The Album Files

Latest Episodes:

Matt//Meat Loaf, Bat Out of Hell Jan 11, 2024

Show notes

"Meat Loaf’s ‘Bat out of Hell’ holds a special place in my heart. It’s an album I grew up listening to and one that, decades later, still delights me every time I put it on. It’s an album that has everything from nine-minute self-contained mini rock operas, all the way across the spectrum to the most beautiful ballads you’re likely to hear. It’s a wild and bombastic ride and one that, almost 50 years since it was released, still has plenty to offer the listener." - Matt

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to discuss Abby's pick: American Idiot by Green Day.

We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dirty Three (Tiny Desk), Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Ghosteen, Rick Wakeman - Criminal Record

Iain: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dua Lipa - Houdini, (also mentioned) Carnage (live)

Abby: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Taylor Swift - New Year's Day, Taylor Swift - Invisible String

⁠You can find a ⁠⁠playlist of the music we discussed in episode 22 of The Album Files ⁠here⁠⁠⁠.⁠ You can find us on social media ⁠⁠⁠@abimickey⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠@iaintreloar⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠@climbingcyclist⁠⁠⁠.

One Year of Album Files! Dec 31, 2023

Show notes

For our final episode of the year, we revealed our Wrapped/Replay/Iain's concoction of music to each other. Matt broke down all the stats from our albums throughout the year, and we talked about some albums we are excited about in 2024.

Our next episode coming in January will feature Matt's pick of Bat Out of Hell, the debut album by Meat Loaf.

For a playlist of music we mentioned check out our Spotify here.

Iain//There Will Be Fireworks, Summer Moon Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

"The Scottish group There Will Be Fireworks is one of the less well-known artists we've covered on the podcast, working without a label and juggling the demands of day-jobs and lives outside of music. Summer Moon, the band's third album – and first in a decade – made an enormous impression on me when it was released in November and I've spent the last few weeks with the band's skilful blend of indie rock, post-rock, emo and folk. At its core, I think it's a hugely emotionally resonant listen, grappling with nostalgia for the past and hope for the future." - Iain

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back next week for a year end wrap up episode. We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - The

/ The Silver Cord, Griff - Vertigo Vol 1, (also mentioned) Ceres - Happy In Your Head

Iain: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mesarthim - Matter and Energy, Kangding Ray - Unsterblich, (also mentioned) There Will Be Fireworks - In Excelsis Deo (live)

Abby: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Noah Kahan - Stick Season (live on SNL), Orange Juice

You can find a ⁠⁠playlist of the music we discussed in episode 20 of The Album Files ⁠here⁠⁠.⁠ You can find us on social media ⁠⁠@abimickey⁠⁠, ⁠⁠@iaintreloar⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠@climbingcyclist⁠⁠.

Abby//Lana Del Rey, Born To Die Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

"Lana Del Rey, in my opinion, changed female-led pop in the music industry with her release of Born To Die in 2012. Listening to it now, you can hear how she influenced a handful of today's biggest pop stars and even though the album has some...flaws....I still enjoy listening to it today. Personally, I discovered Del Rey when the rest of the world did- via YouTube. Her whole aesthetic captivated a 21-year-old Abby and became part of my personality. I was really excited to put this album before Matt and Iain to see what they thought of an artist that continues to break the mould." -Abby

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to talk about Iain's pick Summer Moon by There Will Be Fireworks, please listen along! We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Luca Brasi - The World Don't Owe You Anything, Dua Lipa - Houdini

Iain: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Søndag Søndag - Søndag, (also mentioned) Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - Our Hell, Hayley Mary covers Lana Del Rey 'Chemtrails Over The Country Club'

Abby: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob Collier - Witness Me (feat. Shawn Mendes, Stormzy & Kirk Franklin), ⁠Heavy Diamond Ring - All Out Of Angels, Mama Magnolia - Dear Irvington, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas, The Last Dinner Party - My Lady of Mercy

You can find a ⁠playlist of the music we discussed in episode 20 of The Album Files ⁠here⁠⁠. You can find us on social media ⁠@abimickey⁠, ⁠@iaintreloar⁠ and ⁠@climbingcyclist⁠.

Matt//Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

"The journey that Kendrick Lamar takes us on with this album is one that, for me at least, was unsettling to begin with. His lived experience is worlds away from mine, and listening to this album felt like I was stepping into a world where I didn’t belong. But in time I’ve come to appreciate that experience – this is a fascinating glimpse into a different universe, fashioned with great care and craftsmanship, and an album that rewards repeat (and attentive) listens." - Matt

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to talk about Abby's pick Born to Die by Lana Del Rey, please listen along! We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: ⁠The Beatles - Now and Then (the making of), The Beatles - Now and Then (music video), The Veronicas - Perfect

Iain: ⁠Ragana - In the Light of the Burning World, Ad Infinitum (Remastered) - Woods of Desolation, Taylor Swift - Is It Over Yet?

Abby: ⁠Taylor Swift - Bad Blood (feat. Kendrick Lamar), Taylor Swift - Style

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 19 of The Album Files ⁠here⁠. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

Iain // Alcest, Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde Oct 28, 2023

Show notes

"In 2007, the little-known French band Alcest released an album that would go on to be one of the founding texts of an entire genre, blackgaze. A melding of black metal and shoegaze, this album - Souvenirs d'un autre monde - is, 15 years later, still surprising in its delicacy and beauty, filled with childhood visions of fairy kingdoms. It was a gateway into a whole new musical world for me, so I was excited to take The Album Files on this journey." -Iain

In this episode, we also discuss Bad Winds Blow, the album Matt and his brother Ash recently released. Together they are called Brineheart and you can find the album on all streaming platforms.

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to talk about Matt's pick good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar, please listen along! We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find our social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Jacob Collier - Live in Lisbon, Meinl Cymbals - The Adrian Belew Power Trio - "E", Silverchair - Emotion Sickness

Iain: Erland Cooper - Cold, Luke Howard - A Faint Qualm for the Future, Sufjan Stevens - "So You Are Tired"

Abby: Slayers: A Buffyverse Story

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 18 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

Abby // Griff, One Foot In Front Of The Other Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

Don't miss Matt's new music! Matt and his brother Ash recently released their album Bad Winds Blow. Together they are called Brineheart and you can find the album on all streaming platforms. The story behind it is pretty cool, Matt talks a little about it at the top of this episode but we will definitely be diving into it more in the next one.

"Griff is one of those new artists on the scene that you can't get enough of. When I first saw her perform at the Brit awards in 2021 I was blown away by her presence and immediately went in search of more. After I learned she writes, performs, and produces her own music I started to follow her closely, so I am excited to hopefully convert more people into fans of Griff. As a bonus! She just announced two new songs coming Octber 20th, with hopefully even more on the way." Abby

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to talk about Iain's pick Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde by Alcest, please listen along! We'd love to hear your thoughts, if you want to send us a voice memo to include in the show you can find out social media links below.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: King Crimson - Level Five, King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man,

Iain: Amesoeurs - Faux Semblants, Max Richter - On The Nature Of Delight

Abby: Ed Sheeran - Plastic Bag, Hozier - Damage Gets Done, Wicked Tiny Desk

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 17 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

Matt // Post Malone, Austin Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

"Most musicians evolve as they mature, shedding the trappings of their earlier work to venture out in search of new challenges, and new sounds. Few popular artists embody this journey quite like Post Malone. After breaking out in the mid-2010s as part of the Soundcloud hip-hop movement, Malone’s more recent works show him embracing a wide array of influences, not just those that sparked his earliest releases. His latest album, “Austin”, shows just how far he’s come from those early hip-hop stylings. Sure, the hip-hop flavours are still there at times, but this is a more of a pop record than anything else. It’s also his most introspective, vulnerable, and honest work to date, and arguably his most compelling." -Matt

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to talk about Abby's pick One Foot In Front Of The Other by Griff, please listen along! We'd love to hear your thoughts.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Matt de Neef!!

Iain: Ratatat - Seventeen Years, Brand New - Can't Get It Out

Abby: Bleachers - Modern Girl, Olivia Rodrigo - pretty isn't pretty, The National - Laugh Track (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 15 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

Iain // The War on Drugs, I Don't Live Here Anymore Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

"After really enjoying a couple of albums by The War on Drugs, their latest didn't really connect for me in quite the same way, for reasons I couldn't really put my finger on - even if all the ingredients seem to be there, from the warm atmospherics to the stirring melodies. So instead of sharing an album I loved, I wanted to share one that I liked, to spend more time with it and see if I could change my own mind." -Iain

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Album Files! We will be back in two weeks to talk about Matt's pick Austin by Post Malone, please listen along! We'd love to hear your thoughts.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: The Cat Empire - Owl and Thunder Rumbles, Olivia Rodrigo - bad idea, right?, vampire, get him back!

Iain: Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Spinning Song (Australian Carnage Live at Sydney Opera House), The Hermit King

Abby: Name of the Wind on Audible (great book)

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 15 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

We're Back!//Taylor Swift, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

For our first episode back we dust off the cobwebs by chatting about what we've been listening to over the break before diving into Taylor Swift's Speak Now (Taylor's Version).

Thank you so much for listening to the Album Files podcast! In the next episode, we will chat about Iain's latest pick I Don't Live Here Anymore by The War on Drugs.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Carly Rae Jepsen - I Really Like You, Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation, Prince - Purple Rain

Iain: Tenhi - Valkama, Sigur Ros - Glóð, The Clientele - Blue Over Blue, Blanch Mass - Hush Money

Abby: Paramore - Ain't It Fun / Running Out of Time / Hard Times, HAIM - The Wire, MUNA - Silk Chiffon

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 13 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

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