Special guest, Diana Parry-Cruwys, finally gets another chance to pick a song of her very own with this week's "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High) by alt-country, prolific rocker, Ryan Adams. Not the guy who sang "Summer of '69". We discuss how unlike My Bloody Valentine this song is, how hard it is to pick just one song when you write an album a year, how drugs are bad. Stay in school kids.
Even though she's been our special guest more than anyone else, poor Diana Parry-Cruwys has only gotten to pick one song all on her own. Well, we're making up for it by talking about Ryan Adams' "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)" this week. Diana then fell asleep before we could record and I forgot to post the preview blurb...so we're going to be a little late this week. Please don't think this reflect poorly on how much I appreciate my wife's taste in music.
A return visit from Jack Every to the TPOS studio gets us bringing the funk. Noise may be brought as well. Regardless, we spend a pleasant time talking about the amazing Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings' "I Learned the Hard Way". What makes this modern take on the Motown sound so cool? And does anybody know how to make a hang-up click on a cell phone? We're plumbing unknown genres this week, folks! Also, a rare TV recommendation unrelated to music but correlated with deliciousness.
Returning guest and math teacher extrordinaire, Jack Every, returns to ensure the unrepresented genre of Motown gets its due by talking with us about Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings "I Learned the Hard Way", a song I had never heard of before last week. Which is reason enough to listen in.
After comparing our local classic rock stations (RIP, radio), super-guest and music encyclopedia, Chris Hornbostel, and I get into the deep talk about The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter". Buy why is it an amazing song? Not just because it captures the turmoil of the 60's, not just because it's a secretly scary song, not just because of Keith Richards blusey, jazzy guitar, not just because of Mick Jagger's excellent lyrics, not just because of Merry Clayton's virtuouso performance, not just because of Charlie Watts' perfect snare beats, but...well, listen to the episode to find out. Let's celebrate the end of the peace and love era together, shall we?
Music super-afficianado, Chris Hornbostel is back to break down The Rolling Stone's epic reflection of the waning days of the age of Aquarius, "Gimme Shelter". It's an eerie episode, folks!
Rob's solo-casting it up this week with one of his personal favorite's, ELOs "Mr. Blue Sky". Listen in horror as he attempts to describe fancy orchestral words! Stare in sympathy as he consults his thesaurus to come up with new words for "awesome"! Flee from the overwhelming gushing of good vibes and joyousness! Feel happy emotions deep inside your soul as you realize that you've already started humming the chorus. Don't hide away for so long, listener: embrace the sun before Mr. Night comes to ruin the party.
With the sun high in the sky and something of a drought on here in Massachusetts, I'm reminded of one of my favorite songs to blare out my car window on these beautiful summer days: ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky"! Honestly, this is one of the songs that I did this show to talk about. Hope you'll enjoy listening to me do just that.
Matt Summers makes a triumphant return with a song that has absolutely nothing wrong with it, The Breeders' "Cannonball". Is it true that the Ewoks provide backing vocals to Kim Deal? Is anything cooler than early-90s distortion effects? And is being a great band with an awesome single the same as being a one-hit wonder?
Have a swig of this delicious shimmy shake while you listen.
All-star guest Matt Summers want to immortalize his love for The Breeders' '90s masterpiece, "Cannonball". So, I guess the best way to do that is to come on the show. Posterity will thank him for that. And, if the A.V. Clubagrees with him, those crazy kids must be on to something.
While I messed up and forgot that "Imagine" was actually from the album Imagine, special guest, Terry Parretti, lifelong educator and dancer, forgives me in the name of John Lennon's message of peace, humanity, and love. We discuss what happens when we die and if it even matters, the power of music in teaching, and just how crummy the 70s were. Stay tuned until the end for some free choreography consultation.
Given all the terrible goings-on in the world, we decided to slow things down a notch to discuss John Lennon's "Imagine" with educator and choreographer, Terry Parretti.
This week we sip lemon gin with writer/comedian/nice person, Hunter Gardner. to celebrate the season with a discussion of "Almost Summer" by Jason Collett. We wonder why summer sounds so sad in this song, opine on the indignities of youthful intoxication, and embarrass each other with bad date stories. Our pants remain securely around our ankles.
Well, despite the fact that it's actually summer, let's just pretend that it isn't 80+ degrees out and all of our lawns are still alive with the bounty of spring rains. How about Hunter Gardner and I discuss Jason Collett's "Almost Summer" to get you in the right frame of mind.
