Under Records

As a gesture of (failed) petty revenge against Kev, Dan decides to foist Kev into the absurd universe of MF DOOM and Dangermouse, with their Adult Swim concept album The Mouse and the Mask. They discuss DOOM’s mythos as an artist, and the impact of Adult Swim in raising the profile of these two sleeping giants of the hip-hop landscape. Dan and Kev (don’t) attempt to figure out who MF DOOM really was, and whether his influence can be felt today. Mostly though they just laugh at old movie slang.

Take a step into the Craigverse as Kev surprises Dan with his most challenging album yet: The Hold Steady’s 2023 album “The Price of Progress”. Dan and Kev will discuss the ins-and-outs of Craig Finn’s vivid and verbose lyrics and the characters contained therein. They also talk about sports…Will Dan and Kev even be friends at the end of this? Can Dan overcome Craig Finn’s attitude? It’ll hurt a little bit, but Dan will do what he do to survive.

Wait…are we still here? In their first ever two-parter, Dan and Kev continue to discuss Dave & Tim’s 1996 concert Live at Luther College. Dan and Kev are getting into uncharted (and unpolished) song territory, but they’ll get through it by discussing the tenets of the jam band ethos and mid-90s mainstream weirdness. How does this early snapshot of Dave Matthews as a songwriter reflect on his career in the 2000s and beyond? What makes this guy so polarizing and Tim so amazing? How many of these songs were they even planning to play? These topics, Christmas, lyrical nonsense and Neil Young are all discussed in this thrilling conclusion. This pod is poured from the hands of angels, so get in the Warehouse because part two is far from a Typical Situation.

A new weird-voiced challenger approaches the Under Records podcast: the unmistakable Dave Matthews and his faithful acoustic savant Tim Reynolds. Dan and Kev cover Dave & Tim’s 1996 release Live at Luther College. What makes Dave so ubiquitous and yet so difficult to describe? Are these songs better performed with a band or as an acoustic duo? Is Tim really a robot that Dave built in his basement? Between discussing Dave’s incredible riff writing, voice, and lyrics, and Tim’s one-of-a-kind accompaniment, Dan and Kev will be lucky to keep this under 3 hours! They don’t particularly have a problem with splitting this one up. What Would You Say?

Dan and Kev reach peak indie this month as they discuss Regina Spektor’s 2006 release Begin To Hope. We talk about Regina’s various eclectic styles and mannerisms, her influence on the Indiesphere, and the stereotypes she patented/violated. How much can a bubbly Bronx pianist push the envelope? What life circumstances produce a work of this much variety? Why does she do that thing with her voice? Brace yourself to FEEL THE WALTZ!

Kev finally subjects Dan to one of his lifelong favorite artists; Richard Thompson. They discuss Richard's background in the seminal folk-rock band Fairport Convention, his most famous works with his ex-wife Linda, and his consistent and enduring legacy as a songwriter, instrumentalist, music historian and successful journeyman. His 1999 album Mock Tudor is perhaps his most acclaimed solo effort, but where does it stand in the world of popular music and taste? Where do his instincts as a writer thrive and where do they fail? What is his status as an influence and what influenced him? What does he have in common with Bobby Baccalieri from The Sopranos? Every time you hear this podcast Bathsheba Smiles, so Crawl Back (Crawl Back) under your stone and listen to Dan and Kev break it all down.

There comes a time when every pair of music nerds must talk about Radiohead, and that time is now for Dan and Kev. We discuss how this not-so-obscure band became the darling of music critics everywhere for the last few decades, and what their sophomore release says about all their material since its release. Is Radiohead ultimately popular? Why don’t more band evolve their sounds like this? Do you know The Note? You most certainly will after this episode, along with a small handful of Britishisms. Don’t leave Dan and Kev High and Dry. Just listen to the episode and feel it in your Bones.

Happy New Year Under Records fans! As a break between Seasons 1 and 2 of breaking down potentially underappreciated albums, Kev and Dan decide to slow it down and instead have a wide ranging conversation about music, technology, popularity and the monoculture. Is technology a bigger driving force than generational change in music popularity? Is the monoculture gone or secretly stronger than ever? How has technology impacted the way we hear, talk and think about music? What video game did Dan have as a soundtrack on a cassette as a youth? Will Kev ever shut the fuck up? All of these questions will be revealed in this Oops! All Concluding Thoughts episode. (Spoiler; the answer to the last one is no).

Dan and Kev are embracing their inner hermit to discuss Tame Impala’s 2012 release Lonerism. Dan reminisces about being an awkward 20-something having Lonerism as the lyrical validation for his struggles, and Kev nods along empathetically. We also attempt to answer the most important questions surrounding Tame Impala, like, What’s going on in Kevin Parker’s perfectionist head? Does he really sound that much like John Lennon? Does Elephant belong on this album, or any Tame Impala album? Does anyone even know this album exists? We’ll attempt to move this discussion forward even though it feels like we only go backwards.

Dan and Kev are getting in touch with their soul, soul music that is, with a discussion of Al Green’s 1971 album Al Green Gets Next to You. We discuss the roots of Soul music, the dynamics of working with a studio band, and what made this record so special that it made Al Green into a household name. How does Al Green differentiate himself from his contemporaries? Is this album a secret concept album? Is Al Green a Ram? Or a Driving Wheel? We’re gonna talk about this Right Now Right Now.