Nakedly Examined Music Podcast Mark Lintertainment

Singer-songwriter Lynn has released 10 albums since 2001. We discuss the title track (and listen at the end to “I Waited Too Long”) from High Tide (2024), “11:11” from Rise of the Fall (2017), and “Drugstore” from Crossing Frequencies (2001). Intro: “City Life” from Sugar on the Floor (2011). Hear more at lynndrury.com.







Watch some video about the making of the new album. Watch her album release party. Watch her live band a decade ago. Hear her collaborative project The Honeypots. Watch the video for “City Life.” I mention Lynn’s relentless solo performance of “Soundtrack.” Hear her play a cover tune.







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You can watch this discussion as unedited video.







It’s a new, discussion-only format, just for this episode (and perhaps some rare ones in the future)! When we write, how much is planned vs. improvised? How much is inspirational vs. double-or-triple checked? How does this factor weigh into how much music we release, how eclectic our sound is, and how well we improvise with others?







This discussion features three returning guests:









* Roger Joseph Manning Jr. was the keyboardist/singer for Jellyfish and Imperial Drag, and more recently as a solo artist and with the Likerish Quartet. Hear his solo episode. The end song on this episode “I’m Startin’ a Band” from his Radio Daze EP (2023).







* David Christian is the singer/guitarist for Britain’s Comet Gain. Hear his solo episode. The intro music to this discussion is “Love and Hate on the Radio” from Radio Sessions 1996-2011.







* Portland-based Rachel Taylor Brown has released 10 solo albums. Hear her solo episode. Her song choice relevant to this discussion was “Stagg Field.”









Hear a pre-release of Mark’s 8-person band’s new demo.







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Illinois singer/bassist Paul had his first release in 1985 and joined with drummer Ric Menck to form a band that was eventually called Velvet Crush, which released six studio albums from 1991-2004. He has since played a lot in Matthew Sweet’s band and has now released two albums with drummer John Richardson under the name The Small Square.







We discuss “Can’t Let Go (Oh, Tommy)” by The Small Square from Ours & Others (2023), “California Incline” by Velvet Crush from Stereo Blues (2004), and “Flower Field” by Choo Choo Train from Briar Rose EP (1988). Intro: “Hold Me Up” by Velvet Crush from Teenage Symphonies to God (1994). End song: “SML” from The Small Square (2015, remastered 2023). More at smallsquaremusic.com and actionmusik.bandcamp.com.







Hear all of “Hold Me Up,” and watch Velvet Crush play it on Conan. Here’s another, mellower live track called “Why Not Your Baby.” Watch some of a live reunion show. Hear Paul’s first single “Halo” (1985). Watch Paul harmonize with Matthew Sweet (with Ric in the band too), and accompanying Matthew and Susanna Hoffs on guitar on an interesting cover tune.







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Graham is the quintessential British singer-songwriter. Though often compared to Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, he started before either of those guys, with his first album as Graham Parker & the Rumour coming out in 1976. He released five albums with them by 1980 and then went solo for another 15 albums (sometimes with a backing band, sometimes entirely solo). Then The Rumour reformed for two albums and has now morphed into The Goldtops.







We discuss “Lost Track of Time” by Graham Parker and the Goldtops from Last Chance to Do the Twist (2023), “Going There” by Graham Parker & The Rumour from Mystery Glue (2015), “She Wants So Many Things” from Struck By Lightning (1991), and “Between You and Me” by Graham Parker & The Rumour from Howlin’ Wind (1976). Intro: “Local Girls” from Squeezing Out Sparks (1980).  Hear more at GrahamParker.net.







Watch the video for “Local Girls.” Another big song from that album (Squeezing Out Sparks) is “Hey Lord Don’t Ask Me Questions,” and the opening track is “Temporary Beauty.” An ’80s hit (my introduction to Graham) was “Get Started, Start a Fire.” Wikipedia says his only US hit was “Wake Up (Next to You).” (For an “album artist with no hits,” he sure had a lot of produced videos back in the day!)







