Episode Lineup

The Sociological POV – Guests: Ty Nash & Erick Diaz / Does LCC Have a Strong Sense of Community?

Michigan History Moment – Topic: The Italian Hall Disaster

Now Spinning – Topic: Albums of the Year (The Soundtrack of 2025)

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Welcome to the Sociological pov.

This podcast emerged from some fascinating discussions.

In an introductory sociology course at Lansing.

Community College where we attempt to gain.

Insight into other people's perspectives, the good.

The bad, and the world around us.

We hope to mirror that concept with this podcast as we welcome a range.

Of voices from diverse backgrounds to share their thoughts on a current event or topic that matters.

So with that said, let's get into.

It and start gaining perspective.

Hi there.

I'm Eliza Robison.

I teach at LCC Sociology and anthropology classes.

We're here today to try out having a discussion about social cultural issues that are interesting to the people here on the LCC campus and how it affects our community is going to be one of the main topics.

I've got two former students here with us today and they're going to introduce themselves.

Hi, I am Ty Nash.

I am a former student and actually kind of fell in love with the sociology aspect here on campus.

Didn't really have a direction of what I wanted to do with this, but every class I've seen to be taken is walking me into a brighter type of future that I do want to explore in sociology.

I am excited to do the podcast and see from different perspectives and get a better understanding of the whole college life.

Hi, my name is Eric Diaz.

I'm a journalist student.

I am a second year and I think besides the journalist classes, most of the extra classes I have have been from sociology and anthropology.

So this podcast is quite very interesting for me.

Thank you guys for being here.

I'm going to start with a broader question and then we'll go into some deeper ones.

When did you start at LCC and what brought you here?

I began LCC three months after I came to the United States.

I'm not American.

I'm from Peru, and my first year here, my uncle, the one who made the papers for us, were like, you have to learn English.

Because me, my sister and I didn't even speak English at the first time here.

So we had to enroll at LCC for the esol, I think it was at that time.

I'm not sure if there is still that program anymore.

I don't know, something like that.

Maybe a different name.

But I remember we used to be a lot of people from different countries, especially refugees from Afghanistan, Sudan.

And it was very interesting because no one of us used to speak English.

We were just playing and trying to meet our different cultures.

So, yeah, that was my first time.

I remember I began at level Two.

English.

Okay.

Ty, what about you?

Well, mine is a little different journey.

You know, to be brutally honest, I'm older than most students that are here.

I'm 43.

I came from Detroit out to Lansing because in a way of, like, trying to fix my life in order, you know, like in a recovery program.

And that brought me to, you know, trying to explore what I wanted to do in life and understand, like, myself fully of what I'm capable of.

And after the recovery program, I just said that I wanted to enroll in school, and then I started finding other things that I was interested in and finding myself in all of it and understanding how to help people in which direction I wanted to follow a career in, reconnect with it, a whole different demographic and understand, like, the society and sociology of, like, the connection with people, being able to empathize and sympathize in the right way, to give right directions towards, you know, life in general, you know?

Yeah.

Nice.

Thanks for sharing that, guys.

So one of the things we want to do with this podcast is to help connect with people at LCC and the LCC community and maybe give perspectives that people haven't heard before.

One of the things we wanted to talk about was community, the sense of community on LCC's campus.

What do you guys feel about that?

Do you feel like there's a strong sense of community?

What is your idea of the sense of community first?

And then do you feel like LCC has that?

I will say no.

Okay.

But I.

That maybe that's my perspective.

And, you know, we all have different perspective.

And since I'm not from here, sometimes it takes me some time to understand the.

How the society or the young groups work here.

That's what I would say, maybe.

No.

Because I realized there are so many groups based on either culture of ethnicity, like Latinos, like Asians, or a bunch of group from immigrants, or just white people or just African Americans.

It's like, okay, who should I join?

I don't know.

It depends.

It always depends.

Because some friends I have that are from different countries, they get easily accepted to different groups.

So I don't know what is the pattern.

But if I have to say as a whole, a community as lcc, I said no.

I don't.

I don't see there is like a.

Because there's a lot of division.

There's division.

And many students I see, they just see LCC as a path, as a transition, like.

Like a stepping stone to something else.

Yeah, they're gonna transfer to somewhere else, and that's We.

That will be the main.

The main community they're going to join.

But LCC is just.

Everyone just take the classes and leave and.

Yeah, I understand.

Yeah.

I mean, for me, it's a little.

It's a little different, but I believe that's just because, like, as far as in life, I'm a little more cultured, you know, coming from an urban area and then moving to, like, the suburbs.

So it was like I was the.

The alien, you know, like the one.

One black guy with, you know, everybody else the, you know, speck of pepper and salt.

But it's like.

Like growing up, you know, it was, like, hard at first, but then, like, it kind of, like, blossomed me and I mean, I won Social Butterfly, you know, in the mock collection, and I got along with everybody, and so it's, like, easier for me to open up, to just start a conversation.

That's just part of my personality since third grade and on.

So, you know, I carry that as a.

Like a way that I use in life.

You know, I take people as they are, you know, because it's easy to divide.

But it's.

It's like if you continue to have a separation in your mind, that that's okay or you don't step out of your element, you'll continue that through the whole journey of no matter where you're at, whether you're in school, whether you're at work.

It's even weird for me as well, because, like, people that are from.

That are actually African.

African.

I'm like, I can't understand you.

And I'm black too, you know, so it's always going to be some type of barrier or whatever that you can see.

But I mean, underlying the surface, like, everybody probably feels the same type of way, in one way, shape or form of being, like, alienated or closed off.

But it just, you know, takes a simple.

Like opening somebody's door and, you know, they're saying thank you to you.

Starting a conversation, being open to conversation helps that a whole lot for me.

I mean, it's just like I talk to random people in the cafeteria when I'm doing homework.

They're like, hey, what's going on?

What are you listening to, too?

Because I'm always jamming.

It's just a way of just opening conversation.

And that builds bridges, you know, that you can use in different ways.

