Unsung Podcast

di Unsung Podcast

Episode 23 - Dundee is Fundee: The Dundee Mixtape

This week we're doing things a little differently. Due to recent tragic events Mr Weaver could not join us this week, so Chris and Mark decided to pull the trigger on an idea we've been thinking about for ages and do a Scottish music themed mixtape. By sheer coincidence they separately picked two records by two bands from Dundee (and bands which shared a bassist, no less) and used it as platform to talk about Dundee's music scene in and of itself. It's a pretty fun episode. There's no vote this week, but you'll at least come out of this one knowing a little more about some of the awesome bands Dundee gave to the world.

Episode 22 - Searching for a Former Clarity by Against Me!

Let's dive right back into the punk side of things here and talk about perhaps one of the most important punk bands around right now. Against Me! have had quite the career thus far. Dealing with every conceivable issue a band could face and then some. Mark gives us a pretty concise history of the band leading up to this record, and gives a little of what happened afterwards too. Chris then steers conversation towards into how punk songwriters that were once tied to a particular ethos have to reckon with their talent and the success it can or could possibly bring in order for them to further their careers. We cover the band's time on Fat Wreck, the period that led up to their signing with Sire and all of the nitty gritty details in between. There are many schools of thought on what the best Against Me! record is, and Mark makes a case for this underdog, unsung classic whilst Chris and Weaver remain firmly on the fence about the band and the record. It's a bit of a mixed bag, this episode. What do you think - is this the definitive Against Me! album? Let us know by voting on Facebook!

Episode 21 - Rossz Csillag Alatt Született by Venetian Snares

Aaron Funk has released a vertiable shed load of albums throughout his illustrious career. This, his 15th, is considered his definitive work. Weaver brings it to the table and tries to convince Mark and Chris that it is worthy of inclusion in our discography? Chris and Mark had never heard anything like this before, and thus approached it, and its frankly ridiculous concept, with a certain amount of trepidation. However, the sheer amount of work, and the general composition was enough to win them over. Weaver gives a pretty comprehensive overview of Venetian Snares' career and offers some thoughts on the breakbeat genre as a whole. Which makes pretty fascinating listening, we feel. But what do you think? Is this Aaron Funk's best work? Let us know by voting on Facebook!

Episode 17 - Mclusky Do Dallas by Mclusky

Going from indie pop to noisy rock n roll? That's another thing we love to do on Unsung. This week we're getting torn in to 'Mclusky Do Dallas' by Mclusky. It's a record which has achieved a cult status amongst fans of the more angular side of British rock music, and it's positively brimming with attitude and energy. Over the years this record has made many a "best of" list, but it still goes shockingly underapprcaited by the world at large and frankly, that's a bit of a disgrace in our eyes. Cards on the table here - Mark and Chris adore this album. Weaver had never heard it before and was largely indifferent to it, which is sad but hey, he's his own man. Chris and Mark go into detail about this album, Falco's particular songwriting nous, Future of the Left, and Chris tells us just how wild these boys were live. Could this perhaps be some of Albini's best production work? We think it might be, but you are of course free to disagree. Is this the best Mclusky record? Do you agree? Let us know by voting via Facebook!

Episode 20 - Jupiter by Cave In

Before we started this podcast we knew that we’d cover Cave In. We collectively agreed that we would talk about ‘Jupiter’. We just didn’t think it’d be this soon. Tragedy struck the band recently when their bassist Caleb Schofield had his life cut short in a car accident. We never thought that such circumstances would come to us so soon - heroes of ours, or at least "rock stars" of our generation dying when we were all still in our 30s is something we never thought we'd experience. As a result we decided that we would do an entire Cave In retrospective whilst also arguing that this was indeed their best work. Do vote on our Facebook page and let us know if you agree.

Episode 19 - Vespertine by Bjork

Everything that needs to be said about Bjork has already been said. Her discography, like her talent, is vast, and unable to pass up the chance to talk about anything weird, we thought we’d say our piece. Weaver is a huge fan, and when quizzed about what album we should talk about he immediately picked ‘Vespertine’. Neither Chris or Mark were too familiar with her work, so the conversation in this episode is particularly interesting as Weaver once again drives the car. He gives us a pretty thorough appraisal of her discography whilst Chris drops a few patented knowledge bombs about her history, whilst also praising and asking questions about the way she chooses who to work with on each of her albums. Mark also expands on how he feels the album is like a big warm hug. We understand that Bjork has legions of fiercely devoted fans, so we’re really looking forward to seeing how people vote on this episode. Is ‘Vespertine’ her definitive statement? Is this her best record? If not, what other albums should we consider? You can let us know by voting on or Facebook page and if you disagree, drop us a comment and tell us why!

