My Favorite Album with Jeremy Dylan

TW: Suicide Today, celebrated author Ken Womack joins me to unpack his extraordinary new definitive biography of Beatles road manager Mal Evans, 'Living the Beatles Legend'. Ken talks about the incredible access given to him by the Evans family, including Mal's unpublished memoirs and diaries, the digital warehouse he built to sort through the incredible archival material, how much of the Beatles story is Mal's story, how the Beatles invented the pop superstar industry as they went along, how Mal managed to take on roles that would now be filled by dozens of individuals, how the Beatles laid the template for every rock'n'roll narrative that has followed, the friction between Mal and Brian Epstein, how Mal compartmentalised his life, how Mal championed and produced Badfinger in the face of Allen Klein's opposition, Mal's friendship with Paul McCartney, the upcoming quartet of Sam Mendes directed Beatles movies, the myth of the solitary genius, how important every member of the Beatles inner circle was to their success, and the conterfactuals in Beatles history, including how Mal's story might have unfolded over the past decades if it hadn't been so tragically cut short.

Today we bring you a (if you can believe it) new perspective on the Beatles story, as Dierdre Kelly joins me to discuss her fascinating book 'Fashioning The Beatles: The Looks That Shook The World', in which she unpacks the journey of the Fab Four's style across their careers, how they influenced and were influenced by fashion and the culture at large. From the edgy elegance of their early years, the contradictions between their working class drawl and sharp presentation, the rapid pace of change in both their look and sound, how they helped popularise corduroy, the rise of menswear as a form of cultural expression and the case for Ringo Starr as the most stylish Beatle.

Today I'm joined by songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of The Lumineers, Jeremiah Fraites, to wax rhapsodic on Radiohead's iconic 1997 album 'OK Computer'. We talk about Jeremiah's journey from hating to loving Radiohead as a teenager, the album's diverse but coherent sound, the album's sonic easter eggs, the balance of performed and constructed elements, the early live incarnations of the OK Computer songs, road testing songs in the pre-iPhone era, the power of boredom as creative fuel and more. We also breakdown Jeremiah's beautiful interpretation of 'No Surprises', featured on his new album 'Piano Piano 2', and the process of arranging the song and recording with Gregory Alan Isakov.

Today I'm joined by Ed Nash, bassist of UK indie heroes Bombay Bicycle Club, down the line from North London to chat about Kurt Vile's modern classic 2011 album, 'Smoke Ring for My Halo'. Ed talks about discovering the album on tour in Australia, how it became the soundtrack of BBC's breakthrough period, listening to it on repeat on tour, the sonic space and soundscape of the album, Vile's sophisticated and distinctive guitar style, how Vile disguises the sophistication of his music with his 'slacker rock' image, and how the album influenced Ed's approach to guitar, arrangements and lyrics in the years since. 

We kick off our tenth anniversary year with ARIA-winner Mia Dyson, who joins me to talk about the soundtrack of the iconic Talking Heads concert film 'Stop Making Sense'. We talk about wearing out VHS tapes in the pre-streaming era, the contrast between the band's musical eccentricity and austere aesthetic, why the film is the perfect entry point for new Talking Heads fans, how the show builds from David Byrne solo acoustic to the full expanded band extravaganza, Byrne's obsession with deconstruction, how the analogue staging and filmmaking techniques have kept the film timeless 40 years later, the overriding joyousness of the performances despite the contentious interband dynamics, the unconventional choreography in the show, the earnest emotional core behind all the weirdness and Mia's NYC David Byrne sighting. Mia talks about how this music gave her permission to be herself in her own music, different concepts of authenticity and how Talking Heads influenced her 2018 album 'If I Said Only So Far, I Take It Back', and her approach to vocal performance and revisiting abandoned material for her new album 'Tender Heart'.

It's that time of the year again.... we are signing off for 2023 with a blockbuster episode celebrating the best movies to hit cinema screens in the past 12 months. Joining me as usual are filmmaker Charles Hood and film journalist Drew Taylor, hosts of the legendary Light the Fuse podcast.

Strap in a for an epic celebration / discussion / fight about a bunch of movies you should go seek out if you haven't already seen!

Today we present a fun and rollicking chat with Gareth Liddiard, frontman of Tropical Fuck Storm and the Drones and master anecdotalist. Gareth joins me to bring some sunshine to a brilliant and under-appreciated record by Spencer P Jones, the legendary guitarist and singer/songwriter originally from NZ who made Australia his home for most of his career. The twist is that Gareth played lead guitar on this record, Spencer P Jones and the Nothing Butts and has the inside story on the album's creation, how the songs came into being and the one of a kind mind of Spencer P Jones. From standing in the crowd in Perth while his sister throws a beer bottle that narrowly misses Spencer to meeting him at an early Drones gig in Melbourne to become friends, frequent tour mates and collaborators in the studio, Gareth opens up about his relationship with Spencer and shares some hilarious stories about one rock'n'roll's true eccentrics, involving earthquakes, scorpions, blood spattered amps, Nelson Mandela and Joe Satriani. 

