Album of the Year Podcast

Marty and Kris are back at it again with a new yearly episode...The next 2 episodes, we're gonna tackle 1967! We start with talking about how 1967 is a "Fulcrum" year for music (2:35) as we transition into an in-depth conversation about the "Summer of Love", it's cultural impact at the time and how it endured and influenced other generations. (14:36). Moving on, Marty unveils his pick for 1967, 13th Floor Elevators second album, "Easter Everywhere". (This one was a lot of fun, we hope you guys enjoy it! Reach out at aotypodcast@gmail.com and check out our Patreon at patreon.com/albumoftheyear

Hello AOTYer's!! Marty and Kris are back after nearly a month respite to talk GUILTY PLEASURES!! We first talk about the topic and how we understand the core concept and go on to explore how it resonates thru different periods and even musical genres. This one was a ton of fun, thanks for listening! Be on the lookout for another yearly episode coming soon! Also drop us an email at aotypodcast@gmail.com and check out patreon.com/albumoftheyear. Thanks again!     

Marty and Kris come roaring back with part 2 of the start a new decade, 1980! The guys talk about Marty's birthday (0:33) and Kris berates him for being younger than him for 3 weeks, Pre-COVID recording (2:39) John Lennon's death being a dark shadow hanging over the year (4:55) Marty talks about how Prog Rock was nearly inescapable during the late 70's/early 80's (14:37) We then move into the charts (16:22) What the hell was up with Christopher Cross? (18:58) A mini podcast inside of a podcast about the Police (20:01) Mickey Gilley, gold chains, and Urban Cowboy (28:36) We then dive head first into LA Punk Stalwarts X, and their scorching debut, *Los Angeles*. (51:27). Thanks again for listening, be sure to check out patreon.com/albumoftheyear. Our new episode day has been moved to Wednesdays, so be on the lookout!

aaaand WE'RE BACK!! Marty and Kris are back in the house to unfurl 1980 and break down the good, the bad, and the ugly. We talk "moanin cat blues" (0:05) Marty talks tectonic plates shifting (4:34) and body shames Vince Neil (11:14). We then have a conversation about the synthesizer and how it influenced the decade and the genres and bands it created (13:00). To cap it off, We get down to Kris' pick, Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders raucous and gritty debut, Pretenders (43:00).  Thanks to everyone sticking it out thru the madness. We're going to start releasing episodes on a more regular basis now that we've made some upgrades to our home recording setups. We've got some fun stuff lined up for upcoming episodes. Hit us up at aotypodcast@gmail.com and, if you feel so inclined, check out our patreon at patreon.com/albumoftheyear. Thanks again!             

Marty and Kris are back in the game, this time, talking about a couple of obscure albums they've been listening to lately. Marty kicks things off with Albert Ayer's misunderstood neo-soul/free jazz stomper "New Grass" (22:07). Moving on, Kris talks about his pick, "All the Best from Ireland: 40 Irish Drinking songs" (38:24). We hope you enjoyed this episode, we had a really great time talking about these albums! We're also going to start getting back to a more normal schedule and revisiting the yearly format soon! In the mean time, be sure to check out our Patreon-We'll have some new episodes of our sister podcast, How Have I Not Seen Die Hard? up there very shortly! All the details can be found at https://www.patreon.com/albumoftheyear . Thanks for listening!   

Hello AOTYers....we hope you're all staying safe out there! We're sorry for the lack of recent episodes-we're still doing what we can to figure out a way to get content to you as best we can during lockdown. Lucky for us, we were able to tap friend of the podcast Kevin Moss to all the way in Cincinnati, Ohio-LIVE via satellite! Ok, via the internet, but who's counting! For our newest anthology episode, Marty, Kris, and Kevin tackle one of the most prolific bands of all time-Guided by Voices! We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Also, be sure to check out Kevin's B-Movie podcast, Junk Food Dinner at http://www.junkfooddinner.com/. Thank for listening and stay safe!

Hello friends! We are doing our best to bring you content in the midst of everything going on. Here's a lunchtime episode Kris and Marty recorded last week. In this episode they discuss YouTube, and what it means to music in several different ways. Be on the lookout for a new year episode soon! Thanks for listening and be sure to check out patreon.com/albumoftheyear and email us at AOTYPodcast@gmail.com. Thanks as always for listening! 

Hello friends! In lieu of a regular AOTY Episode, we have Episode 1 of our Patreon only exclusive podcast, How Have I Not Seen Die Hard? In this podcast, Kris and his brother-in-law, Thomas, break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of movies pretty much everyone has seen, except for them. 12-inch and 180 Gram LP Patreon subscribers get this and other exclusive audio content by subscribing! In the first episode, Kris and Thomas break down Sly Stallone's 1982 classic "First Blood". Check out the details at patreon.com/albumoftheyear. Everyone stay safe, wash your hands, and we'll catch you on the flip! Thanks for listening! 

