We've moved!

Hello folks,

If you're looking for the latest episode of Awkward Silences, click here.

We're now publishing directly onto our Podbean page, where the actual audio files have been stored for more than a year. This should speed up production and lead to fewer technical clitches.

This website will remain as an archive of the last four and a half years. Cheers!

S05 E08: Stor(e)ytime

Note:

If you're having trouble listening to the latest episode, try going to our podbean site (pretty much the same as our blogspot site) and click Listen Now at the bottom of the post. We'll work on fixing the problems ASAP.

In the interest of saving the hesitant some time, understand that this week begins with Tyler talking about what deserts he just ate. Yep, that's the kind of show this episode turned out to be: mostly just Alissa and Tyler shooting the breeze, with a little planning talk thrown in for good measure. It is exactly as entertaining as it sounds, but of course that's up to you, isn't it. Enjoy!(?)

Alissa aural fixation. (Her oral fixation? Tongue.)

PLAYLIST

Broken Social Scene - Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)

Jason Collett - Fire
Feist x Timber Timbre - Homage

Stars - Ageless Beauty  (The Most Serene Republic remix)
The Most Serene Republic - Proposition 61

Amy Millan - Skinny Boy
Broken Social Scene - Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl

Eight and a Half - Go Ego
Feist - Undiscovered First

Kevin Drew - Safety Bricks

Stars - Look Up
Broken Social Scene - Almost Crimes (Acoustic)

My Way
(You may recognize parts of this boat from the opening to M*A*S*H*)

LINKS

Synagogues and zoning in Montreal's the Plateau, and
Attempts to bring the neighbourhood's communities together
Tyler's reenactment group's Facebook photos

S05 E07: You Name It!

It's another grab-bag of topics this episode, so difficult tie together into a grand theme that I think I'll let the New Yorker sum things up:

Yep...

Enjoy!

PLAYLIST (note the subtle thematic link, undercut by my needing to write this)

Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready to be Heartbroken

The Stills - Lola Stars and Stripes
Arkells - On Paper

Black Lips - O Katrina!
Jim Carrol Band - People Who Died

Yeasayer - Henrieta
Postal Service - Clark Gable

Death Cab for Cutie - We Laugh Indoors
Bon Iver & St. Vincent - Roslyn

Fleet Foxes - Lorelai


LINKS

The Best of Chris Hadfield on Social Media
A new pro-gun control video
Speaking of raising a child: "Primary Care Giver", The Slope - Season 2, Episode 3
John Krasinski And Jimmy Fallon Competed In The Best Lip-Synching Contest Ever
Makers: Women Who Make America (PBS)

Tough Mudder pledge or deleted scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?

S05 E06: Human Nature

This week, we (unknowingly) explore various facets of social psychology: the bombings in Boston and the Internet's response; memes, and how people, shockingly, are unoriginal; the social shift noticeable through the coming out of gay athletes; our fascination with horror films and, for not always unrelated reasons, tattoos. Enjoy!

 Nothing says "Mayday" like 'NSYNC GIFs, right?

PLAYLIST

Grizzly Bear - Yet Again
Radiohead - Idiotque

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - Rise Up With Fists
Goyte - Eyes Wide Open

Santogold (feat. Trouble Andrew) - I'm a Lady
Sleater Kinney - One Beat

Modest Mouse - Once Chance
Fleet Foxes - Someone You'd Admire

Madonna - Human Nature

LINKS

The Real People of Your Favourite Memes (Funny or Die)
Mr. Rogers Meme
NBA Player Jason Collins Says He's Gay (via Deadspin)

S05 E05: Inner Circle

With the twentieth anniversary of Jurassic Park as our starting point, we segue through a lot of topics this episode, while embarking on a musical journey through the year 1993. It's pretty gnarly. Enjoy!

If you Google Image-search "1993", this is the first picture to come up. I think that's reason enough to share it.

PLAYLIST (circa 1993)

Arrested Development - Mr. Wendal
Naughty by Nature - Hip Hop Hooray

Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealousy

Spin Doctors - Two Princes

Ace of Base - All That She Wants

UB40 - Can't Help Falling in Love

Janet Jackson - If

Aerosmith - Livin' on the Edge

Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)


LINKS

BBC Radio 1 to play Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead on its chart show

Rober Ebert reviews Spring Breakers

History of the Canadian Museum of Civilization

Late Night Barbershop Quartet: The Ragtime Gals perform Sweat (A La La La Long)

S05 E04: Bike Sharing

Get it, bike sharing? Like, sharing our heritage, experiences? Oh yeah, I went there. Enjoy!

