Episode Transcript
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Glen Erickson (00:19):
Hello and welcome
to Post Fame Plus; Post Fame
Plus is our season one bonusepisode series between Alexi and
myself, Glen Erickson, your hostof Almost Famous Enough, and
this is Alexi.
Say hi, Alexi.
Say hi.
I'm just kidding.
that was so forced, Post FamePlus is, uh, something we wanted
(00:41):
to do as sort of a carryover ofour, our tag bits to every
episode in season one of AlmostFamous Enough where we got
together, uh, and we talkedabout the episode, but then we
also like to talk about.
Well, lots of things, butparticularly what music was
relevant in our life right now,or things that we were
(01:04):
referencing or discoveringpulling out of the past, all
those things, right?
So, I think that it would be alot of fun for us to have a
little series, with a specific.
Premise and theme, right?
So, premise and theme is we aregoing to do, uh, a four part
(01:24):
series where one person shows upwith an album that they think is
to listen, to, start to finishas an album, and the backstory
behind why they think that andfeel that way.
And then the other person isgoing to share a single a song,
uh, that is impressing.
Uh, upon them either now orwhatever.
(01:44):
There's no rule to it.
It's just you're bringing asong.
I'm bringing an album.
So, song versus album, andthat's, uh, well it's not a
battle, but song, an album.
And we're, we're coming, firstepisode here, Alexi, you are
doing.
alexi (02:01):
Song.
Glen Erickson (02:02):
you're doing
alexi (02:03):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (02:03):
I'm doing album.
So,
alexi (02:06):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (02:07):
we're gonna have
a little bit of an exchange.
Again, this is, um, this is whatwe kinda wanted to do while we
prepped for season two and allthe things that are coming for
that.
But, uh, we kind of missed ourpod time together, and I
alexi (02:22):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (02:22):
this is gonna be
fun and we want to keep sharing
music to people.
So without further ado.
A post fame plus Alexi, whydon't you start us off with, uh,
a song that you're here toshare.
alexi (02:34):
Okay.
I'll start present.
I was excited to do song firstbecause I think this is a band
that you don't know and haven'theard of.
Glen Erickson (02:42):
What
alexi (02:43):
And I always think it's
quite exciting when I have a
band or a song up my sleeve, um,that you won't know.
Glen Erickson (02:51):
You know
alexi (02:52):
And so
Glen Erickson (02:52):
that is, and you
know
alexi (02:54):
I know,
Glen Erickson (02:54):
because you even
got a little red in the face as
you were
alexi (02:58):
I know,
Glen Erickson (02:59):
which is a very
sweet and also a big swing.
So I love it.
So I'm looking forward to this.
alexi (03:05):
but if you know them, you
can't be a liar.
You gotta tell me.
But, uh, okay.
I'll start by saying it's.
By the band called TheBackfires.
Glen Erickson (03:15):
Uh, winner,
winner right there.
I
alexi (03:17):
Okay.
Okay.
Um, so they, oh, I don't evenhave my phone, so I can't see,
but they don't have a lot ofmusic out at all.
Um, but they have a, their mostrecent album that came out, um,
full of really good songs.
But, there's one on there thatthe first time listening.
(03:38):
It's just one of those songswhere it finishes and you're
like, oh, I think I need to playthat one more time before I like
move past it.
and so the song I chose iscalled Dressed for a Funeral by
The Backfires.
Glen Erickson (03:52):
I am looking it
up right now.
alexi (03:54):
yeah, you're looking
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (03:56):
about, did you
already talked about this band
to me, Lexi.
alexi (04:00):
didn't.
Glen Erickson (04:01):
Oh, the album
cover
alexi (04:02):
Oh, maybe
Glen Erickson (04:03):
looks a little
familiar, but I can't place it.
Okay.
Continue Dressed For A FuneralThe Backfires.
alexi (04:09):
Chance I might've popped
it in the car, but yeah, dressed
for funeral by the Backfires.
Um, when I discovered it, I, itwas one of my many, like, I need
this on repeat.
or it goes in like the file inmy brain of like the good mood
song.