Hey Team, let's kick it for this week's new lunchtime episode! Kris kicks things off pledge drive style (0:20) Introducing Thomas back on AOTY Podcast by recounting a story about him trying to get into the 1997's MTV Sports and Music festival (4:30) Getting marooned at Barton Springs Mall as a result (5:33) Recounting 1-800 Collect (6:42) Thomas's proper intro (12:00) Introducing our Lunctime topic, art and commerce (13:50) (14:57) Shock Jock madness (19:05) Kris reminiscing on his time as "Encyclopedia Brown", and his Monday morning airshift on college radio (19:32) Re-introducing our Patreon and going over patron levels (37:41), and Kris and Thomas introduce their side Podcast, How have I not seen Die Hard? that will be available for the 12-inch LP level Patreon supporters (40:40) Check out our Patreon at Patreon.com/albumoftheyear and email us at aotypodcast@gmail.com! Thanks for listening!

Let's do this, team...1997 Part 2 is here! Marty talks about his partner, Courtney, seeing Björk at ACL Fest in the early 2000's (0:00) Kris wonders how that show slipped under his radar (1:10) The '97 Beat goes on with Stephen talking about the MTV Sports and Music Festival that took place in Austin (2:56) Kris recounts what some music critics had dubbed "The worst 2 week period in the history of music (7:20) Way more Limp Bizkit talk than any one music podcast should tolerate (14:00) We move to the charts (28:50) Marty doing his best DJ Kool impression (34:55) We move on to Marty's pick, Sleater-Kinney's watershed, "Dig me Out" (46:45). After that, we get to Kris's pick, Radiohead's landmark statement, "Ok Computer". Thanks for listening!

We're BAAACK with our first year episode of Season 4! Get ready for all things 1997! We cold open with our guest, Stephen Cadena, aka DJ Shoestring (0:00) We then give him a proper introduction (1:51) Marty and Stephen reminisce on growing up with Hip Hop in Ohio and Texas (5:59) We move on by breaking down the state of Hip Hop in 1997 (16:34) Wu-Tang Forever and how it fit into the time contextually (27:54) More seminal Hip Hop albums from '97 (34:00) Master P's "Ghetto D" and how he inexplicably used DIY aesthetic and branding to build an empire (36:50) We then charge forward with Stephen's pick, Björk's lush masterpiece, Homogenic. (48:52) Be on the lookout for 1997 Episode 2 next week!

It is with heavy hearts that we kick off season 4 with a tribute to the incomparable Neil Peart, who passed away in early 2020. We still manage to get some laughs out breaking down Cold Pizza and commiserating over defunct pizza joints in Leveland, Texas (0:00) Introducing our guest, drummer, professor, and all around great guy Dolf Guardiola, (4:10) Neil Peart's cavernous prowess (18:01) Where we were when we heard the news (19:16) The worlds that Neil's influence permeated (22:08) Neil's Vision for Rush as a lyricist (26:54) Rush pulling out all the stops for 2112 and finding an audience in the process (28:20) Rush being virtuosic players but still being grounded enough to be seen as a band of the people (37:40) We hope that you guys liked this one, be on the lookout for our first year episode of season 4 soon. FOREVER NEIL!

Here it comes-The second annual Holidays Episode from your boys Marty and Kris! We kick things off by popping open a present-what else could be better than another mystery box of .45's! (1:50) Marty tells a story about our last mystery box episode (5:45) Kris picks first (7:05) We come across a mis-labled slab that was credited to Barbara Streisand (11:45) Marty picks out a "Korean Afro" (15:50) Marty reminisces on simpler times when the Bad-Boys era Detroit Pistons ruled the NBA and were introduced to Europe's "The Final Countdown" (23:50) Talking southern Ohio greasy spoon steakhouse buffets (57:54) Some Hot Takes on Kim Carnes (1:00:14) Bringing it back to the "Glory Days" (1:10:16) and we tie it up in a bow with an unforgettable slab. (1:35:42) We had a blast doing season 3! Happy Holidays and be on the lookout for season 4 in 2020! 

1, 2, 3, 4!!! Marty and Kris locked themselves in the lab for hours and have emerged with our 2nd ANTHOLOGY EPISODE!!! Before we get in to all things Ramones, we break down fall weather in Texas (0:27) Marty going to Levitation fest and seeing the likes of TOBACCO and BEAK> while Kris stayed in Leander to see the best ZZ Top/70's southern buttrock cover band this side of Williamson County (4:19) Our new imaginary German friend, Nils, comes up when talking about how many different drummers KMFDM might've went through (9:56) We then get down to brass tacks and unveil our topic for our second anthology episode: The almighty RAMONES! (10:24) We Blitzkrieg Bop into the conversation (14:40) Marty remembers first hearing "Psychotherapy" on 9.25 WOFX's piece of legacy programming, Jelly Pudding (17:39). We discuss the members of the band, and go through various lineup changes and incarnations that occured through the years (27:03) Pop Sensibilities (35:35) Rocket to Russia and the shimmering brilliance of "Rockaway Beach" (50:52) and the completely bonkers End of the Century recording sessions with Phil Spector (1:13:34). Let us know what you think anytime at aotypodcast@gmail.com and thanks for listening! 

