The Album Club

Latest Episodes:

Ep.8 - Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream Jun 06, 2016

Show notes

In this episode we look at Siamese Dream, the remarkable second album by Smashing Pumpkins but completed almost solely by Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlain. Listen to how the band started and their early success and the pressure they had on making this album, the story of studio perfectionism and the laborious recording process, a track by track and analysis and the continued rise and slow decline of The Smashing Pumpkins fortunes.

Ep.7 - Radiohead - OK Computer May 31, 2016

Show notes

We discuss Radiohead's masterpiece, OK Computer. From the forming of the band, being shoehorned as grunge after the success of Creep, the success of the Bends and the making of OK Computer. We discuss every track as well as cattle prods and the IMF. And we talk about Radiohead's surprise turn after this album.

Ep.6 - Alice in Chains - Dirt May 24, 2016

Show notes

In this episode we talk about Alice in Chains and their grim masterpiece - Dirt. We talk about the band's history and forming, early success and drug problems Layne Staley channeled in writing this album. We go through each track and discuss what happened after this album, their demise, and their rebirth.

Ep.5 - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (BRMC) - Howl May 16, 2016

Show notes

A discussion of BRMC's 3rd album, Howl. A big (not to mention ballsy) shift in their sound from shoegaze and garage to Gospel and Americana. We look at the history of the band, the making of the album, go through it track-by-track, and discuss what happened after the its release.

Ep.4 - Weezer - Weezer (aka The Blue Album) May 09, 2016

Show notes

Awkward indie kids playing 60's inspired uber-harmonised pop about their insecurities all through a Marshall stack? Sign me up. How do you deliver such carefully crafted and nuanced, almost kitsch, tunes with such ferocity? From the perfect fuzz drenched power pop opener to the impassioned wailing of the closer, this album has it all. We bob our collective heads to each track while getting neck deep in the history of the band, the recording of this album, and the subsequent struggles of Mr. Rivers Cuomo. We also spend a good amount of time explaining the importance of being Matt Sharp, as Weezer were never quite the same (i.e. good) since his departure. Little known fact: if you don't like this record, you hate guitars. Also, stick around for the sing-a-long.

Ep.3 - Nirvana - In Utero May 03, 2016

Show notes

And you thought we were going to do 'Nevermind'. Pshh. Delivering the follow up no one expected, Kurt, Krist and Dave truly found their sound on this one, before the dream burned out less than a year later. In this episode we stagedive head first into the musical and cultural landscape leading up to the making of this baby, the recording itself, and we crowdsurf through the lyrical themes and all the feedback squelches from woe to go. Funnily enough, while we do give Steve Albini a much deserved shellacking (Ouch, yeah, I'm cringing at that one too, but not enough to hit the backspace key), we're surprisingly merciful on the ol' Grohlster (mainly because he hits so damn hard). Worry not, we will remedy that in future episodes.

Ep.2 - Guns 'n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction May 02, 2016

Show notes

Records and, indeed, bands like this are kind of the reason you start a music-based podcast. They were dangerous, brimming with chest beating attitude, had a great story and, oh my, the songs! We cover everything from their inception and the making of this beast of a record, to their spiraling descent into overblown madness and mythical excess. Axl Rose is so much larger than life that we somehow manage to bring him (and Izzy) up in just about every episode since. Yowzaaa!

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