Like, you know, me and you here in class, we just like, hey, what's up?

But now we're here doing something that nobody else in class is doing.

So we're starting our own path and now we're gonna go out and see what other people think about it, you know.

So, you know, it's just a way of like, you know, breaking that barrier in your own mind and then just accepting people as they are and, and, you know, try to be open and like, understanding you're gonna come in here in a certain way, but you're gonna leave in a better way if you just try a little.

Do you think there's support for students of different backgrounds?

And you, you felt, you're.

Sounds like you're saying you felt that support.

Yeah, it's definitely like, I've seen like this podcast.

I didn't even know this was over here.

It's like parts of this, these buildings that I haven't even explored yet that I'm like, oh, wow, there's this here, there's that there.

It's like something for everyone, you know.

And, you know, you might find people that are just clicked up in their classes because that's generally what they're going to, you know, migrate towards.

Because these people talk in class with me.

But I mean, when they do extracurricular stuff like this and have different clubs and I would have never known this type of thing could be done here.

So it's like, you know, just broaden your horizons as a person will eventually have you cross paths with different people.

And it feels good to me, but it's.

I'm already at a stage where I'm blossomed, open and accepting everything that's coming to me, you know, like.

But I mean, it comes, I guess, with age.

Go figure.

Well, I think you're.

I would say Eric's pretty outgoing too, like getting involved in lots of different stuff.

But you see it from a different way perspective.

Because it sounds like you're saying there is a lot of openness, but you're saying, well, I'm getting out there, but it's.

There's still not a lot of connectivity between people.

Yeah, there might be some outside.

I've seen there are clubs, there are coaches, advisors.

I mean, I'll say, yes, there are support.

There's support.

I can find support.

But I will say it can be more spread, like trying to reach more students outside.

Because if you don't tell me about the club, I wouldn't know it.

I never heard about the Anthropology Club until Elizabeth told us.

Also, I didn't know there was LCC radio.

I didn't know.

I didn't know there was this podcast or the news, the newspaper.

There is a Newspaper.

I didn't know until I just tried to reach it.

But on the other hand, if we see at msu, I don't know.

I'm not part of msu, but I live closer.

But you can see some.

Sometimes you can see based on the stuff, but something there will be going on or some friends just sharing.

Yeah.

It's more around the community that you can see and it's.

It's readily available.

Like, oh, here they're doing this, they're doing that.

Yeah.

But I like for like talking about lcc, I like to be more constant.

Consistent.

Consistent about events like the clubs.

Like, I. I don't know if there is.

I mean, at msu, there is like an event where all the clubs got it and they.

An open event for students.

They go and reach students associations, clubs.

But I don't know if it happens here at lcc.

Like an event where all the clubs.

All the student clubs.

There used to be stuff like that.

But I wonder too, like what you guys said before.

I think a lot of people aren't expecting that and then aren't looking for it because they're already kind of in a stepping.

This is a stepping stone for them.

And it's almost like they don't expect that to be there.

Right.

Right.

Not that we couldn't create more of it.

I think we could.

Because I was even looking for.

I know there is a Spanish club because I misspink my language in Spanish.

But I've never heard of if they are still alive or not.

I've seen their Facebook with.

The last post was like three years ago.

And yeah, that's shame on me.

I didn't text them.

But, you know, I didn't see that was you.

You had that.

You forgot.

You're like, oh, wait, wait a minute.

Yeah, you got to keep that connection.

Yeah.

That's also too.

You do need committed people.

That's another thing.

Like, if you're thinking of this as a stepping stone, then you're not going to be necessarily committed to a group.

Yeah.

Sometimes you need like something like a push.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So that, that, that's.

See, I would.

I would have.

Kid, I would have kicked you in the social sector.

Look, man, you are coming today.

Like, you know what I mean?

That's why I made it a point when I seen you to say something to make sure you were still coming.

It was like, otherwise I'm going to be in here by myself.

I'm like, well, it's going to be the Tyrell show.

So get prepared.

So it sounds like you said there's support for students with different backgrounds.

If you want to go out, it's there for you to find it.

Yeah.

And you said there was two, right?

Okay.

Oh, yeah, definitely.

Definitely.

Let's broach the subject of financial challenges.

How does that impact college experience from your perspective inside and outside of the classroom?

Well, in my case, I mean, just understanding about they had the Pell Grant, they have the Michigan Reconnect.

So it's like a lot of people in the situations that I was going through, you know, that's been to school and then like, okay.

And it's like years later, it's like you still have a chance to do these type of things, like, and you still have like, something that like, oh, wow.

They're actually still looking out for people my age.

You know what I mean?

Not just, you know, younger crowd or anything like that, but I mean, that's like, gives.

Gives people a sense of hope in the.

In the fact that you can still, like, follow your dream.

They're still looking at that part of society and not just forgotten.

So it's like, you know, having all those programs and also like skilled trades programs where you can get certificates, certificates for welding or anything like that, you know, it's very, like, inspiring that we're still looked at on a level, a level like that to even be able to have a stepping stone like this.

I think of everything as a stepping stone because you're going to get somewhere and then you're going to basically elevate into the ceiling of that, and then you approach another level in order to keep advancing in life.

Because, I mean, it's a race without a finish line.

You know what I mean?

When you look at everything in an optimistic way, and I believe that the financial part was just like the biggest burden that would immediately turn somebody off.

Like, I can't afford this.

You know, I didn't know anything about what LCC had to offer.

I just was taking classes, you know, and then next thing you know, I talked to the academic advisor is who I talked to after I took your class.

And like, I didn't know which direction to go.

And it was just like, okay, I'm just going to take more sociology classes.

And she's like, no, that's the wrong thing to do.

You want to do this?

You only had.

I only had like 15 minutes with her, but she made 14 minutes and 59 seconds worthwhile.

To understand, like, that I'm able to transfer to something bigger and it would narrow the Field down and like it was way easier for me to understand to like okay, well I'm taking these classes to transfer to here, then that's going to take my perspectives of what I want to do in a career to this and then this is the next level.

