List Envy

Indie music blogger Kamala Adams joins Mark to discuss all things modern indie, and to define what “modern” means. Kamala's picks In order of discussion: Porridge Radio Despite Mark's apparent ignorance, this band did crop up in the previous episode, but he had apparently forgotten. Regardless, Porridge Radio are Kamala's current favourite band. Wolf Alice Initially on first blush, Kamala wasn't a big fan of Wolf Alice, but they're a varied band, and eventually they won her over. Blaenavon Named after a Welsh town but formed in Hampshire, Blaenavon make Kamala's list after she saw blown away by their live set. The Vaccines They are the band that Kamala thinks of when she thinks “indie”. A good, solid band with a great track record, but probably difficult-to-Google right now. Courting Kamala picked Liverpool band Courting as her fifth pick. Highly praised by Anthony Fantano, these lads are ones to watch. Unless you're reading this in the far future and they're now massive, in which case, you're welcome? Mark's picks In order of discussion: The Corteeners Mark became of the band circa 2015, and especially enjoyed Concrete Love, although their lack of live chops might make them a less-than-stellar pick as an indie band. Maxiimo Park This band might deserve a higher place than Mark initially gave them, but he appreciates the stripped-back sound found in their earlier albums, and their ability to play a decent live set. Gerry Cinnamon Mark's third pick is a solo musician with a strong Scots brogue and a real way with words. Possibly more folk than indie, but as a solo musician with a busker's feel, he's a good poster boy for the genre. Nothing But Thieves This in-yer-face, high energy band rock a little harder than Mark's tastes usually allow, but he recognises the importance of his station and so wanted to leave some space for a reasonably well-regarded indie outfit. Courtney Barnett This laid-back Aussie pop-rock artist is Mark's final pick, and something of an enigma since – to him at least – it feels like she's better than the sum of her parts. Honourable mentions Arctic Monkeys Peace Slaves Royal Blood Fizzy Blood Spoon Radiohead More of Kamala Adams Kamala setup and writes for The Indie Scene, a blog championing new music, with articles by a number of writers.Special Guest: Kamala Adams.

Mark talks vinyl and hunts down new music to enjoy, with music podcaster Elliott Farrar. Elliott's picks In order of discussion: Weird!, by Yungblud Elliott picked Yungblud's second studio album for the way the artist's message of “you do you” bleeds through. Girlfriends, by Girlfriends Pop punk is back, in the form of Travis Mills and Nick Gross' project, which may have a limited shelf-life, given Mills' busy career. Grime MC, by Joe Actually released right at the end of 2019 – but near-as-dammit to 2020 – Grime MC makes Elliott's list for its interesting release, but its honesty and authenticity. Fake it Flowers, by Beabadoobee This debut album by Filipino-Brit Beabadoobee makes Elliott's list for its soulful sound, undercut by rougher guitar riffs. Foolish Loving Spaces, by Blossoms Elliott's final pick was a toss-up between a few contenders, but Blossoms' 2020 album could not be permitted to slip through the net. Mark's picks In order of discussion: RTJ4, by Run the Jewels Mark didn't know people still made hip-hop like this, and was instantly up for the dirty beats and the smart lyrics. Women in Music Pt III, by Haim Mark likes to be taken by surprise, so the variation of songs in Haim's latest album made this an easy second pick. Letter to You, by Bruce Springsteen Mark wanted the Boss for his list, which took him rather by surprise (Mark that is, Bruce doesn't know about the podcast). Turns out the man's still kickin' it, and we must show respect. Saint Cloud, by Waxahatchee It's a lazy Sunday mid-morning, you've got a coffee in hand and you're sat on the sofa listening to some country-tinged indie rock. Shore, by Fleet Foxes Mark's final pick is a band he's enjoyed since 2008, although dropped off his radar a few years back. Shore has some tracks that feel like a return to that warm autumnal sound he enjoyed. Honourable mentions Working Men's Club (self-titled) Dream Nails (self-titled) More of Elliott Farrar Elliott is one half of the Scratched Record Podcast, which you can find in all your usual podcast places, and which brings indie music artists out of the shadows and into your ears every Tuesday.Special Guest: Elliott Farrar.Links: Samara Ginsberg on YouTube Wonderwall x Smalltown Boy, a mashup by Deco

