My Favorite Album with Jeremy Dylan

After the tragic loss of Jack Colwell this past week, I wanted to share this conversation with Jack celebrating his hero Tori Amos. I have such great memories of recording this chat with Jack, I feel like it captured him at his most ebuliant, articulate and insightful. He was one of a kind and will be deeply missed by a lot of people. ----- Sydney singer-songwriter Jack Colwell makes the case for Tori Amos as a transformative figure in pop - a woman who seized her major-label power to create sophisticated adult pop music, bridging the divide between classical and pop, creating a unique sound and exploring her complicated relationship with her religious upbringing and femininity.

10/8/24 • 46:14

My guest is a musician, songwriter and artist who has never stopped evolving and exploring, from LA to New Orleans to Nashville. Her new EP Fumbling Towards Glory is out now, five years in the making and as she says, is her way of honouring the mess - her mess - of growing up, coming face to face either her own ambition, desire, doubt and experiencing the turmoil and beauty that accompanies is.

10/2/24 • 42:44

Today, Polish Club frontman Novak joins host Jeremy Dylan to discuss the Arctic Monkey’s divisive cult classic album ‘Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino’, the sci-fi concept album that followed up the rock’n’roll behemoth of AM. Jeremy and Novak reminisce about their days as office-mates, Novak coming out as a singer at karaoke, ageing in rock’n’roll, why so many artists both love and envy this album, the artistic bravery of following their biggest commercial hit with a ‘jazzy concept album about eating pizza on the moon’, the alternate reality where this was an Alex Turner solo album, how swerving musically helps sustain a long career and more. Listen to the new Polish Club album 'Heavy Weight Heart', out now!

9/24/24 • 45:46

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Queenie joins host Jeremy Dylan to talk about Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach's 2017 solo album 'Waiting on a Song'. Queenie talks about how her journey as a fan of the Black Keys and Dan Auerbach coincided with moving to Melbourne from Tasmania, the thrill of following someone’s career as a fan from the start, why calling it a solo record is almost a misnomer, the legendary collaborators on the album, why the album is a love letter to Nashville, how Auerbach cashed in his rock star chips to make this record, the influence of the Traveling Wilbury’s, the visual elements of Dan’s music and more. Queen also talks about the process of making her new album with producer Josh Barber, and taking inspiration from Auerbach’s production style to layer in unusual sounds and textures.

9/20/24 • 43:52

Comedian, author, actor, musician and more Michelle Braisier joins Jeremy Dylan to talk about Once, the album of music by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová from the classic film of the same name. Michelle discusses the intimacy and sincerity that powers the film, the beautiful sadness of the music, her annual rewatches of the film in memory of her brother, whether the film is a musical or not, people who hate musicals but like superhero movies, songs that she can’t sing without crying, the blurred lines between Hansard and Irglove and their characters, getting RSI auditioning for the stage musical adaption of Once and much more. Michelle also talks about the trick to writing comedy songs that are actually funny, and shares the story of a beautiful moment in Edinburgh during one of her performances just after the passing of her brother when the comedy community rallied around her.

8/13/24 • 43:11

Today comedian/writer/musician/podcaster Chloe Maddren joins me to shine a light on the less heralded Amy Winehouse album, 2003’s Frank. We talk about the cat she named after the album, fighting against Winehouse’s influence on her voice and lifestyle, the difference between the popular conception of Winehouse and who she was on this album, the differences between Frank and Back to Black, identifying with music beyond your age, the jazz influence on the record, being older than Amy Winehouse when she passed away, the validity of teenage pain, the pun of the album title, lyrics that haven’t aged well and much more. We also talk about why she didn’t choose a Taylor Swift album, her pop star aspirations, how her comedy career balances with her earnest songwriting, bombing in Bondi and “the girl fedora”. Chloe's standup special 'Hot Girl Stuff (Disordered Eating & Crippling Self-Hate) is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=fMzLtyC6VMo&t=65s https://www.patreon.com/TheFriendRequest/posts 

