Shows
Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 36: The Top 10 Albums of 2018In Episode 36 of Sounding Bored, a team comprising of host Rob Langham, Amy Laurens, Josh Wells and David Cox pick their albums of 2019 including discussion of Kanye West & Kid Cudi, Idles, Mitski, Hookworms, Sauna Youth and Let’s Eat Grandma. Recurring topics include pop stars’ morals, politics and the #metoo movement while there is an important announcement at the close of the show.
2019-01-1655 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 35: The Robyn Episode + Pop Stars as AuteursEpisode 35 of the podcast revolves around the release of the album Honey from Robyn, the Swedish popster’s first solo release since 2010. Rob Langham and Amy Laurens build up to their discussion of the LP by assessing the notion of pop star as auteur, bringing the likes of Kanye West, Joy Division, Britney Spears, Beyonce, Taylor Swift and the Pet Shop Boys into the conversation.
2018-11-0832 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 34: Musical Nostalgia, Queen, Nadine Shah, Damian AbrahamIn Episode 34 of Sounding Bored, Rob Langham and Niall Kennedy survey the current trend for nostalgia to influence music and culture more generally with nods to Queen and the new movie Bohemian Rhapsody, Ghost Box recordings, Rewind and Simon Reynolds’ book Retromania. Album of the month is Fucked Up’s Dose Your Dreams while performances from GNOD and Nadine Shah at the recent Ritual Union festival are also highlighted.
2018-10-2431 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 33: Cover Versions in all their Glory; MitskiIn Episode 33 of the podcast, Rob Langham is joined by Amy Laurens and Josh Wells to debate the ins and outs of cover versions with namechecks for Johnny Cash, The Pet Shop Boys, The Fall, Madonna, The Futureheads, Elbow, Limp Bizkit and Catfish & the Bottlemen. Album of the month is Mitski’s fifth long form platter, Be the Cowboy.
2018-09-1250 minSounding BoredThe Sounding Bored Interviews No. 5: Shire Folk supremos Graham Hobbs and Jonathan RoscoeIn the fifth of the Sounding Bored interview podcasts, Rob Langham speaks to Graham Hobbs and Jonathan Roscoe, the twin svengalis behind Shire Folk, one of the leading folk magazines in the UK and a broad church that features traditional English Folk music, Americana, more than a few fiddles, folktronica and experimental forms. There are mentions on the pod for Seth Lakeman, Tunng, The August List, Little Red, Fairport Convention and Emily Morgan among many others.
2018-08-2938 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 32: Superstar DJs, Pete Tong, Paul Oakenfold, Ross From FriendsIn the 32nd episode of the pod, Rob Langham is joined by David Cox to reflect on the late 1990s heyday of the superstar DJ. Pete Tong, Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox and Sasha are held up as the exemplars of a curious period where the ability to operate a turntable ruled the roost. The Superclubs and club nights including Ministry of Sound, Gatecrasher and Cream are recalled along with the artists that shaped an era such as The Chemical Brothers, Faithless and Leftfield, as well as the comedown. Fittingly, album of the month is Ross From Friends’ Nineties-inflected Family Por...
2018-08-1849 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 31: Mercury Prize 2018, Leeds as a Music City, Sink Ya TeethIn Episode 31 of the pod, co-founder Niall Kennedy returns to join host Rob Langham in appraising three topics: the announcement of the 2018 Mercury Prize short list, some of the best albums of the year so far and Leeds as a music city. Album of the month is Sink Ya Teeth’s eponymous debut while the work of Hookworms, The Sisters of Mercy, Gang of Four, The Wedding Present, Nadine Shah, Young Fathers, King Krule and Chumbawamba is debated.
2018-07-2745 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 30: The Vinyl Revival; Belly; Women in the Music IndustryIn episode 30 of the podcast, host Rob Langham is joined by newcomers Karlyn King and Gavin Barber to discuss the ins and outs of vinyl – both back in the day but also the format’s current strong revival. Karlyn also talks about the upcoming workshop on women’s employability in the music industry which is taking place in Edinburgh in June 2018 while the album of the month is Belly’s comeback effort Dove.
2018-05-2443 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 29: Music and Social Media, Cardi BThis episode of the pod sees host Rob Langham joined by Amy Laurens and Josh Wells to run the rule over musicians' varying use of social media with the discussion revolving around Rihanna, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West and other megastars. Another prominent user of the genre, Cardi B recently released her debut LP, Invasion of Privacy and it's this release that occupies the album of the month slot.
