Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1987. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Guillermo Sexo, Natural Velvet and Speedy Ortiz.

Show notes:

• Recorded via Skype

• Different perspectives: Brian was 5 in 1987, Jay was in college

• Brian: The impact of La Bamba, movie about Richie Valens

• Kicked off a roots rock revival

• Jay: Big year for alternative rock

• Breakout year for R.E.M., The Cure, The Cult

• Jay: Making the transition from metalhead to alt-rock fan

• No regional radio anymore

• Brian: CDs started catching on, especially when Beatles catalog was released

• CDs provided definitive versions of albums

• Became easier to make mixtapes

• Jay: Huge year for U2 with The Joshua Tree

• Landing tickets for U2 in '87 was no easy feat

• Brian: GNR's Appetite for Destruction actually paved the way for hair metal's demise

• Harked back to sleazier sounds of '70s garage rock

• Jane's Addiction seemed dangerous back then

• Guitar music was moving in different directions

• To be continued

• Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Guillermo Sexo - Fall Lens

Natural Velvet - Dark Inertia

Speedy Ortiz - Plough (live)

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Guillermo Sexo song is on the album Dark Spring on Midriff Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Natural Velvet song is on the EP Salome with the Head of John the Baptist. Download the EP for free at Bandcamp.

The Speedy Ortiz song is on the band's Epitonic Saki Session. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.