So it was a lot easier to understand.

So it's like, like with the financial advisor and with the academic advisor it's like I feel like those are so necessary because it will take a lot of the doubt out of your mind about and the weight off your shoulders as far as like financial wise and understanding what you want to do and actually have a path to move forward on instead of just walking in the dark and taking classes and wasting money.

So it sounds like there, there are a lot of financial support options and it was relatively easy for you to get access to that.

Oh yeah, Starzone, man, I forget the guy's name in Starzone but I seen him probably about eight times in one month.

Like what do I need this?

Okay.

He walked me through everything and it was like, like he knew me by name like by the third time.

Like, okay, so what do we have today?

You know, but still with a smile and knows exactly what he need.

Okay, let me look up this.

We'll call them, we'll figure this out.

Get your password for the like it was like okay, cool.

All right.

And it was, it was just flawless like and how, you know, like not where it was intimidating that it was so much, you know, it was, everything was just like a flawless run for me.

So it was like I hope it's like that for everybody.

But I feel that way because he's like generally like all the people up there were generally in a great mood to see people and it's like very inviting instead of being entitled, intimidating.

So that's great to hear.

Well what about you Eric?

What would you say about that?

Has that been a challenge at all for you?

Do you think that would that impacts anything about your education experience here or if maybe not you.

Have you seen it impact other people?

I don't know if I have a lot to say about it but right now I'm using the Michigan Reconnect, which I think is pretty good.

I just was that accessible.

It was easy to set all the time.

It was very easy.

It was very accessible.

I was surprised because I did it just two or one week before we had our class, the first classes because I wasn't expecting to take classes sms.

I was like, should I, shouldn't I?

It was too late.

It was really late.

To get enrolled for classes.

And my advisor said, yes, you can just do it right now.

And just a couple days after that, it was already enrolled, it was paid.

And the academic advisor.

Yeah.

And I was like, what?

Yeah, I was like, the day before, I was like, oh, man, forget it.

And then I just happened to come up here.

15 minutes, boom, I got classes.

They knew the codes.

Like, hold on, this is an emergency class.

Just open up.

Boom.

Like, okay, I guess I'm gonna.

Yeah, I wasn't expecting.

When I told my parents, I guess I'm back to college, they were like, okay, nice.

But when I was my first time here, yeah, I was using the fafsa.

I think they were very accessible that time for many immigrants.

Okay.

I did my English with that and then my photography associate degree.

I didn't finish that degree, but that's another story.

But it was for the, the amount of credits.

I mean the English credits and the photography credit, they combined.

So I couldn't have.

I couldn't finish it at all for.

That's another thing.

But yeah, it was pretty nice for people, I think.

Sounds like.

And both of you had a really good experience with academic advisors.

Yeah.

Because of the.

I couldn't get access to the fafsa.

I was like, okay, I guess that's it.

I have to borrow some money or get some loans to do that journalist degree.

But yeah, my boss would tell me, you know, you can apply for the gynchigan reconnect.

And I was like, okay, I'll do it.

That's great.

And both of you correct me if I'm wrong.

Want to transfer to a four year school?

Yeah, I want to transfer.

And that's what I'm worried right now because, you know, these grand colleges are pretty expensive.

So.

Yeah, just trying to figure out what to do next.

Okay.

Yeah, I didn't, I didn't have no plan to transfer anything.

I thought this was just like, okay, you just write all of your, your classes out here.

I didn't realize until talking to the academic advisor, you know, like she went on to the website.

I'm like, I didn't even know this was here where it showed.

Okay, you can put it in here and do like your future planning.

And it showed you where, what classes I already had and what classes I need to do this, this and that.

And she's like, oh, yeah.

And then you want to go for this.

Okay, this is your stepping stone.

And what you're going to do is do the transfer to like transfer aa, this.

I'm like, okay.

She's like, but that has a broad career where, okay, it can be from all of this to all of that.

Once you get to your four year college.

Okay, you got.

I'm like, oh, well, it's like kind of like a map.

And I'm like, map straight to what I want to do.

And I'm like, okay.

She made it like so easy where it was just like a clear cut plan of what I wanted to do it because my brain was scattered like, you know, like I'm like OCD and adhd where it's like, I'm like, okay, everything's gonna work out somehow.

But it was aligned like perfectly.

So I mean, yeah, it's definitely, it's definitely like in line as far as going to a four year degree.

And it's just depending on where now, so.

And what I guess I would be investigating or like analyzing what schools will be the best suit for the field that I want to go in.

So.

All right, sounds like the academic advisors are really helpful with that as well.

So let's talk about inside the classroom.

Were there any challenges regarding like your ability to start in a college classroom and the kind of work you were expected to do, connecting with the teacher, using D2L?

Anything like.

Like that.

And you can talk about my class too.

Oh man, we're not going to talk about.

No, I mean, I would not recommend for me, just for me personally, it was like, I don't, like, I couldn't take certain classes online.

It was like, it was so easy to dismiss the work.

My time management was off because I was in class for some.

And then like, oh my God, what am I even doing English?

I'm like, I have.

It's been three weeks, I haven't even looked at it.

You know, so you have to be prepared to like do it online, you know, I mean, some people it's easier to just, oh, give me all my work and it's done.

But it's like, really, I feel like you miss a lot of the substance in class.

Like our class was fun.

That's why it's like it resonated with me, with my personality.

And like, it was broken down where it was like so easy to understand and relatable to everything that we do in the world.

And like, you know, and I try to do that in every class that I go in, like, and to understand things thoroughly from a ground level.

And once you build that basis, it's basically building those stepping stones.

So.

So it's like that's part of how I love to learn and be visual and, like, you know, like that.

So, I mean, I love the in class experience.

And I mean, I feel like that everybody that's in the class are all, like, you know, timid at first, but if you have a great atmosphere, a great, you know, instructor that understands that fully and loves to teach, that comes off across the class where it.

It's not such, you know, like, oh, I got to go to this class.

Like, oh, man, you know, I wonder what we're gonna, you know, do today.

