Human Terrain

For the first time, there are three of us. Our high school friend (and possibly our most loyal listener) Rob joins the show and brings the pick: Elephant by The White Stripes. It’s the album he heard at 10 years old in his dad’s car, and it shaped his taste in music. For Rocco and Kevin, it’s a first front-to-back listen of a band they thought they already knew.

We talk about the mythology of Jack and Meg White (married? siblings? both?), how Seven Nation Army went from a song about escaping the music industry to an anthem sung in stadiums everywhere, and why the band’s fusion of blues and garage rock has been so hard to copy. Then we go track by track. Ball and Biscuit gets a unanimous legendary. In the Cold, Cold Night splits the room. There’s No Home for You Here turns out to be a surprise favorite. And the closing duet gets an earnest defense, even after Rocco calls it the album’s only real miss.

00:00:00 Welcome back + special guest Rob

00:02:22 Rob introduces Elephant

00:08:54 White Stripes history and mythology

00:14:23 Meg's drumming and the band's fame

00:17:33 Blues meets garage rock

00:23:24 First impressions

00:30:47 Why Rob picked it + is this their best album?

00:37:22 Seven Nation Army

00:43:49 Black Math

00:47:18 There's No Home for You Here

00:51:22 I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself

00:56:45 In the Cold, Cold Night

00:59:42 I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother's Heart

01:05:30 You've Got Her in Your Pocket

01:09:55 Ball and Biscuit

01:15:29 The Hardest Button to Button

01:19:03 Little Acorns

01:24:51 Hypnotize

01:27:20 The Air Near My Fingers

01:31:50 Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine

01:34:41 Well It's True That We Love One Another

01:40:11 Album covers, Jack White's new album, and wrap-up

Kevin's pick this time is Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, a sprawling and ambitious statement from Sir Elton.Rocco came in expecting piano ballads and left surprised by how hard this album rocks. It has prog epics, glam stompers, lo-fi blues, southern rock, and one faux-reggae detour that sparks the biggest fight of the episode.

Rocco makes Jake listen to Parquet Courts for the first time ever. Wide Awake! proves itself to align its musical feel to its lyrical message. A dancey, funky, rock and roll album for an age of resistance, dissociation, and distrust.

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Rocco makes Kevin listen to The New Abnormal by The Strokes. Kevin likes The Strokes, but had never heard their 2020 album. We discover that some bands just keep ripping.

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Special guest Alex drops by to talk about The Hotelier's 2014 emo revival classic, Home Like NoPlace Is There. This is a dark album full of pain and frustration but like all great emo music, it transforms those feelings into something tangible that we can all learn from.

This episode covers an album that both Kevin and Rocco already love. Could this be the best Bon Iver album?

Rocco makes Kevin listen to his absolute favorite band. Dripping is not Kevin's typical brand but he reveals some favorite moments from the album. If you like hard rock and you haven't heard Pile before, give them a chance. We think you should start with Dripping.

We have a new guest on the podcast! Rocco listens to mewithoutYou for the first time (sort of).

Kevin makes Rocco listen to Olivia Rodrigo's 2021 breakout album SOUR. Rocco doesn't think he's in the target audience.

Rocco makes Kevin listen to OK Computer by Radiohead. The album is almost 30 years old. We think these guys might be on to something.