Today ARIA winning singer-songwriter Fanny Lumsden joins me to delve into a seminal record of both our youths - The Chicks’ final country album, 2002’s ‘Home’. We talk about the album’s forgotten origins in the midst of a legal battle with the band’s record label, how they fused their bluegrass background with contemporary country and pop songwriting, how they used songs written by Patty Griffin, Darrel Scott and more to communicate their point of view, how Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Landslide’ was given a new lease on life by its inclusion on this album, “show off songs” and how the album influenced Fanny’s development as a young woman.

One of this year’s most pleasant surprises has been the first album of original material since 2005 from The Rolling Stones - Mick, Keith, Ronnie, Steve and on this album, Charlie and even Bill. Producer/songwriter/musician and friend of the show Michael Carpenter has spent a long time dissecting the Stones recorded catalogue and joins me today to go track by track through Hackney Diamonds and unpack this fascinating album - the impact of Steve Jordan on the band, whether it’s fair to compare a new Stones album to their 70s hey day, how they balance contemporary and traditional production, Jagger’s ageless vocals, mature lyrical perspectives and the guest appearances by Elton John, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.

Comedian, actor, writer, dancer, singer and most importantly previous guest on this podcast Elouise Eftos returns to the podcast today to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Britney Spears’ classic 2003 album ‘In the Zone’. We talk about the background of the album, how it saw Britney taking the most creative control she ever had (and tragically would ever have), the tantalizing collaborations that almost came to pass, how the album shows Spears coming of age as a woman after being defined as pop’s it girl, the double-edged sword and hypocritical reactions of the sexuality in her music and the media’s gross obsession with her virginity and why ‘Toxic’ has become Britney’s most enduring hit.

Today on the show I’m joined by the legendary Jeff Trott - songwriter, producer and guitarist - for a deep dive into the making of a classic record he produced and largely co-wrote, Sheryl Crow’s 1997 self-titled album.

Jeff opens up about writing If It Makes You Happy, getting drafted in last minute to salvage the production of the record after the original producer bailed, how Robbie Robertson saved Every Day Is A Winding Road from the scrap heap, how the songs evolved in the studio, the secret to maintaining a three decade long creative partnership and what it’s like to constantly encounter music you helped create every time you go to buy groceries.

On today's episode, one of Australia's most acclaimed singer-songwriters, Cash Savage, joins me on the show to put some respect onto Salt-N-Pepa's landmark classic album 'Very Necessary'. Cash talks about discovering the album as a twelve year old and then returning to it with a new perspective as an adult, the pioneering sexual politics of the record, how contemporary the album still feels, how it flips so many of the genre's gender norms, the melding of pop and hip-hop, being sex and sex worker positive, the audio play about the AIDS crisis that closes the record and more. Cash also talks about the reaction to her and the Last Drinks' latest album 'So This Is Love', the most emotionally charged songs to perform live, misinterpretations of her lyrics and her game 'meaningful or nonsense'.

Today polymath, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and all around Renaissance woman Georgia Mooney joins me for a deep dive into the making of her glorious debut solo album 'Full of Moon', a month after it's release. We talk about the concept of authenticity, the strange intricacies of recording an entire album with rich orchestrations remotely during the panini, the alternate history version of the album, choosing which parts of your personality to reveal and funnel into songwriting and public performance and much more.

Australian singer-songwriter Hayley Marsten joins me to talk about the seminal album that soundtracked her journey into adulthood, Taylor Swift's seminal 2012 album 'Red'. 

Now that this album has finally been chosen for an episode, we make a real meal out of it, getting into how the album marked a fork in the road that forecasted the second half of Taylor's career to date, why taking the big swing is sometimes the less risky path, the musical eclecticism of the album, All Too Well (regular and 10 minute versions) and how Taylor has managed to flatten time and build her own multiverse of madness.

Today legendary sound engineer Pete Keppler joins me for another look behind the scenes at David Byrne's American Utopia (check out episode 376 of this podcast for our audio documentary on the show), from conception to the world tour to Broadway, dealing with the technical and creative challenges inherent in reinventing the whole idea of a rock'n'roll band. Plus Pete talks about his time on the road with David Bowie as the sound engineer for his last ever tour.

One of today’s most renowned and skilful Americana singer-songwriters, Jason Isbell, talks about the classic record that helped inspire the genre - The Rolling Stones 1971 LP ‘Sticky Fingers’.

We talk about how growing up around Muscle Shoals Alabama got Jason into the record as a child, how the album shows the Stones maturing as a band as they entered the 70s, why the self-destructive lyrics of ‘Sway’ resonated with Jason as he endured his own struggles, what he misses about being in the Drive By Truckers, which song from ‘Southeastern’ was inspired by the Stones, how the Stones used their business acumen to assert creative control and whether authenticity matters.

Plus Jason reveals special moment when he met Bruce Springsteen recently backstage at New Orleans Jazz Festival, and we argue over the merits of the ganjo and producer Dave Cobb’s wardrobe.

Billions creator Brian Koppelman is one of our most loved returning champions and he joins me once again today to bring things full circle by discussing the album that was the subject of his first ever appearance on the podcast - Jason Isbell's 'Southeastern' - to celebrate it's ten year anniversary. The album that turned Isbell from a cult hero to one of the most acclaimed songwriters of his generation, that set the path and the standard for all his future work and locked in multiple entries in the classic songbook of the 21st century. Brian and I revisit the album's immediate impact on first listen and set it in the context of Isbell's career to date and subsequent acclaimed albums, the discipline and rigour behind his songwriting, his gift for melody, the lack of vanity in his lyrics and much much more.

