List Envy
Feb 20, 2020
No episode klaxon
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No episode this week due to technical issues. We should be back and podcasting again in a week or so, but if you’re interested in the many and varied problems Mark’s had trying to get the laterst episode up, then have a listen.
Also if you’re curious about how Mark thinks about the show going forwards, stay tuned.
If you’re interested, Mark put this episode together mostly on his iPad. He recorded the audio on the Mac, ‘cos that’s where his posh mic sits, but did all the mixing and editing, and even uploading with show notes, on his iPad. Interesting to no-one.
Links
More episodes from List Envy
May 31, 2021
46: Top 5 modern indie bands
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.
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May 24, 2021
45: Top 5 albums of 2020
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
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Apr 26, 2021
44: Top 5 ways to procrastinate
*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.
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