For his latest pick of a 2025 album, Shane selects the striking debut album Drive to Goldenhammer by Nottingham’s genre-defying band, Divorce. Balancing grit and vulnerability, Divorce delivers a bold introduction with their unique blend of alt-country, art rock, and post-punk flair. Shane and Trevor explore the raw emotional terrain of this album — from heartbreak to self-destruction — and appreciate how the band’s dual vocal dynamic deepens the storytelling. Whether dissecting lyrical nuance or nodding along to a groove-heavy breakdown, Trevor and Shane find plenty to love in this eclectic and unpredictable debut. 

_______________________________________________________________________________

For Shane's next pick of an album that has "been around awhile" he selects the iconic debut "Ten" by grunge legends, Pearl Jam. Even with Trevor's Seattle roots, and Shane's incessant teasing about being him being old, Trevor and Shane were too young to remember the grunge movement while it was happening. Nonetheless, these songs were and continue to be pervasive both in their lives and in the historical backdrop of rock music in general. Though Trevor didn't own this album growing up, and Shane may have only had a Napster copy, songs from this album were played on friend's older siblings boom boxes and '87 trans ams in the background of both their coming of age years. For all of these reasons, a wish for a vinyl copy made it's way onto Trevor's Discogs list years ago and finally into his hands this month as album number 2 of 3 in a gift box from Shane as he revealed his pick to Trevor. Trevor and Shane have fun breaking down each track, analyzing where Pearl Jam sits within rock's history, and attempting to define what the term "grunge" really means as elusive as it may be. 

__________________________________________________________________________________

On this final episode of 2024, Trevor and Shane each select 5 albums and together compile their top 10 albums of the year. The ground rules were simple and were the same this year as prior years:

1. They couldn't select an album from 2024 that already had a "deep dive" episode.

2. They wouldn't be ranking their top 5 or the final top 10 in any particular order

3. They couldn't both select the same album.

Finally, at the end of the episode, Shane and Trevor each announce their #1 album of the year, information they have not previously shared with one another until this moment recording.

With these self-imposed rules in place, Trevor and Shane took turns sharing their picks for the year one by one. The list is as follows:

Trevor: The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World, Pedro the Lion - Santa Cruz, Grandaddy - Blu Wave, Orville Peck - Stampede, Royel Otis - Pratts & Pain

Shane: MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks, Khruangbin - A LA SALA, The Felice Brothers - Valley of Abandoned Songs, Sierra Farrell - Trail of Flowers, Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us

Did your favorite album make our list? Write us and let us know what we forgot!

**Thanks you to all of our listener contributions for “Album of the Year.” Stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear listener picks and your voice if you contributed

________________________________________________________________________________________________

HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:

*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:

425-287-6832

*Leave us an audio message here:

https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers

We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. 

*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers

*Email us at [email protected]

*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

On this special episode, Trevor sits down with his lifelong childhood friend Caleb to discuss his pick of the band Needtobreathe’s 2021 album, “Into the Mystery.” This is an album that speaks deeply to Caleb in its lyrics and music that touch on themes of love, coming of age, and spirituality. This was Trevor’s introduction to the band and an opportunity to connect even deeper to a meaningful friendship with Caleb. The word “honesty” kept coming up in their discussion as these songs are uplifting and hopeful, but they don’t shy away from the struggles that might precede these feelings. The album features artists Natalie Hemby, Jon Foreman (Switchfoot), and Carrie Underwood. Follow the link in bio to hear Album Divers break down this album track-by-track.

__________________________________________________________________________________

For his next pick of an album from this calendar year, Shane selects the 7th studio album by the Manchester art rock band, Everything Everything.The album is a concept album and metaphor for human inequality depicted as a fictional world where the common workers (Mountainheads) must build a giant mountain where every inch higher brings them deeper and deeper into a pit they find themselves living within. Shane and Trevor have fun breaking down these dense lyrics but equally enjoy just bobbing their heads and dancing to so many of these 14 amazing tracks. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________

HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:

*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:

(502) 792-8080

*Leave us an audio message here:

https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers

We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. 

