Look At My Records!

Episode 191 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Lowell Hobbs of Asheville, North Carolina-based post-punk band Tongues of Fire. The four-piece just released an ambitious EP entitled Burn My Body Clean, which takes listeners through Hobbs’ mourning process following the tragic death of his mother. As a concept EP of sorts, each of the five tracks represents a different stage of his grieving process, from the initial shock to the attempts to move forward. The music is energetic and pummeling, drawing influence from the sounds of both Steve Albini and David Yow. Listen to the interview to hear all about how the overarching concept of the EP came together for Hobbs, what the band’s first live shows since 2020 have been like, what it was like recording with Dan Dixon in his Atlanta studio, and more. Plus, Lowell picked some awesome records, including some great ones from the Pixies, Q and not U, and Mission of Burma. You can follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 191.

Burn My Body Clean is out now via Godless America Records. You can purchase it on limited edition cassette 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.

Episode 190 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Ben Hoffman and Caroline Davis of Brooklyn neo-soul outfit My Tree. The duo, who just recently rebranded from “Maitri,” released their second full-length album, Where The Grace Is, in late July. The expansive and densely textured record explores the more experimental side of R&B, soul, jazz, and funk, while simultaneously tackling a variety of social issues, including the Pulse nightclub tragedy and the murder of Ahmad Arbury. It also features some dynamite collaborations from artists like Rico Sisney. Listen to our interview to hear about how Prince influenced them to change the spelling of their name, what influenced their decision to scale down from a quartet to a duo, the sonic contrasts between their first album, After Glow, and Where The Grace Is, and much more. Plus, Ben and Caroline picked some dynamite records, including some stellar ones from Hole, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, and more. You can follow along with their picks via the official playlist for Episode 190.

You can purchase Where The Grace Is on limited edition vinyl via Bandcamp. The album is also available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with My Tree by following them on Instagram and Twitter, and liking them on Facebook.

Episode 189 of Look At My Records features an interview with Mark Anderson and Gabe Perry of Jersey City indie rock group Sleepers Union. The quartet just released a brand new record called Numbers Station and their backstory is definitely an interesting one. Sleepers Union was originally formed by Anderson in his home country of New Zealand, but the group took on a new form when he relocated to the states a few years ago. With the permission of his Kiwi bandmates, Anderson recruited Perry (guitar, vocals), Matt Poppe (bass, vocals), and Todd Campisi (drums) for an American version of the lineup, and the quartet has been gigging steadily around New York City ever since. Listen to our interview to hear all about how the group came together, what it was like recording Numbers Station at JC Studios here in Jersey City, the story behind some of the record’s stand-out tracks like “Polish Shoes,” and more. Plus, Mark and Gabe picked some awesome records, including some choice cuts from Buddy Holly, Built to Spill, and Roxy Music. Follow along with their record picks via the official playlist for Episode 189.

Numbers Station is out now! You can purchase it on Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook.

Episode 188 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Matt Sklar and Federica Tassano of Brooklyn indie-pop outfit Phantom Handshakes. The story of this relatively new band is quite unique to our times. After serving as a reliable supporting cast member of several great New York City bands like The Planes and Parrot Dream, Sklar found himself with a significant amount of time on his hands during the early days of the pandemic. He began revisiting some of his own old song ideas and experimenting with new ones, recording demos at home while in isolation.  In need of a vocalist, he reached out to Tassano, who is the front person of Brooklyn shoegaze outfit Sooner. She laid down some vocals immediately, and the project released their debut EP, Be Estranged, in July of last year. Sklar and Tassano kept plugging away in 2020 and early 2021, and they followed up their debut EP with their first full-length, No More Summer Songs, in April. Tune in to our interview to hear about how the two first connected, what it was like playing these songs together for the first time in person after already releasing an EP’s worth of material, Tassano’s process behind writing her darker lyrics, and much more. Plus, the duo picked some awesome records from my collection, including choice cuts from Bachelor, The Cranberries, Kyle Forester, and more! You can follow along with their picks via the official playlist for Episode 188.

You can purchase No More Summer Songs on vinyl or cassette 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.

For Episode 187 of Look At My Records!, Tom spoke with the prolific California-based songwriter Austin Leonard Jones. For the last decade-plus, Jones has released a string of great albums and EPs, exploring lo-fi pop, psychedelia, surf rock, and country. His songwriting journey is chronicled through his most recent release, The Wonder Years of Austin Leonard Jones Vol. 1 & 2, a double cassette retrospective that compiles some of his standout tracks from 2010 to 2018. Released via the Perpetual Doom label, the compilation showcases Jones’ evolution as a lyricist and musician, as the characters in his songs gradually take on greater depth, while his music becomes more textured and varied in style as it progresses. Tune in to our interview to hear how Jones made the move from Texas to California a few years ago, how his creative relationship with engineer/musician Will Patterson had shaped the sound of his music, what it was like recording his next album digitally after working with tape exclusively, the process behind curating a retrospective compilation, and more. Plus, Jones picked some awesome records from Tom’s collection, including choice cuts from Kevin Ayers, Bob Dylan, The Bats, and more.  You can follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 187.

You can purchase a copy of The Wonder Years of Austin Leonard Jones Vol. 1 & 2 on limited edition cassette via Perpetual Doom. You can also check out Jones’ back catalog via Bandcamp or your streaming platform of choice. Keep up with Jones by following him on Instagram, liking him on Facebook, and checking out his website.