Episode 18 - Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters by The Twilight Sad

If you live in Scotland and are even remotely familiar with the indie scene, The Twilight Sad, alongside Frightened Rabbit, are a seemingly indomitable force. A band whose influence and position loom large over the country’s music landscape, and for the past decade their fanbase has only increased, their profile growing larger with every record. On this week’s episode Chris and Weaver take it right back to the beginning of the band’s journey, offering a fine appraisal of what they feel is the band’s best work – their 2007 debut album ‘Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters’. Folky vocals clash with Phil Spector/shoegaze-esque walls of sound to create a cacophony which is equal parts melodic and yet still somehow slightly unsettling. The word ‘cinematic’ is used often overused when it comes to describing music, but in this instance, it is perhaps the best way to describe what The Twilight Sad do best. Chris and Weaver dig deep into the band’s history and discography on this episode, unravelling their journey towards being one of Scotland’s most high profile indie acts. Weaver offers a great commentary on how their music evolved after this, whilst Chris digs into the lore around the band and the album itself. Mark remains perennially unimpressed but hey, I suppose you can’t please everyone all the time. Hate mail can be directed his way. We know that this band have a legion of undying fans, and we know that they’re held in particularly high esteem by many in the indie scene. Should this album be added to our discography as their definitive record? Vote on our Facebook page and let us know.

Episode 16 - 23 by Blonde Redhead

You may get whiplash as we move from metal to indie/dream pop but that's just how we roll here at Unsung. Chris loves this album and he may very well have converted Mark and Weaver to his cause. The production, songwriting and sheer attention to detail on offer here make '23' quite the journey. Somewhat of a departure from the band's art rock roots, Chris offers some reasons as to why they may have chosen to go down this route with this record, and he delves quite extensively into their discography with the help of Weaver. Also, apparently this is a good record to DJ at club nights. So there's that. We adored this album and we think it should go into our discography. Do you agree? Let us know by voting via Facebook!

Episode 15 - Catch Thirtythree by Meshuggah

Meshuggah have been confounding fans and fellow musicians for over 30 years. Think about that for a second. Think about how long they’ve been in this game, and how much they’ve changed the game. Perhaps one of the most celebrated and lauded technical metal bands of our generation, their discography is replete with album after album of sheer quality. On this episode, our resident metalhead/Meshuggah super fan Weaver chose their fifth album ‘Catch ThirtyThree’ for discussion. In his eyes, they have reached no greater heights. We already know that many fans disagree. We sensed it the second we began to talk about it. Chris has some familiarity with the band and talks of how he almost killed himself when listening to this record in the gym. Mark is less familiar but like his co-hosts, found himself to be completely enthralled by this album. It’s punishing and violent, but clinical and precise with it. Is this the best Meshuggah album? Should we have picked something else, perhaps? We make no bones about the fact that this album received a lukewarm critical reception, but we stand by our decision. Do you agree, though? Let us know by voting on our Facebook page.

Episode 13 - Carpe Diem by Will Haven

What do they put in the water in Sacramento? After chatting to Jonah Matranga and listening to Will Haven’s third album ‘Carpe Diem’, we’re left wondering what it is about that place which chucks out such genre bending bands like Will Haven, Far and Deftones. In our view, ‘Carpe Diem’ is the greatest expression of Will Haven’s unique songwriting talents. It’s always a struggle to accurately describe what this band sound like. Their preferred definition is ‘noise metal’ and we feel this is somewhat accurate. On this episode Chris and Weaver tell us just how important this album is to them. Weaver makes the bold assertation that this album is the distillation of everything he loves about music, and Chris professes his love for the weirdness of the record. On its surface it feels straight forward, but after a few minutes you realise that something is not quite normal. It has a feel, an atmosphere, which is all its own. Chris explains the mechanics behind their music and offers some thoughts on why this album in particular is the most complete Will Haven record yet. This podcast was once very different. We actually recorded once before then somehow manage to lose the file, and on this second go around the record had grown on Mark a lot. Initially he couldn’t really see why Chris and Weaver (and so many others) love this record, but the time in between the first take and the second had changed his mind quite dramatically, boldly stating that this record needs to go into our discography. How do you feel? Should ‘Carpe Diem’ by Will Haven be added into our discography? Listen and vote on our Facebook page.

40 di 46