Podcast appearances and mentions of john stirrat

In today's episode of Favorite Songs By, we are featuring not just an artist, but an entire group; a first for this podcast. Hailing from their loft in Chicago, Illinois, Rolling Stone has described them as “one of America's most consistently interesting bands”, and I couldn't agree more. Ladies and gentleman, today we give you Wilco. Rising from the ashes of roots rock band Uncle Tupelo in 1994, Wilco was formed by frontman Jeff Tweedy along with other Uncle Tupelo members, Max Johnston, John Stirrat and Ken Coomer. Their lineup has been a bit of a revolving door over the years, but the music has remained distinct and highly crafted. Categorized as alternative rock and alternative country, they matured into an eclectic indie rock ensemble with a number of critically acclaimed albums to boot. Wilco saw their first major success after a highly publicized dispute with their label, Reprise, from which they were dropped after their 2001 album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was deemed by the label head as “unmarketable”. Wilco proved that there was, in fact, an audience for their sound when they subsequently released the album for free on their website and sold out a string of US shows as a result. They were later picked up by Nonesuch records, sold over 55,000 copies in the first official week and debuted at number 13 on the Billboard pop-album chart. And, in 2004, they won their first Grammy for Best Alternative Album for another one of their more ambitious releases, A Ghost Is Born. Today they have their own label, dBpm Records, and the current Wilco lineup includes Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt (bass), Pat Sansone (multi-instrumentalist), Glenn Kotche (drum), Mikael Jorgensen (piano and keyboard), and Nels Cline (guitar). Tweedy is a songwriting force and is thought of as one of the best of his generation. Wilco as a whole have redefined the role of record labels today and have truly tested the boundaries of “alternative” music.

Tired of having your social media filled with the latest COVID-19 stats or fire and brimstone messages from friends who aren't virologists offering their two cents worth? Never fear. This month on LTA, we will digress your mind with stories of murder, depression, and drug addiction. There you go...feel better? For episode 132 of Love That Album, I am joined by electronic music duo, Lovers and Poets ….oh yeah and the hosts of the wonderful All Time Top Ten podcast, Shannon Hurley and Ben Eisen to talk about Wilco's third album Summerteeth. Wilco are probably thought of mostly for their collaboration with Billy Bragg, “Mermaid Avenue” or for the stranger than fiction story surrounding the recording of their Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album. Summerteeth was YHF's predecessor and is often written off as a transitional album. As great as YHF is, Summerteeth is not transitional to anything – it's its own magnificent beast. The lyrical subject matter gets very dark, which can be easily overlooked because many of the melodies are bright and poppy. As wonderful as Wilco's catalogue is, they never made another album that sounded quite like this again. Of course, aside from Jeff Tweedy and John Stirrat, Wilco in 2020 is not the same band as Wilco of 1998. Ben, Shannon and I discuss band dynamics, musical contributions and the stories told on Summerteeth. I make a really large stretch in suggesting that the record is a concept album. Do I justify it? What are Ben and Shannon's thoughts? Tune in and find out. I am so hugely grateful for Ben and Shannon for having this great conversation with me. Check them out weekly on ATTT Podcast (wherever you get your podcasts, or from the website at https://alltimetopten.podomatic.com/). You can check out their musical collaborations from https://loversandpoets.com/ - listen to their music and smile. Also, in a cross podcast venture this month, I will be joining Ben on ATTT talking about the greatest cathartic albums. I will provide a separate link for this. Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://www.rocknrollarchaeology.com/ to check out all the great shows in the Pantheon family. Send the show feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum. If you’d consider writing an iTunes review we’d be immensely grateful. However, it’d be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a (socially distanced) barbecue, over coffee (on Zoom), on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful.

