Shallow Rewards

On Chan Marshall’s stereotyping by the press, her aborted concept album about Kurt Cobain, and the uncomfortable reality of genetic exceptionalism....

On Def Leppard’s unparalleled ascent, and the curious album they recorded after being displaced by grunge in the mid-1990s, Slang. Their 1992 LP Adrenalize was the last successful ...

On the Cure’s uneven 1979 debut, its debts to pub, punk and prog rock, and the importance of older siblings. An accompanying Spotify playlist is available below; please listen on r...

Adult Swim Creative Director Jason DeMarco returns to discuss the state of anime, and the future of Toonami with me and Jake Cleland. // @Clarknova1 @sawngswjakec...

Christmas single No. 2: audio commentary for the Cure’s in Orange film from 1986 (currently on YouTube). Essentially, this is a two-hour ramble on the band’s legacy. Merry Christma...

I talk with Jason DeMarco—VP and Creative Director of Adult Swim—about his Williams Street imprint, old anime, and Run the Jewels. This is a public episode. If you would like to di...

A wandering and wondrous walk through glam, indie, music journalism with my generation's most prolific author, Simon Reynolds....

Sean T. Collins returns to discuss the increasing appropriation of music as emotional heft in television, with a focus on Mr. Robot and Stranger Things. This is a public episode. I...

On the sliding scales of emo history, and the rise and fall (and rise) of Thursday....

On the sliding scales of emo history, and the rise and fall (and rise) of Thursday....

Walking back the history of R.E.M. with @perpetua and @stoatmixen. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episode...

Walking back the history of R.E.M. with @perpetua and @stoatmixen. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episode...