Podcast of the Day — September 9
Podcast of the Day — September 9
Record Club
Record Club
09.September.2020
Record Club
Producers — Kelly&Kelly
2020
Almost every morning, I wake up with one song or another in my head (this morning it was “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” — that’ll be a fun talk in therapy).
A few months ago, just as Covid-19 was worming its way around the world, the opening salvo of Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 popped into my head:
“We are a nation with no geographic boundaries
Bound together through our beliefs
We are like-minded individuals
Sharing a common vision
Pushing toward a world rid of color lines
Music, poetry, dance, unity”
And that got me thinking about music and its prevalence, and relative importance, in my life. So I decided to fire off these daily missives to my fellow music fans (nerds) … or in other words, my “nation.”
“You’re not strangers if you like the same band.” — Graffiti
While Record Club is a podcast, it also speaks to the same nation. Since each episode focuses on a particular album, it also fits nicely in the “album” motif.
So, there.
Each episode of Record Club highlights a watershed album by an artist. The twist is that it’s not about the album; the podcast is about people’s relationship with the album.
I know you already have enough podcasts you listen to. And Christ knows that we need another podcast like we need another four years of a particular orange idiot …and with a bevy of music podcasts out there, why should you queue up Record Club?
Well, you shouldn’t if you don’t like music and are opposed to awesome things.
So what makes Record Club so awesome?
Hosted by singer-songwriter-producer Louise Burns, whose first solo album Mellow Drama was longlisted for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize — Canadian music prize — losing to Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs (as was her 2017 album Modern Mopes).
The show is hosted by someone who knows a thing or two about music and the music business …and not some nattering eedjit.
Songs are stories, and songwriters are storytellers. Albums are vessels that hold these stories and can weave a formidable yarn. And the best of them leave an impact on their listeners.
And it’s this butterfly effect that you hear on Record Club. These are stories about how these seminal albums mark a moment in time for the storytellers.
Record Club is a podcast about music fans, and for music fans. Be advised; you won’t find intricate details about the artists or recording process here. In fact, you will hear very little about any of that because the emphasis here is on the storytelling.
The best way to describe Record Club is that it’s similar stylistically to The Moth …if The Moth were held in a venue of music nerds. Also, where The Moth focuses on a theme, Record Club focuses on an album. So, if you like The Moth (or live storytelling in general) and you’re a bit on the music nerdy side, you’ll enjoy Record Club.
These episodes were recorded in pre-COVID days, so there is a live element to it, which adds to its charm.
The creative studio behind Record Club is Kelly&Kelly, an award-winning creative studio specializing in premium scripted podcasts and videos. Based out of Vancouver, Canada, they’ve produced podcasts like:
This Sounds Serious — hysterical “true crime” scripted podcast.
Dexter Guff is Smarter Than You — a satirical show about an under-qualified, over-confident, lifestyle entrepreneur. A one-stop-shop for life strategies to help you “crush” it.
The Plop — A sketch comedy podcast for kids 7–12 years old.
There is a kind of Canadian warmth that permeates from the podcast, which is just another of the show’s charms.
There are seven episodes for this first season of Record Club and the artists and albums highlighted are:
David Bowie — The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars
Fleetwood Mac — Rumors
LCD Sound System — Sound of Silver
Neil Young — Harvest
Radiohead — OK Computer
Janet Jackson — Control
Alanis Morrisette — Jagged Little Pill
As of this writing, I’ve only gotten through Rumors, Jagged Little Pill, Control, and I just started OK Computer. I’m all in on this show — it’s entertaining.
Each episode clocks in at +/- 30 minutes, so it’s not an epic podcast. And the stories are funny, charming, and just personal enough to keep your interest. Each episode packs three stories with a few little nuggets about the artist and the album interspersed. It’s far from overpowering because the emphasis here is on the impact of the music, not the music. Even if you don’t know the albums or the artists, I assure you that you will identify with at least one of the three stories.
The best music is that which highlights our humanistic foibles. It’s what makes Rumors so good, or Jagged Little Pill et al. The best music (IMHO) is that which is relatable. All music can be relatable, but not all music is relatable.
Despite our best efforts to the contrary, we all do a lot of the same stupid shit.
That’s the real charm of Record Club — it shows that these artists, these albums, and the accompanying stories, are relatable.
You can — and should — subscribe to Record Club wherever you get podcasts or listen here.
AOTD - Albums of the Day
For the week of September 7, 2020keithrhiggons.substack.com