Self Titled

Self Titled
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Self Titled! We do deep dives into our favorite albums, discuss our favorite artists, and geek out about our favorite music in general. If you like artists like Radiohead, Beck, Ween, Blur, Wilco, and LCD Soundsystem, or genres like indie rock and post-punk, we are your people!

  1. 2D AGO

    Squirrel Nut Zippers' Perennial Favorites: The Most Misunderstood Album of the ’90s?

    In 1998, Perennial Favorites didn’t exactly win over the critics. But nearly three decades later, it still sounds dangerous. On this episode, we revisit Squirrel Nut Zippers’ misunderstood third album — the one that followed the breakout success of “Hell” — and explore why it never quite fit the swing revival label that defined the era. We talk about the Chapel Hill scene, pre-war jazz influences, industry pressure, and the musical tension that gives songs like “Ghost of Stephen Foster” and “Pallin’ With Al” their bite. This wasn’t nostalgia. The menace was always the point. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:15 Our history with Perennial Favorites 04:18 The critics were wrong 07:06 Squirrel Nut Zippers weren't Swing Revivalists 14:50 The Chapel Hill music scene 16:34 Leading up to Perennial Favorites 22:32 Track by track 56:34 Our correspondence with Tom Maxwell 01:10:52 Track by track continued 01:23:30 Perennial Favorites still sounds incredible 01:26:20 SNZ after Perennial Favorites 01:34:43 Rapid-fire questions

    1h 48m

  2. FEB 3

    Is Physical Graffiti Led Zeppelin’s Greatest Achievement?

    Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti is massive, messy, funky, mystical—and possibly their greatest achievement. Seth and Josh dive into Zeppelin’s 1975 double album to explore why it feels like the ultimate expression of the band’s power and range. Touching on blues, funk, folk, Eastern influences, and pure rock excess, the episode unpacks how Physical Graffiti captures all four members operating at their peak. From the groove of “Trampled Under Foot” to the scale of “Kashmir,” the conversation looks at musicianship, chemistry, and ambition—and asks whether this album marks Zeppelin’s final masterpiece before the mythology began to outweigh the music. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:28 Why We Love Physical Graffiti 04:56 Is Led Zeppelin the Quintessential Rock Band? 09:36 Robert Plant's Vocals 17:34 The Background on Physical Graffiti 22:49 Track-by-Track Breakdown 01:10:10 Takeaways 01:16:49 Physical Graffiti's Context in Musical History

    1h 23m

  3. JAN 20

    OK Computer: The Album That Defined Our Most Formative Years

    When OK Computer was released, we were 15 years old — in a band, discovering who we were, and completely unprepared for what this album would do to us. This episode isn’t about ranking tracks or litigating whether OK Computer is “the greatest album of all time.” It’s about what it felt like to live inside this record — hearing it in real time, letting it rewire how we understood music, and realizing that listening itself could be an activity. We talk about: Hearing OK Computer for the first time — and needing weeks before returning to it Why albums like this reveal themselves slowly The emotional weight of songs like “Let Down,” “Exit Music (For a Film),” and “Climbing Up the Walls” Why OK Computer still sounds ahead of its time nearly 30 years later This is a personal history of an album that means a lot to us. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:37 Our History With OK Computer 15:38 OK Computer's Background 21:33 Track-by-track Deep Dive 01:01:30 Final Takeaways

    1h 15m

  4. JAN 13

    We Rank (and Guess Each Other's) Top 10 '90s Albums

    The 1990s were Josh and Seth's most formative decade, so creating a list of our top 10 '90s albums was no easy feat. To make things even harder, we also attempted to guess each other's top 10. From Weezer and Cake to Aphex Twin and Radiohead, here are our favorite albums from the 1990s. Chapters:00:00 Intro 02:00 Josh Guesses Seth's List 03:56 Seth Guesses Josh's List 05:27 Seth's #10-6 08:30 Josh's #10-6 10:47 Our Top 5 19:01 Our Number 1 23:25 Takeaways

    27 min

  5. JAN 6

    The Beatles’ White Album: Chaos, Genius, and the Greatest Double Album Ever Made

    The White Album might be the most confusing, chaotic, and brilliant record the Beatles ever made — which is exactly why we love it. In this episode of Self Titled, we dive deep into The Beatles (1968): the band’s only double album and a document of four musicians drifting apart while somehow making one of the greatest albums of all time. We talk through the tension surrounding the sessions, the shift from studio experimentation to stripped-down songwriting, and how tracks like “Dear Prudence,” “Glass Onion,” “Happiness Is a Warm Gun,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Martha, My Dear” reveal each Beatle at a creative crossroads. Along the way, we debate favorite contributors, revisit high-school listening memories, and ask the big question: Is the White Album messy — or is the mess the magic? This is a track-by-track conversation about obsession, experimentation, and why this album still rewires how we hear music decades later. 00:00 Intro 01:14 Why Josh chose this album 05:43 The background of The White Album 08:50 The weirdness of The White Album 10:30 Which Beatle has the strongest showing? 20:32 Track-by-track review 01:23:34 Is the White Album too long? 01:26:45 The bass sound on The White Album01:29:05 Final Takeaway

