I've listened to a ton of these now and it's great. Haven't listened to the last few because the songs weren't enticing (Hootie, Lisa Loeb, etc), but I know he goes way beyond the title artist and I probably should, huh?
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 26 January 2023 04:16 (one year ago) link
xp Pretty sure I called up Ned while he was doing a radio show c. 1999, and we briefly chatted about the Dead C.
― Vexatious litigant (morrisp), Thursday, 26 January 2023 04:28 (one year ago) link
Hootie one was good. Makes a good case for the band's strengths and the underappreciated world-weariness or social commentary in their lyrics. It does open with a lot of 80s baseball card material and "my life as a sports fan" material; that didn't do as much for me, but many here might find it very sweet and charming!
― got it in the blood, the kid's a pelican (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 26 January 2023 04:37 (one year ago) link
i need to dig into this more, i listened to an episode ages ago & really liked it
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 26 January 2023 04:40 (one year ago) link
Hootie and Lisa were both fantastic!
― Cinta Kaz is comin' to town (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 26 January 2023 04:53 (one year ago) link
^seconded.
― peace, man, Thursday, 26 January 2023 10:48 (one year ago) link
I’m up to episode 58 and there hasn’t been a dud episode so far. I could listen to this guy recite the phone book.
― Agnes, Agatha, Germaine and Jack (Willl), Thursday, 26 January 2023 11:03 (one year ago) link
lol at the Enjoy the Silence episode being structured around the "For the Masses" tribute album, a mostly forgotten album I listened to a whole lot in the late-90s and which actually got me back into depeche mode at the time
― silverfish, Thursday, 26 January 2023 19:29 (one year ago) link
Ok I'll eventually get around to those eps (even though sports talk is equally unenticing)
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 26 January 2023 19:31 (one year ago) link
I like the way he tells stories and his eye for banal personal details, so even the sports talk wasn't a total deal-breaker for a sports-hater like myself. YMMV of course.
― got it in the blood, the kid's a pelican (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 26 January 2023 20:42 (one year ago) link
lol at his pronunciation of Basildon
― nate woolls, Thursday, 26 January 2023 22:51 (one year ago) link
you can find "sports talk" in the works of David Berman as well
― Cinta Kaz is comin' to town (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 26 January 2023 23:13 (one year ago) link
Not to take anything away from the great Ned Raggett but I do like his subtle habit of always referring to critics as "the great music writer x" or "the great critic x", just bigging up his colleagues.
I've tried to get both my 90s music-obsessed friend and his 90s music-obsessed 14 year old stepson to listen, without success.
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 26 January 2023 23:16 (one year ago) link
my partner likes 90s music and absolutely hates it.
― Cinta Kaz is comin' to town (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 26 January 2023 23:21 (one year ago) link
to the degree I sense my own enjoyment of the podcast is off-putting
― Cinta Kaz is comin' to town (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 26 January 2023 23:23 (one year ago) link
Oh yeah I should have mentioned partner can't bear to hear his voice/delivery even for a moment, such that I lunge for the off switch if she's in the same space.
― change display name (Jordan), Friday, 27 January 2023 00:46 (one year ago) link
yes, a very relatable scene
― Cinta Kaz is comin' to town (Sufjan Grafton), Friday, 27 January 2023 01:45 (one year ago) link
His style is very mannered. I love it as long as I get it in reasonable doses. It flips abruptly to unbearable if I try to binge more than a couple episodes. Think I’m upthread saying as much.
― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Friday, 27 January 2023 02:16 (one year ago) link
All my favorite podcasts in terms of research/writing have terrible, mannered delivery. It's an accepted price of entry at this point
― عباس کیارستمی (Eric H.), Friday, 27 January 2023 10:59 (one year ago) link
I could listen to him read the Bible or to replace the kind lady on Google Maps, but I totally get that there could a backlash to "Rob Harvilla voice".
