Unsung Podcast

por Unsung Podcast

Episode 46 - I am Forever by Traindodge with BEST FRIEND OF THE POD Fraser Stewart

Here’s a story. When you start a podcast you kinda want people to listen. I mean, we wouldn’t be making the bloody thing if we didn’t think we could offer something interesting and/or entertaining. You never really expect people to do it though, and so when you start to ask the people you didn’t expect to listen to give you money for the whole damn endeavour it feels a bit like daylight robbery. Yet, people listen. Not a lot, but enough. And then people donate. Not much, but a little. Then somehow, it begins to feel like a proper thing. Pride swells, hearts flutter and brains are completely baffled by people’s willingness and generosity for giving money to three guys who are probably still chancers. So we’d like to thank all of your for giving a shit about this like we do. As some may know, a while ago we put a post on Facebook saying that if someone would be daft enough to donate £100 we’d do an episode with them in their living room on a record of their choice. We didn’t think it’d actually happen, yet it did. The man? Dundonian legend Fraser Stewart. Some may know him from the band Fat Goth. In keeping with the very spirit of this podcast he chose an Unsung band with an Unsung record, pulling the album ‘I am Forever’ by a little known band from Oklahoma City called Traindodge. This is our thanks (?!) to him. And he takes on a wild ride as he talks about his connection to this band and their music. Also, he finally did a theme tune for the Dave Grohl Nexus and we must warn you - it’s so good it might actually break the internet. Is this the best Traindodge album? Vote below!

Episode 53 - The 2018 Xmas Xtravaganza (Side A)

In the immortal words of Noddy Holder - it’s Christmas. As it’s the end of our first year we thought it was time to start a new tradition, using the final two weeks of the year to reflect on the last 52 weeks and answer a few fan questions in the process. That’s right, it's part one of the Unsung 2018 Xmas Xtravaganza. On this week’s episode we get a little drunk, a little lary and very self-aggrandizing as we talk about our favourite finds of the year. We also give out a few Christmas presents to ourselves as we each save an album that didn’t make it into the discography. Dave askes us what our favourite Wikipedia/research find of the year was and we wrap it all up by talking about our most overrated songs and albums of the year. It is indeed a time for joy. Unless you’re an LCD Soundsystem fan. In which case you might want to skip this one.

Episode 52 - Meantime by Helmet

Well folks, we did it. We made it through 52 consecutive weeks without killing each other. Also, we didn’t miss an episode. Please send us high fives. We left last week’s episode on a bit of a cliffhanger as Chris hadn’t quite decided which Helmet record he was going to do, but when it came down to it there was only one choice - ‘Meantime’. The band’s second record, their major label debut and the record we got our name from. So I guess you now know who also came up with the name of the podcast. Anyway, we decided to go deep on Helmet’s discography and in the process we all came to some interesting, and different, conclusions on the band’s work. Want to know more? Listen. Yes, it’s another cliffhanger! You’ll need to listen to see what our individual opinions are. Helmet’s best album? Well, you decide. Vote below.

Episode 51 - Emotion (Side B) by Carly Rae Jepsen

This week on the Unsung Podcast - three lads go off the rails. Weaver decides to pick Carly Rae Jepsen’s third album ‘Emotion’, then throws a curveball by saying the mini album of B sides she released after it is much better. So on this episode we talk about both. Chris is pissed off, throwing derision around the shop like it’s going out of style. Weaver remains staunch in his defense of the record, and Mark briefly loses his shit in the middle before deciding that this album is beige wallpaper. This episode is a bit wild, so we hope you enjoy the ride. You can vote on if this record deserves to be added into our discography below.

Episode 50 - Cancer 4 Cure by El-P

A lovely return to hip hop this week, as Mark nominates El-P’s fourth solo album ‘Cancer 4 Cure’ for inclusion in our discography. David and Mark go deep on El-P’s back catalouge, taking detours through the discographies of some Def Jux artists and giving some time Killer Mike’s ‘R.A.P Music’, which was produced by El-P and came out within weeks of this album. And what conversation about El-P and Killer Mike can be complete without mentioning Run the Jewels and the staggering success they’ve had over the past five years? We cover that too. Is ‘Cancer 4 Cure’ the best El-P record? That’s up for you to decide. Vote below.

Episode 49 - Mit Gas by Tomahawk

Back to more conventional territory this week. Sort of. Mike Patton, in fact not just Mike Patton but every member of Tomahawk, has been involved in a vast number of musical projects over the years. With most of the Tomahawk releases, one could convincingly argue that the band are the fulcrum for some of their most “conventional” work. Whilst all have been involved in some of the most important records ever made, they’ve never quite produced anything like Tomahawk. Conventional wisdom amongst fans of the band dictates that the band’s self titled first album should take the crown as their best work. We’re here to argue differently. Yes, you read that right - we’re here to argue differently. All three of us. United in a rare moment of praise for an album. We dive into the band’s history and take a tour of their entire discography, briefly touching upon each individual artist’s history but never lingering on it too long, because each one of them has a record we’ll cover at some point in the future. So enjoy this tour of Tomahawk and their fantastic discography, then tell us - do you think it’s their best album? Vote below.

