Bob Dylan's 80th Birthday Dream (New Podcast Episode)

Due to stress I had to wait on putting out a new podcast ep but Bob Dylan's 80th birthday gave me inspiration. This episode of Old Dad's Records is about the first three volumes of the Bootleg Series. This was oddly enough my first Dylan album. I chose 12 songs as a best of and talk about them. When I am done I still do my ritual of raving about new music, in this case Danz CM. 

New Podcast on Reinventions

I have kept my promise to keep the podcast episodes coming, and I have to say it's been quite enjoyable to put them together. This fortnight's episode of Old Dad's Records is all about reinventions. I realized the other day that it's ten years to the month that I made my first steps at leaving academia and entering the private school world, so that's where the theme came from. I talk Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," Bob Seger's Night Moves, and Lana Del Rey's latest. 

New Podcast Episode on Crate Digging

 I have made good on my promises and kept recording podcasts on my old bi-weekly schedule. This time Old Dad's Records breaks format and I talk about all the things I bought when I was finally fully vaxxed and able to browse the record store again. Man that was a good feeling. I talk Thin Lizzy, Flamin' Groovies, Roxy Music and Tangerine Dream, plus give a recommend to Angel Olsen's latest. 

New Podcast Episode (Finally)

After months of overwork I finally got on top of my life enough again to revive my podcast, Old Dad's Records. In case you are new to my blog, it's where I discuss an old song that's become musical wallpaper, an album from my stack of old records, and then new music I'm digging. The latter is to prove that I am not merely a sad old dad.

This episode, appropriately enough deals with the Rolling Stones, the ultimate dad rock band. I start with "Jumpin' Jack Flash," their statement of repurpose after time in the psychedelic wilderness. After that I consider Their Satanic Majesties Request and defend that time in the wilderness a little. After all that I give a recommendation for LA Witch's "Fire Starter," which has a hard riff groove worthy of Keef.

Quarantine Music

I just recorded a new podcast episode for my show Old Dad's Records. It's about music that I have been digging in quarantine. I start by talking about Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billie Joe," a song that takes on a new meaning in these times. After that I pull out a Tangerine Dream album and watch the lava lamp flow. I end by talking about Pavement's "Grounded," which I just rediscovered, and People Years, an Alabama band that should be getting more attention.

Newest Episode of My Podcast

Well, I finally recorded another podcast. I've been too busy and depressed under quarantine to work up the energy to do it. I am happy with how this turned out. I discuss Les McCann's "Compared to What," a Kinks live album, and give a strong recommend to the latest by Soccer Mommy.

Complaint Rock (New Podcast Episode)

The newest episode of my podcast, Old Dad's Records, is up now. I dig into a genre of music referred to as "Complaint Rock" in the 1990s classic film Clueless. We were all primed to feel bad, and the Radiohead song "High and Dry" fir the bill (and is the first thing I discuss.) After that I pull Joy Division's Ideal For Living EP from my pile of old records and discuss how its dark tones embody the industrial decline of northern England. I end with raves for recent songs by Stephen Malkmus and Lisa LeBlanc.

Newest Podcast Episode

The newest episode of Old Dad's Records is up, and episode 47 has a theme of angst. I start with Rush's "Subdivisions" and discuss the genre of suburban angst songs, as well as Neil Peart's humble mastery, may he rest in peace. After that I dig Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True off of my pile of old records and discuss his poetically toxic masculinity. I end things up with Control Top, a current punk rock band that has a great track taking down people with Type A personalities.

Synthy Winter Blues (Newest Old Dad's Records Ep)

I just put up my newest episode of my podcast Old Dad's Records, and I think the hiatus has been good for me. This edition concerns seasonal depression and synthesizer-driven music. This was inspired both by the awful weather, but also how the electronic sound of the 80s has made a comeback. I start with Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark," where the Boss himself starting straying from his bar band roots to make music more relevant to MTV. After that I dig through New Order's first EP and talk about how their sound in this period continues to entrance me. I end with a rave for Sui Zhen, a new artist who is taking this sound in bold directions. In between I muse about why people like me loved sad British music in the 80s, and how the alternative music in the 90s was conservative in its love of heavy guitar riffs.

New Episode of the Old Dad's Records Podcast

On the latest episode of my podcast I dug into what I like to call the "feel bad" music of the 90s. Instead of spotlighting an album, I decided to talk about a bunch of songs from a playlist I made of these songs. For some reason in the 90s, a time of relative peace and prosperity, we were all in the mood to be sad. I start with "Adia" by Sarah McLachlan, a song I remember bringing me to the verge of tears as I heard it driving around the thoroughly ugly streets of suburban Omaha. I finish the podcast with a rave for Altin Gün, a Dutch-Turkish psych/prog band that I can't stop listening to these days.

Newest Episode of Old Dad's Records

Episode 44 of my podcast Old Dad's Records just dropped this week. I let life get in the way of recording a new episode, then let the dread of my bad feelings about that procrastination bother me a little too much.

