Fresh off the heels of our Animal Collective episode, we keep things weird for this week's Sidetrack with a look at Black Dice's "Tree Tops" and "Skeleton" from their 2004 release "Creature Comforts". We really tried to understand and enjoy the noisiness of these noise tracks, but the lack of song structures and melodies just left us scratching our heads. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/album-review-animal-collective-sung-tongs#sidetrack

We explore the experimental and unconventional sounds of Animal Collective with a look at their 2004 album Sung Tongs. Avey Tare and Panda Bear's unique use of harmonies and repetition on this album are what make it such a compelling experimental record. This album ultimately proves to be the blueprint and stepping stone for the sounds and techniques heard on their 2009 album Merriweather Post Pavillion, their most well-received and commercially successful release to date. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/album-review-animal-collective-sung-tongs

​In this week's Sidetrack we take a look at an album that Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold drew inspiration from and had on heavy rotation while writing songs for ​"Helplessness Blues". Roy Harper's four song masterpiece, "Stormcock", is this short and sweet, intensely beautiful & clever album (to borrow sentiments from Johnny Marr), along with other works by Harper, had a major influence on many of rock's most legendary members, including Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Pete Townshend, and Pink Floyd, among others. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-18-fleet-foxes#sidetrack

​We gush and fawn over Robin Pecknold's lyrics and song composition as we dive into Fleet Foxes' second album Helplessness Blues​. We also take a look at what makes Fleet Foxes stand out in the landscape of indie-folk from that era. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-18-fleet-foxes

Travis offers a quick peak at the pivotal stoner metal band Sleep, and plays a track off their brand new album ​The Sciences​ called "Marijuanaut's Theme". For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-black-sabbath#sidetrack

In this episode we explore Black Sabbath's first three albums, and briefly touch on one of rock's most pivotal years, 1969. And much like our very first episode on Alice in Chains, we get to the bottom of Quentin's dislike for metal. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-black-sabbath

To top off our SpoonFest we decided to dive into the soundtrack for "Stranger Than Fiction" for our Sidetrack this week, which just happens to be chock-full Britt Daniel & Spoon. Music supervisor/composer Brian Reitzell collaborates heavily with Britt Daniel for this soundtrack, and Daniel offers up four Spoon tracks for the film, including "The Book I Write", which is an exclusive track for the movie. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-16-spoon-gimme-fiction#sidetrack

We finish up our SpoonFest with a look at Spoon fully realized in their 2005 release ​"Gimme Fiction"​.​ With the addition of keyboardist Eric Harvey alongside Britt Daniel's increasing comfortability behind those ivory keys, ​"Gimme Fiction"​ brings the piano to the forefront in several songs, yet still finds time to squeeze in those slightly strange & beautiful, electronic-heavy tunes that Spoon does so well. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-16-spoon-gimme-fiction

We explore the work of acclaimed ambient artist Adam Wiltzie and his side project The Dead Texan. Wiltzie and his collaborator Christina Vantzou approach ambient music differently than Scott Morgan of Loscil, who we talked about last week, leaning more on real instruments sampled into the mix to create more organic sounding tones and textures in their music. If you like this music, check out Wiltzie's main project Stars of the Lid. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-loscil-first-narrows#sidetrack

We hit pause on indie rock and mellow out with the ambient electronic music of Loscil. Scott Morgan's approach to Loscil started as an exploration on how to represent abstract concepts such as physics and thermodynamics in musical form. On this episode, we cover his third studio album First Narrows and talk about the special relationship we both have with ambient music and how Loscil's approach sets him apart from others in the genre. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-loscil-first-narrows

Powerpop synth duo The Eurythmics had found mega success behind the time the year 1984 rolled around. But when the decided to tackle the score to the film adaptation of George Orwell's book of the same name, controversy ensues. Hear for yourself why Britt Daniels of Spoon considers this to be a highly overlooked album. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/spoon-kill-the-moonlight-review#sidetrack

We continue our quest to cover all things Spoon with a look at Kill the Moonlight. On this album, Spoon becomes more experimental with their song compositions, adding more synthesized drums and keys to the mix. But still present are Britt Daniels's always spot-on guitar riffs and Jim Eno's simple yet masterful drum beats. With songs that break away from the mainstream through risk-taking and experimentation, but still carry with it pop-hook punches and catchy melodies, Kill the Moonlight set Spoon on the path to becoming the indie-rock gods that they are today. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/spoon-kill-the-moonlight-review

Following last week's episode on Interpol's debut album "Turn On The Bright Lights", we focus on new wave's "chumps from Liverpool", Echo & The Bunnymen, and their second studio album from 1981, "Heaven Up Here". The album's dark, moody, somber vibes puts us in the same headspace as Interpol's TOTBL. With frontman Ian McCulloch's imperfect & strained vocals, & guitarist Will Sergeant's reverb'd & angular stylings, it's no wonder Interpol was often compared to Echo & The Bunnymen. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-interpol-turn-on-the-bright-lights#sidetrack