Episode 186 marks the first in-person interview in over a year on Look At My Records! That’s right, Chris Fox of New Jersey’s Ruby Bones stopped by Tom’s apartment for a stimulating conversation over some adult beverages and Chris got to physically LOOK AT TOM’S RECORDS. Ruby Bones released their excellent second full-length, Laser Tooth Tiger, back in April on Mint 400 Records, and the two chatted about this slick and solid indie rock record. Their conversation also touched on a variety of topics, including Bruce Springsteen’s butt, the band’s change in sonic direction since their debut, Fox’s experiences coming of age as a young songwriter in the great state of New Jersey, and more. Plus, Fox picked some great records from Tom’s collection, including choice cuts from Nanami Ozone, Wilco, and Ought. You can follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 186!

You can purchase Laser Tooth Tiger on limited edition compact disc via Bandcamp. The album is also available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with the band by liking them on Facebook and following them on Instagram.

Episode 185 of Look At My Records! features an interview with multidisciplinary artist Jon Bernson. The San Francisco-based songwriter has a long and fascinating history of writing eclectic, narrative-driven songs that incorporate several other means of expression, including sound design, dance, and tableau vivant, to name a few. Berson began experimenting beyond the traditional confines of songwriting in the late 1990s as the frontman of Ray's Vast Basement, developing a multimedia approach that is frequently referred to as 'musical fiction'. He’s continued his expansive and interdisciplinary approach through other musical projects, including Exray’s and Window Twins. He’s also written plays, such as When Lighting The Voids, and is a founding member of the Howells Transmitter arts collaborative and record label. Most recently, Bernson shared a new album called Higher Lows, which was heavily inspired by Leonard Cohen's 1984 album, Various Positions. Like Cohen, Bernson recorded the album using a variety of Casio synthesizers that he accumulated over the years from thrift stores and juxtaposed darker lyrics with bright sonics. Tune in to our interview to hear about how Bernson started his first project, Ray’s Vast Basement, while living in a storage shed on the edge of the Point Reyes National Forest, how he’s transitioned between projects, what it was like recording Higher Lows while an artist in residency at The Space Program in San Francisco, and much more. Plus, Bernson picked some awesome records from my collection, including choice cuts from Purple Mountains, Public Image LTD., and The Cars. You can follow along with Jon’s picks via the official playlist for Episode 185.

You can purchase a copy of Higher Lows via Bandcamp. The album is also available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with Jon by checking out his website and following him on Instagram.

For Episode 184, Zach Romano joins Tom as co-host for an interview with Brooklyn-based author Mandy Brownholtz.  Brownholtz just released her debut novel, Rotten, which tells the story of a young twenty-something named Viv Taylor as she navigates the seedy underbelly of the DIY scene in Washington D.C. The plot sees Viv confronting past traumas experienced through the scene and reckons with issues of consent and millennial sexual politics, particularly in the context of tight-knit music communities. Tune in to the interview to hear about Brownholtz’s decision to self-publish the novel and what went into that process, the “Ooze” motif that follows Viv throughout the book, how her own experiences in the DIY community helped her develop the characters in Rotten, and more. Plus, Mandy picked some awesome records from Tom’s record collection from Times New Viking, Parquet Courts, Fiona Apple, and more. You can follow along with her picks via the official playlist for Episode 184!

The first print edition of Rotten is sold out, but you can sign up for the waitlist for the second edition. You can purchase a digital copy of the book via Brownholtz’s website. Keep up with her via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Episode 183 of Look At My Records! features an interview with John Russell of Richmond, Virginia power trio Gnawing! We chatted with the band on paper earlier this year, but since then, they’ve released their debut full-length, You Freak Me Out. It dropped last week via Refresh Records and it’s an eclectic mix of big riffs, power-pop hooks, and a bit of far-out cosmic country twang. Tune in to our interview to hear about how Russell shifted his focus from playing in heavier bands to writing the more pop-oriented music of Gnawing, what it was like recording this album with COVID restrictions in place, how Gnawing originally started as a side solo project, and eventually evolved into a full-fledged band, and much more. Plus, John picked some awesome records from my collection, including choice cuts from Fountains of Wayne, Liz Phair, and The Beths. You can follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 183. 

You Freak Me Out is out now on Refresh Records. You can purchase the album on vinyl via Bandcamp. “It’s also available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and Twitter, and liking them on Facebook.

Episode 182 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Rafferty Swink of Evolfo. The band just released their long-awaited second album, Site out of Mind, on Royal Potato Family. It’s an epic 12 song collection of colorful, noodly psych-rock gems that touches on themes of spirituality and the afterlife, and was partially inspired by science-fiction concepts and one group psychedelic drug trip. This album saw Swink assume a larger role in producing the record and unlike their last record, Last of the Acid Cowboys, most of the tracking occurred in a more intimate setting, guitarist Matt Gibb’s Ditmas Park home studio. During our interview, Swink and I chatted about the band’s decade-plus history, including their shifting sonic influences and move from Boston to New York, the thematic connections between Last of the Acid Cowboys and Site out of Mind, his mindset when creating the trippy video for their song “Let Go,” and more. Plus, Swink picked some awesome records from my record collection and dropped some knowledge on John Coltrane, The Wailers, and more. You can follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 182.

Site out of Mind is out now via Royal Potato Family. You can purchase a copy on vinyl via Bandcamp. The record 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 official Site out of Mind release party at TV Eye in Ridgewood, Queens on July 24th! Tickets are available now via Eventbrite!