Somebody Likes It

It's hard to escape your own predispositions, and come to think of it, that's probably why we call them that. We each bring the tapestry of our unique experience into the ear we lend to a record, and it's as important as the record is itself in determining our ability to fall for it. Music can be a complicated bundle, but falling in love with an act is always collaborative. The listener, by the very act of listening, participates. And so we find ourselves at the doorstep of Whitney's debut release Light Upon The Lake, and Shane Is Not Having It. He struggles to abide the vocal register of Julien Ehrlich (which, admittedly to some, can scan a little Muppetastic), but half of us see the late afternoon sun shining through the Laurel Canyon tinged hills and the Wes Anderson backstory and bask. Ryan makes the point that in an age of digital singles this record is, most assuredly, an Album. They've got a new one in the can and the dates have been lined up and it's supposed to drop in August. But if you want to see

Long before he found himself wandering around emitting, out loud, sounds associated with brain cell loss, Ozzy Osbourne leapt into a solo career that, one might competitively say, is more responsible for his legacy than his work in Black Sabbath. Oh sure, some things remain constant - he still doesn't linger in the recording studio - and he’s surrounded here by musicians that would prove iconic — including some, like Randy Rhoads, whose legacy cemented through prowess and tragedy alike. There are ugly legal battles that linger, but in the moment Diary of a Madman captures the touchstone of an artist’s trajectory. Just the kind of thing metalheads never forget. Find it on Amazon A Few Minutes With [Squeeze - *Cool For Cats*](https://youtu.be/uJ2cEc_TCH8) A Current Affair [Vampire Weekend - *This Life*](https://youtu.be/FwkrrU2WYKg)

By now the Jenny Lewis story has been told far and wide: child actress becomes indie darling, and is anyone really surprised when she assembles an allstar team to pull together her latest record (helmed by Beck)? Probably not. But behind the polished veneer of her most recent release, a few of us wonder if she's been comfortable too long. Too many high fives and back slaps (is that still a thing?) and afternoons by the pool, with a rolodex (is that still a thing?) of anyone she can imagine as collaborator. When that formula lands, the results can be mesmerizing. And when it doesn't, you may just end up with something...pleasant. And maybe this album is both. We agree on this: there's only one way to find out. Buy Jenny Lewis On The Line A Few Minutes With [Tony!Toni!Toné! - If I Had No Loot](https://youtu.be/aeGFHHWA5hY) A Current Affair [Empath - Roses That Cry](https://youtu.be/PLWA9KKX6EQ)

Adam and the Ants, perhaps the birthplace of the of the Sexy Revolutionary War Guy costume, is our focus as we welcome back our full complement of goofballs back into the fray. There's lots to discuss - Malcolm McLaren, dream journals, Jerry Reed comes up for some reason, and a girl who is reviewing all of the LPs in her husband's "Stupid Record Collection." All in all, it's not hard to see why this act became a thing in the nascent days of MTV, and why, after all these years, it still sounds fun. And you can wager that revolutionaries dressed like Adam Ant might not have won most wars, but  then again, you probably need to ask yourself, who wants to fight with all this dancing going on? Pick up Adam Ant's Friend or Foe A Few Minutes With [Richie Havens - Follow](https://youtu.be/IEazNNJEcm0) A Current Affair [Sasimi - Not The Time](https://youtu.be/T61l0Qlo-1E)

Pinning down the Roots' legacy isn't quite as simple as acknowledging their current role slow jamming the news on The Tonight Show: in fact, before they were invited into our daily national households, The Roots had to first shake folks up. Things Fall Apart became the ascendant touchstone for a band that always had chops but never felt dangerous - from the fiery Jim Crow imagery stamped on the cover to the grab you by the throat lyrical turns held within, Questlove, Black Thought and company laid down somewhere in the neighborhood of 145 tracks to whittle down to a final take-no-prisoners fourteen songs, and once the interludes and transitions were sifted in, the record felt like a full on protest - of history, of their careers. How does it hold up twenty years down the road? Lend an ear and let's see.

Generally speaking, most super groups aren’t that Super. They tend to trend toward a collective of famous parts that almost never eclipse the sum of the whole. As a result, most of these efforts come off looking like what they are, vanity projects that draft off of the disparate fog of fame. Not so with boygenius, the clever by way of earnest moniker that is Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker as one. Recorded in four days, this EP showcases artists who may mine familiar territory (loss, longing, challenges in confidence) but carve out unique and complimentary roles to weave their arresting and forlorn tales. The chief complaint about this release was that it was too short. Let's see if that's true - boygenius - boygenius A Few Minutes With [Slaughter - *Up All Night*][2] A Current Affair [The Beths - *Future Me Hates Me*][3]

