Look At My Records!

Johnny Dynamite joins Tom for Episode 181 of Look At My Records! The Brooklyn synth-pop king just released his second solo album, Sleeveless, on Born Losers Records, and it builds off of the dark and dreamy sound of his 2020 debut, Heartbroken. Like that record, Sleeveless sees Dynamite leaning heavily into synth-driven arrangements and electronic production to create songs that tell vivid stories, both based in reality and fiction. Listen to our interview to hear about how Johnny got his stage name, Johnny Dynamite, from a comic book character that his late grandfather Pete Morisi created, the lyrical inspiration behind the album’s dramatic and theatrical first single, “Triflin’ Kids,” the recording process behind Sleeveless, and more. Plus, Johnny picked some great records from Nirvana, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and more. You can follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 181. 

You can purchase Sleeveless on limited edition red blob vinyl via Born Losers Records. You can stream the record on your platform of choice. Keep up with Dynamite by following him on Instagram and liking him on Facebook.

Episode 180 of Look At My Records! Features an interview with Aaron Martin and Jeremy Clark of Nashville’s Okey Dokey.  Since the project’s inception back in the mid-2010s, Okey Dokey has released a string of great albums and developed a creative ethos that builds off of the principle tenet of collaboration. Over the years, their records have featured contributions from Ron Gallo, Caleb Hickman, and Desert Noises, among others. For their latest album, Once Upon One Time, they took this collaborative-centric approach even further, enlisting an array of different artists, like Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, Dave Harrington, and members of The Shins and My Morning Jacket, to independently mix individual tracks. More recently, the band released a new EP called Leaky Sealing, which includes a remix of their song “Delicious” by the band Generationals, a raw cover of the Roger Miller classic, “Where Have All The Average People Gone,” a stripped-down version of “Wine Friends,” and two new original tracks. Tune in to our interview to hear how the band approached piecing together the tracks on Once Upon One Time and how they were able to make the record sound cohesive with so many different mixers, how their approach to songwriting has changed over time as more collaborators have gotten involved with the project, what the band has on deck for the rest of the year, and more. Plus Jeremy and Aaron picked some great records, including some bangers from Angel Olsen, Britney, Melody’s Echo Chamber, and more. You can follow along with their picks via the official playlist for Episode 180.  

Leaky Sealing and Once Upon One Time are both out now via Park The Van. You can purchase them via Bandcamp and stream them on your platform of choice. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook. 

Kris Anaya, Joseph Davancens, and Fernando Oliva of Sacramento California’s Best Move are my guests for Episode 179 of Look At My Records! This new Northern California trio came together in 2019 seeking a new outlet to explore different creative inclinations and inspirations. On their debut EP, Mirror Image Twins, their songs take direction from the stylings of 1960s and ’70s troubadours like Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks, Brian Wilson, and Harry Nilsson and the “visual scoring” of indie-pop song placement in 21st-century TV shows and films. Tune in to the interview to hear all about the band’s formation, some insight on the variety of styles heard on Mirror Image Twins, how film scores have inspired their music, and more.  Plus, the band picked some awesome records from my collection from Television, Prefab Sprout, Weyes Blood, and more. You can follow along with their picks via the official playlist for Episode 179!

Mirror Image Twins is out now via Park The Van. You can purchase a copy via Bandcamp. The EP is also available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook.

Episode 178 of Look At My Records! features an interview with songwriter and composer Michael Zapruder. The Austin-based musician released his fourth full-length, Latecomers, in October of last year, a collection of sonically vivid tracks that delve both inward to dissect domestic intimacy and outward to examine the wasteland of modern American life. The album was a decade in the making and follows the 2010 release of Pink Thunder, a collection of free verse pop art-songs made from the poems of more than twenty contemporary American poets, including Noelle Kocot, James Tate, Bob Hicok, David Berman, D. A. Powell, and Valzhyna Mort. We talked at length about both Latecomers and Pink Thunder, plus we touched on Michael’s background, including his relationship with his two creative siblings, his time he spent in Nepal during his teenage years, why he was drawn to study music composition at a high level, his memories of recording at Tiny Telephone studios in San Francisco during the mid-to-late aughts, and more. Zapruder also gives us a little insight into what it’s like to score an opera and he picked some great records from Silver Jews, Elvis Costello, and more. You can follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 178.

You can purchase Latecomers via Bandcamp. The album is also available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify. Keep up with Zapruder by following him on Instagram and liking him on Facebook.

Episode 177 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Chaz Costello of Salt Lake City goth-punk outfit Sculpture Club. The band just released their long-awaited sophomore full-length, Worth, last month on Funeral Party Records. The songs of the album largely came together last year, when like many of us, Costello found himself with a lot of extra time on his hands. He began revisiting demos that he put to the side and started recording new ones, eventually entering the studio with Wes Johnson at Archive Studios in Salt Lake City. Tune in to our interview to hear all about the recording experience behind Worth, which Costello describes as a bit more free-form when compared with their debut, the inspiration behind the band’s more guitar-driven sound, what the music scene is like in Salt Lake City, and more.  Costello also shared some insights on his lyric writing process and hand-selected some awesome records from my collection, including choice cuts from The Cranberries, Saves The Day, The Exploding Hearts, and more! You can follow along with Chaz’s picks via the official playlist for Episode 177.