Today we’re bringing you the first in a new regular feature on the podcast. Once a month, I’ll be joined by a guest from music, movies, politics, literature or more, but not to discuss their favorite album. These will be compelling conversations about their favorite film, or book, or maybe even important world events. Today, friend of the show, Emmy-winning writer/director Jeff Greenstein (Friends, Will & Grace, Mom, Desperate Housewives) returns to delve into the eerily relevant 1976 Alan J Pakula classic thriller ‘All the President’s Men’, which tells the true story of how Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein broke open the incredible Watergate scandal and helped bring down President Richard Nixon. We talk about the film’s commitment to truth and authenticity, the blending of real archival footage with actors playing real people, how Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman compare to the real life Woodward and Bernstein, differences between the book and film, the way Deep Throat has entered the pop culture lexicon, screenwriter William Goldman’s contentious relationship to the project, the comparisons and differences to the film ‘The Post’ and how to make a thriller compelling when everyone in the audience knows the ending.

Today I’m joined by composer David Hirschfelder (Australia, Strictly Ballroom, Sliding Doors) to take the show’s first cautious steps into the world of jazz fusion, with Weather Report’s 1977 classic ‘Heavy Weather’. After a brief discussion of David’s majestic 80s mullet, we dive into all of it - fusing electronic sounds and rock attitude into celebrations of trad jazz, the surprising hit status of ‘Birdland’, how it inspired David to fuse electronic and acoustic sounds and influenced his scores for films like ‘Strictly Ballroom’, how the album has dated in a positive way, seeing the band live in their heyday and the genius of bass legend Jaco Pastorius.

Long time friend of the show and queen of the sadcore bangers Emma Swift returns to mark release day for new album ‘Blonde on the Tracks’, which features her beautiful interpretations of songs from across Bob Dylan’s vast songbook. We delve into how the project came to be, how each song was chosen, the different challenges in recording obscure and well known Dylan songs, why ‘I Contain Multitudes’ forced her to learn to record at home during lockdown so she could add it to the record, lyrical pronouns and subverting gender norms, how to cast songs for her voice, recording the album in the city where Dylan cut some of his own masterworks and much more. Songs discussed include Queen Jane Approximately, I Contain Multitudes, One Of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later), Simple Twist of Fate, Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, The Man in Me, Going Going Gone, You’re A Big Girl Now

Guitar icon Joe Satriani joins me to dive into Jimi Hendrix’s magnum opus ‘Electric Ladyland’. Starting with discovering Hendrix through his older sisters back in the late 60s, Joe opens up about what makes the album so special and how its influence has loomed over him for more than fifty years. We discuss how music of the era reflected social upheaval, the progression and maturation of Hendrix’s music leading up to this album, how the album was recorded and how it pushed the technological boundaries of the era, the contributions of guest musicians and engineer Eddie Kramer, the influence Hendrix had on his 60s guitar hero peers and more. Plus, we talk about Joe’s time playing Hendrix’s material live on the Experience Hendrix tour and his philosophy on how to approach the songs and how to avoid doing an impression of his hero.

Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist wunderkind Sarah Jarosz joins me to talk about Shawn Colvin’s classic ‘A Few Small Repairs’ album, from discovering it as a prepubescent growing up in Texas to falling in love with the album on a whole new level during an I’m With Her tour a few years ago. We dig into the way the Texas singer-songwriter scene loomed over Sarah as a child, meeting and working with Shawn and other legendary musicians including Paul Simon, the many subtleties in the arrangements throughout the album and how she teamed up with the album’s producer, friend of the show John Leventhal, to make her brilliant new album ‘World on the Ground’.

Note: This interview was recorded before the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests.

This week, TV legend Shawn Ryan (creator of The Shield, SWAT, Timeless and more) takes me back in time 30 years to talk about the debut album by The Beautiful South ‘Welcome to the Beautiful South’. Shawn talks about discovering music in the pre-internet age, the lineage of the Beautiful South in cult heroes The Housemartins, the contradictions between the albums’ sound and lyrical content, the controversial album cover and how the album served as a bizarre soundtrack to the Rodney King police brutality and aftermath in 1991. Plus we talk about how Shawn has used music in his TV projects, discovering new music through his work, the music he loves to write to and why Coldplay earned his respect on The Shield.

Jasmine Rae caps off her release week by joining me to discuss Taking the Long Way, the 2006 album that saw The Chicks rising from the ashes of controversy and persecution to create one of their best records. We dig into the album’s backstory, frontwoman Natalie Maines taking a leading role in the band’s songwriting for the first time, parallels to their new album ‘Gaslighter’, the rock’n’roll collaborators who joined the band on this album, their decision to make the lyrics explicitly personal and specific in a way they never had on previous records and more. Plus, we discuss what it’s like to launch a new record (and play shows) in the midst of the pandemic in Australia, and the precarious nature of planning anything.

Writer/director Peter Howitt (Sliding Doors, Johnny English, Dangerous Parking) joins me for a good old fashioned Beatles deep dive. We talk about Abbey Road, discovering the records as they came out, why the fascination has endured for over 50 years, Lennon and McCartney’s own ‘sliding doors’ moment, George Harrison’s post-Beatles songwriting trajectory, the Giles Martin remixes, what John Lennon’s music would have been liked if he had lived and much more. Plus, Peter tells me the story of acting with Paul and Linda McCartney on the classic British sitcom ‘Bread’ in 1988.

