Another monthly instalment of Record Rodeo, our album review round-up show. Featuring discussions on records by Ariana Grande, Xiu Xiu, Sun Kil Moon, Electric Wizard, Solange, and many more,

Episode 009 of RATE OR HATE, brought to you by the Talking Music! Podcast. Featuring Nick Drake's 'Pink Moon' and Spokane's 'The Proud Graduates'.

Episode 008 of Rate or Hate, by Talking Music! Podcast.

C'mon, skinny love. It's another episode of CHECK THE LABEL. This time, the boys are diving into the awesome, consistent-as-fuck indie rock titans known as Jagjaguwar, selecting the five essential albums in their 20 year discography. 

Jagjaguwar have a very special place in Josh and Connor's hearts. The label has been responsible for several of their favourite albums of all time, and they have acted as a platform for some of the most promising artists in the underground. Releasing the works of Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, Preoccupations, and many more, their impact on indie culture is insurmountable. 

In this episode, Josh and Connor discuss the label's creation, the overlooked work of Rick Alverson (Drunk, Spokane), and the mammoth impact Bon Iver made on the underground music scene, among other notable tid-bits about the label and their list of artists. Bet you don't know where the name Jagjaguwar comes from. The answer may SHOCK YOU! CLICK HERE NOW ***!*!*!*!*!*!** (But seriously, it's a strange answer. You really should listen to find out.)

The boys are confident that Jagjaguwar have affected you and your music taste in some way. So brush up on their catalogue and dive into this discussion on CHECK THE LABEL.  

Gushing and crying over High School Musical 2 can be exhausting. After the ravaging success of their discussion of the film's soundtrack, the boys are taking things easy for this episode by bringing their newly-found musical obsessions to the table. 

Josh has brought Jim O'Rourke's emotional magnum opus, 'Eureka'. This soothing, melancholic, and strangely uplifting little album has touched his heart in a profound way and wishes to share that same joy with Connor. Or at least, make up for having him listen to 'What Time Is It?' and 'Bet on It' more than once. Spoilers: he can very easily make up for that. The bar was set pretty low, to be fair. 

And as Josh predicted he would, Connor brought an Animal Collective record. 'Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished' is not only a cult hit among AnCo fans, it's an album that is already breaching into his top albums of all time. Can he convince Josh that AnCo are worth the hype? Will he be able to share the same love and affection he feels for them? Or at least, make it up for having him listen to The Feeling's 'Twelve Stops From Home?', one of Josh's worst album experiences? Spoilers: no matter what, he can never make it up for that. Never. 

Tune in to this week's episode to find out what the guys thought of their recommended albums and what albums they recommend each other for the next HIP HOP THEMED episode of Rate or Hate.

YEE-HAW! Another month, another trip down to the Record Rodeo, where Josh and Connor round up the best and worst albums they have listened to in the last 30 days.

If you're unable to tell when listening to the episode, Josh is really excited. Is it the caffeine, sugar, or something else entirely? Most likely. But he's mainly excited because of one band in particular. Not only has this band produced one of the most beautiful records he has heard in recent memory, they have also produced a TEN OUTTA TEN record. It is nearly three hours long, but Josh can't get enough of it. Find out what band he's so in love with, as well as hear his thoughts on the new James Blake and Sharon Van Etten records. 

Similarly, Connor can't get enough of another band: Connor Oberst's Bright Eyes. From 'Fevers and Mirrors', to 'Lifted', and 'I'm Wide Awake It's Morning', he has listened to them all. Hear him go wild with praise, and also a discussion on whether Better Oblivion Community Centre - Oberst's new collab with Phoebe Bridgers - lives up to his expectations. Once his inner-emo has calmed down, listen to his thoughts on Queen's 'Sheer Heart Attack' and his journey with Bob Dylan's discography.  

Get your lassos ready. Bust out your bolo ties. Come on down to this month's Record Rodeo! Let the boys know what you think of the albums they discussed, and what records you listened to this month. Giddy up, pard'ner!

🤠

New year, new segment on the Talking Music! Podcast. 

Introducing a brand new semi-regular series called 'CHECK THE LABEL', where Josh and Connor discuss the history and lineage of a record label and the five albums that helped define it. The aim is to celebrate these labels, put forward a case for how the records they've released over the years have helped shape the musical landscape, and encourage listeners to deep dive into their catalogues. 

For the inaugural episode, the boys discuss Sub Pop Records. The Seattle giants' unmatched contribution to 90's Rock music is worthy of praise, but they gave a platform to many seminal albums in genres other than Grunge. With a diverse catalogue ranging from punk, noise rock, dream pop, indie folk, and experimental hip-hop, they have remained on the cutting edge for 30 years. Sub Pop are far more than just Nirvana. Kurt Cobain and co. are discussed, of course. How could they be ignored? But perhaps the five albums the boys have selected will open eyes to why they still hold the record label throne after all these years. 

Many amazing labels - both major and independent - are being considered for future episodes, so both Josh and Connor hope you guys enjoy this pilot episode. Let them know what labels you hope they discuss in the future, and what some of your favourite Sub Pop records are. 

WHAT TIME IS IT?!?! It's not summer time, unfortunately. But it's a fabulous time to be alive, as Josh and Connor discuss a record from one of the most beloved acts in all of music history. They also discuss an album by Death. 

The first episode of 2019 witnesses the greatest culture clash ever recorded: extreme-metal pioneers Death's infamous record 'Spiritual Healing', and the generation-defining 'High School Musical 2' soundtrack. One is a blood-soaked political frenzy, the other is a charming cheese-fest for children. Of course they would be discussed in the same episode. Makes perfect sense. 

Will Josh agree with those who say 'Spiritual Healing' is Death's weakest record or will he see the light through the mayhem? And will Connor appreciate the HSM2 soundtrack the same way Josh does? Regardless of the answers, one thing is for sure. Will this be a wild AF episode? You can bet on it, bet on it, etc etc.  

The time has come. Christmas is in the dust, and 2019 is on the horizon. Pitchfork, Fantano, Rolling Stone, literally everyone has beaten them to it. But they don't care. The guys are posting their 2018 AOTY lists at the end of the year, like reasonable human beings. Crazy, huh? 

So yes, as you just read, they are finally discussing their favourite albums of 2018. Josh and Connor will reveal their individual Top 50 lists over the course of this 75 min special - the longest episode on the podcast so far! Some picks are to be expected, but there are many here that may surprise you. 

Are some albums too low down? Too high up? Have some been completely excluded? Let the guys know! You can send them voice clips with your personal AOTY on Anchor.FM, as well as comment and reply to them on social media (@talkingmusicpod). 

If you would like to check out any of the records the boys talk about in this episode, they have put together a pair of playlists just for you, featuring their favourite track from every album discussed. You can listen to them via the links below:

Josh's AOTY Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6bQVjJZvi5DWyoqOM4YrL1

Hope you all had an amazing year of listening to new music, and everyone at Talking Music wishes you a wonderful start to 2019. See you in the new year!