Tired of having your social media filled with the latest COVID-19 stats or fire and brimstone messages from friends who aren't virologists offering their two cents worth? Never fear. This month on LTA, we will digress your mind with stories of murder, depression, and drug addiction. There you go...feel better?For episode 132 of Love That Album, I am joined by electronic music duo, Lovers and Poets ….oh yeah and the hosts of the wonderful All Time Top Ten podcast, Shannon Hurley and Ben Eisen to talk about Wilco's third album Summerteeth.Wilco are probably thought of mostly for their collaboration with Billy Bragg, “Mermaid Avenue” or for the stranger than fiction story surrounding the recording of their Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album. Summerteeth was YHF's predecessor and is often written off as a transitional album. As great as YHF is, Summerteeth is not transitional to anything – it's its own magnificent beast. The lyrical subject matter gets very dark, which can be easily overlooked because many of the melodies are bright and poppy. As wonderful as Wilco's catalogue is, they never made another album that sounded quite like this again. Of course, aside from Jeff Tweedy and John Stirrat, Wilco in 2020 is not the same band as Wilco of 1998.Ben, Shannon and I discuss band dynamics, musical contributions and the stories told on Summerteeth. I make a really large stretch in suggesting that the record is a concept album. Do I justify it? What are Ben and Shannon's thoughts? Tune in and find out.I am so hugely grateful for Ben and Shannon for having this great conversation with me. Check them out weekly on ATTT Podcast (wherever you get your podcasts, or from the website at https://alltimetopten.podomatic.com/). You can check out their musical collaborations from https://loversandpoets.com/ - listen to their music and smile.Also, in a cross podcast venture this month, I will be joining Ben on ATTT talking about the greatest cathartic albums. I will provide a separate link for this.Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://www.rocknrollarchaeology.com/ to check out all the great shows in the Pantheon family.Send the show feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum.If you'd consider writing an iTunes review we'd be immensely grateful. However, it'd be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a (socially distanced) barbecue, over coffee (on Zoom), on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful.

Tired of having your social media filled with the latest COVID-19 stats or fire and brimstone messages from friends who aren't virologists offering their two cents worth? Never fear. This month on LTA, we will digress your mind with stories of murder, depression, and drug addiction. There you go...feel better? For episode 132 of Love That Album, I am joined by electronic music duo, Lovers and Poets ….oh yeah and the hosts of the wonderful All Time Top Ten podcast, Shannon Hurley and Ben Eisen to talk about Wilco's third album Summerteeth. Wilco are probably thought of mostly for their collaboration with Billy Bragg, “Mermaid Avenue” or for the stranger than fiction story surrounding the recording of their Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album. Summerteeth was YHF's predecessor and is often written off as a transitional album. As great as YHF is, Summerteeth is not transitional to anything – it's its own magnificent beast. The lyrical subject matter gets very dark, which can be easily overlooked because many of the melodies are bright and poppy. As wonderful as Wilco's catalogue is, they never made another album that sounded quite like this again. Of course, aside from Jeff Tweedy and John Stirrat, Wilco in 2020 is not the same band as Wilco of 1998. Ben, Shannon and I discuss band dynamics, musical contributions and the stories told on Summerteeth. I make a really large stretch in suggesting that the record is a concept album. Do I justify it? What are Ben and Shannon's thoughts? Tune in and find out. I am so hugely grateful for Ben and Shannon for having this great conversation with me. Check them out weekly on ATTT Podcast (wherever you get your podcasts, or from the website at https://alltimetopten.podomatic.com/). You can check out their musical collaborations from https://loversandpoets.com/ - listen to their music and smile. Also, in a cross podcast venture this month, I will be joining Ben on ATTT talking about the greatest cathartic albums. I will provide a separate link for this. Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://www.rocknrollarchaeology.com/ to check out all the great shows in the Pantheon family. Send the show feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum. If you’d consider writing an iTunes review we’d be immensely grateful. However, it’d be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a (socially distanced) barbecue, over coffee (on Zoom), on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful.