Today, country hitmaker Cassadee Pope joins me to talk about the Queen, Shania Twain, and her classic 1995 album ‘The Woman In Me’. We talk about the influence that Shania had on the genre and on successive generation of female country stars, her strength and vulnerability (and why those qualities aren’t in opposition), what Shania taught Cassadee, their in person encounter and her fantasies of them one day duetting.

Singer/songwriter and country hitmaker Jimmie Allen joins me to talk about Learn to Live, the 2008 album that launched Darius Rucker from Hootie and the Blowfish frontman into country superstar. Jimmie talks about sneaking on to Darius’s tour bus when he first moved to Nashville, what it meant to see black artists achieving success in genres outside RnB and hip-hop, the advice Darius gave him, and the historic duet he recorded with Darius and Charley Pride on his new EP Bettie James. Plus, Jimmie reveals why he turned down pop record deals to pursue a career in country music and how even before Jimmie was an established artist, Darius was getting him backstage without even knowing it.

The great Katie Noonan returns to the show to talk about the classic self-titled debut album by Crowded House. We talk about the band’s origins out of the dissolution of Split Enz, the band’s hit ratio across their four original albums, the classic organ solo on Don’t Dream It’s Over and how Katie reinterpreted the song on her new album, being in bands with siblings, how to deicide if, when and how to reunite a long broken up band, our shared experiences at the Crowded House shows in 2016 and Katie’s childhood aspirations to be a nun.

Today I’m joined by the delightful and amazing Emma Watkins aka Emma Wiggle, to talk about her friends the East Pointers and their most recent album ‘Yours to Break’. How does Australia’s most iconic family entertainment unit intersect with a Canadian progressive folk outfit? Find out as Emma takes me through the story of the Newfoundland family musical tradition and how it birthed the East Pointers, the collaborations between the band’s members and the Wiggles, modernising traditional celtic folk sounds, the unexpected part Emma was playing in their Australian shows and more.

As a writer and director, Thomas Schnauz has been responsible for some of the most legendary TV of the last 30 years, from The X Files to Breaking Back to Better Call Saul, and he’s been sneaking Pink Floyd references into all of them. Thomas joins me to finally talk about ‘The Wall’ (we’ve only been going for 7 years and not a single Floyd record in that time), Syd Barrett, the Roger Waters spitting incident that inspired the record, his wild journey as a young man to see Roger Waters perform the record in full at the Berlin wall and more… Plus I pitch Thomas what is sure to be the main storyline of Better Call Saul season 5.

Legendary record producer Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Sheryl Crow, Randy Newman) joins me to unpack ‘The Genius of Ray Charles’, the audaciously titled classic album where Charles took his first ambitious step outside of R&B into full on jazz. We unpack Charles’s brilliant piano solos, Quincy Jones’s arrangements, the combining of Ray’s band with musicians from Count Basie and Duke Ellington’s orchestras, how to breathe new life into songs that have been recorded many times and how Mitchell bonded with Randy Newman over their shared love of this record. Plus, Mitchell talks about writing and producing ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ with Sheryl Crow, why he won’t write his memoirs, what it’s like to hear songs he’s produced while out in the world and gives insight and updates on the new upcoming Crowded House record he and the rest of the band have been working on during isolation.

This week I'm joined by musician, activist, author, filmmaker, photographer and former actress Rose McGowan for a wide ranging chat about Cocteau Twins' classic album 'Heaven or Las Vegas' and her own record ‘Planet 9’. We chat about the Cocteau Twins indecipherable lyrics, how it soundtracked the writing of Rose’s memoir ‘Brave’ and the emotional malleability of the record. Rose also takes me into the process of creating her album ‘Planet 9', the best reviews she's gotten, how she shot her own visual art to accompany the album, how she intends to tour her music while creating an art hub accessible to everyone, why she doesn't want to be a 'pop star', her love of country music and much more.

This week I’m joined by rock legend and Something for Kate frontman Paul Dempsey, to dive into Fugazi’s classic album ‘In On The Kill Taker’. Paul discusses how the band’s unique approach to intertwining instrumental parts influenced his guitar playing, the different ways of discovering bands in a pre-internet age, the contrasts between Ian Mackaye and Guy Piccitotto, the time Something for Kate nearly opened for Fugazi, why he has vowed never to cover their songs and his strong feelings against ‘opening the vaults’ and releasing alternate versions of albums.

This week singer/songwriter and actress (Stranger Things, Little Women) Maya Hawke joins me via landline (!) from Woodstock to talk about the enduring classic of unfettered emotion, Joni Mitchell's towering Blue. We dig into Maya's love of poetry and how it intersects with her music, treating the lyrics of Joni's songs as a puzzle, separating art from the artist, how music helped with her dyslexia, the process of writing her own album and how Blue has helped her to find space, privacy and independence during Covid-19 lockdowns.

"If you're lucky, you get to see a lot of life. The fact that I can listen to an album like this and connect with a person to a person I was for a good deal of my life, came out of the hardest things in my childhood, and a kind of anger and sadness that motivated me to try to be who I've become and pushed me, kept me from settling. The fact that I can connect to that so directly with an album like this, to the person I was so long ago, it's like a time warp." - Bob Odenkirk.

