Completely Conspicuous

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we dissect the disaster that was Van Halen III.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- Jumping into an 8-minute epic snoozer

- Rumors that the VH brothers had jammed with Ozzy around this time

- Nuno Bettencourt has been touring with Rihanna

- Jay happens to have issue of Guitar World from '98 nearby

- The joys of the Columbia House Record Club

- Michael Anthony's MIA for most of the album

- Eddie compared his singing voice to Roger Waters meets Tom Waits

- DLR says they're working on new VH album for mid-2015

- Brian: VH III was bad in a different way than expected

- Jay: Almost an Adult Contemporary sound

- Jay: Also haven't heard anything from VH's Balance, the last Hagar album

- Record sales from the '90s were ridiculous; nearly everything sold well

- Bizarre cover of Balance was actually PhotoShopped pic of Wolfgang VH

- Putting shitty albums in your iTunes

- The latest VH album was what Aerosmith should do: make a '70s-sounding record

- The comics industry now is where music industry was before Napster

- WWE is getting creative about its content

- Netflix and others are changing the way we consume media

- iPods are being phased out

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we dissect the disaster that was Van Halen III.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- An addendum to our look at 1998

- VH III featuring Gary Cherone on lead vocals

- Jay hasn't heard the album, Brian's heard it twice

- Last VH album with Michael Anthony

- Many long songs

- Produced by TV theme composer Mike Post

- Pleasant acoustic instrumental to start album

- Mission statement: We will wuss you

- Cherone sounds a lot like Hagar

- Brian: "Without You" not as bad as I remember

- Eddie needed an editor

- Tough position for Cherone to be in

- EVH played some bass on album

- Restrained drum sound from Alex VH

- Songs drag on way too long

- The "go get a beer" song

- Extreme acquitted themselves well at Freddie Mercury tribute concert

- Mike Post produced artists like Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton

- Severe lack of kickassery

- Jay saw both Van Hagar and DLR in the summer of '86

- Brian saw Pixies recently

- The greatness of Lindsay Buckingham

- To be continued

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1998. I've also got music from Screaming Maldini, Brawlers and Grass is Green.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- Brian's #3

- Sean Lennon was considered the poor man's Beck

- Yuka Honda was married to Lennon, now married to Nels Cline

- Jay's #3

- Totally slept on QOTSA in '98

- Homme's first post-Kyuss band

- The greatness of Them Crooked Vultures

- Brian and Jay have same #2

- Frank Black got dropped by a major label

- First album by major arist commercially released online

- Jay: Pete Townshend made some great solo albums in early '80s

- Brian's #1

- Billy Bragg and Wilco covering Woody Guthrie

- Jay's #1

- Sloan has four talented songwriters

- Paul Stanley's stage raps

- The end of The Best Show on WFMU

- Mourning a great radio experience

- Next up: 1984

Music:

Screaming Maldini - Soweto

Brawlers - Instagram Famous

Grass is Green - Vacation 2.0

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Screaming Maldini song is a self-released single. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Bandcamp.

The Brawlers song is on the EP I am a Worthless Piece of Shit on Alcopop! Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Grass is Green song is on the album Vacation Vinny on Exploding in Sound Records. Download the song free at Amazon. The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1998. I've also got music from Built to Spill, Guillermo Sexo and Bill Janovitz.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- Remember Blues Brothers 2000?

- Goo Goo Dolls went Hollywood

- Brian: QOTSA released its debut

- Rob Halford came out; first prominent metal dude to do so

- In retrospect, '80s heavy metal was steeped in gayness

- Bubbling under albums

- Jay: Fugazi, GVSB, RFTC

- Brian: Elliott Smith, The Catholics, Flin Flon, Tortoise, The Lounge Lizards

- Jay: Pearl Jam, Neutral Milk Hotel, Pulp, Beasties, Tragically Hip, Cat Power

- Brian's #5 album

- Hello Nasty is the last classic Beasties album

- Jay's #5 and Brian's #4

- Beck does a 180 from Odelay

- Later Beck material rehashes older sounds

- Jay's #4

- Afghan Whigs fully embrace soul and R&B

- Greg Dulli can do no wrong

- 1965 was the last Whigs album...until this year

- To be continued

Music:

Built to Spill - Jokerman

Guillermo Sexo - Color the Noise

Bill Janovitz - Matter

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Built to Spill song is on the tribute album Bob Dylan in the '80s: Volume One on ATO Records. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Stereogum.

The Guillermo Sexo song is a re-recording of an old track available for free at MobtownStudios.com.

