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As long-time listener's know, as a part of all of our discussions, we have a segment called Connections, where we connect the artist and album we are currently talking about to artists and albums we have discussed on previous episodes. For our interview with singer-songwriter Beaver Nelson, we played an extended version of Connections with him.  Beaver has worked with a ton of people in the music industry, and as a result, he came prepared to show us what a real game of Connections is all about. 

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On this episode of This Is Vinyl Tap, we do something a little different from our typical fare and interview Austin singer-songwriter Beaver Nelson. 

Beaver Nelson has been on the Austin scene since before he graduated from high school. His talent as a songwriter was almost immediately recognized by some of the finest singer-songwriters at the time, which gave him the opportunity to perform and record with some of the biggest names in the Austin music scene at the time. His songs are full of clever, introspective, and personal lyrics backed by a fantastic array of musicians. We talk to Beaver about some of those songs and stories behind them, as well as his history as a working musician in the Austin scene.

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On this episode we tackle the LP that introduced the world to Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band: 1967's Safe as Milk. 

Captain Beefheart, né Don Van Vliet, is best known for having recorded one of the most heralded rock albums of all time -Trout Mask Replica. But for many, that double album is a confounding listen with it's atonal song structures, disconcerting time signatures, and bizarre vocals.  However, before that was Safe As Milk. Thanks to the presence of 20-year-old Ry Cooder, some of Beefhearts's more eccentric instincts were reigned in. As a result, Safe as Milk is an intriguing listen.  It can be challenging in places, as it does have elements of what the future holds for Captain Beefheart and His magic Band. But it also has moments of whimsy and some good old 1967 rock n' roll (albeit through a Beefheart lens). And then there's Beefheart's chameleon-like vocals which are often strange, sometimes brilliant, and always compelling. 

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On this episode we discuss Dave Alvin and his 1994 LP, King of California. 

Dave Alvin started his storied career in Los Angeles with the Blasters, a band he founded with his brother Phil. Full of energy and attitude, the Blasters found themselves embraced by the LA  punk scene. The band did find some commercial success, but they fought like cats and dogs, which while it added to their intensity, but not their long-term possibilities, leading Dave to strike out on his own.

After a couple of attempts at solo recordings, he finally found his voice on King of California. Taking his tried and true approach of complimenting new songs with re-recording, and some outstanding covers, he stripped-down the arrangements on King of California and hit pay-dirt. Considered by many to be his best collection of songs, King of California  is the album where Alvin's abilities as a performer mesh with his talent as a song writer. It contains some of his best original songs, including a superb version of "Fourth of July," and a stunning duet with Rosie Flores that in itself is worth a listen.

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On this episode we discuss one America's great modern singer-songwriters -Robbie Fulks, and his wonderful 2016 album Upland Stories. 

Produced by the late, great Steve Albini, Upland Stories combines folk and traditional country elements into a rich collection of narrative-driven songs. The album and the fantastic opening track “Alabama at Night” both earned a Grammy nominations, recognition for what is considered by many to be Fulks' finest batch of songs. The album is full of poignant character studies, told with emotional and literary lyrics that are deeply rooted in American storytelling (Let Us Now Praise Famous Men - James Agees' Great Depression account of impoverished tenant farmers is a major touchstone). Like much of Fulks' discography, the album is an eclectic yet highly satisfying mix of tunes, both serious and humorous. Upland Stories explores diverse themes sung by a remarkably rich voice, backed by some topnotch musicianship, and told by a songwriter at the absolute top of his game.  

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On this episode of the podcast, we discuss Joni Mitchell’s 1971’s LP Blue, regarded by most critics as a masterpiece and consistently is listed on best of lists of the greatest albums ever made. 

A bit of a sea change for Mitchell, incorporating jazz stylings in both her phrasing and the music, it’s sparse on instrumentation, yet the songs feel full largely due to Mitchell's own vocals.  

Created just after her breakup with Graham Nash and during her relationship with James Taylor, Blue explores the various facets of relationships from love, to insecurity, to disappointment, and contains some of the most poignant and personal lyrics ever composed. 

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It's a listener pick! On this episode we look at one of the most influential musical groups of the twentieth century - Sly and the Family Stone, and their 1970 LP There's a Riot Goin' On.

By 1970, Sly Stone and his band had already had a huge impact on modern music. It was a mixed-race and mixed-gender band that spoke of love and harmony among all people. Hits like "Everyday People," "Dance to the Music," and "Stand" had gained the band crossover success and spawned numerous copy cats. However, by the time work had begun on There's a Riot Goin' On, the band was beginning to splinter. Sly was under increasing pressure by militant groups like the Black Panthers to make his music more "black" and he began to find solace in drugs and isolation. 

Forgoing the usual input from his band, Sly wrote, arranged, and recorded most of There's a Riot Goin' On himself. He brought in outside musicians, such as Billy Preston and Ike Turner to give the songs added dimension. The resulting LP was the big bang for the fledgling  genre of funk and an album that is consistently regarded as one of the best and most influential albums ever made. 

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This week we discuss Ian Hunter and his 1979 LP You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic.  Hunter worked a long time to find success. His band Mott the Hoople were instrumental in advancing glam rock by giving it a rougher edge. David Bowie was such a fan of the band that he even gave them the song "All the Young Dudes" which became the title track for their most popular album, which he also produced. Hunter eventually left Mott the Hoople to concentrate on a solo career and made several albums with Bowie collaborator, and guitarist extraordinaire, Mick Ronson. The results were a series of fine albums, featuring Hunter's (admittedly limited, but expressive voice) against Ronson's classic Marshall stack sound. You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic not only features Ronson, but several members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street band, grounding the album with a solid foundtion. The song "Cleveland Rocks" became an anthem for the birthplace of Rock-n-Roll and "Ships" was even covered by Barry Manilow, becoming one of his biggest hits. But don't let the Manilow cover fool you, You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic is chock full of rock and roll energy and is considered by many as Hunter's crowning achievement. 

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On this week's episode, we discuss the self-titled debut by the New York Dolls, one of most influential albums of the 1970s. 

The New York Dolls blended the Rolling Stones' swagger with garage rock aggression and glam rock theatrics, that both embraced the sounds of early rock and roll and foreshadowed punk rock. 

Produced in what seems like an unusual hands-off approach by Todd Rundgren,The New York Dolls presents the band with minimal polish. Its full of high energy songs about teenage angst, heartbreak, sex, drugs, and city life played with sloppy abandon. The New York Dolls is a blast from the get go and is must listen for anyone into punk, glam, or just plain good ol' rock & roll. 

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On this week's episode, we discuss  an album that came out in 2024, the fifth album by the Lemon Twigs, A Dream is All We Know. 

Consisting of multi-instrumentalist brothers Brian and Michael D'Addario, the music of the Lemon Twigs often feels like it’s been plucked straight from the 1960s or 1970s. Echos of the Beatles, the Kinks and the Beach Boys are obvious, in fact they brothers call the sound of this LP "Mersey Beach." However, the Brothers  D'Addario make it all sound fresh and relevant.  

Coming just a year off of their critically heralded LP Harmony Everything, the wonderfully constructed songs on A Dream Is All We Know feels like as the culmination of everything the Lemon Twigs recorded before it. A shimmering pop gem full of multi-layered ear worms, quirky song structures, and beautifully lush harmonies. There is a breadth and depth here not found on many modern rock albums that rewards the listener with each repeated listen. 

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