Tired of having your social media filled with the latest COVID-19 stats or fire and brimstone messages from friends who aren't virologists offering their two cents worth? Never fear. This month on LTA, we will digress your mind with stories of murder, depression, and drug addiction. There you go...feel better?For episode 132 of Love That Album, I am joined by electronic music duo, Lovers and Poets ….oh yeah and the hosts of the wonderful All Time Top Ten podcast, Shannon Hurley and Ben Eisen to talk about Wilco's third album Summerteeth.Wilco are probably thought of mostly for their collaboration with Billy Bragg, “Mermaid Avenue” or for the stranger than fiction story surrounding the recording of their Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album. Summerteeth was YHF's predecessor and is often written off as a transitional album. As great as YHF is, Summerteeth is not transitional to anything – it's its own magnificent beast. The lyrical subject matter gets very dark, which can be easily overlooked because many of the melodies are bright and poppy. As wonderful as Wilco's catalogue is, they never made another album that sounded quite like this again. Of course, aside from Jeff Tweedy and John Stirrat, Wilco in 2020 is not the same band as Wilco of 1998.Ben, Shannon and I discuss band dynamics, musical contributions and the stories told on Summerteeth. I make a really large stretch in suggesting that the record is a concept album. Do I justify it? What are Ben and Shannon's thoughts? Tune in and find out.I am so hugely grateful for Ben and Shannon for having this great conversation with me. Check them out weekly on ATTT Podcast (wherever you get your podcasts, or from the website at https://alltimetopten.podomatic.com/). You can check out their musical collaborations from https://loversandpoets.com/ - listen to their music and smile.Also, in a cross podcast venture this month, I will be joining Ben on ATTT talking about the greatest cathartic albums. I will provide a separate link for this.Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://www.rocknrollarchaeology.com/ to check out all the great shows in the Pantheon family.Send the show feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum.If you'd consider writing an iTunes review we'd be immensely grateful. However, it'd be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a (socially distanced) barbecue, over coffee (on Zoom), on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful.

Tom Irwin grew up admiring and learning songs by the likes of Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, and Thin Lizzy. He was a participant of the 80s New Wave scene, but eventually found himself drawn to life as a solo artist. He's been musically genrefied as folk rock and alt country. Willie Nelson once said to Tom about his band's performance after they opened for Willie & Family in 2001, “I like your shirt, and your music, too.” Tom was wearing a Hank Williams, Sr. shirt. He has recently worked with John Stirratt of Wilco, who was involved in the production of Tom's latest release All That Love. He's a music journalist for the Illinois Times and a gigging machine. Music and journalism have helped him build a network of lifelong friends. Some of these friends have become studio collaborators. Tom's journey as a solo artist started after he witnessed fighting among his bandmates. These particular bandmates were also his best friends; and the fighting was an event he tells me he never wanted to experience again. The release of Tom's latest album was a long road traveled during changing times in the music industry. He rolled with the industry changes and eventually made his latest release happen with the help of a Kickstarter campaign that raised almost $10,000.  To hear Tom talk about this 5-year journey, you wouldn't get the impression that he found it all that challenging. He obviously learned some things along the way, but he comes across as nothing more than grateful and humble when discussing it. The quintessential indie artist I recorded our interview on a day when Internet service was down at my home studio. The audio isn't great, but that's mostly on my end. Tom (the important guy) sounds pretty good. I mention this because I'm so glad we went through with the interview, in spite of the tech issues. In the episode intro, I refer to Tom as a "statesman" of indie artists, but that was the wrong word. I should have said that Tom is the "quintessential" indie artist. A music column that Tom writes for The Illinois Times