Quentin is flying solo again this week and continuing his journey through the eras and genres leading up to garage rock. A main influencer on rock as we know it today emerged in the 1960s alongside psychedelia & The British Invasion: Surf Rock. With fuzzy distortion, twangy reverb, & Middle Eastern tinged picking, guitarists Dick Dale, Link Wray, & Duane Eddy found mainstream success in their instrumental surf rock, and had an everlasting impact on rock n' roll.

Travis is in and out of town again for the next couple weeks, so I am all by my lonesome and we are postponing our episode on The Strokes AGAIN! Sad times. But in the meantime I'm diving into all the genres and eras leading up to the garage rock revival of the 2000s. A Wiki rabbit hole led me to these saucy boys from the late 70s: the Neo-psychedelic, post-punk group The Soft Boys. Their debut album A Can Of Bees is so goddamn good, full of killer hooks, bluesy riffs, and danceable drum beats.

On this week's Sidetrack we take another peak at the term ​"yé-yé​", a specific style of French pop music popularized in the 60's that continues to influence groups to this day, with its twangy surf guitar & upbeat bubblegum pop melodies. A favorite of ours that stands out in this style is a group that goes by Juniore, who have been perfecting that 60's retro French pop sound since 2013.

​After a month of headbanging and raging with Korn and Static X, we take a breather and relax with the loungy, space rock synth vibes of Air's 2004 release ​Talkie Walkie​. The French duo somehow manage to cultivate a sound that is both retro & futuristic, with the use of vintage synth keys, guitar pedals, and vocoders. ​​With help from Nigel Godrich (see also: Radiohead, Beck) Talkie Walkie ​is a wonderfully warm & intimate, "elegantly moody soundtrack for imaginary films".

On this week's Sidetrack we take a quick peak at Static X, one of the many bands that "followed the leader" Korn in the Nu Metal movement of the late 90s. Static X brought their own taste to the mix, dropping in some solid "four on the floor" dance beats and more repetitive hooks, leaning heavily into the industrial metal category. We also listen to a song from the movie "Queen Of The Damned", performed by Wayne Static, but written by Korn frontman Jonathan Davis​.

We take a deep dive into Korn, the pioneers that took metal into new directions with their unique blend of funk, hip hop, and thrash. Nu-metal took off with a slew of imitators and fast-followers, but Korn's lead singer Jonathan Davis and the rest of his bandmates always stayed one step ahead of the sound they created, pushing the envelope and finding new ways to evolve the genre. What really made Korn so different than their successors was Davis' truly unique vocal performances, ranging from unfiltered emotional outbursts to spazzy scat freakouts and everything in between. Here's our look at Korn's first four amazing records.

​On this week's episode, we take our first dive into hip hop, and listen to possibly its most influential album, "The Low End Theory"​. A Tribe Called Quest emerges from the Native Tongues in the early 90s, bringing with them positive-minded, Afrocentric lyrics and eclectic, unique, & jazz-influenced beats. We also take a quick peak at the golden age of hip hop, focusing on New York's hip hop community in the mid to late 80s and early 90s, leading up to the rise of A Tribe Called Quest.​

​On this week's Sidetrack we finish up our Radiohead stint with "Bangers and Mash", a B-side from ​In Rainbows Disk 2​. Borrowing From The Basement once more, we listen to audio from that recording and geek out over Thom Yorke singing and drumming alongside Philip Selway. Check out the video From The Basement in our show notes! https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-31-radiohead-in-rainbows#sidetrack

On this week's episode we welcome our first guest to No Filler - musician and Radiohead superfan Nathan Forster​. To finish up our coverage of Radiohead (for now), we take our first true deep dive, and go track by track through their 2007 release "​In Rainbows​". Join us as we geek out over not just "​In Rainbows"​, but all things Radiohead - everything from Yorke's infamous lazy eye to Godrich's awe-inspiring recordings From The Basement. For more info, check out the show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-31-radiohead-in-rainbows

​On this week's Sidetrack we focus on the vibes and styles from Beck's 1994 release, "One Foot In The Grave", by taking a look at some of his early influences. Starting out as a "folk teenage hobo", Beck would take his guitar with him on city buses, covering Mississippi John Hurt and other standard folktales made famous by acts such as The Carter Family. For more info, check out the show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/episode-30-beck-sea-change#sidetrack

The anti-folk, alt pop rock legend Beck has been cranking out some of the most unique and memorable albums for the better part of the last 20 some-odd years. Back in 2002, after making a household name for himself with songs like "Loser", "Devil's Haircut", and "Where It's At", Beck flipped the script on himself and shared his hauntingly beautiful, acoustic-heavy break-up album, ​Sea Change​, shortly after his relationship of 9 years fell apart. As David Fricke of Rolling Stone puts it, "Sea Change, gleaming with twang and heartbroken strings, is an entire album of spectacular suffering.​" For more info, check out the show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/episode-30-beck-sea-change

​On this week's Sidetrack we take a listen to Jonny Greenwood's soundtrack for the 2017 psychological thriller ​"You Were Never Really Here​". With both ambient and beat-heavy tracks, the OST gives us a solid representation of Greenwood's diversity as both a composer and an electronic artist. For more info, check out the show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/album-review-radiohead-hail-to-the-thief#sidetrack

We continue our deep dive into Radiohead with a look at Hail To The Thief. Coming out of the Kid A and Amnesiac tunnel where Thom nearly turned his back completely on guitar-based melodies, Hail is a return to Radiohead embracing the traditional rock song format and Thom finding his voice again. The computer was still a critical component to the song-writing process, but treated like the other instruments used in the recording session. The result is uniquely Radiohead, a mashup of every stepping stone that brought them to that point. For more info, check out the show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/album-review-radiohead-hail-to-the-thief