    1h 35m

  6. 12/29/2025

    Our 2025 Movie Picks, One Battle After Another, and Our P.T.A. Film Rankings

    Seth and Jordan each list their top movies of 2025 (this recording preceded the release of Marty Supreme, btw). We do a deep dive into our love for One Battle After Another and rank our Paul Thomas Anderson movies. 00:00 - Intro 00:45 - #5 Train Dreams 01:25 - #4 Friendship 03:50 - #3 Pavements 06:28 - #2 Weapons 10:02 - #1 One Battle After Another 12:12 - Ranking Every Paul Thomas Anderson Movie 22:14 - Why One Battle After Another Is Top-Tier

    34 min

  7. 12/23/2025

    Our Favorite Albums of 2025 (Plus a Geese Deep Dive)

    Seth enlists the help of his three most musically savvy friends to break down the best albums of 2025. We've covered a lot of ground in this list, but we reserve a nice long chunk of time at the end of the episode to dive into the phenomenon that was Geese's Getting Killed. 00:00 - Intro00:29 - Landon04:05 - Landon's #3: Djo - The Crux09:15 - Landon's #2: Foxwarren - 214:57 - Landon's #3: Way Dynamic - Massive Shoe21:29 - John23:04 - John's #10: Chevelle - Bright as Blasphemy23:50 - John's #9: Black Keys - No Rain, No Flowers25:15 - John's #8: Tate McRae - So Close to What27:26 - John's #7: Lily Allen - West End Girl29:11 - John's #6: Queens of the Stone Age - Alive in the Catacombs30:47 - John's #5: Turnstile - Never Enough34:33 - John's #4: Fox Lake - New World Heat36:27 - John's #3: Deftones - Private Music40:10 - John's #2: Arc De Solei - Lumen Rain43:55 - John's #1: Balu Brigada - Portal48:34 - Jordan48:49 - Seth's 10-452:49 - Jordan's 10-459:43 - Seth's #3: Pulp - More01:01:16 - Jordan's #3: Guerilla Toss - You're Weird Now01:02:00 - Seth & Jordan's #2: Viagra Boys - Viagr Aboys01:08:00 - Seth & Jordan's #1: Geese - Getting Killed

    1h 26m

  8. 11/25/2025

    Modern Vampires of the City Is the Best of 2010s Indie Rock

    In this episode of Self Titled, Seth and Josh explore Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires of the City — a record that helped define 2010s indie rock and still feels unlike anything else from its era. What begins as a playful, genre-bending album gradually reveals itself as something deeper, heavier, and more spiritually ambitious than it first appears. Across the conversation, Seth and Josh discuss:• How Modern Vampires blends chamber pop, global rhythms, baroque touches, and modern production into something entirely its own• The album’s candid lyrics and its recurring, intimate dialogue with God• Ezra Koenig’s writing at its most vulnerable, thoughtful, and inventive• Standout tracks including “Obvious Bicycle,” “Unbelievers,” “Hannah Hunt,” “Diane Young,” “Everlasting Arms,” and “Ya Hey”• Why the emotional breakthrough of “Hannah Hunt” hits so hard• How Rostam’s production helped shape the band’s most meticulous and adventurous album• The kids’ unexpectedly strong opinions (spoiler: “Finger Back” is a family event)• Who could actually pull off covering this record — from Andrew Bird to a time-travelling Brian Wilson• Why Ezra Koenig might be the Pete Sampras of indie rock For Seth, it’s a long-time favorite. For Josh, it became a slow-burn obsession after spending months with the record. Together, they unpack what makes Modern Vampires such a rare “masterpiece moment” — the intersection of ambition, craft, vulnerability, and total creative freedom. If you enjoy the show, follow Self Titled and leave a review.

    48 min
See All (53)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to Self Titled! We do deep dives into our favorite albums, discuss our favorite artists, and geek out about our favorite music in general. If you like artists like Radiohead, Beck, Ween, Blur, Wilco, and LCD Soundsystem, or genres like indie rock and post-punk, we are your people!

Information

  • Creator
    Self Titled
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Self Titled
  • Show Website
    Self Titled