The Adam Buxton Podcast

[McFlymo]

Definitely was very pleased and surprised by Buckles fearlessly challenging Curtis. That's why we love you Buckles! Stick it to the man, man!

Curtis is a very interesting bloke, but he came across a bit sanctimonious for me, at times. His describing Burial's music as basically noise that has emotion instilled in it, (and his other descriptions of music) were a bit cringey. Noise imbued with emotion - sort of like, all music, ever, really, no?

Still though, I agree that it's good to have your opinions challenged and hear how someone defends their perspective on things.
It was a bit annoying when Curtis kept saying that the liberals have failed, yet the right have been able to change the world, dramatically. Yes they have, but that's also because they have all the power of massive media behind them, the Sun, Daily Mail, Sky News... Everything else... Sure, the BBC has to seem to be "impartial" but all these networks still give time (and therefore power) to the most ridiculous right wing ideas about society: Islam = terrorism. Poor = scroungers. Disabled = useless. NHS = done. Is Climate Change even a thing? ... It isn't necessarily what side you take on these issues, it's the fact these issues are even being discussed as though we should take them seriously. We shouldn't. They're distractions. Leave the data to the scientists and the rest of us need to stop being so fucking inhumane!

Sorry for that rant there.

I thought it was quite a revealing moment when Curtis mentioned liking The Cure, there was a very brief moment of silence (Buckles must have made a face) then Curtis sounded so wounded and defensive and said "oh come on, you know...". It seemed to reveal that Curtis is quite a sensitive bloke and is very weary about letting his guard down. I love little moments like that.

I did like the idea of humans pursuing more strange things in this modern age, because there is no "magic" in our general perception of things. I'm definitely all for that.
So we should all definitely keep taking lots and lots of magic mushrooms and watch freaky, tripped out documentaries.

For what it's worth:

I also just really can't get on board with Marc Maron.
Ugh.

I just find him superficial and kind of a bullshitter. He seemed impatient with Buckles, sometimes his answers seemed like "I'll just say this, it'll be quicker", which is sort of the total opposite of what I want from an interview. I've tried with a few of his WTF episodes too. UGH... I just. Don't. Like. Him.

I feel bad for saying it, but he annoys the fuck out of me.

Whereas, someone slightly similar, maybe would be Bill Burr, who is quite an intense guy and talks about himself a lot, but I could happily listen to him riff away about any old shit for hours and hours.

Wasn't too fussed on Nick Kroll. But I haven't seen any of his work really. Some of the descriptions of his "pranks" ( "Too much tuna" for example) I was sort of gutted at how utterly shit they sounded, but maybe it's all in the delivery and I need to withhold judgement.

I liked the Bridget Christie one, although she seemed quite guarded and it was a little strained. So great bits though. I really love her "Stand Up For Her" on Netflix.

I have a question!

In the Julian Barratt & Gareth Jennings one...

Did anyone else feel quite awkward when Buckles sort of "cornered" Barratt on getting kicked out of the premier? It was like he was putting him on the spot, over it, a bit.
Not sure how to take that.

I also felt the same, when Buckles gave Michael Palin a book, telling him about his dad dying. It seemed a bit inappropriate.
At the same time, I genuinely love Buckles, so I never want him to change!! But I do wonder, when he does these things, is he consciously trying to create something awkward / emotionally charged. Maybe he reasons that it'll be funnier if he creates these potentially awkward situations. Just going by how firm and assertive he was with Curtis, I certainly don't think of Buckles as someone who... mmhmmmhmm... buckles easily, under pressure. oh HO HO hhhhAAAA HHAAAA HA AHAAAA (please kill me).

[phantom_power]

Curtis is a very interesting bloke, but he came across a bit sanctimonious for me, at times. His describing Burial's music as basically noise that has emotion instilled in it, (and his other descriptions of music) were a bit cringey. Noise imbued with emotion - sort of like, all music, ever, really, no?

I think that is a reasonable description as Burial eschews traditional instruments, or even non-traditional ones like standard synth sounds. He also often avoids tunes to create more atmospheric moods. I know he isn't alone in this but it is a good description of what he does

[spamwangler]

I think that is a reasonable description as Burial eschews traditional instruments, or even non-traditional ones like standard synth sounds. He also often avoids tunes to create more atmospheric moods. I know he isn't alone in this but it is a good description of what he does

is he maybe saying this also because often noise music as a music genre is often full of a sort of post-modern detachment and nihilism, or an Italian futurism, which dosent commonly concern its self with emotional romanticism?