Because they did me the favor of visiting me, I forced a good 40% of my extended family into the ol' podcast studio to discuss our favorite songs about America and the summertime, but mostly the summertime.
Hang ten and put your wayfarers on for a deep conversation on topics like what's the opposite of America, when's the best time to barbeque, is Dave Matthews music a substitute for Ambien, and just how awesome is a bottle of Zima? And in a They're Playing Our Song first: country music! Then a somber tangent about regret, past joys, and growing up as summer vacation hits the halfway point.
Please very much nostal-joy!
If you want to join us in thinking fondly about the songs we discussed, here's the final list:
During our annual family 4th of July get together, I managed to wrangle about 50% of my relatives into my makeshift studio behind the grill to talk about favorite summer songs. From hip-hop to country, we discuss an eclectic mix of tunes that get us in the mood to relax at the beach and enjoy the heat. No links or lyrics this week due to the sheer number of songs we discussed. Just join us on Wednesday to hear our choices. And feel free to share your summer songs in the comments or on Twitter or the (poorly updated) Facebook page.
It's the big 50th episode of the show! And I booked a bunch of young children to make noise in the background. What better way to celebrate our house party than by talking about Grouplove's "Tongue Tied". Listen to me wax philosophically about the deep, deep meanings of the song and how it taps into our collective unconscious about how crappy it is to try to get a date. Everyone else just talks about medical problems and strategies for laser tag.
Thanks to everyone for listening and thanks to all our guests for sharing their songs! You all make this show a pleasure to do.
After a fun family vacation, I drag my family in to celebrate our big 50th episode with Grouplove's "Tongue Tied"! How we got this many episodes I'll never know.
It's Part 2 of the epic battle royale that is ETHERIDGE-OFF!! This week, I'm rejoined by Diana Parry-Cruwys who hopes to derail my assertion that the most superior song is Melissa Etheridge's "I Want To Come Over". We break all our concert plans to warble a passionate plea for all the star-crossed lovers out there before explaining the secret meanings of the too happy guitar-solo and why are is so damn sad. Remember, place your vote for Etheridge-Off on Twitter, Facebook, or in the comments below.
It's Part 2 of the epic Etheridge-Off. Diana Parry-Cruwys and I can't come to a consensus as to which Melissa Etheridge song is the superior "I'm kind of stalking you" anthem. Last week we went over Diana's choice, "Come To My Window" so this week, it's my choice with "I Want To Come Over".
It's Part 1 of the first ever ETHERIDGE-OFF!! Which song about intense love by singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge will be crowned the ultimate our song? Join Diana Parry-Cruwys and I in a knock-down, drag-out verbal brawl where the only rule is there are no rules. Except for the rule where we only get to say nice things about the songs we discuss because that's the point of the show. I'm starting to think this whole fight conceit isn't going to result in as much screaming and body slams as I was originally led to believe.
In any case, this week Diana and I go to war over the merits of "Come To My Window". We strike on all fronts in reviewing the crazy performance of Juliette Lewis, my description of the way major chords sound, and the extra-voluminous locks of Melissa Etheridge's beautiful beautiful hair. We may have forgotten to talk about the song now that I think about it.
On a recent drive with Diana Parry-Cruwys, we got into a bit of a discussion about which is the superior Melissa Etheridge "I'm kind of stalking somebody" song: "Come To My Window" or "I Want To Come Over". As we couldn't agree, we decided to take it to the podcast for our first ever Etheridge-Off. Over the next two episodes, we'll break down the pros of each one and leave it up to you, the listener, which goes to the top of our playlist. This week we'll start with Diana's song, "Come To My Window"
This week I'm going solo to talk about Against Me!'s "Thrash Unreal". Because no one but me demanded it! Is this really a song about the joy of partying hard? Or is it a cry for help? And what kind of genre is "polk"?
Nobody seems to want to talk to me about Against Me's "Thrash Unreal", so I'm going solo to share my thoughts on this grand song. At least, in my opinion.
Writer Gordon Cameron doesn't mess around when it comes to sharing the most beautiful song in the world with Schubert's "Du Bist die Ruh". We put on our top hats and tails to discuss this classic lieder including whether Schubert could front as a modern pop star, whether the lyrics to the original poem are kind of lame without Schubert's music, and how your pianissimo gets into my fortissimo.
Writer Gordon Cameron joins us on a trip into the Wayback Machine to talk about one of the most beautiful songs, Schubert's "Du Bist die Ruh". What are the odds we'd do two Schubert songs on this show?
