Sparklehorse - Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot (1995) Artwork

The Record Player

Shuffling music has its rewards, but there's still nothing like listening to a good old-fashioned album, start to finish — and that's what The Record Player is all about. With every episode, we'll dig into the music of and story behind a single LP, with co-hosts Jeff Giles and Matt Wardlaw ("1991: The Year AOR Ate Itself") and special guests acting as your guides.

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The Record Player

Sparklehorse - Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot (1995)

February 19, 2022 • Jeff Giles and Matt Wardlaw • Season 1 • Episode 14

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Mike Errico joins Jeff and Matt to discuss Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, the 1995 debut album by Sparklehorse, the banner which the late Mark Linkous used to bring his music into the world.

Nearly 30 years after the record first hit the shelves, it remains an extremely compelling listen. We enjoyed having the chance to revisit the album with Mike. It proved to be the catalyst for a number of interesting discussions. Visit Mike at his website, where you'll find details on his new book, which we also talk about.

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Show Notes

Cleveland memories
The Twinemen and Morphine
Dana Colley “The guy who played two saxophones at the same time.”
Morphine - ‘Sharks”
Morphine in Cleveland
Meeting Mark Sandman at a diner
The History of Bones: A Memoir by John Lurie
The threads that connect our favorite musicians
Warren Zevon
Mike’s experiences touring with Warren Zevon
Running into Steve Buscemi at a Tom Waits show in Columbus, Ohio
Playing Woodstock ‘99
Almost getting beaten up as the opening act for a concert
Opening for Art Garfunkel
America - Crying in My Sleep (not written by Art, but written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by Art)
Art Garfunkel - The Singer (I called it “The Songwriter.” Dammit, Jeff wins again!)
Richard Marx, Night Ranger and Kevin Cronin
Mike’s book
Big questions about songwriting
The similarities between songwriters and astrophysicists
Twitter rage caused by Martians
The allure of a chorus
The movie Contact and why it’s Mike’s favorite sci-fi film, but why it’s also a horrible movie.
Giving prospective songwriters a map that doesn’t exist
Jeff Giles 2011 interview with Mike Errico
Pancakes and the importance of milk
The Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse
Battling self-esteem issues with a project
Students walking the alternate path
Battling against the urge to quit.
George Saunders
Trusting the universe and being open to taking a different path
Mike’s path to Sparklehorse
Analyzing the sound of Sparklehorse
Contemporaries of Sparklehorse
What was it like submitting this album to Capitol Records?
Alessandro Nivola and the movie

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