Marty and Kris are BACK talking 1975! Marty kicks things off using his silky smooth NPR voice (0:00) Commiserating the popularity of "My Humps" (1:39) and Kris cruising for new sponsors after trying pickle-flavored beer (2:59. We then move on to the charts ( 4:05) Kris breaks down "Hicksploitation" (7:24) "Chevy Van" and how in the world those lyrics were committed to tape (14:49) Kris breaks out the Trivial Pursuit RPM edition booster pack and we both test our mettle (29:47). After realizing we'll never be the new hosts of Rock 'n' Roll Jeopardy, we get to Kris's pick for 1975, German krautrock stalwarts NEU! and their final tour de force, NEU! '75. (38:25). Don't sleep! 

Marty and Kris are back with another heater for you-1975! Kris and Marty both talk about their Halloween (1:21) Marty talks about breaking his alcohol fast (1:51) Moving on, we reveal the year we’re going to break down (4:41) We touch on some of the finer points of the year in music (8:25) Marty and Kris face off on Simon and Garfunkel (17:49) We then take some time to talk about our carefully curated 1975 Spotify playlist (25:57). Moving on, we start our album conversation with Marty’s pick for 1975, Bob Dylan’s 15th studio album, hailed by many as a songwriting masterpiece, Blood On The Tracks (36:20). Thanks as always for listening and we’ll see y’all for Part 2!

This week, Marty and Kris emerge from the lab with another lunchtime episode! Marty talks about a close encounter with Stromboli to kick things off (1:12) and starts working out a new character (1:42) We then reveal the topic for today's lunchtime episode-Hot Takes! (6:27) Kris kicks things off making his case that the Spice Girls were good for music (8:27). Next, Marty reveals his hot take; he feels that Stevie Ray Vaughn's music and mythology is severely overrated. (35:34) Don't forget to check out our Patreon at patreon.com/albumoftheyear. Thanks again for listening!

Hey Team, Marty and Kris are heading back to the 2006 buffet with another banger! The guys kick things off by flirting with influencer culture, but fly to close to the sun on wings of fried chicken (1:53) Marty talks a bit about going to see Wu-Tang Clan at ACL Live (4:00) and James Blake at Stubb's (8:58) We then get into the good and mostly bad, mostly ugly 2006 billboard top 100 (11:09) Uninspired white guys (12:09) Kris' supreme disdain for "My Humps" (22:07) Kris' burgeoning fascination with D4L's breakout hit "Laffy Taffy" (31:12)and Thinking up an inexcusable music playlist (37:40) We then move on to Marty's pick, The Hold Steady's booze-soaked, Springsteen inspired romp, "Boys and Girls in America". Check out our 2006 playlist on Spotify and our Patreon at Patreon.com/albumoftheyear. Thanks as always for checking us out!

Marty and Kris are back to take you to church for 2006! We start off taking about Marty talks about his experience going to ACL Fest and getting to write a recap for Clash Magazine (1:07) The Many faces of Pat Smear (10:14) The year in music (26:52) Remembering the Microsoft Zune (28:25) Marty remembering that 2 month spell when he really loved Panic! at the Disco (31:31) Three 6 Mafia being the first rap group to win an Academy Award (45:39) We then move on to Kris' pick for 2006, What was thought to be David Lowery and Cracker's last stand, Greenland (48:06). Thanks again for listening, Season 3 has been a blast so far! Remember to check out our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/albumoftheyear

Lunchtime is again upon us! Kris kicks things off solo (0:21) and gives a primer on the lunchtime format (0:39). We then get into the thick of things as we discuss the current state of rock music, and contemplate it's relevance in 2019 (1:47). Thanks again for listening, and don't forget to check out our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/albumoftheyear

The Dream of the 90's rolls on with 1993, episode 2! We kick things off by talking about Marty's 40th Birthday Party (1:06) Remembering Rick Ocasek (10:20) The Billboard top 100 (15:30) Marty reminisces on Miami Bass going legit (31:41) followed by introducing Kris to Paperboy's "Ditty" while Marty regales Kris with tales of hanging out at a teen dance club throughout his formative years (33:37) Kris shares a similar experience getting dressed down by a youth minister for playing They Might Be Giants (37:33) and Breaking down Ice Cube's "It was a good day" (43:53). We then dive head first into Kris' pick for 1993, Superchunk's often overlooked masterpiece, On the Mouth. Thanks for listening, and be sure to check out our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/albumoftheyear

Marty and Kris go back to the 90's; get stoked for 1993! We start off with a some Swatch talk (0:45) Marty's trip to Ohio and the great record store crawl (2:25) Shout out to Cincy record stores Colemine Records and Shake It Records (5:22) A big Patreon announcement (9:35) Remembering Daniel Johnston (18:24) We then get knee deep into the waters of 1993, wading around in the year in music (33:31) Elvis' postage stamp (33:45) Oasis getting their first record deal (37:19) Prince changing his name to a symbol to buck his record label (39:22) and Nirvana's historic unplugged set (43:51). We then transition to Marty's pick for 1993, Wu-Tang Clan's genre defining hip hop masterpiece, Enter the Wu-Tang (49:32). This is a can't miss!

