Look At My Records!

Episode 201 features an interview with Nick Flessa of Dayton Swim Club. The Los Angeles-based band, which is the project of Flessa, guitarist Mario Luna, and vocalist Dominique Matelson, released their debut EP Hangman in September. Drawing on themes of suburban American discontent and what Flessa describes as the “American Death Cult,” the seven songs on Hangman are devastatingly eerie and rich with dark synth textures. His lyrics tell stories of the seedier side of Americana, touching on the sinister inclinations of seemingly everyday people. Tune in to to the interview to hear how Flessa found inspiration for these songs while living next to a golf course in Palm Springs during quarantine, how Dayton Swim Club evolved into a more collaborative project, what it was like meeting John Doe of Los Angeles punk legends X, and more. Flessa also shared a bit of background about his work with Jerome Henderson, a death row inmate in Ohio that he’s corresponded with extensively.  Plus, Flessa picked some awesome records, including some great ones from Pylon, John Cale, and Mary Lattimore. You can follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 201.

Hangman is out now via Perpetual Doom. You can purchase it on limited edition cassette via Bandcamp. The album is also available to stream on Spotify. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram.

Don’t miss Dayton Swim Club performing live on December 10th with Thief and Agriculture at The Goldfish in Los Angeles!

We flipped the script for Episode 200 of Look At My Records! For this edition of the podcast, Look At My Records! contributor Zach Romano hosts and goes deep with founder and host Tom Gallo. The two talked all about Look At My Records! humble beginnings, how its evolved since its inception, some of Tom’s favorite interviews over the last four years, how he started collecting records, and much more. Plus, Tom curated a playlist of the records that have shaped his life. You’ll hear some cuts from The Zombies, Pavement, Yo La Tengo, the Minutemen, and more. You can follow along with Tom’s picks via the official playlist for Episode 200! Happy 200th to Look At My Records! and a big thank you to Zach for steering the ship for this episode.

Episode 199 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Berlin-based artist, Thala. Back in September, Thala released her debut album, adolescence, on Philadelphia’s Born Losers Records. Thala’s path to releasing her debut record was relatively short, as she only started playing guitar and performing at open mics in Berlin back in 2019. However, she quickly hit her stride, garnering positive feedback from those in her community almost immediately. By allowing intuition to guide her songwriting (and with an abundance of free time during the pandemic-induced lockdown), Thala was able to write and record the ten songs on adolescence in 2020 over a short period of time, developing a gorgeous and dreamy sound that draws influence from bands like Mazzy Star and Beach House.  Tune in to the interview to hear about how Thala’s experiences living in the Canary Islands inspired some of the lyrical themes on the record, how she was able to transform the singer-songwriter-esque compositions that she performed at open mics into the densely arranged songs on adolescence, what her recent first shows with a full band were like, and much more. Plus, Thala picked some awesome records from Phoebe Bridgers, Soccer Mommy, The Allah-Las, and more. You can follow along with her picks via the official playlist for Episode 199.

You can purchase adolescent on limited edition vinyl via Born Losers Records. You can also check out Thala’s music on both Bandcamp and Spotify. Keep up with her by following her on Instagram.

Episode 198 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Josh Malerman of Detroit power-pop band The High Strung. These prolific indie rock veterans have been active for two decades, and over the course of their storied career, they’ve released a ton of great music and toured at a frenetic pace, at times playing a whopping 250 gigs a year. Their most recent release, HannaH, takes listeners back to where it all started for the quintet, as it was originally recorded in 2002, just weeks prior to the studio sessions for their debut, These Are The Good Times. In the intervening decades, Malerman and his bandmates shelved the tapes for HannaH, but during the pandemic, a chance connection with producer Zach Shipps inspired them to dig them up and put the finishing touches on the tracks. The end product provides a glimpse of the band in its infancy and gives greater context to the work that followed it. During the interview, Malerman reflected on the recording sessions for HannaH, what exactly inspired the band to resurrect the album from their archives, what he learned about songwriting from Bob Pollard of Guided By Voices while on tour, and more. Malerman is also an accomplished horror novelist. His most notable work, Birdbox, was adapted into a Netflix film starring Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock. So, Josh dished on his writing as well, particularly, how he reconciles crafting sunny, power pop tunes as a musician with the gory, scary narratives in his books. Malerman also curated a stacked playlist of records, including choice cuts from Guided By Voices, Stereolab, and The Soft Machine. Follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 198.