is somewhat the reason that we connected. Tom met Rockin' Johnny Burgin at Central Blues and wrote a piece on him for the Times. They became fast friends. Rockin' Johnny told me I should have Tom on the podcast. This all strikes me as fairly typical. It seems that Tom has developed many friendships through music and journalism. This reminds of the savvy musician adage, "Be cool, and don't be a dick." As we spoke about his relationships and music journey, it became quickly evident that he is kind and genuinely pleasant to be around. A case in point is a chance meeting he had with John Stirrat of Wilco in 2012. Tom was playing at a venue called The Castle in Bloomington Illinois, opening for Candy Gold, a band featuring Ben E Carlos of Cheap Trick and Stirrat. Following a fortuitous mix up in performance scheduling, Stirrat arrived at the venue during Tom's set and liked what he heard. Stirrat appreciated Tom's music enough to engage in a conversation, and eventually to coproduce All That Love. This point of Tom's journey could have been marred by the changing music industry. When the project was ready to market and distribute, both Tom and Stirrat were surprised by changes that meant labels were no longer providing a clear path to distribution. While All This Love was being created, all things distribution had changed. Labels were no longer investing in artists as they once had.  According to Tom, this came as a disappointing surprise to Stirrat. Things had changed, but Tom forged on–enter Kickstarter. Kickstarter put Tom back in the driver's seat A friend suggested to Tom that he look into Kickstarter. While I'm sure that all of Tom's recording projects have been important to him, this one had to be especially so. Not only was Stirrat co producing and performing on the record, but he also recruited Greg Wieczorek (aka G. Wiz).  The album was released in 2017. Where labels had cited lack of "bandwidth" on their part and lack of "traction" on Tom's part, Kickstarter put Tom back in the driver's seat. This was a familiar place for Tom, as he'd been marketing and distributing his own music for years. This time, however, it was on a bigger scale. The Kickstarter campaign, Tom says, gave him funds for media promotion and I'm sure helped with the finished product. Although he  learned some lessons about media promotion, it's clear that Tom is thankful for the success provided by his Kickstarter campaign. He shared with me that Kickstarter also helped him from a planning and accountability standpoint. “I got to go stick my head in the back room, and watch them make the sausage." All That Love is available pretty much anywhere that digital music can be found–and on vinyl through Tom's website. On the subject of digital distribution and royalties, Tom gave me a better picture of what streaming does for an artist's paycheck. We had a good laugh talking about a recent statement from CD Baby that included a couple of album sales, followed by page after page of fractional streaming royalties. I'm reminded of a quote from a friend who regularly posts on Twitter: "Buy the music you like." A pleasant surprise for Tom is that vinyl sales are doing very well. Turns out people still appreciate a physical product version of their music. He shares advice on selecting the right company for producing vinyl versions of your album. According to Tom, there aren't a lot of companies to choose from, but he learned that location, weight, and shipping are worth careful consideration. In this case, Tom says that the company with the lowest price isn't necessarily the most cost effective choice. He chose to work with Fat Possum Records. This leads me to my favorite quote from our conversation. In recanting the day he took in-person delivery of the finished vinyl LP product, when he also got to see the Fat Possum production facilities, Tom said “I got to go stick my head in the back room, and watch them make the sausage." You can also hear this podcast on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, YouTube & Spotify. SHOW NOTES TomIrwinMusic.com Rockin' Johnny Burgin IRS Records Electra Records John Stirratt Wilco Yep Roc Records Bloodshot Records Greg Wiz Single Lock Records Lannie Flowers Dave Da Silva Fat Possum Records Illinois Central Blues Club Illinois Central Railroad Tom's Weekly Column in The Illinois Times Memphis Record Pressing NRBQ RESOURCES FOR MUSICIANS The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo Growth Farming the Seth Godin Way, a FREE ebook by D Grant Smith More resources for musicians