*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers

*Email us at [email protected]

*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

On this special episode, Trevor sits down with Joey Deschenes, his long time friend and lead singer of the band Carciofi to discuss Joey's favorite band and one of his favorite albums of all time with Primus's Sailing the Seas of Cheese. For over four decades now, Primus has combined some of the most technically complex music in rock and roll with some of the silliest imagery, both from a songwriting perspective and a visual component with their art work and music videos that often feature pig masks and strange claymation. Often touted as one of the most skilled bassists in history, Les Claypool, the band's lead singer and principle songwriter writes most of his songs with the bass guitar providing not only the backbone of the music, but the lead riffs. Joey and Trevor have fun reminiscing about how impressive this band is to see live. Whether you have been listening to them for decades, just discovered this band, or only know them as that band from the Tony Hawk skater game or the South Park theme song, you are in for a treat as Album Divers break down this impressive and hilarious album.

***Dont forget to check out our featured independent artist and this episode's guest, Joey Deschenes and his band Carciofi! You can find their music at Bandcamp. Here is a link: https://carciofi.bandcamp.com/

________________________________________________________________________________________________

HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:

*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:

(502) 792-8080

*Leave us an audio message here:

https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers

We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. 

*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers

*Email us at [email protected]

*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

On this special episode, Shane and Trevor sit down with sisters Gwennie and Lucy Giles of the pop-punk duo Dog Party and discuss their latest album Dangerous. This is already the 7th studio album for the Giles sisters who began playing and writing songs together when they were just kids growing up in Sacramento. Dangerous is also their first release under their own label, "Sneak Dog Records" co-founded with Lizzie Killian (Teens in Trouble).

________________________________________________________________________________________________

HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:

*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:

(502) 792-8080

*Leave us an audio message here:

https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers

We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. 

*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers

*Email us at [email protected]

*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

On this special episode, Trevor sits down with his sister Jessie to discuss her favorite all time artist Joanna Newsom. Joanna has the ability to channel a childlike innocence in her voice, yet at the same time a mythical elderly sage. Her lyrics are no less mysterious, and Jessie and Trevor have fun trying to unwrap all of the meaning behind these 5 tracks that span almost an hour. Part of the beauty of that mystery is it can't fully realized, let alone broken down on a podcast. All of this is not even to mention her beautiful harp playing that somehow adds both strength and frailty throughout the album. This was also an opportunity for Trevor to dive deeper into what draws his sister to this Joanna, and why both of them are so special.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:

*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:

(502) 792-8080

*Leave us an audio message here:

https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers

We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. 

*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers

*Email us at [email protected]

*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

On this episode, Trevor and Shane sit down with Lizzie Killian, the voice and mind behind Teens in Trouble's debut album What's Mine. In the words of the album's producer/engineer Ryan Perras (and uttered by him in the background during the album itself if you listen closely enough), "When you're doing songs like this the key is to make it as stupid as humanely fucking possible." That isn't exactly the feeling evoked listening to these 10 tracks, but somewhere around the stomping, train whistle, and dreams about making out with Joseph Gordon Levitt, you can start to understand where the impetus for that quote came from. However, amidst a discussion with Lizzie that digs into the stories behind some of these more transparent and lighter songs, it becomes clear there is much more than just a self-proclaimed awkward girl recanting them. Shane and Trevor were so grateful to discover this album and get to hear about these stories from the artist herself on this special track-by-track breakdown. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________

HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:

*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:

425-287-6832

*Leave us an audio message here:

https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers

We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. 

*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers

*Email us at [email protected]

*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

For his next pick of an album that has “been around awhile,” Trevor takes us back to 1997 and selects Radiohead’s groundbreaking album Ok Computer. This was more or less Shane’s entry point into the band, at least as far as consuming a full album is concerned. As is commonly the case with this band, it took time for Shane to appreciate these songs and this album in its entirety, just like it did for Trevor as a 13 year old upon its release. The influence of this music laid the groundwork for so many albums that came after it, and for that reason, upon reflection nearly three decades later, this music doesn’t feel as hard to digest as it did in its release, but the creativity and innovation remain as impactful as ever. Ok Computer also remains a pivotal album in Radiohead’s discography as they would move even deeper into experimentation in albums to come. Finally, Shane and Trevor discuss the importance and value of this experimentation on the zeitgeist of popular music but balance that with the value of a band that may by contrast find its groove and stay there. Follow the link in bio to hear Album Divers break down this iconic album track-by-track...

***Dont forget to check out our featured independent artist and album for this episode, Lars Katz of Body Hits Floor! You can find their music on all major music platforms. Here is a link to their Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0AHWZKizCD6ORU65Va3Y7E?si=1z_cjwDCTVeQ6CA-elKAxg

________________________________________________________________________________________________

HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:

*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:

(502) 792-8080

*Leave us an audio message here:

https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers

We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. 

*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers

*Email us at [email protected]

*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!