2018-05-1744 minSounding BoredThe Sounding Bored Interviews No. 4: Matthew Worley, author of No FutureIn the fourth of the team’s interview pods, Rob Langham talks to author Matthew Worley, Professor of History at Reading University and author of the new book, No Future: Punk, Politics and British Youth Culture, 1976-1984. In a wide ranging discussion, the pair touch on Margaret Thatcher, Far Right politics, Red Wedge, Malcolm McLaren and Garry Bushell as well as musical artists such as The Jam, The Sex Pistols, Crass, Billy Bragg, The Pop Group and Scritti Politti. Follow the pod on twitter at @soundingbored69
2018-05-0339 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 28: The NME remembered, David Byrne, ConcretismFor Episode 28 of the pod, Rob Langham is joined by Londoners Terry Duffelen and Del Mantle to look back on the life and times of the New Musical Express which finally called time on its print edition in March 2018. There are mentions for The Smiths, Billy Bragg, Public Enemy, Keith Richards and Danny Baker while new albums from Concretism and David Byrne are anticipated and appraised respectively. Follow the team on Twitter at @soundingbored69
2018-04-1244 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 27: Black Panther SoundtrackIn the latest podcast, Rob Langham is joined by David Cox and Josh Wells to run the rule over the soundtrack to mega-movie and cultural watershed Black Panther, curated by Kendrick Lamar and featuring Jorja Smith, Ab-Soul, James Blake, SZA, Future, The Weeknd and others. There's also time for a discussion of the film itself while Ned's Atomic Dustbin, the Mexico City Olympics and the town of St Albans all receive mentions. Follow the pod on twitter at @soundingbored69
2018-03-0944 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 26: Is it time for the Grammys to be axed?In the podcast’s twenty sixth episode, Rob Langham, Amy Laurens and David Cox ponder the future of the Grammys after the annual awards came under fire for their lack of inclusivity and relevance. Mentions for Bruno Mars, U2, Sting, Jay-Z and SZA are followed by a discussion on the current state of music podcasting featuring the York Times Popcast, All Songs Considered and the Slate Hit Parade.
2018-02-0850 minSounding BoredThe Sounding Bored Interviews No. 3: Trev McCabe of Odd Box RecordsIn the third of our dedicated interview pods, Rob Langham and Ben Woolhead pitch up at Pop'n'Hops vinyl and craft beer emporium in Cardiff to chat with Trev McCabe, founder of said operation and also the head honcho of Odd Box Records, purveyors of top quality music for almost a decade now. Trev reflects on the economics of running both operations, the process of choosing which music to release and a third venture that has seen him start a burgeoning club night in the Welsh capital.
2018-01-2939 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 25: New Music for 2018; Shame, Nilüfer Yanya, Rainbow Reservoir, ShoppingFor the first pod of 2018, Rob Langham and Ben Woolhead are joined by Trev McCabe of Odd Box Records to assess what’s in store for the year musically. Established acts such as My Bloody Valentine, Vampire Weekend and No Age jostle for attention with Nilüfer Yanya, Shame and Rainbow Reservoir while album of the month is Shopping’s The Official Body.
2018-01-1849 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 24: Our Top Albums of 2017Following an unbearably tense period of voting and lobbying, the Sounding Bored team, here represented by host Rob Langham, David Cox and Niall Kennedy, are pleased to announce their rundown of their favourite LPs of 2017 as well as some of the near misses. There are mentions for Mount Eerie, Public Service Broadcasting, Richard Dawson, Childish Gambino, Lorde, St. Vincent and Mark Lamarr. As ever, you can follow the pod on twitter at @soundingbored69.
2017-12-131h 11Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 23: The Music of ScandinaviaFor episode 23 of the podcast, Rob is joined by Amy Laurens and Brian Guerin to reflect on the musical heritage of the nordic regions. Acts both massive (ABBA, Whigfield, a-ha) and less well known (The Radio Dept., Motorpsycho and The Sound of Arrows) are placed under the spotlight while there is also space for discussion of the lurid Norwegian death metal scene and whether there is a Scandinavian cultural continuum. Album of the month, appropriately enough, is Fever Ray's Plunge.
2017-12-0646 minSounding BoredThe Sounding Bored Interviews No. 2: Indie DJ Steve Reynolds of DarklandsIn the second of the Sounding Bored interview pods, Rob Langham chews the fat with Steve Reynolds, the mastermind of topnotch indie/alternative club night Darklands. Steve provides an insight into how to steward a popular club night and the tunes to spin with mentions for The Jesus and Mary Chain, New Order, Camper Van Beethoven, Pixies, the Psychedelic Furs, Jane Weaver and Public Image Limited. After listening to the podcast, get yourself down to Reading's South Street Arts Centre for the next installments of Darklands on November 25th and December 16th, 2017 while you can keep up to date...
