WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.760 Okay, I want you to picture something for a second. 00:00:02.299 --> 00:00:05.299 Imagine you're in a band. And not just, you know, 00:00:05.320 --> 00:00:07.980 a garage band, but a band that has been through 00:00:07.980 --> 00:00:11.800 the absolute ringer. You've toured for 15 years. 00:00:12.140 --> 00:00:14.599 You've had the massive radio hits. The ones you 00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:17.120 hear in every grocery store. Exactly. And you've 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:20.059 played every stage from, like, Red Rocks to the 00:00:20.059 --> 00:00:23.160 Dive Bar down the street. It's the classic rock 00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:25.620 and roll journey. It is. But here's the catch. 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:29.579 For years, literally years, you've had this one 00:00:29.579 --> 00:00:31.839 specific title in your back pocket. It's like 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:34.219 an inside joke that you were just dying to slap 00:00:34.219 --> 00:00:36.159 on an album cover. Right. You want to call it 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:38.399 Those Bastards. It's punchy. It's got attitude. 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:41.039 It's a little bit aggressive. And the label probably 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:43.560 hates it. Oh, for sure. So for whatever reason, 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:45.659 the timing's wrong. It just sits there gathering 00:00:45.659 --> 00:00:48.840 dust until 2005. And even then, when they finally 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:52.759 decided to pull the trigger, they didn't go with 00:00:52.759 --> 00:00:54.479 the English version. They gave it a little linguistic 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:57.359 twist. They finally let it manifest, but they 00:00:57.359 --> 00:00:59.939 went with Bastardo's. And that is the subject 00:00:59.939 --> 00:01:03.140 of today's Deep Dive. We are peeling back the 00:01:03.140 --> 00:01:06.079 layers on the 2005 studio album by the American 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:09.599 jam band Icons, Blues Traveler. It is a really 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:12.859 fascinating snapshot in time for this band. If 00:01:12.859 --> 00:01:14.859 you look at the specs, we're talking about an 00:01:14.859 --> 00:01:18.760 album released on September 13, 2005. Okay. It 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:21.579 was recorded deep in the heart of Texas Austin. 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:24.239 to be specific, and released on the Vanguard 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:26.099 label. And I think for a lot of people, when 00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:28.120 they hear Blues Traveler, their brain instantly 00:01:28.120 --> 00:01:31.480 just like time travels to the mid -90s. The harmonica 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:34.819 vests, the solos. Run around. That whole era 00:01:34.819 --> 00:01:37.079 defined them for, you know, the massive mainstream 00:01:37.079 --> 00:01:39.400 audience. Right. But Bastardo's is a different 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:41.980 beast entirely. This is their eighth studio album. 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:43.939 They aren't the new kids on the block anymore. 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:46.219 They aren't trying to break onto MTV. So here 00:01:46.219 --> 00:01:48.700 is our mission for this deep dive. We aren't 00:01:48.700 --> 00:01:51.500 just reviewing an album from 05. We are exploring. 00:01:51.629 --> 00:01:53.769 what happens when a veteran outfit known for 00:01:53.769 --> 00:01:56.909 that loose improvisational jamming decides to 00:01:56.909 --> 00:01:59.209 tighten the screws. We're going to look at what 00:01:59.209 --> 00:02:01.689 happens when you take that established jam band 00:02:01.689 --> 00:02:05.769 formula and mix it with a very specific and honestly 00:02:05.769 --> 00:02:08.229 kind of surprising production choice. It really 00:02:08.229 --> 00:02:11.509 is one of the more intriguing pairings in mid 00:02:11.509 --> 00:02:14.569 2000s rock history. It's a it's a collision of 00:02:14.569 --> 00:02:17.819 styles that on paper. Maybe you shouldn't work. 