Hold on to your butts, AOTYers, It's officially been 1 year! Marty and Kris reflect on the past year and pop open a new mystery box to celebrate the occasion. Thanks for listening!     

The fun continues in  2009, episode 2! Marty, Kris, and Caitlin are back, breaking down the finer points of frozen custard (0:45) The charts (1:41) Caitlin and Kris revel in their disgust of Owl City (2:00) Marty struggles to find a favorite song (10:32) UB40 “Red Red Wine” strikes again (14:22) Caitlin reflects on her experience growing up in the shadow of 9/11 (15:35) Marty busting out his Christopher Walker impression (22:19) We then move on Kris’s pick for 2009, Phoenix and their indie-pop masterpiece, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (42:00). Caitlin talks about her Phoenix mega-fandom and shares some stories of seeing them live 10+ times (43:21) Kris shares some never-before heard Phoenix demos (sort of) ( 44:56) After going all-out phoenix, we then dive head first into Marty’s pick for 2009, Japandroids and their noise-rock debut, Post-Nothing. (1:17:02) Season 3 is in full swing!

WERE BACK!!! Welcome to Season 3! Marty and Kris kick things off by talking about our new merch (1:11) and share a listener email that’s very close to our hearts (3:27). Marty reminisces on the midwest and their “Taste Of” festivals (6:32) Marty and Kris seeing Parliament Funkadelic (7:32) and coming face to face with Fishbone ultra-fandom (8:32). We then introduce our special guest, Caitlin Wittlif, who regales us with some first-hand experiences on her time interning at Rolling Stone Magazine in 2009 (11:02) Marty shares some big news (12:00) Caitlin, Kris, and Marty talk about the genesis of Rolling Stone, its place in pop culture, then and now, and important figures in its storied history (15:07) Caitlin shares story about covering Kings of Leon playing the Today Show, explains how her internship came to be, and shares some other experiences in great detail (22:41). We then introduce Caitlin’s pick for 2009, The Dead Weather’s murky romp, Horehound. Caitlin is a fantastic guest, making this one of our best episodes yet. Be on the lookout for Part 2 next week!

Beat the Heat with Marty and Kris as they break down some of their favorite summer music for the season 2 finale! We start off with a state of the podcast (7:57). Next, Kris picks 3 summer songs from each decade from  the 50’s to the 2010’s, and Marty picks his favorite (16:57).  Keep it chill this summer. Thanks for listening!

The 1984 cipher continues with 2 more classic albums! We kick things off with a deep dive into the billboard top 100 (1:46) Kris reminds Marty of a previous conversation regarding the movie “Blow” (5:16) Kris seeing Willie Nelson at Battleship Texas at 6 years old (8:50) More vital Huey Lewis talk (10:54) Key differences between “Dancing in the Dark” and “Dancing in the Sheets” (16:30) Kris tells a great story about The Cars and “city music” (24:40) An assembly Marty attended in 4th grade which he was subjected to a musician playing “Axel F” on a Xylophone (27:02) Trying our best to see how much Ann Wilson was in the red with gambling debts when she recorded “Almost Paradise” (28:20) We then get to Kris’s pick, the ethereal and emotive Cocteau Twins album “Treasure” (37:20) After breaking down the finer points of this monumental album, Kris and Marty break down one of the albums that put Minneapolis on the map, The Replacements “Let it Be” (1:07:25). Thanks as always for listening!

It’s time to dive knee deep back into the 80’s! We kick things off talking about Marty’s recent vacation to New Mexico (0:58) Marty understanding Kris on a deeper level after driving through the expanse of West Texas (1:20) Introducing our guest, singer-songwriter and Kris’s wife, Stephanie Wright (2:10) Comparing notes on Roswell (3:22) Marty adding to his gas station food repertoire courtesy of Allsup’s in Plains, Texas (4:45) Kris and Step visiting the Motown exhibit at the LBJ Library here in Austin (11:38) Marty impersonating the animatronic Lyndon Johnson (13:54) Kris and Steph going to the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, and Kris blowing our marketing budget on a can of spraypaint (14:35). We then jump into the 1984 year in music according to wikipedia (19:05) Going thru the 1984 playlist (55:00) We then get to Steph’s pick for 1984, The Bangles little known debut, “All Over the Place” (1:03:30). Stay tuned for 1984-episode 2 coming soon!