Episode 48 - Glass Swords by Rustie

Nothing like a curve ball, eh? This week Weaver dives deep into his catalogue of dance album and produces the spell binding ‘Glass Swords’ by Glasgow’s very own Rustie. This is our first time we’ve ever covered a dance album and the results are…mixed. ‘Glass Swords’ is often cited as being one of the most important and influential electronic records of the decade. Dave leans heavily on this fact, whilst citing how it’s both bizarre and wonderful that artists like Rustie and Hudson Mohawke have helped to define the sound of trap music; no mean feat when you considered the distance between Scotland and the American deep south. Dave and Chris give us a whilst stop tour of the more esoteric side of UK dance music covering labels such as Numbers, LuckyMe, PC Music and Warp amongst others. Is ‘Glass Swords’ Rustie’s best work? Only you can decide. Vote below.

Episode 47 - Breaking the Internet: Threatin's Invisible Army

Due to some personal issues David couldn’t join us this week, which means that Rustie’s ‘Glass Swords’ has again been pushed back until next week. We didn’t think it’d be right to cover a record he chose without him. So Chris and Mark decided to try something a bit different. Threatin is ostensibly the solo project of LA based musician Jared Threatin. In November 2018 he and four sessions musicians embarked upon a European tour in support of the band’s debut album ‘Breaking the World’. Once they began their tour things took a turn for the strange. This week Chris and Mark dust off their old investigative journalism hats and take a look at the curious case of Jered Eames. Threatin, and the media shitstorm which followed, serves to highlight a a huge number of shady dealings that go on in the music industry on a regular basis. From those who take the mantra of “fake it til you make it” quite literally, to those at the very top of the music industry who have no qualms with using bots to enhance the figures of some of the world’s biggest artists, it’s clear this is not just an isolated case. So sit back and enjoy a deep dive into the career of a fictional band, and listen in wonder as we tell you just how messed up the internet can be for musicians of all kinds. Links: https://www.sickchirpse.com/guy-paid-thousands-pounds-tour-uks-most-prestigious-venues-play-nobody/ https://www.spin.com/2018/05/tidal-fake-streams-kanye-beyonce-investigation-300-million/ https://readwrite.com/2013/01/28/youtube-bot-vevo-videos-lady-gaga-spk/ https://medium.com/cuepoint/the-power-of-false-pretense-87f6cd4d0d31 https://williamsonsource.com/10-things-about-brentwood-we-bet-you-didnt-know-lace/ Whyte Lace commerical: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQwgVYzEEnQ

Episode 45 - Abyss by Chelsea Wolfe

After the eclectic weirdness of Butthole Surfers things are taking quite a dark turn with Chelsea Wolfe’s fourth (or fifth depending on who you ask) album ‘Abyss’. It’s a heavy album. Musically, it’s heavy and muscular in an almost doomy way, and in terms of content it could give Robert Smith a run for this money. Chelsea plays with a lot of different influences on this record; the aforementioned heaviness of doom; unsettling industrial soundscapes; the bleak sparseness of neofolk; the chime of alt. rock; all of it is represented here and pulled together, and apart, in fascinating ways. On this episode Mark offers his reasoning behind choosing this over ‘Pain is Beauty’, whilst Weaver explains how he too found it hard to pick between the too. Chris defends ‘Hiss Spun’, whilst also giving us an insight into her past. As ever, the boys also take a tour of her discography, before taking strange detours into sleep paralysis, the puritanical streak of left and a bunch more wild and whacky sidebars. Also, the Dave Grohl Nexus falls apart in front of Mark as the other two bust out some truly impressive connections. Is this her best album? Only you can decide. Vote via our Facebook page and as ever, don’t forget to share it with your friends.

Episode 44 - Independent Worm Saloon by Butthole Surfers

There are screeds and screeds dedicated to the Butthole Surfers. For most of their career they were a law unto themselves musically, and for a large part of their early career they were also a law unto themselves physically. Their 80s gigs are the stuff of legend, such was the level of disregard for human decency and safety. Yet most stories are bookended with just how good they were live. Not because of their on-stage antics - although we can imagine slight/massive fear for one’s health or life would certainly heighten the experience of seeing them - but because of how well they managed to play and sound in amongst the whirling maelstrom of noise, limbs, fire and nakedness that they brought to every venue they stumbled into. For the most part their records straddle the line between awesome genre bending songwriting and outright no-fucks-given avant-garde nonsense. And when we say nonsense we mean it in the very truest sense of the word. They were a band unconcerned with trends, and at many points, completely unconcerned with traditional songwriting in general. On this episode Chris picks their album Independent Worm Saloon because he feels it is the album where the Butthole Surfers embrace the tuneful directness that they frequently toyed with on previous records, whilst still maintaining their patented weirdness. Weaver reckons that Locust Abortion Technician is a better representation of the real Butthole Surfers, whilst Mark agrees with Chris. We dive deep into their history and discography here, so the episode is a little longer than usual but it’s also a lot of fun. Is this their best record? Only you can decide. Vote on our Facebook page below.

37 de 46