Head Full Of Radio

CROSSOVER EPISODE: Soup Full Of Radio

Nichot Season 99 Episode 2

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 1:55:11

We have a very special episode today: Nico joins Andrew on his Radio Show while they listen to / discuss all types of covers OF and BY Radiohead. 

Christmas is just around the corner, so why not de-stress and listen to us talk and laugh along with covers from some strange places (like Hanson, Prince, John Mayer, The Darkness, and Vampire Weekend). 

If you'd like to hear the more rounded radio friendly version, search for:

Alphabet Soup UMFM. 

Andrew

Uh I think I might have put the wrong intro onto this one. Uh the radio show and the podcast are both out on Tuesdays, so which one am I on? Uh I g you know what? Welcome to a crossover episode of Alphabet Soup and the podcast headful of radio. I'm your host, Andrew, and with me today is my co-host Nico. Hi, Nico. This is different, isn't it? It's kind of weird. Normally you'd be hearing us on your favorite podcast platform, but today it's just a jumbled mess.

Nico

I look forward to a jumbled mess. That's one of my favorite things.

Andrew

Yeah, this will be the first time you'll hear us in two separate uh platforms. Welcome to the covers episode of the radio show, Nico.

Nico

Thank you for having me. I don't really know 100% what to expect fully, but that's part of the appeal to me.

Andrew

Well, we're gonna we're gonna uh middle road this in that it'll be very uh headful of radio slash soupy. So uh today we'll be listening to radio head covers and in some cases uh radio head doing covers. And Nico's gonna be giving them ratings when we get back from breaks because that's what we do uh on the podcast. Right? Isn't it? If you head to my Instagram at alphabet soup.umfm, you're gonna hear a different version than what you're hearing now, which is fun. So are there any questions before we start today, Nico?

Nico

You know what, we're just gonna see how it all goes, and then I'll hit you with the mid, and it's just gonna be very chaotic and messy and soupy. So let's let's see what happens.

Andrew

I guess I should also tell people, Headful of Radio is a podcast where Dico and I go through every song in Radiohead's discography uh from the beginning, uh, because he is uh well you're now turning into a radiohead fan, but at the beginning you didn't know much.

Nico

Did not know pretty much anything.

Andrew

So every week on the uh podcast, you'll hear about a 15 to 20 minute episode of us uh talking about the next song in the discography. So this is the perfect time to have a radiohead cover episode. So we're gonna hear um from Phoebe Bridgers, Tom York, and Jillian uh Welsh shortly. But first we're going to hear Michelle Undego Cello doing uh the national anthem. Are you ready for this? Hit me.

Nico

Okay. This is funky right away. Oh, I'm into this.

Andrew

So she is a world-renowned bass player slash singer, by the way.

Nico

Okay. Oh, this is so like mmm, it's got me moving. Oh yes. Half these songs, I'm gonna be like, do I know this?

Andrew

And then I'm gonna be like, oh, it's this one.

Nico

Oh, this is so cool.

Andrew

I'm barbing my hand.

Nico

See, that's what I like about a cover when it's not just like a straight up copy, it's like it's the it's their own version. Exactly, yeah.

Andrew

I really like the way she plays bass too. It's like it's a little bit different than Colin's.

Nico

Yeah, this feels a little bit almost like more kind of jarring in a way.

Andrew

Yeah. Rigid.

Nico

Oh, she got me head bumping.

Andrew

It's like it's so different but so cool.

Nico

Just yeah, and numbers, my head's going all over the place. Yeah. It keeps the radio head usually.

Andrew

Well, you did, I think, in the original version of this one.

Nico

Um, this is gonna say groovy nature.

Andrew

For the fucking groovy.

Nico

Sorry, yeah, you were saying.

Andrew

Oh, I wasn't saying anything. You you said it all.

Nico

Okay, cool.

Andrew

You're the guest that should give you more room anyway.

Nico

In a yappy mood, I suppose.

Andrew

I actually find the um brass instruments less annoying in this version than I do in the original.

Nico

I can't lie, I can't even remember that being a thing. But at the end, they're very overwhelming. Actually, I think you're right. I think I do remember that, and it's just a bit like, well, okay. Yeah. But even that was like felt very much like descending to madness, right? So she's clawed it back. We've we're like already spent a little bit of time there.

Andrew

We got it back. Hmm. Now we're gonna go right into the next song shortly here. Okay? What do you think of that one? That was That was really cool. I really enjoyed that. And here comes Julian Welsh with Black Star. Okay. It's a live version.

Nico

Oh, well I like it so far. It's a lot more light so far. But if it was more like oh, what's the word I'm looking for? Almost like celestial, whatever that's supposed to mean. Oh dressing well, while I love her voice. Yeah, it's really good.

Song

And what they do to you. Oh what are we coming to? What are we coming to?

Nico

Oh, I'm obsessed with this.

Andrew

That interesting thing is really good. I like that you could hear people cheer at this point. Yeah, I like that you could hear people cheering as soon as they realize what it was.

Nico

Like it's a lot more like relaxed.

Andrew

Yeah.

Nico

But I feel like with Tom, he's like so like you feel that like almost like yearning. Whereas I feel like she's a bit more composed, but like still beautiful.

Andrew

Yeah, like you're sitting in a in a field in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. Yeah. Instead of standing on a block of cement in a tarmac or something.

Nico

I get that. Yeah, it's a lot lighter, like. I feel like the other one's a lot more almost like angsty, whereas this is a bit more like I don't know quite what the word is, but it's not cheerful, but it's like you can imagine being around almost like a group of people, like with this, whereas the other one's a bit more like brooding.

Andrew

Yeah. Yeah. The other one he's really sad about how you have to blame it on the black star. And this one's like, yeah, it happened. Yeah.

Nico

I feel like the other one's like, I'm knocking myself in my room and I'm listening to this. I just like, I could I could be amongst people. It's not feel weird about this.

Andrew

The black star isn't the worst thing. Should I clap too, or that's a nice ending? Okay.

