We're back from a short break and we came loaded — we relistened to the entire Gorillaz catalogue, caught them live at The Palladium in Los Angeles performing their new album The Mountain in full, and visited the House of Kong Exhibition before sitting down to record. On this episode we cover Plastic Beach: the production, our favorite tracks, our hot takes on what doesn't work, the full arc of Gorillaz across their career, and our honest reaction to The Mountain. And we sit with the question the whole episode keeps circling back to — are Gorillaz actually that deep, or is it all very stylish plastic artifice? We also pick our next album. Drop your Favorite vs. Best Gorillaz picks in the comments or email us at blackmarketreggae@gmail.com.

CHAPTERS:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:27:56 - Production styles of GORILLAZ

00:56:55 - Standout Songs

01:41:50 - Favorite/Best & Hot Takes

02:11:43 - Final Thoughts & Next Album Pick

On this episode of Playback, we dig into Philosophy of the World by The Shaggs — and we don't let it off easy. We break down the legend of Austin Wiggin and the palm reading prophecy that supposedly destined his daughters for fame. We get into the music technically: what's going wrong, what's surprisingly going right, and what their relationship to rhythm and melody actually tells us. We put the record head-to-head with Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart — two records that sound alien in similar ways but couldn't be more different in intent. And we ask the question nobody seems to want to sit with: is this album art, or is it coercion?

CHAPTERS:

00:00:00 - Intro on Philosophy of the World

00:12:45 - The Legend of The Shaggs

00:43:23 - Production and Musicianship

01:10:19 - Standout Songs & Songwriting Breakdown

01:30:13 - Favorite Songs vs Best Songs, and Guitar Demo

01:44:00 - Hot Takes, Final Thoughts, and Next Album Pick

#TheShaggs #OutsiderMusic #AlbumDeepDive #MusicPodcast #albumreview

In this episode we dive into The Prodigy’s The Fat of the Land and break down why it still sounds so explosive, distinct, and revolutionary decades later.

We lay out what we call the “5 elements” that make these recordings hit so hard:

• sampling
• synths
• menu diving / sound design decisions
• performance
• sequencing

Instead of just treating this as a classic 90s big beat record, we get into the actual craft behind the chaos — how these tracks are built, why the production feels so aggressive and alive, and what makes The Prodigy stand apart from other electronic acts of the era.

We also do a deep dive on our favorite tracks and close the episode by announcing our next album pick.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Intro and First Impressions

00:28:48 - Who is The Prodigy?

00:51:54 - The 5 Elements of a Prodigy Track

01:33:35 - Standout Songs and Production Deep Dive

01:53:35 - Favorite Songs vs Best Songs

02:07:15 - Final Thoughts and Next Album Pick

🔊 Support & follow:

Patreon – https://patreon.com/blackmarketdub

Bandcamp – https://blackmarketdub.bandcamp.com

Escape Hatch Records – https://escapehatchrecords.com

Instagram – https://instagram.com/blackmarket_dub

YouTube – https://youtube.com/blackmarketdub

In this episode we dive into Grace Jones’ 1981 album Nightclubbing and talk about why it’s one of the most important art-pop records of all time.

We dig into Grace Jones as a performer and as a queer, androgynous icon – how she can seamlessly code-switch between fashion runways, queer clubs, Jamaican roots, downtown NY art scenes and mainstream pop. We talk about the Compass Point sound (Sly & Robbie, minimal dub-inflected grooves, Wally Badarou synths), and the visual world she built with Jean-Paul Goude.

We also argue about whether Nightclubbing or Warm Leatherette is her true masterpiece, and what each album represents in her evolution.

In this episode:

– Track and moment highlights across Nightclubbing

– Sly & Robbie, Compass Point Studios and the hybrid of reggae, post-disco, new wave and funk

– Grace Jones’ queer identity, persona and ability to shape-shift depending on the room

– The case for Nightclubbing vs Warm Leatherette as her definitive album

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Intro & First Impressions

00:20:46 - The Artistry of Grace Jones

00:41:48 - Production and Album Cover

01:00:32 - Standout Songs

01:38:45 - Hot Takes

01:43:31 - Final Thoughts

🔊 Support & follow:

Patreon – https://patreon.com/blackmarketdub

Bandcamp – https://blackmarketdub.bandcamp.com

Escape Hatch Records – https://escapehatchrecords.com

Instagram – https://instagram.com/blackmarket_dub

YouTube – https://youtube.com/blackmarketdub

In this episode we dive into David Allan Coe’s Longhaired Redneck, one of the defining records of the 1970s outlaw country era—and a great lens for talking about how myth, image and real-life controversy collide.