Tom Irwin grew up admiring and learning songs by the likes of Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, and Thin Lizzy. He was a participant of the 80s New Wave scene, but eventually found himself drawn to life as a solo artist. He's been musically genrefied as folk rock and alt country. Willie Nelson once said to Tom about his band's performance after they opened for Willie & Family in 2001, “I like your shirt, and your music, too.” Tom was wearing a Hank Williams, Sr. shirt. He has recently worked with John Stirratt of Wilco, who was involved in the production of Tom's latest release All That Love. He's a music journalist for the Illinois Times and a gigging machine. Music and journalism have helped him build a network of lifelong friends. Some of these friends have become studio collaborators. Tom's journey as a solo artist started after he witnessed fighting among his bandmates. These particular bandmates were also his best friends; and the fighting was an event he tells me he never wanted to experience again. The release of Tom's latest album was a long road traveled during changing times in the music industry. He rolled with the industry changes and eventually made his latest release happen with the help of a Kickstarter campaign that raised almost $10,000.  To hear Tom talk about this 5-year journey, you wouldn't get the impression that he found it all that challenging. He obviously learned some things along the way, but he comes across as nothing more than grateful and humble when discussing it. The quintessential indie artist I recorded our interview on a day when Internet service was down at my home studio. The audio isn't great, but that's mostly on my end. Tom (the important guy) sounds pretty good. I mention this because I'm so glad we went through with the interview, in spite of the tech issues. In the episode intro, I refer to Tom as a "statesman" of indie artists, but that was the wrong word. I should have said that Tom is the "quintessential" indie artist. A music column that Tom writes for The Illinois Times is somewhat the reason that we connected. Tom met Rockin' Johnny Burgin at Central Blues and wrote a piece on him for the Times. They became fast friends. Rockin' Johnny told me I should have Tom on the podcast. This all strikes me as fairly typical. It seems that Tom has developed many friendships through music and journalism. This reminds of the savvy musician adage, "Be cool, and don't be a dick." As we spoke about his relationships and music journey, it became quickly evident that he is kind and genuinely pleasant to be around. A case in point is a chance meeting he had with John Stirrat of Wilco in 2012. Tom was playing at a venue called The Castle in Bloomington Illinois, opening for Candy Gold, a band featuring Ben E Carlos of Cheap Trick and Stirrat. Following a fortuitous mix up in performance scheduling, Stirrat arrived at the venue during Tom's set and liked what he heard. Stirrat appreciated Tom's music enough to engage in a conversation, and eventually to coproduce All That Love. This point of Tom's journey could have been marred by the changing music industry. When the project was ready to market and distribute, both Tom and Stirrat were surprised by changes that meant labels were no longer providing a clear path to distribution. While All This Love was being created, all things distribution had changed. Labels were no longer investing in artists as they once had.  According to Tom, this came as a disappointing surprise to Stirrat. Things had changed, but Tom forged on–enter Kickstarter. Kickstarter put Tom back in the driver's seat A friend suggested to Tom that he look into Kickstarter. While I'm sure that all of Tom's recording projects have been important to him, this one had to be especially so. Not only was Stirrat co producing and performing on the record, but he also recruited Greg Wieczorek (aka G. Wiz).  The album was released in 2017. Where labels had cited lack of "bandwidth" on their part and lack of "traction" on Tom's part, Kickstarter put Tom back in the driver's seat. This was a familiar place for Tom, as he'd been marketing and distributing his own music for years. This time, however, it was on a bigger scale. The Kickstarter campaign, Tom says, gave him funds for media promotion and I'm sure helped with the finished product. Although he  learned some lessons about media promotion, it's clear that Tom is thankful for the success provided by his Kickstarter campaign. He shared with me that Kickstarter also helped him from a planning and accountability standpoint. “I got to go stick my head in the back room, and watch them make the sausage." All That Love is available pretty much anywhere that digital music can be found–and on vinyl through Tom's website. On the subject of digital distribution and royalties, Tom gave me a better picture of what streaming does for an artist's paycheck. We had a good laugh talking about a recent statement from CD Baby that included a couple of album sales, followed by page after page of fractional streaming royalties. I'm reminded of a quote from a friend who regularly posts on Twitter: "Buy the music you like." A pleasant surprise for Tom is that vinyl sales are doing very well. Turns out people still appreciate a physical product version of their music. He shares advice on selecting the right company for producing vinyl versions of your album. According to Tom, there aren't a lot of companies to choose from, but he learned that location, weight, and shipping are worth careful consideration. In this case, Tom says that the company with the lowest price isn't necessarily the most cost effective choice. He chose to work with Fat Possum Records. This leads me to my favorite quote from our conversation. In recanting the day he took in-person delivery of the finished vinyl LP product, when he also got to see the Fat Possum production facilities, Tom said “I got to go stick my head in the back room, and watch them make the sausage." You can also hear this podcast on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, YouTube & Spotify. SHOW NOTES TomIrwinMusic.com Rockin' Johnny Burgin IRS Records Electra Records John Stirratt Wilco Yep Roc Records Bloodshot Records Greg Wiz Single Lock Records Lannie Flowers Dave Da Silva Fat Possum Records Illinois Central Blues Club Illinois Central Railroad Tom's Weekly Column in The Illinois Times Memphis Record Pressing NRBQ RESOURCES FOR MUSICIANS The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo Growth Farming the Seth Godin Way, a FREE ebook by D Grant Smith More resources for musicians