Song

Now that I don't think of you.

Nico

She makes it seem so effortless as well.

Andrew

And it sounds like it's her song.

Nico

Which I also love. She's just kind of like this is this is this is what it is.

Andrew

This is what's happening.

Nico

Yeah, it's weird, it's like it's like cheerful in a way. Which is like a weird juxtaposition with what obviously it's about. But it's like, yeah, I feel like what exactly what you said, it's like that kind of like, yeah, I've come to terms with it. And here we are. Whatever. That silly old black star.

Thom Yorke

This this piano is Neil Young's piano.

Andrew

And this piano uh is making me do this. So you know where he says this piano is Neil Young's piano? Um. This was recorded in 2002. Um, organized by Neil Young and his wife. And Tom said, Hey, I want to sing this song. Neil said, Sure, but if you're gonna sing it, you gotta use the piano I recorded it on. So there you go. I guess that's not too hard of a deal.

Song

I guess I could accept that offline to the song break.

Nico

See, Tom is just so Tom that like everything kind of becomes his just by him singing it.

Andrew

Yeah, that's a good point. Even though Neil Young's voice isn't too far away from what Tom sounds like sometimes. He hits all the notes in the right spot.

Nico

He's just always so like raw. Yeah. Like what I love about Tom is that he's not perfect, like, but it just makes it so much more human and like real and emotional.

Andrew

Yeah, you're not gonna hear perfect notes all the time, but you know that he's feeling it.

Song

I was hoping it was alive. Sinking about what a friend had said. I was hoping it was a lie.

Andrew

Yeah. I wish there was video of this.

Nico

Alright. Yeah, I'd love to see what he's doing with his hands and like the way he's like moving.

Andrew

Yeah, his head, especially. Yeah. So this part you hear him humming. In the original, I don't think you remember this, but there's a it's a French horn doing a little solo with and he's singing the notes.

Nico

And again, I don't think that's something that many people can necessarily put off. Oh, that was weird. I feel like Thomas a bit weird, so uh why is he not singing in this word?

Song

There were children crying and colours fly on the choice on a tree.

Andrew

That picture up on the screen. They've done even a bit dirty then. Oh my god. That poor man with that look at that hair. Yeah.

Nico

I like how he just does that. It's just like so Yeah, he's just so human.

Andrew

He really is, yeah. And here's what I'm looking forward to there. She's just got one of those voices. I don't know if I can say it much more than she just has one of those voices.

Nico

This is such a like gut punchy song to just throw at me like this. I would know it. How dare you! I'm sorry. No, it's fine.

Andrew

I love it. If it helps, you're gonna have less fun after this one. Sometimes.

Nico

And I like it, but it is an emotional song.

Andrew

Yeah. It it they she makes they make this more emotional. I don't I consider the original emotional, but in a this is more longing, where the other one is more Tom on the tarmac, like we mentioned before.

Nico

Yeah, you can even see it in her eyes. Yeah.

Andrew

Such a different song with just piano.

Nico

Oh, it does give me chills, though, like it's like, oh yeah.

Andrew

I just got chills now.

Song

She tastes like the Reed.

Andrew

Do you listen to Phoebe Bridgers?

Nico

Not a lot. Like, um, there's probably one or two songs that I've got of hers like in my rotation, but like not regularly, but I'd know that it's not like I'm not a fan, if that makes sense.

Andrew

I feel like she's one of those musicians I want to listen to, but then it depends on my mood. Like if you and I were watching this live, you might be uh patting my back like you did at Oasis.

Nico

Yeah.

Andrew

Yeah, we're just slowly swaying together.

Nico

Just that this base is so nice in between taking a little ladder down into the abase and cry.

Andrew

I'm sorry for laughing. Uh this is our last one before the uh we come back from radio break. Sounds good. Um, I'm gonna say this again when we come back, but from what I have read about this girl, she sings and her dad does all of the instrumentation.

Nico

Oh, very cool.

unknown

Yeah.

Nico

She's got some decent amount of subscribers, so I'm looking forward to that.

Andrew

Yeah, I don't know who her dad is, but to have all these noises happening, he must be hold on, I'm gonna say that again. I don't know who her dad is, but but when you hear this, you'll realize he's probably some type of musician or important person. Right, he's a someone. Yeah. Okay. Do you remember this one now? Yes. This was one of our biggest ratings differences in the whole podcast. I think the second biggest so far. Yeah. Sure is we sure get a lot more done when we're just playing the songs, one after each other. Yeah. When I'm contained. You won't be in a second after this. Like, look at that room. All the is that CDs in the background or yeah, I guess so.

Nico

I'm originally I was like, okay, that's like a bookshelf, but no, I'm pretty sure they're too glossy for that.

Andrew

Yeah.

Nico

Um, it's like we were in the abyss, and now it's like we found another hatch for me to fall down further.

Andrew

Yeah, don't worry, it's gonna change after this. I figured it'd start out that way so we could not end in the abyss.

Nico

Yeah, to be fair, because sometimes we do that. It's like towards the end, it's like, okay, now goodbye. It's like, oh, so I'm just gonna sit with this, great. Yeah.

Andrew

No, I'm hoping this isn't. You know, you might be I made sure that the last song that we listened to is like a good up ending. Okay. I wonder how much I think that microphone that she's using and that um the pad in front of it, like that's expensive. It just looks expensive. You're looking at like $5,000, probably.

Song

Yeah, sorry.

Andrew

And those headphones look like they're from 1978.

Nico

Yeah, I can't see I've seen those before.

Andrew

They look old and new at the same time.

Nico

Yeah. It's kind of odd to see someone singing at this angle in a way.

Andrew

And just resting on that angle.

Nico

Yeah. It's like the song is so vulnerable, and yet it's like by never like fully connecting with her eyes, it's like a bit point off in a way.

Andrew

I I I have a feeling she might be also looking at the lyrics behind there. I get that impression as well, yeah. Not saying she doesn't know them, but just staring at them to make sure.

