Album Divers

2022 ”Best of the Rest” (Album Divers top 10 albums of the year)

On this final episode of 2022, Trevor and Shane each select 5 albums and together compile their top 10 albums of the year. The ground rules were simple and were the same this year as last year:
1. They couldn't select an album from 2022 that already had a "deep dive" episode.
2. They wouldn't be ranking their top 5 or the final top 10 in any particular order
3. They couldn't both select the same album.
Finally, like last year, at the end of the episode, Shane and Trevor each announce their #1 album of the year.
With these self-imposed rules in place, Trevor and Shane took turns sharing their picks for the year one by one. The list is as follows:
Trevor: Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa, Wet Leg - Wet Leg, Ezra Furman - All Of Us Flames, The Mars Volta - The Mars Volta, Angel Olsen - Big Time
Shane: Dead Tongues - Dust, Bronze Radio Return - Back Burners, Jamestown Revival - Young Man, Dehd - Big Sky, Big Theif - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
Did your favorite album make our list? Write us and let us know what we forgot!
 
**Thanks you to all of our listener contributions for “Album of the Year.” Stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear listener picks and your voice if you contributed
 
**Finally, why listen to new music anyway? Well, because it's good for you! Here is a link to the article we reference in the episode.https://pitchfork.com/features/article/listen-to-music/
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HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:
*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:
425-287-6832
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https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers
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Mandolin Orange - Such Jubilee (2015)

For his next pick of an album that has, “been around awhile” Shane selects Mandolin Orange’s 2015 release, “Such Jubilee.” Mandolin Orange (now known as Watchhouse since a name change last year) is an Americana/Folk duo from North Carolina formed in 2009 by husband and wife duo Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz. Shane has special memories with this band seeing them live with his father. Trevor’s introduction to the band was their 2019 release which Shane had recommended when Album Divers was in its infancy though never materialized as a deep dive episode. This 2015 release was written by the couple while on the road, but recorded back at home in North Carolina and offers a stripped down aesthetic which allows the listener to absorb lyrics offering little worlds about the importance of savoring the moment in the context of love, loss, and generational connection. This album represents the first  revelation by Shane of a trio of albums that he purchased on vinyl for Trevor as a surprise gift. The next two will be revealed to both him and the Album Divers audience in due time. Stay tuned.________________________________________________________________________________________________ HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS: *You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at: 425-287-6832 *Leave us an audio message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. *Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers *Email us at Albumdiverspodcast@gmail.com *Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

Arcade Fire - WE (2022)

For Shane's pick of a 2022 album, he selected indie rock staple Arcade Fire and their new album "WE.” This was a unique endeavor for your hosts at Album Divers in that Arcade Fire is a band Trevor had been following since their beginnings but lost track of in recent years, and Shane, though familiar with the band’s music, had never listened to an entire album from start to finish. Arcade Fire’s latest album “WE” was written in the throes of isolation brought on by the Covid-19 Pandemic. Arcade Fire weaves interstellar imagery with Greek mythos and takes the listener through the rabbit hole that is the disintegrating human connection found and lost again in technology and social media. Like many of Arcade Fire's previous releases, this record is a concept album. It is divided into two halves. The first, titled “I,” represents the self, and the second, "WE,” portrays our relationship with others. "WE” takes the listener into an imagined dystopia of anxiety, violently destroys it, and builds a new world again, only to find clarity in human connection.
 
*** Special thanks to those of your who contributed your thoughts on this album via audio clips. You will hear your voices sprinkled in throughout the episode.
 
*** This episode was recorded before hearing of allegations of sexual misconduct from four unnamed individuals against lead singer Win Butler. For this reason and others that we explain to begin the episode, you will not hear these allegations mentioned throughout the album’s dissection. Shane and Trevor have had several thoughtful conversations about this topic and encourage you to do the same.
________________________________________________________________________________________________HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:425-287-6832*Leave us an audio message here:https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDiversWe promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode.*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers*Email us at Albumdiverspodcast@gmail.com*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

For their next pick of an album that has been around awhile, Trevor and Shane go back 55 years to the date to break down an album that needs no introduction, The Beatles’ “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Recognizing this as an arduous task, Shane and Trevor were fortunate and grateful to have Authors James Campion and Katie Darby Mullins provide their thoughts on this iconic album on the episode. In addition, several listeners, friends, and fellow music podcasters chimed in on their favorite tracks. If you submitted audio for this purpose, listen for your contribution throughout the episode. Fittingly, Shane and Trevor realize by the end of this album exploration that they would not have been able to get by without a little help from their friends. Does this album live up to its reputation for Trevor and Shane by the end of their deep dive? Listen until the end to find out.
________________________________________________________________________________________________HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:425-287-6832*Leave us an audio message here:https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDiversWe promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode.*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers*Email us at Albumdiverspodcast@gmail.com*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