Guest Bryony Williams Your favourite rockstar with a watergun, once compared to a young Fiona Apple. @bryonywilliams | Linktree twitter.com Mark is joined by super-talented singer-songwriter Bryony Williams. Bryony realised she could sing in her early teens, and spent most of her mid-to-late teens honing her craft. At nineteen she was in the electro-pop duo Field Harmonics, and has been recording solo since 2018. Bryony's picks In order of discussion: Cleaning Number one – with not so much a bullet as a scented wet wipe – for Bryony, and for so many, is cleaning. It's a great way to see a problem and eliminate it with extreme prejudice; perfect for those times when you just don't want to tackle that spreadsheet. Spontaneous trips out with pals You've got a job to do, and then your friend calls you up and asks if you want to go on a day trip. Are you honestly going back to work, or are you grabbing your keys and heading out the door? At least if the job doesn't get done today, you can chalk it off to research. The mobile Whether it's watching videos on YouTube or TikTok, endlessly doomscrolling or looking at people impersonating the Simpsons, our phones are several-hundred-pound procrastination engines. Bingewatching Any kind of TV binge can be a great way to tell ourselves we're feeding our souls. And perhaps we are, but maybe crime documentaries aren't the thing are brain needs right before we're supposed to write that tricky email. Mark's picks In order of discussion Over-planning the task Mark is not necessarily a planner by nature, but make him anxious about a thing, or give him a thing to do that he really doesn't want to, and watch him plan and research to the nth degree. Organising and taxonomising A great example of this is tagging faces and locations in digital photo collections, or fixing the metadata in your music library (if you're still the kind of person who has one, and doesn't get all their music from a streaming service). It's horrifically addictive to a certain brain type. Putting the kettle on It could be making a pot of tea, putting on a pot of coffee, or just crunching through a handful of dry roasted peanuts, filling the face is an excellent way to solve a problem – that perhaps doesn't exist – before you really get down to the task at hand. Pet-bothering If you've got cats, they probably don't want your affection right now. They'll let you know when that sort of thing is appropriate. Dogs are a different story of course, but almost any pet can sense when you're paying them attention in order to avoid paying attention to the thing you don't want to be doing. Honourable mentions Imagining hypotheticals Bargaining Gardening More of Bryony Williams You can get a limited edition copy of Bryony's EP Growing / Fading, and follow her on Instagram or Twitter for more. Links Support the podcast Follow Mark on Twitter Find more shows from the Outpost Share List Envy and get rewards Notion, Mark's second brain Soulver, the back-of-a-fag-packet calculator

Guest Ella Gregg Founder of artist management and development company 321 Artists. twitter.com 321 artists Mark kicks off a music mini-season with artist manager Ella Gregg, who's been supporting emerging music artists since she was a teenager. Tech has always been an important aspect of Ella's work, including her early days helping artists get their work played in films or adverts. Ella's picks In order of discussion Livestreaming Over the lockdown period, artists have needed to adapt in order to survive, and the ability to livestream gigs has been a lifeline. The fact gigs were no longer bound to a specific geography made them more accessible to audiences that otherwise might not have got the chance to see new artists play. But playing to a camera does bring its own challenges, which Ella can speak to directly. Multi-participant video calling We've all had it up to here with “Zoom fatigue”, but services like Zoom have been invaluable over the past year, and just as with livestreaming, voice and video over IP have given musicians, producers, and songwriters the opportunity to collaborate with people they wouldn't have otherwise. Digital audio workstations DAWs are an important addition to the modern musician's toolkit. You can go as simple as Apple's GarageBand or as complex as ProTools and beyond. Ella picked the DAW as it gives emerging artists the chance to craft a great sound, or at least record a rough demo, without having to pay for studio time. Music recognition algorithms If you're in your 30s, you might remember ringing a number on your feature phone, holding it up to a speaker in a pub or a café for 30 seconds, and then getting a text with the name of the song that was playing. Now, we take services like Shazam for granted, as music ID tech is pretty much built into our voice assistants, but to some of us it still feels like magic. Plus, services like it are incredibly valuable to emerging artists whose music appears on TV or in adverts. Social ads Advertising on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter can put your work in front of exactly the right people, based on their likes and location. Ella uses social video ads successfully in her business, and has seen other artists do the same. Mark's picks In order of discussion Loop pedal Mark picked this piece of kit for its ability to help solo musicians create layered sounds, with something as minimal as a guitar, or with a whole set of instruments being played consecutively. Handheld SD card recorder The best ones are made by a company called Zoom (not that one), and give musicians the chance to create high-quality recordings wherever they are, either by using the in-built mic, or by plugging in one or up to four mics. Music distribution services Mark was introduced to Amuse a couple of years ago, which is a mobile app based distribution platform that makes it super-simple to release tracks to Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, and everywhere else, completely for free. iPad Combining a handheld recorder and a DAW, the iPad gives musicians access to a portable multitrack recording studio, combined with the ability to release tracks to the Internet directly from the same device. YouTube Although the relationship between creator and platform is often contentious, YouTube has provided a megaphone to a raft of artists who now sell out venues. Honourable mentions Collaborative workspaces Social media scheduling More of Ella Gregg You can find Ella at 321 Artists, where you can sign up for her mailing list to get exclusive downloads you won't find elswhere. Links Support the podcast Follow Mark on Twitter Find more shows from the Outpost Share List Envy and get rewards

