The Album Files

Latest Episodes:

Abby//First Aid Kit, Palomino Jul 06, 2023

Show notes

"From the first time I heard this album I was obsessed with it. Months after hearing it I found I kept coming back, whenever I was in need of some good vibes. Although it's not as deep as some of the albums Matt and Iain have suggested or as adventurous, I felt there were elements of this album that would spur discussion, but I also hoped this album and First Aid Kit's other would bring others happiness when listening, so mostly I just wanted to force people to hear it. I hope it brightens your day as much as it did mine." -Abby

Thank you so much for listening to this first season of the Album Files! We will be back later in the Summer to talk about Taylor Swift's Speak Now (Taylor's Version) and more music we listened to over the break.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Little Simz Gorilla, MONO - Riptide

Iain: King Woman - Entwined, Sigur Rós - Blóðberg

Abby: Carley Rae Jepsen - Tiny Desk Concert, Cut to the Feeling

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.

Matt // Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada Jun 23, 2023

Show notes

"From the moment I first heard this record (late at night in a dark, suburban lounge room) I was entranced. The beauty and the chaos; the light and shade; the juxtaposition of spoken-word recordings and heartfelt musicianship – 'Slow Riot' still has so much to offer 25 years after it was recorded. More than just about anything else I've heard, this EP is a journey, and a mesmerising one at that."

- Matt

Episode 13 features Abby's pick: First Aid Kit's Palomino.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Sweet Transvestite

Iain: Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day, Sadness - i want to be with you

Abby: Ed Sheeran - 2step (feat. Lil Baby), Picture This - Winona Ryder

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 12 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

Iain // Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

"Through his vast, diverse discography, I never really felt like I understood Sufjan Stevens – he was an enigmatic figure hidden behind other people’s stories. With his 2015 album Carrie & Lowell, that all changed. The album is a shockingly candid collection of songs about his harrowing upbringing, and the troubled relationship with a mother that would repeatedly abandon him throughout his childhood. This album is remarkable not just for its music, but for its intense humanity – the forgiveness, the longing, the shame, and the acceptance he navigates. This was a surprisingly emotional one for all of us, and I’m glad to put this beautiful, sad album in front of more people." - Iain

Episode 12 features Matt's pick: Godspeed You! Black Emporer's Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Foo Fighters - Beyond Me⁠, ⁠Ben Folds - Kristine From the 7th Grade⁠

Iain: Peter Gabriel - i/o (Bright-Side Mix⁠, ⁠Deafheaven - The Pecan Tree

Abby: Stormzy - I Got My Smile Back⁠, ⁠Joshua Radin - Winter⁠

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 10 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

Abby // The 1975, Being Funny in a Foreign Language May 24, 2023

Show notes

"After a few heavy albums, it felt right to me to pick something I can't help but dance to. I find this album sounds, to me, like a love letter. A plea to put our phones down and connect with the people around us. Plus, Matty Healy's questionable personality on and off the stage I think gives us something a bit extra to talk about." -Abby

Episode 11 features Iain's pick: Sufjan Steven's Carrie & Lowell

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Post Malone - Mourning, Dave Matthews Band - Madman's Eyes, Post Malone - Nirvana Tribute

Iain: Sudden Lights - Aijā, Port St. Willow - Amawalk, Ben Frost - DARK Netflix Series Soundtrack

Abby: Ed Sheeran - Wildflowers (I'm sorry I am boring right now)

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 10 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

Matt // Silverchair, Diorama May 10, 2023

Show notes

"Few Australian bands were as big as Silverchair in the 1990s and 2000s and no Silverchair album was more important than Diorama. An evolution from the trio's earlier, grungier works, Diorama was a fascinating, meandering journey through a fantastical dreamworld conjured up by frontman-genius Daniel Johns. It's an album that meant a lot to me when it came out, and listening to it again 20 years on, I'm delighted to discover that it holds up remarkably well." - Matt

Episode 10 features Abby's pick: Being Funny in a Foreign Language by The 1975.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: First of October, Sonic Boom, More Sonic Boom

Iain: Taylor Swift - Story of Us, Tim Hecker - Obsidian Counterpoint, King Woman - Morning Star

Abby: Corrs - Breathless

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 8 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

Bonus Episode // The National, First Two Pages of Frankenstein May 05, 2023

Show notes

We are back for a bonus episode about The National's latest album First Two Pages of Frankenstein! You're welcome.

Iain // Frightened Rabbit, The Midnight Organ Fight Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

A warning: This episode discusses suicide.

"Scottish band Frightened Rabbit’s breakout album, Midnight Organ Fight (2008), has had an enduring legacy. It’s been described as 'an album about breaking-up and fucking up', and one of the greatest break-up albums of recent times, and it is that – but there’s much more to it. At its core it’s a showcase of songwriter Scott Hutchison’s self-awareness and journey towards acceptance in the midst of personal turmoil, set to deceptively upbeat indie rock with a heartfelt performance. It’s not always a happy album and it is trailed by tragedy, but its journey is a worthwhile and important one." - Iain

Episode 9 features Matt's pick: Silverchair's Diorama

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Biffy Clyro - The Myth of the Happily Ever After, Ben Folds - Exhausting Lover, Metallica - 72 Seasons, Lizzy McAlpine - A Little Bit of Everything

Iain: Arooj Aftab - Tiny Desk, Bell Witch - Future's Shadow Part 1, Tim Hecker - Monotony

Abby: Ed Sheeran - Boat

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 8 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

Listener Suggestions // The XX, Neil Young, and Rachel Kann Apr 12, 2023

Show notes

This week we were really excited to feature three albums suggested by listeners! We pulled three albums out of a kid's helmet and each of us picked one to dig into. Hope you enjoy and thank you so much for your suggestions.

Episode 8 features Iain's pick The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: 100 gecs - 10,000 Gecs

Iain: Sannhet - So Numb, The Hotelier - Among the Wildflowers, Bleachers - Rollercoaster, Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better

Abby: Ed Sheeran - Eyes Closed

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 7 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

Bonus Episode // boygenius, the record Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

We (more accurately Iain and Abby) can't get over the new boygenius album the recordthat was released on March 31st, so we got together to talk about it.

You can find the film here.

Abby // Fun., Some Nights Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

"2020 was a transformative year for me in terms of music. In a year when I had a lot of free time I started to dive into new music and the year I really discovered Jack Antonoff. When digging through Jack's history I found Fun., a band he was part of for a few years, and discovered I had heard a few songs but not the whole Some Nights album. I wanted to revisit the album with this podcast and see if it holds up because when I first heard it I thought it was quite amazing." - Abby

Episode 7 features three listener suggested albums. Neil Young's On The Beach, The XX's The XX, and Rachel Kann's Ptolemaic Complex.

What we've been listening to lately...

Matt: Macklemore - BEN, Dave Matthews Tiny Desk, Lizzie McAlpine on Jimmy Fallon, 100 gecs - Hollywood Baby

Iain: Sumner McKane - Riding in Cars in the Woods, Pianos Become the Teeth - Say Nothing, Blanck Mass - House vs. House

Abby: Steel Train - I Feel Weird, Bleachers - Don't Take the Money, Julien Baker's Tiny Desk

You can find a playlist of the music we discussed in episode 6 of The Album Files here. You can find us on social media @abimickey, @iaintreloar and @climbingcyclist.

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