2017-11-0944 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 22: Sacred Cows: The Smiths, Britney Spears, Radiohead, PinkEpisode 22 of the pod sees Rob reconvene with dream team Amy Laurens and David Cox to discuss music's sacred cows. The reputations of The Smiths, Britney Spears and Radiohead are wrenched through the mangle while this month's new album is Pink's Beautiful Trauma. Follow the pod on twitter at @soundingbored69
2017-11-011h 05Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 21: The Mercury Music Prize, Sampha, LCD Soundsystem, The Other DramasIn the twenty first edition of the podcast, Rob is joined by Maria and Richie from Oxford band The Other Dramas to assess the 2017 Mercury Music Prize won by Sampha as well as the history of the award. Album of the month is LCD Soundsystem's American Dream.
2017-10-1334 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 20: Elvis 40 years on, Arcade FireElvis Presley died at Graceland 40 years ago this month and in Episode 20 of the podcast, Rob and David Cox devote the bulk of their discussion to the King and his legacy, concentrating on 5 key points in his life - his birth and upbringing in East Tupelo, the release of Heartbreak Hotel in 1956, the pivotal year of 1958 which saw the death of his mother and entry into the US army, the 1968 comeback special and his sad demise nine years later. To close, the duo focus on Arcade Fire's newly released fifth album, the hotly debated Everything Now.
2017-08-1857 min
Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 19: Eighties Pop, Wham!, Madonna, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, HaimIn the nineteenth episode of the regular pod, Rob Langham is joined by Amy Laurens and David Cox to look back to the chart music of the 1980s. The trio discuss Wham!, Madonna, the Human League, Michael Jackson, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Phil Collins and others while Live Aid, MTV, Radio 1, politics, hairspray, shoulder pads and the 'Hobsbawmian Long 1980s' also fall under the microscope. Album of the month is Haim's decidedly 1980s referencing Something To Tell You.
2017-08-031h 05Sounding BoredThe Sounding Bored Interviews No. 1: Music Promoter Simon Bailey of Future PerfectFor the first in a series of podcasts that will run parallel to the main show, we interview Simon Bailey, head honcho of Future Perfect and a man whose company has done wonders in bringing quality acts to Oxford, Leicester, Wolverhampton and elsewhere. Acts that Simon has promoted have included Slowdive, Slaves, Ghostpoet, Deap Vally, The Big Moon and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart while he is also currently masterminding the saliva inducing Ritual Union one day festival that will take place in October 2017. The interview provides a fascinating insight into the ins and outs of music p...
2017-07-121h 16Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 18: The Music of Cardiff and Wales; Sweet BabooA year and a half into the lifetime of Sounding Bored, Rob Langham and Ben Woolhead convene in Cardiff to assess the health of the local music scene while casting an eye back to famous Welsh acts of the past including Los Campesinos!, Manic Street Preachers, Shirley Bassey, Anhrefn and the Super Furry Animals. Album of the month is Sweet Baboo's Wild Imagination.
2017-06-211h 27
Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 17: Guitars & Electronica: Kid Kin, Forest Swords, 65daysofstatic, Gnoomes, CorneliusIn Episode 17 of the podcast, Rob is joined by Brian Guerin and electronic artist Peter Lloyd aka Kid Kin to discuss the broad sweep of music that combines traditional and electronic elements to a lesser or greater degree - with mentions for Muse, David Bowie, Battles, Animal Collective, Burial, Brian Eno, Tim Hecker, Mogwai, Radiohead and many more. Album of the month is Forest Swords' Compassion.
2017-05-2359 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 16: Britpop Remembered, The Big Moon, The MoonlandingzIn Episode 16 of the podcast, Mike Gibbons, author of Euro 96 chronicle When Football Came Home and Tom Sutton join host Rob to discuss Britpop: the anthems, the albums, the halfwits and the hullaballoo. Album of the month is 2017's decidedly Britpop tinged Love in the 4th Dimension from The Big Moon.
2017-04-1251 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 15: Music of the Noughties, Dirty Projectors, LCD SoundsystemThe latest edition of the pod sees Tom Sutton join Rob Langham and Niall Kennedy to look back to the 2000s and a musical landscape upon which Bill Callahan, LCD Soundsystem, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, Fleet Foxes, Arcade Fire, Pitchfork and the New York borough of Brooklyn all made their mark. Album of the month is Dirty Projectors' eponymous eighth album.