Nico

Yeah. Like she does look like she's quite intently focusing on something. Yeah.

Andrew

She has a fantastic voice.

Nico

Yeah.

Andrew

Oh, those backing vocals are so good.

Nico

I think this is one of the ones where I'm struggling the most to like take it for her version over the comparison with the original.

Andrew

I can understand that. It's almost like a carbon copy.

Nico

Yeah.

Andrew

Yeah. Like it's adding so much depth. Sounds cute. From what I found out about her, she sings and her dad does all the music, so that's a pretty good team. Just like me and Nico.

Nico

Yes, who's who's the daughter and who's the dad?

Andrew

No, I think you would be the daughter because I'm the one in the background getting all the info about the music, right?

Nico

You're the one doing all the stuff behind the scenes and all the like everything. Uh I just get to show off and be like, okay, I'm gonna read the things as of the moment. Not to claim that's what she's doing, but no, you know, no, yeah.

Andrew

You're I'm the like weird um yeah. You're I'm yeah. Whatever. I can't think of what to say, so I'm just gonna say yes. Sounds like a good one. Let's review what we just heard. Alright. We heard uh Michelle at the beginning with the national anthem. What do you think of that?

Nico

That was really cool. I really liked that. It was a great way to start. I was like, okay, yeah, these are like just yeah, funky and groovy. It was just like it was very much her sound as well. I liked that it wasn't like as you said, like a carbon copy. It was it was felt like her her way of doing the song.

Andrew

Yeah, and then after that was uh Jillian Wells doing a live acoustic Black Star.

Nico

Yes, that was also I liked that it was a different take on the song, like it was a different vibe, but it worked just the same. Like the same, but like just as well.

Andrew

And then after that was Tom York doing uh Neil Young.

Nico

Yeah, so I'm not as familiar with the original, so um yeah, I didn't have as much that jumps to mind from that one. Um I just can't even remember what the song was called. I remember what the song was called, but I don't remember it. So don't know if it's a good or bad thing.

Andrew

That's as best as I can do it.

Nico

Right. Yeah, to me that was just kind of like it wasn't attached to anything as much, so I unfortunately was a bit more.

Andrew

Funny that the only radiohead song was the least attached you felt.

Nico

Well, yeah, because the the other songs are you know songs that I know.

Andrew

Gotcha. Uh and then after that was Phoebe Bridgers and Arlo Parks doing uh fake plastic trees. Yeah, that was really nice.

Nico

That was like, oh, we're we're doing this, aren't we? Getting me in my feels.

Andrew

Yeah.

Nico

Um that was really nice.

Andrew

Yeah. And then we just heard Hayley Richmond.

Nico

Yes. And she was the one that I felt like it was someone doing a cover the most. Like I felt like they decided this was the song they were doing this week. And she did a nice job, but I just didn't feel it quite as much as I felt the others doing their thing.

Andrew

Yeah, she had a really nice voice and a powerful dad, I'm guessing. I don't know. Powerful dad. Yeah. Are you ready for the next round? Hit me, yeah. Let's do it. Okay, so we're gonna hear Mark Ronson with Phantom Planet, the darkness, and Radiohead doing another cover. But we're going to start with Easy Star All-Stars, who covered Let Down uh from OK Computer.

Nico

Sounds good. Okay.

Andrew

Didn't expect that, did you?

Nico

This is fun though. Yeah. The head popping is instinctual.

Andrew

So they did a whole album of this. They recreated all of okay computer in this style, by the way. Oh wow it's so different. It's yeah, in the best way, right? Yeah. And I think what I'm interested in too is that they they have all the little intricacies of the song.

Nico

Yeah, exactly. But again, it like it works for what it is. Yeah. I feel like sometimes people try and switch things up just for the sake of it, but I was like, no, this this works.

Andrew

This is like we're doing this.

Nico

Oh. I'm living for the the visuals of it all as well.

Andrew

Okay. Like that little is still in there. Here.

Nico

Which I just making me I've got like a a massive grin just listening to this.

Andrew

Yeah, this is feel good stuff. It is. You feel better after the last.

Nico

Yeah, you definitely did switch me up, so I'm glad you weren't just saying that.

Andrew

Get you stuck in a puddle of sad radio head covers.

Nico

Right. Imagine this like God knows how long of just getting throttled in the field.

Andrew

Yeah. Yeah. I need to smoke a joint right about now. Yeah. Okay, easy style stars.

Nico

I see you.

Andrew

Here comes radio head.

Nico

Okay. See if I even recognise what this is.

Song

Okay. Makes me feel sad.

Nico

See, this is why we need videos when we're watching him, because it just really adds that element. Yeah.

Song

Nobody does it as you baby on the bed.

Nico

See, he just literally like immerses himself, drowns himself in the song. Like he is fully in it. Yeah.

Andrew

And it's weird seeing um Phil with hair. Didn't even clock that.

Nico

It's funny to us. But you can tell it's like not that song.

Andrew

Oh yeah.

Nico

But that's because I know them a lot more in the way.

Song

So I'm ready to like your sound eyebrow.

Nico

Yeah, you can really hear it as well.

Andrew

It just looks like he's having fun. Yeah.

Nico

Which is like, he doesn't see him fun there. Yeah. Yeah. That's what I mean, yeah. He would be right, he wouldn't get to do that. Which is yeah, you're right, it's very different actually to see him get to do this.

Andrew

Expressive.

Nico

Well, yeah. Like the amount of grilling, I've never seen that from him.

Andrew

Okay. Just a fun little looks like he had a good time, yes. Just a fun little time. And here comes the darkness.

Nico

What have we here? Okay.

Andrew

It's funny that I can't talk during this word.

Nico

It's like balls to the wall from the get-go.

Andrew

Yeah. It's funny that they took like this emotionally beautiful song and turned it into this kick-ass thing.

Nico

Literally. It's like we're storming the hallways with.