Deal with it.

PLAYLIST

Elliot Smith - Baby Britain
Apostle of Hustle - Sleepwalking Ballad

Eight and a Half - Walked Into Diazepene
Passion Pit - Little Secrets

The Rolling Stones - Mother's Little Helper
The Smiths - Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before

Camera Obscura - Keep It Clean

The Verve - The Drugs Don't Work
Blind Melon - All That I Need


LINKS

Mapping the Montreal Mosaic
CBC Hamilton: "Join the war, tear down no more" by Paul Wilson
Building Stories
Sharing the costs of bike-sharing
CBC Hamilton: Hamilton councillors vote yes on bikeshare plan
Metrolinx

Tyler and Alissa in another life?

S05 E03: Tangents

Not all that funny, but then, neither are we.

So, for lack of a more original gimmick for this episode's description, let's just take a look at the tags we've made this time around since they'll give you a good sense of the tenuous narrative links upon which our conversation hinges:

• Nikki Minaj
• Tuques and winter in Ottawa, Montreal
• Reenacting at the Nuit blanche
• Pap smears
• The Oscars
• Television growing up

We're not making this up. Enjoy!

Alternative episode title: Minaj à trois

PLAYLIST

The Royal Concept - Gimme Twice

Mo Kenney - Sucker
Divine Fits - Shivers

Hanah Georges - Robotic
The Arkells - Bloodlines

Wild Nothing - Shadow

Broken Bells - The High Road

LINKS

Niki Minaj's Starships... Goat edition!
The Compagnie de Lacorne's Facebook page

S05 E02: Dancing in the Dark

Strange though it is, our most recent offering has nothing to do with Valentine's Day. And while we try to liven things up with a dance-themed musical bouquet, most of the tracks aren't really for bogeying down. Add to that talk of mental health awareness and you have an unlikely blend of moods this episode. Fitting, as it turns out, for a holiday that affects people in a variety of ways. Enjoy!

If you pledge at the $500 level, Alissa and Tyler will recreate this photo.

PLAYLIST

Kings of Convenience - I'd Rather Dance With You

The Contours - Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - Dancing In The Street

Steve Miller Band - Dance, Dance, Dance
Toploader - Dancing In The Moonlight
Van Morrison - Moondance

Lykke Li - Dance Dance Dance
Nouvelle Vague - Dancing With Myself
Little Joy - Don't Watch Me Dancing

The Drifters - Save The Last Dance For Me

Blossom Dearie - I Won't Dance

Elton John - Tiny Dancer

LINKS

Who’s Got Two Thumbs and is a Humourless Feminist?

Bell Let's Talk About Mental Health

S05 E01: Navel Gazing

ASR has also been shown to cure scurvy.

Have you been suffering from ASR withdrawal? Well, prepare to overdose on what I'm sure most podcast experts would call a unhealthy dose of our show. Season Five begins with a marathon reflection session as we both enter our thirties. Somehow we manage to weave in winter, Ottawa, birthdays, Chicago, reënacting (that's how The New Yorker would spell it; sue me), travelling, meeting new people, online dating, the Golden Globes, Girls, high school reunions, SNL, The Office and probably more. Enjoy!


PLAYLIST

Awkward Silences Theme - Michael Szilagyi
Paul Simon - Have a Good Time
Coldplay - We Never Change
The Beatles - In My Life
David Bowie - Changes
Radiohead - Fitter Happier
Rilo Kiley - A Better Son/Daughter
Fleet Foxes - Montezuma
The Strokes - Is This It?
Eight and a Half - When I Was 29
Dandy Warhols - Big Indian
Fleet Foxes - Blue Spotted Tail
4 Non Blondes - What's Up?
Britt Daniel/Brian Reitzell - Flours
Carole King - Beautiful

LINKS
The End of Courtship?
Perhaps not... 

We're still alive

Howdy folks.

Happy New Year.

Have you been occasionally visiting this site only to be slightly flustered by the complete lack of updates since November?

We feel your pain.

Alissa and Tyler have tried, on more than one occasion (= 2), to get together and record. First the Holidays episode and then, as delays did their delaying, a nifty season opener. Wouldn't you know that circumstances have conspired against us and we haven't been able to put anything together we feel reaches the level you guys deserve.

But it is coming. Soon. So hold fast.

Cheers,

ASR