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Look At My Records! is a bi-weekly podcast where host Tom Gallo asks bands and artists to curate playlists using records straight from his expansive personal collection. What typically results is an in-depth conversation that unveils influences, past experiences, plenty of nostalgia, and even the occasional mutual fawning. You can also catch the occasional live-in-studio performance and hear specially recorded performances from “The McKenzie Tapes” vault, which contains a plethora of live pe ...
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Look At My Records Live! is a freeform radio program that showcases an eclectic variety of music both old and new, with a strong emphasis on the local music scene. Host Tom Gallo conducts candid interviews with area bands and asks them to curate a playlist from his very own record collection. What typically results is an in depth conversation that unveils influences, past experiences, plenty of nostalgia, and even the occasional mutual fawning. You can also catch the occasional live in studi ...
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Episode 234 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Sun Kin. The Los Angeles-based project of Kabir Kumar just released a new record titled Sunset World, which has been years in the making. The record features songs written as far back as November 2020 and thematically, explores the dichotomy between the beauty and terror of the natural w…
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Episode 233 of the Look At My Records! podcast features an interview with Marc Masters, author of High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape. The cassette has a long, storied, and complex history, and in High Bias, Masters takes readers through some of its most notable moments. From the birth of magnetized sound to the proliferation of t…
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Episode 232 features an interview with Eliza Vera, who performs under the moniker Hot Moms Club. The San Diego-based project just released their second EP, Welcome To The Club, which features three songs that soothingly reflect on finding joy in simple pleasures, like the calming effects of wading through Trader Joe’s and the memory-triggering scen…
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Episode 231 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Matt Allan of the Brooklyn-based band Star 80. We last chatted with Allen prior to the pandemic on the Look At My Records! radio program. Back then, he was releasing his first singles as Star 80, and in the intervening years, he’s accumulated a bevy of solid material. Much of it appears …
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Our friend Kip Berman, who performs as The Natvral returns to the Look At My Records! podcast for Episode 230! Since he last appeared on the podcast in 2021 the former Pains of Being Pure at Heart frotman has released a few singles as The Natvral, and last week, he shared the project’s second full-length, Summer of No Light. The title, which was in…
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Episode 229 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Brooklyn artist Oropendola. The project of songwriter Joanna Schubert recently shared their debut album as Oropendola, an eclectic and vibrant 11-song collection titled Waiting For The Sky To Speak. The record, which is described as a “celebration of choosing life even in the face of its…
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Well, it’s that time of year again. Actually, it’s a little past that time of year, but, what the hell. It’s time for Tom and Look At My Records! contributor Zach Romano’s favorite records of the year. Better late than never, right? 2022 was another stellar year for music. From New York City, New Jersey, and beyond, bands and artists of all ilks re…
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Episode 227 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Dawn Moraga and Tim Lusk of North Carolina post-punk band Cor de Lux. Recently, the band shared their second full-length, Media, a towering, eclectic-sounding record that melds elements of shoegaze, multiple eras of punk rock, dream pop, and more, while tackling themes and feelings of un…
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Logan Farmer is Tom’s guest for Episode 226 of Look At My Records! In late 2022, Farmer released his stunning sophomore effort, A Mold For The Bell. Inspired by the films of Andrei Tarkovsky and the literature of Olga Tokarczuk, the intimate and tranquil-sounding record was born out of a two-day session with Grammy-nominated producer Andrew Berlin.…
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Episode 225 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Zach Ellis of Brooklyn post-punk phenoms Dead Tooth. After an eventful 2022 that saw Dead Tooth release a well-received EP called Pig Pile, take home the top prize at the annual Our Wicked Lady Winter Madness tournament, and make an indelible impression at South By Southwest, Ellis is ke…