In the way that it's like if I'min a really good mood, I'm
(04:29):
playing this song, or if like, Ineed to get in a really good
mood, mood, I'm playing thissong.
it's like very punchy indie rockand I was trying to, it is,
Glen Erickson (04:40):
on.
You, you describe it as punchy,indie rock.
And how long have
alexi (04:44):
yeah,
Glen Erickson (04:45):
out From me.
alexi (04:47):
like too long.
Because he told me they weregonna do this series and I was
like,
Glen Erickson (04:53):
You're
alexi (04:53):
this is such good ammo.
Um, yeah, no, it's so good.
The album's really, really goodfor this song.
Um, yeah, and so I was trying todescribe it to a friend and the
way I described it, as soon asit came up my mouth, we were
like dying laughing.
And we wrote it in my notes.
And what I had said when I wastrying to describe it was I
said, imagine The Strokes meetsThe Arctic Monkeys.
(05:16):
But they have a kid and it's atwo thousands garage rock band.
And that was me trying todescribe this album.
And I don't know if it does itjustice, um, but it's really
good.
It has like, and this is why Isaved it for you too, it has
like really sharp guitar riffsin there, um, that are just like
(05:38):
delightful to listen to,
Glen Erickson (05:39):
you mean by
sharp.
alexi (05:41):
like.
Sharp, like their whole sound.
It's like they have like goodproduction, but their guitar
riff all of a sudden just kindalike breaks through and they're
like crisp and they have alittle edge to them.
Glen Erickson (05:56):
Okay,
alexi (05:57):
You know what I mean?
Glen Erickson (05:57):
mean, well, I'm
trying to find out what you
mean.
So do you mean sharp, likeversus.
Fuzzy like guitar naturally whenit's can be very crunchy in
indie rock.
Right.
Or it can be the fuzz tone, um,
alexi (06:13):
It's not the fuzz tone.
Glen Erickson (06:14):
like tight, like
I almost would use terms
sometimes as tight.
Like there's not a lot of extraanything.
Like, like Vampire Weekend issharp to me, like in the way
alexi (06:26):
Yeah.
Yes.
Then I'd stick with sharp.
Glen Erickson (06:30):
Okay.
alexi (06:31):
You'll know when you
listen.
Um, but yeah, like it's.
Like, I was like saying like,it's like heightened production,
but it's like that raw edge thatI like as well.
Um, and then, uh, I was, oh,it's a two minute, 13 second
song,
Glen Erickson (06:50):
A little punk.
It's a little punk rock of them.
alexi (06:52):
it's a little punk.
It, it's a little hard.
My heart.
Glen Erickson (06:56):
I'm looking and
it's like two 14 and then the
other songs are 2 59, 3 minutes.
So like they don't,
alexi (07:03):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (07:04):
they don't waste
a lot of time.
alexi (07:06):
They don't waste a lot of
time, but that's their, I think,
shortest one on there,
Glen Erickson (07:09):
Yeah.
alexi (07:10):
which is, it's hard.
I, I literally, I just want itto be like eight minutes long.
Um, always.
And I'll, I'll finish off withlike my favorite lyric from it,
um, which kind of encapturestheir whole thing.
there, there.
It's a really sharp one too, butit's like waking up drunk is
tomorrow's conditional and thewhole song is just like, I don't
(07:34):
know.
It's a little, it's a littlelike punky and I really like it.
It's
Glen Erickson (07:40):
Okay.
alexi (07:40):
good.
Glen Erickson (07:41):
I love that.
I can't remember already'cause Imight have been already going
down a different.
Uh, place in my mind.
But did you say how you foundthe song?
alexi (07:52):
I don't know how I found
it.
I.
Glen Erickson (07:55):
Was it
alexi (07:55):
No, it was not, it was a
rabbit hole for sure.
I, yeah, it was definitely arabbit hole.
It was like when I was finishingfinals and I was like thinking
about the fact that I was cominginto summer and I always come
into summer, have like aplaylist of kind of the music
that I have been finding and I'mgetting into for the summer, and
(08:18):
it ends up flourishing into thisbeautiful like.
