You heard it here first! Bill and Brian will be returning with all new episodes, a fresh format, and the same great taste on June 1st. Listen in for all the details!

Bill and Brian hang out with thegreatalbums.com blogger Jeff Fiedler as he counts down his favorite albums from 2019. Listen to find out where he ranked albums from: Lana Del Rey, Bruce Hornsby, Jonas Brothers, Jenny Lewis, New Pornographers, Thomas Rhett, Raphael Saadiq, Sturgill Simpson, Vampire Weekend, and Kanye West!

Bill and Brian are joined by podcaster James Anderson of Unabashedly Obsessed (unabashedlyobsessed.com) to talk about the Smashing Pumpkins breakthrough album Siamese Dream (1993, Virgin). James tells the story of playing N64 in a friend's basement, being blown away hearing the Pumpkins for first time, and how it led to purchasing the album at Walmart, a circumstance that forever shaped how he listened to the album. Bill, Brian, and James then get into the band's evolution through the years, how Billy Corgan wishes he could resequence the album, D'Arcy Wretzky and James Iha's lack of involvement in the recording, Jimmy Chamberlain's kick ass drumming and natural tones, Butch Vig's big guitar sounds and love of acoustic tracks, and much more as we make our way through the album track by track!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! Bill and Brian quickly derail their own conversation about Saves the Day and their growth on their Stay What You Are follow up In Reverie by espousing the coolness of Nada Surf and their own transformation into indie power pop kings worthy of all the respect. Then they read some emails about how cool the Genuine Imitation Life Gazette is, Frankie Valli's involvement with the Watertown demos, and "songs that belong to the dance floor."

Musician and songwriter Matt Koerner (feenynj.com) joins Bill and Brian to talk about early aughts pop punk innovators Saves the Day and their breakthrough album Stay What You Are (2001, Vagrant). Matt shares his experience discovering the band as a teen pop punk devotee. Then we get into what it's like listening to a band from your hometown, Weezer's interactions with the band, Chris Conley's evolution and maturation as a songwriter and artist, Rob Schnapf's influence as producer, how this isn't Say Anything, Eben D'Amico's groovy bass, Bryan Newman's ability to make Matt air drum, the Muppets, and much more as we make our way through the album track by track!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! Bill and Brian take a listen to and chat about some Four Seasons, songs that belong to the dance floor, and we read some listener emails about songs that make commercials.

Bill and Brian are joined by podcaster Mike Derrico (rockunderfire.com) to chat about Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons' often overlooked, pop psychedelic masterpiece the Genuine Imitation Life Gazette (1969, Philips).

It's Bonus Song Thursday! It's slim pickings for some interesting options of Nick Drake covers, but we hit the jackpot with Robyn Hitchcock's version of "Parasite." Bill and Brian discuss Sebadoh's cover of "Pink Moon" and Joe Boyd's arrangement, before getting into some listener emails about Metallica's "Master of Puppets" and teenage Luther Dickinson's contributions to the Replacements' "Shootin' Dirty Pool" (both odor and guitar).

Musician Kevin Newcomb (funwhileyouwait.com) joins Bill and Brian to discuss Nick Drake's Pink Moon (1972, Island).

It's Bonus Song Thursday! Bill and Brian follow up our Replacements' conversation with Tommy Stinson's follow up band, Perfect, and their tune "Miss Self-Esteem." We talk about how this band remained under the radar, especially in comparison to Tommy's other post-'Mats effort Bash & Pop. Then we get into some listener emails about bands naming themselves after songs, Paul Westerberg's counting abilities (or lack thereof), and in defense of "Nightclub Jitters."

In a special crossover episode, Bill and Brian welcome Randy and Dan from That Dandy Classic Music Hour (thatdandyclassicmusichour.com) to finally return to covering a Replacements album with their 1987 classic Pleased to Meet Me (Sire). Bill and Brian discuss the band's history and their newfound hi fi sound before cutting to our conversation with the Dandy Classic guys where we delve into Paul Westerberg showing off his lead guitar skills, Jim Dickinson's contributions, Chris Mars' art career, Tommy Stinson's post-'Mats bands Bash & Pop and Perfect, and of course everyone's favorite teen comedy Can't Hardly Wait (the film) as we make our way through the album track by track! For more of our conversation with Dan and Randy, including how we discovered the band and our top 5 songs from the album, make sure to take a listen to the Dandy Classic episodes for the next two weeks!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! Bill and Brian discuss Pearl Jam's surprise hit "Last Kiss," the band's staying power, a listener email about second chances, and an indie rock version of the Traveling Wilburys.

Brian lists his favorite albums of 2019! Bill listens. Listen in to find out where Brian ranked albums from: Black Belt Eagle Scout, Lana Del Rey, King Princess, Jenny Lewis, Lizzo, Angel Olsen, Purple Mountains, Tyler the Creator, Jamila Woods, and Nilufer Yanya!

Bill and Brian take the stage at the Nashville Rock n Pod Music Expo to chat about what makes Pearl Jam's Backspacer (2009, Monkeywrench) a great album. Featuring some special guests culled from the convention floor!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! Bill and Brian dive into the deep waters with Modest Mouse (get it?) to discuss a favorite of theirs "Dashboard." We get into the contribution of Johnny Marr and the influence of disco. Then we read some listener emails letting us know some good songs covered by the Modest Mouse and a little appreciation for Frightened Rabbit.

Indie August draws to a close as Bill and Brian welcome musician and producer Derrill Sellers (lowlightnj.com) to the podcast as they make their way through Modest Mouse's the Lonesome Crowded West (1997, Up) track by track!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! Bill and Brian keep spreading the gospel of Frightened Rabbit (pun intended if you take a look at the theme of this parent album) and chat about "The Woodpile." We talk about the evolution of the band's sound as we compare and contrast them with their "cousins" the National. Then we read some listener emails that brightened our day, share some indie rock fantasy supergroup lineups, and discuss some good non-fiction reads about great music.

Bill and Brian continue Indie August, spending a couple hours delving into one of their new favorites and what they consider a modern classic, Frightened Rabbit's The Midnight Organ Fight (2008, Fat Cat).

It's Bonus Song Thursday! Bill and Brian get only semi-tangential from our Rilo Kiley episode and chat about Jenny Lewis' "She's Not Me." We talk about Ryan Adams' smooth production, the excellent guitar solo, and whether or not the the 70s gloss is a simply a hipster trope. Then we read some listener emails about Sebadoh (and how, no, we weren't criticizing Lou Barlow's post Dinosaur Jr project), best female guitarists, and the Singles soundtrack!

Singer songwriter Lance Scott Greene (not-poprecords.bandcamp.com) joins Bill and Brian as we make our way through Indie August to discuss Rilo Kiley's More Adventurous (2004, Brute/Beaute). Lance talks about discovering the band via a discman into the tape deck of his friend's busted old 90s sedan. Then Bill, Brian, and Lance discuss these songs inspiring Lance as a songwriter, the multitude of genres featured on the album, the Birch Hill in NJ, Jenny Lewis' powerhouse vocals, Blake Sennett's intricate guitar work, which songs most benefit from Jason Boesel's drums, country vs. R&B, and much more as we make our way through the album track by track!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! And Bill and Brian take a deeper dive into Lou Barlow's non-Dinosaur Jr project Sebadoh and their song "The Freed Pig." We talk a little about what Brian loves about this lo-fi gem and the band's place maybe outside the shadow of Dinosaur Jr. Then we get into some listener emails about A Mighty Wind, transgender issues, and film soundtracks in the 21st century.

Bill and Brian kick off Indie August with podcaster Josh Flanagan (ifanboy.com) joining them to discuss Dinosaur Jr's You're Living All Over Me (1987, SST). Josh explains how his 'mid-life crisis' helped him dive into a band that has been circling him for decades. Then Bill, Brian, and Josh discuss the band's interpersonal dynamics, Murph suffering under J's dictatorial arrangements, the band's tenuous relationship with Homestead Records, how J Mascis' guitar shredding skills are integral to his songwriting, referencing a Big Muff that isn't a vagina, which album Brian would pick if he had to choose between Lou Barlow's many projects, and more as we make way through the album track by track!

Podcaster and WXPN music director Dan Reed (soundcloud.com/ddmusicpodcast) joins Bill and Brian to discuss Afghan Whig's Gentlemen (1993, Elektra) in front of a live audience at the 2017 Philadelphia Podcast Festival.

Bill and Brian give thanks, list our top 10 episodes, and read a bunch of emails in the midst of our indefinite hiatus.

Bill and Brian continue having fun on their summer vacation, but in the meantime, we won't leave you without an episode. So we hung out and spent some time chatting about the legendary musicians that ruled the rock and roll studios in the 60s, the Wrecking Crew. We talk about the film based on this loose collection of musicians, Tommy Tedesco on guitar, Carol Kaye on bass, Hal Blaine on drums, a host of other musicians, some of the songs they contributed to, the producers they collaborated with like Phil Spector and Brian Wilson, and even a little bit about the Monkees as we talk about about what made these people great!