Andrew

Yeah. Okay. Part of the Easter you cut out there. You cut out. Yeah. I love those high notes. He just has a way of hitting them.

Nico

Wow, it's just such a different vibe. Yeah. That's mental to me.

Andrew

It's like a completely different song.

Song

Okay.

Nico

Wow. That was very guitar hero. But in like an amazing way.

Andrew

Yeah, you know, I feel like I could have saved that one for the end to surprise you, but the end one is pretty good. Yeah, that was a our house.

Song

Ooh.

Andrew

If you'll notice they recreate the old video. It's got the same setting. Like colors and stuff.

Nico

It's this old Chapito. Oh my god, do you know I thought it was? I thought it was a guy from the Lonely Island. But it is in fact not.

Andrew

A friend sent this in to me, by the way. She was like, you need to play one of the covers they do. So hello to Crystal. Hey Crystal. I do like that they've recreated the look of the original video. That little beat there. That is my favorite part so far. Yeah.

Song

The rest of the show is a bit you do it to yourself.

Andrew

Like it needs to be pushed a bit more. Look, they're all lying down.

Song

It seems a lot sweet ties. It's so cool through a door.

Andrew

That's that's pretty good.

Song

You do it to yourself.

Andrew

Is she lucky bomb after her body? I didn't see it. Ooh, that bass part was kick-ass. See they everybody just looks like they're having a fun time, which is cool. How are you feeling?

Nico

I feel like the effect that it's like over him when he's singing is making it feel a bit more like flat than I want it to be. I like that the groove, but I'm like a bit like something about it is just not hitting that extra dimension for me that I feel like it has the capacity to do. So that's left me a little bit wanting, but what's very cool. Yeah, I love the vibe switch.

Andrew

And the the love for the original video. Yes. We love the yeah, exactly, as you say, the homage.

Nico

Yeah, here comes Honestly, I am walking on my leg. Never do this, but whenever we come on, I find that when I listen to fans, I'll put my leg against my wall. And I would just like bouncing off the wall, like balancing on my channel. So I feel like my craft are getting a nice little workout. Just in the little back and forth of the leg impressive exercise I get in my day.

Andrew

What is going on? Look at the little red line up here.

Nico

What does it mean?

Andrew

Okay, I'm gonna start playing this and then just use the water. What do I want to say go first?

Nico

Sounds good. Imagine being able to watch a video when you first play.

Andrew

Talk as if I'm here.

Nico

I don't know what to make of this. Oh, it's pretty though. I like that.

Song

Hmm. Ooh.

Nico

I don't really know much about music, but no, I was gonna say it gives me Glockenspiel vibes, but it definitely doesn't. I just think I like the word Glockenspiel. Oh I love her voice. Oh, hello! Wow, okay, I love that. Oh, she is like playing me. Damn, that is doing something to me.

Andrew

I was in the washroom and I could hear what you were saying in here.

Nico

Funny enough, I've just started playing a game called Hades 2, and this has like a similar vibe to it with the type of music that it is. So I feel like there's extra elements of like cool.

Andrew

What is Hades 2?

Nico

So you're basically a child of Hades, and you have to fight with the power of the Olympian gods to kill your enemies.

Andrew

So not quite what you'd expect, but especially to this kind of music. Right.

Nico

But it's got a lot of like witchy elements, not that this is witchy, but you remember the original a little more now?

unknown

Shh.

Nico

No, this is a song now, I'm sorry. I'll check that. I feel like I want to send you the song that it's reminding me of afterwards, just to see if it any cause. Half the time when I say songs remind me of other songs, everyone looks at me like I'm crazy. Like, these two songs are nothing alike.

Andrew

And I'm like, well, it's similar to me. Okay, well, I'd like to hear what makes them similar to you, so please send it. I will do. What's happening on the base end of things? I mean, I love that it's a country and blueprint. But whoever's playing that upgrade base is just I just love it. Good. After this one, I'll be coming back and break it up. After about 40 30 or so, don't say anything else. The vocals are great. That was Sarah Jaraz's cover of Radioheads a Tourist. Uh Nico, how are you feeling about being lovingly forced into this episode of our the radio show?

Nico

It's been a nice change of pace. It's been really fun.

Andrew

It's so fun hearing this many songs. Normally we go a lot slower. Right. How do you feel about the covers? Let's talk them up. We just heard Sarah Geraz's Tourist. Yes. And how do you feel about that one?

Nico

That was great. Like I really liked that. That was um yeah, it gave me some nostalgia like from some other things I've heard, which I think just gave it extra call points. Um, I loved her voice. Um, just the whole feel of it was like, mmm. Like it just did something to me that kind of really felt like I was like, ooh, we're having like a superposition going on, like something's hitting right. So I'm very much a fan of that.

Andrew

And before that was m uh Phantom Planet and Mark Ronson with just Yeah, like that one I wanted to like it more.

Nico

There was something like it felt like there was an invisible barrier that I felt like it could have easily pushed through, and it just kind of stayed a little bit within that. And I was like, no, you need to go further, you need to push.

Andrew

So I think I know why you felt that way. Because before that we heard the darkness do Street Spirit.

Nico

Maybe, yeah, which is very, you know, they went full, like just full whack. They were like, I'm gonna throw everything at the wall, and there you go.

Andrew

It was like you're not gonna be eased in, you're just gonna be like, ha ha Hey, you got pretty close to his uh his singing voice there.

Nico

Unintentionally. Oh, sorry.

Andrew

Before that, Radiohead did uh Nobody Does It Better.

Nico

Yeah, that was just fun. Like he's he was having a great time. You could hear it in his voice. Like hear the grin and like the energy. So that was just yeah, like it was good to see them get to do something a bit different.

Andrew

We're at the end of our time together, so we will have uh one more song left here. Uh-huh. And just before the end of our time together, you will hear Nico's review. Even if the song fades out, I'll make sure to get it in. So that's the last thing you'll hear from this episode. We're going to start here with postmodern juke. We're going to start here with a postmodern jukebox and their cover of no surprises.

