Indiecast

Latest Episodes:

The Cure vs. Ticketmaster, Best Debut LPs, and New Albums By Yves Tumor + Black Country, New Road Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

In this week's Indiecast, Ian and Steve share their thoughts on two new albums. The first is Yves Tumor's long-winded album Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)(yes, that's the full album title), which is not quite experimental enough to be avant-garde but not quite catchy enough to be a pop record (44:40). The second is Black Country, New Road's Live At Bush Hall, an album recorded after the band's lead singer departed (53:11).

But before they get into the meat of the episode, Steve and Ian dive into Ticketmaster's latest controversy and how it's kinda, sorta, but not really surprising how quickly The Cure's tour sold out (21:53). They briefly recap SXSW and a certain viral artist who people accused of “quiet quitting” during her set (1:30). Plus, in honor of Steve's list of the 100 best debut albums, they talk about which albums didn't make the cut (31:37).

In this week's Recommendation Corner (1:03:36), Ian shouts out the memoir Stay True byHua Hsu. Meanwhile, Steve gives props to Dazy's power pop EP Otherbody.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 131 here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

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A Meg White Controversy, The Sufjan Stevens Musical, Best '90s Rap Skits, Plus: New Albums by M83 and 100 Gecs Mar 17, 2023

Show notes

In this week's episode, Ian and Steve review new albums by M83 (which they like) and 100 Gecs (which they are mixed on but are intrigued about) (12:01). But before that, they delve into the week's biggest controversy (:27): That tweet from a political writer about how The White Stripes would have been better with a more technically proficient drummer.

They also take a deep dive into the Indiecast mailbag to address questions about other important issues (29:46), including: Will Sufjan Stevens' Illinois will work as a musical? What are the best '90s rap skits? And why is it so hard to make a good music biopic?

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 130 here or below and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Weeknd Controversy, Bruce Springsteen, and the Dance Punk Revival Mar 10, 2023

Show notes

On this week's episode, Steve and Ian discuss a wide range of topics while acknowledging that neither is as good at music criticism as Jamie Lee Curtis (3:59). They dive into Steve's recent Bruce Springsteen live experience (23:24), the controversy over The Weeknd's new HBO show (34:18) and whether he's too big to cancel, the rumors about a possible reunion tour by The Hotelier (45:38), and the recent wave of dance-punk bands inspired by the mid-aughts (51:24).

The mailbag addresses the state of bands performing on late night television (9:03). Doesn't it seem like that golden era of a band killing it and then going viral with a late-night performance is over? It's been a while since it happened, right?

In Recommendation Corner (1:01:08), Ian recommends the latest album by Slowthai, Ugly, while Steve gives props to the brand new EP by Manchester Orchestra, The Valley Of Vision and the excellent new single by Ratboys, "Black Earth, WI."

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 129 here or below and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our Spring 2023 Preview Mar 03, 2023

Show notes

Ian and Steve looked ahead to the next three months and picked their most anticipated albums, tours, and trends! That's right — they hashed out future trends this time (29:46).

In the meat of the episode, they talk about whether upcoming albums by Blondshell and 100 Gecs will live up to expectations this spring (31:12). Then they looked at the "Indie Rock Road Trip" tour set for June that has an interesting assemblage of bands: Weezer, Modest Mouse, Future Islands, Spoon, Momma, Joyce Manor and White Reaper (45:11). Is this the solution to the over-saturation of the live music market? Should we expect to see more traveling festivals that package together sort-of-but-not-really-alike bands?

In Recommendation Corner (59:17), Ian talked up A New Tomorrow by hardcore band Zulu, while Steve raved about Girl In The Half Pearl by avant-R&B artist Liv.e.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 128 and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Indiecast Hall Of Fame, Plus: Skrillex, Live, Incubus, And Other Un-Indie Acts Feb 24, 2023

Show notes

This is an indie rock podcast, which needs to be reiterated because of episodes like this one. In this episode, Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen discuss some very un-indie rock topics.

For instance, they go deep on Rolling Stone's recent article about the current state of Live, the '90s grunge band famous for songs like "Lightning Crashes" and "I Alone." Why are they talking about Live in 2023? Because things are bananas in Live-world at the moment! You have con men, QAnon conspiracy theorists, the AVN Awards, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Then they talked about Skrillex, who is back with two new albums, and the rise of early 2010s nostalgia (15:20). Oh, and they also answered a listener question about Incubus (24:07). Again, this is an indie rock podcast!

In the "meat" of the episode, they inducted four new albums into the Indiecast Hall Of Fame (32:21) — in this round, they honor LPs released by Sunset Rubdown, The Elected, The Good Life, and The Fresh & Onlys. Finally, in their Recommendation Corner (53:02) segment, they shouted out new records by Philip Selway and Model/Actriz.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 127 and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New Albums By Paramore + Caroline Polachek Feb 17, 2023

Show notes

On this week's Indiecast, Ian Cohen and Steve Hyden try to make sense of the conversation around Rihanna's Super Bowl Halftime performance (7:00), as well as the buzz about U2's upcoming residency in Las Vegas (15:23).