After a time there is a conventional wisdom that Bands become Brands, and all too often (we'd wager most of the time), if you think critically about what a band is called, it's typically a total disconnect against the name (no one really expects, for example, Arcade Fire to canvass precisely that). Which brings us to Superorganism, an originally far flung collection of musicians who bonded in person but also, primarily, over email and Skype and who now largely share the same residence in London, except for that one who lives in Australia. Of course. That moniker syncs, but what does it mean? Their pop pastiche caught the indie world's attention and held it—and that clever grab bag approach makes intriguing bedfellows of a litany of effects and musical genres. It's a little slacky but often undeniably fun, seasoned with a variety that begs surprises. Like opening a present. Let's unwrap. Superorganism - Superorganism Video for Something For Your M.I.N.D. Video for Everybody Wants To Be Famous Video for Reflect

All three members of Flasher grew up in the Washington, DC area, a metro recently referenced in one review as both 'beautiful' and a 'clattering hellscape' pretty much in the same paragraph. It's safe to say that it's a complicated place to come of age, and as of recently, they still hadn't actually quit their day jobs, all three of them continuing to wait tables in addition to being label mates with the likes of Arctic Monkeys. There's a chance Constant Image, their fist full length, could change all of that. And it should be said that the thrill of records like this, occasionally, is that even the band isn't totally sure of what they're supposed to be: that they'll stick the landing is far from assured. Still, that's the thing about the intersection of youth and ambition - occasionally, the chances you take are incendiary. Flasher - Constant Image Video for Material A Few Minutes With [sElf - So Low][3] A Current Affair [Rhett Miller - Total Disaster][4]

In this episode, we discuss one of several eponymous albums by the Velvet Underground. This is the one with them sitting on a dingy couch. There's some solid tunes on here and then, there's not. Definitely a departure from 1968's White Light/White Heat with John Cale being replaced by Doug Yule and several songs that could use further editing. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground A Few Minutes With [R.E.M. - Pale Blue Eyes][2] A Current Affair [Zettajoule - No Thank You][3]

After a 2 month hiatus from the show, we decided to kick things back into gear with another mixtape. This go around, Kevin suggested we select songs that we love from motion picture or theatre soundtracks. It's always fun to share songs that we're familiar with and hold a special place in our catalog. ##In This Episode:## Survivor - Eye of the Tiger from Rocky 3 Echo and the Bunnymen - Bring On The Dancing Horses from Pretty In Pink Modern English - I Melt With You from Valley Girl Happy Mondays - Loose Fit from 24 Hour Party People Joe Esposito - You're The Best Around from Karate Kid The Replacements - Within Your Reach from Say Anything Elliott Smith - Needle In The Hay from The Royal Tennenbaums Sing Street - Brown Shoes from Sing Street Suzanne Vega - Caramel from The Truth About Cats And Dogs Pulp - Mile End from Trainspotting Ocean Colour Scene - Hundred Mile High City from Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels Teenage Fan Club & De La Soul - Fallin from Judgement Night Sammy Hagar - Winner Takes A

Being the grandson of the progenitor of 20th Century Country doesn't give you a free pass to the music hall of fame–unless we're talking about the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum in Nashville, it probably gets you a couple of free tickets there–but one thing it apparently give you is an incredible genetic tendency toward extreme musical talent. We were a little divided on how well we think that talent comes across on Straight To Hell, but with a tip of the hat to his Grandfather's legacy, "Three" packages up a little something for all of us. Hank Williams III - Straight To Hell A Few Minutes With [Earth Wind & Fire - September][2] A Current Affair [Flight of the Conchords - Father and Son][3]

It's difficult to really compare Ariana Grande to other female pop and R&B starlets of recent history; part Mariah, part Brittney, part Christina, part Pete Davidson, but none of these at the same time. It's safe to say the past couple of years haven't been necessarily smooth sailing for the 25 year old. Still, she sings. And walks and breathes like a living actual ingenue. She's typically framed in soft light until the chorus, and then, presumably, there's shopping. Ariana Grande - Sweetener A Few Minutes With [Veruca Salt - Seether][2] A Current Affair [The Sneaks - Future][3]

We had limited purview. Bandwagonesque was the record we knew, framed by the apparently unforgivable historical fact that any band with any album might edge Nirvana's Nevermind for an Album of the Year designation. That happened. Some still haven't gotten past it. Voting on things brings controversy. But this isn't that album. It's not even that argument. Here we canvass Grand Prix, widely regarded as perhaps the pinnacle of Teenage Fanclub's jangly alt-pop catalogue: not so breakneck as the racer on the cover might suggest, not as European either, come to think of it. But it does sound like a band accelerating in pursuit of the act they're meant to be. Breathtaking, dynamic, harmonious. Buckle up. Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix A Few Minutes With [Bronze Whale - Shrubbery][2] A Current Affair [Interpol - If You Really Love Nothing][3]