Nico

I like this song, so they don't know something.

Andrew

If you want to hear more with Nico and I as we review some more covers, you can head to my Instagram at alphabetzook.umfm. The bio will get you there. You can also probably see video versions if I'm feeling good about myself. And uh it'll actually be posted to our podcast as well. So thank you so much for being my guest this week, Nico. Thank you so much for having me. This was fun. And as always, friends, be safe, uh, make smart decisions, and drink lots of healthy water. And you too, Nico, do all those things.

Nico

Love me some water, so I'll thumbs up that times a million. And I feel like this channel is usually a good sign of things being okay. I'm not usually a massive jazz head, but nice. Again, we've got some socks on full display. Blue socks as well. Interesting choice.

Song

A jab that slowly kills you.

Nico

It's like I wish her voice was more jazzy. Gotcha.

unknown

They don't speak for.

Andrew

I feel like I need a cigarette though. Right. And a hat. Right. Something to play with, like. Just gesture my hands. It's two in the morning and I'm at a jazz club.

unknown

No alarms and no surprise.

Andrew

That guitar player is playing a lot of notes that look weird.

unknown

No alarms and no.

Nico

It's also just always interesting to hear the words enunciated by other people.

Andrew

That's a good point. I do love that she's playing that though. It's that's adorable. It just adds some fun to it, you know.

Nico

Almost feels a bit more like whimsical as well. Okay. Good for you. Yeah. I feel like I'm doing a little like jump kick, like with my heels together. But okay. Going through the forest in my suit. Yeah. Got a briefcase.

Andrew

In slow motion. Right, just a saunter along. Put your hat down further on your head because the sun's getting in your eyes. I like how she holds it.

Song

This is my final fight. My final belly ache with no alarms and no. Surprises. No alarms and no. Surprises, no alarms, and no surprises, please. No surprises. No surprises, please.

Nico

That was pleasant. Yeah. It was like Again, I think I think I'm just very attached to the way that it's done originally that that was a bit like but wouldn't it be better if we did it the other way?

unknown

Okay.

Nico

But I love the the vibes. Like I think there was just something about her voice that wasn't like enough that I feel like obviously is a big part of the original. But it was cool for what it was. Okay. Maybe it's just more jazz phobia. I don't know. You were phobia about jazz? No, I just feel like I'm not the massivist jazz head. Um, so maybe that's just my bias coming in.

Andrew

Well, I promise we all do a podcast about jazz.

Nico

Who knows? Maybe I can be saved from my wrong decisions.

Andrew

We all have them. Okay. We're off the air now, and we're only on the SoundCloud and the podcast. We got a few more left. I wish there was video of this. Yes.

Nico

It feels like a I don't even know what to call it, but like just a performance that would just be fun. Yeah. And like funny. Because this isn't his song. Like it's just not his vibe at all. But I feel like it's just a bit of fun.

Andrew

Oh, agreed. I almost feel like this is him karaokeing. Yes, exactly, very that. Yeah.

Nico

Like you get you have the drunk aunts and unples clapping.

Andrew

Here we go.

Nico

Oh, I just go silly.

Andrew

It's but you know what? It's fun to hear one of the bands that is most well known for making you feel sad and them had them having a happy, fun moment. Sorry, I didn't hear anything you said. That's a big part of it, yeah. Yeah.

Nico

Oh, it's funky.

Andrew

Yeah. Johnny sounds like he's having fun over there in the high guitar parts. Johnny sounds like he's getting drunker and drunker as he plays guitar. I can hear that.

unknown

Would I want to be with the lights shut it on me?

Nico

I feel like it's just one of these performances that you just want to clap through. Yeah. Like, yeah.

Andrew

Good for you guys. Yeah, honestly. Like, just you sing that song, you have fun. Yeah. I don't know what made them decide to do this, but like I'm glad that it exists. Right.

Nico

Something I'm tuning back into, but good for you. Yeah.

Andrew

Johnny's guitar is just all feels very silly.

Nico

Yeah. But in a good way. We love silliness. Which makes me nervous about what is to come if you given the disclaimer that you have, and I feel like we haven't got to anything that is making me press like the abort eject button just yet, so we're gonna sleep. And I wonder how quickly I'm gonna identify it as well. Like, is it just gonna be straight from the jump, like stop enough? Oh vampire weekend. I feel like I'm trying to assess the situation.

Andrew

Okay. Interesting. It has a different lit vibe from the original, like an sure.

Nico

I do like a nice beat that makes me headbob. But that might just be like my literal just genetic makeup being like, okay, I have to head bob because there's a beat, as opposed to meaning anything else.

Andrew

Yeah, sure. It's kind of weird. I'm gonna wait for the part where they come in where the drums later on at the end, you know? And that's that's the part that uh throws me. It's like they deconstructed it and put it back together.

Nico

Uh yes, but it's like I feel like it it's lacking a momentum. This is good, okay. Yeah. We're building again, which is good.

Andrew

Well, here comes the drum, I think.

unknown

Okay.

Andrew

So let me down.

Nico

I feel like I'm filling faces.

Song

Well, I'm not gonna put in the crazy team.

Andrew

I like that. Yeah, you went all the empire weekend.

Nico

Yeah, I like I like the vibe, I like it to be, and then it just I felt like it never really went anywhere enough.

Andrew

Yeah. Alright, here we go with DJ Spooky and Joshua Roman. No, he's he's mixing it live on his talent. Sorry, you cut out again. I think I just did that okay. Just go here. This is cool. Oh I see. Look at him, he's just really lost to that.

Nico

This is so hard to commentate on because I'm just kinda like in it.

Andrew

Professionally. I don't have all those fancy things on the left though. I don't use any of that. I'm basic.

Nico

Yeah, the joke's on.