Summer of that year, playlist.
and I didn't have one and so Iwas adding some songs I had
found recently and like we'reenjoying to a playlist.
And I think I was going into theartist profiles on Spotify,
scrolling all the way down andgoing to the, like, if you like
this artist, you'll like dah,dah, dah, dah da.
(08:40):
And there's a couple smallerartists, um, on there.
And then I was scrolling down.
Going through that.
And these were one of thembecause they're still pretty,
pretty small.
Glen Erickson (08:51):
Mm-hmm.
alexi (08:52):
and yeah, they were kind
of in that, in that grouping.
Um, and I judged a book by itscover and I looked at it and I
was like, Hmm.
And then I gave it a chance, andI'm very, very grateful for that
because it's so good.
Glen Erickson (09:03):
I love that.
You know what it makes me thinkof is like literally since we're
a generational conversation hereis when I was 19.
Yeah, that would've been mysummer mixtape on a literal
cassette was what I would'vehad, and I would've had record
from like one cassette toanother on a machine that I was
(09:25):
very fortunate my parents had,and that had the two cassette
things right, built in anyhow.
And I would've only found out.
All of these new bands by goingdown to the record store, the
more indie record store, not themainstream one, and just
flipping and looking for likealbum cover art that looked cool
(09:47):
and I would hope that the musicmatched it like.
alexi (09:51):
Mm-hmm.
Glen Erickson (09:52):
it's a whole
different world now.
Uh, okay, I love that.
So, Dressed For A Funeral, TheBackfires, um, first, uh, single
share by Lexi.
So, I'm glad that you weresitting on one'cause.
Um, it makes me feel morejustified that I'm sitting on
one and have chosen not to talkto you about for my single on
(10:12):
the next episode.
alexi (10:14):
That's okay.
Okay.
Whatever.
Glen Erickson (10:17):
I love it.
alexi (10:18):
I won't, I won't have my
feelings hurt.
Glen Erickson (10:21):
Okay.
album.
So
alexi (10:23):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (10:24):
obviously I was
telling you in the car the other
day, this one's hard becausethere's so many places and ways
I could go.
alexi (10:31):
Oh
Glen Erickson (10:32):
Um, so I had to
sort of try to rein it in.
And then I just thought, ifwe're gonna do this share series
thematically, I should reallystart with, to me, what is one
of the most important.
to cover albums that I've
alexi (10:49):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (10:49):
in recent memory
that probably also has a, a
story worthy go with it.
So to
alexi (10:57):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (10:57):
no surprise to
anyone.
think the album everyone shouldlisten to is The War on Drugs
Lost in the Dream.
But here's the catch is, there'slike three.
There's like a bunch of War onDrugs album I could choose.
So how do I choose one?
Well, this
alexi (11:15):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (11:16):
to me.
Uh, lost In The Dream wasreleased in 2014, so quite a
while ago.
Uh, American Rock Band, thatreally, when it comes down to
it, is Adam Granduciel, theguitar player and lead singer,
like he is the band, even thoughhe's had the same guys forever,
but
alexi (11:34):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (11:35):
Uh, a modern kind
of guitar hero guy, very
distinct.
So obviously that caught me andI had discovered them kind of
before this record, but
alexi (11:45):
Mm-hmm.
Glen Erickson (11:45):
before this
record out.
And what I didn't even realizeat the time, there's like this
indie super cred guy called KurtVile.
He's been around forever.
alexi (11:57):
Mm-hmm.
Glen Erickson (11:57):
know at first
that they actually formed this
band together way before, inlike 2008.
And then Kurt Vile went solo andthey.
Adam did his thing.
Anyhow, so the band had caughtmy attention, but it's the
backstory for me on this album.
And then I'll talk about thealbum a little bit itself about
why the songs are, but 2015,September, 2015, I, I don't
(12:22):
recall if it was a person or afriend who tipped me off,
alexi (12:26):
Mm-hmm.
Glen Erickson (12:26):
remember how I
discovered it.
