Desert Island Discourse

It's sort of a sad occasion that brings this episode to you, dear listeners: as of about a week ago (when this episode was recorded), it's been 8 years since Mark Linkous died outside of his new Nashville home. As the singer, songwriter, and often sole member of Sparklehorse, Mark left behind him a legacy of curiously underrated music that nonetheless meant a lot to those who were fortunate enough to hear it. Today, we bring on Caroline Rayner to help us celebrate his life and work. Born from the ashes of a failed music career in LA, Sparklehorse made the kind of indie rock that you'd usually find in the holds of wrecked steamboats or haunting ancient attics, combining deft pop sensibilities with a deep love of broken things, junk, and detritus. You're often as likely to hear a toy plastic saxophone as a scorching guitar riff on his songs, and it's all put together with a genuine enthusiasm and pathos that keeps it from devolving into the sort of kitschy cuteness that such descriptions often evoke.  Over fi