Waterproof Records with Jacob Givens

Merry Christmas — and welcome to a special holiday episode of Waterproof Records. Whether you’re listening on Christmas Day, sneaking away from family chaos with earbuds in, or finding this episode weeks (or months) later — this one’s meant to feel like a personal Christmas mixtape made just for you.

In this episode of Waterproof Records, I dive deep into Sailing the Seas of Cheese — the 1991 album that introduced a generation to Les Claypool’s alien-level bass playing, bizarre humor, nautical nonsense, and one of the most misunderstood inside jokes in alternative music history.

Today we’re diving deep into Machina / The Machines of God — the wild, ambitious, chaotic final Smashing Pumpkins album before the original breakup. From lost master tapes to abandoned concepts, from “The Everlasting Gaze” to “Stand Inside Your Love,” this episode unpacks the entire era. If you love SP history and 90s/2000s rock nostalgia, this one’s for you.

Bonus Halloween Episode! Jacob shares 10 songs you need on your Halloween playlist — from eerie deep cuts by Poe, Portishead, and Nine Inch Nails to haunting favorites from The Cure and Smashing Pumpkins. Turn down the lights and get spooky with Waterproof Records.

Sometimes a concert weekend hits you so hard it demands its own episode — and that’s exactly what happened at this year’s Best Friends Forever Festival in Las Vegas. From lightning storms and soaked sneakers to emotional sets from Mineral, Cursive, Knapsack, and Elliott, this weekend reminded me why I created Waterproof Records in the first place: to celebrate those transcendent, life-changing moments only music can deliver.