Bonus Episode: Interview with author James Campion on his book ”Take a Sad Song”

 
On this special bonus episode, Trevor and Shane sit down with author James Campion to discuss his new book "Take a Sad Song...the Emotional Currency of Hey Jude." James is a syndicated columnist and editor for the pop culture magazine “The Aquarian Weekly." His long form essays are featured in the webzine "Dog Door Culture,” and his work has appeared in several periodicals including Huffington Post, New York Newsday, and Hackwriters just to name a few. James is also the cohost of the popular podcast, "Underwater Sunshine" with Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz and the two also host and annual music festival of the same name. His most recent book, "Take a Sad Song: The Emotional Currency of Hey Jude" was released on June 1st of this year, 2022 by Backbeat Books, a division of Rowman and Littlefield. Signed first edition hardcover copies can be ordered through James' website here:
 
https://www.jamescampion.com/
 
Shane and Trevor enjoyed discussing James' book, and the stories behind the construction of one of the greatest songs ever written.
 
***Dont forget to check out our featured artist for this episode, Stylus Theory! You can find their music on all major music platforms. Here is a link to their website: https://stylustheory.com/
________________________________________________________________________________________________
HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:
*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:
425-287-6832
*Leave us an audio message here:
https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers
We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode.
*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers
*Email us at Albumdiverspodcast@gmail.com
*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!
 

Jesse Norell - Aorta Borealis (A deep dive with the artist) (2022)

On this special episode, Trevor and Shane sit down with musician Jesse Norell to discuss the first music he has written in over 15 years, a concept album about the birth and subsequent medical challenges facing his now 6 year old daughter Alyssa. On the day of her birth, Jesse found out in the same moment that Alyssa both had Down syndrome and holes in her heart that would require open heart surgery...one at five months old and another two years later. 
And yet this album is ultimately one of joy and self-discovery. It's about a family who found themselves to be the lucky ones. It's about a father who found his darkness turn to light. But mostly It's about a little girl who found she can make anyone change course.
 
You can follow Jesse's journey, support his music and keep up with future work or shows at his website here:https://jessenorell.com/welcome
 
***Dont forget to check out our featured artist for this episode, Lotte Kestner! You can find her music on all major music platforms. Here is a link to Lotte Kestner's music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LmmhAkoebSsbFfgCybcGI?si=KfXf4XblTUqhz9yT5C1Gbw
 
________________________________________________________________________________________________
HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:
*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:
425-287-6832
*Leave us an audio message here:
https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers
We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. 
*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers
*Email us at Albumdiverspodcast@gmail.com
*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

Sam Cooke - One Night Stand, Live At The Harlem Square Club (1963)

For his first selection of 2022, Trevor goes all the way back to 1963 and selects Sam Cooke's second live album, "One Night Stand: Live at the Harlem Square Club." Though recorded 22 years earlier, this album was not released to the public until 1985 as Sam Cooke's record label felt that the raw and unpolished sound of Cooke performing in a small predominately black club in Florida would damage his image and alienate his suburban white audience. "One Night Stand" presents Sam Cooke like never heard by most audiences during his life and is filled with raw emotion from both Sam and the crowd, as Sam's voice becomes progressively more raspy with the swelling energy of the evening. Shane and Trevor discuss Sam Cooke's life and history, his role in the civil rights movement of the 60s, and they attempt to make sense of his tragic killing at the age of 33, one year after this album was recorded in 1964. At the conclusion of their deep dive of this album, Trevor and Shane both agree that despite the fact that "One Night Stand" presents a stark contrast to Sam Cooke's studio albums and public image, it is a side of Sam Cooke that showcases an essential portrait of who he truly was as an artist and performer.
 
***Dont forget to check out our featured independent artist for this episode, OVRGRWN! You can find their music on all major music platforms. Here is a link to OVRGRWN's music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3MU1O9zfAq6tm6qcacKsED?si=IvgmnC6OSMeS7rxHtWhWSQ
 
________________________________________________________________________________________________
HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:
*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:
425-287-6832
*Leave us an audio message here:
https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers
We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. 
*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers
*Email us at Albumdiverspodcast@gmail.com
*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

2021 ”Best of the Rest” (Album Divers top 10 albums of the year)

On this final episode of 2021, Trevor and Shane each select 5 albums  and together compile their top 10 albums of the year. The ground rules were simple and were the same this year as last year:
1. They couldn't select an album from 2021 that already had a "deep dive" episode.
2. They wouldn't be ranking their top 5 or the final top 10 in any particular order
3. They couldn't both select the same album.
The one new addition this year was at the end of the episode, Shane and Trevor would each announce their #1 album of the year.
With these self-imposed rules in place, Trevor and Shane took turns sharing their picks for the year one by one. The list is as follows:
Trevor: Maximo Park - Nature Always Wins, Pom Poko - Cheater, Serpentwithfeet - Deacon, The War on Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore, Idles - Crawler
Shane: Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God, Joe Pug - The Diving Sun, The Killers - Pressure Machine, Houndmouth - Good For You, Lord Huron - Long Lost
Did your favorite album make our list? Write us and let us know what we forgot!
 