This week, the legendary Bob Odenkirk (Mr Show, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad) joins me to talk about The Replacements classic debut album 'Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash'. Bob talks about whether the album qualifies as punk rock, his shared midwestern roots, the wit and cynicism of the lyrics, how the album helps him access the harsher emotions of his younger self, Bob Mehr's Replacements biography Trouble Boys, the recently released Replacements live record and more. Plus, Bob talks about the challenges of portraying Jimmy McGill on Better Call Saul, from playing someone fifteen years younger than him, how the character's evolving self-awareness has changed his performance and filming the brutal 'Bagman' episode of the most recent season.

In our first lockdown era episode, I connect with Golden Globe nominated screenwriter and producer Liz Hannah (The Post, Long Shot, All the Bright Places) to talk about Van Morrison's classic 'Astral Weeks', as well as how the current situation has impacted Liz and her media diet, how she's listening to music at the moment, iPods, puzzles, streaming services vs DVDs and much more.

And we’re back! For our first show post-isolation, it’s another guest-packed special as we finish my countdown of favorite albums of the 2010s. 7. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit 6. Lorde - Melodrama (both with guest co-host Caitlin Welsh) 5. Jason Isbell - Southeastern (with Camp Cope’s Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich) 4. Taylor Swift - 1989 (with Imogen Clark) 3. Jenny Lewis - The Voyager (with Bernard Zuel) 2. Tame Impala - Currents (with Japanese Wallpaper) 1. Father John Misty - I Love You Honeybear (with Jonathan Wilson).

It’s another epic action packed episode, also featuring some voicemail messages from friends of the show Ultragrrl, Bob Mehr, Anita Lester, Davey Lane and Troy Cassar-Daley.

Seven years and 300 episodes of the podcast in, we are marking the occasion with an epic three part celebration of my favorite albums of the past decade. Music journalist Caitlin Welsh joins me to criticise my taste and banter about the first three records on my list, and I'm joined by the artists behind those records - Dan Kelly on the rollercoaster of Dan Kelly's Dream, Margaret Glaspy on her undeniable Emotions and Math and Gang of Youth's frontman Dave Le'aupepe on their life-affirming masterwork Go Farther in Lightness. Plus we check the voicemail to hear from friends of the show Jim Lauderdale, Holiday Sidewinder, Kristina Murray, Chris Hewitt and Jeff Greenstein on what their favorite albums of the past ten years have been, and debut our special new theme song by the genius Matt Farley. Check back soon for part 2 of our 300th Episode Spectacular!

After almost 300 episodes and 7 years, we finally talk about 'Rumours' by Fleetwood Mac, as Camp Cope bass princess and Kelso icon Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich takes me on a journey through its 11 iconic tracks, matching each to a different kind of relationship you will experience throughout your life.

On the heels of her debut solo EP release, Hayley Mary joins to finally bring Cyndi Lauper into the program. We get into it - the hits you remember, the backstory you didn't know, the Motown and punk influence, how the record portends the future and why the songs mean more now than they did at the time, and how Lauper has inspired Hayley through the years.

Today we head to genius producer, singer-songwriter and multi instrumentalist Jonathan Wilson's home studio for a wide ranging journey through the music that has inspired him, from Hank Williams to Maggot Brain. We dig into Hank Williams' alter ego Luke the Drifter, JW's Americana roots, how he finds time to balance working on his solo records vs producing artists like Father John Misty, what California means to him musically, his karaoke past and much more.

New episodes are back for 2020! After being recently knocked out by David Byrne's American Utopia on Broadway, I connected with brilliant percussionist Jacquelene Acevedo and asked her to join me on the show to go behind the scenes on this fascinating show.

We talk about everything from how her dance background informed the show's unique choreography, the technical demands of staying mobile while playing, joining the show for Broadway after the world tour, her favorite songs in the set to perform, audience reactions, how the show spreads hope and teaches us to be engaged members of society and which celebrities have dropped in to see the performance.

This week, multi-multi-ARIA-winner Ben Lee welcomes me into his Laurel Canyon home to talk about Jonathan Richman and 'Modern Lovers Live'. We delve into the arc of Richman's career, how his music became more and more stripped back and seemingly innocent, the inherent joy that Ben has tried to carry into his own work and some weighty digressions about the artists responsibility to pose questions to their audience, our mutual distaste for unsolicited advice and knowing whether to continue a music career when your best days could lay behind you.

John Leventhal is a master of tastefulness, over decades as a producer, guitarist and songwriter with everyone from Shawn Colvin to Marc Cohn to William Bell and his wife Rosanne Cash. Today he welcomes me to his home studio in New York to talk about Ry Cooder’s 70s classic ‘Paradise and Lunch’. We delve into Ry’s genius as an arranger and reinterpreter of songs, his influence as a musician, how the album puts songs first over guitar flexing, how Ry has influenced John’s playing and production and what it was like for John and his wife Rosanne to collaborate with Ry on new arrangements of Johnny Cash songs.