Many people are intrigued by the depiction of their profession in popular fiction, and none more so than librarians, like this week's guest.

Mark and podcaster + web developer Aaron Conway rank the best films about real people.

Journalist Eliza Lita is a self-confessed bookworm, but her early reading focused more on non-fiction work. As a result, she's picked up a wide variety of useful knowledge, and kept her curiosity alive. She and Mark share an appreciation for good crime fiction, and Eliza has some tips to help Mark finish the books he keeps starting. Eliza's picks In order of discussion: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life Eliza's first pick is life-changing for her, in a less-than-subtle way. This book can help you connect with your reason-for-being, and could even help you live to 100. The Face: A Time Code How many times do you really look in the mirror? In this book, author Ruth Ozeki does just that... but for a really long time. Sleep Well: Everything You Need to Know for a Good Night's Rest This book helped Eliza navigate through her sleep procrastination. It has a lot of useful, practical advice for improving your sleep hygiene, including a powerful visualisation technique. Beyond Mars and Venus: Relationship Skills for Today's Complex World This book unpacks the differences between the way men and women think, and a more constructive manner than the "men are from Mars" style books of the previous generation. Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown Eliza's fascination with the British royal family is piqued with this memoir by peeress Anne Glenconner. If you're ready to take another look at the stereotypes and the lives behind The Crown, this book comes highly recommended by Eliza. Mark's picks In order of discussion: The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence and Happiness This self-help book is Mark's top pick as it had a dramatic effect on the way he approached the part of the brain that keeps us safe, but also keeps us mired in shame and self-doubt. Self Compassion This book challenges the hitherto lauded notions of "self-belief", instead demonstrating that we're all worthy of love and compassion – even when we make mistakes – because we're human. The Infinite Game This Simon Sinek book helped Mark concentrate less on his small business competitors, and focus more on his ultimate aim. Three Men in a Boat Although this might not be everyone's first thought when it comes to non-fiction, Jerome K Jerome's travelogue has some hilarious moments that opened Mark's eyes to a style of humour he'd previously been unaware of. Alexander Hamilton The book that inspired the smash hit musical is Mark's final pick, as the work it inspired changed his life in a less than subtle way. Honourable mentions History and Myth in Romanian Consciousness The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life More of Eliza You can read Eliza's writings on Medium, and follow @lita_eliza on Twitter. Eliza is also Europe Editor for The Meridian magazine, and you can read some of her contributions there.

Uncovering the joys of a good stretch of the legs.

Developer of horror video games Valerie Paris joins Mark to discuss point-and-click adventure games you'll remember, and one or two you'll never forget.

How to survive in a world where your parents told you to have a fallback job, in case the dream didn't work out.

It's About Time to take the Time Traveller's Wife Back to the Future Lake House. Warning: Safety Not Guaranteed.