**Thanks you to all of our listener contributions for “Album of the Year.” Stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear top album of 2021 picks from:
Ken Mills - Voice Actor & Producer of PodKISSt/THE KISS ROOM! & Host of Zilch A Monkees Podcast!, POP with Ken Mills, Cheap Talk with Trick Chat & Everything Sucks PodCast
Peter Carr - Musician, Wakethewatchman https://open.spotify.com/artist/133EaClnGJfbGmcyYQDfac?si=iTljQhbSTMSQNyvlRc3UIA
Jesse Norell - Musician https://open.spotify.com/artist/3habatC4YQIR3elUirJ1J8?si=fEUXMfHxQJy6XvVeT_4C9g
Ryan Schaff - host of “The Broken Record Player” podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-broken-record-player-podcast/id1526026703
Matt Latham -  host of Pick a Disc podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pick-a-disc/id1451187772
Sharda - #sharcollectsvinyl on IG https://instagram.com/sharcollectsvinyl?utm_medium=copy_link
Adam Anderson
 
 
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HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:
*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:
425-287-6832
*Leave us an audio message here:
https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers
We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. 
*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers
*Email us at Albumdiverspodcast@gmail.com
*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

Lucy Dacus - Home Video (2021)

For his last selection of a 2021 album, Trevor selects Lucy Dacus' June release titled, "Home Video."  Lucy Dacus has carved a name for herself with her unique songwriting and layered themes. Once a film school student prior to becoming a musician, Lucy has now released three studio albums as well as collaborated with Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker to form the supergroup "Boy Genius." This album see's the indie singer-songwriter drawing inspiration from her childhood as well as her teenage years. Many of the songs are inspired by actual diary entries that Lucy found herself re-reading on her first trip back to her hometown of Richmond Virginia. Dacus describes the experience as one in which she no longer recognized her former self, and wondered if her former self would approve of who she has become. This album is definitely raw and exposed like a heart on your sleeve. As Lucy describes in one track on this album, "it's embarrassing, the pulpy thing beating." While that may be the case, it's also relatable and perhaps a necessary checkpoint on the path of an young artist blossoming into a powerful force in the indie-pop genre. 
 
***Dont forget to check out our featured independent artist and album for this episode, Peter Carr of Wake the Watchman! You can find his music on all major music platforms. Here is a link to his Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/133EaClnGJfbGmcyYQDfac
 
________________________________________________________________________________________________
HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:
*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:
(502) 792-8080
*Leave us an audio message here:
https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers
We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. 
*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers
*Email us at Albumdiverspodcast@gmail.com
*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

Ben Folds - Rockin‘ The Suburbs (2001)

For Shane's pick of an album that has "been around awhile," he selects Ben Folds' 2001 release Rockin' the Suburbs. Trevor and Shane have fun reminiscing on an album that they both have history with and memories listening to growing up. This album covers topics of love, fatherhood, self-identity, and depression but somehow also manages to work in some humor on a couple of tracks. Some of the songs are specific to personal events in Ben's life, and others create stories with personal names and places that open up worlds and characters. The lyrics detour some from albums that have been covered on Album Divers in the past with writing that is lest cryptic and laced with literary reference. Ben Folds' lyrics are simple but poignant and carefully selected to paint a picture with the proper amount of weight to them. On the musical side, this album represents a detour for Ben Folds into higher production quality, but his impressive piano playing continue to be the backbone of his work in this album as it was with his work on Ben Folds Five.
 
***Dont forget to check out our featured independent artist and album for this episode, All Poets and Heroes with  their 2020 release Occhiolism! You can find them on all major music platforms. Here is a link to their Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7j8estI2X5VhewNvgaBvOy?si=mPZff-EjQleJBxf3Ive_ow
and website:http://www.allpoetsandheroes.com
________________________________________________________________________________________________
HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:
*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:
(502) 792-8080
*Leave us an audio message here:
https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers
We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. 
*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers
*Email us at Albumdiverspodcast@gmail.com
*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!