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:19.819 Okay, let's unpack this immediately because this 00:02:19.819 --> 00:02:21.400 is the detail that just jumped out at me the 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:23.860 second I opened up the liner notes. You look 00:02:23.860 --> 00:02:26.939 at the produced by credit and it's not a name 00:02:26.939 --> 00:02:29.120 you'd typically associate with the jam band scene 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:32.379 or, you know, the HRDE festival crowd. No, not 00:02:32.379 --> 00:02:34.139 at all. The album was produced by Jay Bennett. 00:02:34.340 --> 00:02:36.860 And for those listening who might not be obsessively 00:02:36.860 --> 00:02:39.240 checking the credits on every indie rock album 00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:42.240 from the early 2000s, who is Jay Bennett? Why 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:44.580 is that name so significant? Well... Jay Bennett 00:02:44.580 --> 00:02:46.500 is a heavyweight, but in a totally different 00:02:46.500 --> 00:02:49.900 weight class. He is most famous for being formerly 00:02:49.900 --> 00:02:53.020 of the band Wilco. Ah, Wilco. Now, if you know 00:02:53.020 --> 00:02:55.379 Wilco, you know they occupy the space of alt 00:02:55.379 --> 00:02:59.240 country, indie rock, very critical darling territory. 00:02:59.879 --> 00:03:02.659 Think Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It's deconstructed. 00:03:02.659 --> 00:03:06.379 It's sonic experimentation. It's meticulous studio 00:03:06.379 --> 00:03:09.039 craft. It's very much headphones music. Exactly. 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:11.939 And that is a very different energy from the 00:03:11.939 --> 00:03:15.939 loose improvisational, you know, let the tape 00:03:15.939 --> 00:03:18.500 roll and see what happens vibe that people traditionally 00:03:18.500 --> 00:03:20.900 associate with Blues Traveler. It feels like 00:03:20.900 --> 00:03:23.800 a collision of two different musical philosophies. 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:26.120 You've got the mainstream jam kings meeting the 00:03:26.120 --> 00:03:28.659 indie rock architect. Yeah. It's like mixing 00:03:28.659 --> 00:03:31.319 oil and water and trying to make a salad dressing. 00:03:31.659 --> 00:03:33.900 Precisely. And Bennett didn't just sit behind 00:03:33.900 --> 00:03:36.439 the glass and say, do another take. If you look 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:38.639 at the personnel, he's actually in the mix. Oh, 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:40.840 really? He contributed guitar and percussion 00:03:40.840 --> 00:03:45.080 to the tracks. So this pairing really sets the 00:03:45.080 --> 00:03:47.879 tone for the whole project. It suggests a band 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:50.080 that is looking to... You know, tighten things 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:51.780 up, maybe get a little more experimental with 00:03:51.780 --> 00:03:53.599 the studio as an instrument. Instead of just 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:55.939 capturing a live jam. Exactly. So let's place 00:03:55.939 --> 00:03:57.560 this in the timeline for the listener just to 00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:00.460 give them some grounding. Where does Bastardo's 00:04:00.460 --> 00:04:03.879 sit in the grand blues traveler history? It's 00:04:03.879 --> 00:04:06.520 right in the thick of their middle era. It follows 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:10.219 their 2003 album, Truth Be Told, and comes before 00:04:10.219 --> 00:04:13.840 the 2007 release, Cover Yourself. Okay, so they 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:17.310 are deep into their career here. deep. This isn't 00:04:17.310 --> 00:04:19.949 a comeback attempt and it's not a debut. It's 00:04:19.949 --> 00:04:22.529 that tricky middle period where a band has to 00:04:22.529 --> 00:04:24.370 prove they still have something to say. Right. 