In this episode I start by talking about Bruce Springsteen's "Tunnel of Love," a perfect autumn song and one of the Boss's most underrated. After that I dig out Tom Waits' Heartattack and Vine from my record pile. In the process you will learn a lot about my days as a visiting assistant professor in Michigan, as well as the sad recent death of my friend Bill. I end with a rave for The Downstrokes, a punk rock band I got to see live in New York City. (The bassist also happens to be a friend.)

I'm pretty proud of this episode, I think my skills as a raconteur are improving. It only took 44 episodes!

New Episode of Old Dad's Records (1983 and Duality)

The newest episode of the Old Dad's Records podcast is up!  This time around I was inspired by old music from 1983 I that's popped up in my life.  I start with "Photograph" by Def Leppard, which I heard at a Mets game this week. It is perhaps the starting point of hair metal, a genre I despise. At the same time, it is one of that genre's few real gems. 1983 wasn't just about hair metal, it was also the year that launched REM onto the college radio stations of America with Murmur, an album then gave me a lot of comfort in my youth, and still plays that role in these dark days. I end with a recommendation for Weyes Blood, who has crafted a lovely art folk sound.

July 4th Podcast Special

This week, for the first time ever in my long and not so storied blogging career, something I wrote went viral. So if anyone read that piece and decided to stick around, I'd ask you to give my podcast, Old Dad's Records, a try. This time around I decided to go with an Independence Day theme and focus on country music, the style of music most invested in nationalism. I start with Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," a propaganda anthem birthed at the height of Reagan that owes its longevity to our Foreverwar. From there I pull a record from my pile of old records, and this one is a doozy. Porter Wagoner's The Cold Hard Facts of Life is full front to back with heartbreak, murder, drunkeness, and depression. Here we see the duality of country music, which often claims the mantle of "traditional values" while diving in the darker side of life. I end with a rave for Orville Peck, who has combined 80s indie British rock with country twang in a way I find very appealing. He's also gay and wears a mask, which puts him in with a long tradition of country music eccentrics, the same tradition Porter Wagoner belongs to.

Old Dad's Records 41 (Paydays and Crate Digging)

The newest episode of my podcast is all about paydays and digging for obscure records. I start with the 80s new jack swing classic "Just Got Paid" by Johnny Kemp, then dig through the records I got at a local record fair. The digging includes everything from Bowie to Porter Wagoner to a 70s album of Bob Dylan covers. I end with a rave for Frankie Rose, whose music parties like it's 1981.

Old Dad's Records 40 (England's Oldest Hitmakers)

Episode #40 of Old Dad's Records is now live. Every tenth episode I try to talk about a cherished record in my collection rather than mining oddities. The news about Mick Jagger's health ailments and the Stones postponing their American tour along with the release of their new compilation had me thinking it was finally time to discuss them in detail on the pod. I start with Devo's cover of "Satisfaction," since shows pretty starkly the evolution of rock music post-punk away from what bands like the Stones were doing. From there I do a deep dive into Beggar's Banquet, the album that started the Stones' golden four album run. Instead of discussing a new song at the end of the episode, I try to defend the band's much-maligned psychedelic period by raving about the song "Citadel" from Their Satanic Majesties Request.

Burning Rust (New Podcast Episode)

The newest episode of Old Dad's Records in number 39, "Burning Rust." As always, I go "live on the nines" and discuss two live albums I picked up on Record Store Day. One is Iggy Pop, the other Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. It's proof, if needed, that I contain multitudes. I start by talking about Neil Young's "My My Hey Hey" and how burning out rather than fading away is really about burning your artistic lamp, not dying young. I end by talking about the new Jenny Lewis album, where I think she burned her lamp quite well.

Old Dad's Records Tackles Spring Break

Episode #38 of the Old Dad's Records podcast is up! This time I talk about spring break songs. I departed from my format and picked five songs that I associate with this time, either because of their feel or because they remind me of spring breaks past. After that I discuss Solange's new album, the best of which sounds like an amazing cross between 70s Stevie Wonder and Brian Eno.

Old Dad's Records No. 37, "Philadelphia"

My newest episode of the Old Dad's Records is up. This time I was inspired by my trip to Philadelphia. I talk about the beauty of Philly soul, but also Todd Rundgren, 70s kung fu movies, and Ben Franklin. Please give it a listen.

Old Dad's Records Podcast 36, Substitute Beatles

After a long hiatus brought on by an insane workload, illness, travel and a death in the family the Old Dad's Records Podcast is back! My inspiration came from a recent episode of the podcast The Projection Booth on The Rutles, the wonderful late 70s spoof on the Beatles. I'd already had Beatles on the brain due to talk around Peter Jackson restoring the old Let It Be documentary. On the pod I start with "Pleasant Valley Sunday" by the Monkees, the original Beatles imitators. After that I pull a vinyl copy of The Rutles soundtrack off my stack of old records. I end with a discussion of the new Guided By Voices album, showing that band has managed to stay interesting after all these years.

Reliving My Most Listened To Tracks On My Pod

In the most recent episode of Old Dad's Records I decided to break from protocol. This time I randomly played songs from my Spotify playlist of most played songs of 2018. I had a lot of fun with it, although it reveals the ways my private listening habits do not match up with my much more hip public ones. What can I say? I love 70s AM radio pop and 80s New Wave.