Mailbag: CDs, Emo, And Jeff Mangum’s Icon Status

Explicit content warning

11/13/20 • 55 min

This week, Steven and Ian are once again taking questions from listeners. One listener was interested in exploring the place of CDs in the modern music industry, both in terms of audio quality, as well as the best method of listening. The result is a spirited conversation about how CDs compare in quality to that of streaming and vinyl, and the sense of ownership that comes with holding in your hand a physical manifestation of music. Is there anything quite like gathering a stack of CDs to take on a road trip?

Of course, an episode of Indiecast wouldn’t be complete without a chance for Cohen to sing his praises about emo bands, this week focusing on 'Ground Aswim,' the latest from Sinai Vessel. The record hasn’t been getting much mainstream attention this year, which begs the question of what it really means for an album to be “slept on” in 2020.

In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Cohen is recommending new albums from Soul Glo and Record Setter, while Hyden can’t get enough of the latest from David Nance.

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In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Cohen is recommending new albums from Soul Glo and Record Setter, while Hyden can’t get enough of the latest from David Nance.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Previous Episode

Our Favorite Albums Of 1999

With Wilco’s 'Summerteeth' reissue coming later this month to (belatedly) celebrate its twentieth anniversary, Steven and Ian are looking back to 1999. While it might not have necessarily been a more innocent time, it was certainly a simpler time where teen pop and nu-metal ruled the radio waves and alternative rock was starting to become plain old indie rock.

For the new episode of Indiecast, Steven and Ian revisited some of their five favorite albums from the era to determine what still holds up today. While Hyden’s top five albums walks that line between alt-rock and indie rock with albums like 'Summerteeth' and Nine Inch Nails’ 'The Fragile,' Cohen was more focused on the emo rock scene, remembering albums from Jimmy Eat World and American Football.

In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Cohen the new album from Philadelphia band The Goalie’s Anxiety At The Penalty Kick. Hyden, on the other hand, is still looking to the past to sing the praises of Foxygen’s 2013 album 'We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic.'

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Next Episode

The Many Live Albums Of 2020

Something we can all agree upon is that it’s been far too long since we’ve heard live music in person. In 2020, recordings of live shows feel more relevant than ever, with the roar of a crowd imbuing nostalgia for a simpler time. This is the central focus of our latest episode, which finds Steven and Ian digging in to the swath of live albums that are on the docket for the remainder of the year, including forthcoming releases from The War On Drugs, Arctic Monkeys, and The Postal Service.

2020 has forced artists to get creative in how they connect with fans, and are utilizing live streams and live albums to remind music lovers of why shows are such a vital part of their lives. Sometimes, these live albums offers listeners a glimpse at exciting alternate versions of the songs they know and love, with improvised sections, different arrangements, and elongated instrumental sections. Other times, they just feel like relics of a lost art.

In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Cohen is endorsing 'Summer Sleeping,' the new EP from Indiana quartet Thunder Dreamer. Hyden is advocating for the new Ganser album, 'Just Look At That Sky,' which he believes is being slept on by most.

Check out Steven's ranking of the best live albums of all time here and sign up for the Indie Mixtape newsletter here.

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