00:04:24.529 --> 00:04:27.050 They've survived the 90s boom. They've survived 00:04:27.050 --> 00:04:31.170 the post 90s hangover. And now they're just being 00:04:31.170 --> 00:04:33.470 a band. And it seems like the critics were still 00:04:33.470 --> 00:04:34.829 paying attention. We're looking at professional 00:04:34.829 --> 00:04:37.949 ratings from some major outlets. Yeah. Rolling 00:04:37.949 --> 00:04:40.149 Stone reviewed it. All Music reviewed it. So 00:04:40.149 --> 00:04:42.850 even though they were on Vanguard. which is an 00:04:42.850 --> 00:04:45.389 independent label, they hadn't totally fallen 00:04:45.389 --> 00:04:47.529 off the map. That's a key point. They were maintaining 00:04:47.529 --> 00:04:50.050 relevance. Absolutely. Being reviewed by Rolling 00:04:50.050 --> 00:04:52.769 Stone in 2005 for a band that peaked commercially 00:04:52.769 --> 00:04:56.470 in, what, 1994? That shows that people were still 00:04:56.470 --> 00:04:58.269 curious. There was still a question of can they 00:04:58.269 --> 00:05:00.129 reinvent themselves or what do they sound like 00:05:00.129 --> 00:05:02.310 now? Speaking of what they sound like, let's 00:05:02.310 --> 00:05:05.050 get into the music itself. Because the structure 00:05:05.050 --> 00:05:07.550 of this album is, well, it's interesting. If 00:05:07.550 --> 00:05:09.970 you go to a blues traveler show, you expect like... 00:05:10.430 --> 00:05:12.970 10 -minute jam. Oh yeah, solos for days. Right. 00:05:13.089 --> 00:05:16.829 But you might not get that here. Bennett's influence 00:05:16.829 --> 00:05:19.649 seems to lean towards structure. Let's look at 00:05:19.649 --> 00:05:22.550 the lead single, Amber Awaits. It dropped in 00:05:22.550 --> 00:05:25.269 August 2005, just before the album. And that 00:05:25.269 --> 00:05:27.810 song is a total collaboration. You've got Chin 00:05:27.810 --> 00:05:30.509 Kinchela, Ted Kinchela, and John Popper all on 00:05:30.509 --> 00:05:33.050 the writing credits. Which becomes a theme on 00:05:33.050 --> 00:05:36.089 this record. It's very collaborative. But look 00:05:36.089 --> 00:05:38.290 at the opening track. It's called You Can't Stop 00:05:38.290 --> 00:05:40.529 Thinking About Me. I love the confidence of that 00:05:40.529 --> 00:05:42.269 title. It's like, we know you haven't forgotten 00:05:42.269 --> 00:05:44.870 us. It's almost a little confrontational, but 00:05:44.870 --> 00:05:48.110 in a fun way. It is bold. That one was penned 00:05:48.110 --> 00:05:51.009 by Chan Kinchla and Popper. But if we connect 00:05:51.009 --> 00:05:53.269 this to the bigger picture of the album's pacing, 00:05:53.449 --> 00:05:55.649 I mean, look at the runtimes. This is where the 00:05:55.649 --> 00:05:57.470 Wilco factor might be showing up. Oh, yeah. I'm 00:05:57.470 --> 00:06:00.029 looking at the track list now. Nail. Three minutes 00:06:00.029 --> 00:06:03.610 and six seconds. Rubberneck. Three minutes and 00:06:03.610 --> 00:06:06.550 11 seconds. Exactly. Yeah. These are radio -friendly 00:06:06.550 --> 00:06:09.550 lengths. They are tight. They get in, make their 00:06:09.550 --> 00:06:12.709 point, and get out. Even She Isn't Mine is only 00:06:12.709 --> 00:06:16.209 3 .18. They aren't meandering at all. It feels 00:06:16.209 --> 00:06:19.110 like Bennett came in and said, okay, guys, trim 00:06:19.110 --> 00:06:21.670 the fat. We don't need three minutes of noodling 00:06:21.670 --> 00:06:24.250 before the chorus. It creates a sense of urgency. 00:06:24.750 --> 00:06:28.329 It does. But, and this is crucial, they didn't 00:06:28.329 --> 00:06:31.279 totally abandon their roots. Because you get 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:33.980 to the very end of the album, track 14. The Children 00:06:33.980 --> 00:06:36.579 of the Night. And that one clocks in at 6 minutes 00:06:36.579 --> 00:06:38.740 and 31 seconds. Okay, so they save the dessert 00:06:38.740 --> 00:06:41.339 for last. Right. They save the jam for the closer. 00:06:41.459 --> 00:06:43.860 It's almost like a reward for the listener. Here's 00:06:43.860 --> 00:06:46.259 the tight produced song structure you need for 00:06:46.259 --> 00:06:47.620 the album, but we're going to leave you with 00:06:47.620 --> 00:06:49.660 a bit of that expansion you love. It's a smart 00:06:49.660 --> 00:06:52.139 balance. It shows they understand the medium 00:06:52.139 --> 00:06:54.639 of the album format. I also want to point out... 00:06:54.810 --> 00:06:56.910 The shortest track on the album, because the 00:06:56.910 --> 00:06:59.050 title just makes me laugh every time I read it, 00:06:59.110 --> 00:07:01.730 What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Written by Chan 00:07:01.730 --> 00:07:03.949 Kinchelin Popper. And it's only two minutes and 00:07:03.949 --> 00:07:06.810 47 seconds long. Huh, yeah. I feel like there's 00:07:06.810 --> 00:07:09.769 a joke there. What could possibly go wrong? Well, 00:07:09.829 --> 00:07:11.930 apparently not much, because they finish the 00:07:11.930 --> 00:07:14.029 song in under three minutes. It creates a lot 00:07:14.029 --> 00:07:17.050 of energy. Short songs keep the momentum moving. 