Listomania: Five Podcasts You Should Subscribe To

Something To Fill Up That Ridiculously Oversized iPod

Simply put, I’m a big fan of podcasts: I love the format and the large variety of applications it can be used for. With radio practically an endangered species it’s great to see some embracing the digital medium. There still is some great radio out there, but it’s tough to come by these days with overpriced satellite radio and the overly critical eye of the FCC always watching. With podcasts you get the best of radio, minus the commercials, and in general they are free to download. I know I appreciate an iPod full of new podcasts on a long road trip. I currently subscribe to a dozen podcasts but these are the five I most look forward to. All of them are available on iTunes. Anything else I should check out?

I Love Movies

The creation of comedian/stoner Doug Benson (Best Week Ever, Super High Me) I Love Movies is part talk-show, part stand-up, and part game. A typical episode sees Benson and two or three of his comedian friends geeking out over what is currently in theaters and playing a few games. Sometimes the guests are great (Brian Posehn, Samm Levine) and sometimes they fall short (Jimmy Pardo, David Feldman) but overall each show provides more than just a few laughs. The real draw though are Benson’s games, especially the addictive Leonard Maltin Game, where the guests play name that movie based on the year, cast list and a clue from the famous movie critic’s review.

Issue Orientated
You know that person you see at every show in your area? They seem to know every person, every band and every word of every song? In the 90s New Brunswick, New Jersey scene that man was Ronen Kauffman. Today the teacher/author/scene staple hosts an in-depth interview podcast that features conversations with a variety of bands from the rock, punk, hardcore and DIY folk communities. The interviews are deep and informative and Kauffman has a knack for intriguing questions. In between segments we’re treated to songs from the same genres.

The AP-Podcast
I have mixed feelings about Alternative Press Magazine: in general the magazine covers whatever crappy music is popular but still manages to sneak some quality content into each issue (see their monthly “Oral History Of” feature which has recently spotlighted Refused, Jimmy Eat World, The Movielife and Jawbox). My guess is they strive to create a monthly magazine that will sell but also hire a staff that identifies more with the underground than the mainstream. The magazine’s podcast is one of those places where the staff can shine. It is set up the same way as Issue Orientated but it’s Alt. Press founder and host Mike Shea that makes the podcast worth checking out. Shea brings an honesty and genuine interest to each conversation, regardless of the interview subject and he usually steers the guest toward discuss the industry and its inner workings. Much to my liking, as the podcast has progressed from 2007, the interview times have grown, sometimes stretching past the two hour mark.

NPR’s Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!

Although, as far as I know, National Public Radio doesn’t create any original podcast content, they do provide the majority of their on-air broadcasts for download in podcast form. My favorite of the dozens of podcasts they provide is the weekly news quiz "Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!" where a panel of guests are quizzed on topical subjects in an effort to win the coveted prize for on-air callers: the voice of announcer and former Morning Edition host Carl Kasell on their voicemail. The podcast, which is charming and informative, is hosted by Peter Sagal in front of a live audience for Chicago Public Radio, giving it a more “anything can happen feeling” unlike those casts recorded in studio. The laughs are provided by a rotating cast of commentators, including the often groan-inducing Mo Rocca (The Daily Show, CBS Sunday Morning) and the surprisingly funny Paula Poundstone.

Paste’s Culture Club

Although I’ve been a Paste Magazine subscriber for awhile now, I am fairly new to the podcast. The Culture Club succeeds in its simplicity, featuring artist interviews, discussion of topics found in current issues of the magazine and a variety of Paste endorsed music. Technically, my favorite aspect is that fact that Paste is one of the few podcasts that has utilized the iTunes ability to split the podcast up into sections allowing the listener to skip through like CD tracks. Although it claims to be a weekly podcast it pops up on more of a monthly basis, with the most recent episode appearing in January. The whole thing is hosted by the NPResque voices of Josh Jackson and Caren Kelleher.

Free Music Friday: Christians & Lions

Boston DIY Indie-Folks Release Entire Discography for Free

In the past few years the indie music world has seen an influx of bands that are heavily influenced by country, bluegrass and folk. Boston DIY collective Christians & Lions fall into this category, creating intimate, calming alt-country in the same vain as Fleet Foxes, Iron & Wine and AA Bondy.

