Completely Conspicuous 337: Reeling in the Years, 1989 (Part 1)

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1989. I've also got music from Radiator Hospital, Sex Hands and Priests.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- In 1989, Brian was 7 and Jay graduated from college

- Jay: Never saw the Indiana Jones sequels

- Brian: A lot of records I liked, few that I loved

- Jay: Seeds of Seattle sound came out in '89--Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees with crucial early albums

- Madchester scene: Stone Roses, Happy Mondays

- Jay: Started seeing club shows in Boston 'burbs

- Great local scene now: Speedy Ortiz, Krill, Pile, Soccer Mom

- Waiting for The Best Show to return

- In '89, alt-rock was coming into its own

- R.E.M., B-52's both hit it big

- Brian: Mid-'90s indie rock bands formed, as did swing acts

- First Green Day EP came out

- Classic rock tours started making big bucks: McCartney, Ringo, Stones, Who

- Tin Machine marked Bowie's return to rock

- Kids seem to go through a classic rock phase

- Thank goodness for college radio

- Lots of pop detritus in '89: Milli Vanilli, Paula Abdul, Debbie Gibson

- The power ballad was the last hurrah for hair metal bands

- Ugh: Beach Boys' Still Cruisin'

- Brian: Ramones' Brain Drain was disappointing

- Strange collection of Top 100 singles

- To be continued

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Music:

Radiator Hospital - Five & Dime

Sex Hands - Pivot

Priests - New

The Radiator Hospital song is on the album Torch Song. Download the song and album for free at Bandcamp.

The Sex Hands song is on the album Pleh on Faux Discx and Negative Space. Download the song for free from Gimme Tinnitus.

The Priests song is on the EP Bodies and Control and Power and Money on Don Giovanni Records. Download the song for free from Fluxblog.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.