Musicians, comedians and chocolatiers make the long list of famous Brummies.

Liam and Mark discuss moments in modern history where people took things over together.

Today Mark is talking the golden age of arcade games, which ran from 1979 til around 1983. Mark and Nick start with their own childhood arcade memories, and Mark gets quizzical about the American quarter as a "unit of fun". As this was recorded during the Quarantimes, conversation inevitably turned to the decline in in-person entertainment like arcades and cinemas. Pac-Man Nick's first pick is the 800lb gorilla in the arcade, a game in which many other video game historians aren't in love. Nick tells Mark about how he discovered a later-in-life love for the game, and gives a little behind-the-scenes colour on the game's nascent AI. Space Invaders Mark's first pick is almost the quintessential video game, but this iconic selection raises complex feelings in our listmate, due to its incredibly repetitive nature. Defender You can write a book on how many different strategies that can be used to play this 1981 shooter. It would go on to influence a great number of side-scrolling shooters in arcades and in the home. Pole Position Mark remembers sitting in a Pole Position cabinet, many years after the game has passed its peak, but this simple prototypical racer was a firm favourite and lived long into the 90s. Mario Bros Rather than picking its predecessor Donkey Kong, Nick elected to go with the beautiful, joyous Mario Bros. Can you believe Mark has never played a Mario platformer? Sacrilege. Paperboy From back when the pinnacle of video game destruction involved knocking over someone's garden furniture or perhaps smashing in a window, Paperboy is Mark's third pick Galaga At a time when many arcade games introduced random elements to make them operate a little more like slot machines, Galaga gave players the chance to learn and improve with each new pass. Asteroids Mark's final pick is a classic to those who remember it, but hasn't perhaps been passed down through the generations like some of the others discussed. The physics in the game are pretty impressive, and it does give us the chance to learn a little more about vector graphics. Robotron 2048 Nick describes this as possibly being the single best action game of its era, but the maximalist explosions bely the deep strategical nature of the game. It was an early innovator in that it employed two joysticks: one for moving, and another for firing. Honourable mentions Berzerk Qbert More on Nicholas Bond Nick blogs at the Retrogame Deconstruction Zone, and you can find him on Twitter @MrVGBrow. More links High Score documentary series on Netflix Psygnosis (the video game publisher with the owl logo Mark was trying to think of) 10 hours of arcade noise Masters of Doom Podcast My Startup

Tom and Cat rejoin Mark to finish listing terrifying tales.

former guests Cat and Tom join Mark to hold torches up to their faces and get scared silly.

Mark chats with casual birder Suzy Buttress about features, song and flight.

Mark is joined by podcaster and self-confessed computer nerd Nick Moreton, to talk about films where people talk about mainframes and UNIX systems.

We look down the barrel of a gun, at a besuited comedy magician called Thom Peterson. He enters centre-frame, aims his gun and fires. Red washes over the screen. Fade to black.

Mark gets to the truth, with political podcaster Karin Robinson, as they share their lists of films about the people who keep the presses running.

Mark describes the many and varied technical hurdles preventing him from putting out a full episode.

Comedy writer and performer Steve Dawson gets nerdy — but not really that nerdy — and talks about the culture and stereotypes around the word “geek”.

Mark gets political and data-visual with data visualisation expert, Alberto Cairo.

Newsletter editor, event organiser and podcast wonder Arielle Nissenblatt joins Mark to discuss an often maligned tuber.

Mark is joined by one half of the literary podcast Your Own Words, Becky Graham, to swap notes on badass women from the printed page.

Writer and podcaster Sara-Mae Tuson kicks off a double-bill of brilliant women in literature. This week, Mark and Sara-Mae discuss under-appreciated female authors.

Thrill to the sounds of podcaster and movie-lover Ben Smith, sharing his top five shlockbusters with Mark Steadman. You won’t believe your ears! List Envy, in select theatres now.

TV writer Mike McComb joins Mark to discuss the bizarre and beautiful magic of this European musical tradition.