― peace, man, Friday, 27 January 2023 11:56 (one year ago) link
I also like his delivery! But I think "small doses" goes for almost any podcast, especially if it's one person talking and they're trying to write jokes, etc. I wouldn't listen to any one comedian for three hours, no matter how funny I find them or how many chores I need to get done.
― got it in the blood, the kid's a pelican (Doctor Casino), Friday, 27 January 2023 14:24 (one year ago) link
Apparently Rob Harvilla voice is similar to Brad Listi voice, on the Otherppl podcast (which mostly interviews writers).
― change display name (Jordan), Friday, 27 January 2023 16:45 (one year ago) link
ok the Yellow Ledbetter episode has put me deep in my feelingspvmic i uncritically love this episode onward i shall continue listening
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 27 January 2023 19:54 (one year ago) link
boop-boop
― got it in the blood, the kid's a pelican (Doctor Casino), Friday, 27 January 2023 20:12 (one year ago) link
i was bracing myself for him to be all “and unlike Spin Doctors Pearl Jam’s Ten only had one good song” & he’s like THEY HAD EIGHT GOOD SONGS and I was like MY DUDE it’s scary how much he really is “my people” in this episode
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 27 January 2023 20:27 (one year ago) link
Harvilla's on our side.
(Full disclosure: he's been my editor at two publications and is a mensch)
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 27 January 2023 20:30 (one year ago) link
i mean in all my listening to the show i get strong "is this guy an ILXor" vibes. would be an excellent poster imho.
― got it in the blood, the kid's a pelican (Doctor Casino), Friday, 27 January 2023 20:41 (one year ago) link
There was a part in the Cannonball episode that made me laugh out loud when he mentions Kelley Deal and says THAT'S RIGHT THERE'S TWO OF THEM
― nate woolls, Friday, 27 January 2023 20:52 (one year ago) link
the show also has an endearing quality “midnight community radio dj”, just talking reminscences & stray thoughts out to the world to whoevers listening, maybe while you are driving cross country somewhere yellow ledbetter lyrics = “sage gibberish” made me lol it is very otm
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 27 January 2023 20:53 (one year ago) link
quality midnight DJ comparison is OTM
― got it in the blood, the kid's a pelican (Doctor Casino), Friday, 27 January 2023 20:59 (one year ago) link
He has good comic timing for sure. I started this on a break from the Andrew Hickey cast, and it was really hard to go back to that as it's completely humourless (not that he's trying, it's a totally different thing).
I really like this (I'm up to the Whitney "I Will Always" ep), but the funny thing about the voice-haters* is, personally, the first monologue half is nearly always better than the interview half. The Luniz ep was maybe the sole exception so far? Maybe he should interview pairs of friends more often.
Though I thought the "Common People" ep was a rare miss in the monologue dept—that lengthy opening on the use of "she" in britpop was total nonsense, no? in general his political analyses and "I don't want to talk about thats" are a little inconsistent, but I think most music fans with roughly similar politics can relate, so it doesn't really bother me—and I have to admit Lynskey improved it by having a better sense of the context. Sometimes I think Americans lean in to the "the British class system is a byzantine maze no human can comprehend!" idea as a free pass to not think about class at all anywhere, like no rich american ever went slumming or w/e. Anyway, point being that I bail on the interviews somewhat often, but, somewhat to my surprise, have only skipped out on one of his monologues so far (the Selena one; I couldn't square his effusive praise with the actual clips that sounded p bad to me, sorry Selena fans).
*tbc I absolutely understand hating podcast voices
― rob, Friday, 27 January 2023 21:32 (one year ago) link
Yeah, often the conversation bit is unnecessary, but most guests are pretty good. I had to bail on David Chang talking about Metallica though, I just could not.
― change display name (Jordan), Friday, 27 January 2023 21:36 (one year ago) link
i mean in all my listening to the show i get strong "is this guy an ILXor" vibes. would be an excellent poster imho.― got it in the blood, the kid's a pelican (Doctor Casino), Friday, January 27, 2023 3:41 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink
― got it in the blood, the kid's a pelican (Doctor Casino), Friday, January 27, 2023 3:41 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink
He has tweeted about this thread...
