This week we cross the pond to check out Welsh band Catfish and the Bottlemen. Formed in 2007, the band formed in Llandudno, North Wales. Their musical style can best be described as indie or alt rock. Which, to be honest, is a description I have issues with. Being a Gen Xer, alt rock was … More S3E14 The Balcony
We’re back, and this week we’re heading back to the mid 80’s to check out some proto-grunge. This week’s album is Dry as a Bone, the second EP by Green River. It was released in July 1987 through Sub Pop Records. Green River formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984. Although the band had very little commercial Success outside their … More S3E13 Dry As a Bone
Hello there! We pride ourselves on keeping a regular weekly schedule. Consistency is the key to success, or so we’ve heard. Well, not this week. We will be taking a brief respite from our regular schedule as real life intrudes on our time. The Mad Wanderer (aka Chris) is running for re-election, and that little … More Taking a Break
This week finds out checking out French artist Gautier Serre, known by his stage name, Igorrr. Initially influenced by the likes of Meshuggah, Chopin, Cannibal Corpse, Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, Taraf de Haidouks and Aphex Twin, traces of these artists can be found littered across Igorrr’s discography, but Serre has never been interested in remaining static … More S3E12 Savage Sinusoid
We’re back with yet another album from LA based Dead Poet Society, and again one of our favorite guests, vocalist/guitarist Jack Underkofler joins us as well! Released less than a week ago on March 12, 2021, -!- is their first full length album released through Spinefarm Records. Jack joins us to discuss the genesis of the album … More S3E11 -!- (with Jack Underkofler)
This week we dive back into the local scene, listening to the 2021 release from Massachusetts based Pillbook. This album, El Primer Paso can best be described as psychedelic alt pop. Pillbook is comprised of Aaron Garcia from Chelsea, Massachusetts. Aaron is a producer as well as a musician, recording most of his music in … More S3E10 El Primer Paso (with Pillbook)
Merriam-Webster defines esoteric thusly: designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone. This week’s album choice, on the surface, may seem to be the antithesis of esoteric. But it is with this definition in mind that we take a look at one of, if not the biggest bands in the world: BTS. BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan), also … More S3E9 The Most Beautiful Moment In Life, Part 2
This week we continue our journey through Aaron’s “laid back and heavy” motif with Highly Suspect. Highly Suspect is an American rock band from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The band consists of twin brothers Rich (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Ryan Meyer (drums, backing vocals), Johnny Stevens (guitar, lead vocals), and Matt Kofos (guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals). After starting as a bar … More S3E8 Mister Asylum
So, here’s the thing. Morphine was one of the best bands to come out of Boston in the 90’s. You can argue the point, and you can be wrong. Formed in 1989 by Mark Sandman, Dana Colley and Jerome Deupree, Morphine combined blues and jazz elements with more traditional rock arrangements, giving the band an unusual sound. Sandman sang distinctively in … More S3E7 Cure for Pain
This week we listen to and discuss one of Aaron’s picks: English rock duo Royal Blood. Formed in Brighton in 2011, Royal Blood consists of Mike Kerr on vocals and bass and Ben Thatcher on drums. Their sound is anchored in Kerr’s unique bass playing technique, in which he uses various effects pedals to make his electric bass sound like … More S3E6 Royal Blood
One year ago today we began this journey. In honor of the occasion, Aaron and I go back to our roots, recording in the woods of Myles Standish and take a listen to Dog Police. Join us in celebrating this milestone!
So we’re trying a few new things here at Esoterica the Podcast. This is our debut episode of “1 on 1′” Short conversations with people we find interesting. This is exclusive YouTube content, and not part our regular podcast. For this episode, Chris talks to TikTok sensation and unofficial Gen X spokesperson Julie Anderson. Turns … More 1 on 1 with Julie Anderson!