On a very special episode of the podcast, Brian and Bill take a break from the weekly grind, spreading the love of our favorite albums to spread the love of one of our favorite films instead. We dive into Christopher Guest's 2003 mockumentary A Might Wind. We chat a little about This is Spinal Tap, 80s hair metal, the Guest style of filmmaking, the excellent contributions of this ensemble cast, the well crafted and funny tunes, and much more as we laugh our way through a recap of what we love about this movie!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! Brian and Bill follow up our Wu-Tang talk by discussing one of their most successful members Method Man and his hit featuring Mary J. Blige "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By." Our chat about the time period this was release quickly turned into a deeper examination of cultural appropriation, bias, and why it might be okay for two white guys to have a serious discussion examining what makes some rap music great. Also, we round up the emails and responses to our Jimmy Eat World episode. We'll be back in two weeks with a very Summer Special episode!

Improvisor and vocalist Kyle Gordon (mydarklittlecorner.com) joins Bill and Brian to discuss Wu-Tang Clan's seminal rap debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) [1993, Loud/RCA). After Brian goes off book to name all 9 members of the group (RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon the Chef, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, and U-God), Kyle talks about discovering the group as an angry teen growing up in the suburbs of New York.

It's Bonus Song Thursday! Bill and Brian jump into a Way Back Machine to continue the conversation about Jimmy Eat World by delving into a tune from their 1999 album Clarity. We discuss what exactly "emo" is and why Brian was wrong not to listen to Weezer's Pinkerton before we get into some listener emails about 90s rock icons that have gone soft and 21st century guitar gods.

Renaissance man and author of Processing Creativity: the Tools, Practices and Habits Used to Make Music You're Happy With, Jesse Cannon, joins Bill and Brian to discuss Jimmy Eat World's breakthrough album Bleed American (2001, Dreamworks). Jesse describes coming up in the emo scene at the same time as JEW, listening to their album Clarity as a genre defining touchstone, and loving this album when it came out. Then Brian, Bill, and Jesse talk about Mark Trombino's contributions as producer, Zach Lind's unique drumming, Jim Adkins' tone and string gauge, and a whole lot of production tips and tricks as we make our way through the album track by track. Make sure to check out all the projects Jesse is involved with - including producing and more podcasting - at jessecannon.com!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! Today, Bill and Brian chat about this gem of a 90s tune! While the song doesn't lend itself to too much specific discussion, the boys take a stroll down memory lane as they attempt to decipher the difference between which bullies from what movies were played by Keifer Sutherland and Anthony Michael Hall. Meanwhile, Brian shares a story of roller rink romance that ends in an all-too-familiar fashion and Bill asks the listeners to help us figure out who went from rock to soft rock between 1997 and 2017 (similar to how Adams, Stewart, and Sting did from the 70s to the 90s). All this and more on this week's Bonus Song Thursday edition of The Great Albums!

Brian and Bill are joined by musician Kimi Howe (casino sundae.bandcamp.com) to discuss the Police's debut album Outlandos d'Amour (1978, A&M). Kim talks about listening to this album as a part of her uncle's 8 track collection (he made sure to skip "Be My Girl - Sally" so that it didn't affect her impressionable ears). Then Bill, Brian, and Kim get into talking about the band's musical talent, how they fit in the British punk scene, Sting's ego, Andy Summers' excellent and unique style, just how cool Stewart Copeland and his brother Miles really are, Sting's evolving position on Rod Stewart, and more as we make our through the album track by track!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! And Bill stops in for a short episode to explain that we had some technical difficulties and lost the episode we actually recorded for this. :( But Bill makes sure to fill you in on the tragic love story that made this Brian's favorite Love song, the results of our informal poll about Wilco's "Via Chicago," and a little bit of promo. Make sure to go support former guest of the podcast Tyler Plazio and his band Soldiers of Suburbia by donating to their Indie GoGo campaign! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-debut-soldiers-of-suburbia-ep-music-rock#/

Musician, producer, and label guru Neil Sabatino (mint400.com) joins Bill and Brian to discuss Love's third album Forever Changes (1967, Elektra). Neil talks about how the band's early garage sound drew him in after a friend got him listening to Love's first couple albums, but then he was blown away by the maturity of the psychedelic and folk tones produced on Forever Changes. Bill, Brian, and Neil then get into the band's legacy, Bryan MacLean's genius guitar playing, how producer Bruce Botnick deftly motivated the band after bringing in some ringers from the Wrecking Crew, the band's influence on the Doors, a little on Arthur Lee's influence on Jimi Hendrix, production styles and the technology available for listening, the album's place amongst the other classic albums of the time (such as Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the Piper at the Gates of Dawn), and much more as we make our way through the album track by track!