In the meat of the episode (28:57), they reviewed two recent releases — the first is This Is Why, the first album in six years from the venerable emo-pop institution Paramore. In recent years, the band's aughts-era music has been an obvious influence on a range of pop and rock acts. But on the new LP, Hayley Williams and co. attempt to pivot away from their traditional sound toward a more post-punk type vibe. Do they pull it off? Let's talk it out.

The second album is Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, the latest from singer-songwriter Caroline Polachek. The album already has serious "Album Of The Year" vibes — yes, we're already talking about this stuff in February — so why is it also reminiscent of Oscar bait films or prestige TV?

In our Recommendation Corner (52:10) segment, Steve suggests checking out The Future Is Our Past, the new album by the Brian Jonestown Massacre, while Ian talks about the new EP from shoegaze band Crushed, Extra Life.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 126 here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Beyoncé vs. Harry Styles Grammys Furor, Plus: Steve Albini + Yo La Tengo Feb 10, 2023

Show notes

It's early February, which means that the annual post-Grammys furor arrived on schedule this week. At issue was Harry Styles beating out Beyonce for Album Of The Year, a turn of events that might end up being the worst thing to ever happen to Styles. Has the hunky British pop star just been Timberlake-ized? What does it mean to be Timberlake-ized anyway? Let's hash it out (:25).

Here's something Indiecast did not expect this week: Steve Albini talking about how much he hates Steely Dan! But that's exactly what the irascible indie legend did on Twitter, which sparked a lot of conversation both for and against the '70s jazz-rock institution (15:17).

Finally, Steve and Ian talked about a band that we can all agree is great: Yo La Tengo (39:28). The trio is back with another album this week, This Stupid World, and it's one of their best efforts in years. They discussed what makes the new album good and offered suggestions for newbies on where to start with the band's big and impressive discography.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 125 and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mailbag: Indie Rock Workout Regimens, TV On The Radio, And More Feb 03, 2023

Show notes

Indiecast would not have a podcast if not for our listeners. So Indiecast like to make sure that they are included in the discourse in each episode via our Mailbag segment. And in this episode, Steve and Ian go even deeper into the bag (26:57).

Listeners did not disappoint. They learned, for instance, that one popular indie rock band apparently does hot yoga (27:27)! They also delved into the prospects for a TV On The Radio revival (40:23), the best music message boards in which to lurk, and what contemporary artists will still be making great music in their 80s, like John Cale with the recent Mercy (31:07).

Before the Mailbag, they bantered about the recent album by Lil Yachty, Let's Start Here, and the history of rappers engaging with psychedelic rock (:24). Is it possible that the only genre that matters for listeners ages 16 to 24 is "music that sounds good when you are on drugs"? After that they parsed the latest class of nominees for the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame, which looks especially loaded this year (10:50). (Kate Bush seems like a lock, while Steve is hoping that Warren Zevon can sneak in the back door of the Rock Hall.) Finally, they pay tribute to the late great Tom Verlaine of Television, who passed away this week at the age of 73.

In Recommendation Corner (56:09), Ian reps for the latest Ladytron record, Time's Arrow, while Steve enthuses about his favorite album of recent weeks, the jangle rock gem Dead Meat by British band The Tubs.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 124 subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The State Of Mainstream Rock: Måneskin + White Reaper Jan 27, 2023

Show notes

This week on Indiecast, Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen delve into the world of mainstream rock and assess the state of major-label bands waving the flag for guitars in a pop-dominated world.

In the "meat" portion of the episode, they review the recent album by the viral Italian band Måneskin (30:28), who make their (mostly) English language debut with Rush! Is this record enjoyably dumb or just plain dumb? They report, you decide! They also talk about the latest LP from White Reaper (44:09), Asking For A Ride, a lovable one-time indie act who made the transition to the big leagues without losing their sense of humor or ability to write a hearty arena-rock hook.

In the banter segment (1:40), they talk about the latest news regarding Panic! At The Disco (they're breaking up) and Fall Out Boy (they're putting out a new album). They then transitioned to talking about a happier topic — the 20th anniversary of Zwan's Mary Star Of The Sea, a long lost classic worth revisiting (14:39).

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 123 and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Let's Talk About Mac DeMarco, Plus: Boygenius and The National Album Announcements Jan 20, 2023

Show notes

Today Mac DeMarco releases an album of instrumentals called Five Easy Hot Dogs. How good is it? Well, it's an instrumental album called Five Easy Hot Dogs — you do the math. At the very least, the record was a good excuse to talk about the career and legacy of one of modern indie's most influential artists (32:47). Steve Hyden is a fan though he considers himself more of a "liker" than a "lover" of his music. Ian Cohen, however, has been a vocal critic. What are Ian's beefs? Was Steve able to talk him into re-considering Mac?

The opening banter segment covers two of the biggest indie album announcements of the week — Boygenius' The Record (12:28) and The National's First Two Pages of Frankenstein (:26). What's up with that weird National album cover? Why is the Boygenius album cover already meme-able? Eventually, Steve and Ian also get around to talking about the music.

In Recommendation Corner (54:43), Ian stumps for an actual book! It's Status And Culture by W. David Marx, which explains how the titular subjects are shaped and formulated. As for me, I shouted out Mercy by octogenarian musical legend John Cale, which includes cameos by Weyes Blood, Animal Collective, and Sylvan Esso.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 122 and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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