Podfellows Local 151

Our guest for this episoder is Julie Campbell, a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer based in Manchester, England who records under the name of LoneLady. A sense of place is all over this episode, whether it's the folksy southern gothic of Georgia, the working class city of Manchester, or the confines of your own head. Psychogeography is one the defining themes of LoneLady's work, particularly on her 2015 album "Hinterland." Julie brings the Document-era "King of Birds" to chat about, and we dig into its relationship to the creative process. Will wages war on himself with "World Leader Pretend," and Chris takes us back to the Civil War with "Swan Swan H," which really sounds like it could been written in 1860, but is, in fact modern. What noisy cats are we. Literally. (Chris would like to apologize for the intrusion of his cat multiple times on this episode). Links: REM - King of Birds REM - King of Birds (Tourfilm) REM - World Leader Pretend REM - World Leader Pretent (Tourfilm) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NSJbEeNSe0&list=RD_NSJbEeNSe0&start_radio=1 REM - Swan Swan H (Athens, GA: Inside Out)_ LoneLady: Groove It Out LoneLady: Hinterland Our theme music is composed by Jared Duran Our podcast was named by Will Hodge Artwork by Chris Ayers Athens train trestle photo by Joab Jackson

You may have seen our guest, Jonathan Spencer, in Pineapple Express, Shameless, Gilmore Girls, Mad Men, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia...or you may have seen him on stage as a standup comedian. But music was one of his earliest passions, and he continues to explore it with his band The Slightly Famous Somebodies. We're premiering their cover of R.E.M.'s "So. Central Rain" on this episode. Jonathan has long been a fixture of the Athens music scene, and has even played with Peter Buck. He shares a lot of fascinating Athens lore as we dig into one of R.E.M.'s earliest songs about loss and regret. Chris sees similar themes in a song released sixteen years later, "Leave," from New Adventures in Hi-Fi. And Will claims that "Untitled" from Green (hidden track?) may actually be his single favorite R.E.M. song. Links: So. Central Rain / R.E.M. So. Central Rain live on The Late Show (1983) Leave / R.E.M. Leave (Alternate Version) / R.E.M. Untitled / R.E.M. R.E.M. / Drivin' n' Cryin' Left of the Dial / The Replacements Our theme music is composed by Jared Duran Our podcast was named by Will Hodge Artwork by Chris Ayers Athens train trestle photo by Joab Jackson

Novelist Megan Abbott often finds solace in darkness in her books, so it's no surprise that she would be inspired by the beautiful, murky waters of R.E.M.'s "Nightswimming." She reveals how the song was a working title for one of her earliest coming-of-age thrillers. We discuss the newfound vulnerability and earnestness that Michael Stipe was exploring in the Automatic For the People era. Chris finds a strong connection to Nightswimming with the thematically similar "You Are the Everything," while Will brings one of the band's earliest songs, "Talk About the Passion," which suggests R.E.M.'s political leanings were obvious from the start. Late summer is the perfect time for a night swim... Our theme music is composed by Jared Duran Our podcast was named by Will Hodge Artwork by Chris Ayers Athens train trestle photo by Joab Jackson

Since 1979 Pylon has been a permanent fixture and major pillar of the Athens music scene, and their singular sound has influenced countless bands, including R.E.M. For an art school band that initially considered themselves to be "temporary rock," they've left a lasting legacy and transformed the very concept of alternative music. We are honored to welcome Pylon's lead vocalist Vanessa Briscoe Hay to the show to talk about the band's genesis, a time before the terms new wave and post-punk had even been coined, and her continued involvement with Pylon Reenactment Society. It's amazing to have this opportunity to talk to our favorite band's favorite band. Links: Pylon - Beep REM - Crazy Pylon - Crazy Pylon - Feast on My Heart Our theme music is composed by Jared Duran Our podcast was named by Will Hodge Artwork by Chris Ayers Athens train trestle photo by Joab Jackson