Rob Harvilla's 60 Songs that Explain the 90s
...and possibly (?) mentioned us on the podcast. Some music podcast has mentioned ilxor in the last six months or so, at any rate. Butchering the pronunciation of course.
― peace, man, Friday, 27 January 2023 22:06 (one year ago) link
i will stop narrating every ep i swear but “Walk” - Pantera episode…. so good!! when he did the Bootylicious/Destinys child voiceover to Cowboy’s from Hell intro i lost my shit Vinnie..can you handle thisPhil …can you handle thisDimebag …can you handle this i was super into Pantera in high school, never stopped loving Dimebag even when Phil made them unsupportable… so grateful this ep exists bc it is really fun to celebrate how much Dime fucking rules (and to relish the hilarity of their 80’s glam metal years)
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 27 January 2023 23:30 (one year ago) link
Rob if you are still reading this, let me do an episode on the first track from Merzbow's 'Pulse Demon.'
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Friday, 27 January 2023 23:34 (one year ago) link
lol he doesn't read, HE TALKS. aren't you paying any attention?
― "i'm grateful." (Austin), Saturday, 28 January 2023 01:36 (one year ago) link
That was a nice block of Filter and REM, if I do say so myself. My name is Shaft.
― Cinta Kaz is comin' to town (Sufjan Grafton), Saturday, 28 January 2023 04:28 (one year ago) link
that detail about rob’s college radio career felt like a punchline the biographical info from the whole series has been leading up to
― circles, Saturday, 28 January 2023 04:39 (one year ago) link
"Feed my little baby" will not be topped, but you're right, this isn't a podcast about midwestern catholic guilt.
― Cinta Kaz is comin' to town (Sufjan Grafton), Saturday, 28 January 2023 04:52 (one year ago) link
oh hey there Whiney aka guest on the Coolio Gangsta Paradise episode while i was driving around today! i fully acted out the dicaprio meme pointing at the stereo the episodes he did on Notorious BIG’s Juicy, Whitneys I Will Always Love You and Sinead’s Nothing compares 2 u —- all incredibly moving & compassionate, i really like when he digs deeper in that way. i fully teared up in the whitney ep.
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 5 February 2023 01:11 (one year ago) link
30 more episodes! I fist-pumped the air.
― verhexen, Thursday, 9 February 2023 01:11 (one year ago) link
Oh really? I was wondering if he was truly going to end it at 90.
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 9 February 2023 01:13 (one year ago) link
"Hear me now and believe me later - we will stop at 120 songs." Let's see. Apparently he's taking 2 months off and starting again in May.
It was too soon to end, just when "some call it soup / some call it nuts" from the Green Day episode may have tentatively topped "Feed my little baby".
― verhexen, Thursday, 9 February 2023 01:18 (one year ago) link
niiice.
got to the Enjoy the Silence ep a couple nights back. the college radio material was cracking me UP.
― got it in the blood, the kid's a pelican (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 9 February 2023 03:00 (one year ago) link
I would've liked him to do the 80s or 00s when he was done but I'll take 30 more 90s episodes
― nate woolls, Thursday, 9 February 2023 03:25 (one year ago) link
I don’t think you could do a marketable ‘00s podcast in this style because the monoculture was dead and gone. 75 minutes about some Clay Aiken or Breaking Benjamin song you don’t remember actually hearing
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Thursday, 9 February 2023 03:31 (one year ago) link
lets figure out CrazyTown
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 9 February 2023 03:54 (one year ago) link
My wife and I both recently started listening — '90s music is a big bonding thing for us in general, so it's a good couple show for us. It's fun. I can see how his shtick would annoy some people but I think it mostly works, he has actual interesting things to say often enough that the patter is tolerable and sometimes entertaining. Helps that in general I like his taste. Listened to the Hole episode recently, I was amen-ing his adulation of Courtney Love's songwriting.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Thursday, 9 February 2023 04:38 (one year ago) link
I've only listened to "Basket Case" and kind of felt like it could have been half as long. He's a bit much so I had to break it into multiple listens.