This week we are joined by Nolan McGovern and Jake Perreault of The Fairview as we discuss their album Fresh Faced & Effervescent. The Fairview is a punk pop DIY outfit from Southeastern Massachusetts / Rhode Island. Started in 2014 by Nolan McGovern and his friends from high school, the amateur band played small venues, … More S3E5 Fresh Faced & Effervescent (with The Fairview)
Welcome to our newest venture, Free Form Fridays! FFF is an opportunity for Aaron and I to do what we like best: Sample beers, muse about things, and discuss things that may not fit within the parameters of our regular show. We’re not sure what every episode will look like, but we know it will … More Free Form Friday #1
In September of 1967, an eccentric young musician named Don Van Vliet released his debut album under his stage moniker, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band. That album was called Safe As Milk. Van Vliet was quite a character. He was a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist. His music blended elements of blues, free jazz, rock, and avant-garde composition … More S3E4 Safe As Milk
This week we go North of the border to talk with Canadian rock duo cleopatrick about their 2018 EP the boys. Childhood friends Ian Fraser and Luke Gruntz grew up in Cobourg, Ontario. They have been friends since age 4 and began getting interested in music around age 8 when they first listened to AC/DC. Later in … More S3E3 the boys (with cleopatrick)
On this week’s episode, we take a listen to The HU‘s 2019 debut album The Gereg. The HU is a band from Mongolia that blends heavy metal and traditional Mongolian throat singing. The band’s name, The HU, is the Mongolian root word for human being. They call their style “Hunnu Rock,” inspired by the Hunnu, … More S3E2 The Gereg
This week we revisit a Season One favorite: Modern Baseball. This time around we’re taking a look at their 2014 release “You’re Gonna Miss It All.” Like their debut album Sports (2012), You’re Gonna Miss It All was written while the band members were attending college. Unlike Sports which only featured Lukens and Ewald, “we were just excited to have a full … More S3E1 You’re Gonna Miss It All
After listening to our latest episode, make sure to check out Three Interesting Things and hear Chris discussing Cold War spy relics, insect stings and Jarre!
President of the Cryptic Corporation and long time manager of The Residents Homer Flynn joins us once again to discuss one of my all time favorite Resident’s albums: Goosebump. Released in 1980 as a B-side to the “Diskomo” single, the Resident’s Historical site describes Goosebump thusly: “The Residents had long planned to produce a children’s … More S2E19 Goosebump
“The odds against Christmas being Christmas are 365 to 1.” Often times when people think of Star Wars and the holiday season, they think of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. But that wasn’t Lucasfilm’s only foray into yuletide cheer. In 1980, RSO Records released a charming album titled Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars … More S2E18 Christmas In the Stars
We’ve covered a fair number of Massachusetts based bands on our podcast, and this episode is no different. Although from New Jersey, our artist of the week self published her album while attending Northeastern University in Boston. Sidney Gish is an American singer-songwriter. Her first album, Ed Buys Houses, was self-released on Bandcamp in 2016. Her second album, No Dogs Allowed, was … More S2E17 No Dogs Allowed
This week we get wicked local and listen to a hometown band. A Loss For Words hales from Abington, MA. First formed in 1999 by Matty Arsenault and Danny Poulin. It took a while for the line up to solidify, and they released a number of tracks and EPs over the next few years. In … More S2E16 The Kids Can’t Lose
For our latest episode, we take a listen to one of my all time favorite musicians, the one and only Jim White. Jim’s a bit of an enigma. Categorized as Americana or alt country, Jim has a unique sound that defies an easy label. Once a professional model, for a time a New York City … More S2E15 Wrong-Eyed Jesus (The Mysterious Tale of How I Shouted)
While you’re waiting for our new episode to drop, check out Aaron’s new album The Little Things, available on Bandcamp! Aaron’s running a deal, today only. Purchase an Esoterica the Podcast tee shirt or the Yuck Foo album and get a free download of The Little Things! Click here
Called “The Beatles of Comedy” by The Library of Congress, the four-man Firesign Theatre wrote and performed together for over forty years, but their early studio work (1968-1975) for Columbia Records remains their best known and most influential. Innumerable phrases from their albums have entered the English lexicon: What’s all this brouhaha? More Sugar! What you … More S2E14 Dope Humor of the Seventies (w/ David Ossman)
And now for something truly esoteric. Musique pour Supermarché (English title: Music for Supermarkets) is the sixth studio album by electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre. Only a single copy was pressed and distributed, and its master plates were deliberately destroyed. In 1983, Jean-Michel Jarre was asked to compose the background music for the supermarket-themed art exhibition Orrimbe show. Jarre agreed, recording Musique pour Supermarché (English: Music for … More S2E13 Musique pour Supermarché
Our main focus here at Esoterica the Podcast is shining a light on the obscure, offbeat and unusual. That focus tends to be on music, whether it be a local indie band or an established, non mainstream act. Co-host Aaron Christian is a musician, and he has a new single out. So we’re taking a … More Aaron has a new single out!