00:07:17.569 --> 00:07:20.569 It prevents the album from feeling like a slog, 00:07:20.769 --> 00:07:23.209 which, let's be honest, can happen with some 00:07:23.209 --> 00:07:25.240 jam band studio. albums if they aren't careful. 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:28.920 Keeps the listener on their toes. It's punchy. 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:31.339 We should probably mention a few others just 00:07:31.339 --> 00:07:33.500 to give the listener a sense of the variety here. 00:07:33.579 --> 00:07:35.759 Sure. You've got Money Back Guarantee which is 00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:38.680 a collaboration between Popper and Ben Wilson. 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.100 And Nefertiti which is Ted Kinchela and Popper. 00:07:41.180 --> 00:07:43.870 Yeah. The writing credits really are spread around. 00:07:44.069 --> 00:07:46.870 It's not just the John Popper show. No. Everyone 00:07:46.870 --> 00:07:49.689 is contributing to the architecture of these 00:07:49.689 --> 00:07:51.550 songs. Well, let's talk about the people making 00:07:51.550 --> 00:07:53.550 those sounds, because we keep saying the band, 00:07:53.629 --> 00:07:56.350 but in 2005, the lineup is specific. We need 00:07:56.350 --> 00:07:58.910 to set the stage for who is actually in the room 00:07:58.910 --> 00:08:01.870 in Austin. Right. So at the core, you have the 00:08:01.870 --> 00:08:05.269 recognizable faces. John Popper, obviously, on 00:08:05.269 --> 00:08:07.870 harmonica and vocals. Can't have Blues Traveler 00:08:07.870 --> 00:08:10.870 without that sound. You cannot. It's one of the 00:08:10.870 --> 00:08:14.110 most distinctive voices, both human and instrumental 00:08:14.110 --> 00:08:16.490 in rock history. It's like Santana's guitar. 00:08:16.610 --> 00:08:18.689 You hear one note, you know who it is. Exactly. 00:08:19.310 --> 00:08:21.529 Then you've got Chan Kinchela holding down the 00:08:21.529 --> 00:08:25.209 guitars. Electric acoustic. And he's even credited 00:08:25.209 --> 00:08:27.730 with mandolin on this record. Which adds a nice 00:08:27.730 --> 00:08:30.970 little texture there. Brendan Hills on percussion 00:08:30.970 --> 00:08:34.409 and drums. And then rounding out the rhythm section, 00:08:34.570 --> 00:08:37.730 you have Tad Kinchela on bass. And we can't forget 00:08:37.730 --> 00:08:40.289 Ben Wilson on the keyboards. Correct. But what's 00:08:40.289 --> 00:08:42.250 fascinating here, and this goes back to the whole 00:08:42.250 --> 00:08:45.129 Austin setting, is that the liner notes reveal 00:08:45.129 --> 00:08:47.730 a much richer soundscape than just those five 00:08:47.730 --> 00:08:50.070 guys. Oh, yeah. This was not a stripped back, 00:08:50.129 --> 00:08:52.649 let's record in a garage affair. Yeah. They brought 00:08:52.649 --> 00:08:54.590 in reinforcements. Yeah, I saw that. There's 00:08:54.590 --> 00:08:56.889 a whole horn section listed. A full horn section. 00:08:56.990 --> 00:08:59.909 You have Carlos Sosa on saxophone, Fernando Castillo 00:08:59.909 --> 00:09:02.610 on trumpet, and Raul Vallejo on trombone. That 00:09:02.610 --> 00:09:05.129 feels very Texas, doesn't it? It feels like a 00:09:05.129 --> 00:09:07.759 big soulful room. It does. It adds this layer 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:10.379 of soul and funk that complements the rock elements. 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:12.320 It thickens the sound. There were backing vocals, 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:14.740 too, right? Yeah. Teresa Cole is credited with 00:09:14.740 --> 00:09:17.279 backing vocals. So when you listen to Bastardo's. 00:09:18.090 --> 00:09:20.289 You aren't hearing a sparse record. You're hearing 00:09:20.289 --> 00:09:23.070 a big, full, layered production. And Bennett 00:09:23.070 --> 00:09:25.389 himself is on there playing. Right. He's adding 00:09:25.389 --> 00:09:27.690 percussion, guitar, so he's adding texture on 00:09:27.690 --> 00:09:29.669 top of all that. So you have the horns, you have 00:09:29.669 --> 00:09:31.730 the backing vocals, you have the Wilco producer 00:09:31.730 --> 00:09:34.230 layering in guitars. It sounds like they were 00:09:34.230 --> 00:09:36.789 really trying to fill the room. I think they 00:09:36.789 --> 00:09:39.470 were trying to create a