― papal hotwife (milo z), Thursday, 9 February 2023 06:31 (one year ago) link
His guest who said it was the worst single off Dookie OTM
― papal hotwife (milo z), Thursday, 9 February 2023 06:32 (one year ago) link
I’ve gone back to listen to the ones I hadn’t already heard before I listen to the final ones. Quite odd listening to the earlier episodes that feel more “scripted”, less conversational I guess.
― hamicle, Thursday, 14 March 2024 19:41 (one month ago) link
sigh i will miss this showexcited for whatever he does next
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 14 March 2024 20:26 (one month ago) link
he def gets a legit lol or two out of me every episode. like the jay z one where he was reading the ten commandments to funk flex bombs sound fx
― infinite wiggles (Spottie), Thursday, 14 March 2024 20:46 (one month ago) link
'lets go mount sinai'
― infinite wiggles (Spottie), Thursday, 14 March 2024 20:50 (one month ago) link
so funny i want a playlist of all the songs he played at open mic nights — when he said he did Hallelujah i screamed ROB NO
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 14 March 2024 23:02 (one month ago) link
So Rob’s next project is hosting a BBC podcast series (i think) with Courtney Love! starting in Aprilhttps://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2024/bbc-radio-6-music-and-bbc-sounds-announce-courtney-loves-women
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 25 March 2024 18:03 (one month ago) link
Oh man - I had to stop halfway through the Smells Like Teen Spirit episode because I couldn't stand Love's ramblings. Rob basically just smiled and nodded while she jumped around all over the place and talked more about herself than Nirvana.
Hopefully he's got something better lined up after this.
― octobeard, Monday, 25 March 2024 19:16 (one month ago) link
i loved that episode so as always, mileage varies!
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 25 March 2024 19:21 (one month ago) link
I'm in favor of this Odd Couple remake, but he strongly implied that he'll be doing another podcast for the same company with the same team, so I assume this is in addition to that.
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Monday, 25 March 2024 19:26 (one month ago) link
yeah, my reax to that news was "ugh, that sucks, and it seems like it would be painful for Rob." (i'm sure he doesn't feel that way and is excited.)
his half of that episode is approximately 10 times better than listening to her ramble.
― alpine static, Monday, 25 March 2024 19:32 (one month ago) link
https://preview.redd.it/i-need-a-broom-to-clean-up-all-those-names-courtney-dropped-v0-0yu54zouej9a1.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=0606713ad03d45ad5afb3d2323a5c22f7c12bacd
― President Keyes, Monday, 25 March 2024 19:39 (one month ago) link
I enjoyed her rambling. Anyway it's not like he has to edit the podcast, that's whose doing the real work here.
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Monday, 25 March 2024 19:42 (one month ago) link
I don’t fault anyone for loving the Courtney, but I couldn’t take it — she (who has done WONDERFUL work) didn’t talk about the work at all; it was who wanted to or did fuck whom and who was on what scene at which moment and all that social shit. Now, this is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to the creation of a scene, probably as important as the music (or more), but her ep was just Not For Me.
― It was on a accident (hardcore dilettante), Tuesday, 26 March 2024 04:37 (four weeks ago) link
omgthis is not directed at hardcore dilettante but to anyone else with something in the hopper re courtneygod forbid i be naive enough think that this would be a good thing to mention for Harvilla’s career bump and that geez might be an interesting series …and more fool me for forgettig that the very mention of Courtney’s name is like summoning a flock of winged monkeys who feel it is important to point out how bad & hated & idk insane she is or whatever i ask you all please absolutely knock it the fuck off it’s boring, depressing, and lame
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 26 March 2024 05:36 (four weeks ago) link