The Bill Janovitz song is available for free download on Bandcamp. The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1998. I've also got music from Johnny Foreigner, Fuzz and The Dismemberment Plan.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- The Pixies' ongoing bass situation

- Brian: Zwan was underrated

- Pixies have become the butt of jokes

- In 1998, Jay was 30, Brian was 16

- We both had just started dating the women we would marry

- In '98, being eclectic became cool

- JK: Was getting into more funk and soul

- Big year for pop

- TRL started in '98

- Lots of one-hit wonders: Eagle Eye Cherry, Chumbawumba, New Radicals

- The New Radicals featured former child actress in band

- JK: Saw Fastball open for Matthew Sweet in a tiny pub in Portland, Maine

- Semisonic's drummer wrote book about the record industry

- The MP3 revolution began in '98 with MP3.com

- MP3.com got sued by the labels before Napster

- BS: Beginning of Latin influence and the height of the short-lived swing dance craze

- The Titanic soundtrack was huge

- Aerosmith had big hit with "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"

- Pop country was big: Shania Twain, Faith Hill

- Rap metal was a lowlight: Korn, Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock broke through

- Sugar Ray had a DJ named Homicide

- The year of Van Halen III: The Gary Cherone era

- BS paid 8 cents for VHIII

- To be continued

Music:

Johnny Foreigner - Le Sigh

Fuzz - Till the End of the Day

The Dismemberment Plan - The Ice of Boston

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Johnny Foreigner song is on the album You Can Do Better on Alcopop! Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Fuzz song is on the 7-inch single L.A.M.C. #10 on Famous Class Records. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Bandcamp.

The Dismemberment Plan song is on the album The Dismemberment Plan is Terrified on DeSoto Records. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Noisetrade. The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Lewandowski as we discuss his latest bold career move. I've also got music from She Sir, Protomartyr and Red Fang.

Show notes:

- Recorded at BGL HQ

- Sometimes you like the people more than the job

- BL stayed to raise his daughter for a while

- Now situation is different

- The time to restart is now

- Is this all there is?

- Pressure's on to succeed now

- Trying to get disciplined

- The Secret is good for finding parking spaces

- Finding that elusive "dream job"

- Acting is an interesting but difficult pursuit

- Job misery can cause physical pain

- Working overnights

- The future is unwritten

- BL: It's not exactly what I thought it would be

Music:

She Sir - Condensedindents

Protomartyr - Scum, Rise!

Red Fang - Behind the Light

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The She Sir song is on the album Go Guitars on Shelflife Records. Download the song for free at Largehearted Boy.

The Protomartyr song is on the forthcoming album Under Color of Official Right on Hardly Art. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Red Fang song is on the album Whales and Leeches on Relapse Records. Download the song for free at Amazon MP3. The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Lewandowski as we discuss his latest bold career move. I've also got music from School of Seven Bells, Sadie Dupuis and Dead Stars.

Show notes:

- Recorded at BGL HQ

- Momentous life decision

- BL was working as a web guy at a Boston hospital

- Commuted four hours each day

- Didn't get promotion and decided to quit

- BL: I just hated what I did

- Haven't felt urgency to find something new

- JK: Got a job right out of college and never stopped

- Taking chances

- BL: Played it safe early on and missed out on working on MTV's The Real World

- Getting encouragement from friends not many kindred spirits

- Layoffs are a different thing entirely

- Going back to a job you left

- The very brief heyday of CMGI

- The ever-changing world of venue names

- BL: Need to figure out next move by February

- Commute is a huge factor

- Cramming into crowded trains gets old fast

- BL's been doing standup part-time the last few years

- Hosting a standup show that's growing slowly

- Not easy to get paid to do what you love

- People selling stuff at home parties: Hats, jewelry, food

- Get-rich schemes are the American Way

- Scratch tickets as a strategy

- BL: Take a lower-paying gig to support the real goal?

- Trying to separate money from career

- To be continued

Music:

School of Seven Bells - Lafaye

Sadie Dupuis - X Actually

Dead Stars - Fractured

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The School of Seven Bells song is on the album Ghostory on Vagrant Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Sadie Dupuis song is a solo recording available for free at Stereogum.