The wait is over! 1969 EPISODE 2 is here! We start out by talking about Kris going to see X and the Violent Femmes at ACL Live (0:40) Talking Heads concept album and movie “True Stories” (4:35) We then dive into the charts (5:57) Kris sounds off on bubblegum and talks about it’s lasting influence (6:17) Marty tells the story of the Amen break (11:53) “Smokin’ Grapevine” with Tony Joe White (16:30) Elvis Presley’s “In the Ghetto” and the racial context of the time (18:02) “In the year 2525” (21:52) dovetailed by The Bob Seger System and Marty’s Uncle seeing him play his junior high dance (26:49) We then dive head-first into Kris’s pick, The Temptations’ first foray into psychedelic soul, “Cloud Nine”. (31:10) Thanks as always for listening!

Better late that never, people! Marty and Kris have another heater on the stove for you! We start out by talking about going to the Austin Record Convention (0:51) Buying really weird 45’s (1:10) How Discogs has changed the game and makes it harder to find deals (2:56) Introducing the year we’re covering in the next 2 episodes (13:30) Recapping 1969 in music (15:35) Altamont and the impact it had on popular culture moving forward (15:55) The Beatles rooftop concert (22:45) Yoko Ono arguably being the first influencer (27:49) Controversial opinions on Jim Morrison (32:19) Marty’s favorite Dr. John album (45:55) We then move on to Marty’s pick for 1969, Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers’ harbinger of “Alt-Country”, the unquestionable masterpiece “The Gilded Palace of Sin”. Be on the lookout for 1969-Episode 2, dropping next week! Thanks for listening!

Hello Friends! Another lunchtime episode is upon us! Kris kicks it solo for a few to tell you about our topic for this lunchtime episode-producers! (0:24) Beefing about rock bio-pics (2:47) Marty reveling in his midwestern roots by impersonating the documentary now spoof “Gentle and Soft” (5:42) What we feel being a producer means (7:30) Producers in Hip-Hop (13:30) How DJ’s moved the art of beat making and scratching forward by working together (16:31) Kris breaks down his love for Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” style (19:40) Rick Rubin’s ability to create a vibe (23:20) The great gear vs. digital debate (28:58) Lo-Fi, outsider music production techniques (35:19) Brian Eno’s trailblazing techniques and producing U2 and Coldplay (39:46) Damon Albarn’s ability to adapt to artists (42:51) Mark Ronson’s ear and how it affected and informed Amy Winehouse (44:56). Kris wraps it up with a footnote on legendary Beatles producer George Martin (48:35). Let us know what you think at aotypodcast@gmail.com!

The wait is over! 1996 PART 2 is upon us! Marty, Kris, and the Enchanting Wizard of Rhythm are BACK! We kick it off by hotly debating who has better fried pies (2:24) A breakdown of the 1996 billboard  charts (5:32) starting with  strict delineation of the Macarena, Thomas’ pick for favorite song (5:59) Marty remembering a huge regional hip hop hit that he didn’t realize was regional until he moved to Texas (7:36) Kris doing parenting right by exposing his daughter to Busta Rhymes at a young age (10:02) Kris’s least favorite song (17:45) Marty’s least favorite song and a near-blog post about his least favorite song (21.55) Thomas’s Goo Goo Dolls hate (23:24) Kris meeting a guy in music school who vehemently defended Sheryl Crow (26:13) We then get to Marty’s pick for 1996, Pearl Jam’s much maligned but very introspective album, No Code (33:48) Followed by Kris’s pick, arguably one of the first “Indie Rock” albums, Belle and Sebastian’s “Tigermilk”. (1:13:21)  Let us know what you think anytime at Aotypodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

The dream of the 90’s is alive…..at Album of the year Podcast! Marty kicks things off by accepting his fate as a big, sweaty polack (0:32) How we spent the Easter Holiday (2:39) We then introduce our special guest (8:02) Thomas, the “Enchanting Wizard of Rhythm”, who blesses us with stories based on his long history with Kris growing up in Belton, Texas (9:03) Marty tells the story of the fateful evening at the Leander Beer market (20:58) Kris breaks down a change to our format, then the three of us discuss 1996-The year in music, as informed by the Wikipedia article of same name (46:03) Marty wonders why the hell people like Jimmy Buffet so much in southern Ohio (47:24) then does his best late 90’s Hammer impression.(1:04:03). We then get to the down and dirty and cover Thomas’ pick for 1996-Beck’s genre-defying masterpiece “Odelay”. (1:11:53) Be on the lookout for 1996: Part 2-Coming soon!

We had a blast doing this lunchtime episode, the mystery box! We check in with a quick intro (0:55) explaining what’s inside the “mystery box:, Marty going full “Big Sweaty Polack” mode (2:05). We then break the mystery box open and sift thru the good, the bad, and the ugly (3:24) of a variety of 45 RPM records ranging from the 50’s all the way up to the 80’s. No more time stamps, because that would be cheating! Thanks as always for listening!