But when I did it, it didn't hitme like a brick right away, but
it started kind of, I startedgoing back to it and listening
to it more, but I was kind of,you know, like think about, this
is like 10 years ago, so
alexi (12:43):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (12:44):
I'm like in my
forties.
really hard to impress me.
With anything at that point itfelt like.
So I don't think anything reallyhit me like a brick, but this
one kind of got throughbarriers.
the funny part of the story is Ijust kind of needed a horrific
accident to kind of like reallyrip the barriers down and let
(13:06):
the record in.
alexi (13:08):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (13:08):
I know you've
heard all kinds of parts of this
story and you were around forit, but.
2015, I had been away atbootcamp for Project Wild.
come
alexi (13:20):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (13:21):
excited to get
back into my regular hockey
program with my regular Shinhockey Club guys that play
weekly.
I step out on the ice for myvery first shift back on and
race down the ice first shiftloose puck battle, full speed at
it, I come at it.
(13:42):
And apparently I scored anabsolute glorious goal winning
the loose puck battle and takinga, a wild swipe at the puck.
I remember absolutely none of it'cause I lost an edge in the
process and slammed feet firstinto the boards.
At top speed and subsequentlybreaking my leg in two places.
(14:06):
So fib, tib, break and that wasterrible.
So I end up, um, waiting fivedays to get admitted to the
hospital and then when I was inthe hospital, 48 more hours
before they could schedule me infor surgery.
So
alexi (14:24):
Yep.
Glen Erickson (14:25):
that was a long
time to be trying to tough it
through.
You know, the codeine pills orthe T threes or whatever they
were trying to give me make itmanage.
But the worst part was actuallythe 48 hours of waiting in that
hospital room because I had beenplaced with this like lady that
shared the room with me.
(14:46):
You're already laughing at you.
I'm glad you remember the story.
So 48 hours where it's hardenough for me to sleep or rest
because of the pain and tryingto manage the pain, and it had
been already five days
alexi (15:01):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (15:01):
going outta my
mind when I realized that the
lady beside me, suffers fromflesh eating disease.
Most of one of her legs was goneamong other disorders.
And she had people coming in andout all the time.
'cause she had so many thingsshe needed.
(15:21):
She was incredibly obese so shecould do nothing.
It seemed for herself and itmeant the room was busy all the
time.
She was loud and complaining.
I couldn't tell if someone wasbehind the curtain or there was
nobody there and she was justcomplaining out loud all the
time.
I, in those 48 hours, I didn'tknow what was morning.
(15:43):
Or night, like all the hoursseemed the same with her.
would be on the telephonetalking to her daughter who
apparently was trying to leave ahorrible, horrible man and
trying, and she would be yellingat her.
And, and anyhow, the, you'd hearthese loud cuss battles between
the two and then slamming thephone down and then crying.
(16:07):
But the worst, this isn't eventhe worst of it, the worst of it
was that in order to sleep, shehad what would be like into like
a sleep apnea CPAP machine.
So she had some assistance goingon and it created most
incredible fart sounds when shewas trying to breathe through
(16:30):
this.
And I have recordings of itsomewhere.
I think hopefully still I voicememoed.
'cause I thought nobody wouldbelieve me.
I thought nobody possibly, Icould not describe well enough
how fart soundy, uh, all thesesounds were coming out from this
other side of this curtain.
And I, was getting no sleepwhatsoever.
(16:51):
So, anyhow, so I thought I waseither being pranked.
something, or I had had donesome horrible karma thing to
deserve this.
It was becoming the worst 48hours and the only, the only way
I escaped that with my sanitywas for some reason I.
(17:13):
out the headphones and I put inthis album, the War on Drugs
Lost in the Dream, and I wouldlisten to it on repeat for the
whole 48 hours.
I didn't, I, for some reason, Iwouldn't listen to their old
records.
I wouldn't listen to any otherrecord.
alexi (17:30):
Just that.
Glen Erickson (17:31):
that one and I
was fascinated.
I never do this.
But that record literally savedmy life through those moments,
like, and I got so lost in it.
It was incredible.
I mean, I love all their albumsand, uh, start to finish.