Mark gets wobbly-wobbly and timey-wimey with tech YouTuber George Chachanidze. The pair started by discussing their favourite incarnations of the Doctor, and then their favourite — or least favourite — companions. Spoilers abound If you’re not caught up with Doctor Whoand you intend to, be warned that Mark and George will spoil the hell out of it for you. Honourable mentions The Family of Blood Kerblam! The Empty Child The Eleventh Hour Mummy on the Orient Express George’s picks In order of discussion: Heaven Sent (S09E11; Peter Capaldi) This highly dramatic and Groundhog Day reminiscent episode takes place shortly after the death of the Doctor’s companion Clara, and is pretty much entirely a monologue. The names of the two episodes got mixed up in the recording: Heaven Sent (the one Make and George both like) is the first in a two-parter that concludes with Hell Bent (which George does not like, and Mark couldn’t remember). Blink (S03E10; David Tennant, Freema Agyeman) Blink is regarded by many Whovians as the best of the revival. It introduces the Weeping Angels, who are older than the universe, and zap you back in time to feed off the energy displaced by the life you would have led. Or something. Midnight (S04E10; David Tennant, Catherine Tate) Another Doctor-heavy episode, this takes place on the planet of Midnight, which is made entirely of diamonds. It has a horror movie feel, but is almost a bottle episode (in as much as bottle episodes are often made out of a necessity to keep an eye on the budget.) Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead (S04E08-9; David Tennant, Catherine Tate) This two-parter introduces space archeologist River Song, who would be an important recurring character across multiple Doctor incarnations. It also introduces the Vashta Nerada, a species of space piranha Dalek (S01E06; Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper) This episode reintroduces the Daleks in a Utah bunker filled with alien bric-à-brac. It brought them back defeated and weakened, which laid the groundwork for a new generation to be terrified by them all over again. Mark’s picks In order of discussion: Father’s Day (S01E08; Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper) This episode came early on in the reboot's run, and takes place in 1987, wherein Rose saves her dad from being hit by a car, only to unleash a squadron of time-devouring pterodactyls called reapers. The Beast Below (S05E02; Matt Smith, Karen Gillan) This steampunk episode takes place on Starship UK, which carries England, Northern Ireland and Wales — but not Scotland — on the back of a giant space whale, who is kept in perpetual agony to ensure it keeps moving. The finale of the episode see the Doctor’s companion Amy realise that the whale would’ve carried the citizens regardless, because it couldn’t stand to see the children cry. The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit (S02E08-9; David Tennant, Billie Piper) This two-parter takes place on a planet that we believe to be Hell, and where the villain is the actual devil. It introduced the Ood, and wasn’t afraid to make religious points (given that this is a show for children). World Enough and Time (S10E11; Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas) The first in a two-parter that sees Bill become a Cyberman, Mark picked this for very specific reasons. More of George Chachanidze You can follow George on Twitter, find him and Paul on YouTube discussing tech, and follow his journey living a life without a smartphone.

The Christmas season begins with Mark talking to Daz Wright of Moselele, about the best songs to ring in the festivities.

Fellow podcaster Jon Hickman joins Mark to cast aside things from our adolescence that we can get by just as well without.

Everyone can stand to be a little bit more banana, so this week’s guest is professional clown, public speaker and banana enthusiast, Emma Stroud.

Mark gets mathematical with bayesian mathematician Sophie Carr.

Mark and his guest Jamie Garner have snuck out of bed, crept downstairs and turned on the telly for a channel-hop through ‘90s nostalgia.

The show gets #spoopy as the Thrilling Adventure Hour’s Ben Blacker joins Mark to count down his top five silver-screen terrors.

A bonus episode, brought to you by pod.fan/listenvy.

Technology writer and drone expert Adam Juniper joins Mark to discuss machines that go bleep.

Mark speaks down-the-line with product designer, Simon Heap, as the two share their top five world-changing products, and gently collide over what can be construed a “product”.

Mark takes flight with speaker, author and “the entrepreneur’s godmother” Alison Edgar, to build a list of the best places it takes too long to fly to.