sonic environment that 00:09:39.470 --> 00:09:42.830 justified listening to the album, you know, as 00:09:42.830 --> 00:09:45.309 something distinct from the live show. And that's 00:09:45.309 --> 00:09:47.720 a hard thing for jam bands to do. So we've got 00:09:47.720 --> 00:09:50.659 this big sound. We've got a fancy producer. We've 00:09:50.659 --> 00:09:53.320 got this confident title. How did it actually 00:09:53.320 --> 00:09:56.220 do? Did the world embrace Bastardos? Well, this 00:09:56.220 --> 00:09:58.279 raises an important question about how we measure 00:09:58.279 --> 00:10:01.200 success for a band in their second decade. Sure. 00:10:01.700 --> 00:10:04.419 Commercially, it peaked at number 49 on the U 00:10:04.419 --> 00:10:07.139 .S. Independent Albums Billboard chart. Number 00:10:07.139 --> 00:10:10.639 49 on the Independent chart. Okay. Let's be real 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:12.519 for a second. That is not exactly setting the 00:10:12.519 --> 00:10:15.539 world on fire. No, and it's a far cry from the 00:10:15.539 --> 00:10:18.720 multi -platinum days of 4 in 1994 when they were 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:22.059 dominating MTV. But context is everything here. 00:10:22.179 --> 00:10:24.340 The fact that they are charting on the independent 00:10:24.340 --> 00:10:27.440 albums chart signifies a shift in their position 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:29.240 in the industry. Because they were on Vanguard 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:32.200 Records now. Exactly. They moved from the major 00:10:32.200 --> 00:10:35.370 label machine to Vanguard. They're operating 00:10:35.370 --> 00:10:38.090 as a legacy act that sustains itself through 00:10:38.090 --> 00:10:41.409 touring and a dedicated fan base rather than 00:10:41.409 --> 00:10:43.950 chasing top 40 radio play. It's a different business 00:10:43.950 --> 00:10:46.210 model, essentially. It is. They aren't trying 00:10:46.210 --> 00:10:47.870 to be the biggest band in the world anymore. 00:10:47.870 --> 00:10:49.470 They're trying to be the best version of Blues 00:10:49.470 --> 00:10:51.799 Traveler for the people who already care. And 00:10:51.799 --> 00:10:54.139 hitting the charts at all eight albums in is 00:10:54.139 --> 00:10:56.320 a respectable showing for an independent release. 00:10:56.679 --> 00:10:59.320 I'd say so. Now, you mentioned they are a touring 00:10:59.320 --> 00:11:01.600 machine, and we really can't talk about Blues 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:03.860 Traveler without talking about the live experience. 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:08.080 And interestingly, Bastardo's has a direct extension 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:10.740 into their live catalog. It does. Almost a year 00:11:10.740 --> 00:11:14.240 later, on August 29, 2006, they released an EP 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:17.960 called Bastardo's En Vivo. Which, if my high 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:21.230 school Spanish serves me correctly. Translates 00:11:21.230 --> 00:11:25.009 to Bastards Live. You got it. They really committed 00:11:25.009 --> 00:11:26.710 to the branding. They did. It's a collection 00:11:26.710 --> 00:11:29.529 of live recordings of songs from the Bastardo's 00:11:29.529 --> 00:11:32.529 album. But there is one track on there that is... 00:11:33.060 --> 00:11:36.100 Well, it's just perfect for them. It's one of 00:11:36.100 --> 00:11:37.919 those things where you see the title and you 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:39.620 just nod your head. Oh, I know what you're talking 00:11:39.620 --> 00:11:41.899 about. The cover song. The Devil Went Down to 00:11:41.899 --> 00:11:44.659 Georgia. The Charlie Daniels Band classic. Of 00:11:44.659 --> 00:11:47.659 course. It's the ultimate showcase for a band 00:11:47.659 --> 00:11:51.299 that features a virtuoso harmonica player. It's 00:11:51.299 --> 00:11:53.100 so logical, it's almost funny. You just replaced 00:11:53.100 --> 00:11:55.340 the fiddle duel with a harmonica duel. Essentially, 00:11:55.480 --> 00:11:58.059 yes. It fits their Southern rock, high -energy 00:11:58.059 --> 00:12:00.500 aesthetic perfectly. And including it on the 00:12:00.500 --> 00:12:03.700 live EP accompanying this album kind of ties 00:12:03.700 --> 00:12:07.120 that whole Austin, Texas, Southern vibe together 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:10.179 with their jam band identity. It's a fun little 00:12:10.179 --> 00:12:12.860 Easter egg for the fans who bought into the Vistardos 00:12:12.860 --> 00:12:15.639 era. I love that. Like, here's our serious studio 00:12:15.639 --> 00:12:18.159 album with the Wilco producer where we carefully 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:20.980 crafted three minute pop songs. And here's us 00:12:20.980 --> 00:12:23.600 tearing the roof off with a Charlie Daniels cover. 