This one though feels impeccablein the sense that I think a lot
(17:54):
of it is still 10 years later,what people would introduce the
band to others with.
Like
alexi (18:01):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (18:02):
off this record,
right?
They, before that, they felt tome like a jam band'cause of his
guitar playing and it was filledwith all these rich textures.
But all of that took a, a frontseat to like the vocals or the
melody or the story,
alexi (18:17):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (18:18):
it felt more jam
band.
And then this album is when thatsort of turned the corner it
felt like for them.
alexi (18:24):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (18:24):
So I absolutely
loved that part of it.
Obviously he had theseincredible guitar solos that
were incredibly signature, uh,for Adam Granduciel.
And, but the songs felt reallyfully realized and
alexi (18:41):
Hmm.
Glen Erickson (18:41):
just maybe'cause
it was like emergence for them
when you're discovering somebodythe time that they're emerging
into what they're really gonnabecome.
I think that's when you hearpeople tell the stories of a
song or an album become thething that stick with them the
rest of their life.
(19:02):
Right.
alexi (19:02):
Mm-hmm.
Glen Erickson (19:03):
I think so often
that gets associated with
classic rock or the song.
So when we were really young andthen we, you know, you see
people and they're like, theylisten to ACDC when they were 15
and now they listen to.
alexi (19:14):
Mm-hmm.
Glen Erickson (19:15):
That's the best
band for the rest of their life
as far
alexi (19:18):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (19:19):
But I ha I think
it has something to do with this
synergy of emergence where apoint in your life that you are
relating to it that way, andit's happening for the band in
real time, in their way
alexi (19:31):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (19:32):
I think that's
what happened to me, but I just
think it's interesting that like10 years later some of these
songs are still timeless.
So, it
alexi (19:42):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (19:42):
of the greatest
songs.
Like there's a song on it calledBurning and Red Eyes, which
still get played a lot.
I think Burning is a song that alot of people still introduce
the band
alexi (19:52):
Two.
Glen Erickson (19:53):
Um, they have
kind of a similar feel.
They have these little signaturehook solos and.
favorite when he does like alittle woo or a woo-hoo of some
sort, like as if it's live,
alexi (20:05):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (20:06):
the studio.
But there's a song on it theOpening Track called Under the
Pressure,
alexi (20:13):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (20:13):
me is still as if
not the most important track
maybe they've ever recorded.
And I'll, I'll qualify it thisway.
So, I actually, I'm gonna read alittle bit what I wrote so I get
it right, but.
It's the opening song and it'shas this YouTube live
performance at Lowlands Festival
alexi (20:33):
Mm-hmm.
Glen Erickson (20:33):
2018.
I'm gonna include the links inour show notes and everything so
people can go right to itbecause this.
It might be the most viewedYouTube video of theirs, and it
became an absolute signature toone commenter on it said it
might be the greatest version ofany song.
(20:54):
So it was interesting completelydue to capturing this like
mesmerizing breakdown and thisecstatic, beautiful, crazy eyes
expressive drummer.
And he, he stands up to even,it's like stand up to make it
count.
(21:15):
so this moment in this breakdownand when this fill of the
drummer is so incredible, and Ijust saw them with the guys back
in October in Vancouver, 2024,and this song that moment of
this extended breakdown, it'sstill the signature moment of
their live show.
10 years later, and it'scaptured most perfectly in this
(21:36):
one live performance on YouTube,from Lowlands Festival in 2018.
It's this incredible outdoor ishvenue under this huge, uh, it
looks like a barn type of top.
And now we'll post the link tothe video.
breakdown starts at six minute44 seconds.
This is the important stuff tome about
alexi (21:57):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (21:58):
but it's not even
the album, it's the video.
But breakdown starts at 6:44,his incredible face, and it's
like literally the cover of theyoutube clips everywhere is at
9:08.
So already, yes, that's a twoand a half minute breakdown
happening in this song wherethey just take it right down.
(22:18):
It's incredible.
And.
Pure ecstasy is at nine 17 and Istill get chills.
I went and looked it upyesterday.