Andrew

Yeah, a tablet to do things with. Yeah, I don't like looking at this. I don't know why. I'm like, this is distracting me. Yeah. Like, what is he actually doing on that thing? Yeah, it doesn't mean anything to me. I'm too unintelligent for this.

Nico

It just looks to me like he's playing a game. Yeah. And I know he's not, but in my head, I'm like, stop doing that. DJ Spooky. That's just a funny DJ name to me. Yeah, it is.

Andrew

Is it me or does he look bored? He's like, okay, is this ending soon? I'll just play stuff. How much longer do we have on this little ending before I have to stop playing by uh cello? Oh. And there we are.

Nico

Okay. Yeah, I like that.

Andrew

It was like his own thing.

Nico

Yeah.

Andrew

But yeah, I was with it. Okay, here comes the next one. Are you ready for this one?

Nico

I am. I actually don't know if I know any John Mayer songs.

Andrew

Well, you're gonna know him doing kid A.

Nico

Also, I didn't think I I didn't think that's what John Mayer looked like. I assume that's John Mayer. Uh, I get it. Lower lip, lower lip was on top of top lip, just like nice enough.

Song

You get venture quiz. We get downstairs. You get venture quiz. Stand in the shadows at the end of my he's he's picking out Stand in the Shadows at the end of my bed. Stand in the shadows at the end of my bed.

Andrew

Okay.

Nico

Oh, I thought it was gonna go somewhere. Is it like this the whole time? Yeah. Like, it's nice for a bit, but then otherwise it gets a bit one note. Yeah. Okay, it's almost over. Okay. For some reason I thought we were like a third of the way through.

Andrew

This is one of the ones I skipped, by the way. I was like, right. Fuck this.

Nico

It's like the other type of broody, there's like the the what's the word I'm looking for? What's that look like when you put that mouldering look? Like, you know, when you're like that like angsty, like there's that type of like angsty teenage sort of and then there's like the actual like one that like Tom is like a bit more like real with.

Andrew

Right. And just so John Hair is doing it for the chicks.

Nico

Yeah, it felt more like performative and like more like oh I'm I'm like broody, and I was just like, okay.

Andrew

You need to use that voice more often, the brooding.

Nico

I have no idea what he sounds like in real life. I'm sure he has a lovely, you know, non-annoying speaking voice, but that I wanted it to go somewhere and it kind of didn't.

Andrew

No, you went into it. Okay, here's the next one.

Nico

Okay.

Andrew

You have heard this one, but I'm gonna delete all record of you knowing that. Yeah. It's Weezer.

Nico

He looks like sorry, he sounds like he would be so much younger.

Andrew

Uh uh Rivers, the singer? The singer, yeah. He's looked like that for like 20, 30 years. Oh, in that case it doesn't mean anything because his hair is just less floppy than it used to be. He had like a mop toppy beatles type in the beginning.

Nico

Because it feels like very almost like Fallout Boy.

Andrew

Yeah, you're right, yeah. At the end of this one, I'll uh reintroduce, get us back to the show. And I'm gonna say some stuff that might sound weird to you, but it's just for the sake of editing.

Nico

Interesting. I like the sound of things sounding weird to me.

Andrew

It'll be like, I'm not gonna call I'm gonna ask you for your review. And then at the end before we start the next bit, I'm gonna uh pretend that it's the end.

unknown

Okay.

Andrew

And then we'll have a couple more and then we'll be done already. Yeah. So you cut out again there. I heard you say why, but you didn't hear it. See, this just looks like a dad band hanging around and messing around in their basement. Yeah.

Nico

Which is why it's it like it sound like a dad band.

Andrew

No, but it's sort of blasé. Right. Yeah, they're just hanging. Yeah, like it doesn't have that feeling that the original does. It's like, hey, you wanna play a song? Sure. A young voice.

Nico

I feel like that was also that point coming to it. Yeah, like it feels like a more youthful just rendition in a way. But it's more like Americanized as well.

Andrew

Oh yeah, very Americanized. That might be what it is that I'm thinking of. It's more generic in a weird way. Yes, I do agree. And you're not gonna be able to do a Johnny solo. Very quickly. He's trying.

Song

Oh, he's yeah, okay, okay.

Nico

Okay, no, but I spoke too simple to have.

Andrew

Yeah. I think so. Maybe. Maybe perhaps.

Nico

Yeah, I'm really feeling that generic part. It just feels a bit like I want it to hit, but it just feels a bit.

Andrew

Yeah.

Nico

Like it feels like it's technically good, but it's just missing something that like locks me in.

Andrew

I agree. There's something missing. It's like it's like you got the dollar store version of the real one. Yeah. Well, I could get a can of Coca-Cola, but I could also get just a can of pop. They taste the same.

Nico

Let's not go too far. No, I'm kidding. I'm not a color person, so I'm gonna get for you for that.

Andrew

Okay, we could get you know the ten dollar bag of rice, or we could get the two dollar bag of rice.

Nico

There will be defenders of whatever comparison you make, I'm sure.

Andrew

Yeah, probably.

Nico

Yeah, I hear you for sure. I actually referred to myself as one of God's favorite children the other day just because I had loads of cancellations at work. I was so happy. I shouldn't be, but I was just like, I really needed this time back to do other things.

Andrew

Oh, that's annoying. Um FM, this is Alphabet Soup mixed with some heads full of radio. We're at the end of that last block there, so now it's time to review. Hi, Nico, how are you feeling right now?

Nico

Like um, that one wasn't like as much of a send-off as maybe some of the other finales we've had.

Andrew

Um I don't know what those were if there were even words there, but we're gonna keep going. Um before Weezer with Paranoid Android, uh, we heard John Mayer's kid A.

Nico

Yeah, that left me one thing for sure. Like I thought it was gonna have a little more like rise and full, but it was just all a bit like okay. So sad.

Andrew

Right. And then we had DJ Spooky and Joshua Roman doing everything in his right place.

Nico

I didn't enjoy that. Again, it's like very different because obviously it wasn't like a traditional cover in the fact that there weren't any singing.