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For Episode 224 of Look At My Records!, Tom spoke with songwriter Katy Rea. Rea just released her debut full-length, The Urge That Saves You, late last year. The record is a long time coming for Rea, who got her start in music in the mid-2010s on New York City’s open mic circuit, honing her craft at venues like the Sidewalk Cafe. After catching the…
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Episode 223 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Michael Grace, Jr. of Long Island indie pop legends My Favorite. After a long stretch of years since their last release, the project returned in the fall with the first in a trio of EPs, “Tender Is The Nightshift: Part 1.” The five-song collection is the first My Favorite extended play i…
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Episode 222 of Look At My Records! Features an interview with Gabbi Coenen, the Los Angeles-based musician who performs under the moniker RVBY MY DEAR. The Perth, Australia native recently released a new self-titled EP, which arrives on the heels of some changes for Coenen. It’s the project’s first release since Coenen relocated from New York to Lo…
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For Episode 221 of Look At My Records!, Harry the Nightgown returns for their second appearance on the podcast. Since the release of their excellent, analog-centric self-titled debut in 2020, the songwriting duo of Spencer Hartling and Sami Perez have leaned further into the electronic elements of their sound, which blossomed on their 2021 singles …
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Scout Gillett returns to the Look At My Records! podcast for Episode 220. 2022 has been an eventful year for the Brooklyn songwriter, as she recently shared her highly anticipated debut full-length, no roof no floor, on Captured Tracks. The release is a long time coming for Gillett, as principal tracking for the album began two years ago at The Chi…
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Episode 219 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Winnipeg-based songwriter Dylan MacDonald, who performs as Field Guide. In late October, Field Guide released their self-titled second full-length, which expands on the flush and warm folk textures heard on his previous works, and further, builds off of his deeply personal lyrical themes…
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For Episode 218 of the Look At My Records! podcast, Tom chatted with Jackson Phillips of the Los Angeles-based Day Wave. Back in the mid-2010s, Phillips made a splash in indie rock circles with his dreamy and expansive shoegaze-influenced songs. Fast forward to 2022 and Phillips is older, wiser, and digging into his roots to plot a new direction fo…
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Episode 217 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Dennis Diken, drummer of the legendary New Jersey band The Smithereens. The Carteret, New Jersey natives (and New Jersey Hall of Famers) have been at it for over 40 years. Along the way, they’ve sold millions of records, played on Saturday Night Live, toured the globe, and done just abou…
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بقلم Thomas Gallo
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Episode 215 of Look At My Records! features an interview with New Jersey’s Sweaty Lamar. The new-ish project of songwriter Tara Giancaspro started at the onset of the pandemic when she began formulating the songs that will appear on her forthcoming EP, A Little Bit Cuntry, A Little Bit Rock & Roll. So far, Giancaspro has shared three excellent sing…
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Episode 214 of Look At My Records! features an interview with indie pop veteran Phil Sutton of Love, Burns. You may be familiar with Sutton from his contributions to various bands of the guitar-pop ilk over the last few decades, including the New York City-based Pale Lights and U.K. jangle-pop legends Comet Gain, but with the onset of the pandemic,…
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David Algrim of Chicago noise-pop outfit Gentle Heat is our guest for Episode 213 of Look At My Records! The project just released their second full-length, Sheer, a towering record that sits sweetly between the distorted haze of shoegaze and the saccharine melodies of noise-leaning indie pop. With new member Sarah Clausen on keys, the group’s song…
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Episode 212 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Stella, Helena, and Mikaela of New York City up and comers Hello Mary. We last spoke with the trio for a piece on the site back in December of 2020, and since then, they’ve been through some changes. They’ve graduated from the DIY recording setting to a proper studio, enlisting the servi…
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Episode 211 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Zack Nestel-Patt and Tasha Abbot of the Los Angeles-based dreamgaze band No Swoon. We’re quite familiar with this talented duo from their days as a Brooklyn outfit, but last year, Nestel-Patt and Abbot made the trek westward, but not before hanging in a bit of pandemic-induced limbo. Aft…