Prepare to have your face melted clean off as you enter a whole new world of mouth noise, with guest Tani Levitt. And remember, if you’re sitting in the plash zone, you will get spittle all over you. Tani presents SpeshFX, a narrative podcast that dives deep into the fascinating world of competitive beatboxing. If you’re familiar with the rap battle scene, it’s like that but nicer, and where people make their O face when being hit by several megatons of sick beats (just helping ease you in with the lingo). Tani got into the scene via his brother, and started charting not only the beatbox battle scene, but also his own education, through SpeshFX. If you want a primer, start with his Beatboxing Basics YouTube playlist. The world of the beatbox battle Beatbox battles are judged equally on musicality, technicality, originality and stage presence. Both Tani’s and Mark’s picks have these qualities in spades, and especially for Tani who’s well-versed in this world, it can be difficult to rank performers when they’re at such a high level. So, mad props to all those spittin’ bars. (Is that a thing?) Honourable mentions Kaila Mullady Beardyman Nathan “Flutebox” Lee is probably the beatboxing flautist Mark is thinking of Reeps One Colaps Zekka Elisii B-Art Tani’s picks In order of discussion: Alem This French master is Tani’s first pick for his technicality. He’s a multi-award-winner, having taken trophies home throughout the decade. Tani says his battle spirit and technicality are unparalleled. Alexinho Tani believes this Frenchman has the best singular set in beatbox history, and cites his 2017 battle against Two.H as “a masterstroke of technicality” and “90 seconds of non-stop power”. Check out the linked video, and watch for the tennis ball drop. Hiss This super-young and confoundingly-talented South Korean beat NaPoM to the finals in 2017. Tani describes him as a human metronome with a wide range of sounds. His studio album /Voiss/, released this year is available now. Gene Shinozaki This Boston beatboxer, originally from California is Tani’s favourite, for his pure musical talent. Ha made his stamp on the beatbox world in 2015 with his set entitled Jigsaw, for the Grand Beatbox Battle. Mark’s picks In order of discussion: NaPoM Hailing from the US, Neil Patrick Meadows (NaPoM) is Mark’s first pick as an entertainment powerhouse. He learned much of his technique from Tani’s #1 pick Alem, and Mark’s guest says he “redefined, with his lip roll, what it meant to be a cultured beatboxer”. Codfish Mark’s second pick caught him by surprise, which is why he placed perhaps higher than the other battler he was up against the first time Mark saw him. Mark enjoys the Aussie’s swagger and his ability to lift the energy of a room, and as of two weeks before this episode was recorded, his YouTube channel passed a million followers. D-Low Mark appreciates this Brit’s stage presence, entertainment value and sense of humour, and his ability to drop out of a beat, make a goof and unfailingly return. He won the Under-18 UK Beatbox Battle in 2014, and made it to the 2015 World Championships on the back of his wildcard video submission. Tani appreciated his moves in his battle against Colaps in this year’s Grand Beatbox Battle. MB14 Frenchman Mohamed Belkhir, better known as MB14, is Mark’s final pick for his “amazing mouth gymnastics”, but he’s not been a solo battler for more than 15 months, having come up as part of Berywam. You can also check out his loop station album. Where to go next If this has got you ready for more, you can follow the scene on YouTube via SwissBeatbox, the host of the Grand Beatbox Battle, or Beatbox Battle who host the World Championships every two years, and on Instagram via Alem, Hiss, and Madox for the shoutouts, or Swish Beatbox for the goofs. SpeshFX You should subscribe to SpeshFX (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts), to learn infinitely more about the beatbox scene than you will here.