We get into the sound and songwriting on the album, the “longhaired redneck” persona Coe leans into, and what makes this record musically compelling even as his broader catalog and legacy are wrapped up in some deeply problematic material. We also talk about how we feel engaging with outlaw country when the artist’s off-mic behavior and beliefs are hard to separate from the songs.

In this episode:

– Musical deep dive on Longhaired Redneck and key tracks including the title song

– Outlaw country context: Coe alongside Waylon, Willie, Kristofferson, etc.

– Image vs reality: how much of Coe’s persona is performance and how much is real

– How we personally navigate listening to (and critiquing) artists with troubling histories

🔊 Support & follow:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro and First Impressions)

00:29:51 (Country Vs Outlaw Country)

01:06:30 (David Allan Coe, Politics, and Culture)

01:20:11 (Production of Longhaired Redneck)

01:46:10 (Standout Songs, Favorite/Best, and Hot Takes)

02:16:53 (Final Thoughts and Next Album Pick)

Oasis are back on a massive reunion tour, so we went back to the album that made them stadium legends: (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

In this episode of Playback, Nate and Brandon dig into how this record actually holds up in 2020s headphones. We talk about the songwriting, the wall-of-guitars production, Noel vs Liam dynamics, Britpop history, and whether Morning Glory is truly a masterpiece or just a very good time capsule. We also put it in context with the Oasis reunion and how these songs hit now.

In this episode:

– Track-by-track highlights (“Hello,” “Roll With It,” “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Champagne Supernova” and more)

– How the guitar tones, chords and arrangements do more work than people give them credit for

– Britpop, class, swagger, and why Oasis blew up the way they did

– Our honest answer: does Morning Glory still deserve its legendary status?

🔊 Support & follow Playback:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Bandcamp – our original music as Black Market Dub

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro and First Impressions)

00:26:52 (Britpop and Oasis in the 90s)

00:46:41 (Music Analysis)

01:36:56 (Standout Songs)

02:01:37 (Favorite/Best and Hot Takes)

02:16:53 (Final Thoughts and Spoilers for Succession lol) F

or Further Study: Oasis: Supersonic https://tubitv.com/movies/100038702/oasis-supersonic

Ween fans, this one’s for you. In this episode of Playback, Nate and Brandon are joined by comedian and podcaster Kyle Clark (This Is Rad) to dive into The Mollusk, Ween’s watery, proggy, sea-shanty psych masterpiece.

We talk about why this record has such a cult following, how tightly written and arranged it actually is under all the goofiness, and what makes Ween so good at jumping genres without losing their identity. From maritime prog to fake folk, from heavy riffs to bizarre character voices, The Mollusk has it all.

In this episode:

– Track and moment highlights across The Mollusk

– How the band builds a whole underwater world with harmony, sound design and lyrics

– Why this might be Ween’s most complete “album-album”

– Kyle’s perspective as a lifelong Ween fan and host of This Is Rad

🔊 Support & follow:

• Playback on Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collabs

• Kyle’s podcast: This Is Rad (wherever you get podcasts)

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro and History of WEEN)

00:48:06 (The Mollusk)

01:30:23 (Standout Songs)

01:58:46 (Favorite/Best and Hot Takes)

02:12:57 (Final Thoughts)

02:21:49 (Kyle Clark plugs)

Parliament at peak powers. In this episode we dive into Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome, the 1977 P-Funk classic where George Clinton turns a whole philosophy of funk vs. “placebo” disco and consumerism into a wild concept album.

We talk about the P-Funk mythology (Sir Nose d’Voidoffunk, the Placebo Syndrome, the idea of funk as real life-force), how this ties together tracks like “Bop Gun (Endangered Species),” “Sir Nose d’Voidoffunk,” “Wizard of Finance,” “Funkentelechy,” “Placebo Syndrome” and of course “Flash Light,” with Bernie Worrell’s legendary synth-bass line.

In this episode:

– What the “placebo syndrome” actually is in the context of P-Funk

– How Parliament use groove, chants and comedy to talk about consumer culture

– Why Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome is one of the most important funk records of the ’70s

– How this album fits into the larger P-Funk universe and Parliament’s run of classics.

🔊 Support & follow:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro)

00:16:13 (Brief History of Parliament - Funkadelic)

00:41:56 (The Concept and Music of the album)

01:21:27 (Standout Songs and Deep Dive)

02:12:041 (Final Thoughts)