8/8/24 • 37:54

Today, self-proclaimed dad-rocker Andy Golledge joins Jeremy Dylan to talk about Bob Dylan’s iconic ‘Blood on the Tracks’. They talk about how Dylan’s new love of painting may have informed the songwriting, speculate about Dylan’s exercise regime, how Blood on the Tracks has replaced Blonde on Blonde as the consensus best Bob Dylan album, the different portrayals of love on the record, the more grounded lyrics compared to Dylan’s 60s music, how Dylan’s carefully maintained mystique protects his personal life, why Dylan rerecorded the album after the initial batch of sessions, how Andy fell in love with the record while driving across America, the prolificacy of Hank Williams Jr, listening to albums on cassette, how the structure of Tangled Up in Blue has influenced Andy’s songwriting and the upcoming James Mangold directed Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothee Chalamet.

7/30/24 • 34:30

Today, Indiecast co-host, Uproxx cultural critic and author Steven Hyden returns to the show to discuss his book about one of the most iconic albums of all time, "There Was Nothing You Could Do: Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" and the End of the Heartland. Steve talks about the album's uneasy relationship with Bruce's die-hard fans, Bruce's internal tug of war with the level of fame this album brought, misread meanings of Bruce's songs and how his music has become more didactic over time, the universality and timelessness of Nebraska and Born in the USA vs the more explicit protest music of the time, Springsteen the storyteller, the "Bruce voice", the emotional comedown whiplash of exiting an E Street Band show, the death of the unifying American myth, 'heartland rock' as a genre, Bruce's hopefulness vs the fatalism of Fogerty and Mellencamp, why the Replacements were the antithesis of Springsteen, the lessons Bruce drew from Bob Dylan and our hopes for the Born in the USA 40th Anniversary.

7/18/24 • 57:15

Today the spellbinding Emily Wurramurra joins me to discuss Cleo Sol's dynamic 2023 album 'Gold'. We talk about how she discovered and fell in love with Cleo's music, how Cleo builds community and connection through her music, the genuine hope and optimism in this album vs the toxic positivity of soical media, relating to the album's religious themes as a non-religious person, how Emily surrounds her daughter with music that will inspire her, the music she starts the day with, standing up for the power of art, "fucking shit up in a loving way" and more.

7/11/24 • 25:14

Today, I'm joined by the Reverend Shawn Amos to turn a spotlight on a classic blues record that has reverberated down almost six decades since its recording - Junior Wells 'Hoodoo Man Blues'. We talk about the contrast between Junior Wells unprecedented creative feedom and the restraints on blues artists at Chess Records, the interplay with Buddy Guy's guitar playing and Buddy's friendship with Junior, how the album defies blues stereotypes, Junior's harmonica playing, Wells' influence on Shawn as a live performer, the trap of fake authenticity, inventing yourself as an artist, what Beyonce and Bob Dylan have in common, how the album fits into the context of the mid-60s, hiccup licks, how Shawn approaches performing 'Hoodoo Man Blues', why blues music shouldn't be a museum piece and more.

5/16/24 • 38:42

Today, Carla Geneve zooms in from WA to celebrate the almost-20th anniversary of The Drones classic  'Wait Long By the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By'. Carla talks about being introduced to the record by her Dad at age 11, the violence of the music and subject matter, the epic nature of the nine songs, leaving space for meaning and atmosphere, using slower tempos to create intensity, the unadorned nature of the record, the brutal literature of Gareth Liddiard's lyrics, the importance of chronicling the stories of who Gareth is writing about, what movie would best sync up with the album, the influence of this record on guitar players, and much more, including why P!nk is the Tom Cruise of pop music. 

