Pop music has had its share of bands with siblings: Gallaghers, Finns, Carpenters, Davies, Wilsons (some with heart and some with surf), Isleys, Warhursts…..
 
Then there’s the Mael men!!!!!
 
Welcome to episode 135 of Love That Album podcast.
 
Sparks, (ostensibly, Ron and Russell Mael) are that rare beast that are hugely identifiable despite having changed styles (and record companies) several times. By the time they released album number 11, “Angst In My Pants” in 1982, they’d experimented with rock, prog, euro-disco, pop….and they still had many albums and styles to go. Yet, when you hear a Sparks song, there's that "something" that makes you sure it's them.
 
I am honoured to be joined by music and film writers, Heather Drain and Mike McPadden to discuss “Angst” as well as related peripheral topics. The album is loaded with jerky new-wave era pop. Like its title, much of the album sounds musically nervous and this is reflected in many of the record’s songs. Join us as we talk about cigarettes with human traits, Stars on 45, humour in music without being comedic, fragile masculinity,  taking the Mickey, anxiety, and (of course) hiding public erections….amongst several other tasteful topics. I also make a production comparison that I hope Heather will forgive me for……..
 
Having Heather and Mike on the show was a joy. They brought so much insight, and I look forward to further shows with them.
 
Go to Heather’s website at www.mondoheather.com to get links to her essays and podcast appearances, or to order her latest brilliant book, The Bizarro Encyclopedia of Film Vol.1
 
Mike is also keeping busy with 3 (count ‘em) excellent film podcasts on the go. Subscribe to 70 Movies We Saw In The 70s, Crackpot Cinema and Busted Guts: Cracking Open Comedy Cinema, and keep your film-loving earholes happy. You can also order his latest book Teen Movie Hell from https://www.teenmoviehell.com/
 
Download this episode of LTA from Spotify, Stitcher or iTunes (search for “Love That Album podcast”). Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to Pantheon Podcasts to check out all their great shows.

You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum.

If you’d consider writing an iTunes review we’d be immensely grateful. However, it’d be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a (socially distanced) barbecue, over coffee (on Skype), on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful.