini Dresses. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's new radio show  Unsolicited Mixtape - Brian's #5 - Olivia Tremor Control made Brian's favorite Elephant 6 album - Jay's #5 and Brian's #4 - Frank Black had a tough task fo...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1996. I've also got music from King Tuff, Purling Hiss and Young Adults. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - Brian: Beck's Odelay was just outside my top 5 - New album's okay, but not great - Brian: Cake, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Wrens' Secaucus - The endless wait for...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1996. I've also got music from Whirr, Withered Hand and Super Medusa. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - In '96, Jay was 28 going on 29 - Brian: 13 going on 14 - Grunge was fading, pop was back in a big way - Two versions of "The Macarena" were on top 100 singles...

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion about society's obsession with celebrity. I've also got music from SW/MM/NG, Gold-Bears and Weekend. Show notes: - The Brits love them some Arctic Monkeys - Matt learns how to do Twitter - Getting followed by dead authors and weirdos - Desperate for celeb RTs - Positive Twitter interactions - Jay: Old friend has been writing about celebrities for...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion about society's obsession with celebrity. I've also got music from Creepers, Naomi Punk and Hooray for Earth. Show notes: - Scandal rags are still popular - Celebs and social media can lead to trouble - Now everyone's got a camera to catch your every mistake - Michael Richards was beloved until he screwed up - People will turn on celebs in an inst...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion about society's obsession with celebrity. I've also got music from The Wytches, Aan and Little Racer. Show notes: - Celebrity deaths - Jay: Robin Williams' death hit me hard - We don't have royalty so celebs fill that role - Getting rich doesn't necessarily equal happiness - Americans are surprisingly fascinated by the British royal family - Deali...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we examine the back story of '70s hitmakers Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds. I've also got music from Owl John and Benjamin Booker. Show notes: - Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ - Check out our new web series Trust Fund Challenge - Playboy Records had Barbi Benton signed to a deal - RD: Hef likes "female impersonator impersonators" - Benton gue...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we examine the back story of '70s hitmakers Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds. I've also got music from The Hush Now and Kingdom of the Holy Sun. Show notes: - Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ - Check out our new web series Trust Fund Challenge - The adventures of Steve Austin Astronaut - Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds were synonymous with '70s...

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1989. I've also got music from Ty Segall, Spoon and J. Mascis. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - Jay's #3 - Neil Young rebounds from a long, strange decade - Led to a fruitful stretch of albums - Jay's #2 - Bob Mould moves beyond Husker Du - Inspired new directio...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1989. I've also got music from Stickers, Cretin Girls and Ex-Cult. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - Brian: Pump was the best post-reunion Aerosmith album - Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever is decent - Jay's bubbling under picks: The Cure, Smithereens, Tragically Hip,...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1989. I've also got music from Stickers, Cretin Girls and Ex-Cult. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - Brian: Pump was the best post-reunion Aerosmith album - Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever is decent - Jay's bubbling under picks: The Cure, Smithereens, Tragically Hip,...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1989. I've also got music from Radiator Hospital, Sex Hands and Priests. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - In 1989, Brian was 7 and Jay graduated from college - Jay: Never saw the Indiana Jones sequels - Brian: A lot of records I liked, few that I loved - Jay: Se...

This week, it's an episode of Driving With Kumar as guests Dave Olson and Phil Stacey join me to discuss whether the album is an endangered species. I've also got music from Speedy Ortiz, Dead Stars and Parquet Courts. Show notes: - Recorded on the way to Fenway Park - A BBC radio exec proclaimed the album is about to be extinct - "Playlists are the future" - Phil: Listen to a lot of albums by new...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of the first half of the year. I've also got music from Johnny Foreigner, Soccer Mom and Protomartyr . Show notes: - Recorded at Clicky Clicky World HQ - JB: Ava Luna does not fake the funk - JK: Johnny Foreigner comes back with another excellent album - They also dropped a surprise live album recently - JB: Soccer...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of the first half of the year. I've also got music from Hallelujah the Hills, She Sir and The Collected Fictions . Show notes: - Recorded at Clicky Clicky World HQ - A farewell to Moviefone - JB: Forced to listen to lite rock radio at work - Frozen vs. High School Musical - Rock stations play the same old catalog s...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Lewandowski as we discuss working, childhood homes and corporal punishment. I've also got music from The Afghan Whigs, Lubec and Dum Dum Girls. Show notes: - Brian: Writing for a prepper show called America Unplugged - Getting your news from Pat Robertson - Visiting your childhood home - Jay: Toronto suburb I once lived in tripled in size within a few yea...

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Lewandowski as we discuss writing for reality TV, early jobs and freelancing. I've also got music from The Vaselines, Jawbreaker Reunion and Kittyhawk. Show notes: - Brian's doing freelance work for The Sportsman's Channel - "Inhumane interest stories" - Worked on a Sarah Palin-hosted show - Writing ads for a new Penn Gillette show - Jay: Never seen It's...

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1986. I've also got music from Los Campesinos!, The Fresh & Onlys and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - Brian's #3 - Feelies' second album was very influential - Jay's #3 - R.E.M. debuts heavier guitar sound - Band kept going too...

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1986. I've also got music from Superchunk, Bottomless Pit and Lazy. Show notes: - Recorded via Skype - Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic - Sammy Hagar's lyrical prowess - Sam Halen? - Jay: Saw VH and DLR touring separately in summer of '86 - The sad tale of Jason Becker - Amnesty International's Con...