Unsung Podcast

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Episode 289 - The Karaoke Mixtape (Side B)

IT’S CHRISTMAS! Is this our first ever Christmas day episode drop? Possibly. But don’t quote us on that. It’s been six years. So it’s likely we’ve done it before…anyway, this week is NOT part one (or two) of our Xmas Xtravaganza, but it’s part TWO of our karaoke mixtape! Last week we spoke all about the history of karaoke. This week we’re chatting about a couple things: are artists who tour using backing tracks essentially doing karaoke? And we also chat about our favourite karaoke tunes, our least favourite karaoke tunes, hear from some more friends of the pod and chat a whole other bunch of shite besides. HAVE A GOOD CHRISTMAS, FOLKS! See you in the NEW YEAR for the NEW YEAR’S TREAT!

Episode 288 - The Karaoke Mixtape (Side A)

Karaoke is a divisive artform. In fact, even calling an “artform” is divisive in itself. For most people it’s a fun thing to do with friends, and for that reason it is hugely popular around the world. Inspired by Chris’ recent birthday night out that ended in a karaoke booth, we thought we’d do something FUN and explore the history of karaoke. In part one we talk about how it began, its success and reveal the staggering scale of this multi-billion dollar a year industry. We also hear from a few of our regular contributors and past guests as they give us their opinions on karaoke and tell us what their go to songs are. We hope you enjoy this episode! TWO THING: One, the Xmas Vinyl Hamper has now been joined by a digital variant, which is great for people who live outside of the UK. Find out more over on our merch store. Also, we’ll chuck in a personalised message for you as well. Two, we are SIX YEARS OLD today. So please wish us happy birthday.

Episode 287 - In Humor and Sadness by '68 w/ Grant Donaldson

This week we have a guest! Grant Donaldson from Moni Jitchell (and many others) joins us to talk about the debut album by ‘68. Launching almost immediately after the abrupt end of the critically acclaimed Christian Metalcore The Chariot, ‘68 are a very different proposition indeed. At various points channelling equal parts southern blues, angular punk rock and noise rock, they couldn’t be further away from metalcore. Written in the studio and recorded in a very short space of time, In Humor and Sadness is both an extremely fun and seemingly spontaneous sounding record that also somehow comes across as well crafted. Truly a testament to the talent of Josh Scogin and drummer Michael McClellan, it’s an album full of ferocious energy, playing and charisma. In this episode we talk about the band’s history, including briefly touching on Norma Jean, The Chariot, Christian Metalcore and the band’s entire discography before giving the album itself a good once over. We hope you enjoy! VINYL FANS: Like the idea of the record club but don’t want the commitment? Well, this Christmas treat yourself or a loved one to our vinyl hamper, where will send you 3 albums from our extensive record club collection. Tell us which host you want to get albums from, and we’ll send them out for only £30 + postage. Check it out, now.

Episode 286 - Live at Montreux Jazz Festival by Anna Von Hausswolff

This week we talk about something positively wintery indeed, as we explore the foreboding sounds of Swedish sonic sorceress Anna von Hausswolff. Tracing influences from baroque pop storytellers like Tori Amos through to the cavernous industrial churn of Swans, we chart Anna's evolution across a series of bold studio works and her new live album. While early piano-led efforts drifted into listless bluesy indulgence at times, subsequent records built in scale and ambition, making powerful use of church pipe organs alongside doom-laden guitars. We make the case though that it is most recent album, a live collection titled Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, where von Hausswolff's songs are distilled to their dramatic, emotionally coruscating essentials. Spotlighting tracks from latest LP 'Dead Magic' alongside back catalogue standout 'The Miraculous', the performance captures a gifted ensemble locked into Anna's haunted creative vision. Sweeping highlights like 'The Mysterious Vanishing of Electra' and 'Ugly and Vengeful' twist and turn from Radiohead-esque ethereal fragility to Sunn O))) styled nightmarish peaks of noise, never losing their hypnotic grip. After a trademark meandering musical nexus takes us via Napoleon Bonaparte's living heirs to Kate Bush and Scott Walker, we also discuss the latest on our recent break and our upcoming Christmas episode plans. Which we’re taking questions for now, so if you want to contribute, send em over now!

Episode 285 - You Come Before You by Poison the Well

We're back! After over a month away due to technical issues, the Unsung Podcast has returned with an explosive new episode on metalcore pioneers Poison the Well and their 2003 album 'You Come Before You.' Joining Chris and Mark for the first time in many months is Dave, who chose Poison the Well as his band for the episode. Hailing from Florida, Poison the Well helped define the metalcore genre in the early 2000s with their blend of hardcore punk and extreme metal. Albums like 1999's 'The Opposite of December' and 2002's 'Tear From the Red' built them a cult following. But it's their third album, 'You Come Before You,' that Dave considers their unsung classic. Recorded with producers who had previously worked with Refused, the album shows Poison the Well branching into more melodic territory even as the riffs become heavier. With nods to bands like Deftones and Cave In, it expanded the boundaries of what metalcore could be. The episode explores Poison the Well's entire career, analysing how they evolved from their raw early material into a more ambitious band on 'You Comes Before You' and subsequent releases. Though not all fans appreciated their change in direction, Dave makes the case for why their third album struck the perfect balance and deserves classic status. Tune in now to hear the full discussion and analysis of why Poison the Well's 'You Come Before You' is an unsung classic!