This week we explore the melancholic soundscapes of Interpol's debut album Turn On The Bright Lights. The emotional punch that this album packs is the perfect mix of somber and powerfully passionate in a way that, beyond their red ties and sleek haircuts, made Interpol stand out amongst the slew of bands from that era. Between the angular guitars of Daniel Kessler, the baritone attack of Paul Bank's vocals, and the one-two punch of Carlos D. on bass and Sam Fogarino on drums - Interpol delivers one of the most memorable releases to come out of the New York post-punk revival of the early 2000s. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-interpol-turn-on-the-bright-lights

We take a look back at one particular incident in 1979 involving the Stephen Stills Band, too much to drink, and Elvis Costello's racist remarks toward black American musicians just as his career was starting to take off in the U.S. Costello bounces back by releasing "Get Happy!!" in 1980, a collection of soul-pop gems that demonstrated a clear respect and admiration for the music of black America. To tie it back to last week's review of Spoon's "Girls Can Tell", we listen to "Secondary Modern" and explore the influence Costello had on Britt Daniels vocal stylings. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-12-spoon-girls-can-tell#sidetrack

On this week's episode we continue our dive into Spoon with a look at Girls Can Tell. This album shows a clear shift in sound from the more aggressive and punchier approach of their previous works, with Britt Daniels acknowledging that anything is fair game when it comes to a Spoon song. Pianos, vibraphones, and even harpsichords are introduced into the songwriting process, creating the blueprint for how Britt and company approach the music of Spoon from that point on. It's safe to say that Girls Can Tell is when Spoon becomes Spoon. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-12-spoon-girls-can-tell

We continue our conversation on the origins of emo music with a look at 1999 self-titled album from American Football. Stepping away from the punk-rock influence entirely, American Football's unique sound introduced elements of jazz and math-rock into the emo repertoire. The album has since achieved cult-status and is widely considered one of the greatest and most important releases in the history of emo music. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-11-jimmy-eat-world-clarity#sidetrack

Now considered a touchstone record of the emo genre, we take a look at Jimmy Eat World's 1999 classic Clarity, and how the sound they were perfecting ushered us into the third wave of emo music. Before that we go all the way back to the spring of 1985 in Washington D.C. to explore the origins of emo, and discuss how difficult the genre is to define. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-11-jimmy-eat-world-clarity

One year after releasing ​"A Series Of Sneaks​", Spoon erects a permanent middle finger to Ron Laffitte in the form of a single. Laffitte, the recently canned VP at Elektra Records, was ultimately responsible for ASoS's failure & for Spoon getting dumped from the label. This week's sidetrack dives a little deeper into the story as we listen to both sides of the single, "The Agony of Laffitte" & "Laffitte Don't Fail Me Now". For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/album-review-spoon-series-of-sneaks#sidetrack

We begin our monthly love fest for indie rock gods Spoon with a look at their 2nd studio album "A Series of Sneaks". Although the album was ultimately unsuccessful due to limited support from the Elektra records (more on that story later), the album went on to receive critical acclaim and admiration as one of the greatest 90's rock albums of the decade. For more info, check out our show notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/album-review-spoon-series-of-sneaks

On this week's Sidetrack, We explore the origins of the Melvin Lindsey's smooth jazz radio format "Quiet Storm" and the Smokey Robinson song of the same name that inspired the genre. For more info, check out the shown notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-sade-promise#sidetrack

We take a break from the usual rock and folk to explore the legendary R&B soulstress Sade and her second studio album Promise, and how with the help of her incredible backing band were able to cut through the 80's pop formula with their unique blend of jazz, R&B and soul. For more info, check out the shown notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-sade-promise

Fresh off the heels of last week's episode on Foals' debut album ​Antidotes​, this week's Sidetrack focuses on one of the "founders of math rock", Polvo, with music from their 1996 release ​Exploded Drawing.​ For more info, check out the shown notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-foals-antidotes#sidetrack

No Filler explores what makes Foals' debut album Antidotes one of the greatest math-rock albums of all time. The angular guitars, complex drums, and punchy, anxious vocals make this album truly unforgettable. For more info, check out the shown notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/music-review-foals-antidotes

On this week's Sidetrack we take a look at Feist's second studio album ​Let It Die ​with a quick listen ​​​of track 5, "Leisure Suite". Feist also appears in a couple tracks on Kings of Convenience's ​Riot On An Empty Street​, which was covered on last week's No Filler episode. We intro this Sidetrack with a clip from "Know How", which features Feist's vocals. For more info, check out the shown notes: https://www.nofillerpodcast.com/episode/ep-7-kings-of-convenience-riot-on-an-empty-street#sidetrack