Indiecast

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2021's Unsung Albums (So Far) Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

Somehow, 2021 is already nearly halfway over. With the world getting ready to emerge from our collective cocoon, here’s to hoping that the second half of the year will bring more joy IRL than the first half. Despite the lack of in-person interactions over the last six months, one thing that hasn’t been lacking is the release of exceptional new music. On this week’s episode of Indiecast, Steve and Ian are digging into some of the year’s best albums that might have flown under the radar.

Ranging from punk and punk-adjacent efforts like Fiddlehead’s Between The Richness and Field Music’s Flat White Moon, to the good vibes of Jimmy Montague’s Casual Use or Sunburned Hand Of The Man’s Pick A Day To Die, Steve and Ian cover a lot of sonic ground in their picks.

With much of this episode dedicated to music you might not have heard before, there is no Recommendation Corner this week.

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Olivia Rodrigo + Black Midi, Plus: Fartlow May 28, 2021

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Last week, Olivia Rodrigo released her highly anticipated debut album Sour. The full-length effort includes three absolutely massive singles, and sets Rodrigo as one of the biggest stars on the planet. However, some of the discourse online was criticizing the praise, questioning whether critics have any place reviewing “teenage” music. On this week’s episode of Indiecast, Steve and Ian dig into Sour, and this confounding divide.

Later in the episode, the duo also discuss Cavalcade, the new album from English experimental rockers Black Midi. In the midst of an era of music consumption that gives listeners exactly what they want, Black Midi is the rare rock band with a significant profile that is unafraid of irritating people. At a time when boundless musical comfort food is at our fingertips, the buzz around the group is equal parts confusing and exciting.

In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Ian is plugging I Won’t Reach Out To You, the new EP from Michigan punks Hot Mulligan. Steve wants listeners to check out his recent interview with Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast, whose forthcoming Jubilee is a big contender for indie album of the year.

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Mailbag: The Smashing Pumpkins, Underdog Bands, And More May 21, 2021

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The new episode of Indiecast is all about listener questions. Steve and Ian fielded questions from listeners all over the country, with topics ranging from nostalgia to underdog bands. To begin, a listener is wondering about stan culture, specifically with regard to the response to lukewarm reception of St. Vincent’s new album, Daddy’s Home. After Pitchfork released a tepid review, screenshots were circulating around the internet of Annie Clark’s fan base threatening violence against both the publication, and the writer.

Another listener is wondering if it’s too late to dig into The Smashing Pumpkins’ 1995 opus Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. Steve and Ian are both quick to give their response, which is a resounding: “NO!”

In this week’s recommendation corner, Ian is enjoying The Dance, the latest release from NATL PARK SVC. Hyden, on the other hand, is plugging Mdou Moctar’s new album Afrique Victime, which drops today.

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St. Vincent + The Black Keys, Plus: Some Nu Post-Punk Banter May 14, 2021

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This week’s episode kicks off with a listener question about the current renaissance of post-punk outfits like Dry Cleaning, Squid, or Pottery. Is this style of music, which is often built around the dry musings of a distinctly BRITISH vocalist, built to last, or is its popularity merely a byproduct of being inside for too long?

The main crux of this week’s episode, however, is dedicated to Daddy’s Home and Delta Kream, new albums from two of the biggest working indie artists today: St. Vincent and The Black Keys, respectively. Where do the latest efforts from these two genre-defining acts rank in their lengthy discographies? While The Black Keys have been pumping out radio hits for the better part of the last decade, St. Vincent has achieved an interesting level of critical acclaim comparing her to legends like Prince, Madonna, and David Bowie, albeit without any bona-fide hits on her setlist.

In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Ian is digging Whole Damn Body, the recent b-sides EP from Los Campesinos! Meanwhile, Steve is can’t get enough of Topaz, the soulful new album from Texas singer-songwriter Israel Nash.

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Talkin' Ska! May 07, 2021

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For weeks, we’ve been quietly hoping that Steve and Ian would dedicate an episode of Indiecast to the evolution and purported impending comeback of ska. Well, that day has finally arrived, as this week’s episode is all about talkin’ ska. For the uninitiated, ska is a genre of music that originally started in Jamaica in the 1960’s but soon moved over to the UK with the 2 Tone revival in the late 70’s, then re-emerged prominently in the 80’s and 90’s with bands like Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, The Aquabats, and more.

With Jeff Rosenstock reimagining his entire 2020 opus No Dream as a ska album and the prevalence of Ska Tune Network on YouTube, could ska be making another comeback in the 2020’s? Perhaps, but the deciding factor will come when a new ska band starts to get critical and commercial attention.

In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Ian has been digging Internet Breath, the new album from Montana band Hey, ILY. Hyden is looking ahead a bit to the forthcoming album from Brooklyn-based quintet Lightning Bug, which is due June 25.