The wait is over…Marty and Kris present the first ANTHOLOGY episode on the great STEVIE WONDER, listen to us as we span his legendary career! We kick it off by doing a brief monologue (1:20) The battle we’re waging against oak and cedar pollen allergies (2:45). Moving on, Kris tells a story about his wedding (10:22), followed by a head-first dive into the formidable and illustrious career of the one and only Stevie Wonder! Marty talks about some of the first things that come to mind when he thinks of Stevie (18:15) The “High Fidelity” conundrum,(22:00) The 5-album “soul roll” that began to codify his status as a legend, (23:32) How Kris discovered Stevie Wonder (25:03) Marty being a bit intimidated by Stevie’s catalog (30:03), Marty’s “dream” collaboration of Stevie Wonder and Bob Pollard of Guided by Voices (31:45) and Hearing Stevie do a recent interview on Stretch and Bobbito’s podcast (34:08). We then crack his career wide open and break down the finer points of some of Stevie’s well known, and not so well-known work. (42:30). We’re really proud of this one, we hope y’all like it! Let us know what you think at aotypodcast@gmail.com, and on social media @aotypodcast!

Man, do we have a hum-dinger for y’all! Kris and Marty kick it off by revealing Marty’s last name (0:30) Kris talks about his recent trip to Houston (1:37) A fateful trip to Hard Rock Cafe (5:57) Marty getting a chance to do a short DJ set (18:04) Kris helping Marty pick a DJ name (20:42) An introduction of the year we’ve decided to uncover for this episode, 1972 (22:35) Breaking down the charts (25:30) Kris on the sensational aspects of musician/band biopics (30:47) Remembering Dick Dale (38:08) We then get into the thick of it, with Marty’s pick; The Rolling Stones Captivating double LP from 1972, “Exile on Main Street” (1:01:39). After Marty regaling some of his Uncle Pat’s baseball storiesn in honor of opening day, (1:38:25) We get into Kris’s pick for 1972-Big Star’s power-pop masterpiece, “#1 Record”. (1:42:41). As always, thanks for listening, and let us know what you think at aotypodcast@gmail.com, and @aotypodcast on social!

Come one, come all, to the first minisode of season 2! We start out with a short introduction, followed by some serious "pro audio" (2:01) Introducing our topic (3:05) The Neurological exploits of nostalgia (5:39) Reminiscing on Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill in the Cincinnati suburb or Kenwood, Ohio (11:50) Kris coming up with an interesting buzzfeed list (17:40) Which member of the krautrock scene we are (18:16) Nostalgia as entertainment (22:16) Kris's experience in music school (23:53) Kris and Marty buying multiple copies of the same album (29:38) Marty talking about simpler times a skyline chili (40:53) we then wrap it up with a "cinema verite" outro. (51:44). We hope you like our new artwork, thanks for checking us out! As always, hit us up on social @aotypodcast or via email at aotypodcast@gmail.com.    

In season 2, episode 2, Kris and Marty are back to talk all things 2002! We kick things off with some talk about record stores, Marty admitting he’s never been to a tower records (1:10) We then switch gears and give a shout out to some friends that started a podcast of their own (1:57) Next, we discuss the flashpoint of popular music and the internet, and how audiences began to fracture because of it (6:03) Kris being ahead of his time suggesting to the members of his first band they should share their music via bulletin boards (14:50), and Record Labels, the music business, and the democratization of music creation (17:50). We then take a look at 2002’s top 100 singles Billboard charts, and as always, pick our own personal best and worst song for the year. (27:38). Next, We charge ahead with Kris’s pick for 2012, Wilco’s then-misunderstood but now lauded masterpiece, “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” (1:01:20). Next up, we have Marty’s pick for 2002-an album by Emo band Jets to Brazil, “Perfecting Loneliness”(1:53:03).  As always, don’t sleep, and feel free to reach out at aotypodcast@gmail.com! Thanks for listening!

Hold on to your butts-It’s the Album of the year Podcast SEASON 2 DEBUT! We start off by recapping how we spent our holiday season (1:06) Marty talks of binging pierogis in Tennessee with his family (1:26) Kris’s Norwegian heritage delicacy, Lutefisk, (2:15) Marty visiting the Moog Synthesizer factory in Asheville, NC (5:10). Charging forward, we introduce our special guest, James Rawson! (8:21) James tells us a bit about himself and his music background playing in his band, Timonium, and working at Tower Records in Los Angeles (16:50) Marty reminisces on his days playing (not very well) in bands in and around Cincinnati, Ohio (24:11). We then delve into the charts of the year we’ve decided to tackle for the season 2 premier-1988! ((29:57) Kris breaks down the complexities of UB40’s “Red, Red Wine” (31:33). We then languish over the good, the bad, and the ugly of the billboard top 100, from INXS to Debbie Gibson, and back again (39:08). Next, we move onto Jame’s pick for 1988, Talk Talk’s magnum opus, “Sprit of Eden”. (67:00) After breaking down this proggy, jazzy, bluesy, mystifying and beautiful album, Kris is up next with a landmark hip hop album by Public Enemy, “It takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back” (1:11:28) Last but not least, Marty brings it home with early Indie rock statement, Sonic Youth’s “Daydream Nation” (1:41:05). Don’t sleep on season 2!