Called a "modern day troubadour" by John Stirrat of Wilco, Tom Irwin introduces his new album "All That Love", produced by Stirrat. More information on Tom can be found on https://tomirwinmusic.com.

It’s December, so it must be time for another Love That Album end-of-year Shooting The Shit session. In case you’re not familiar with the term, LTA has done a small number of panel shows under the Shooting The Shit moniker. We haven’t held a more general discussion in a long while, but the tradition holds that we do our “favourite first time listens of the year” show. As long as the panellists heard a particular album for the first time in 2015 (regardless of the year of release), it’s up for discussion. Because the crew is comprised of 6 of us, we’re doing this over two shows so you’re not listening for 4 hours straight!!! For episode 85, and the first of the STS faves specials, I am joined by my See Hear co-host Tim Merrill and Sitting In a Bar In Adelaide podcast host, Michael Pursche. We offer 5 albums each for your consideration as our favourite first time listens in 2015. Let me tell you folks, the key word here is “diversity”. There are a range of styles on offer here, so there will be something that will appeal to all tastes. I even have some feedback from listeners as to their favourite albums of the year. I love getting feedback for the same reason Sally Field loves getting Academy Awards…. Episode 86 will be part 2 of the end-of-year shows, and will be online in a couple of weeks. That will feature Geoff Smith, John Stirrat, and Eric Reanimator giving their well-considered choices. My thanks to my co-presenters for taking the time to record these shows with me, and my thanks to anyone who listens to the shows. There are a lot of podcasts out there to demand your time, so if you’ve let me into your headphones, I’m grateful to be included a part of your listening schedule. You can download the show by searching for Love That Album in the iTunes store or downloading streaming directly from  http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com Send the show feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum. If you’d consider writing an iTunes review or recommending the show to a friend, I’d be immensely grateful. If you enjoy what you hear, please tell a friend or ten to tune in.   

…..and so we arrive at Love That Album episode 70 - the final show for 2014.We cannot finish off a year without bringing the thunder that is the Shooting The Shit crew. This is our only discussion for the year, but it’s EPIC. Eric Reanimator, John Stirrat, Geoff Smith, Tim Merrill and myself go through our favourite first time listens in 2014 – regardless of whether they were released this year or not. Download and dig the suggestions of music from the crew for your listening pleasure. We dub this special “I Still Know What Shit You Shot Last Summer”. To make the recording more manageable, we recorded the show in two halves with John and Tim in the first part, and Eric, Geoff and myself in the second. Thanks again to these marvellous people for their time, music suggestions, wit and friendship.It’s been another fun year of music discussion podcasts with musically knowledgeable and articulate people. Eric brought something new into the mix with his own Compilation Series of LTA episodes every month, so effectively, there was some new LTA content roughly every couple of weeks.I’d like to thank every person who participated in a show or who listened to the show this year. Without you folks, I’d be talking to Mimi my cat…..and she doesn’t even care for music.I look forward to starting this all up again in 2015. You can download the podcast at iTunes by searching for “Love That Album”. You can also stream or download it at http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com.Any feedback would be gratefully appreciated – either written or mp3 voicemail. You can send it to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.auJoin the Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum  

Con motivo del día mundial del teatro Ramón Barea, Premio Nacional de Teatro 2013, nos acompaña hoy. Repasamos su carrera y charlamos sobre los entresijos de este arte. John Stirrat, de Wilco, nos presenta su trabajo paralelo.

Con motivo del día mundial del teatro Ramón Barea, Premio Nacional de Teatro 2013, nos acompaña hoy. Repasamos su carrera y charlamos sobre los entresijos de este arte. John Stirrat, de Wilco, nos presenta su trabajo paralelo.

Episode 58 of the Love That Album podcast has finally shaken off the curse….yes, Dr Geoff Smith has finally overcome internet dropouts, Skype collapse, my previously poor file editing skills – all collectively known as the Hiatt Curse – to join John Stirrat and myself to discuss some BROOOOOCCCCE. This is Love That Album’s third Bruce-cast. (Check out episodes 1 and 17 for further Springsteen0related chat). Since the beginning of the 21st Century, Bruce Springsteen has found new strength and purpose. He’s been touring heavily with the beloved E Street band, and recorded (for a major artist in the current age of rock) at a prolific rate. Early 2014 has seen him release High Hopes, an album some believe should be called Tracks 2. It’s a collection of songs written over the last 10 years that didn’t make the cut on previous recordings, as well as some interesting covers. We grapple the big questions: Does the album work as one artistic statement or is it just a grab bag of songs that have no connection? Is he following similar lines to Wrecking Ball or does he cut a different path? Is the E Street Band the most hip-shaking, love-making, Viagra-taking musical entity on the planet? There is much discussion on the current tour of Australia, the last decade of Bruce-related music, and if Bruce is an overtly political songwriter. Eric Reanimator’s “Album I Love” segment appropriately for a Bruce show is Alejandro Escovedo’s 2008 album Real Animal. You can download the podcast at iTunes by searching for “love that album”. You can stream or download it at “http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com”.   Send me any feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum and let us know your thoughts on your favourite BROOOCCCE moments.   I’d be hugely grateful for any iTunes reviews should you be so kind to submit one.