The group came together in 2004, when siblings Ben and Sam Potrykus (pictured at left) began writing songs that would eventually become the acoustic demo for their album More Songs for Dreamsleepers and The Very Awake. After some touring the brothers returned home and added several friends to the group, eventually rerecording the collection of songs into a full band album. Even with the addition of organ, singing saw and horns, it's easy to see the true driving force behind the band is the brothers Potrykus and their songs; a coupling of simple yet elegant acoustic guitar and dreamy vocals.

After touring throughout the Northeast and the release of a 3 track single, Christians & Lions disbanded in the fall of 2007, their members moving on to new musical ventures. It was around this time the band put all their previous output up for download on Floating Garbage Continent, their own home label. With several other projects going it seemed Christians & Lions would never play as a group again. However two years later, with the release of the new Bird's Milk EP, Christians and Lions began playing shows in the Boston area again with plans to release a new full-length sometime in 2010.

This band is undeniably talented and, should they continue creating music, I can see them establishing a strong following. Christians & Lions entire discography (two albums, one EP and one single) can be downloaded for free at Christians & Lions website in the album section.

RIYL: Alt Country, Indie Folk, AA Bondy, Rocky Votolato, Campfires
Myspace
Official
------
The Internet is full of legal, free music. Every Friday Adjective! Animal! spotlights an artist who has released an EP, album or their full discography for nothing. Please support these artists who give away their music just so it will not go unheard by buying their merchandise or donating when possible. If you have a suggestion for Free Music Friday please email me at adjectiveanimal1@gmail.com.

Video of the Week: 70 Million

French Indie Pop Band Cover Classic Paintings

A few weeks ago the French band Hold Your Horses! came to my attention by way of their compeling video for the track "70 Million". In the video, created by L'Orge, the band recreates 24 classic paintings. On first viewing the video is a charming guessing game of paintings and painters, as the viewer tests their art history knowledge. The humor of the video immediately hits you, as a parade of cross-dressing French men pose and attempt to keep straight faces for the camera. However, on repeated viewings the impressiveness of the video begins to sink in.

The detail the band and creative team put into each image is incredible but even more amazing then that is the lighting, which gives each recreation an incredibly accurate quality. Bottom line - these look exactly like moving paintings. Compare the recration of Botticelli's The Birth of Venus to Caravaggio's Salome with the Head of John the Baptist, two incredibly different piece that are recreated to near perfection.


70 Million by Hold Your Horses ! from L'Ogre on Vimeo.

My favorites are the hilariously awkward portrayl of Frida Kahlo's Self Portrait and the shockingly accurate rendition of Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, injected with a bit of clever keyboard humor. I also love the Monty Python influence on the opening. The only slightly shocking portion of the video is the bold make-up choice made in the recreation of Olympia by Manet. I'll let you make your own decision there.

The track itself, which is quite good by the way, is currently only available as a single or for free download on the band's MySpace page. Their debut, self-titled EP is available at all major online digital music retailers including iTunes and Amazon.

Screenshots of each of the 24 recreations are available after the jump. Click the image to see the original painting.

Welcome

Another Pop Culture Blog Is Born

I've been putting this off for awhile now. It's been a goal of mine to maintain a pop culture blog for a few years but I keep making excuses about how I don't have enough content to maintain readership, but really I guess that's kind of the point of blogging - effectively making it up as you go along. With that in mind, it's about time I just dove in and started writing.

I figure the easiest way to push myself to continue posting is to create a few regular features and keep up to date on those. So far I've planned two weekly features - Video of the Week and Free Music Friday. One of my favorite things about the Internet is the massive amount of art created and seen that would otherwise go unnoticed, so each week I'll be posting a video that I found visually compelling, well crafted or in some other way interesting enough to share. A close second on my favorite list is the fact that the Internet has made it easy for small, unknown bands to share their music for free as a way of building a fanbase and creating a lasting career as musicians. Each Friday I'll bring you one of these bands and link to the music they have offered for free.

Beyond that you can look forward to concert previews and reviews, television and movie commentary, album spotlights, book reviews and any other pop culture I feel like highlighting. I go into this full well knowing that I am one of many blogs doing the exact same thing and for that reason I thank you for even checking me out once. Really though this is a blog for me, a place where I can talk about the things I love, hopefully generate some interesting discussions with my friends and readers, and practice my writing craft for what I ultimately hope will someday be a professional writing job.

I hope you enjoy what you read here and discover something new. Welcome to Adjective Animal.