290. Dr. Mark Kermode on his life of musical misadventures and new memoir 'How Does It Feel?'
Book month continues as I chat to superstar film critic, double bassist and friend of the pod Dr. Mark Kermode about 'How Does It Feel', his memoir of his life and musical misadventures. We chat about Mark's 'how hard can it be?' approach to potentially intimidating musical challenges, the self belief that has sustained his music career and his lifelong desire to become a pop star. We talk about the nature of memory and the process of writing memoirs, details that had to be legally redacted, how skiffle music transformed his musical career, his short-lived stint as musical director for a prime time BBC chat show and that time he launched my career as a filmmaker.
29 Okt 201943min
289. Rolling Stone's Brian Hiatt on 'Bruce Springsteen: The Stories Behind the Songs'
MFA Book Month continues as Rolling Stone's Brian Hiatt joins me to talk about his exhaustive book chronicling the stories behind every single song Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded. We delve into both the stories behind the songs and the stories behind the book, how Brian made sure it had something new both for die hard fans of the Boss and those who only knew the hits - from conflicting stories behind some tracks, the underappreciated gems in Bruce's catalogue, Springsteen's attempt to not sound like "Bruce Springsteen" anymore, how his depression bled into his songwriting, the battle between live and studio versions of some songs and, because I can't help myself, Taylor Swift.
22 Okt 201934min
288. Nick Lowe biographer Will Birch on the twists and turns of Nick's life and career
It's the My Favorite Album book club for the next month, trading musicians in for authors of the most exciting books about music and musicians. We kick things off with Will Birch, founding member of The Kursaal Flyers turned journalist and biographer, on his new book 'Cruel to Be Kind', the definitive look at the legendary Nick Lowe's life and career. We talk about Nick's late career reinvention of his sound and image, the infamous Brinsley Schwartz press launch fiasco, Nick's relationship with Elvis Costello, how What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love and Understanding ended up on the Bodyguard soundtrack, the process of writing the book and much more.
14 Okt 201951min
287. Colin Hay on Chris Whitley 'Dirt Floor' (1998)
This week I chat to singer-songwriter and Men at Work frontman Colin Hay about Chris Whitley's 'Dirt Floor'. We talk about the allure of the back to basics record, the appeal of living in oft-derided LA, discovering art that deeply affects you far into your career, code-switching as a Scot growing up in Australia and finding comfort in isolation. We also talk about Colin's favourite venues to play, what it's been like to play with Ringo and his All Star Band and writing the title track on Ringo's latest album, plus a bonus story about the time Paul McCartney did his dishes.
9 Okt 201948min
286. Max Weinberg on Maxwell Davis and his All Stars 'Persistent Percussion' (1960)
This week I chat to the king of late night TV and rock n' roll legend Max Weinberg about 'Persistent Percussion' by Maxwell Davis and his All Stars (1960). Max explains how the pop exotica album taught him to take an all rounded approach to drumming, how it encouraged him to learn about the history of drumming in popular music, mono vs stereo and what it's like to hear others reinterpret his own drum parts. Max tells me about his friendship with Irv Cottler, meeting Frank Sinatra and the successful career of his son Jay.
2 Okt 20191h 4min
285. Jack River on MGMT 'Oracular Spectacular' (2007)
This week I talk to Australian singer/songwriter Jack River aka Holly Rankin about MGMT's debut album 'Oracular Spectacular' (2007). We talk about the ubiquitous and inescapable singles on this era defining record and their matching video clips that envision a utopian world, the album's political message and the impact psychedelic drugs have had on music. Holly tells us about her career arc, what it was like to meet MGMT's Andrew Van Wyngarden and how fans can find meaning in a song that goes beyond the original intent of the artist.
25 Sep 201932min
284. Not A Boy's Name on Weezer 'Pinkerton' (1996)
This week we finally get to a Weezer record as I chat to Australian singer-songwriter and master of a thousand instruments Dave Jenkins Jr aka Not A Boy's Name about the classic 1996 album 'Pinkerton'. We talk about the band's dramatic identity change from their previous album, the poor reviews 'Pinkerton' originally received and frontman Rivers Cuomo's complicated relationship with the album. Dave opens up about about his early disastrous recording experience that coincided with discovering the album, whether the legacy of great art can be tarnished by the quality of subsequent work and 'Pinkerton's' connection to the opera.
16 Sep 201934min
283. Kristina Murray on Lucinda Williams 'Lucinda Williams' (1988)
My Favorite Album returns from hiatus for a special Americana Fest edition of the show, featuring one of the most compelling young Americana artists talking about a formative record of the genre. The devastating Kristina Murray joins me to chat Lucinda Williams' 1988 self-titled album. We discuss how this record was overshadowed by Lucinda's classic album 'Car Wheels On A Gravel Road' and the birth of the Americana genre. Kristina tells us how Lucinda's music helped to craft her own sound, what it's like to cover songs from the album and she treats us to a special acoustic rendition of 'Crescent City'.
10 Sep 201941min