[Dr Rock]

I also just really can't get on board with Marc Maron.
Ugh.

I just find him superficial and kind of a bullshitter. He seemed impatient with Buckles, sometimes his answers seemed like "I'll just say this, it'll be quicker", which is sort of the total opposite of what I want from an interview. I've tried with a few of his WTF episodes too. UGH... I just. Don't. Like. Him.

I feel bad for saying it, but he annoys the fuck out of me.

Same here, I won't even listen to the one he's on.

[Sin Agog]

Musically speaking, Curtis did once hip quite a few people to the Russian illegal music scene of the '80s on his bbc blog*, so he knows his shit...at least when it comes to the Russians.  Yanka Dyagileva would have been a good choice for songs that make you cry (one of the darkest stories in rock music), and Egor Letov was an insanely prolific proponent of fuzzed-out warped psychedelic scuzz.  Egor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd6U26XSdG0  Yanka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7VY-PIVoOg


*for me easily the most interesting thing he's ever done.  Tackling odd, not always overtly-political subjects and punctuating them with all manner of crazy clips from the BBC archives.


I feel like maybe the mild conservative instincts imparted by Adam's dad may have kicked in a bit on that episode. Which is cool, made for a much less anodyne chat than you might have seen in other hands.  Also liked Curtis' ep of Brand's Under the Skin, where R.B. proceeded to gently take the piss out of Curtis for an hour or so.  Guess he has one of those personalities.

[phantom_power]

is he maybe saying this also because often noise music as a music genre is often full of a sort of post-modern detachment and nihilism, or an Italian futurism, which dosent commonly concern its self with emotional romanticism?

Yeah I forgot about that, the linking to romanticism and not just emotion but extreme emotion

[Carpool Dragon]

BTW the NIN song Curtis brings up is Right Where It Belongs.

[Dr Rock]

WHY IS IT WRONG FOR DANIEL BY ELTON JOHN TO MAKE ME CRY???

[daf]

I certainly don't think of Buckles as someone who... mmhmmmhmm... buckles easily, under pressure. oh HO HO hhhhAAAA HHAAAA HA AHAAAA (please kill me).

+26 imaginary karma

[AliasTheCat]

  Yanka Dyagileva would have been a good choice for songs that make you cry (one of the darkest stories in rock music), and Egor Letov was an insanely prolific proponent of fuzzed-out warped psychedelic scuzz.  Egor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd6U26XSdG0  Yanka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7VY-PIVoOg

Thank you for introducing me to both of these Sin Agog, they're absolutely fantastic.

[Hat FM]

Wasn't too fussed on Nick Kroll. But I haven't seen any of his work really. Some of the descriptions of his "pranks" ( "Too much tuna" for example) I was sort of gutted at how utterly shit they sounded, but maybe it's all in the delivery and I need to withhold judgement.

thats kind of the funny thing about 'too much tuna'. as a viewer its a pretty shit joke but the repetition is what makes it funny and the fact that you know its coming pretty soon. Like the look on the characters faces that say 'we are about to wind up this guy so good...' Like most sketch shows, kroll show is a bit hit and miss but i like it and i'm maybe missing out on some of the jokes i would get if i lived in america.

[Sin Agog]

Thank you for introducing me to both of these Sin Agog, they're absolutely fantastic.

Let me know if you need any album recs for Yanka or Egor*.  It's sad how using a different alphabet can make willing listeners feel like they have to take a six-year course just to google search an album.  Renders some amazing music just out of reach to potential western listeners.

Here's the Curtis blog in question to stop this post being a total non-sequitur: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/20c22534-f722-3d7a-b7ba-0506fcc00063


* The two Egor & The Fuck Ups albums are emotional, lo-fi psychedelic masterpieces, I reckon.  You may like Auktyon as well.  I'm not sure if they formed in a mental asylum like a lot of Russian bands (kinda inevitable when you throw all the dangerous creative sorts in one place), but they definitely started their career unsanctioned by the state. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCz6OtGXNik

[hedgehog90]

Listening to some Yanka on your recommendation. Good stuff!

