Noise Floor

This week we're joined by Allison Parssi for a discussion of The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, Mitski's 2023 foray into country and Americana and the source of her massive viral hit, "My Love Mine All Mine." We talk about the album's relationship to memory, its nighttime vibes, and the accompanying tour and concert film. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast....

Next up in our Mitski series is Laurel Hell, Mitski's sixth album and her return after a brief hiatus from music in late 2019. We discuss the synth-driven arrangements, how it builds on the success of Be the Cowboy, and its themes of transformation and vulnerability. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF079

We're joined by our friend Emily Csuy this week to discuss Be the Cowboy, Mitski's biggest album to date. We cover everything from our initial reactions (and how the album has grown with us over the years) to the surreal "Nobody" music video to the stunning, cinematic closing track. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com...

Our Mitski series continues this week with Puberty 2, her true breakout album and another visceral exploration of the balance of happiness and sadness. We talk through the songs, including the arguably perfect "Your Best American Girl," and our experiences seeing Mitski shows in the Puberty 2 era. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpo...

This week we dig into Mitski's third album, Bury Me At Makeout Creek, and how exhaustion, picking up guitar, and a shift towards playing live informed the production of this modern indie classic. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF076

Mitski's second album, Retired From Sad, New Career In Business, expands on the foundations of Lush with a full orchestra, an accompanying visual album, and even more visceral, emotional songwriting. On this episode, we talk through the songs, the legacy of the album, and the feeling of being on the cusp of life after college. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast....

This week we're beginning a new series on Mitski with Lush, the first of two records made while the singer-songwriter was still in college. We get into the varied approaches to writing and arrangement, similarities to other "figuring it out" albums we've covered, and much more. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF07...

DuJour means podcast! We're trying something a little different this week and digging into the soundtrack to the 2001 film Josie and the Pussycats. Produced by Babyface and Adam Schlesinger and featuring vocals by Kay Hanley, it's a treasure trove of power pop bangers. Heads up: We also discuss the movie with some spoilers. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com...

Our Janelle Monáe series comes to a close with The Age of Pleasure. We discuss the album's reggae influence, themes of sex and liberation, and the arc of Monáe's exciting career so far. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF072

We're joined by our friend Jenna Stworzyjanek to discuss Dirty Computer, Janelle Monáe's most personal album yet. We go through the record's sonic evolution, the incisive lyrics, and the companion movie and short story collection. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF071

Our Janelle Monáe series continues with The Electric Lady, suites IV and V of the Metropolis saga and a prequel to The ArchAndroid. With features from the likes of Prince and Miguel, The Electric Lady further refines Monáe's vision of what her music can be, and we're along for every step. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gma...

On her proper debut album, The ArchAndroid, Janelle Monáe explores genres from rap to folk to psychedelic funk in a sprawling pair of suites that form the core of her Metropolis saga. Join us as we dig into the songs, the fiction, and Monáe's development as an artist from her early days to her first hits. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: nois...

This week we begin a new series on the albums of Janelle Monáe, starting with her demo album, The Audition. We explore every genre twist and turn on this accomplished but long out of print debut before jumping into Monáe's sci-fi world-building on Metropolis: The Chase Suite. The Audition on Archive.org Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisef...

The Format is back after 20 years with Boycott Heaven, one of the most exciting new releases in years. Join us as we dive into our favorite songs, the band's turn to guitar-centric rock and roll, and rank the Nate Ruess discography. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF067

After the incredible success of Some Nights and the subsequent dissolution of Fun., Nate Ruess returned with his first and only solo album, Grand Romantic. This week, we're breaking down this least celebrated chapter of Ruess's career and the album's place as both a continuation and rejection of his past work. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail:...

Nate Ruess's career hit its commercial apex in 2012 with Fun.'s second album, Some Nights. We're joined by City Mouth vocalist Matt Pow for wide-ranging discussion of the mega hits, the influence of its fusion of pop and hip-hop production, and what Fun. meant (and still means) to us. City Mouth on Bandcamp Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: no...

The Fun. section of our Nate Ruess series starts today with Aim and Ignite, and we're joined by Violet Crime vocalist Jeff Mills for an enthusiastic discussion of the evolution from The Format to Fun., songs that make us cry ("The Gambler," of course), and everything else about this five star masterpiece of an album. Jeff Mills on TikTok and Instagram Violet Crime on Apple Music Find us on the int...

The Format's sophomore album, Dog Problems, is a triumph in every way, from its expansive pop songwriting to an independent release that defied expectations. This week, we discuss the album's concept and songs, our favorite B-sides, and the legacy of Dog Problems 20 years later. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF0...

New year, new series! We're kicking off 2026 with a deep dive into the career of Nate Ruess, starting with The Format's debut album, Interventions and Lullabies. Also discussed: EP, B-sides, and how every song on this album might have the best chorus ever written. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF062

The year is just about over, so it's time for some lists! We're counting down our top ten albums of 2025, talking about the year, and looking forward to what's next. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF061

It's a snowy midwest winter, and we're closing the loop (the wreath?) on our Bright Eyes series with A Christmas Album, released in 2002 as a benefit for the Nebraska AIDS Project. Also, Troy tried to rank the entire Conor Oberst catalogue, and we manifested something awesome. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF060

Our sub-series on Conor Oberst's collaborative side projects concludes this week with Better Oblivion Community Center, which finds Oberst teaming up with Phoebe Bridgers. We talk about the songs, the marketing campaign, and the album's place in their respective careers. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF059

In the mid-aughts, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis teamed up with Jim James of My Morning Jacket and M. Ward to form the supergroup Monsters of Folk. On this episode, we dive into their lone self-titled album, their collaborative process, and the band's place in the Bright Eyes mythos. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com...

We've come to the end of the Bright Eyes discography with 2024's Five Dice, All Threes. Join us as we dig into the raw, back to basics production approach, contributions from Alex Orange Drink and others, and the album's exploration of chance and fate. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFloorPod on Instagram noisefloorpodcast.com Send us mail: noisefloorpodcast@gmail.com NF057

Bright Eyes formally ended an eight-year hiatus with 2020's Down In the Weeds, Where the World Once Was, the band's most grandiose, orchestrated album yet. On this episode, we cover the tribulations that led up to the band's reformation, expanding the Bright Eyes fold with players like Flea and Jon Theodore, and how processing tragedy informs this group of songs. Find us on the internet: @NoiseFlo...