Hold on to your Santa Hats, people, Marty and Kris are back with another lunch( dinner) time episode! We kick things off with some extra holiday cheer added to our intro (0:00) and get right down to business with another themed beverage (2:11) Shout out to some listeners (4:45) Kris gives Marty a gift (6:03) Tales from Christmases of Marty and Kris’ past (12:05) Our earliest memories of Christmas music (21:30) Kris’ thoughts on Irving Berlin and how Christmas music evolved (21:45) The most successful Christmas song of the last 30 years, and how it evokes the evolution of Christmas music (24:33) Kris cites some examples of Christmas songs that have some artistic resonance ( 31:08) Some of the more novelty-based Christmas songs we both enjoy (32:53) Marty’s least favorite Christmas song (43:02) Whether or not Paul McCartney donates residuals to “Wonderful Christmas Time” to UNICEF (46:29) Religious Christmas music vs. Secular Christmas Music (1:00:40) Before bringing it all home with some Ernest saves Christmas talk (1:09:13) Pull the Santa suit out of the attic and don’t miss this one! Happy Holidays to all of our fantastic listeners far and wide!

For our 5th episode, Marty and Kris are tackling a very pivotal year in music and popular culture-1979! We kick things off with some Whataburger evangelism (0:45) followed by some esoteric fast food talk (3:40) X-Men romantic character arcs (8:18) Marty and Kris recap what they did over the Thanksgiving holiday (10:10) Kris taking his daughter to a playground built in the 1950’s (10:56) Marty’s encounter with the Record Store Day reissue of the Gravediggaz 1994 classic “6 Feet Deep” (15:40) Kris paying a visit to Lubbock institution Ralph’s Records (17:56) Kris’s criticism of a half-cocked Sega Genesis game “Booger Man” (24:30) Kris’s thoughts on the new album by Damon Albarn and Paul Simonon’s  supergroup The Good, the Bad, and the Queen, “Merrie Land” (29:33), followed by addressing some comments that were made regarding Blues Traveler’s bassist on a previous episode (36:50). Then we switch gears and breakdown 1979’s billboard top 100 year end chart (58:08) Kris’s main sticking point with 1979, MacArthur Park (1:10:49). It’s now time for the main event as we start with Marty’s album, Gang of Four’s Post Punk romp “Entertainment!” (1:24:38). Then we move on to Kris’ pick, an album you may have heard of, The Clash’s legendary “London Calling” (1:58:50). As always hit us up on IG and Twitter @aotypodcast, and let us know what you think at aotypodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

Hey Team-Get’cha cornbread ready, Marty and Kris are back with a Thanksgiving-themed minisode! We kick it off by taking an opportunity to frame the episode for those out there that might not be familiar with the lunchtime format (2:45) then get straight into it-Kris introduces the minisode theme (6:43) Shout out to our listener(s) in Bosnia (10:14), and a brief breakdown of what a “Turkey” really is within the context of the episode (11:52). Next, we finally put the Spin Doctors conversation to rest with a scathing review of their second album, “Turn upside down” (12:05), which transitions into Marty and Kris reminiscing on simpler times when moshing and crowdsurfing was the norm at any show you went to, regardless of genre (14:57) and Marty shouts out Bogarts in Cincinnati, Ohio, a rock club Marty used to frequent (15:18), Ordering subs over talk about Nas and Mobb Deep (17:39), Kris continues the conversation with depleted great artists (25:17), Lou Reed’s misunderstood masterpiece “Metal Machine Music” (30:08) and the trend of artists making bad albums nearly on purpose to get out of their record contract, using Van Morrison’s album “The Bang Sessions” (32:15). Moving on, we revisit the depleted artist theory by breaking down the Chris Cornell/Timbaland collaboration (40:35), Neil Young’s unintentional Vaporwave swan song, “Trans” (42:38), The “worst album you’ve heard 100 times”, U2’s “Pop” (45:24), Rush’s 4 album “dork age” into heavy synths, (46:49) A conversation Marty used to have with an old roommate and how it pertains to The Roots masterpiece “Things Fall Apart” (50:52) and Kris’s take on a band’s sound becoming fully realized, where and how that happens (52:39). After the lunctime episode is complete, Marty and Kris come back with a recap (1:03:05) and Marty clears up some confusion regarding Nas’ first two albums, “Illmatic” and “It was written”. (1:03:44). Get your fill on stuffing early and press play for the Turkey(s)!

