Sparkle Hard, Stephen Malkmus' seventh album with his band The Jicks, finds the indie-rock icon/god experimenting with a more "mainstream" palate, slinging some prerequisite Pavement vibes, and even recording one of the most political songs of his career. On our latest podcast, Kevin, Drew, and (Malkmus-superfan) Eduardo are dissecting the new LP to find out if Malkmus has still got "magic," or if his particular brand of indie-rock has seen it's better days. 

PLUS! Whether they're from a far-away universe or somewhere deep within your mind (it is unclear, tbh), the Austin, Texas-based Golden Dawn Arkestra is inviting YOU along on their journey with the first single from their upcoming LP, Children Of The Sun!

Lucy Dacus's debut album No Burden announced the Richmond, Virginia native to the world as a musical force to be reckoned with.

On her sophomore effort, Historian, Lucy and her band haven't just lived up to that expectation, they've created a modern classic. 

That's it. That's the pitch. Go listen to the album NOW, then come back to hear Kevin and Eduardo gush.

PS. We're bum ping a rad track from Washington, DC's Stronger Sex after all the gushing.

To say Julien Baker wears her heart on her sleeve would be an understatement. On Turn Out The Lights, the Memphis, Tennessee native (now based in Nashville) turns up the feels on an emotional roller coaster of an album that drags the listener down to the bottom and doesn't offer a clear way back from the depths.

Kevin, Eduardo, and Marcus are spending some time with this elegiac powerhouse of an album and considering the truth in "downerism" and if it's OK to feel oh-so-not-OK.

PLUS! Soul Man Gregory Porter is back and hitching a ride with Nat King Cole to make you "Smile" on his latest LP, Nat King Cole & Me.

For over twenty years, indie-rock mainstays Spoon have made some of the most consistently satisfying albums in rock and roll history. On their ninth outing, Hot Thoughts, Britt Daniels and crew are looking back to their past as they evolve the sound of the band into a new future. We've got some possibly "hot" thoughts to share about one of the most anticipated albums of 2017.  

PLUS! Saxophonist Ted Taforo provides one of the highlights of Hot Thoughts, improvising on the album's closing track, "Us." When he's not busy changing Spoon's musical direction, he's putting out great albums like The Pope From Rome And Other Stories, and we've got a taste for ya.

Copyright law is a fickle beast. Will Toledo and Matador Records found out just how fickle when they found out despite their good faith efforts, a (killer) track off of Teens Of Denial that quoted a classic The Cars song wouldn't pass the copyright muster, resulting in the physical release of the album being pushed back to June and all copies being destroyed. 

This kinda thing could be catastrophic to an artist's career, but given the circumstances, who really gives a f$%$?*

That's our podcast. Plus a little Promised Land Sound for good measure. Dig it.

*Circumstances = Teens Of Denial is one of the best rock records of 2016, maybe of all time