[non capisco]

The best thing on the Edgar Wright one was the new sponsor advert that Adam sings in his 'robot' guise. Not to say that the interview wasn't entertaining but that robot jingle slayed me.

I get the sense Adam is still quite cut up about Wright stealing Joe away to write with the Hollywood bigwigs. Adam had passive-aggressively made this clear with his jokey remarks and yet still Wright persists with a story about Joe being annoyed at how he kept touching Spielberg's arm. I felt for yer Buckles then. There was something of a Bullseye 'let's see what you could have won' element to the whole thing. I personally would take one episode of Buxton talking to Zadie Smith over a thousand 'Attack The Block's but I sense he doesn't 100% feel the same.

[Old Gold Tooth]

Never understood the love for Attack the Block. It's technically accomplished but left me cold. And when reviewers starting raving and comparing it to John Carpenter I spat out my tea and shook my jowela in disbelief.

Fuck em all, Buckles. I too would take happily two hours of your podding over all that Block Attacking.

[big egg]

I didn't like the bits where Edgar Wright interrupted to explain things for American listeners. Completely unnecessary.

And I agree that Attack the Block is really not a very good film. It might be a bit easier to look at the Buckles/Cornball divide more even-handedly if he'd made a really sharp, interesting film.

Plus, I didn't know that A&J had planned to write films together, which lended an extra poignancy to the slightly awkward "he cheated on me!" banter. I just bloody love Buckles so it's difficult not to take sides when his output is so much truer to what I think most people loved about the double act.

[DrGreggles]

Didn't Cornballs get signed up by Paramount or someone to write or edit movie scripts?

[thenoise]

Never understood the love for Attack the Block. It's technically accomplished but left me cold. And when reviewers starting raving and comparing it to John Carpenter I spat out my tea and shook my jowela in disbelief.

Fuck em all, Buckles. I too would take happily two hours of your podding over all that Block Attacking.

ATB was fine, and obviously successful enough to beat a path to greater things, but it was just a fun silly throwaway film.  The sort of thing that would have gone straight to video, in another era.  There is a lack of original films being made though, especially British films that aren't remakes or pandering to Americans with some Harry Potter bollocks.  And the South London 'urban yoof' demographic still doesn't have a lot of films aimed at them.  Need another posh white middle aged man to write films about them 
The Tintin film was ok.

Joe's director ambitions marred the A&J show of old tbh, his occasionally amusing toy parody films became great tedious exercises in bedroom filmmaking, with 20 minute versions of boring Hollywood films lovingly recreated with a couple of teddy puns to keep us awake.

The BBC6 radio show was the best thing either of them ever did.

[Stonefish]

The BBC6 radio show was the best thing either of them ever did.

I don't know about that... when the XFM show was cooking, it was cooking.

[Crabwalk]

Ep26 with Sharon Horgan has dropped.

[Dr Rock]

I'm halfway through, finding it pretty boring.

[Bad Ambassador]

I've just realised that Adam Curtis sounds almost exactly like Tim Brooke-Taylor.

[phantom_power]

No regular Buckles until September :(

[daf]

The weather here has been as nice as it can be
Althought it doesn't really matter much to me
For all the fun I'll have while you're so far away
No regular Buckles until September

I don't need sunny skies for thing I like to do
'Cause I stay home the whole day long and think of you
As far as I'm concerned each day's a rainy day
No regular Buckles until September

[Mini]

No mention yet of the latest podcast with Spoon. I can take or leave them myself, but they seem friendly and there's some nice music chat.

[VelourSpirit]

https://twitter.com/AdamBuxton/status/907958738270777344
Next podcast's being recorded tomorrow! Do people like to not know who it is until the podcast comes out?

[non capisco]

^ I just clicked on the link and am now very excited.

[phantom_power]

NEW EPISODE ALERT! NEW EPISODE ALERT!

[Old Gold Tooth]

I love Buckles but by Christ I was not in the mood for what that turned out to be.

The actual interviews was alright but the thirty minute ski lodge advert / travelogue at the start was the equivalent of someone not realising their holiday pics aren't that interesting to people who aren't in them. The fact it was a shill in return for a free holiday didn't make it any more endearing.

Ah fuck it I'm probably just in a foul mood. Good for Adam and his free holiday. Can't say I'd do any different.

[metaltax]

Jesus, I don't even want to listen to that just based on the description in the podcast feed.