Every Album Ever with Mike Mansour

This week we're discussing every album by post-punk band The Sound. Led by the late Adrian Borland, who tragically committed suicide in 1999, The Sound is easily one of the most underrated post-punk bands to exist. They began as garage rock-inspired punk and quickly made their way toward the new wave side of things, but with a few surprises along the way. Interesting and ultimately heartbreaking s...

This week we're discussing every album by MF DOOM. Known for his incredibly unusual samples, complex and clever lyrics, and his stainless steel gladiator mask, DOOM (real name Daniel Dumile) opened up an entirely new layer of hip-hop. There is so much to say about this dude—he was truly something else. We're pretty sure he died in 2020, but we're not certain. Closing track: "Next Levels" from Take...

This week we're discussing every album by Portishead. Credited with pioneering trip-hop, as well as being one of the biggest bands of the 90s, Portishead released only three albums, yet managed to evolve alt music exponentially with each one. While they've never officially broken up, they are in no rush to put out records and only do so when they have something to say. A rare and impressive trait...

This week we're discussing every album by Mercury Rev. Led by Jonathan Donahue and Grasshopper (with huge contributions by Dave Fridmann), Mercury Rev left their mark on indie rock with their 1998 album, Deserter's Songs. But they have so many other albums that are either insanely underrated or overlooked completely. Their friendship with the Flaming Lips explains the stylistic similarities betwee...

This week we're discussing every album by Call Me Lightning. From Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Call Me Lightning was a manic indie band (closer to noise rock) made up of core members Nathan Liley on guitar/vocals and Shane Hochstetler on drums. The band was short-lived and there isn't a whole lot of info on them, but they have a cult following and some insanely good tunes. If you're a fan of early 00s in...

This week we're discussing the only album by Lauryn Hill. Hill, who originally left her mark with hip-hop group the Fugees, changed the landscape of R&B/soul music with her album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. However, the immense success of the record led to a laundry list of scandals and drama. Love triangles, lawsuits, potential cult leaders, and eventually Hill doing actual time in jail. Th...

This week we're discussing every album by Septic Death. If you aren't familiar with the band, you're definitely familiar with their singer, Pushead (aka Brian Schroeder), who is most known for his incredible artwork. Everything from Metallica, to the Misfits, to having his own limited edition Nike sneaker, Pushead's style is unmistakable. Septic Death, however, is one of the most absolutely insane...

This week we're discussing every album by the great Jim Croce. Known by most as the guy who did "Time in a Bottle" and "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," Croce was an exceptional songwriter and folk musician. The man struggled every minute of his career until his tragic and unexpected death in 1973, just days before the release of what would be his last record. Good stuff, sad stuff, real stuff. Closing trac...

This week we're discussing every album by Saint Vitus. Led by guitarist Dave Chandler, Saint Vitus pretty much invented doom metal in the early to mid 80s after being signed to Greg Ginn's (of Black Flag) record label, SST. While the band has gone through numerous vocalists and lineup changes, the infamous Scott Wino Weinrich left his mark on this band with some of their best albums. Heavy stuff,...

This week we're discussing every album by Scratch Acid. Formed in Austin, Texas, Scratch Acid were one of the very first noise rock bands and coined the style associated with Touch & Go Records. Although they are most famous for being one of Kurt Cobain's favorite bands, Scratch Acid is a group unlike any other. You simply have to hear them. After they disbanded, singer David Yow and bassist David...

This week we're discussing every album by The Sugarcubes. In addition to being Björk's first band, The Sugarcubes were one of the biggest things to come out of Iceland in the late 80s. They were featured on Saturday Night Live, as well as had legends David Bowie and Iggy Pop attend their shows. Poppy, fun, and made even better by Björk's voice. Closing track: "Deus (Remix)" from Life's Too Good (1...

This week we're discussing every album by the one and only Steely Dan. Led by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, Steely Dan is known for pioneering yacht rock, as well as being one of the most recognizable dad rock bands on the planet. People love these guys. People also really hate them, too. Let's just say we have a healthy mix of both on this episode. Closing track: "Peg" from Aja (1977) Spotify p...

This week we're discussing every album by Death, the proto-punk band from Detroit, Michigan. Such an incredible band with one of the most fascinating and tragic backstories. Death was formed in the early 70s by brothers David, Bobby, and Dannis Hackney. The group somehow accidentally invented punk, but was lost to obscurity because no record label would touch the name Death. Fast forward 35 years...