2017-03-3051 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 14: Hip Hop & Gangsta Rap; Sleaford ModsIn the fourteenth edition of the pod, Rob Langham is joined by David Cox and newcomer Josh Wells to discuss the phenomenon that is Hip Hop, twenty years on from the slaying of The Notorious B.I.G. LP of the month is Sleaford Mods' English Tapas.
2017-03-1658 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 13: New Music for 2017; The xxIn the latest episode of the podcast, Niall Kennedy and Amy Laurens return to join Rob Langham in pondering the musical possibilities for 2017 with mentions for Acid Arab, Japandroids, the Magnetic Fields and Abattoir Blues among others. Album of the month is the third long player from The xx, I See You while the panel reflect on the passing of George Michael.
2017-01-2447 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 12: Our Top 10 Albums of 2016To round off a first year in the business, Amy Laurens joins Rob and Ben to run through the list of the Sounding Bored team's top 10 LPs of 2016.
2016-12-201h 12Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 11: The Current State of Live Music, HoneybloodIn the penultimate episode of 2016, Ben and Rob welcome Brian Guerin to discuss the current state of live music from the personal, cultural, socal, economic and performance point of view. LP of the month is Honeyblood's Babes Never Die.
2016-12-091h 01Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 10: Manchester's Musical Legacy, Jagwar MaEpisode 10 of the pod sees Mike Gibbons join Ben and Rob to talk about Manchester as a music city;Joy Division, The Smiths, Take That, Northside and more. Album of the month is Aussies Jagwar Ma's Every Now and Then.
2016-11-011h 18Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 9: Nevermind 25 Years On, Angel OlsenIn Episode 9 of the pod, Ben Woolhead and Rob Langham are joined by fervent Nirvana fan David Cox to reflect upon the band's landmark release Nevermind after a quarter of a century. Album of the month is Angel Olsen's My Woman.
2016-09-271h 11Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 8: Pros and Cons of Spotify & Streaming, PupIn Episode 8 of the pod, the team take the opportunity to assess the impact of online streaming on music by placing Spotify and other providers under the microscope. Are they a force for good? LP of the month this time out is Toronto band Pup's The Dream is Over.
2016-08-161h 01Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 7: Pet Sounds at 50, Bat For Lashes, Superstar ProducersFor Episode 7 of the pod, Amy Laurens joins Ben and Rob to discuss
the enduring influence of The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds after half a century and the
importance of production to music, concentrating on some of the masters of the
art. Album of the month is Bat For Lashes' The Bride.
2016-07-261h 07Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 6: Ins and Outs of Festivals, James BlakeIn the sixth episode of the pod, the team assess the current festival scene and how it compares to those of yesteryear while highlighting the variety of experiences on offer including glamping, posh nosh, poetry and nary a mention of a toilet. The album of the month up for discussion is James Blake's The Colour in Anything.
2016-06-1948 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 5: Radiohead and Oxford as a Music City with RonanIn the fifth installment of the podcast, the team welcome Ronan Munro, founder and editor of Oxford music magazine Nightshift and use a wider discussion of the city's musical impact to lead into analysis of Radiohead's ninth album, A Moon Shaped Pool.
2016-05-2449 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 4: Wire, Teleman, PJ Harvey, Besnard LakesIn the pod's fourth episode, the team run the rule over Wire's 15th LP Nocturnal Koreans, pick their favourite albums of the year so far and bemoan the cancellation of Drive Like Jehu's curation of the All Tomorrow's Parties event. Follow us on twitter at @soundingbored69 and subscribe on iTunes.
2016-05-0540 min
Sounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 3: Record Stores, Anna Meredith, PrinceIn Episode 3 of Sounding Bored, Niall Kennedy, Rob Langham and Ben Woolhead run the rule over Anna Meredith's stunning album Varmints, pause to reflect on the death of Prince and discuss the future of the record store in the wake of 2016's Record Store Day. Follow the team on twitter at @soundingbored69
2016-04-2542 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 2: Field Music, Screamadelica, Glasgow SceneIn our second episode, Ben, Niall and Rob discuss Field Music's new LP, Commontime, analyse the impact of Primal Scream's Screamadelica after 25 years and use the latter as a launch pad to discuss Glasgow's rich contribution as a music city.
2016-03-0745 minSounding BoredSounding Bored Episode 1: Savages, Top 10s, BowieIn Episode 1 of Sounding Bored, Niall Kennedy, Rob Langham and Ben Woolhead review the new album from Savages, Adore Life, reflect on the passing of David Bowie and assess the end of year top 10 albums across a range of media.
2016-01-3151 min