If enigmatic, sprite-like-delivered vocals, with a layered, hypnotic musical bed is your bag, then we've we over here at Somebody Likes It have got you hooked up this week. We took a turn at Beach House's 2015 release Thank Your Lucky Stars, a kinda-easy shot for all of us over at podcast-central. Without giving away too much, I'll just add that naps and trans-continental one night hook-ups could both be aided by said aforementioned dream-pop should give one enough pause to check this record out – and that Shane is a big enough devotee of this act (two folks, for what it's worth), to rank this somewhat lower in its canon, while still clocking in as a fan. Looks like I have some back-listening to do, as I'm into it. We also give what one would hope is a somewhat fitting tribute to The Queen of Soul, dearly departed Aretha Franklin. We will miss you. [Beach House - Thank Your Lucky Stars][1] A Few Minutes With [Aretha Franklin - Think][2] A Current Affair [Jealous of the Birds - Plastic Skeletons][3] It should

Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding may have written some of the best songs of the 70s, 80s, and 90s that most people have never heard. They teetered on commercial superstardom for years and potentially could have gotten there had it not been for Partridge's crippling stage fright that caused the band to stop touring in the early 80s. Heading to the studio with a new-found freedom to create music without concern for how to reproduce it live, XTC began to push the envelope of their sound. But it would take a few albums for them to establish the right formula that would result in 1986's Skylarking. In the middle lies The Big Express. At times disjointed with angular expression and fluid poppy hooks, this album starts off with a chug and slowly puff puffs it's way to a grinding halt some 44 minutes later. This album seems polarizing among XTC faithful with some calling it one of their best works and others putting it at the bottom of their catalog. For us, we all pretty much agreed; this does not match the power o

"She's my...Vertical Smile!...oh, wait let's change that to Cherry Pie". Yeah, that's right. Because of stupid Corporate Overlords not respecting the free speech rights of Warrant, we will never get to hear the genius they originally had in mind when they set music to tape back in 1989. They originally wanted this album to be called "Vertical Smile". Get it? That is a true story. Say what you want about them, (and everybody has an opinion on them), those late-80's scrunched-up Aqua-Net bangs had a laser focused misogynist poetry that was DESTROYED forever by the ironic vaseline smeared fish-eye lenses of the 90's Seattle-ish bands that would stand fiddling on a dropped D violin as the House That Poison Built slowly sank into that Pacific Ocean. And that's sad. It's sad to watch an empire crumple. I wanted this album to be worse than it was. I begrudgingly admit there are some solid Rock And Roll songs on it. Coming from someone that HATES mainstream capital R "Rock and Roll" from

Oh Matador Records, you of your indie darlings and slack ingenues and legends scrawled upon the walls of rancid LA apartments...Matador, you're at it again. Welcome to the Hype Machine. With the release of Snail Mail's Lush, we teeter headfirst into the prodigious mind of Lindsay Jordan, who writes dually about love as social triviality and distant curiosity. Jordan, who cut her musical teeth in part under the ambitious watch of Mary Timony (Ex Hex/Wild Flag), may seem like she recalls a thing or two from the nineties. But let's be honest, that's not entirely true either. Raw honesty in part helped hatch the fervor to follow, but honesty will only get you so far. If it feels "like the same party every weekend," do you really want to go anymore? Let's Explore Snail Mail - Lush A Few Minutes With [**Clap Your Hands Say Yeah** - The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth][2] A Current Affair [**Alex Lahey** - Love You Like A Brother][3]

This episode, while Producer Mark was away in Barcelona, we tackled Parliament's Watership Down Mothership Connection. Parliament - Mothership Connection A Few Minutes With [Journey - Separate Ways][2] A Current Affair [George Clinton - I'm Gon Make U Sick O'Me][3]

It's difficult to gaze back upon Elliot Smith's career and not see all of it, even the highlights, through a lens tinted with melancholy. Such may be the way that it goes with turbulent exits from this mortal coil, but Smith always let rays of sunshine filter through his musical tumult, and so goes From A Basement On The Hill, one of those great album titles that none of us can quite recall correctly, exactly. Smith's hallmarks are all present, and though the effort isn't quite as sublime as Either/Or (or even Figure 8), there's enough substance for listeners to lament, still, his absence, from the Beatles-infused winks to Nick Drake inspired turns and beyond. 2003 seems like a long time ago, until it doesn't. Elliot Smith - From A Basement On The Hill A Few Minutes With [**Ariel Pink** - Put Your Number In My Phone][2] A Current Affair [**Devin Dawson** - Asking For a Friend][3]

All too often the influences passed down from one musician to another are apparent only as distant melodies, those shadows of nostalgia that revive against the dying of some musical light. A distilled fraction of what made the original influence so notable. But what do we make of two mammoth personalities, massive musical evangelists in their day, who only shared a stage a couple of times, three tops? Those sound like pivotal moments. Fats Waller, son of a minister and a musician, kidnapped star of Al Capone's birthday party, and Satchmo / Pops / Louis Armstrong, perhaps the most bedrock figure in the history of American jazz, may have only played together a handful of times during Waller's lifetime before he passed in 1943. But there's little question the stride pianist and buoyant trumpeter were tuned in to the same human channel. Each carved out a remarkable place in history and commanded any room he was in, but the treasures you find when digging a little - why Fats hated hearing 'Sunny Side of the Stre