This week we're discussing every album by XTC. Led by Andy Partridge, few bands have the creative journey that XTC did. They started out as blistering post-punk, grew into an accessible 80s pop act, went on to pioneer modern alternative, only to end up tossing in a bunch of orchestras, wasting all their money in the process. By the end of their journey, the band was whittled down to two members wh...

This week we're discussing every album by the Walker Brothers. Made up of core members Scott, John, and Gary Walker (their last names are Walker in the same vein as the Ramones), the Walker Brothers began as a baroque pop, country western-influenced cover band in the 60s. Their hits "Make It Easy on Yourself" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" are gut-wrenching ballads that everyone should he...

This week we're discussing every album by the insane Necrophagist. Led by guitarist, vocalist, and main songwriter Muhammed Suiçmez, Necrophagist is one of the most beloved technical death metal bands. Partly because of their brutal and endlessly complex songs, and partly because of their sheer mystery. The band released two albums and is rumored to have recorded a third nearly a decade ago. Howev...

This week we're discussing every album by Unwound. Formed in Olympia, Washington by Justin Trosper and the late Vern Rumsey, Unwound really came together after drummer Sara Lund joined the group. Although they began as a fairly straightforward post-hardcore band, their musical evolution was profound. By their final album, they were an intense and brilliant post rock band. Amazing stuff here. Closi...

This week we're discussing every album by Sparklehorse. Composed solely of singer/multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous, Sparklehorse specialized in the most gentle, heartbreaking indie you've ever heard. Eventually Linkous was joined by guest appearances by Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Iggy Pop, and Danger Mouse—whom he collaborated with on two albums—as well as others. Linkous later committed suicide in 2...

This week we're discussing every album by Rapeman. These guys were a noise rock supergroup made up of Steve Albini on guitar/vocals (Big Black, Shellac), David Wm. Sims on bass (Scratch Acid, Jesus Lizard), and Rey Washam on drums (Big Boys, Scratch Acid, Ministry). Rapeman took the buzz saw noisiness of Big Black and coupled it with one of the most incredible rhythm sections in all of rock. A pow...

This week we're discussing the last remaining albums by the Melvins. This is the most current era of the band, spanning from 2012 to 2021. Easily the least predictable batch of albums compared to the rest, due to the revolving door lineup changes. Countless guest appearances, the introduction of Steve McDonald, as well as a bona fide Butthole Surfers supergroup. As usual, Buzz and Dale continue to...

This week we're discussing every album by The Pogues. Led by the world's most infamous set of teeth, Shane MacGowan, The Pogues pioneered Celtic punk. If you're not sure what that sounds like, just imagine the most Irish music you can, speed it up to 100bpm, and you've nailed it. Which is a bit ironic since they're from London and not Ireland. This definitely isn't a band for everyone, but they're...

This week we're discussing every album by Mother Love Bone. Credited (along with Green River—check out our episode on them) with pioneering grunge, Mother Love Bone's promising career was cut short after the sudden death of frontman Andrew Wood. As a result, members Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard went on to form Temple of the Dog (as a tribute to Wood) and eventually Pearl Jam. While Mother Love Bon...

There's no excuse for this one. This album came out two years ago and we had no idea. So we're barely covering it now. On the bright side, Jeff Lynne is still kicking! In addition to the album, we also talk about our adventures at Taco Bell. Don't forget to check out our original episode on ELO if you haven't already. Links below! Episode 1: ELO (on Apple) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/epi...

This week we're discussing our picks for the best albums of 2021. This was a good year for music, folks. So many of our favorite bands released records this year, as well as some huge surprises. This is our longest episode, but trust us when we say these are some of the best albums released in a long time. Closing track: "The Beachland Ballroom" from Crawlers by IDLES Our 2021 playlist on Spotify...

This week we're discussing every album by ABBA. They need no introduction, but we will say that they are more than just a disco band—ABBA is an all-around pop juggernaut. With hits like "Waterloo," "Dancing Queen," and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!," it's obvious why they were so huge. But they have a thousand great songs you haven't heard. Grab your platform shoes and get ready. Closing track: "I'm a Mar...