This is an encore presentation of a previous episode, originally airing in September 2020.
4x Grammy-winning producer, engineer and mixer Vance Powell has worked with a wide range of artists and bands including Chris Stapleton, Buddy Guy and Phish. For vinyl collectors, he's arguably most known for being a consistent studio go-to for Jack White, not only being involved with proper studio releases from Jack and his various projects (The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs) but Vance is behind the boards of most every Live At Third Man Records LP, where bands record short sets in front of a couple hundred fans, direct-to-acetate. On this episode, Vance points to his favorite Third Man sessions he's recorded (including some mysterious Radiohead demos), how Chris Stapleton's famous cover of "Tennessee Whiskey" almost didn't happen, and why Vance's own barbecue kept him from his dream of recording U2. Visit sputniksound.com for more info on Vance's work, and follow him on Instagram and Twitter @vancalot.
While most music-focused kids picked up guitars or drums in the 60's and 70's, John Flansburgh says he was pulled toward the machinery that made art possible. With a reel-to-reel in hand before age 10 and an early love of graphic design, the detailed processes of printmaking, photography and analog recording seemed downright magical to his captivated, creative young mind. Once he reconnected with fellow singer/songwriter and high school pal John Linnell in the early 80's, the duo were off to the races as They Might Be Giants: an indescribable mix of surrealist humor, snappy history lessons, and power-pop sweetness. On today's show, John F. recounts catching one of Elvis Costello's earliest performances, inheriting a "profoundly haunted" record collection from a deceased cousin, and how a broken wrist and a ransacked apartment led to the groundbreaking launchpad for TMBG's storied career: Dial-A-Song. For tour dates, social media and more, visit theymightbegiants.com.