In this episode we dig into The Strokes’ Room on Fire and argue that it’s way more compositionally sophisticated than its “garage rock” reputation suggests.

We’re joined by Matty Greg (musician and YouTuber known for his Strokes theory breakdowns) to talk about how the guitars, bass and vocals often function like SATB parts—melody, inner voices and bass line all weaving together with shocking precision.

In this episode:

– Why Room on Fire might be smarter and tighter than people realize

– Guitar/bass/drum interplay on songs like “Reptilia,” “12:51,” “Under Control,” “The End Has No End”

– How Julian’s melodies sit inside (and against) the harmony

– Where this album fits in the Strokes’ discography vs Is This It

– Matty Greg’s perspective from years of dissecting these songs on his channel

CHAPTERS:

00:00 (Intro)

0:13:38 (First Impressions)

0:47:21 (Music Deep Dive)

01:28:53 (Production)

01:59:53 (Performance Techniques)

02:31:32 (Standout Songs and Final Thoughts)

🔊 Support & follow:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations

• Matty Greg – search “Matty Greg Music” on YouTube

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

Full bonus discussion over on our Patreon!

For full episodes, bonus video episodes, and more content - please subscribe to our Patreon page: Patreon.com/Blackmarketdub

To listen to our music visit: blackmarketdub.bandcamp.com

For vinyl purchases and more: escapehatchrecords.com

In this episode we dive into Beach House’s 2010 breakthrough Teen Dream and talk about why it hits so hard both musically and emotionally.

We break down the musicianship and production—Victoria Legrand’s voice and keys, Alex Scally’s guitar and counter-melodies, the live drums and synth textures—and how all of that supports the record’s heavy emotional core. We also talk about how this album helped us open up emotionally in ways we didn’t fully expect, and why it still feels like one of the defining indie records of the 2010s.

In this episode:

– Track highlights across Teen Dream (“Zebra,” “Silver Soul,” “Norway,” “Walk in the Park,” “10 Mile Stereo,” “Take Care” and more)

– Arrangement and harmony details that quietly make this record so powerful

– Chris Coady’s production choices and the “upstate New York church” recording vibe

– Where Teen Dream sits in the Beach House catalog and why so many fans see it as “the one”

– How this album influenced our own approach to mood, texture and emotion as Black Market Dub

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro)

0:38:23 (Let's Build a Beach House)

1:28:46 (Recording Studio and Gear Used)

1:46:11 (Beach House's Consistency)

1:59:29 (Standout Songs)

2:11:51 (An Intimate Story)

🔊 Support & follow:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

For full episodes, bonus video episodes, and more content - please subscribe to our Patreon page: Patreon.com/Blackmarketdub

To listen to our music visit: blackmarketdub.bandcamp.com

For vinyl purchases and more: escapehatchrecords.com

In this episode we dive into Tame Impala’s Currents and ask the big fan question: are you Team Pre-Currents (Innerspeaker / Lonerism) or Team Post-Currents (Currents / The Slow Rush and beyond)?

We talk about how Kevin Parker shifted from guitar-heavy psych rock into synth-driven psychedelic pop, how the album functions as a breakup record and a “changing your whole life” record at the same time, and why his production and mixing on Currents is such a huge flex.

In this episode:

– Track highlights: “Let It Happen,” “Yes I’m Changing,” “Eventually,” “The Less I Know the Better,” “Reality in Motion,” “New Person, Same Old Mistakes”

– The sound of Currents: synths, bass, drums, vocal treatments and home-studio wizardry

– Breakup, guilt and transformation themes across the lyrics

– How this album split the fanbase and changed Tame Impala’s trajectory

– Our own argument over whether the pre-Currents or post-Currents era is stronger

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro)

0:37:09 (Lonerism VS Currents)

1:09:37( Notes on Production)

1:20:43 (Songwriting and Standout Songs)

1:43:06 (Final Thoughts)

🔊 Support & follow:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

Preview of our bonus discussion on Jimi Hendrix and First Rays of the New Rising Sun! Full episode available only on Patreon at the link below:

For full episodes, bonus video episodes, and more content - please subscribe to our Patreon page: Patreon.com/Blackmarketdub

To listen to our music visit: blackmarketdub.bandcamp.com

For vinyl purchases and more: escapehatchrecords.com

In this episode we dig into Jimi Hendrix’s First Rays of the New Rising Sun and ask a big question: should this count as his true fourth album, or is it just the best posthumous compilation we have?

We talk about the songs Hendrix was working on at the end of his life, the Electric Lady era, and how these tracks were originally scattered across posthumous releases like The Cry of Love, Rainbow Bridge and War Heroes before being reconstructed as First Rays in the ’90s. We also get into why, despite the quality of the material, this record doesn’t seem to have the same emotional weight in the fanbase as his three lifetime studio albums.

In this episode:

– Standout tracks and moments across First Rays of the New Rising Sun

– How much this really reflects Hendrix’s intentions for his next album

– Electric Lady Studios, Billy Cox, Mitch Mitchell and the late-period band sound

– The gap between who Hendrix actually was and the sanitized, whitewashed version of his legacy

– Whether First Rays belongs in the core Hendrix canon or should stay labeled as posthumous reconstruction

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro)

0:00:22 (First Impressions)

0:19:09 (Is this the true 4th Hendrix LP?)

0:55:40 (An Acceleerated Life)

1:14:16 (What was next for Jimi Hendrix?)

1:29:28 (Standout Songs)

1:46:31 (The Black Gold tapes)

1:53:01 (Final Thoughts)

🔊 Support & follow:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

For full episodes, bonus video episodes, and more content - please subscribe to our Patreon page:

Patreon.com/Blackmarketdub

To listen to our music visit:

blackmarketdub.bandcamp.com

For vinyl purchases and more:

In this episode we dive into Isaac Hayes’ 1971 double album Black Moses and talk about why he should be remembered first and foremost as a revolutionary musician, not just a pop-culture character.

We dig into the story of Stax Records, how Hayes went from staff writer/producer to solo trailblazer, and how Black Moses expands on the ideas of Hot Buttered Soul: long, cinematic arrangements, slow-burn grooves, and radical reinterpretations of other people’s songs. We compare the two albums, talk about the marketing and imagery around “Black Moses,” and why this record still doesn’t get the same shine as his most famous work.

In this episode:

– Track highlights and arrangements across Black Moses

– How it connects to Hot Buttered Soul, Stax’s crisis, and the post-Shaft moment

– The Bar-Kays / Isaac Hayes Movement band and the lush, orchestral soul sound

– Isaac Hayes’ legacy as a composer, producer and singer vs the way he’s often reduced in pop culture

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro)

13:31 (What is Black Moses? First Impressions)

44:05 (Stax Records, Isaac Hayes' prior work)

1:03:03 (Black Moses Analysis)

1:42:20 (Rant against 'Automatic Sequence, Final thoughts)

🔊 Support & follow:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

Full episode over on Patreon! Today we discuss the next pick we're doing on the show, and it's probably my new favorite album we've covered so far.

For full ad free video episodes, bonus video episodes, a blog, and more - please subscribe to our Patreon page: Patreon.com/Blackmarketdub

To listen to our music visit: blackmarketdub.bandcamp.com

For vinyl purchases and more: escapehatchrecords.com