Andrew

But before that was Vampire Weekend with exit music.

Nico

Um when the drums came in. Yeah, that was not my favorite. I feel like I side of like okay, I like where this is going. And then it never kind of got to the place that I wanted it to go to. It just kind of was a bit like Yeah.

Andrew

Whether it was uh Radio Heads Rhinestone Gower.

Nico

That was just that was fine. It was like cool. Like I think like you said it was like fun of this excess. Yeah, sure.

Andrew

We started off with postmodern jewel box doing no surprises.

Nico

Oh yes, and that was the jazzy one, which I didn't like. I liked it more when she was playing the in the internet that she was playing that one. And yeah, I really like the backing. Um I think I wanted more of like the meandering voice. That's just a personal preference, I just think.

Andrew

I like that, thank you. The bunch of brothers with act like a 30 years.

Nico

Oh no, they gotta be careful with this song because I like this song. Okay, well, I'm about that. That's fun. I also like how they're all dressed. Yeah, in the dress, it's just it's just a bit like what is this?

Song

Okay.

Nico

Okay.

Andrew

It seemed like they worked hard on making all the pieces fit for this. But it feels very intentional. Yeah, they're being very intricate with the parts.

Nico

And they have that same sort of like Tom style energy where it's like they're in there. I could have used a bit more attitude there, but it's fine.

Andrew

I like the case.

Song

Yeah.

Andrew

The guy in the banjo's just sliding and making noises.

unknown

I'm a reasonable man.

Song

Get off my case, get off my case.

Andrew

To me, of all the songs we've heard, this might be the most impressive cover because of how much work they put into it. Just maybe not my favorite one. But the amount of work they're doing is just like wow.

Nico

Yeah, that's a lot that went into it. Yeah.

Andrew

That guy in the suit jacket is really into it. Look at him go.

Nico

Yeah. He's got the contortions going.

Andrew

Like it's cool to create a soundscape from a bunch of acoustic instruments.

Nico

I love it when they pull faces, because you can just tell they're really into it. Did they need to be attacking this more?

Andrew

I think an attack.

Nico

Right, but like in terms of uh just like vocally. Yeah, I understand they are quite, you know, uh occupied. Yeah, a little busy. But like you can't you can't be saying, like, get off my case. Like you need to tell someone to back off. But no, that was cool. Yeah. I didn't even realize they had an audience.

Andrew

It must have been odd to be in that audience. Like, are they really playing act like sardines right now?

Nico

Yeah, I wonder what this was.

Andrew

Yeah, and so here is the next song. Um, have you heard the flaming lips before?

Nico

It's not ringing a bell.

Andrew

Okay. Well, here's a flaming lips.

Nico

Yeah.

Andrew

I like all these noises you're making. So you're all you cut out there. What is going on here?

Nico

I think it's okay.

Andrew

Why did you always

Nico

Just a bit like I like the backing. I think. I'm not sure. I'm a bit confused. I feel like it's not giving me anything that's giving me a lot of this is my reaction. Okay, that is also very just like huh? It just reminds me of someone like being on like a zoom call or something, and you've just got someone next door being disruptive. Right.

Andrew

That's a perfect anecdote. Can you not? I'm on a zoom meeting. Stop making those noises. It's almost like in sort of you know blues, a lot of um blues have like a call and response with their guitars where they'll sing a line and then they'll play like a guitar lick, right? That's what this sounds like, but not blues. It sounds like you know, guitar farts. Yeah. I'm gonna make you screw it. Yeah, exactly.

Nico

Um I don't even know what to say, like I'm just a bit like I don't know, it's like it's not like I'm pushed to the brink quite levels of confusion, but it's like I don't know.

Andrew

There are parts of this that are good, but that guitar that is something.

Nico

I feel like it's not one of the songs that I would listen to for just the background, if that makes sense.

Andrew

Yeah. Yeah, no, I guess.

Nico

So that's like uh yeah, it just it didn't do a lot for me except for the parts that did catch me off guard and made me jiggle. Me jiggle. Me jiggle. Made me jiggle. I didn't no jiggling. Okay. Um but yeah, I don't know with that one. That was just it was what it was.

Andrew

Well that was. It was something. Um why is it the advertisement saying that it's gonna um play in like four minutes? And both of our last two songs are more than five minutes either. What I'd like to ask you right now is we have two surprising bands that you've heard of. Actually, one's a singer. We have two surprising covers to end us off today. So I would rank one as like, oh, that's cool, and the other one is like So I'm wondering how you want to end this. You want to end this on Oh, it's cool that that person is doing this, or oh my god, we're doing it.

Nico

I don't know. I'm more intrigued by the prospect of the weird one. But then I feel like that's gonna be more unpredictable with what that's gonna leave us on. So maybe that's the best I will tell you that.

Andrew

I listened to all of these yesterday. I mean, I've heard one of them before I had to listen to more than one of the things. Yeah, I mean this is not.

Nico

It'd be so funny if they just didn't end them up away.

Andrew

It's weird hearing girls screaming like this before a radiohead song.

Nico

Yeah, I I don't know what to make of it. I don't know if I make it.

Andrew

They love Hansen, so yeah. And I thought this last night. How many of those girls are hearing Radiohead for the first time? They're going to a Hansen show. Okay. Okay. So if you're a Hansen fan and you screw this, what are you thinking?

Nico

This is no thought, it's just scream.

Andrew

Yeah. It sounds really good. Oh, pause. Okay, there we go. They're still screaming.

Nico

Scream. I feel like they're just like almost like cats that get overstimulated and there's just like well they can't scream, but they do their own little reactions.

Andrew

I wish there was video of this so we could see them screaming to whatever's going on. It's imprinted in my head, even whatever is going on in actual architect. Like is he walking around and pointing or something? I haven't even imagined him. Yeah.

Nico

But he's like, he's selling it.