In our final episode that'll be part of a regular release schedule, we take a look back at the first album we ever discussed, the Replacements' Let It Be (1984, Twin/Tone). Bill and Brian use the skills they've honed during their years of podcasting experience to see what a conversation revisiting the first album would sound like. Enjoy!

It's Bonus Song Thursday and this week the B-Squad talks about Wilco's title track off their self-titled album! Along the way they talk about how comfortable (in a good way) the band has become in its own skin as well as what the Dad Rock of the 21st century might sound like. Along the way, they discuss their top 5 favorite Beatles albums (in honor of the recent Sgt Pepper 50th Anniversary), modern standards, and the return of Bill's band Small Planet Radio!

Bill and Brian welcome back podcaster and musician Jim Laczkowski (nowplayingnetwork.net and gardenonatrampoline.com) to discuss Wilco's foray into lush indie pop, Summerteeth (1999, Reprise). Jim talks about checking out the band after reading a favorable review from critic Greg Kot. Then Bill, Brian, and Jim discuss Wilco's evolution within their career, Jay Bennett's influence on the sound of the band, how the album maybe hit at the wrong time - namely, a time when Creed was blowing up the charts, how Jeff Tweedy is 'da bomb,' typical mid-Western Chicago guys shaving their heads and wearing dresses (y'know, like Billy Corgan), a lot about what we think Schmilco should sound like, the obvious influence of Sesame Street, Ken Coomer's welcome contributions as a great drummer, some great-but-extraneous tracks at the end, and more as we make our way through the album track by track!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! This week, the B-squad revisits Yeah Yeah Yeahs a few years down the road as they continue to evolve their sound and - like Weezer before them - pick up a new generation of fans along the way. We discuss Karen O's pop culture icon status, Canada's hipster Mecca, and whether or not Ryan Adams ruined The Strokes. We also talk about a pair of live podcast events taking place this July and August, as well as the return of Bill's band, Small Planet Radio (http://smallplanetradio.com), this June!

Little Dickman Records' Amy Dickman (littledickman.com) joins Bill and Brian to discuss Yeah Yeah Yeah's debut Fever to Tell (2003, Interscope).

It's Bonus Song Thursday! This week the B's tackle Counting Crows' cover of Big Star's immortal "The Ballad of El Goodo." They talk about how they actually prefer to hear Big Star's music covered fairly straight (as opposed to, say, via an electronica interpretation) and how Counting Crows come eerily close to the original. Along the way, they touch upon possibly the oldest "Great Album," the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and of course, the untimely passing of beloved singer Chris Cornell. All this and more on this week's Bonus Song Thursday edition of The Great Albums.

Musician Frank Lettieri (dustofdays.bandcamp.com) joins Bill and Brian as we finally set to tackling Counting Crows' August and Everything After (1993, Geffen). Frank talks about having this album gifted to him as a part of a long tradition of uncles introducing nephews to cool music. Then Bill, Brian, and Frank discuss what one of the engineers on the album shared about the equipment used to record the album, the importance of the band's SNL performance in January of 1994, Adam Duritz's exquisite cafe poetry, how producer T-Bone Burnett influenced the overall sound of the recording, the underrated rhythm section of Steve Bowman and Matt Malley, Charlie Gillingham as a Benmont Tench-esque secret weapon, David Bryson's memorable guitar hooks, and more as we make our way through the album track by track!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! This week, the B's talk about Nancy Sinatra's most enduring hit single and how her father Frank signed her to his (at the time) vanity imprint, Reprise. We get into the left-of-center tendencies of under-appreciated songwriter/producer Lee Hazlewood and how there are certain songs that transcend their creators. Along the way, we discuss favorite comeback albums, and Bill answers an email, putting to bed the reason we have yet to tackle OK Computer.

