Nightswimming - You Are the Everything - Talk About the Passion

King of Birds, World Leader Pretend, Swan Swan H

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 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASokyb7oqdM&list=RDASokyb7oqdM&start_radio=1] REM - King of Birds (Tourfilm) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veadgtKc7IQ&list=RDveadgtKc7IQ&start_radio=1] REM - World Leader Pretend [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGMejPNlcIo&list=RDaGMejPNlcIo&start_radio=1] REM - World Leader Pretent (Tourfilm) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwS9_vqdHcQ&list=RDWwS9_vqdHcQ&start_radio=1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NSJbEeNSe0&list=RD_NSJbEeNSe0&start_radio=1 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NSJbEeNSe0&list=RD_NSJbEeNSe0&start_radio=1] REM - Swan Swan H (Athens, GA: Inside Out)_ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_QG6tr9mjo&list=RD3_QG6tr9mjo&start_radio=1] LoneLady: Groove It Out [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDUBvK4d1uc&list=RDFDUBvK4d1uc&start_radio=1] LoneLady: Hinterland [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W6w8fQauwg&list=RD6W6w8fQauwg&start_radio=1] 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

So. Central Rain, Leave, Untitled

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. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msWi0c4tHV8&list=RDmsWi0c4tHV8&start_radio=1] So. Central Rain live on The Late Show (1983) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW62Q0TTgS0&list=RDdW62Q0TTgS0&start_radio=1] Leave / R.E.M. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXj6_-UwkOU&list=RDtXj6_-UwkOU&start_radio=1] Leave (Alternate Version) / R.E.M. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omMxZBGblho&list=RDomMxZBGblho&start_radio=1] Untitled / R.E.M. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA2n60NoOwY&list=RDKA2n60NoOwY&start_radio=1] R.E.M. / Drivin' n' Cryin' [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6DBb26BPjk&list=RDQ6DBb26BPjk&start_radio=1] Left of the Dial / The Replacements [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUmwzgFXfug&list=RDaUmwzgFXfug&start_radio=1] 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

Nightswimming - You Are the Everything - Talk About the Passion

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

Pylon - Beep, Crazy, Feast on My Heart

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 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blaq4hdQUTY&list=RDblaq4hdQUTY&start_radio=1] REM - Crazy [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go9t68mQOl0&list=RDGo9t68mQOl0&start_radio=1] Pylon - Crazy [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxQun7XXd5A&list=RDfxQun7XXd5A&start_radio=1] Pylon - Feast on My Heart [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78wOtR05IYc&list=RD78wOtR05IYc&start_radio=1] 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

1,000,000 - Stumble - What's the Frequency Kenneth?

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" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATfB3D82VX4&list=RDATfB3D82VX4&start_radio=1] R.E.M. "Stumble" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2iYVDpE4bI&list=RDz2iYVDpE4bI&start_radio=1] R.E.M. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWkMhCLkVOg&list=RDjWkMhCLkVOg&start_radio=1] 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