You can purchase Worth on vinyl via Bandcamp or Funeral Party Records. The album is also available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram.

Episode 176 of Look At My Records! features an in-depth conversation with Los Angeles-based songwriter Johanna Samuels. Samuels just released her debut full-length, Excelsior!, earlier this month on Mama Bird Recording Company. The songs on the album explore many of Samuels’ personal relationships, with many tracks like “Julie” and “Sonny” named after particular people in her life, and places an emphasis on personal growth through learning from others. Recorded live to tape at Sam Evian’s Flying Cloud studio in upstate New York, the record has a very warm and intimate feel, driven by Samuel’s earnest lyricism and irresistible melodies. Tune in to our interview to hear all about how her late Grandfather inspired the title “Excelsior,” how Christine Blassey Ford’s testimony before Congress inspired the album’s excellent second single, “Nature’s Way,” what inspired her to launch a series of benefit live streams called Abolition, and much more. Plus, Johanna picked some awesome records from Yo La Tengo, Courtney Marie Andrews, Television, and more. You can follow along with her picks via the official playlist for Episode 176.

Excelsior is out now via Mama Bird Recording Co. You can purchase a copy on limited edition red vinyl via Bandcamp. The album is also available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with Johanna by following her on Instagram and liking her on Facebook.

For Episode 175 of Look At My Records! Tom chatted with Max, Colin, River, and Trey of the Bay Area post-punk outfit Pardoner.  The band just released their ferocious third full-length, Came Down Different, on one of our favorite labels, Hoboken’s Bar None Records. This interview touches on an array of topics, including the band’s proclivity for writing wry and clever lyrics, their love of Polvo and Yo La Tengo, the condensed recording sessions with Jack Shirley at Atomic Garden Studios, and much more. Plus, the band picked some awesome records from my record collection, including great ones from Bob Pollard, Meat Puppets, The Feelies, and Bay Area music legends Grass Widow! You can follow along with their picks via the official playlist for Episode 175.

Came Down Different is out now via Bar None Records. You can get it on vinyl via Bandcamp. You can also stream it on Spotify. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook.

Episode 174 of Look At My Records! features an interview with New York City bedroom pop artist Chloe Berry. As a songwriter, Berry has been writing music since she was seven years old, and last month, she released her long-awaited debut EP, Blueberry Jams, via Spirit Goth. It features several great previously released singles like “Breakfast” and “Something New,” and new tunes like “On My Own” and “ Most My Days.” Tune in to our interview to hear about the inspiration behind some of the EP’s standout tracks, her creative relationship with her partner Spoonuel, her insights on the direction she’s headed in with her sound, and more. Plus, Chloe picked some awesome records from the likes of Alex G, Mitski, and more! You can follow along with her picks via the official playlist for Episode 174. 

You can purchase Blueberry Jams on limited edition cassette via Bandcamp. The EP is also available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with Berry by following her on Instagram and liking her on Facebook.

Episode 173 of Look At My Records features an interview with Gini Jungi of the Switzerland garage-psych outfit Annie Taylor. In the fall of last year, the band released their debut full-length, Sweet Mortality, and followed it up recently with an excellent double single “The Fool” b/w “Unspoken,” which showcases their ever-expanding experimentations with psychedelia. They’re one of my favorite recent discoveries, and if you’re a fan of bands like Bleached, L.A. Witch, and Death Valley Girls, then you’ll love their washed-out-sounding tunes. Tune in to our interview to hear about the recording process behind Sweet Mortality and how having additional time to record in a legit studio helped improve certain aspects of their sound. You’ll also hear about how Gini revisited one of the first songs she had ever written and molded it into the band’s most recent single, “Unspoken,” the inspiration behind my personal favorite song of theirs, “A Thousand Times,” what they’re most looking forward to in 2021, and much more. Plus, Gini picked some awesome records from my collection, including rippers from Death Valley Girls and MC5. You can follow along with her picks via the official playlist for Episode 173.

Sweet Mortality is out now via Taxi Gauche Records. You can purchase it on vinyl Bandcamp. The album, and the rest of the band’s discography, are also available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook. You can also check out our review of their most recent release, “The Fool” b/w “Unspoken,” here on the site.

Episode 172 of Look At My Records features an interview with Adam Schatz of Brooklyn indie rock outfit Landlady.  For this episode, Zach Romano joins Tom as co-host to catch up with the Landlady frontman, and the three chatted about the band’s awesome new record, Adam’s recent move to Vermont, and a whole lot more. During the pandemic, Schatz found several other creative outlets to fill the void that live music left. In addition to preparing for the release of the band’s new self-titled record, he also penned several essays for publications like the New York Times and Talkhouse, and created a Halloween radio play called Pumpkin. Tune in to our interview to hear about how Schatz thinks making a record compares to putting together a radio play, his future plans for Landlady’s popular annual Holiday spectacular, how he found creative outlets outside of music during quarantine, and much more. Plus, Adam picked some awesome records, including some great tunes from Renata Zeiguer and Yo La Tengo! You can follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 172.

You can purchase Landlady on limited edition vinyl via Bandcamp. The album is 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.