Hold on to your hats, fam… we got another banger for ya! Marty kicks things off by doing his best classical radio station DJ impersonation (0:44) Breaking down the setlist from the Breeders ACL night show at Scoot Inn (5:50) naming inspiration for Kris’s first band (7:57) The last time Marty saw GWAR live (14:03) Kris’s weird side project band, The Martian Armpit Orchestra, and their big last.fm hit “Mars is Made of Chocolate Fudge” (18:25), Marty reading the Bob Pollard/Guided by Voices biography “Closer your are” (20:35) and Kris getting a new Gretsch guitar for his 40th birthday (24:30). After some laughs and waaay too much Spin Doctors, Kris and I delve into the meat of episode 4-1985! We start with breaking down our feelings on the 80’s as a decade (35:35), what the charts looked like (46:36), and the introduction of yet another episode themed beverage (1:05:02). Next up on the menu for this delightfully 80’s year, we have two classic albums to break down! We start off with Marty’s pick, the treble-induced, proto-shoegaze masterpiece by Scotland’s Jesus and Mary Chain, Psychocandy. Next up is Kris’s pick for 1985- Tom Waits’ timeless romp through dark alleys, dingy basements, and deserted port towns-Rain Dogs. Tell us what you think on twitter and instagram @aotypodcast and drop us a line if you like at aotypodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

It’s time to knock ‘em out the box with the first Lunchtime Minisode! Kris starts things off for a change (0:22) Then Kris and Marty talk a little bit about our first minisode, “Mixtapes” (0:48).  After that brief intro, we jump right in to our first minisode with a brief recap of seeing the Breeders the night before (5:32) Introducing the topic of the first minisode (9:37), Kris making his first mixtape while still in preschool (11:33) Recording songs off of the radio (19:58) Marty’s foray into indirectly pioneering mashups (20:21) Varying degrees of quality in blank tapes (22:55) Kris making a mixtape for his high school sweetheart after they broke up (33:26) Mixtapes’ cache in hip hop culture (38:40) Autumn De Wilde’s amazing Elliott Smith photo book (49:40) and Nick Hornby’s troublesome mixtape rules from the novel High Fidelity (56:20). Then, we close it out with a recap on our feelings on said mixtape rules espoused by the character Rob Gordon in the aforementioned novel. (1:03:00). Check out out first minisode ASAP!!

Marty and Kris are back with another heater! Episode 3 is all about 2013. We start with tackling Marty’s birthday weekend exploits (0:50) Kris gives Marty a birthday gift (4:40) Marty visiting the Cranbrook art museum in Detroit and checking out the Punk Graphics exposition (11:10) Breaking down the year of 2013 in music and what was happening on the billboard charts (22:46) Marty reveling in how much he hates Florida-Georgia Line (30:51) and Kris’s old band getting inexplicably booked for hip hop night at a country bar in Temple, Texas (39:20). After some earth shattering and controversial opinions on Macklemore and Katy Perry, it’s time to lock in with Kris’s pick. Vampire Weekend’s critically acclaimed third album, Modern Vampires of the City (1:09:09) Followed by Marty’s pick, Deafheaven’s black metal by way of shoegaze masterpiece, Sunbather (2:00:02). Don’t sleep on the MVP’s of music nerd-dom! 

For episode 2, Marty and Kris make the cosmic shift almost 30 years past 1963-to 1990. I start out by recommending to Kris some obscure Korean psychedelic pop from the 50’s (1:02), corrections corner from episode 1 (8:43), Marty getting dressed down in the middle of Kmart by his older sister for trying to buy De La Soul is Dead on cassette (11:55), Kris making Marty an offer for an OG K-NACK psycho baby sticker (16:00), The somewhat-known Austin rumor that record execs used to call Daniel Johnston at the Dobie Mall McDonald’s (28:30), Kris breaking out a not-so-obscure 90’s alcoholic beverage for us to imbibe in while recording (33:00), and Kris’s high school garage band using Surge soda as a steak marinade (36:02). After a little bit of music talk and a lot of laughing, We break down the billboard hot 100 singles for 1990 (49:02), then we get down to business starting with Kris’s pick, the classic debut album by A Tribe Called Quest - People Instinctive Travels and Paths of Rhythm (1:05:17). Next on the docket is Marty’s pick, Another trendsetting album that delivered blueprints for what was to come in rock music later in the 90’s and even throughout the 2000’s- The Breeders’ debut album - Pod (1:47:37). We pulled out all the stops for this one!

It's the inaugural episode of the Album of the Year podcast, and for 1963, Marty and Kris have swung for the fences with two classic albums! Starting off with a quick update (0:00) and moving on to introductions (4:25), Marty and Kris then delve into the premise and genesis of the podcast itself (13:41) Why we started at 1963 (17:59), Marty Spending his allowance money on Kriss Kross "Totally Krossed Out" (39:00), Kris's dad playing in a Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass knockoff band (50:13), and whether or not the president of the Lou Christie fan club owns a smartphone (56:25). Then it's time to get down to business, transitioning into Marty's selection for 1963, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (57:00). After breaking down one of Jazz's greatest vocal albums, Kris is up next with Sam Cooke's classic live album- Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963. (1:27:00) Don't miss this one!