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Waterproof Records with Jacob Givens
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Host Jacob Givens reminisces about life-changing moments in music from his formative years in the 90s. Part of Pantheon Podcasts.
58 Episodes
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If you were a teenager like me in the 90s you found yourself in the early 2000s dizzied by your increasing responsibilities, an entry-level work week, and trying to maintain your youthful connection to music. That's why the title of New Jersey post-hardcore band Thursday's album "Full Collapse" felt like a premonition about where I was headed when it fell in my lap and brought me a much-needed catharsis. That's why when the band announced their first new song in 13 years, I reached out to lead singer and songwriter, Geoff Rickly, to discuss their new song, his journey as a musician and author, and of course what he considers to be his personal Waterproof Record.
Can you still feel the butterflies...? I can. Even writing out this lyric takes me right back to my college years where I was first introduced to Jimmy Eat World and their third album. As we reached the end of the 90s, the chapter of my adolescence had come to an end, and the transition into adulthood was nebulous and uncertain. It was the perfect time to find some Clarity.
Don't ask why... 16 candles down the drain! In 1994, singer/songwriter Vinnie Dombroski sang that catchy refrain in the chorus of "Molly (16 Candles)" with his Detroit rock band Sponge and their debut album, Rotting Piñata. This week I am thrilled to welcome Vinnie to Waterproof Records to hear how he soaked up a lifetime of experiences with Sponge, and what was behind that candy corn!
Did you forget about me, Mr. Duplicity? Well I am here to remind you about that Jagged Little Pill in 1995 that first introduced us all to Alanis Morissette. An unforgettable voice, incredible song hooks and a powerful presence for women in rock in the 90s, Alanis was everywhere all at once and it was almost too much for this 20-year-old Canadian songwriter to bear. Join me as we look back on this album loaded with successful singles with one hand in our pocket and the other one hitting play on this podcast.
After the death of Andrew Wood from Mother Love Bone, Chris Cornell used his gift of music and songwriting to channel his grief. What was initially meant to be a single song released as tribute, transformed into a full album bringing together a supergroup of talented artists to capture a moment in time that would create one of the most memorable collaborations of the 1990's.
When we think of this album, we can hear that iconic opening bass riff followed by Perry Farrell crying out "Comin' down the mountain!" Nothing's Shocking came out in 1988, and I wouldn't get my hands on a copy of the album until the very first Jane's Addiction LIVE album landed in my older brother's hands as a cassette, and I was introduced to this unbridled circus of sex, drugs and rock n roll. This week I decided to combine both the first and second albums together and talk about chasing the addiction of this swirling, sensual band.
As the refrain "I'm a loser, baby..." echoed around the world in 1994, it was easy to assume that Beck might be here today, gone tomorrow as a slacker one-hit wonder on MTV's buzz clip floor. But Beck proved us wrong when he dropped Odelay in 1996, as teenagers now shouted "I've got two turntables and a microphone!" With that, Beck was here to stay showing a cohesive, weird, genre-blending album with the signature hodgepodge samples and sounds by the Dust Brothers.
Behind my older brother's bedroom door was a giant poster of The Cure's Boys Don't Cry. I remember hearing Robert Smith's voice wailing over cavernous guitars, syncopated beats and dramatic synths... but it took me a moment to understand what it meant to be lost in The Cure. In 1992, Wish arrived with layered guitars and an album that traveled between pop, rock and haunting melodies that would open my bedroom door to this legendary band.
A lot of incredible new music released in 2023, some of which were new bands I just discovered while others were some of my favorite artists releasing new records. This week on Waterproof Records, I list off my top 10 in no particular order, as well as include 15 honorable mentions along the way.
During the many years I did stand-up comedy in Los Angeles, you tend to gravitate toward funny, like-minded people as you wait for your turn at late night open mics. Which is exactly where I first met this week's guest, Jordan Olds, before he left L.A. and made his way back east over a decade ago. Cut to 2016 when a hilarious heavy-metal themed talk show called "Two Minutes to Late Night" turns up, and I recognize a familiar face beneath the black and white corpse paint of the show's charismatic host, Gwarsenio Hall! I am so excited to sit down and laugh with Jordan/Gwarsenio on this week's Waterproof Records about our stand-up comedy history and our love of heavy music!
