Look At My Records!

Tom is entering the 100s of Look At My Records! in dramatic fashion.

Episode 100 featured one of Tom’s all-time faves, Colin Moulding of XTC, and Episode 101 features one of his favorite bands of the last few years, Corridor. The Montreal-based band just released their third album, Junior, on Sub Pop, and its definitely one of the best of the year!

Tune in as they chat about the process behind writing and recording Junior, signing with Sub Pop, the Montreal music scene, and more!

You can purchase Junior on limited edition “Loser” vinyl via Bandcamp or the Sub Pop megastore.

Corridor is currently on tour in Europe! West coast friends, they’re heading your way in December. Be sure to check them out when they come through your neck of the woods:

FRI, Nov 8 - Hafenklang, Hamburg, Germany Tickets

SAT, Nov 9 - West Germany, Berlin, Germany Tickets

SUN, Nov 10 - Sonic City Festival, Kortrijk, Belgium Tickets

WED, Nov 20 - Garrison, Toronto, Canada Tickets

FRI, Nov 22 - M for Montreal Festival (Le National), Montreal, Canada Tickets

THU, Nov 28 - L'Anti Bar & Spectacles, Quebec, Canada Tickets

WED, Dec 4 - Milk Bar, San Francisco, CA Tickets

SAT, Dec 7 - Bunk Bar, Portland, OR Tickets

SUN, Dec 8 - Astoria BC, Vancouver, Canada (w/ N0V3L) Tickets

TUE, Dec 10 - Barboza, Seattle, WA Tickets

FRI, Dec 13 - Moroccan Lounge, Los Angeles, CA Tickets

SUN, Jan 19 - Lincoln Hall (IL), Chicago, IL (Tomorrow Never Knows with Deeper) Tickets

Dan Molad of Coco joins Tom for Episode 197 of Look At My Records! If you’re not familiar yet with Coco, get acquainted, as they just dropped one of our favorite records of the year in their self-titled debut. The project originally formed somewhat casually in 2019, when Molad met for some brief songwriting sessions with friends Maia Friedman (Dirty Projectors, Uni Ika Ai) and Oliver Hill (Pavo Pavo, Dustrider). These sessions, though short, proved to be quite fruitful, as the trio emerged with their first two songs. Over the course of the next year and a half, the band met sporadically to write and record, releasing a string of singles anonymously before revealing their identities this past summer in conjunction with their fourth single, “Knots.” Their efforts culminated with the release of their magnificent 10 song debut last week. Tune in to the interview to hear how the trio was inspired by their friend Bob Moses to initially release their music anonymously, how they developed their democratized, organic songwriting process, what you can expect from their upcoming live shows, and much more. Plus, Molad picked some awesome records from Brittany Howard, Panda Bear, and Sonny & The Sunsets. You can follow along with his pics via the official playlist for Episode 197.

You can purchase Coco’s new record via Bandcamp. The album is also available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify. Keep up with Coco by following them on Instagram.

Coco will be performing twice in November! Their first show is on November 12th at Zebulon in Los Angeles, followed by a date at Union Pool in Brooklyn on November 16th. Don’t miss them!

For Episode 184, Zach Romano joins Tom as co-host for an interview with Brooklyn-based author Mandy Brownholtz. Brownholtz just released her debut novel, Rotten, which tells the story of a young twenty-something named Viv Taylor as she navigates the seedy underbelly of the DIY scene in Washington D.C. The plot sees Viv confronting past traumas experienced through the scene and reckons with issues of consent and millennial sexual politics, particularly in the context of tight-knit music communities. Tune in to the interview to hear about Brownholtz’s decision to self-publish the novel and what went into that process, the “Ooze” motif that follows Viv throughout the book, how her own experiences in the DIY community helped her develop the characters in Rotten, and more. Plus, Mandy picked some awesome records from Tom’s record collection from Times New Viking, Parquet Courts, Fiona Apple, and more. You can follow along with her picks via the official playlist for Episode 184!

The first print edition of Rotten is sold out, but you can sign up for the waitlist for the second edition. You can purchase a digital copy of the book via Brownholtz’s website. Keep up with her via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Episode 171 of Look At My Records! features an interview with indie folk artist Jack Symes. Symes just released his second full-length, Tompkins Park, in late March and the deeply personal record expounds on his move to New York after spending most of his life on the west coast. His story is an intriguing one, as while playing a series of gigs here in the city a couple of years ago, he met and fell in love with his partner, and thus, made the cross-country move last year. Many of the songs on the album detail his challenging early experiences in the city, but he also displays his knack for telling other kinds of stories at various points. He dissects the nuance of cult figures on “The Story of Jim Jones,” the fakeness that’s sometimes involved in party-going on “What A Wonderful Party,” and reflects on a glorious weekend away on “Illinois.” Tune in to our interview to hear some insights from Jack on his narrative-driven approach to lyric writing, what it was like collaborating with Eva. B Ross on one of the record’s standout tracks, “Wait,” the process of recording Tompkins Park early in quarantine, why the record includes a full band version of “Why, Why Not” and an acoustic version, and much more. Jack also picked some awesome records from my record collection, including some recent favorites of mine from Cut Worms and Kate Bollinger. You can follow along with his picks via the official playlist for Episode 171.

Tompkins Park is out now! You can stream it on your platform of choice or purchase a copy on limited edition vinyl via Bandcamp. Keep up with Symes by following him on Instagram and liking him on Facebook.

Episode 166 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Brooklyn indie-folk artist Juliet Quick. Earlier this month, she released her latest EP, Glass Years on Substitute Scene Records. Across its five songs, Quick strings together dense arrangements and peers both inward and gazes outward to analyze impending global catastrophe, self-doubt, the impact of gendered emotional labor in relationships, and more. Tune in to hear all about Glass Years, including how it compares to her last release, the more conceptual Changelings, what it was like working with producer Rick Spataro, the inspiration behind several of the tracks, the relationship between glass and time that she explores at several points on the EP, and more. Plus, Juliet tells us about her background as an opera singer and how she originally started writing songs on a ukulele. She also picked some excellent records, including one from her friends and label mates, Verdigrls, Kate Bush, and Lomelda. You can follow along with her picks via the official playlist for Episode 166!

You can purchase Glass Years via Bandcamp. The EP is also available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify. Keep up with Juliet by liking her on Facebook and following her on Instagram.