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For Episode 210 of Look At My Records!, Tom spoke with Nils, James, and Connor of Manhattan synth-pop extraordinaires VHS Collection. The veteran act has been bringing their infectious sound to rooms across the country for the better part of the last half-decade, and in February, they shared their highly anticipated second full-length, Night Drive.…
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Episode 209 of Look At My Records! features an interview with New Jersey songwriter Max Feinstein. We last spoke with Feinstein on the podcast back in February of 2020, and since then, obviously, a lot has happened. In addition to a global pandemic that had profound ramifications on the day-to-day workings of his Hoboken-based studio Silverhorse So…
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Episode 208 of Look At My Records! features an interview with rising songwriter Jonah Kagen. Though Kagen first picked up a guitar at the age of six, he started shifting his primary focus to music during the pandemic when his song “Broken” blew up on TikTok. That song’s success led to several other social media and streaming hits, including “Wishin…
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Episode 207 of Look At My Records! features an interview with T.J. Strohmer of Knifeplay. The Philadelphia-based shoegaze outfit is in the early stages of their next phase as a band, which began late last with the release of two Jeff Ziegler produced singles, “Hurt Someone” and “Ornament.” The pair of tracks are Strohmer’s first releases with a new…
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Episode 206 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Michael Imperioli of the New York City band Zopa. We’re all familiar with Imperioli from his Emmy award-winning role as Christopher Moltesanti on HBO’s The Sopranos, but in addition to acting, Michael has a long history of playing music in New York City. His current band, Zopa, released …
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Joey Degroot and Kyle Wilkerson of Joy Cleaner returned to the podcast for Episode 205. A lot has happened for this Bloomfield-based power-pop outfit since they last appeared on the show back in 2018. They scaled down from a trio to a duo, released their second album, You’re So Jaded, back in 2019, and oh yeah, they rocked Pet Shop for the Look At …
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2021 is done! So, Zach Romano and Tom got together to do their annual countdown of their favorite records. It was a bit of a rollercoaster year for music. We all got vaccinated, so venues opened back up and shows resumed, but things got a little complicated towards the end of the year with the Omicron variant. Nevertheless, bands and artists persis…
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Episode 203 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Duncan Troast and Nick Corso of New Orleans indie-pop duo The Convenience. The two friends and collaborators have been playing music together for the better part of the last half-decade, but The Convenience has really picked up steam over the last year with the release of their fantastic…
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Episode 202 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Brooklyn songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jordyn Blakely. Known across the city for her drumming prowess and her contributions to a number of great bands like Maneka, Sharkmuffin, and Jackal Onasis, Blakely stepped out from behind the kit this past year and went solo with the release…
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Episode 201 features an interview with Nick Flessa of Dayton Swim Club. The Los Angeles-based band, which is the project of Flessa, guitarist Mario Luna, and vocalist Dominique Matelson, released their debut EP Hangman in September. Drawing on themes of suburban American discontent and what Flessa describes as the “American Death Cult,” the seven s…
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We flipped the script for Episode 200 of Look At My Records! For this edition of the podcast, Look At My Records! contributor Zach Romano hosts and goes deep with founder and host Tom Gallo. The two talked all about Look At My Records! humble beginnings, how its evolved since its inception, some of Tom’s favorite interviews over the last four years…
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Episode 199 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Berlin-based artist, Thala. Back in September, Thala released her debut album, adolescence, on Philadelphia’s Born Losers Records. Thala’s path to releasing her debut record was relatively short, as she only started playing guitar and performing at open mics in Berlin back in 2019. Howev…
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Episode 198 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Josh Malerman of Detroit power-pop band The High Strung. These prolific indie rock veterans have been active for two decades, and over the course of their storied career, they’ve released a ton of great music and toured at a frenetic pace, at times playing a whopping 250 gigs a year. The…