Today Australia's queen of the dance floor bangers Kira Puru joins me for a long-awaited discussion of Amy Winehouse's classic neo-soul masterpiece 'Back to Black'. We dig into how this record sparked a soul revival and how the music that came in its wake measures up, how Winehouse's artistic sophistication was sometimes masked by her image, the definition of 'cool', what makes Winehouse's lyrics so effective and how producer Mark Ronson helped shaped the album, as well as reflecting on the untimely loss of Amy Winehouse and whether suffering is endemic to great art.

This week comedian and podcaster Tom Ballard joins me to chat about Midlake's concept album 'The Trials of Van Occupanther'. We talk about how the album manages to be timeless but not retro, the conceptual substance behind the lyrics, the 60s and 70s rock influences on the album and we dredge up Tom's 2013 list of the best songs of the past 20 years and hold him accountable for it. We discuss the changing dynamics of a band who has lost its lead singer, solo creative work vs collaboration and I challenge Tom to turn this album into a musical.

MFA Book Month concludes this week with journalist, author and Empire podcast geek queen Helen O'Hara joining me for a journey through the music of superhero cinema, from John Williams' magisterial score for SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE through to Kendrick Lamar's BLACK PANTHER soundtrack and much in between. We discuss the evolution from theme driven symphonic scores to the intense blare of Hans Zimmer, the use of pop music in superhero films from Prince's BATMAN music to the toe-tapping GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, how Marvel found its footing with the scores of the MCU after a slightly muddled beginning and we plug Helen's new book THE ULTIMATE SUPERHERO MOVIE GUIDE. We also get into it about JOKER (no spoilers), what almost drove Helen off Twitter, I offer some lightly controversial takes and it all ends on a very silly note.

Book month continues as I chat to superstar film critic, double bassist and friend of the pod Dr. Mark Kermode about 'How Does It Feel', his memoir of his life and musical misadventures. We chat about Mark's 'how hard can it be?' approach to potentially intimidating musical challenges, the self belief that has sustained his music career and his lifelong desire to become a pop star. We talk about the nature of memory and the process of writing memoirs, details that had to be legally redacted, how skiffle music transformed his musical career, his short-lived stint as musical director for a prime time BBC chat show and that time he launched my career as a filmmaker.

MFA Book Month continues as Rolling Stone's Brian Hiatt joins me to talk about his exhaustive book chronicling the stories behind every single song Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded. We delve into both the stories behind the songs and the stories behind the book, how Brian made sure it had something new both for die hard fans of the Boss and those who only knew the hits - from conflicting stories behind some tracks, the underappreciated gems in Bruce's catalogue, Springsteen's attempt to not sound like "Bruce Springsteen" anymore, how his depression bled into his songwriting, the battle between live and studio versions of some songs and, because I can't help myself, Taylor Swift.

It's the My Favorite Album book club for the next month, trading musicians in for authors of the most exciting books about music and musicians. We kick things off with Will Birch, founding member of The Kursaal Flyers turned journalist and biographer, on his new book 'Cruel to Be Kind', the definitive look at the legendary Nick Lowe's life and career. We talk about Nick's late career reinvention of his sound and image, the infamous Brinsley Schwartz press launch fiasco, Nick's relationship with Elvis Costello, how What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love and Understanding ended up on the Bodyguard soundtrack, the process of writing the book and much more.

This week I chat to singer-songwriter and Men at Work frontman Colin Hay about Chris Whitley's 'Dirt Floor'. We talk about the allure of the back to basics record, the appeal of living in oft-derided LA, discovering art that deeply affects you far into your career, code-switching as a Scot growing up in Australia and finding comfort in isolation. We also talk about Colin's favourite venues to play, what it's been like to play with Ringo and his All Star Band and writing the title track on Ringo's latest album, plus a bonus story about the time Paul McCartney did his dishes.

This week I chat to the king of late night TV and rock n' roll legend Max Weinberg about 'Persistent Percussion' by Maxwell Davis and his All Stars (1960). Max explains how the pop exotica album taught him to take an all rounded approach to drumming, how it encouraged him to learn about the history of drumming in popular music, mono vs stereo and what it's like to hear others reinterpret his own drum parts. Max tells me about his friendship with Irv Cottler, meeting Frank Sinatra and the successful career of his son Jay.

This week I talk to Australian singer/songwriter Jack River aka Holly Rankin about MGMT's debut album 'Oracular Spectacular' (2007). We talk about the ubiquitous and inescapable singles on this era defining record and their matching video clips that envision a utopian world, the album's political message and the impact psychedelic drugs have had on music. Holly tells us about her career arc, what it was like to meet MGMT's Andrew Van Wyngarden and how fans can find meaning in a song that goes beyond the original intent of the artist.

This week we finally get to a Weezer record as I chat to Australian singer-songwriter and master of a thousand instruments Dave Jenkins Jr aka Not A Boy's Name about the classic 1996 album 'Pinkerton'. We talk about the band's dramatic identity change from their previous album, the poor reviews 'Pinkerton' originally received and frontman Rivers Cuomo's complicated relationship with the album. Dave opens up about about his early disastrous recording experience that coincided with discovering the album, whether the legacy of great art can be tarnished by the quality of subsequent work and 'Pinkerton's' connection to the opera.

My Favorite Album returns from hiatus for a special Americana Fest edition of the show, featuring one of the most compelling young Americana artists talking about a formative record of the genre. The devastating Kristina Murray joins me to chat Lucinda Williams' 1988 self-titled album. We discuss how this record was overshadowed by Lucinda's classic album 'Car Wheels On A Gravel Road' and the birth of the Americana genre. Kristina tells us how Lucinda's music helped to craft her own sound, what it's like to cover songs from the album and she treats us to a special acoustic rendition of 'Crescent City'.

This week I chat to producer, bassist, songwriter, documentarian and president of iconic jazz label Blue Note Records, Don Was about Wayne Shorter's classic album 'Speak No Evil' (1966). We talk about how the album gave Don a sense of purpose, that a piece of music doesn't need lyrics to speak to someone, how great artists seem to appear from a creative ether and Don explains how engineer Rudy Van Gelder achieved the classic jazz sound that unifies all Blue Note albums and how Don aims to continue that legacy by pursuing the artists' vision. Plus Don tells me some fantastic anecdotes about his time working with Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Garth Brooks, Benmont Tench and more.

This week I chat to frontman of The Herd, co founder of Elefant Traks record label, manager and solo artist Urthboy (aka Tim Levinson) about A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘The Low End Theory’. We discuss how A Tribe Called Quest was political in a different way than other hip-hop artists of their era, how their sampling of jazz helped them cross generational lines and how your ability to appreciate contemporary music falters as you get older. Tim opens up about how the album educated him about issues not being discussed in school and why he has referenced and sampled elements of the album in his own music.

This week I talk to Queen of Australian radio Zan Rowe about Talking Heads ‘More Songs About Buildings and Food’. We chat about David Byrne’s outsider appeal, the new wave funk sound that defined Talking Heads, the album’s dystopian predictions and capitalist lyrics, producer Brian Eno’s contribution to the album and delve into his Oblique Strategies cards. Zan tells us about the first time she met David Byrne, his wonderful sense of curiosity and we both commiserate over missing his last tour.

This week I chat to rapper, writer, comedian, actor, one half of A.B. Original and the man who should've been PM, Briggs, about Snoop Dogg's classic album 'Doggy Style' (1993).

We talk about Snoop as a crucial but underrated figure in the evolution of hip-hop, how Briggs discovered the record as a kid in Shepparton, make a case for the album's importance, the timelessness of the production, delve into the making of the album and how Briggs' channeled Snoop to capture the energy of the recording studio on 'Reclaim Australia'.

This week I chat to Australian singer-songwriter Gretta Ray about Blake Mills' 2010 album 'Break Mirrors'. Mills may be better known as a producer (Alabama Shakes, Dawes) but today we explore his own music. We talk about how Mills wrote this album as a calling card for his session work, his poetic but unpretentious turns of phrase, his unique but completely tasteful guitar work, Mills' production on Laura Marling's latest album and the advantages of operating slightly under the radar.

My Favorite Album Goes to the Movies continues as we explore how the iconic MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE theme has evolved over fifty years of the TV and film franchise, with special guest MI experts Drew Taylor and Charles Hood, hosts of the Light the Fuse podcasts. We look at the origins of the theme and delve into the scores of the 60s and 80s TV series, and how each composer has approached the films from Danny Elfman to Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino to Joe Kraemer and Lorne Balfe, plus lesser known takes on the theme music by U2’s Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr, Limp Bizkit, Kanye West and Jon Brion, and where we want to see the franchise take the score in the upcoming two (final?) films…

My Favorite Album goes to the Movies for the month of May! Kicking off with friend of the pod and host of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt, joining me to count down our competing lists of Top 10 James Bond theme songs. From Goldfinger to Live and Let Die, A View to a Kill to Nobody Does it Better, we celebrate and argue about the iconic theme songs that have soundtracked the long-running franchise, with some surprising and controversial choices amongst it. What makes for a great Bond theme? How much room is there to experiment with the form? What is the worst Bond theme? And who should carry the torch forward and sing the theme song for Bond 25?

On the eve of her debut solo album release, I talk to singer-songwriter Charlie Collins about The War on Drugs’ Grammy-winning fourth album ‘A Deeper Understanding’. Charlie opens up about how the album influenced the sound and construction of her own record, even as they were recorded in total opposite ways. We talk about the blurred lines between bands and solo artists in the modern era, The War on Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel’s egoless performance style, why Charlie decided to release ‘Snowpine’ under her own name, the future of albums in the streaming age (and whether services like Spotify help or hinder them), how the meaning of an album changes as you evolve through life and the alternate band name that could’ve ruined the War on Drugs career...

Podcasts collide as musician (The One AM Radio) and creator of my two favorite podcasts (Song Exploder, The West Wing Weekly) Hrishikesh Hirway joins me to delve into the sonic world Björk created on her classic 1997 album ‘Homogenic’ and how it inspired Hrishi to develop his own unique musical identity. From the beats to the string arrangements and beyond, we unpack the incredible craft and attention to detail that went into the album, and then Hrishi tells the story of Bjork’s appearance on Song Exploder, from how he landed his dream guest, behind the scenes on how the show is put together and the chance encounter he had with Bjork afterwards.