This week, Mark embarks on a journey of musical discovery, with Oliver Wang, co-host of the Heat Rocks podcast. If you’re not familiar with latin boogaloo, it’s time to get acquainted. Oliver loves this fusion of more traditional latin melodies — with complex chords and meandering melodies — and the growing soul music movement, prevalent in 1960s New York, not just because of its inherently physical nature — this stuff just makes you wanna move — but because of what it teaches us about the culture at the time. Just as a previous generation of immigrants embarked on a cultural exchange with the US and established themselves as the kings and queens of mambo and cha-cha-cha, so a new wave of second-generation American-raised Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Dominicans (to name a few) brought their musical heritage and mashed it up with the popular doo-wop and early R&B styles of the day. Latin boogaloo wasn’t a lauded genre by purists, who saw it as a bit of a debasement of the complex and intricate style they were used to. It’s a story as old as time. Get the Spotify playlist To follow our Spotify playlist, full of all the songs we mention, sign up to Extra Envy, our free newsletter. It's the perfect antidote to the encroaching autumn (the playlist, not the newsletter). Honourable mentions Subway Joe — Joe Bataan In Line — George Guzman El Malo — Willie Colón Orchestra Harlow Presenta a Ismael Miranda Soul Sauce — Cal Tjader Dig My Feeling — Willie Bobo (single) Oliver’s picks In order of discussion: Gypsy Woman — Joe Bataan Joe Bataan grew up in Spanish Harlem and was at one time a Puerto Rican gang leader, but he avoided trouble by forming a band with some boys from the neighbourhood, which he took to Fania Records. Oliver appreciates Bataan’s vocals as well as the latin music chops of the band, which is what makes it his #1 pick. I Like it Like That — Pete Rodríguez Fans of Cardi B will recognise the chorus of this album’s hit single, as it opens I Like It, and is heavily sampled throughout. Wanted Dead or Alive — Joe Cuba Bang! Bang!, this album’s first track, was the first giant latin boogaloo hit. Mark believes it both slaps and bangs. Like Pete Rodriguez, Joe Cuba got his start a little earlier, so was ready to capitalise on the genre’s, albeit short-lived, boom. Acid — Ray Barretto Released on Fania, this is a good representation of how an older musician adapted to the latin soul music movement, and is what Oliver considers one of the best exemplars of the genre. My Latin Soul — Bobby Matos and the Combo Conquistadores In an interview he did with Oliver, Matos revealed how dissatisfied he was with this debut effort, insisting his later work was much more sophisticated and less musically naive, but Olives loves the raw feel of this album. Mark’s picks In order of discussion: Ali Baba — Louie Ramirez Mark enjoyed the variety of music on offer with this album: the playfulness, sometimes downright silliness, the catchiness of the melodies, and the satisfying sound of brass recorded and played back from vinyl. And for Oliver’s part, you can’t talk about Louie Ramirez without bringing up his production partner Bobby Marin. Watermelon Man! — Mongo Santamaria Mark is always a sucker for a cover of Herbie Hancock’s /Watermelon Man/. He felt this album was perhaps a little more sophisticated or stylish than some of the other offerings, but Oliver thinks of this as more of a porto-boogaloo album than a boogaloo album proper. Given that, perhaps more attention should be paid to Mongo’s son Monguito, who had a great career in the genre. If you want to hear what that sounds like, Oliver recommends /Hey Sister/. Laberinto de Pasiones — La Lupe Mark likes the sexiness of this album, and particularly the cover of Fever, which is, to use his words, “dripping with raunch”. Minus 10 points. La Lupe was one of the few notable latin boogaloo artists around at the time, so plus 10 points. At the Party — Hector Rivera While the title track is fun and energetic, Mark appreciated the smoother stylings and melody of Pra Vas Wilma. Oliver says that this album, like perhaps dozens of others at the era, were able to catch lightning in a bottle, even if we won’t remember them in decades to come. More of Oliver Wang As we recorded, Heat Rocks, the podcast he hosts with music supervisor Morgan Rhodes, was celebrating their 100th episode. You can, and absolutely should, check it out. You can follow Oliver on Twitter and on Instagram, and read his long-running music blog. All of his links can also be found on his website.

Musician, writer and improv comedian Tom Clabon joins Mark to fight about which of Birmingham’s bands are best, and possibly what the word “definitive” means.

Musician and podcaster Brendan Hutchins joins Mark to discuss guitar music from the early 21st century.

Writer and Internet raconteur Jon Bounds joins Mark to build a list close to his heart.

Mark talks to podcaster and “unapologetic Anglophile” Jen Tierney about the foods eaten and loved by “a nation of shopkeepers”.

Podcaster, improv comedian and Harry Potter superfan Cat Turner collaborates with Mark on a list of the best five characters in JK Rowling’s Hogwarts universe.

Mark speaks with sleep and respiratory scientist Max Thomas, all about science!