You know, what are we gonna be laughing about?

Where would this take the conversation?

Staying after class for five minutes, and we're talking about this, you know, like, you'll enjoy doing the.

The work that you're doing while you're learning something.

So, you know, I think.

I think the experience was great.

Good to hear.

Mine was great.

I did college also in my country, and the contrast is very, very huge because sometimes something I. I can talk with other immigrants that are studying or either MSU or here's like, yeah, here is better.

Like, the education.

It's not that.

It's not that that the education is better or bad, but how the relationship between the teacher and the students is a lot better.

A lot better.

Because if I can tell from the public college I was in my country, the.

How would I say, the respect that the students have to the teacher is very like a hierarchy.

Like, what the teacher says is like the law.

If you are late, you are not in the class.

If you leave the class during the class, you.

You're out.

You know how you don't come.

You don't.

You don't have to come anymore.

I don't know if that was because I do.

I was doing engineering major back there, and most of my teacher were like these stereotypical old men, and they were very tough and strict.

And I don't know, but something that we agree is like, yeah, here the relationship is a lot.

A lot better.

The.

The teachers are very flexible.

They help you.

There are no boundaries or barriers of that kind.

And there are a lot more resources to help students not to fall.

So that's.

I think that's great.

Okay.

We'Ve got a wrap up here.

So I learned a lot.

It's really interesting.

Any last words, last thoughts on what LCC has.

Has brought for your life?

I think after Covid and there were many online classes, I think LCC should return to have more sense of community than it used to be.

I remember.

Used to be more.

I remember that.

More a community.

But now it's.

I think it will take time.

Right.

Because it's been like four years, so.

Yeah, you're right.

I. I remember that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I mean, I don't know.

I guess, you know, it's kind of brought a sense of purpose in my life as far as like, you know what I understand that I do want to do, you know, and I just am excited for, you know, every semester and, and building and growing as a person.

So lcc.

Yeah.

You know, got me together in all the right ways.

Ty Signing out.

Awesome.

You've been listening to the Sociological pov.

Thank you for your time.

This podcast is featured as a part.

Of LCC Connect, a podcast network developed.

By Lansing Community College.

To listen to this episode on Demand.

Or explore other LCC.

Visit LCC Connect.com.

We hope you'll join us again on.

The Sociological POV as we explore the.

Good, the bad and the world around us.

Keep connected with LCC Connect at lccconnect.org.

LCC Connect Voices vibes Vision Lansing Community College Performing Arts presents the HAP and Dance Professional company performing live with the LCC Jazz Band.

This special concert features the 20 plus member jazz band playing classic big band standards while dancers perform original choreography set to the live music.

Now in its third year, the concert takes place February 20th and 21st at 7pm in the Dart Auditorium.

Admission for more information visit LCC.

Edu ShowInfo hi, I'm Greg Ladig and.

I host a show called Stars on Sports with Assistant Athletic Director Steven Cutter here on LCC Connect.

It's all about Lansing Community College Athletic Department.

You can always find out more about Stars on Sports and listen on demand@lccconnect.org Calm down.

Go home well I'll have a real good time.

Protect his Family from Disaster Steve used.

His camera phone done by taking pictures of his important documents.

Steve can always have them stored online.

Learn more simple disaster Prep tips@ready.gov A.

Message from FEMA and the Ad Council.

The LCC Arts and Sciences Division will welcome seventh and eighth graders to the Downtown Campus for the first ever Big Steam event on Saturday, February 21st.

The event is an opportunity for middle and high school students to explore STEAM programs and career fields with exciting hands on activities and experiences.

Those interested in the big Steam event on February 21 can learn more at LCC.

Edu BigSTEM, LCC Connect Voices vibes Vision.

This is Bob Myers from the Historical Society of Michigan with a Michigan History moment.

The Copper country strike was long and bitter and it culminated in one of the worst tragedies in Michigan history.

In Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, the Western Federation of Miners had unionized 9,000 of the 15,000 men working in the copper mines.

The union called for a conference with the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company to bargain over wages and working conditions.

Mine owners refused.

In July, the miners went on strike.

The strike was bitter.

Mine owners brought in non union scab workers.

After a shooting at a boarding house where scab workers lived, a vigilante citizens committee formed.

The Citizens alliance was composed of businessmen and managers with help from Houghton county law enforcement members.

It was sanctioned by mining company officials and its goal was to intimidate the strikers.

More than 400 pounds packed into the second floor room during the party.

A man stepped into the room.

Many witnesses claimed that he wore a Citizens alliance badge.

He cried fire and ran.

Panicked people raced down the steep staircase and jammed together in a doorway at the bottom of the stairs.

Nearly 80 people, 59 of them children, died.

Crushed, suffocated.

No one ever determined who cried fire to start the panic.

The miners failed to achieve their goals and had to tear up their union cards.

It was decades before the mine workers successfully unionized.

The Italian hall where the tragedy occurred no longer stands.

The arched doorway where the miners children died was saved and stands today in a park near a historical marker that commemorates the tragedy.

It ends with the verse, the piano played a slow funeral tune and the town was lit up by a cold Christmas moon.

The parents, they cried and the miners they moaned.

See what your greed for money has done.

This Michigan history moment was brought to you by michiganhistorymagazine.org.

Connecting you with Lansing Community College.

This is LCC Connect.

LCC Connect Voices.

Vibes Vision.

Lansing Community College Performing Arts presents the Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zelaidis the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm are turned on their heads in this fast paced rollicking ride as two narrators and several actors attempt to combine all 209 stories, ranging from classics like Snow White and Cinderella to more obscure stories.

A wild freeform comedy with lots of audience participation and madcap fun.

Featured at LCC's Black Box Theater February 20th through the 22nd and February 27th and 28th.

Recommended for ages 11 and up.

All performances are free to attend.

Visit LCC.edu showinfo for showtime information.

Feeling froggy?

Well leap into 20 plus podcasts@lccconnect.org Art.

Happens here, the podcast that explores the.