I got chills again when Iwatched it at nine 17 when the
whole band comes back in fromthis thing.
And it's all built around thedrummer and his face and, and
the whole thing.
(22:38):
So all of that to say, uh, yeah.
Um, on the album, hands down.
Yeah.
Hands
alexi (22:47):
it.
Okay.
Glen Erickson (22:48):
Yeah, so I mean
I've, for the most part in my
life completely forgotten aboutFart mouth, but I haven't
forgotten like a single beatabout that song.
So the best takeaway that notonly did that album save me
through that incredible time,
alexi (23:07):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (23:08):
But now it's like
literally woven into the fabric
of who I am and the broken legand fart mouth mostly forgotten
in my daily life.
alexi (23:18):
Love,
Glen Erickson (23:19):
yeah, so that's
album I would always want to
share with somebody and alwayslove telling this story about
alexi (23:26):
adore it.
Glen Erickson (23:27):
to me.
alexi (23:29):
It's a classic
Glen Erickson (23:30):
it's a classic
now it's my classic rock dad
rock, all of that.
alexi (23:35):
Dad rock.
Glen Erickson (23:36):
Yeah, dad rock.
So,
alexi (23:38):
You could put that on a
T-shirt.
Glen Erickson (23:40):
I think a lot of
people have, I thought about
putting, we were gonna make whenwe, okay.
Well when,
alexi (23:46):
yeah.
You were gonna, yeah.
Glen Erickson (23:48):
the guys
alexi (23:48):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (23:49):
so they were five
of us and meeting a
alexi (23:52):
Mm-hmm.
Glen Erickson (23:53):
there was six of
us in total.
Uh, made the pilgrimage toVancouver for, it was The
National and The War On Drugs,which.
alexi (24:02):
Right.
Glen Erickson (24:02):
It's essentially
like the two tablets of the
alexi (24:05):
The best.
Glen Erickson (24:05):
sacred to me.
Um, those two together and wewere thinking of making shirts,
something along the lines oflike this SAD Dads or this SAD
Bastard Club, or it some versionof SAD Dads, which has been kind
of tagged to The National.
But, I think two of the guysaren't dads, I think.
And then we were like of'embeing Rob Angus from, from the
(24:27):
band The Wheat Pool that mybuddy,
alexi (24:29):
He could pretend.
Glen Erickson (24:30):
my band mate
brother.
I'm like, ah, I didn't know if Iwanted to make him wear a sad
Dad shirt, but alright.
all right.
yeah, so that's my album.
That's your
alexi (24:40):
Gorgeous.
Okay.
Well, I'm glad yours was alittle bit predictable to me
because mine is gonna be a lotpredictable to you.
So
Glen Erickson (24:49):
Next episode,
when we flip
alexi (24:51):
next episode.
Yeah, so the fact that I, I gatekept from you and you're gonna
gate keep from me, and thatthere's also some
predictability.
I think we're on the same page.
Glen Erickson (25:00):
already, we're
already in a groove.
That's pretty fantastic.
alexi (25:04):
it.
Glen Erickson (25:05):
Okay.
So, thank you for
alexi (25:07):
Yeah.
Glen Erickson (25:08):
Um, we are going
to make sure that, again, just
to remind anybody listening,links to things that we post
will be in our show notes tothis, uh, which are available
wherever you're getting anddownloading, listening to your
podcast.
Or it'll be on our website,almost famous enough.com.
And, What was the other thing Iwas gonna say about that?
(25:30):
oh, the, the Spotify playlist.
We will add
alexi (25:32):
Sure.
Glen Erickson (25:33):
to
alexi (25:33):
We will add.
Glen Erickson (25:34):
Spotify playlist
and the links for that are also
in the same place we put all theother links, so hopefully you'll
be able to find it and
alexi (25:43):
Yes.
Glen Erickson (25:44):
looking forward
to episode two already.
alexi (25:47):
Yep.
Glen Erickson (25:48):
Okay.
alexi (25:48):
Okay.
Glen Erickson (25:49):
Okay.
Thank you.
alexi (25:50):
Yes.
Okay.
See you.