It was the summer of 1994. I had just finished my freshman year in high school, spent a week recording my first album with my church youth group band, and Green Day's Dookie was cranked in all of our car stereos. This week on Waterproof Records I reminisce about this very specific window of time when pop punk interrupted all the alternative music seriousness and reminded us have fun again.
This week I welcome Seattle based singer, songwriter and composer, Daniel G. Harmann, who most recently released a full cover of the Counting Crows debut album "August and Everything After." Daniel is a good friend and talented musician who has spent decades honing his craft and releasing oodles of good tunes. On this episode we discuss the twists and turns of pursuing a creative life, how an injury forced a new perspective, and how August and Everything After landed in his life at the perfect time.
It's 1993 and the creeping bass riff of Tool's "Sober" starts to play on MTV when my eyes witness this unsettling claymation music video that features zero footage of the band... and I loved every second of it. The lyrics were intelligent and thought-provoking, and this dark, heavy sound with complex time signatures and haunting vocals sounded so different from everything else at the time. Join me this week as we explore the Undertow of Tool.
The opening bass line from "Cannonball" is an instant time warp back to 1993. I remember watching MTV and seeing Kim Deal from the Pixies on my screen and realizing she had a twin sister in this band I had never heard of called The Breeders. Decades later and Last Splash holds up as one of the standout albums of the 90s, with its unique tempo shifts, care free aesthetic and of course the sound of the harmonizing Deal sisters.
I would be a few years late to hearing 1993's Slip by Quicksand for the first time, but once "Head To Wall" landed on a gifted mixtape in the mid 90s, I was ready for more! That signature raspy voice belting out the gut-punching chorus was none other than Walter Schreifels, the legendary musician from New York Hardcore bands like Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today, who would go on several amazing bands like Quicksand, Rival Schools, and a multitude of other side projects. I was thrilled to invite Walter onto Waterproof Records to talk about coming up in the 80s hardcore scene, what inspired him to write music, and we ended up getting a little philosophical too!
From the moment the album kicks off with "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due," I was hooked. The speed, the fury, the thrash-- everything about Megadeth was turning my love of metal up to eleven. Let's go back to 1990 when one of the best possible line-ups of this band dropped a metal masterpiece, securing it as one of my all-time favorites of the genre.
Upbeat piano chords, distorted bass guitar and well-crafted harmonies was exactly what I needed when I stumbled upon the trio known as Ben Folds Five in 1995. The 90s music scene was always reminding us to expect the unexpected, and by the time this band hit their sophomore release titled 'Whatever and Ever Amen,' they delivered the perfect blend of humor and heart that created a timeless classic.
It was around 1998 when I first saw Dave Holmes on my television for MTV's 'Wanna Be a VJ,' competition, and I could instantly see that his love of music ran as deep as mine. Fast forward 25 years later where Dave Holmes is an accomplished writer, actor, tv host, podcaster, and Editor-at-large for Esquire. Recently I connected with Dave, so I invited him on the podcast to talk about where his love of music first began, stories from his career at MTV, and why he chose Tommy Keene's 'Songs From The Film' as his Waterproof Record.
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During one of my most challenging adolescent years, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness arrived at the right time for me to get lost in this monumental behemoth of a double album. Already my favorite band in the world, The Smashing Pumpkins presented what would be held up as one of the most incredible accomplishments by any band in the 1990s. This week we crack open the sprawling 28-track masterpiece, but these songs do stir up some teenage angst, so bear with me as despite all my rage.... well you know the rest!
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An unforgettable cover with a New York City slacker cool, Sonic Youth's sixth studio album 'Goo' arrived just in time to make things noisy in 1990. A band defined by alternate tunings and experimental art rock, Sonic Youth had been releasing albums for nearly a decade before Goo hit. On this week's Waterproof Records we discuss the tale behind the iconic cover art, and how a Spin interview inspired a hit song.
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I'm so excited to listen to this!!