Often curious and occasionally amazing art installations on, in and around the campuses of Lansing Community College.

I'm your host Bruce Mackley.

Listen to this program and many others on demand@lccconnect.org.

Studies have shown that learning a new.

Language can positively impact your concentration, memory and overall communication skills.

The Adult Enrichment Program offers the opportunity.

To learn fundamental Spanish speaking, reading and writing skills through cultural activities and in person conversations.

No prior experience necessary.

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LCC Connect Voices vibes Vision.

Hello everyone and welcome to Now Spinning, the official podcast of the Lansing Community College Vinyl Record Club.

We meet twice a month to listen to vinyl and talk about music.

Stay tuned to learn about how you can get in touch with us and attend our meetings.

Hello everybody.

Welcome back to Now Spinning.

So good to have you with us.

With me today I have Leo Ackerman, Jacob Zokvik, Simon Medina.

Today we're going to continue where we left off on our last episode and we're going to talk about our honorable mentions this year.

Obviously it was a pretty good year for music, I think.

Too many.

Too many good albums.

Too many to count.

But we're gonna try and talk about our very favorite ones.

Hopefully we can get a couple in before we run out of time.

So I want to kick things right off with an album that I was a huge fan of this year and that is the album Bleeds by the band Wednesday.

They're a North Carolina like country rock indie rock band and I hadn't heard of them until this album came out.

Oh really?

But no, yeah, their earlier stuff.

Go back and listen to the earlier stuff.

Ratsaw.

I will into it.

I will look into it.

But this album was really something.

Not to talk about Geese to start this record off, but you're getting a bingo card out right now.

But what I noticed, like lyrically I think at least in this album is that it was a polar opposite to what I was talking about with Getting Killed.

Like how it's a very surreal album.

This one's very straightforward.

It just says stuff that happened.

It's like telling real stories.

Feels like it's telling Real stories, you know, from this person's life.

I think that's a big part of why people like Wednesday or, like, take Them Seriously is lyrically, it.

It really hits some real stuff, some real experiences.

You know, maybe I don't have as many obvious ways that I relate to somebody who grew up in rural North Carolina, but, like, enough.

Yes.

And I really get that.

Like, yeah, man, it's.

It's deep in parts.

There's definitely some songs that are kind of.

Have some deeper stuff going on.

It's.

It's a.

It's fun at times, but, like, it's not afraid.

Like, it goes.

Like, it just.

She says what's on her mind.

She says things that happened.

Especially, like, I think, like, the first two songs.

Like, the first three songs.

Like, there's like, the one two punch of the song Townies and then into Wound Up Here by Holding On.

Those are my two, like, my two top songs.

Non Geese of this year.

Just incredible.

Very, you know, heartbreaking.

Evocative imagery on both of those things.

Not even imagery.

It's just like, heartbreaking stories.

Yeah, you talk about stories.

That.

The last song on the album, I was like, God, I hope that's not, like, a real conversation she had with a real person.

Cause, like, that guy's life sucks, man.

Okay, so it so funny.

I hope she's okay.

So the Pitchfork writer Walden Green did a great review of this record, a glowing review of Bleeds.

And he made a very, I feel, apt comparison to Rumors by Fleetwood Mac.

Oh, boy.

Because M.J. lenderman, who is a fantastic solo artist in his own right, as well as the guitarist for this band, recently went through a breakup with lead singer and also guitarist Carly Hartsman.

Okay.

From what we can gather here, it was pretty tense.

A lot of stuff going on.

Really.

Okay.

I'm barely online.

But what I saw implied that it was pretty amicable.

And they were like, yeah, we're gonna keep making music together.

Well, as amicable as it can be.

And, like, still work together and still, you know, have a career together.

Because they're not touring together anymore.

No.

Yeah, I noticed that he isn't touring with the band, but he still plays on the records.

Because he just.

They're not.

It's not gonna work out if these exes are playing on the tour together.

I really think that Rumors is a really apt comparison.

Cause not only are there songs about this emotional tension, but they're playing on it together.

And you can almost feel the tension in the recording because they're in the same room.

Recording it.

And she's singing these songs about the guy playing guitar on the song.

It's like, it's a little bit nerve wracking, but it's also equally fun.

Well, and it's probably a big part of what makes it so relatable.

Is real.

It's very real.

Yeah, I thought it was fantastic.

Go listen to it.

Please, please, please, please, please.

We love you, Carly Hartsman.

Please be a friend of the show.

Come on the show.

We'll talk.

I specifically want to point out so Wednesday had some previous tracks on previous albums.

I guess I should say I had some tracks in previous albums that were a lot more high energy than I get.

Like this album.

The first half of it, I was like, this is a bit slow.

You know, I've listened to it a couple of times since then and I got, okay, this is great.

You know what I mean?

But yeah, I remember the first time listening going like, this is a bit slow.

And then the songs pick up that knife, which then bleeds into the song.

Wasp is like so high energy and so awesome.

I was like, okay.

They were just, they were just making me wait for it.

They.

They still had a couple songs that really kicked it out.

Really said, yeah, yeah, we're not.

We're not just indie.

We're not just, you know, this country influence, whatever.

We're going to basically do like a hardcore punk song.

Awesome.

Like just awesome.

And it's like their blending of styles is just so amazing.

And that's.

People make the comparison a lot to Shoegaze.

And I'm like, dude, I barely hear it.

But then like, there are definitely bits where you're like, oh, no, this is a very experimental way to do especially that, like country rock, indie, you know, sort of sound like it's.

It's.

It's pretty unique.

It is great.

Definitely go listen to it for sure.

Speaking of country ish stuff, I do want to bring up real quick, there's this fantastic ambient Americana, I think you.

Would call it country ish.

Anyway, an acoustic record by this guy called Hayden Pedigo.

I just wanted to give this one a quick shout out because it's beautiful.

It's wonderful acoustic guitar stuff.

Hayden Pedego has released three albums and a wonderful trilogy that are all pretty equal in quality, all pretty stellar, as well as a collaboration with the band Chat Pile, who are a noise rock and doom metal band.