Musicians Fred and Richard Fairbrass (aka Right Said Fred) join Bill and Brian to discuss Frank Sinatra's 10th studio album Songs for Swingin' Lovers (1956, Capitol). After getting the requisite conversation about their tour prepping and some of the trappings of being celebrities out of the way, Fred and Richard talk about discovering Sinatra through their parents, especially from the influence of their 'mum.' Bill, Brian, Fred, and Richard then discuss Nelson Riddle's arrangements, Sinatra's feelings about Elvis, the Beatles, and rock'n'roll, a little on Brian's favorite Sinatra album Watertown, how Sinatra found his voice as he matured, and a few of our favorite tracks from the album! Don't forget that Right Said Fred's latest album, Exactly!, is available in all the places you can find good tunes, including rightsaidfred.com.

It's Bonus Song Thursday! This week, Bill and Brian recount a track that, according to Bill, "was in the air" throughout 1998/1999. Pras, formerly of the Fugees, made his solo debut in grand fashion and had a hand from Mya and Wu-Tang Clan's Ol' Dirty Bastard. They discuss how - in total ODB fashion - he just kind of showed up one day and was asked to drop a verse (and took to the assignment admirably). Along the way, they talk about how the Fugees operated similarly to Wu-Tang, fostering members' solo careers following the success of a massively-influential group effort. Will Smith enters into the discussion and so too does superior LP side 2s. All this and more on this week's Bonus Song Thursday edition of the Great Albums podcast.

Podcaster Patrick from Make Dad Read Comics and Almost Education returns to join Bill and Brian in a discussion about Ol' Dirty Bastard's Return to the 36 Chambers: the Dirty Version (1995, Elektra). Patrick talks about being heshera and a secret Wu Tang Clan fan who fell in love with their pop culture and kung fu movie references. Bill, Brian, and Patrick discuss the lasting influence of ODB's style and humor, RZA's style as a producer, whether or not Brian can name every member of the Wu Tang Clan (spoiler: he can't, stay tuned till the end of the episode for the correct memeber names), how the Wu Tang clan style present on this album is reminiscent of punk rock, the many features on this album, the album's scatological nature, and more as we make our way through the album track by track!

It's finally happening! As we reach the penultimate episode to be part of our weekly releases, Bill and Brian take the time to talk about what's great about Radiohead's OK Computer (1997, Parlophone/Capitol). Bill spends a little time talking about what happens when fans say things like they can't get into an artist or album and how it can be perceived. Then we get to the track by track review, focusing on what we enjoy in the tunes!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! This week the boys in broadcast are tackling yet another duet: Johnny Cash and Fiona Apple! Bill and Brian discuss how it reminds them of a different Johnny Cash partnership from the early 70s, how singular artists like Fiona and Cash are at their best when they "do their own thing" (even when they're working together), and what qualifies as overkill for posthumous recordings. Additionally, they uncover the origins of the mysterious voices on Tom Petty's Damn the Torpedos album, and Bill lists his most representative artists of each decade. NOTE: check out our friend Chris Nova's band Ruby Bones (http://rubybones.bandcamp.com) whose album comes out on 5/12. And catch their free-admission album release party at Asbury Park Yacht Club on Friday May 19, 2017.

Bill and Brian get to spend a nice lazy Sunday afternoon enjoying each other's company without a guest, chatting about Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine (2005, Epic). Brian talks about discovering Fiona's moody, electric pop sound as a disparate soundtrack to some sunny summer days. Bill notes how he first heard of this album due to the producer and label controversy surrounding its delayed release. Bill and Brian then discuss Jon Brion's original vision, the sound Mike Elizondo and Brian Kehew eventually brought to the final product, Questlove's funky drumming, seeing Fiona live on this tour, a surprising amount of lyrical analysis, and more as we make our way through the album track by track!

It's Bonus Song Thursday! And the boys only get mildly tangential this week as they talk about the hit single off Bella Donna, Stevie Nicks' hit debut solo LP. They talk about how Stevie was introduced to Tom Petty via her then-boyfriend, mega-producer Jimmy Iovine. Along the way, they also discuss Great vs. Classic, and the difficulty of defining a decade's worth of music with just one artist. All this and then some on this week's Bonus Song Thursday edition of the Great Albums podcast!

Bill and Brian are joined by musician Chad Stocker (the High Strung, the Mythics) to discuss Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Damn the Torpedoes (1979, Backstreet/MCA). Chad talks about how his love of documentaries turns him into a fan of whatever their subject is - in this case, the 2007 Peter Bogdanovich film Runnin' Down a Dream. Bill, Brian, and Chad discuss Jimmy Iovine taking charge as the producer, his clashes with drummer Stan Lynch, the curse of consistency, Mike Campbell's deceptively amazing guitar leads, Ron Blair's diverse bass playing, Benmont Tench's skill on keys, Petty's battles with his label, and more as we make our way through the album track by track!