HannaH is out now via Park The Van. You can order a copy on vinyl via Bandcamp. The album is also available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook.

Dan Molad of Coco joins Tom for Episode 197 of Look At My Records! If you’re not familiar yet with Coco, get acquainted, as they just dropped one of our favorite records of the year in their self-titled debut. The project originally formed somewhat casually in 2019, when Molad met for some brief songwriting sessions with friends Maia Friedman (Dirty Projectors, Uni Ika Ai) and Oliver Hill (Pavo Pavo, Dustrider). These sessions, though short, proved to be quite fruitful, as the trio emerged with their first two songs. Over the course of the next year and a half, the band met sporadically to write and record, releasing a string of singles anonymously before revealing their identities this past summer in conjunction with their fourth single, “Knots.” Their efforts culminated with the release of their magnificent 10 song debut last week. Tune in to the interview to hear how the trio was inspired by their friend Bob Moses to initially release their music anonymously, how they developed their democratized, organic songwriting process, what you can expect from their upcoming live shows, and much more. Plus, Molad picked some awesome records from Brittany Howard, Panda Bear, and Sonny & The Sunsets. You can follow along with his pics via the official playlist for Episode 197. 

You can purchase Coco’s new record via Bandcamp. The album is also available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify. Keep up with Coco by following them on Instagram.

Coco will be performing twice in November! Their first show is on November 12th at Zebulon in Los Angeles, followed by a date at Union Pool in Brooklyn on November 16th. Don’t miss them! 

For Episode 196, Tom chatted with Joy Deyo and Brian Dishon of Long Beach, California quartet Sweet Nobody. This indie-pop outfit just released their second full-length, We’re Trying Our Best, last month. Recorded prior to the pandemic and shelved for almost two years, the album’s bright and jangly tunes are finally seeing the light of day. Though they may sound sonically pleasing in the vein of bands like Alvvays and the Go-Betweens, the album’s thematic content focuses on the struggles and challenges of life, including Deyo’s own experiences dealing with undiagnosed chronic pain. Listen to the interview to hear some insights from the band on the record’s standout tracks like “Not A Good Judge” and “Other Humans,”  how Deyo balances her role as principal songwriter and producer, how Dishon and Deyo met, started collaborating, and get married, what inspired a shift to a cleaner, poppier sound when compared with their first album, and more. Plus, Dishon and Deyo picked some awesome records from The Primitives, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Yo La Tengo. Follow along with their picks via the official playlist for Episode 196!

You can purchase We’re Trying Our Best via Bandcamp. The album is also available on Spotify. Keep up with the band by liking them on Facebook and following them on Instagram.

Episode 195 features an interview with Warren LaSota and Nick Louis of Brooklyn’s Almost Sex. Born during the early stages of the pandemic, this duo, who met on Hinge, initially began collaborating and dating remotely, before finally meeting up in person to conclude work on their first few singles. In September of 2020, LaSota and Louis released their first single, “Knockoff,” and subsequently shared another seven tracks over the course of the last year, including the groove-laced “Lie Heartfelt” and the more folk-leaning “Rest Up.” Tune in to the interview to hear all about what it was like for LaSota and Lewis to simultaneously develop a creative and romantic relationship, the inspiration behind their track “Eye To Eye,” what they remember about their first-ever meeting, and more. Plus, they picked some awesome records from Big Star, Leonard Cohen, and The Promise Ring. You can follow along with their picks via the official playlist for Episode 195. 