Yeah, that's a.

Not the.

Not a very expected crossover.

I was a little surprised to see that.

But I'll have to check that Out.

I have to check that out.

Brilliant.

While we're.

While we're talking about vaguely country related stuff.

So Japanese Breakfast had a new album this year.

I quite liked it.

It was alright.

The song Orlando in Love had like countryish influences on it, I feel like.

And I like.

Japanese Breakfast has done some pretty different things in the past, but this is.

I was like.

There was a bunch of albums this year that I felt like that like country folk style influence made its way in on.

And I was like, oh, this, this sounds really coming into the mainstream.

Probably because everybody's sick of like pop country.

And they're like give me country sound without like, you know, that nonsense, you know.

Not that that isn't a valid genre, but it is widely derided I think in the like modern culture, you know.

But yeah, so I just thought that was interesting though it made its way in also this album, it's called For Melancholy Brunettes and Sad Women.

I think this is Jeffy's Breakfast calling out all the like sad girl music that's really become popular recently.

I think this is like, okay, I can write sad girl music too.

And it's like, yeah, you can.

It's pretty good.

It's pretty good sad girl music.

I enjoyed it a lot.

I enjoyed the record.

But I do think there's this like fire to Jubilee.

And yeah, this one has way less energy in that way.

And that's like this one, I don't know, maybe more emotionally driven than Jubilee.

But yeah, not as like tumultuously emotionally driven maybe.

So I don't know.

Jubilee's awesome.

So it's.

It's kind of hard, you know, they're a little different and.

But yeah, I get where you would come from to say that.

What do you have?

What do you have for us?

Oh, well, I don't know if it relates to Japanese Breakfast at all.

But I've been like we said, this has been a pretty good year for indie, like indie rock, post rock stuff almost.

One band I wanted to shout out from Michigan that I saw live with Geese is Racing Mount Pleasant.

This had a lot of country influence in it too, a little bit.

They get a lot of flack from people for sounding pretty identical to Black Country New Road.

I don't quite hear that.

They definitely have their own thing going.

There's times I feel like any post rock band that has like prominent saxophone is going to get called like Black Country New Road at this point.

But like, I think that they, they take that in a different direction.

They definitely blend in a Lot of that, like, Midwest emo kind of stuff, like you said, a little bit of the country stuff.

I definitely heard a lot of Midwest emo in this without it really being in that genre.

You hear the influence, but, like, it's there.

It's just not the same, you know.

It's definitely not.

Yeah, it's not a Midwest emo album, but it's in the sphere.

Obviously.

These people grew up, you know, like, they're from Ann Arbor, this band.

They're called Racing Mount Pleasant.

They're not from Mount Pleasant.

Don't ask me.

I didn't come up with the name.

It's not even spelled right, so, I mean, in reference to the town.

Right.

But, yeah, they're.

They're pretty good.

I quite like them.

Maddie got their album at the show.

Shout out to Maddie, friend of the show.

When we went to go see Geese, they opened for them.

I had heard their album before that.

I thought it was pretty good.

Their live show was real.

I thought their live show was great.

The sound guy there kind of did them a little dirty, but they were having.

There was so much energy on that stage.

It was really great.

My favorite memory from that show was one of the members, like Mother or something was standing behind me in, like, the crowd.

And between the songs, she just kept yelling Racing Mount Pleasant at them.

It was so good.

That's what.

That's what I like, though, about, like, you know, local bands and stuff like that.

You know, you get people know them.

That's what.

That's always interesting.

Oh, man.

I went to a show way back when I was in high school, and it was to see my friend's band, Lamano, that obviously is not a band anymore.

I shouldn't say obviously, but not a band anymore that you.

Not a band you can go listen to.

But anyway, they were Lamano.

It was their first show, so I had to go.

But they played with another band, and this other band, it was.

It was just their family that was there.

It was a bunch of high school students there to see Lamano, and then it was like a bunch of 40 and 50 year olds to see this other band play.

And honestly, the other band did great.

I thought they did some really cool stuff and it was awesome.

But yeah, the, like, moms at shows is so, like.

It's kind of cringe, but it's also like, oh, I'm so glad she's here and enjoying it.

Like, it's.

It's so beautiful to see that happen.

And that's.

I mean, that's such A cool thing that like, oh, I sat right in front of this, this band's mother, like, and heard how excited she was to see her children play.

Like, that's.

Oh my God, my son's playing the Majestic Theater.

Exactly.

Yeah.

That would blow your mind.

Especially if you're from around here.

Like, it would really.

Like you would.

She's probably been to that theater before and other.

Other artists or shows, you know, they.

Were gonna be at a smaller venue, but like, because Geese blew up, they had to move to a bigger.

Wow.

They were gonna be at the L Club, which is like.

I don't know if you've been there, but it's very cramped, very small.

But this place, it was like a whole.

I've never been to the Majestic Theater before, but it's beautiful.

They have like a.

On the ceiling, they have like this mural, these lights.

It's such a.

Incredible place.

I could, you know, I'd be proud if my children were playing in that place as well.

That's incredible.

Cool.

But yeah, great band.

Racing Mount Pleasant.

Check out their self titled album.

If you enjoy like, like I said, Midwest, emo, windmill scene, any of that kind of stuff, it's a great.

Listen.

I'm gonna steal.

I'm gonna steal this one right here.

Just because I was talking about high school, a band I listen to in high school a lot.

Okay, go.

Like it's been a decade.

They released an album this year.

It's great.

It's.

It's nothing like exceptionally new.

It sounds like, okay, Go, but it's.

It's just nice.

It's.

Yeah, indie sleaze kind of style, very high energy.

All of OK Go was.

And OK Go, very famous for their music videos.

So if I can't convince you to go listen to this album, which, you should go watch some of their music videos.

Yeah, just.

Just very cool stuff.

Kicking out the stuff that they were doing 10 years ago, like.

Like they never missed a beat.

They just look a bit older now and that's okay.

You know, so do I.

Nothing wrong with that.

Okay.