5/2/24 • 33:34

Today singer-songwriter and Frontier Ruckus frontman Matthew Milia joins me to celebrate Paul and Linda McCartney's 1971 masterpiece RAM. We talk about the freedoms and pressures on Paul as an artist in the wake of the Beatles breakup, his philosophy of 'don't fix the mistake, explore the accident', the darkness in some of the lyrics, the derangement of Monkberry Moon Delight, reclaiming the mantle of the avant garde from John Lennon, Linda's contributions as a producer and vocalist, the influence of the production on modern indie music and more.

4/25/24 • 31:55

TW: Suicide Today, celebrated author Ken Womack joins me to unpack his extraordinary new definitive biography of Beatles road manager Mal Evans, 'Living the Beatles Legend'. Ken talks about the incredible access given to him by the Evans family, including Mal's unpublished memoirs and diaries, the digital warehouse he built to sort through the incredible archival material, how much of the Beatles story is Mal's story, how the Beatles invented the pop superstar industry as they went along, how Mal managed to take on roles that would now be filled by dozens of individuals, how the Beatles laid the template for every rock'n'roll narrative that has followed, the friction between Mal and Brian Epstein, how Mal compartmentalised his life, how Mal championed and produced Badfinger in the face of Allen Klein's opposition, Mal's friendship with Paul McCartney, the upcoming quartet of Sam Mendes directed Beatles movies, the myth of the solitary genius, how important every member of the Beatles inner circle was to their success, and the conterfactuals in Beatles history, including how Mal's story might have unfolded over the past decades if it hadn't been so tragically cut short.

4/18/24 • 58:02

Today we bring you a (if you can believe it) new perspective on the Beatles story, as Dierdre Kelly joins me to discuss her fascinating book 'Fashioning The Beatles: The Looks That Shook The World', in which she unpacks the journey of the Fab Four's style across their careers, how they influenced and were influenced by fashion and the culture at large. From the edgy elegance of their early years, the contradictions between their working class drawl and sharp presentation, the rapid pace of change in both their look and sound, how they helped popularise corduroy, the rise of menswear as a form of cultural expression and the case for Ringo Starr as the most stylish Beatle.

4/10/24 • 41:26

Today I'm joined by songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of The Lumineers, Jeremiah Fraites, to wax rhapsodic on Radiohead's iconic 1997 album 'OK Computer'. We talk about Jeremiah's journey from hating to loving Radiohead as a teenager, the album's diverse but coherent sound, the album's sonic easter eggs, the balance of performed and constructed elements, the early live incarnations of the OK Computer songs, road testing songs in the pre-iPhone era, the power of boredom as creative fuel and more. We also breakdown Jeremiah's beautiful interpretation of 'No Surprises', featured on his new album 'Piano Piano 2', and the process of arranging the song and recording with Gregory Alan Isakov.

4/8/24 • 39:23

Today I'm joined by Ed Nash, bassist of UK indie heroes Bombay Bicycle Club, down the line from North London to chat about Kurt Vile's modern classic 2011 album, 'Smoke Ring for My Halo'. Ed talks about discovering the album on tour in Australia, how it became the soundtrack of BBC's breakthrough period, listening to it on repeat on tour, the sonic space and soundscape of the album, Vile's sophisticated and distinctive guitar style, how Vile disguises the sophistication of his music with his 'slacker rock' image, and how the album influenced Ed's approach to guitar, arrangements and lyrics in the years since. 

3/27/24 • 22:33

We kick off our tenth anniversary year with ARIA-winner Mia Dyson, who joins me to talk about the soundtrack of the iconic Talking Heads concert film 'Stop Making Sense'. We talk about wearing out VHS tapes in the pre-streaming era, the contrast between the band's musical eccentricity and austere aesthetic, why the film is the perfect entry point for new Talking Heads fans, how the show builds from David Byrne solo acoustic to the full expanded band extravaganza, Byrne's obsession with deconstruction, how the analogue staging and filmmaking techniques have kept the film timeless 40 years later, the overriding joyousness of the performances despite the contentious interband dynamics, the unconventional choreography in the show, the earnest emotional core behind all the weirdness and Mia's NYC David Byrne sighting. Mia talks about how this music gave her permission to be herself in her own music, different concepts of authenticity and how Talking Heads influenced her 2018 album 'If I Said Only So Far, I Take It Back', and her approach to vocal performance and revisiting abandoned material for her new album 'Tender Heart'.