We're getting goth and glam on this episode! We delve into some of R.E.M.'s earliest recordings with the 1982 EP Chronic Town. Will unearths the southern gothic post punk "graveyard duology" with songs 1,000,000 and Stumble, and we talk about some notable residents buried in Athens. Then a jump ahead to the 90's as the band undergoes a major image change and responds to grunge in their own unique way, with the lead single from Monster, "What's the Frequency Kenneth?" R.E.M. "1,000,000" R.E.M. "Stumble" R.E.M. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" Our theme music is composed by Jared Duran Our podcast was named by Will Hodge Artwork by Chris Ayers Athens train trestle photo by Joab Jackson

We let our geek flag fly in this episode, talking about our favorite fantastic foursome - R.E.M. Joining us are Bob Leeper and Russ Kazmierczak, contributors to Nerdvana.co. Bob is an conniseur of Superman in pop music, of which there are over 700 songs! We try to determine if R.E.M's cover of The Clique's track about the Man of Steel is top of the pops. Russ joins us to talk about Micky Donlenz (of Monkees fame) and his surprising EP of R.E.M. covers. Will and Chris then round it out with R.E.M.'s cover of "Love Is All Around" by The Troggs. It's all sunshine pop 60's nostalgia geekery on this episode! Links: Superman - R.E.M Superman - The Clique The Monkees theme song Micky Dolenz - Radio Free Europe Micky Dolenz - Shiny Happy People Mickey Dolnez - Man on the Moon [Love is All Aroound (Unplugged) - R.E.M. ](love is all around r.e.m.) I Can't Control Myself - The Troggs Our theme music is composed by Jared Duran Our podcast was named by Will Hodge Artwork by Chris Ayers Athens train trestle photo by Joab Jackson

Our guest for this episode is Robert Dean Lurie, author of the book Begin the Begin: REM's Early Years, an excellent in-depth exploration of REM's genesis and the Athens scene that nurtured so many amazing bands. Robert was a student at the University of Georgia in the early 90s and saw firsthand the excitement of living in a small town that was also the home to a superstar band. Robert tells of his connection to REM's "Fall On Me." Will brings "Good Advices" to compliment Robert's pick, and Chris closes it out with "Around the Sun." Links: Fall on Me Fall on Me (Unplugged) Good Advices Around the Sun Our theme music is composed by Jared Duran Our podcast was named by Will Hodge Artwork by Chris Ayers Athens train trestle photo by Joab Jackson

With the recent passing of Brian Wilson, we pay tribute to the Beach Boys and their influence on R.E.M., particularly on their later albums. We are joined by the host of The Digital Gramophone YouTube channel, Jon Wicker, whose favorite album of all time is The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds." Links: The Beach Boys "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times." R.E.M. "At My Most Beautiful" R.E.M. "Endgame" R.E.M. "Radio Song" The Beach Boys "Wouldn't It Be Nice" R.E.M. "Beat a Drum" Our theme music is composed by Jared Duran Our podcast was named by Will Hodge Artwork by Chris Ayers Athens train trestle photo by Joab Jackson

We didn't have to go very far to find our guest for this episode. Annie Schilling, age 11, is the daughter of our host Will, and a burgeoning R.E.M. fan, and musican in her own right. We talk about passing down the music you love to your kids, how young people discover and engage with music these days, and you may be surprised which R.E.M. song Annie brought to talk about. We figure hers is a perspective you rarely get to hear on podcasts. Links: The Lifting Daysleeper Time After Time (Annelise) Time After Time (Annelise) Live on The Cutting Edge Annelies Mondi interview on Athens Music Project Our theme music is composed by Jared Duran Our podcast was named by Will Hodge Artwork by Chris Ayers Athens train trestle photo by Joab Jackson

Our guest is Jared Duran, a poet, publisher, podcaster, and composer of our theme song, which was partially inspired by one his favorite R.E.M. songs, Strange Currencies, which he brings to us for discussion. The theme for this episode is the music of the TV show "The Bear," which features three R.E.M. songs. Chris chooses "Half a World Away" to talk about, while Will picks "Oh My Heart." Links: The Bear Season 1 Trailer Strange Currencies Strange Currencies (The Bear Remix) Half a World Away Oh My Heart Oh My Heart (University of Georgia PSA) Our theme music is composed by Jared Duran Our podcast was named by Will Hodge Artwork by Chris Ayers Athens train trestle photo by Joab Jackson