That was actually a very effective segue because I was gonna do a hard pivot into louder, noisier stuff.

All right, beautiful.

That works.

A lot of high octane stuff in my list.

Here we have something I talked about earlier in this year.

£45 by Yahweh Nailgun.

Disgusting, evil, downright frightening stuff.

It's 20 minutes of terror.

I love it to death.

Very excited to see where they go from here?

Los Tuthonaca.

This is a duo of the Cramptons.

They are siblings.

They are both very eclectic musicians in their own right.

Joshua Crampton is a really out there guitarist who only.

I don't know, I. I only heard his record like last year or something like that.

Estrella por Estrella.

It is so loud.

It's deafening.

I mean it's unmixed, unmastered, pummeling stuff.

And Alicia Crampton is one of the most talented DJs I've ever heard.

We were talking about Justin Bieber on the last episode.

Go listen to it.

We were talking.

Yeah, we were.

She remixed like younger Justin Bieber songs into these beautiful like ethereal, almost ambient pieces.

And these sounds like the Latin electronic mashup stuff with the noisy guitar and the almost.

I think a good comparison for Joshua Crampton would be Arthur Russell.

Strangely enough, if either of you are familiar, he takes Arthur Russell's very echo laden stuff very, I would call it scenic style.

And it just.

It's so nasty.

It's so cool.

I love it to death.

Also, Swans released their last Big Loud album this year.

I don't have much to say about it.

It's just Swans doing their modern stuff cranked up to 10.

And also stuff that's way.

I don't want to say nastier than they've ever done before.

But they keep getting grosser in different ways, which I appreciate, you know, keeps things fresh.

I've got two albums that I just made.

What you said made me think of first Siblings.

The band Between Friends released an album this year.

Wow.

I think is what it's called Brother and Sister.

Kind of like electro pop but also kind of into it defies easy categorization.

But yeah, it just, you know, modern dancey stuff.

The song Jam is freaking hot Jam, dude.

It is so cool.

The pre chorus is just so weird.

So unlike what you're hearing in like dancy pop songs right now.

But just awesome.

So highly recommend that one I love Between Friends.

I don't need to say a bunch more about them, but another one that you know, like I don't know, Yahweh Nail Gun and them like made me think of like the experimentality of it.

I'm using that word again.

Experimentality.

It can be a word if you repeat it.

Yeah, yeah.

But Simon recommended to me Hagen by Titanic and that one was yeah, experimental in really interesting ways.

It wasn't, you know, quite as noisy.

You know, that wasn't really their vibe.

But yeah, there's a lot of really dissonant stuff in there where you're like, what are they doing?

But it really works and it really kind of forces some feelings out of these songs.

You're like, wow.

Mabe Frati is the vocalist and cellist in that band.

Her, and I think it's.

Ila Katorica is the name of the artist.

Mabe Fratti is this crazy.

Like, I don't even know what you call her.

Art.

Art pop, kind of weird jazz stuff.

Avant garde.

Chamber.

I don't know if it's avant garde.

This, the record that they just released this year, strangely enough, is, like, by far their most accessible by far.

And it still retains the weird, like, almost like, uncomfortable edge that it has the entire time, but it has, like, hooks this time around.

Oh, yeah.

Very good.

Yeah, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

That's, you know, going back to the.

Between friends.

Hooky.

That's.

I would describe the.

Those as very hooky.

Definitely.

Yeah.

I mean, like, we talk a lot on the show about, like, very, like, loud, abrasive experimental bands.

But, like, you know, it's a nice.

A little refreshing to change of pace to hear, like, a band that experiments, but they're not, like, trying to make you deaf at the same time.

Not to say that's bad.

Like, I enjoy, you know, live music from time to time, but it's always interesting to hear a band that's less focused on just, like, pure noise.

One band that I found this year that is incredibly.

I don't even remember how I found it.

It's like a random experimental Prague band from Arizona.

Their group called Skin Theory, and their album is called Briar.

I don't really have a lot to say about it other than it's a very good.

If you're in.

If you enjoy, like, king crimson, like 70s 80s king crimson, if you like that kind of stuff, you'll probably get something out of their album.

It's a little bit.

A little bit black midi, a little bit like windmill in there as well.

I don't want to say, like, every single prog band that has a saxophone player in it is windmill related.

But, like, that's my.

That's my frame of reference to it.

That's my bad.

But I thought that they're very incredible.

Their album Briar, look it up.

If you're listening to this and you're in that band, come on the show, I want to ask you questions about it, but, yeah.

Is this whole episode just going to be us saying, please get in contact?

Cameron Winter.

Cameron Winter, we love.

It's just.

This is a fan cast now.

A little bit.

This is just networking.

We'll treat it as networking, send it to as many labels as we can.

Networking.

What they're gonna call, like, parasocial.

Sure.

Is that not what it is right now?

Anyway, we're just talking about music.

Different shades of this.

Paul McCartney.

If you're listening to this, get on the show.

I just want to ask you some questions.

It'll be a good time.

Or your son James.

Send James McCartney on the podcast.

We'll do anything.

Just get McCartney, please.

Okay.

Okay.

Where were we?

Yeah, I've got.

I've got some quick fire ones that I can shoot real fast here.

Vale synth by the artist Flora Fishbach.

I discovered them completely by accident from a YouTube thumbnail.

I went, this video looks wild.

I clicked on it and it was a wild video.

But the music is amazing.

It's just like electronica, avant garde, ish at times.

Just fun.

Sounds cool.

Sounds nice.

Really liked that one.

I kind of want to mention real quick.

Anamanakuchi had a new album this year.

I thought it was interesting.

I've listened on a Maniguchi for a while, even back when they were, like, making chiptune stuff.

So now that they're making, like, I don't want to say real music, but like, more broad appeal music, it's like, cool.

This is just a cool sound.

I've heard some people talking about it and I'm like, you talk.

You talking about Anamanaguchi?

Like, really?

Another one?

My album of the year last year was Worthy Kids, who's just like a YouTube animator who happens to make music.

