Discograffiti

18. Pixies

Pixies were one of the most, if not THE most influential bands to form in the mid 80s. All of their singles, EPs and LPs are discussed and rated 0 to 5 stars by Joe and Dave, who also share their picks for the top 3 albums and also their least essential title. Please note: we are saving Pixies side projects and solo records for later episodes.
- official playlist curated by Joe and Dave on Spotify
- Confident and swaggering live performance from 1988
- Absolutely crushing "Debaser" at a club show in 1989
- Live at Brixton Academy in 1991, at the height of their first run of success
- Great comeback single "Bam Thwok," currently unavailable on streaming

17. David Axelrod with Don Randi

Joe and Dave welcome legendary Wrecking Crew keyboardist Don Randi to discuss the discography of the nonpareil producer and arranger David Axelrod, whose lush and cinematic funk masterpieces proved to be manna from heaven for crate diggers of the hip hop generation. Don played on many of these recordings and talks about his experience working with Ax in his Capitol Records heyday. Axelrod's entire catalog is discussed in detail and all of his works are rated from 0 to 5 stars.
- official playlist curated by Joe and Dave on Spotify
- Don Randi discusses David Axelrod's legacy upon the 50th anniversary of the release of "Songs Of Experience"
- "Love Theme From Romeo And Juliet" from Don Randi's excellent Axelrod-produced album, not currently available on streaming but has the classic Ax sound
- Standout track from the 1977 album "Strange Ladies," which is sadly unavailable on streaming but definitely worth checking out
- "The Shadow Knows" from the 2001 MoWax release of the excellent eponymous Axelrod album that was saved from extinction, currently unavailable on streaming
- Live clip of the man himself conducting the band and orchestra performing "The Edge" in 2004 at Royal Festival Hall

16. Badfinger

Joe and Dave discuss the tragic story of Badfinger, power pop legends who were signed to The Beatles' Apple label and who worked closely with Paul and George (as well as Todd Rundgren). The influence of the band can still be heard today in the music of bands like Teenage Fanclub, Sloan, The New Pornographers, etc. Each Badfinger album is dissected and rated. If you want to read about the sad events that befell the band members in the late 70s and early 80s, maybe start here
- official curated playlist by Joe and Dave on Spotify
- "Come And Get It" in 1970
- Rare live appearance of the 'finger playing "Day After Day" on television in 1972
- Jamming on "Shine On Me" at rehearsal in 1973

15. The Raincoats with Jenn Pelly

Author and contributing editor at Pitchfork Jenn Pelly joins Joe and Dave for an in-depth discussion about punk legends The Raincoats. All four of their albums are discussed in detail, and are rated and ranked in Discograffiti fashion.
- curated Raincoats playlist by Joe and Dave on Spotify
- Joyous performance from Warsaw in 1978, before they had released a record
- Amazing footage of The Raincoats recording their first single "Fairytale In The Supermarket" in 1979. Geoff Travis and Mayo Thompson make cameos
- 'Odyshape'-era performance of "Only Loved At Night" on Live At The Beeb in 1981
- Making a wonderful racket in 1982, good quality footage

14. A Very Special Episode #1: An Interview With Kevin Whelan of Aeon Station & The Wrens

"A Very Special Episode" is a new longform format series from Discograffiti. On the first installment Dave and Joe welcome Kevin Whelan. They discuss the evolution from his time with The Wrens to Aeon Station, fax machines, A&R guys, how to make a hit, Kevin Shields-itis, the rules of brotherhood, the future of The Wrens, and which current band he always saw as his nemesis.

13. Peter Gabriel with Kevin Whelan of Aeon Station and The Wrens

Guest Kevin Whelan (Aeon Station / The Wrens) joins hosts Dave and Joe to discuss the solo discography of Peter Gabriel.
- Official curated Peter Gabriel playlist on Spotify
- Delightfully weird live performance from Peter Gabriel's first solo tour in 1978
- Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel team up to deliver the most depressing performance in the history of televised Christmas specials. Ho Ho Ho.
- PG demonstrates the capabilities of the Fairlight CMI, the ludicrously expensive sampling synthesizer that revolutionized pop music. Check out the size of those floppy disks
- Full live show from 1987, at the height of his fame

12. PJ Harvey

Join hosts Joe and Dave as they discuss the fascinating career of the ever shape-shifting and iconic PJ Harvey. On this deep dive through their discography, they unearth some hidden gems and find new appreciation for some of their less-celebrated works. All releases are rated on a scale of 0 to 5 and the hosts select their three must-own releases, and one least favorite PJ Harvey album.
- Official curated PJ Harvey playlist by Joe and Dave on Spotify
- Classic trio lineup shreds "Sheela-Na-Gig" at Reading in 1992
- Interesting footage of glammed-out, non-guitar playing PJ from To Bring You My Love era
- Performance of "Crawl Home" with Desert Sessions in 2003
- Flat out brilliant performances of "Let England Shake"

11. Bee Gees, Part 2: 1974 - 2001

The Brothers Gibb transition into their disco phase and take over popular music for a few years. Join hosts Dave and Joe in a deep dive that chronicles the Bee Gees' imperial phase, from the transitional Mr. Natural album to the stratospheric heights of Saturday Night Fever to the long journey through the wilderness of their post-disco career. All releases are rated from 0 to 5 stars and our intrepid co-hosts select their favorite and least favorite Bee Gees albums.
- Curated official playlist by Joe and Dave on Spotify
- Groovy live performance of "Jive Talkin'" on Midnight Special in 1975
- A cappella isolated vocal track of "How Deep Is Your Love"
- Live 1979 performance of "Stayin' Alive" captures the band at the peak of their otherworldly fame
- Excellent podcast episode about Disco Demolition Night and the rapid demise of disco as a cultural phenomenon

10. Bee Gees, Part 1: 1963 - 1973

Before the Gibb Brothers brought disco to the mainstream, they had a fruitful early period. This episode covers the years from '63 to '73, and a total of NINE full length albums. Hosts Joe and Dave rate each release from 0 to 5 stars.
- curated playlist on Spotify
- Little kid version of the Bee Gees doing their thing way back in 1963
- Original Bee Gees recording of "Butterfly," one of the top gems from their early Australian period
- Gentle, gauzy ballad "In The Morning" is soft-rock Bee Gees at their best
- Rare live performance footage from an interesting point in the band's career, 1971. Everybody's singing and playing is on point here

9. Van Halen

Hosts Dave and Joe tackle the catalog of the greatest band to ever hail from Pasadena, California -- Van Halen. Each release is rated from 0 to 5 stars and Dave and Joe each reveal their picks for the top 3 must-own Van Halen titles, as well as their worst overall release.
- curated Van Halen playlist on Spotify
- The famous "Van Halen Zero" demos, recorded by Gene Simmons before they were a signed band
- Joyous live footage from 1979, especially the first song "Dance The Night Away"
- Tutorial on how to play the incredible solo from "Outta Love Again," a masterclass in efficiency
- Batshit crazy video for "Pretty Woman" that MTV aired exactly one time before coming to their senses
- Van Halen (with David Lee Roth in tow) presents the 1996 VMA for Best Rock Video to Beck and all manner of awkwardness ensues. Also the 90's were just weird