The Dead Stars song is on the EP High Gain. Download the song for free at Bandcamp. The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of 2013. I've also got music from Speedy Ortiz, Mudhoney and METZ.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky World HQ

- JB's #1

- Speedy Ortiz jumped to Carpark Records

- Sadie Dupuis is an actual poet

- JK's #1

- Queens of the Stone Age went to interesting places on ...Like Clockwork

- Matador's first #1 record

- Favorite live shows

- JB saw Lilys in a tiny venue

- Whirr and Nothing at Great Scott made Breitling's brain shake

- Krill, Speedy Ortiz record release shows

- Saw Soccer Mom several times

- JK: Golden Gurls, Soccer Mom and Reports at TT's

- Clicky Clicky benefit was great

- Saw Titus Andronicus twice

- Obits and Pile at TT's

- Just got ticket for Rocket From the Crypt reunion show in April

- Mission of Burma and Reports at the Sinclair

- JK: Vinyl continued to make comeback

- JB: The reality of YouTube as a legit streaming music service

- No sympathy for the record industry

- We're in a pop-driven era

- Novelty songs, bubblegum were huge

- Rock bands have no staying power on the charts

- Anticipated albums for '14

- JB: Johnny Foreigner, Lubec, Soccer Mom, Golden Gurls, White Laces

- JK: Titus Andronicus, Malkmus, Speedy Ortiz EP, Soccer Mom

- Many '80s bands will release new albums

Music:

Speedy Ortiz - No Below (live)

Mudhoney - I Like It Small

METZ - Can't Understand

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Speedy Ortiz song is on the band's Epitonic Saki Session. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Mudhoney song is on the album Vanishing Point on Sub Pop. Download it for free from Sub Pop.

The METZ song is part of the Adult Swim Singles Series. Download the song for free at Stereogum. The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of 2013. I've also got music from Los Campesinos!, Superchunk and Krill.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky World HQ

- JK's #6

- New Bowie album was kept secret until it came out

- Cover art's either brilliant or lazy...or both

- JB's #5

- Los Campesinos! perserveres through lineup changes

- JK's #5

- The Chunk keeps bringing the rock

- Jon Wurster's the busiest guy in rock

- R.I.P., The Best Show on WFMU

- JB's #4

- The long-awaited MBV album

- Getting the album was a chore

- Kevin Shields took his time

- JK's #4

- Strong leap forward for Speedy Ortiz

- New EP on the way

- Memories of Epitonic

- JB's #3

- Veronica Falls' album sounds like a singles comp

- JK's #3

- Back to Philly with Kurt Vile

- Vile was a frequent guest on The Best Show

- JK's #2

- Krill first released album on USB stick in ball of mozzarella

- JB: My default setting is to hate everything

- JK's #2

- Arctic Monkeys' sound has evolved

- Went from punk to stoner rock to catchier R&B feel

- Very English band

- To be continued

Music:

Los Campesinos! - What Death Leaves Behind

Superchunk - FOH

Krill - Never a Joke

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Los Campesinos song is on the album No Blues on Wichita Recordings. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Superchunk song is on the I Hate Music on Merge Records. Download the song for free as part of the Merge Records Summer Sampler 2013 on Amazon. The Krill song is on the band's self-released album Lucky Leaves. Download the song for free at Gimme Tinnitus. The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of 2013. I've also got music from Guillermo Sexo, Calories and Savages.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky World HQ

- Breitling's working on a new catchphrase

- Zeppelin's on Spotify

- Brought to you (not really) by Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

- When did year-end lists begin?

- Breitling: Listen to Bandcamp and Soundcloud all day

- Olive the dog nearly causes technical difficulties

- JB's albums that just missed his top 10: It Hugs Back, Bent Shapes, Kal Marks, Slowdim

- JK's bubbling under albums: Iceage, Diarrhea Planet, Deer Tick, Swearin', Mudhoney, YLT

- JB's #10

- Joey Sweeney's second solo album

- JK's #10

- Great return to form for Barrence Whitfield

- JB's 9

- Guillermo Sexo album was picked up by Midriff Records

- JK's #9 and JB's #8 are the same

- Ovlov plays the hot rock

- Exploding in Sound label had a monster year

- Music scene in the Boston area is terrific right now

- JK's #8

- Future of the Left's latest album was crowdfunded

- JB's #7

- Beyonce's new album release isn't that groundbreaking

- Calories did it last month

- The upside of releasing "pay what you want" music

- JK's #7

- Savages' debut album is excellent

- JB's #6

- Radiator Hospital is another Philly act with a fine 2013 release

- To be continued

Music:

Guillermo Sexo - Fall Lens

Calories - Neighbours

Savages - She Will

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Guillermo Sexo song is on the album Dark Spring on Midriff Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Calories song is on the album Calories III. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The Savages song is on the album Silence Yourself on Matador. Download the song for free as part of the Matador Intended Play 2013 sampler on Amazon. The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.