His album this year was an experimental album called 13 Jokers.

And it's like 13 songs about jokers and clowns.

And it's really, really weird.

And I couldn't honestly recommend it to anyone unless you're into just like, clown music.

Really, really weird clown music.

Is that like the genre?

Is it like circus music or is it like.

No, no, no, no.

It.

It's.

It transcends.

It transcends genres.

Okay.

He, like, there's like hard rock songs on there.

There's songs in there, but there's also like.

He's like, rapping for part of it.

You're like, what?

There's a song that is like clown music.

And he.

It's like being played on, like, children's instruments and there's like a nose honking sound.

Go listen to.

If you're definitely.

Go listen to the Worthy Kids album from last Year, please.

That's a good album I did, right?

This one was just so weird.

And that's like, I couldn't honestly recommend it as an album of the year, but, like, it was like, one of the most experimental albums I listened to all year because it's about freaking jokers and clowns.

And I was like, tap in is so weird.

If there's one thing you take away from this episode, tap into the Joker's album, please.

I want to.

Okay, so you mentioned.

You mentioned rapping.

So I want to take a little.

I want to use that as a segue to talk about some, like, hip hop related stuff that I really liked this year.

Earl Sweatshirt dropped a project this year called Live Laugh Love.

He's been rapping since he was like, 14.

He, for a very long time was known as this, like, very depressed, very, like, somber rapper.

Like, very, like, upsetting, I guess.

Just like, very depressing, incredible stuff, but just upsetting.

Not normal for, like, mainstream rap.

No, no, no, no.

But now he's found himself in a much better head space.

He's with a girl that he really loves.

He.

He's doing great.

And so he just named it Live Laugh Love.

Not as a tongue in cheek thing, but just like, I'm loving how it's alive right now, actually.

That's awesome.

Flipping it on its head.

Really loved this record.

I think this is probably his strongest record since the record Some rap songs, which has proven to be a very influential record in its own right.

And jumping off of that, I want to talk about this guy Mike.

Now, Mike is somebody who's.

That's just.

It's just Mike.

Mike is closely associated with Earl Sweatshirt.

I think early on people thought he was kind of this, like, not gonna say a clone, but they thought he was very derivative and he's grown into his own artist.

And I think he's honestly a bit more eclectic than Earl is, and his stuff is a lot more fun.

His record from this year is called Showbiz.

It's a treat.

Just go.

Just enjoy yourself, dude.

Go like Earl Sweatshirt and Mike at this point are just making songs.

You can throw on and be like, you know what?

Yeah, I am enjoying being alive right now.

This is so cool.

This is so great.

On the flip side of that, there's this.

So I know modern underground rap is very, very divisive.

A lot of people don't rock with, like, Playboi Carti and stuff like that.

I'm not gonna say I do either, because I didn't like the Playboi Carti record from this year.

But, you know, I feel like it's important to mention his name when we're talking about, like, the rage sub genre of hip hop right now.

Osama San right now is.

I mean, he has two records released this year, one called Jump out and the other's called Psychotic.

There are some synthesizers on here and some noises on here that you would genuinely find on, like, a Murspout record.

It is some of the most.

And I know we talk about abrasive music.

It's next level.

Like, it.

It freaks me out.

I feel like my car is gonna break when I listen to it.

Just really sick stuff.

And can I sneak one more in here?

Yes, of course.

You were talking about an artist with multiple albums out in the year.

We were talking earlier, before the.

Before we started recording Foolishly.

We were talking about this.

You, Sexual.

Save it for the Pow.

FKA Twigs.

So I knew that there were multiple albums this year, but you were going into some detail.

This is like.

There's almost like three distinct albums in a way.

Like three distinct experiences that you can go just one right after the other.

Or is that gonna be too much?

No, I mean, it's a treat.

Front to back, all of them.

I mean, there's the first Use.

There's the first Usexual, released in January.

Of this year, which is the one I listened to.

I really liked.

You know, a lot of it was samey.

You know, I mean, a lot of those tracks sounded similar, but that was okay.

I was like, these are really cool tracks.

Then recently, there was you, Sexual Afterglow, which is not a remix record.

It's a completely new record with completely new songs and different sound and a different vibe.

It's just like, okay, if this was, like, the feeling of partying and, like, the bliss that you have, here's the actual party.

Here's where you throw down and, like, stuff gets crazy.

And then there's the you Sexual Redux, which is just like, an adjusted track list with new songs that I kind of like better than the original.

There's just three very different experiences and, I don't know.

Shout Out, FKA Twigs.

She's been at it for a very long time.

Very consistent.

All right, Rapid Fire, anybody?

I got the.

Beth's album was really good.

Just Mustard was really, really good.

Natalie Bergman had a new one out this year.

Night Tapes.

I mean, just write this.

All these down had dope albums.

If we get some chance to talk to you about them.

We will.

But I do run some rapid fires that I had to get in there real quick.

Yeah, I'll rapid fire like a couple in here.

Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band, they had a really good album this year, Black Country.

New Road.

Also dropped this year.

I didn't mention it, but I liked it quite a bit.

There's a doom metal album called Void Meridian by Messa that I actually not usually my genre, but I liked it a lot.

It was like the.

Sorry, the album's called the Spin by Messa.

It's quite good.

Like Italian doom metal.

Not normally my genre, but I got into it, I liked it quite a bit.

And then gonna mention an ep.

Technically not an album.

Sue me.

Westside Cowboy.

They're a new English windmill scene band.

They're really great.

Check them out.

That's all I got.

That's about all I got.

That's all we got.

Time for fantastic.

Some really great albums this year.

Go listen.

Go listen to them.

Watch this.

Watch this podcast.

Listen to this podcast.

Write it all down.

Listen to all of it.

It's all great.

James McCartney, please come on the show.

All right, that's everything today.

Thank you all for tuning in.

We hope to see you next time.

Love you.

Bye.

Bye.

This is WLNZ Lansing.

You're listening to LCC Connect, a weekly program that features the voices, vibes and vision of Lansing Community College.

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