"From the moment I first heard this record (late at night in a dark, suburban lounge room) I was entranced. The beauty and the chaos; the light and shade; the juxtaposition of spoken-word recordings and heartfelt musicianship – 'Slow Riot' still has so much to offer 25 years after it was recorded. More than just about anything else I've heard, this EP is a journey, and a mesmerising one at that."

- Matt

Episode 13 features Abby's pick: First Aid Kit's Palomino.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Sweet Transvestite

Iain: Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day, Sadness - i want to be with you

Abby: Ed Sheeran - 2step (feat. Lil Baby), Picture This - Winona Ryder

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 12 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

"Through his vast, diverse discography, I never really felt like I understood Sufjan Stevens – he was an enigmatic figure hidden behind other people’s stories. With his 2015 album Carrie & Lowell, that all changed. The album is a shockingly candid collection of songs about his harrowing upbringing, and the troubled relationship with a mother that would repeatedly abandon him throughout his childhood. This album is remarkable not just for its music, but for its intense humanity – the forgiveness, the longing, the shame, and the acceptance he navigates. This was a surprisingly emotional one for all of us, and I’m glad to put this beautiful, sad album in front of more people." - Iain

Episode 12 features Matt's pick: Godspeed You! Black Emporer's Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Foo Fighters - Beyond Me⁠, ⁠Ben Folds - Kristine From the 7th Grade⁠

Iain: Peter Gabriel - i/o (Bright-Side Mix⁠, ⁠Deafheaven - The Pecan Tree

Abby: Stormzy - I Got My Smile Back⁠, ⁠Joshua Radin - Winter⁠

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 10 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

"After a few heavy albums, it felt right to me to pick something I can't help but dance to. I find this album sounds, to me, like a love letter. A plea to put our phones down and connect with the people around us. Plus, Matty Healy's questionable personality on and off the stage I think gives us something a bit extra to talk about." -Abby

Episode 11 features Iain's pick: Sufjan Steven's Carrie & Lowell

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Post Malone - Mourning, Dave Matthews Band - Madman's Eyes, Post Malone - Nirvana Tribute

Iain: Sudden Lights - Aijā, Port St. Willow - Amawalk, Ben Frost - DARK Netflix Series Soundtrack

Abby: Ed Sheeran - Wildflowers (I'm sorry I am boring right now)

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 10 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

"Few Australian bands were as big as Silverchair in the 1990s and 2000s and no Silverchair album was more important than Diorama. An evolution from the trio's earlier, grungier works, Diorama was a fascinating, meandering journey through a fantastical dreamworld conjured up by frontman-genius Daniel Johns. It's an album that meant a lot to me when it came out, and listening to it again 20 years on, I'm delighted to discover that it holds up remarkably well." - Matt

Episode 10 features Abby's pick: Being Funny in a Foreign Language by The 1975.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: First of October, Sonic Boom, More Sonic Boom

Iain: Taylor Swift - Story of Us, Tim Hecker - Obsidian Counterpoint, King Woman - Morning Star

Abby: Corrs - Breathless

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 8 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

We are back for a bonus episode about The National's latest album First Two Pages of Frankenstein! You're welcome.

A warning: This episode discusses suicide.

"Scottish band Frightened Rabbit’s breakout album, Midnight Organ Fight (2008), has had an enduring legacy. It’s been described as 'an album about breaking-up and fucking up', and one of the greatest break-up albums of recent times, and it is that – but there’s much more to it. At its core it’s a showcase of songwriter Scott Hutchison’s self-awareness and journey towards acceptance in the midst of personal turmoil, set to deceptively upbeat indie rock with a heartfelt performance. It’s not always a happy album and it is trailed by tragedy, but its journey is a worthwhile and important one." - Iain

Episode 9 features Matt's pick: Silverchair's Diorama

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Biffy Clyro - The Myth of the Happily Ever After, Ben Folds - Exhausting Lover, Metallica - 72 Seasons, Lizzy McAlpine - A Little Bit of Everything

Iain: Arooj Aftab - Tiny Desk, Bell Witch - Future's Shadow Part 1, Tim Hecker - Monotony

Abby: Ed Sheeran - Boat

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 8 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

This week we were really excited to feature three albums suggested by listeners! We pulled three albums out of a kid's helmet and each of us picked one to dig into. Hope you enjoy and thank you so much for your suggestions.

Episode 8 features Iain's pick The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: 100 gecs - 10,000 Gecs

Iain: Sannhet - So Numb, The Hotelier - Among the Wildflowers, Bleachers - Rollercoaster, Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better

Abby: Ed Sheeran - Eyes Closed

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 7 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

We (more accurately Iain and Abby) can't get over the new boygenius album the record that was released on March 31st, so we got together to talk about it.

You can find the film here.

"2020 was a transformative year for me in terms of music. In a year when I had a lot of free time I started to dive into new music and the year I really discovered Jack Antonoff. When digging through Jack's history I found Fun., a band he was part of for a few years, and discovered I had heard a few songs but not the whole Some Nights album. I wanted to revisit the album with this podcast and see if it holds up because when I first heard it I thought it was quite amazing." - Abby

Episode 7 features three listener suggested albums. Neil Young's On The Beach, The XX's The XX, and Rachel Kann's Ptolemaic Complex.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Macklemore - BEN, Dave Matthews Tiny Desk, Lizzie McAlpine on Jimmy Fallon, 100 gecs - Hollywood Baby

Iain: Sumner McKane - Riding in Cars in the Woods, Pianos Become the Teeth - Say Nothing, Blanck Mass - House vs. House

Abby: Steel Train - I Feel Weird, Bleachers - Don't Take the Money, Julien Baker's Tiny Desk

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 6 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

“They say not to judge a book by its cover but what about an album? It was the busy, fascinating album cover of Jackson Jackson’s 2007 debut, The Fire is on the Bird, that first caught my attention. The album itself turned out to be one of the most interesting and eclectic recordings I’d ever heard. I’ve enjoyed it ever since, but I know it’s as challenging a record as it is interesting. All of which makes it perfect fodder for discussion on The Album Files.” - Matt

For episode 6 Abby picked Fun.'s Some Nights

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Ben Folds - Winslow Gardens, Stormzy - Please, Stormzy - Give It To The Water

Iain: The Wonder Years - There, There, Jóhann Jóhannsson - The sun's gone dim and the sky's turned black, JAMBINAI - from the place been erased ft. swja

Abby: Lana del Rey - A&W, Gorillaz - Tormenta ft. Bad Bunny, Gorillaz - Oil ft Stevie Nicks, The National - New Order T-Shirt

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 5 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.