We’re back with another album from LA based Dead Poet Society, and this time vocalist/guitarist Jack Underkofler joins us for the discussion! Release in July of 2015, Axiom is their first EP. Jack joins us to discuss the formation of the band and we break down all the tracks from Axiom. DPS was recently signed … More S2E12 Axiom (w/ Jack Underkofler)
“Everybody’s wonderin’ what and where they all came from” This week’s episode once again finds us exploring the Americana genre, this time with our first look at a female artist. Iris DeMent is a two time Grammy nominee signer-songwriter. Her musical stylings incorporate elements of folk, country and gospel. “Iris DeMent makes music that celebrates … More S2E11 Infamous Angel
Uncle Sinner is Winnipeg-based multi-instrumentalist and singer Michael Bodner, who adapts traditional American music to suit his purposes. The sound has variously been called gothic Americana, death country, dark folk blues or some combination thereof. The music embraces the overlap between country and blues, sacred and secular. Uncle Sinner’s music has spread largely by word of mouth, with … More S2E10 Trouble of This World ( w/ Michael Bodner)
For our latest episode, we revisit musician Frank Iero. This time around, we take a listen to his 2016 album Parachutes. On this album he is backed by The Patience. Iero is an American musician who is the rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist for My Chemical Romance and post hardcore band Leathermouth. He has released … More S2E9 Parachutes
For this episode, we take a listen to Dead Poet Society‘s 2016 EP Dempsey. Dead Poet Society (DPS) is an edgy groove rock band based out of Boston, MA. The band’s four members (Jack Underkofler, Jack Collins, Nick Taylor, Will Goodroad) met and formed DPS while attending the Berklee College of Music and Wentworth Institute of … More S2E8 Dempsey
“You are a bold and courageous person. Afraid of nothing.” With these words we begin our journey into the chilling, thrilling world of the haunted house! First released in 1964, Disneyland Records (now known as Walt Disney Records) album Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House offered up “stories in sound” meant to scare and … More S2E7 Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House
Let’s be honest here. There’s no chance we’re going to make this country great again. It’s debatable if it was ever great. Furthermore, what’s great for one person is often terrible for another. But with a little effort and cooperation from all of us, we can make this country OK again. Because it’s not OK … More #MakeAmericaOKAgain
“When the storm clouds gather ’round you And heavy rains descend Just remember that death is not the end” The month of October is upon us, and we get in to the spirit of the season with an album of dark, dreadful musings. In 1996, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released their ninth studio … More S2E6 Murder Ballads
“The Information-Action Ratio is the place to go.” Alternatively described as lounge pop, glam pop and sometimes space pop, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is the sixth studio album from English band The Arctic Monkeys. The band hails from Sheffield, and singer Alex Turner’s distinct accent is a hallmark of the band. Tranquility Base marked … More S2E5 Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
If you’ve been listening to Esoterica the Podcast, you’re used to Aaron and I giving our thoughts on each track of the albums we discuss. For this episode, we had the unique pleasure of having the artist join us for those conversations. Garage rocker Stephen Clair hails from Beacon, NY. Stephen joins us to talk … More S2E4 The Small Hours (w/ Stephen Clair)
For our second outing this season in the Famous Folks series, we had the pleasure of speaking with Peter Wingsoe. Renowned as one of the first leaders of the micro-endorsement platform, CEO Peter Wingsoe is an innovator turned serial entrepreneur and veteran of start-ups with over 20 years of experience in retail management, marketing, strategic advisory and … More S2FF3 Peter Wingsoe
We continue our album reviews with Frank Iero and the Future Violents’ album Barriers. Frank Iero first rose to fame as the rhythm guitarist for My Chemical Romance. In 2014, Iero released his first solo album. Since then, he has released several albums under an ever changing band moniker: frnkiero and the cellabration, Frank Iero … More S2E3 Barriers