Bigger than Ben Hur. Funnier than The Seventh Seal. More music discussion than Behind The Green Door. IT’S….Shooting The Shit Conquers The Martians Yes indeed, Love That Album podcast episode 56 is here starring the Shooting The Shit crew. We discuss our favourite albums either released or that we newly discovered in 2013. The music industry waits with baited breath as the LTA tastemakers decides who is worthy of YOUR attention. My thanks to Eric Peterson (aka Reanimator), Ghetto Tim, and John Stirrat for taking the time to put their lists together and joining me on the show….because if they didn’t, I’d be talking to myself…which would be pretty silly. I also give thanks to those listeners who submitted feedback for the show – Adi Sappir, Pat Monaghan, Will Smith and the mighty John Ross who sent an outstanding audio segment. Look for John’s own podcast, Feed My Ears in 2014. You can download both shows from iTunes by searching for “love that album”. You can stream or download them at “http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com”. I thank everyone of you that downloaded an episode sometime this year. I also thank everyone who joined me as a co-host this year. Everyone of you is aces in my book. Discussing music with you folks is an absolute pleasure. I look forward to doing it all again in 2014.

Love That Album is baaaaaaaaaaccccckkkkk. Did you miss us?????? Not only that, but the podcast turns 50 episodes old. It took a while, but with (most) technical difficulties overcome, I can now happily lay episode 50 of Love That Album on you – 6 weeks or so after it was originally due. I dub the episode “Beneath The Planet of Shooting The Shit”. To celebrate this milestone in the show, I invited the members of the Shooting The Shit Crew- Tim Merrill, Eric Peterson, John Stirrat, and Michael Pursche to join in a discussion on our favourite box sets. Are box sets a dying breed? What was their purpose in the first place – to create interest for the novice or give unknown treasures for the long time fan? What makes for a great box set? The big one: what are the greatest box sets released? These life enriching questions are all discussed on the program. It was a fascinating discussion, and I thank these fine people for giving of their time and expertise. A special thanks should be given to Geoff Smith who was available for the show, but Skype gave us difficulties in letting Geoff onto the conversation, Rest assured, he will be back on the program soon. Fittingly, to accompany the discussion of garage, blues, punk, Americana, pop and jazz, music for the show is provided courtesy of Scriabin, Beethoven and Chopin. At this mini milestone for the show, my thanks go to anyone who has ever guested on the show, provided feedback and encouragement, or just listened to the damn thing. I love doing this podcast and am gratified that a bunch of you out there enjoy listening. Here’s to the next 50 shows. You can download the podcast at iTunes by searching for “love that album”. You can stream or download it at “http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com”. The podcast can also be listened to via Stitcher Radio. Download the app from stitcher.com, and listen to any episode streaming over your Android or Apple device after searching for “love that album”. Send me any feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum and start a discussion on your favourite box sets.

Welcome to episode 41 of Love That Album aka “Son of Shooting The Shit”. Yep, in addition to the regular crew of Tim Merrill, Eric Peterson, and John Stirrat, we welcome special guest shit-shooter Thomas Deja to the world-wide round table. Ever wonder where the old LTA segment of “What have You Been Listening to Lately” went? No??? Oh…(said he with a slightly wounded ego)… I’ll tell you anyway. It found a home at Shooting the Shit headquarters. In fact we spent so much time talking about our recent listening pleasures (with a myriad of diversions, it must be added) that this took up the whole show. It was a fascinating conversation, and thanks to the impeccable taste of my cohorts, I now have some new music to chase up. We also play a tune from The Art of War, a band out of Geraldton, Western Australia, fronted by “Bad” James McDonald (known well to the Silva and Gold community). Dig it. Oh, and have you ever wondered where my old technique of laying music underneath the discussion that didn’t actually correspond to what we were talking about went? Not that either, huh? Well, I’d better just shut up now. My thanks go to the guys for their time and efforts into this episode. You can download the podcast at iTunes by searching for “love that album”. You can stream or download it at “lovethatalbum.blogspot.com” The podcast can also be listened to via Stitcher Radio. Download the app from stitcher.com, and listen to any episode streaming over your Android or Apple device after searching for “love that album”. Send me any feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum and start a discussion on…anything musical. You can hear more of The Art of War from http://www.reverbnation.com/theartofwar