Watch the live film of the Rumour reunion tour. Hear a live, relatively recent take on “Between You and Me.” Watch a complete solo show from 2022. Watch a complete classic show with The Rumour from 1977.







Graham has written a few books; I read his first novel, the fictional but based on his experience as a musician, The Thylacine’s Lair. A fun, recent release from Graham is The Middlesex Demos, which show what his writing and singing was like in 1973; listen to to the folky “Stay Here Loving You.” Hear his first single (from 1976), “Silly Things.”







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Coming from a family who played traditional cajun music in Louisiana, violinist Louis and his accordion-playing brother Andre have released nine albums (plus some live releases and EPs since 2001), winning two Grammy awards, plus Louis has had a couple of releases under the name Michot’s Melody Makers, and he just released his first solo album.







We discuss the title track (and listen at the end to “Ti Coeur Bleu” from Rêve du Troubadour, that 2023 solo album, plus “Marée Noire” from Mammoth Waltz (2012) and “Mexico One Step” from Bayou Perdu (2005). Intro: “Grand Marais” by Michot’s Melody Makers from Blood Moon (2018). Learn more at louismichot.com and lostbayouramblers.com.







While the Ramblers started rather traditional (though with some very energetic stage theatrics), they’ve increasingly added electronics, electric guitar stunt-work, and other atmospherics while still using traditional folk melodic and structural elements and keeping to strictly Louisiana French lyrics. 







A couple of these songs feature my past guest, New Orleans guitarist and producer Mark Bingham.







Watch Louis accept a Grammy in 2024. Watch the video for Rêve. Hear all of “Grand Marais.” Watch Louis’ solo act live from last summer, and watch a Ramblers set from the same time. Here’s Louis playing truly solo. 







Watch a short film about Mammoth Waltz including Scarlett Johansson, Dr. John, and Gordon Gano. Here are the Ramblers back in 2010. Watch the video for the new solo tune we mention featuring Louis rapping and sax play Dickie Landry. Hear that 40 second single “Luciole.” Watch Louis live singing in English with Poguetry, the Pogues tribute band featuring Spider Stacey.







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After Matt’s “paisley underground” band Rain Parade recorded two albums and an EP from ’83-’85, he was a member of Crazy Horse (taking the Neil Young guitar role in Neil’s absence), and released a few albums intermittently as he worked in law enforcement. Now that he has retired, he’s back devoting all his time to music, and Rain Parade has been touring and released its first album of the millennium.







We discuss the title track from this 2023 release, Last Rays of the Dying Sun, then the title track by the Hellenes’ I Love You All the Animals (2018), and “Blue” from Rain Parade’s Glass Palace EP (1984). Finally, we listen to “Reason for Living” from the self-titled album by Boatclub (2008). Intro: “What She’s Done to Your Mind” (a 1982 single). More at rainparade.bandcamp.com.







Hear all of “What She’s Done to Your Mind.” Matt refers to the Rain Parade classic “No Easy Way Down,” which in this live form represents the band at its most psychedelic. They’re still playing it in 2023. Watch Rain Parade live in 1985. Watch Matt live in 2011 playing two Rain Parade songs solo. 







The single from the new album is “Angel Sister,” sung by Matt’s co-writer and bassist Steven Roback. Steven’s post Rain Parade project, to which Matt eventually became a contributor, was Viva Saturn. 







Another song from the 2018 Hellenes album we mention is “So Depressed,” featuring Big Star elements including their drummer Jody Stephens. A very nice song from his 2000 solo debut (the album was called Hellenes) is “Understand.” Matt released an album in 1986 with my former guest Tim Lee as Gone Fishin’, which included this song Matt wrote called “Home.” Here’s a song Matt played lead guitar on by Crazy Horse in 1989.







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Sponsor: Get the ultimate gift: A custom-written song from Songfinch. Use songfinch.com/NEM to get free Spotify streaming for your song. Listen to the song Mark commissioned.