Almost Sex is performing tonight at Arlene’s Grocery! Snag your tickets here. You can stream their music on Spotify and grab some merch via their website. Keep up with Almost Sex by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook.

Episode 194 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Kasey Heisler, Patrick Porter, and Chayse Schutter of Brooklyn noise trio A Very Special Episode. The band just released their long-awaited first full-length, Fix Your Hearts Or Die, on Tuesday via Hidden Home Records and EWEL Records. Described by the band as a record centered on self-reflection and introspection, Fix Your Hearts Or Die sees the trio unleashing their adventurous sound with little restraint, piecing together a series of songs with noise vignettes and sonic interludes shaped by feeling. Though the band had written and performed these songs live many times prior to the pandemic, the halt in production stemming from COVID lockdown allowed them to make further tweaks to the finished product. The resulting 11 songs are a journey that ebbs and flows in intensity and morphs stylistically. Tune in to our interview to hear about how the David Lynch-inspired track  “Fire Walk With Me,” was recorded last in their practice space, how they pieced together the album’s distinct sounding songs, the story behind the voicemail at the end of their song “Cowboy,” and more. The band also picked some awesome records from Jay Som, Ringo Deathstarr, and Arcade Fire. Follow along with their picks via the official playlist for Episode 194.   

You can purchase Fix Your Hearts Or Die on vinyl via Bandcamp. The album is also available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook. 

Don’t miss the Fix Your Hearts Or Die release show this Saturday, October 16th at Our Wicked Lady! Kissed By An Animal and Sorry Darling are also on the bill. Doors are at 7 pm and advance tickets are available via Eventbrite. A Very Special Episode is also playing at Berlin on November 6th with Ceremony East Coast and Cigarettes for Breakfast.

Episode 193 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Alex Dezen and Amber Bollinger of Los Angeles’ Broken Baby. The duo entered the tail end of 2021 by sharing their great sophomore full-length, Late Stage Optimism, a fiery and hard-charging record that unleashes a torrent of biting hooks and an in-your-face attitude across its 11 tracks. The band released the album on their own imprint, Poor Man Records, which is also home to some of our favorite Los Angeles bands, including Young Winona and Human Barbie. Tune in to the interview to hear how the project formed after both Dezen and Bollinger grew tired of playing music that just didn’t excite them anymore, how they decided to scrap five tracks from Late Stage Optimism during the pandemic and record new ones in their place, what you can expect from their already legendary live performances, and much more. The band also picked some awesome records from The Smiths, Polvo, and Nico. You can follow along with their picks via the official playlist for Episode 193.

Late Stage Optimism is out now via Poor Man Records. You can purchase the album on limited edition vinyl via Bandcamp. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook.

Episode 192 of Look At My Records! features an interview with musician, actor, and podcaster Parker Wierling. The Atlanta-based multidisciplinary artist has an eclectic background, as in addition to writing his own music, he’s dabbled in acting, and last year, he launched a podcast called On That Note, where he interviews other musicians about their creative processes. Today, he dropped a brand new single called “With A Little Love,” which marks a shift in sound for Wierling from more synth-driven compositions to Beatles-esque guitar numbers. Over the summer, Wierling also traveled to Philadelphia to record a set of songs with Kevin Basko (Foxygen, Ribber Band Gun), which is scheduled for release in 2022. Listen to the interview to hear all about Wierling’s sonic evolution, how he uses his acting background and skills to create gorgeous and cinematic music videos, what he’s applied to his own songwriting processes after interviewing so many of his peers through his podcast, what he learned from recording with Basko, and much more. Plus, Parker picked some awesome records from Her’s, Toro Y Moi, and more. You can follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 192. 

“With A Little Love” is available to stream on all platforms. You can also purchase Wierling’s music via Bandcamp. Check out his website to listen to episodes of the On That Note podcast. Keep up with him by following him on Instagram and liking him on Facebook.