Built to Spill

Built to Spill – the band that successfully earshifted Rene 25 years ago. Sean and Rene tackle the legacy of Doug Martsch, the godfather of indie guitar noodling. They debate the ultimate Built to Spill album, marvel at Doug's intense live connection with his guitar and recount a brilliant Brian Eno cover. Plus, Sean's heartwarming Wilco festival encounter with the drummer's mother and why "Carry the Zero" fuels Rene's running playlists.Apple Music Songs PlaylistSpotify Songs PlaylistSend us Fan MailThanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, follow us to learn more about past and upcoming episodes, and the artists we cover. Instagram: @earshifterpodcastTikTok: @earshifterFacebook: @earshifterpodcast

The Decemberists – baroque folk-rockers who brought back accordion-fuelled sea shanties. Sean and Rene clash over hazy Toronto concert recollections, and debate the merits of Castaways and Cutouts versus Picaresque. The hosts unpack the giant whale theatrics of "The Mariner’s Revenge Song", Rene’s joint-smoking with band members outside the venue and Stephen Colbert’s mock feud over "Oh Valencia."Spotify Songs PlaylistApple Music Songs PlaylistSend us Fan MailThanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, follow us to learn more about past and upcoming episodes, and the artists we cover. Instagram: @earshifterpodcastTikTok: @earshifterFacebook: @earshifterpodcast

Can Sean earshift Rene on Brooklyn's buzziest post-punk outfit? With Geese fresh off selling out back-to-back nights at Toronto's History, Sean unpacks their rise from high-school basements to Saturday Night Live. Rene explains why the hype mirrors his lifelong disconnect with Bob Dylan, but surrenders to the chaotic swagger of "2122" from 3D Country. Plus, Sean's missed Wilco Festival set.Apple Music Songs PlaylistSpotify Songs PlaylistSend us Fan MailThanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, follow us to learn more about past and upcoming episodes, and the artists we cover. Instagram: @earshifterpodcastTikTok: @earshifterFacebook: @earshifterpodcast

Broken Social Scene: From two-man ambient experiments to iconic festival headliners, Broken Social Scene turned indie rock into a glorious communal celebration. Sean breaks down Toronto’s six degrees of indie separation while Rene defends his no-skip love for their instrumental debut Feel Good Lost. Tune in for the ultimate track showdown as the hosts dissect the explosive anthems that defined You Forgot It in the People.Spotify Songs PlaylistApple Music Songs PlaylistSend us Fan MailThanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, follow us to learn more about past and upcoming episodes, and the artists we cover. Instagram: @earshifterpodcastTikTok: @earshifterFacebook: @earshifterpodcast

Luna - the 1990s dream-pop architects dubbed "the best band you've never heard of." Sean and Rene unpack how Lou Reed hand-picked them to open The Velvet Underground’s 1993 European reunion tour, the delicate beauty of "Anesthesia" and Sean's 30-year concert loop at Lee's Palace. Plus, why Dean Wareham is indie rock’s patron saint of elegant underachievement and Luna remains the ultimate soundtrack for thoughtful music obsessives.Apple Music Songs PlaylistSpotify Songs PlaylistSend us Fan MailThanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, follow us to learn more about past and upcoming episodes, and the artists we cover. Instagram: @earshifterpodcastTikTok: @earshifterFacebook: @earshifterpodcast

Mannequin Pussy – the shape-shifting Philly punk band who mix brutal noise with undeniable melodic hooks. Sean and Rene recount MP’s first stadium gig opening for Foo Fighters, Missy's absolute rockstar swagger and a classic Henry Rollins tangent about opening acts. Plus, Rene's weeks-long obsession with their latest album and why blasting this band for his daughter made him feel like a rebellious teenager again.  Apple Music Songs PlaylistSpotify Songs PlaylistSend us Fan MailThanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, follow us to learn more about past and upcoming episodes, and the artists we cover. Instagram: @earshifterpodcastTikTok: @earshifterFacebook: @earshifterpodcast

Dry Cleaning – the London crank-wave four-piece whose deadpan singer Florence Shaw turns fragments of diaries, adverts and overheard thoughts into poetry, comedy and music. Sean and Rene explore the band’s angular guitars, Shaw’s improvised lyric process, their disturbing music videos, and why Rene walked out of their concert after 45 minutes.Apple Music Songs PlaylistSpotify Songs PlaylistSend us Fan MailThanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, follow us to learn more about past and upcoming episodes, and the artists we cover. Instagram: @earshifterpodcastTikTok: @earshifterFacebook: @earshifterpodcast

Black Country, New Road – the Cambridge art school collective that's two bands in one. Rene and Sean break down both eras, Isaac Wood's departure, the band's pact to never play his songs live and why Rene somehow keeps falling for artists whose lead singers disappear. Plus a sold-out Toronto show, the drummer who played banjo mid-show and a Drake shoutout nobody saw coming.Apple Music Songs PlaylistSpotify Songs PlaylistSend us Fan MailThanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, follow us to learn more about past and upcoming episodes, and the artists we cover. Instagram: @earshifterpodcastTikTok: @earshifterFacebook: @earshifterpodcast

Momus – the Scottish trickster-poet whose biography is titled Famous For 15 People and has spent 40 years doing it entirely his way. In the Season 3 premiere, Sean and Rene revisit the artist who first bonded them – the fan letter, the El Mocambo eye patch, the Creation Records years, a Japanese number one, and why his most provocative song could have been a Pet Shop Boys hit.Apple Music Songs PlaylistSpotify Songs PlaylistSend us Fan MailThanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, follow us to learn more about past and upcoming episodes, and the artists we cover. Instagram: @earshifterpodcastTikTok: @earshifterFacebook: @earshifterpodcast

Kevin Morby – the Kansas City-raised songwriter on the most compelling creative run of his career. Still buzzing from his Toronto show the night before, Sean and Rene dig into nine albums, how a TV soundtrack Shazam led Rene to listen on loop for an hour, and why Aaron Dessner says Little Wide Open is the best album he's ever produced. Plus, the Waxahatchee love story, and a baby on the way.Apple Music Songs PlaylistSpotify Music Songs PlaylistSend us Fan MailThanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, follow us to learn more about past and upcoming episodes, and the artists we cover. Instagram: @earshifterpodcastTikTok: @earshifterFacebook: @earshifterpodcast