David LeBleu​, drummer for The Mercury Program (and The Album Leaf!) and all-around dabbler in sound manipulation, has been creating his own electronic music for at least a couple decades now under the name Textual. We take a quick look at his first full-length, ​Hindsight Sunglasses​, which is the much more melodic and rhythmic side of Textual. Robot Science finishes out the episode with "Teacups", a song from his 2010 album, ​Square​. For more info, check out the show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-28-the-mercury-program-a-data-learn-the-language#sidetrack

Quentin is back from vacation and back on the mic with Travis to cover one of their favorite instrumental albums, "a data learn the language", by The Mercury Program. Drummer Brian Lebleu and bassist Sander Travisano showcase their skills and unique dynamic as a rhythm section, playing in tandem with Sander's brother Whit on keys and vibes and Thomas Reno on guitar to deliver one of the most memorable instrumental rock albums of the last 20 years. For more info, check out the show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-28-the-mercury-program-a-data-learn-the-language

Travis flies solo again on this episode and decides to crank it to 11 with a quick look at Soulfly's crushing and relentless track "The Summoning". Their latest album "Ritual" marks a return to form for Max Cavalera, with a throwback to the sound and energy he brought to his first group Sepultura. Fans of both groups have something to love about this new album, a tour de force and proof that Max still has something to say 12 years since his departure from Sepultura. For more info, check out the show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-soulfly-the-summoning

Travis takes a quick look at 90s alt-metal outfit Helmet and their track "Vaccination" off the 1994 album Betty. With their unique blend of metal and alternative rock, these guys went on to have a huge impact many of the nu-metal and post hardcore acts that followed them. And as showcased in "Vaccination", with their syncopated guitar riffs and unconventional time signatures one could even argue that Helmet flirts with math-rock, or perhaps math-metal? Either way you look at it, Helmet's originality made them stand out the crowd of grunge and alternative that dominated rock radio. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-27-radiohead-amnesiac#sidetrack

No Filler kicks off the new year with another one of our favorite Radiohead albums, Amnesiac. After emerging from his musical existential crisis post OK Computer, Thom Yorke began loosening his grip on creative control and started to reach out to other band members in the songwriting process. The band ended up having over 60 sketches for song ideas and structures, narrowing down & piecing them together to give us both Kid A and Amnesiac within 8 months time. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-27-radiohead-amnesiac

From doom metal to Thai-inspired funk, we each bring 5 of our favorite albums from 2018 to the table and play a song from each. Tracklist: 1. Graham Coxon - Lucifers Behind Me 2. Khruangbin - Evan Finds the Third Room 3. YOB - Ablaze 4. Hayley Heynderickx - The Bug Collector 5. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Hanoi 6 6. Echlo - Got Me Drinking 7. Mr. Twin Sister - Echo Arms 8. Courtney Barnett - Hopefulessness 9. Yimino - Cartoon 10. Wand - The Gift For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/favorite-albums-of-2018

We take a look at R.E.M. guitar player Peter Buck's side project The Minus 5, headed by Scott McCaughey of the Seattle-based The Young Fresh Fellows. The Traveling Wilburys also sneak into this episode as Quentin was shocked and dismayed that Travis had never heard of them before, arguably the most "super" of super groups to ever assemble. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-rem-lifes-rich-pageant#sidetrack

If you were to plot R.E.M's path from underground buzz to household name, their fourth studio album Lifes Rich Pageant was the turning point. Coming out of a miserable recording experience in London with Fables of the Reconstruction in 1985, the band heads back to the states and are determined to inject some energy and creativity back into their music. The result is the loud, invigorating, and often spontaneous fourth album. R.E.M. did a lot of interesting things on this album, utilizing banjos, organs, and pianos, all while maintaining both the edge and the softness of their brand of alt rock that would soon propel Michael Stipe and co. to mainstream mega-stardom. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-rem-lifes-rich-pageant

Fresh off the heels of our Kid A episode from last week, we take a look at the music of Richard D. James, better known as Aphex Twin, one of the artists responsible for pulling Thom Yorke out of his musical funk. Aphex Twin, along with countless other artists under the Warp record label umbrella, breathed in new life to electronic music, with a long lasting influence on the ambient, IDM, & downtempo genres. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-24-radiohead-kid-a#sidetrack

Radiohead-A-Palooza? Yeah, we'll go with that. And for our second installment we dive into their 2000 release, "​Kid A​". After a bought of epic writer's block and a deep depression, Thom Yorke emerges with a newfound love for all things rhythm and electronica. The rest of the gang follows suit, and after 3 years of writing and a full year of recording, "​Kid A"​ is born, and in a way, so is Radiohead. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-24-radiohead-kid-a

​On this week's Sidetrack we give a listen to Talking Heads' frontman David Byrne & indie rock darling St. Vincent's 2012 collaboration ​Love This Giant​. An album three years in the making, and with help from 46 additional musicians, this art pop gem, spanning generations of musical badass-ness, is just one of those special moments in the new wave zeitgeist. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-talking-heads-77#sidetrack

We take a look at the Talking Heads debut album Talking Heads: 77. Opening for The Ramones in 1975 at CBGBs, the Talking Heads came straight out of the New York punk scene with a sound that needed a new classification, quickly pioneering the term "new wave" with their mix of punk, art rock, and funk. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-talking-heads-77