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Manchester Orchestra + "Superwolves." Plus: St. Vincent-gate! Apr 30, 2021

Show notes

This week’s episode of Indiecast kicks off with Steve and Ian recounting their worst and toughest interview experiences with artists. There’s a difference between a good bad interview, like a conversation with Liam Gallagher, and a plain bad interview, like an inaudible conference call with Migos. The main topic of this week’s episode is a conversation about new albums from Manchester Orchestra and the revival of the long-dormant collaborative project of Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Matt Sweeney.

Manchester Orchestra has been one of the staples of the emo universe for the better part of the last two decades and their latest effort, The Million Masks Of God, is their grandest work to date. Meanwhile, the last time Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Matt Sweeney worked together was before Manchester Orchestra even released their debut album, with 2005’s Superwolf. Now, 16 years after their last collaboration, the duo is back for an album fittingly entitled Superwolves. After two decades apart, how does the collaborative spirit between the two artists hold up?

In this week's Recommendation Corner, Steve can't with for the forthcoming EP from Mannequin Pussy, while Ian is enjoying the latest from Porter Robinson.

Disclaimer: Technical difficulties resulted in Ian having to record this episode through his computer, which could result in slightly lower quality audio than usual. This should be rectified for next week's episode.

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The Indiecast Hall Of Fame, Part 2 Apr 23, 2021

Show notes

Steve and Ian would be remiss if they didn’t kick off this week’s episode of Indiecast with a discussion of the Morrissey/Simpsons controversy, wherein The Smiths’ singer called the show’s depiction of him “hurtful” and “racist.”

The main crux of this episode, however, returns to the Indiecast Hall Of Fame, which was designed to honor albums in the indie rock and alternative rock realm that were influential and beloved at the time of their release, but have since been lost to the test of time and sadly — some might say shamefully — left out of the widely accepted canon of the genre. After an episode paying tribute to albums by Counting Crows, The Promise Ring, and more, Steve and Ian are now turning their attention to efforts from Saves The Day, Megafaun, Secret Machines, and Unkle.

In this week’s recommendation corner, Steve is boosting the forthcoming new EP from DIY power-pop icon Pronoun, entitled OMG I Made It. Ian is shouting out Snow Ellet, whose latest effort Suburban Indie Rock Star is out now.

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The Armed + Greta Van Fleet Apr 16, 2021

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This week’s episode of Indiecast kicks off with a discussion of the new collaborative track from Mick Jagger and Dave Grohl, a very goofy moment in rock history. The conversation then segues into the mailbag segment, which raises the question of which indie artists should follow in Taylor Swift’s footsteps to take another stab at their earlier material.

The main crux of this week’s episode revolves around new albums from The Armed and Greta Van Fleet, the former of which gets their name from being the most jacked band since Manowar. The latter? Not so much.

Both bands are indicative of a strange moment in the modern mainstream rock landscape, in ways that are almost diametrically opposed. The Armed evocative of the heyday of mainstream hard rock, one of the most commercially successful genres ever. Greta Van Fleet, on the other hand, are a band so preposterous that they become almost endearing and endlessly fun to engage with.

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Music Festivals Are Back! Apr 09, 2021

Show notes

After a very long year without live music, it seems like there could finally be a light at the end of the tunnel. Bonnaroo is on the books for September, and Outside Lands is scheduled for late October. On this week’s episode of Indiecast, Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen are feeling cautiously optimistic about what the return of these festivals could mean for the live music landscape, as a whole.

With festivals scheduled for the fall, many artist teams are also feeling confident in the touring landscape for the latter months of 2021. Julien Baker and Japanese Breakfast have both shared routings for the fall, and Pavement is also rumored to be announcing a 2022 tour sometime in the near future. However, the question still remains: will there be any reluctance from fans to get back together in large groups, or will people just be rearing to go?

In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Hyden is shouting out Chicago band Floatie, who dropped their debut album Voyage Outlast month. Cohen is excited about Dream Weapon, the new album from New York experimental metal band Genghis Tron, and the quartet’s first release in 13 years.

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Let's Revisit 2011, Part 2 Apr 02, 2021

Show notes

On last week’s episode, Steven and Ian reflected on the year-end lists they made in 2011. They spent time discussing albums like Real Estate’s Days and M83’s Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, albums that were very highly regarded at the time.

This week, they are using the benefit of hindsight to revise those lists and name the albums that might have flown under the critical radar in 2011, but we can acknowledge today to have been very influential. For Steven, these are albums like The War On Drugs’ Slave Ambient and Wye Oak’s Civilian, while Cold Cave’s Cherish The Light Years and Drake’s Take Care still reign supreme in Ian's mind.

In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Steven is plugging Course In Fable, the new album from Ryley Walker that’s out today. Ian, on the other hand, is digging through some obscure recent uploads on Bandcamp to showcase some new names like Get Well, Kid and Twinkle Park.

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