00:12:23.860 --> 00:12:25.940 It shows they didn't lose their sense of fun. 00:12:26.059 --> 00:12:28.000 And that's a crucial part of their longevity, 00:12:28.220 --> 00:12:29.779 right? You have to take the music seriously, 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:31.940 but you can't take yourself too seriously. It's 00:12:31.940 --> 00:12:35.419 a balance. So as we start to wrap this up, what 00:12:35.419 --> 00:12:37.720 does this all mean? We've got an album with a 00:12:37.720 --> 00:12:40.820 funny name, a serious producer, tight songs and 00:12:40.820 --> 00:12:45.120 a horn section. I think Bastardos stands as a 00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:48.039 really pivotal middle chapter. If you look at 00:12:48.039 --> 00:12:50.059 the discography provided in our sources, this 00:12:50.059 --> 00:12:52.620 band has been going since their self -titled 00:12:52.620 --> 00:12:55.320 debut in 1990 all the way up to Hurry Up and 00:12:55.320 --> 00:12:57.980 Hang Around in 2018. That is a massive span of 00:12:57.980 --> 00:13:00.460 time. It is. Nearly three decades. A lifetime 00:13:00.460 --> 00:13:03.799 in the music industry. And Bastardos sits right 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:06.600 there in the middle of the 2000s. It shows a 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:09.039 band that was willing to experiment. They didn't 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:10.740 just keep making the same album over and over. 00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:12.659 They brought in Jay Bennett. They played with 00:13:12.659 --> 00:13:15.240 song structures. They added horns. It proves 00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:17.610 that they were still artistic. curious. And they 00:13:17.610 --> 00:13:19.049 finally got to use the name they wanted. That 00:13:19.049 --> 00:13:20.789 too. It's a moment of creative satisfaction, 00:13:20.990 --> 00:13:22.389 I'm sure. It's like scratching an itch they'd 00:13:22.389 --> 00:13:24.490 had for 10 years. It's a cool snapshot. It's 00:13:24.490 --> 00:13:26.350 not the album everyone knows. It's not the one 00:13:26.350 --> 00:13:28.590 with Hook on it. But it sounds like an album 00:13:28.590 --> 00:13:30.669 that fans really appreciate for that diversity. 00:13:30.850 --> 00:13:32.789 It's a little bit of a hidden gem. Absolutely. 00:13:33.210 --> 00:13:35.309 It adds texture to their legacy. It proves they 00:13:35.309 --> 00:13:37.250 weren't just a one -trick pony from the 90s. 00:13:37.389 --> 00:13:39.610 Here is a final thought for you to shoo on, listener. 00:13:40.049 --> 00:13:42.490 We talked about how they waited years to use 00:13:42.490 --> 00:13:47.190 the name Those Bastards. or Bastardoes. Names 00:13:47.190 --> 00:13:50.610 have power, right? They set an expectation. If 00:13:50.610 --> 00:13:55.049 they had named their 1994 smash hit album Bastardoes, 00:13:55.110 --> 00:13:58.049 would it have been as big? Would it have sold 00:13:58.049 --> 00:14:00.549 millions of copies at Walmart with a name like 00:14:00.549 --> 00:14:02.809 that? That is a fascinating what if. Or was this 00:14:02.809 --> 00:14:06.110 title specifically waiting for this moment, a 00:14:06.110 --> 00:14:09.210 moment where they were gritty, independent, and 00:14:09.210 --> 00:14:11.029 maybe feeling a little bit like the outlaws of 00:14:11.029 --> 00:14:13.240 the music industry? I think the attitude of the 00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:16.220 title definitely matches the us -against -the 00:14:16.220 --> 00:14:18.820 -world vibe of an independent release. Something 00:14:18.820 --> 00:14:20.740 to think about next time you're scrolling through 00:14:20.740 --> 00:14:24.299 your music library. That's it for this deep dive 00:14:24.299 --> 00:14:27.399 into Blues Traveler's Mustardos. Thanks for listening. 00:14:27.580 --> 00:14:30.240 Keep listening and keep questioning. Catch you 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:30.720 next time.