Screenwriter Zack Stentz (Thor, X-Men: First Class, The Flash) has plenty of experience with charismatic aliens and mutants, so he’s right at home talking to me about David Bowie and his classic 1980 album ‘Scary Monsters… and Super Creeps’. We delve into how this record was Bowie’s journey back to mainstream success after his experimental Berlin period, Ashes to Ashes as a sequel song to Bowie’s first hit Space Oddity, the contributions on the records of musicians like Pete Townshend, Bowie’s underrated lyrics, Zack’s favorite Bowie acting performance (not what you’d expect) and why Bowie ended his stage acting career, how he would approach writing a film about Bowie and his frustrated plans to get Bowie into the X-Men films.

Grammy winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves talks her love iconic iconoclast John Prine and his self-titled debut album. Kacey talks about performing with Prine, playing him the song she wrote about him, how his approach to lyric writing inspired her own songs, why she put her Grammy in a Prine exhibit in the Country Music Hall of Fame, and wonders why people keep thinking her and Prine’s songs are about weed.

This week on the podcast I chat to Rolling Stone’s Brittany Spanos about Patti Smith's seminal album 'Horses'. We talk about how Michael Stipe led to Brittany’s discovery of the album as an aspiring music journalist, how it remains a seminal punk album while flying in the face of punk conventions, the album’s iconic opening line, Smith’s dismissal of traditional gender conventions, Brittany’s meeting with Patti at Lollapalooza and what Brittany sees as Patti Smith’s influence on contemporary music.

My Favorite Album is a podcast on the impact great music has on our lives. Each episode features a guest on their favorite album of all time - why they love it, their history with the album and how it's influenced them.

Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist, concert promoter and photographer. He directed the the feature music documentaries Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts and Tommy Emmanuel: The Endless Road (coming soon).

Edited by Ellie Willoughby.

If you've got any feedback or suggestions, drop us a line at myfavoritealbumpodcast@gmail.com.

Groove master and bassist Tom Champion (The Preatures) joins me to chat about Neil Young's classic 1975 album 'Tonight's the Night'. We discuss how Tom first discovered the album, the sad story behind the album and the different incarnations of Neil Young, including whether Neil should be considered a cat or a dog.

Today's episode is one of my favorite conversations I've had for the podcast. Legendary drummer/producer/songwriter Steve Jordan surveys his incredible career, from the albums that first inspired him to pick up drumsticks as a child to the songwriting lessons he was taught by Keith Richards, being put through his paces by James Brown on the Letterman show, why he became a producer, his band The Verbs, his love of punk rock, what he loves about playing with Neil Young and much more.

It's a wide-ranging chat filled with great anecdotes and insight from one of my all-time favorite musicians, and I could've talked to Steve for ten times as long easily.

Today we’re revisiting my chat with the gracious Pegi Young, humanitarian and singer-songwriter, who sadly passed away last week from cancer. Here is our conversation from 2017, a lovely and wide-ranging chat on her biggest musical influences.

Singer-songwriter Pegi Young’s new album ‘Raw’ was inspired by her recent divorce, but her musical identity has been developing for decades, taking inspiration from her heroes, peers and people who have become friends, as she moved from backing vocalist for ex-husband Neil to mature solo artist. We talk about her biggest influences, from Otis Redding to Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell to Billie Holliday, Paul McCartney to Bonnie Raitt, JJ Cale to the Grateful Dead, Laura Nyro to Eric Clapton.

Plus, how curating the annual Bridge School Benefits has helped her discover new artists, how the trauma of her divorce left her temporarily unable to play guitar and why she hopes her new music will resonate with audiences who don’t share her life experiences.

Americana singer-songwriter Kirby Brown joins me to talk about Randy Newman's 1974 album 'Good Old Boys'. 

We discuss Newman's progression from satirical songwriting to movie music composition, writing from the point of view of a character whose beliefs don't align with your own, the Eagles backing vocals on the album, will Newman ever write a song about President Trump and more.

Singer/songwriter Gretchen Peters joins me to talk about the every songwriter's favorite Bob Dylanrecord, 1975's 'Blood on the Tracks'.

Gretchen talks about how she fell in love with the album as she was getting divorced, the unusually soft edges of Dylan’s songwriting on this record, how he treats women in his lyrics, how his songs always bring you to a place of empathy and the importance of being brutally honest with yourself as a songwriter.

Revisiting the OG My Favorite Album Christmas special from 2015...

Happy Holidays to all of you out there in the world

For the first ever My Favorite Album Christmas special, I delve into the origins of the Christmas pop songs we all know today with musicologist and Sydney Morning Herald journalist Tim Byron - how did we go from religious music to songs about cold weather? Why were all the best Christmas songs written by Jewish guys? And why is an album of Christmas standards by Michael Buble outselling ever album but Adele?

I also check in with friend of the show Kristian Bush (Sugarland) to talk about his new original Christmas song ‘Thinking About Drinking For Christmas’ - what Christmas music did he dig growing up? How do you write a great Christmas song? And what are the essential elements of Christmas music?

Plus Canadian Corb Lund on why he’ll never make a Christmas album and Lee Brice on why he will.

My Favorite Album is a podcast on the impact great music has on our lives. Each episode features a guest on their favorite album of all time - why they love it, their history with the album and how it's influenced them.

Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist, concert promoter and photographer. He directed the the feature music documentaries Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts and Tommy Emmanuel: The Endless Road (coming soon).

If you've got any feedback or suggestions, drop us a line at myfavoritealbumpodcast@gmail.com.