3/20/24 • 41:53

It's that time of the year again.... we are signing off for 2023 with a blockbuster episode celebrating the best movies to hit cinema screens in the past 12 months. Joining me as usual are filmmaker Charles Hood and film journalist Drew Taylor, hosts of the legendary Light the Fuse podcast. Strap in a for an epic celebration / discussion / fight about a bunch of movies you should go seek out if you haven't already seen!

12/16/23 • 104:23

The show producer has not yet provided a description for this episode.

12/6/23 • 45:34

Today it's My Favorite ALbum, as Melbourne singer-songwriter Al Matcott is bringing it all back to Bob Dylan and his underrated (?) 1978 album 'Street Legal'. We talk about how he found an emotional connection with the album around his mother's passing, how it inspired him to seek out a tarot reading, how the album bridges Dylan's confessional and Christian periods, which song is like a 'seedy bar but Jesus is hanging out there', speculate about Springsteen's influence on the album's sound, the curse of 80s production, Al tries to get himself tarred and feathered by the MFA audience, Dylan's influence on Ginuwine, Dylan's rotating schticks, whether Dylan invented Americana music, what Dylan's best riff is, pitch a sequel to Todd Haynes 'I'm Not There' and speculate about James Mangold's upcoming Dylan film starring Timothée Chalamet.    

11/25/23 • 53:20

Today we present a fun and rollicking chat with Gareth Liddiard, frontman of Tropical Fuck Storm and the Drones and master anecdotalist. Gareth joins me to bring some sunshine to a brilliant and under-appreciated record by Spencer P Jones, the legendary guitarist and singer/songwriter originally from NZ who made Australia his home for most of his career. The twist is that Gareth played lead guitar on this record, Spencer P Jones and the Nothing Butts and has the inside story on the album's creation, how the songs came into being and the one of a kind mind of Spencer P Jones. From standing in the crowd in Perth while his sister throws a beer bottle that narrowly misses Spencer to meeting him at an early Drones gig in Melbourne to become friends, frequent tour mates and collaborators in the studio, Gareth opens up about his relationship with Spencer and shares some hilarious stories about one rock'n'roll's true eccentrics, involving earthquakes, scorpions, blood spattered amps, Nelson Mandela and Joe Satriani. 

11/17/23 • 40:54

Today ARIA winning singer-songwriter Fanny Lumsden joins me to delve into a seminal record of both our youths - The Chicks’ final country album, 2002’s ‘Home’. We talk about the album’s forgotten origins in the midst of a legal battle with the band’s record label, how they fused their bluegrass background with contemporary country and pop songwriting, how they used songs written by Patty Griffin, Darrel Scott and more to communicate their point of view, how Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Landslide’ was given a new lease on life by its inclusion on this album, “show off songs” and how the album influenced Fanny’s development as a young woman.

11/9/23 • 45:19

One of this year’s most pleasant surprises has been the first album of original material since 2005 from The Rolling Stones - Mick, Keith, Ronnie, Steve and on this album, Charlie and even Bill. Producer/songwriter/musician and friend of the show Michael Carpenter has spent a long time dissecting the Stones recorded catalogue and joins me today to go track by track through Hackney Diamonds and unpack this fascinating album - the impact of Steve Jordan on the band, whether it’s fair to compare a new Stones album to their 70s hey day, how they balance contemporary and traditional production, Jagger’s ageless vocals, mature lyrical perspectives and the guest appearances by Elton John, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.

11/5/23 • 72:18

Comedian, actor, writer, dancer, singer and most importantly previous guest on this podcast Elouise Eftos returns to the podcast today to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Britney Spears’ classic 2003 album ‘In the Zone’. We talk about the background of the album, how it saw Britney taking the most creative control she ever had (and tragically would ever have), the tantalizing collaborations that almost came to pass, how the album shows Spears coming of age as a woman after being defined as pop’s it girl, the double-edged sword and hypocritical reactions of the sexuality in her music and the media’s gross obsession with her virginity and why ‘Toxic’ has become Britney’s most enduring hit.

10/26/23 • 51:45

Today on the show I’m joined by the legendary Jeff Trott - songwriter, producer and guitarist - for a deep dive into the making of a classic record he produced and largely co-wrote, Sheryl Crow’s 1997 self-titled album. Jeff opens up about writing If It Makes You Happy, getting drafted in last minute to salvage the production of the record after the original producer bailed, how Robbie Robertson saved Every Day Is A Winding Road from the scrap heap, how the songs evolved in the studio, the secret to maintaining a three decade long creative partnership and what it’s like to constantly encounter music you helped create every time you go to buy groceries.

10/23/23 • 45:57

On today's episode, one of Australia's most acclaimed singer-songwriters, Cash Savage, joins me on the show to put some respect onto Salt-N-Pepa's landmark classic album 'Very Necessary'. Cash talks about discovering the album as a twelve year old and then returning to it with a new perspective as an adult, the pioneering sexual politics of the record, how contemporary the album still feels, how it flips so many of the genre's gender norms, the melding of pop and hip-hop, being sex and sex worker positive, the audio play about the AIDS crisis that closes the record and more. Cash also talks about the reaction to her and the Last Drinks' latest album 'So This Is Love', the most emotionally charged songs to perform live, misinterpretations of her lyrics and her game 'meaningful or nonsense'.

10/13/23 • 44:44

Today polymath, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and all around Renaissance woman Georgia Mooney joins me for a deep dive into the making of her glorious debut solo album 'Full of Moon', a month after it's release. We talk about the concept of authenticity, the strange intricacies of recording an entire album with rich orchestrations remotely during the panini, the alternate history version of the album, choosing which parts of your personality to reveal and funnel into songwriting and public performance and much more.

10/4/23 • 45:55

Australian singer-songwriter Hayley Marsten joins me to talk about the seminal album that soundtracked her journey into adulthood, Taylor Swift's seminal 2012 album 'Red'.  Now that this album has finally been chosen for an episode, we make a real meal out of it, getting into how the album marked a fork in the road that forecasted the second half of Taylor's career to date, why taking the big swing is sometimes the less risky path, the musical eclecticism of the album, All Too Well (regular and 10 minute versions) and how Taylor has managed to flatten time and build her own multiverse of madness.

8/25/23 • 43:08

Today legendary sound engineer Pete Keppler joins me for another look behind the scenes at David Byrne's American Utopia (check out episode 376 of this podcast for our audio documentary on the show), from conception to the world tour to Broadway, dealing with the technical and creative challenges inherent in reinventing the whole idea of a rock'n'roll band. Plus Pete talks about his time on the road with David Bowie as the sound engineer for his last ever tour.

7/5/23 • 33:07

One of today’s most renowned and skilful Americana singer-songwriters, Jason Isbell, talks about the classic record that helped inspire the genre - The Rolling Stones 1971 LP ‘Sticky Fingers’. We talk about how growing up around Muscle Shoals Alabama got Jason into the record as a child, how the album shows the Stones maturing as a band as they entered the 70s, why the self-destructive lyrics of ‘Sway’ resonated with Jason as he endured his own struggles, what he misses about being in the Drive By Truckers, which song from ‘Southeastern’ was inspired by the Stones, how the Stones used their business acumen to assert creative control and whether authenticity matters. Plus Jason reveals special moment when he met Bruce Springsteen recently backstage at New Orleans Jazz Festival, and we argue over the merits of the ganjo and producer Dave Cobb’s wardrobe.

6/21/23 • 35:49