The "Shooting The Shit" crew (comprising Eric Reanimator, John Stirrat, Tim Merrill and myself) reconvene to discuss our favourite albums of 2012, either released this year or albums of old we discovered this year. I think we had a fascinating discussion and hopefully you'll enjoy it too. Our tastes were broad so LOTS of new music to discover. We also had some great feedback from the listeners with their top albums of the year. This is the final LTA for 2012. We'll be back with more album discussion late January 2013. Thank you to anyone who listened to the show over the year, either occasionally or regularly, and I hope you'll come back for more in 2013. Download the show either from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or search for "love that album" (no longer has to be one word - YAY)  in the itunes store. The podcast can now also be listened to via Stitcher Radio. Download the app from stitcher.com, and listen to any episode streaming over your Android or Apple device. Over the break, you can still leave feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au orjoin the Facebook group at  http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum Enjoy your holidays folks, and speak again in the New Year.

For episode 28 of Love That Album, I am joined initially by previous co-presenter John Stirrat, regular segment contributor Eric Reanimator, and later in the show by music and film enthusiast Tim Merrill to just chat about whatever music-related issues come to mind. There is no set album to discuss – we just chat about what we’ve been listening to, music snobbery, whether the predicted imminent death of the CD format is just a load of Bolshoi Ballet, Cambodian garage bands, plus a heap of other things. This show was a heap of fun, and I will definitely schedule in more of these types of specials from time to time. I truly hope you enjoy listeming to this one as much as John, Eric, Tim and I had in recording it. Get in contact with me if you feel you’d like to take part in the next one of these specials. Music in this episode by Melbourne band, Silver Ray. Download the show either from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or search for “lovethatalbum” in the itunes store. Send any feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au – either written or mp3. Join the facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum  and start up a musical discussion on anything YOU want to shoot the shit about.

The Gaslight Anthem have in the last few years attracted a dedicated following with their cross of modern punk and Springsteen influences.  Songwriter Brian Fallon has put together a side project called The Horrible Crowes for material that would not necessarily work in the context of his main band. If you’ve listened to previous episodes of Love That Album with Geoff Smith as my fellow commentator, you’d know of his love for both of these bands. In episode 20 of LTA, Geoff, John Stirrat and myself discuss The Horrible Crowes album, “Elsie”, in detail covering the themes being written about in the album, as well as the music and lyrics. We ask the big questions – is Brian Fallon a stalker? Does he take self pity a little too far or has he had his heart put through the grinder, and is dealing with it the same way Roy Orbison, Chris Isaak and even Beck dealt with it? This was a heated discussion, and we didn’t all agree on the merits or otherwise of this album – which makes for a (hopefully) interesting show.  We also discuss the John Peel archives being made public…in a virtual sort of way. Also, Eric Reanimator returns with his segment “An Album I Love” to discuss a classic album from the Screaming Trees. Download from iTunes store (search for lovethatalbum – all one word) or from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com. Send feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au Join the “Love That Album” Facebook group and start a music discussion.

On Episode 17 of Love That Album, we try something new and something old. For the first time, there are three of us discussing the album of the episode. In addition to LTA regular Geoff Smith, I’m joined from Sydney by Springsteen aficionado John Stirrat (not he of Wilco fame), to discuss Bruce’s latest long player, “Wrecking Ball”. The fact that we’re covering Bruce is the “something old”, since Jeff Jenkins and I went head-to-head way back in Episode 1 discussing Springsteen’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town” versus “Wild, Innocent & E Street Shuffle”. So like many other artists of Bruce’s age and experience, is he treading water or is he trying something new? Can he lay claim to be the 21st century Woody Guthrie? How does this album stack up against another potential claimant of the title, Ry Cooder’s “Pull Up Some dust and Sit Down”? How does Bruce deal with the absence of “The Champion of the Universe”, Clarence Clemons? Geoff, John and I go into these questions and discuss the themes present on the album.  Most importantly, we ask the most basic question: Is “Wrecking Ball” any good. Listen to the show and find out. Download the show from either http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or by searching for “lovethatalbum” in the iTunes store. Send written or mp3 feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au