Episode 284 - Playola: The Dark Side of Spotify (Side B)

This week we get into the meat of Spotify streaming manipulation. We’ve already discussed the history, but how did Spotify become so influential? And why? The advent of music streaming opened new avenues for questionable promotion tactics to thrive. While piracy dealt a blow to record sales in the 1990s and 2000s, streaming's growth led to playlists becoming hugely influential. Getting on a top Spotify playlist can bring an artist millions of streams overnight. But with intense competition, some turn to shady methods for infiltration. Fake bot accounts, incentivised listens, and even playlists curators demanding payment to be on large playlists are used to artificially inflate plays. The goal is gaming Spotify's algorithms and human curators to appear more popular than the music merits. Companies openly sell packages guaranteeing huge stream counts through deception. But risks abound, from wasted money to torpedoed careers. Streams-for-hire erode consumer trust and unfairly disadvantage honest artists. The pattern echoes radio payola's heyday, which we discussed in part one last week. As technology progresses, some industry players still cut corners. While once payola was stamped out, streaming's unregulated landscape enabled its revival. Manipulation tricks the algorithm, but harms fair chance. If streaming aims for integrity, the platform, artists, and fans all must play a part. The path ahead remains murky, as new innovations open fresh exploitation possibilities. Yet hope persists that streaming may steer towards rewarding talent, not deception. By learning from history's mistakes, perhaps music promotion can shed its shadows. Or perhaps it’ll remain a wild west, with various figures and organisations vying for the attention, and money, of naive young artists.

In Session 7 - Siobhan Wilson

We were hit with a bout of illness and frankly rubbish personal circumstances over the last couple of weeks, but we managed to get our shit together long enough to sit down with the wonderful, Sibohan Wilson. Siobhan Wilson is a musician from Elgin who has been making music for over a decade. She has released four albums and one EP, the most recent being “Survivre” in 2022. She released the album via her own label, Suffering Fools Records. On today's episode we discuss her career, discography, record label, Patreon, her love for Celtic Connections and experiences in the music industry. She spoke about the struggles of being an independent artist, her experiences with various record labels and what led her to forge her own destiny with her own record label. She also discussed the different methods she's using to reach her fans, including her Patreon and how it has allowed her to connect with her fans on a deeper level. It was a great chat and we're stoked we had her on the show. We hope you enjoy it. NEXT WEEK - Queens of the Stone Age...

Episode 283 - Playola: The Dark Side of Spotify (Side A)

Everybody wants to get famous. Or so they say. Fact is, for many emerging artists these days there’s a direct correlation between fame and the number of streams your tracks have on Spotify. As with anything online though, streaming figures can be manipulated. So over the next two weeks we’re going to tell you all about the phenomenon of playola, why it exists, how it works and the ways it has changed the music business. The story of playola goes back to the days of payola, whereby record labels and/or artists would pay DJs heaps of money to play their tracks on their radio shows. In this week’s episode, we delve into the history of payola for two reasons, really: It’s actually still a thing that happens, despite the fact that radio is more or less irrelevant for younger generations of people. Playola is an evolution of payola, using similar tactics to make artists seem popular, but via streams rather than radio. So this week, in part one, we’re giving you the context for a wider discussion on streaming manipulation by showing that it is payola by another name. We hope you enjoy this investigative podcast episode. We don’t often do journalism, but we sure do find it satisfying when we do.

Episode 282 - Incesticide by Nirvana (Side C)

It comes down to this, really - is Incesticide an unsung classic? We’ve added to the discourse around Nirvana’s back catalogue, with the exception of this album. Hopefully we’ve said something different, or offered a new, enlightening perspective. Or maybe we’re just talking unlimited rubbish. Either way, on the face of it it seems quite unthinkable to call anything by Nirvana unsung. It’s hard to wrap your head around that idea that maybe there’s some underappreciated gems somewhere that haven’t been rinsed to death by their legions of fans over the years. Our take? Yeah, there probably is some things you missed first time around, and a good selection of them are on this record. What do you think? Let us know on our socials! Find parts one and two here and here.

Episode 281 - Incesticide by Nirvana (Side B)

The sheer volume of ink spilled on Nirvana could reach the sun – that’s why a nuanced view is needed when re-examining their discography. So in part two of our Incesticide three parter, we’re going to do just that. If you missed it, part one can be found here. Rarely do appraisals both lionize a band yet conclude “I can’t listen anymore.” But Nirvana inspires this relationship. Their impact was supermassive, culture warping around them like a collapsing star. As teenagers, we binged their music until boredom bred apathy, echoed by Kurt snarling “Teenage angst has paid off well.” Time grants perspective. Their songcraft endures, but the addictive allure burned us out, like one night of overindulgence. Our teen obsessions were more than hype. Nirvana still slaps hard. Much of their music is timeless. So cue up the classics and deep cuts – their catalogue warrants renewed attention to hear what has or hasn't stood the testable of time. So join us this week as we take a trip into Nirvana’s studio albums. And the MTV Unplugged album. With lots of input from our rotating guest hosts, too!

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