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Dan Molad of Coco joins Tom for Episode 197 of Look At My Records! If you’re not familiar yet with Coco, get acquainted, as they just dropped one of our favorite records of the year in their self-titled debut. The project originally formed somewhat casually in 2019, when Molad met for some brief songwriting sessions with friends Maia Friedman (Dirt…
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For Episode 196, Tom chatted with Joy Deyo and Brian Dishon of Long Beach, California quartet Sweet Nobody. This indie-pop outfit just released their second full-length, We’re Trying Our Best, last month. Recorded prior to the pandemic and shelved for almost two years, the album’s bright and jangly tunes are finally seeing the light of day. Though …
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Episode 195 features an interview with Warren LaSota and Nick Louis of Brooklyn’s Almost Sex. Born during the early stages of the pandemic, this duo, who met on Hinge, initially began collaborating and dating remotely, before finally meeting up in person to conclude work on their first few singles. In September of 2020, LaSota and Louis released th…
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Episode 194 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Kasey Heisler, Patrick Porter, and Chayse Schutter of Brooklyn noise trio A Very Special Episode. The band just released their long-awaited first full-length, Fix Your Hearts Or Die, on Tuesday via Hidden Home Records and EWEL Records. Described by the band as a record centered on self-r…
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Episode 193 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Alex Dezen and Amber Bollinger of Los Angeles’ Broken Baby. The duo entered the tail end of 2021 by sharing their great sophomore full-length, Late Stage Optimism, a fiery and hard-charging record that unleashes a torrent of biting hooks and an in-your-face attitude across its 11 tracks.…
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Episode 192 of Look At My Records! features an interview with musician, actor, and podcaster Parker Wierling. The Atlanta-based multidisciplinary artist has an eclectic background, as in addition to writing his own music, he’s dabbled in acting, and last year, he launched a podcast called On That Note, where he interviews other musicians about thei…
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Episode 191 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Lowell Hobbs of Asheville, North Carolina-based post-punk band Tongues of Fire. The four-piece just released an ambitious EP entitled Burn My Body Clean, which takes listeners through Hobbs’ mourning process following the tragic death of his mother. As a concept EP of sorts, each of the …
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Episode 190 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Ben Hoffman and Caroline Davis of Brooklyn neo-soul outfit My Tree. The duo, who just recently rebranded from “Maitri,” released their second full-length album, Where The Grace Is, in late July. The expansive and densely textured record explores the more experimental side of R&B, soul, j…
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Episode 189 of Look At My Records features an interview with Mark Anderson and Gabe Perry of Jersey City indie rock group Sleepers Union. The quartet just released a brand new record called Numbers Station and their backstory is definitely an interesting one. Sleepers Union was originally formed by Anderson in his home country of New Zealand, but t…
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Episode 188 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Matt Sklar and Federica Tassano of Brooklyn indie-pop outfit Phantom Handshakes. The story of this relatively new band is quite unique to our times. After serving as a reliable supporting cast member of several great New York City bands like The Planes and Parrot Dream, Sklar found himse…
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For Episode 187 of Look At My Records!, Tom spoke with the prolific California-based songwriter Austin Leonard Jones. For the last decade-plus, Jones has released a string of great albums and EPs, exploring lo-fi pop, psychedelia, surf rock, and country. His songwriting journey is chronicled through his most recent release, The Wonder Years of Aust…
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Episode 186 marks the first in-person interview in over a year on Look At My Records! That’s right, Chris Fox of New Jersey’s Ruby Bones stopped by Tom’s apartment for a stimulating conversation over some adult beverages and Chris got to physically LOOK AT TOM’S RECORDS. Ruby Bones released their excellent second full-length, Laser Tooth Tiger, bac…
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Episode 185 of Look At My Records! features an interview with multidisciplinary artist Jon Bernson. The San Francisco-based songwriter has a long and fascinating history of writing eclectic, narrative-driven songs that incorporate several other means of expression, including sound design, dance, and tableau vivant, to name a few. Berson began exper…
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