Episode 108: Another Sunny Day

Dedication in the used copy of Belle and Sebastian’s biography I picked up at The Strand bookstore in New York City a couple years ago.

I discovered Belle and Sebastian later in college than most. It’s not that I didn’t get its music; it’s just that I already listened to many other twee bands (and the bands they influenced). Don’t get me wrong, I liked If You’re Feeling Sinister, but I just didn’t see what the big deal was. Then I started paying attention to the lyrics…which you don’t necessarily do if you’re into twee or indie pop.

Does it diminish a band’s worth to consider the context in which it creates music? Does it put a damper on that moment you discover a new band to consider the other bands in its scene? Does it make a band seem less creative when you find out what’s in the lead singer’s album collection?

I think it’s always important to consider context when analyzing art, especially music (because that’s what I know best). It’s especially important with someone like Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch, who is obviously a referential writer. This is why I devote Episode #108 to the musical ancestry of Bell and Sebastian. Have I exhaustively discussed every band that influenced Murdoch? Or course not, but they are all very influential. (And, if you read the band’s biography, Belle and Sebastian: Just another Modern Rock Story, you’ll find many pages devoted to Murdoch’s adoration of these bands.) This show is a starting point for many evenings getting caught in internet wormholes, discovering obscure Britpop bands.

At any rate, in the era of publicly-accessible Spotify playlists, I’m unsure that I need to merely make podcasts amounting to little more than shuffled playlists and commentary. I hope you find focused shows like this helpful. I still bristle at the idea of themed shows; I just want to help everyone grasp the context in which my favorite music is created. Enjoy.

1. “Do You Remember Walter?” – The Kinks (The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society / Reprise / 1968)
2. “One of These Things First” – Nick Drake (Bryter Layter / Island / 1970)
3. “Caroline Goodbye” – Colin Blunstone (One Year / Epic / 1971)
4. “Down but Not Yet Out” – Felt (Forever Breathes the Lonely Word / Creation / 1986)
5. “I’m in Love with a Girl Who Doesn’t Know I Exist” – Another Sunny Day (Air Balloon Road / Sarah / 1990)
6. “Another Sunny Day” – Belle and Sebastian (The Life Pursuit / Matador / 2006)

Radio Free Raytown – Episode #108 (10/5/12)

Advertisement

Podcast #2

I want to thank Brandon Briscoe for his mention of Radio Free Raytown on his blog, A Pilgrim’s Porridge.  It’s nice to receive kind words when I’m still entrenched in a job search.

Before I tell you about the next installment of Radio Free Raytown, know that I am tagging these podcasts so you can easily search for the old episodes. After I get to my fifth show, I will compile them in zip files, if you feel the need to quickly catch up.

Anyway, without further adew, here is my second podcast.  And again, it’s short, concise and digestable.

1. Happy Apple – Go (Base 13)
2. Dogs Die in Hot Cars – Apples and Oranges
3. Cowboy Indian Bear – Snowing in Sydney
4. Belle and Sebastian – I Love My Car
5. Mazzy Star – Flowers In December
6. The Meeting Places – Until It’s Gone

Enjoy!

Happy Apple – Go (Base 13)

Dogs Die in Hot Cars – Apples and Oranges

Cowboy Indian Bear – Snowing in Sydney

Belle and Sebastian – I Love My Car

Mazzy Star – Flowers In December

The Meeting Places – Until It’s Gone

Radio Free Raytown Episode #2 – 7/9/09