Andrew

Oh yeah, the whole the whole band is, yeah. Yeah. I didn't think it was gonna work. I didn't either, but wait, it gets this part to me was like, I'm sold. Even with the girls screaming, I'm one right now for this part. Yeah. Like he's not he's singing hard. For sure. I wonder what it would have been like for Radiohead to get a message like, hey, Hansen just covered optimistic. You wanna hear it? Oh yeah, man. As soon as that bass comes in. It's it's happening. Yeah, it is happening. And then back to girl screaming. Cool. Yeah. Sorry, you cut out again. You're cutting out quite a bit there. I'm just saying cool, I don't know what else to say. Yeah. Alright, so we're at our last song. After this, we will review the ones we just heard, and then we'll be done for the day. Sounds cool. Are you ready to hear the last song? Let's do it. Eight minutes. Yep. Oh, this is gonna be interesting. Uh to be fair, I can imagine him saying this. Yeah. I mean, when Prince does a cover of something, he's just gonna make it whatever he wants anyway, right? Yeah. You're right back, give me a sec. It doesn't sound doesn't give me anything to the original.

Song

It's just like you cry.

Andrew

I just love hearing a belt duff. Like it's completely a different song. So different. It's not even in the same style of music. Like it's a completely I'm fucking doing this. I don't care what anyone thinks it sounds like. This is the song for me. Right?

Nico

Yeah. Which I guess is like kind of Princess Mm-like. Totally. Yeah.

Andrew

Hi everyone. We're gonna have some fun. Crowd work. Interesting that he's also making all the words you instead of I. So he's like singing it to someone instead of it being about him.

Nico

Which again feels very print to be like, I'm not gonna call myself a creep. You're the creep. Yeah.

Song

I wish you were special.

Nico

I wish you were special, it's so horrible.

Andrew

He just makes it look so effortlessly cool. You feeling better that this is the last song? I wasn't gonna leave you in the sad word.

Nico

Like a full circle moment. Like it feels like a good finale for sure. Yeah, okay, good.

Andrew

I didn't want to leave you all sad. Right. Alright, gee, thanks. Not that I ever feel that way, honestly. Yeah. That was awesome.

Nico

He just got that presence of the night. Can't get over the f the the visual quality of that. Yeah, she liked it.

Andrew

Well, it was at night at Coachella in two thousand eight. So it's interspected for sure.

Nico

I don't think I can make it out.

Andrew

As soon as he sings, they're singing. Listen after this.

Nico

Okay. I did not know that was a quick thing about that. And there we are. Prince doing creep, which feels like it makes sense, but then he just does it in his complete owner, so it's kind of like, oh he just blew it open, right?

Andrew

This is mine. This is how I'm doing it. So we're gonna go through the last few to review them and then we'll sign off as per normal. Uh we started with Punch Brothers doing pack like sorting.

Nico

That feels like forever ago now. What was that even like?

Andrew

It was a bunch of the acoustic guys making noises with banjos.

Nico

Yes, yes, yes. That was cool. That was a fun little especially like I didn't realise they had an audio for whatever reason, so that just kind of added another little element. Um Yeah, that was fun. That was Again, they needed to hit the you know what is it? Is it like leave me alone or get off my I can't remember what the lyrics are anymore, but get off my case. Yes, get off my case. So that was the only little critique I had that they needed to they needed to tell me to get off their case.

Andrew

Sorry, go ahead.

Nico

Rather than be so Yeah, just rather than be so like chill about it. Like please get off my case if you will.

Andrew

And after that was the flaming lips with knives out.

Nico

Flaming lips, flaming lips. Um what was happening with them? I was at a weird yes. That was it was it was. Um It was a thing, and there were parts that caught my attention and there were other parts less so, but I think that's where I sit with it.

Andrew

Alright, and then after that was Hansen with Optimistic. That was very cool. Yeah, that was I I was really surprised, positive, like pleasantly surprised by that one. And finally, Prince with Creep.

Nico

Yeah, this was an interesting one. Like, obviously it was long, like, because classic Prince, he's just gonna be indulgent and do what he wants.

Song

Yeah.

Nico

Um wasn't what I was expecting though at all, but yeah. Very cool that he did that.

Andrew

And how do you feel overall? Do you have a favorite and a least favorite of all the things we listen to?

Nico

Oh my god, good question. Um I feel like the earlier ones were really like okay, but then I don't know how much of that is biased by just from what the song was as well. Um so what would it be? I think I'm a bit biased at the minute because I'm currently obsessed with Hades 2, and because that song by I can't remember what her name was, but there was like an S with a Z next to it, maybe at one point.

Andrew

Yes, there's a S with a Z to it. Yes.

Nico

So her doing whatever song that was.

Andrew

If that means anything to you. There was Sarah Juraz with tourists with the tourists.

Nico

I love that I found a way to translate what was going on to you. So well done for picking up on that.

Andrew

And the worst one?

Nico

Oh, the worst one. Um what annoyed me the most? I feel like what's his face was the most skippable, John Mayer. Um, but did anything upset me more? The fact that he's not jumping to me means that I'll probably just give it to John Mayor. Like he wasn't bad, but it wasn't good.

Andrew

Okay. Well, on that note, thank you so much for joining me in this cross-pollination of uh the uh the shows.

Nico

Thank you for cross-pollinating me.

Andrew

Yeah. I think that sounds a lot more sexual than we meant it to be.

Nico

I know, but what what can you do? It's happened now.

Andrew

If you're listening to this on the SoundCloud for the radio show, you can hear a headful of radio every Tuesday on where all of your podcasts are uh podcasting. I said that right, right? Yeah, and if you're listening to this on the podcast, you can hear um Alphabet Soup on SoundCloud if you go to our Linktree. So it's Linktree.com slash headful of radio. You can get there that way.

Nico

Yes, please do. And unfortunately there are no spicy links. So if you are looking forward to that, I'm gonna have to let you down.

Andrew

And we're gonna let you down by letting you go now. Let's do that. Thanks so much, honestly, for having me. And bye.

Podcasts we love

Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.