The best value on the Internet returns as special guest, Jack Every, and I give you a 1000% markup when talking about The White Stripes' "Fell In Love With a Girl". We two stalwart educators debate the true meaning of a mellow roll, decry the injustice that was music in 2001, and mix whatever they can remember from undergrad psychology into the expounding of their deep thoughts about a three-minute song. Subscribe on YouTube to see this episode built entirely out of Lego.
This week we're listening to a three-minute song that's just chock full of rock 'n roll as Jack Every joins me to talk The White Stripes' "Fell In Love with a Girl".
Cor, blimey, gov'ner. It's the end of hip-hop month and we close out with a personal fav of mine, "Fit But You Know It" by the Streets. Special guest, Diana Parry-Cruwys, tries to remember where she first heard this song while I quiz her on the finer points of British slang. All in time for tea with the Queen. And fish and chips. And Doctor Who.
Pardon Diana's audio. Someone set the microphone wrong. Probably Danger Mouse or Thomas the Train. Odds bodkins.
Hey, everyone. Due to some poor planning on my part, I wasn't able to book a guest or even prepare a solo episode for you all. So, sadly, we'll be taking this week off to do some catch-up. If you're really jonesing for the sound of my voice, check out ABA Inside Track, a podcast about applied behavior analysis. It's just like songs!
Who better to discuss Public Enemy's "Burn Hollywood Burn" than one of my favorite movie critics? Christien Murawski from the Qt3 Movie Podcast stops by to share his love of Chuck D's sweet, sweet voice and to spark up a conversation about race in TV and film. Is the Hollywood of 2016 doing a better job representing non-whites in movies than in 1990? And what exactly would a "good job" even look like? All this plus a seeeeecret movie recommendation from Christien. And it's not Steel Magnolias.
LISTENER NOTE: We discuss explicit lyrics explicitly in this one so your personal discretion is advised.
Hip-hop month continues with a song from one of the greatest hip-hop acts of all time: Public Enemy. I've enlisted the help of someone who knows the cinema, Christien Murawski from the Quarter to Three Movie Podcast, to discuss "Burn Hollywood Burn". Heads up for our younger listeners: Some explicit rap lyrics after the jump.
Veteran rap battler and NCIS aficionado, Brandon Cackowski-Schnell, joins us for another episode in our hip-hop month with the classic "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J. We'll discuss how to properly put on deodorant, what clothes to wear--or not to wear--to rock out at your live performance, and just how much damage (HUNH!) one song can really do. Bonus: Brandon offers up his cool, new Bazooka Joe-inspired rhymes for the audience. Don't forget, you can sample this show for free...just get us a walk-on in the music video.
Please very much enjoy!
And please also enjoy Brandon's podcast, Jumping the Shark. A great choice if you want to hear about video games and other funny nonsense.
Hip-hop month continues with the classic Golden Age rap song "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J. Brandon Cackowski-Schnell from the Jumping the Shark podcast demands we listen to the sweaty, live version because it rocks so hard. And that's how we roll.
It's the beginning of Hip Hop month, a month of songs I know very little about. So let's learn some new things together! We kick things off with returning guest, Mark Brillon, talking about Krayzie Bone's "Thug Mentality". Mark reviews the history of Bone Thugs 'n Harmony and declares his love for the song. I think he even has a copy of the 8-track recording in his pocket. I struggle to understand the difference between East, West, North, and South-coast rap. Everyone agrees that rap skits aren't really funny but appreciate the artists trying to branch out to improv.
NOTE: Audio is a bit distant sounding as I failed to put the right settings on my microphone. As I am smart.
It's the start of hip hop month! A month of talking about songs that prove I have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to hip hop. We start things of with returning Star Wars-aficionado, Mark Brillon, and Krazyie Bone's "Thug Mentality" from Thug Mentality 1999.
This week Diana Parry-Cruwys and I are putting on our army jackets and taking the heroes journey into the urban wasteland to discuss The Dandy Warhol's "Bohemian Like You". Let's get the "ooo"s out of the way: Is this song still totally awesome? Kick your significant other to the couch, grab some vegan food, and listen to us nonchalantly care, or not care, about the pros and cons of hipster doofuses and just how much of a privileged, right-wing nutjob Rob really is.
Don't forget to listen to Diana and me talk behavior analysis on our new show, ABA Inside Track. See what looking pretty cool will getcha?
This week we're talking about a song featuring my favorite trope: "ooo"s in the chorus! I've bribed/cajoled Diana Parry-Cruwys to chat for a little while about the Dandy Warhols' "Bohemian Like You". Did you know we once saw these guys play while Diana and I were on a date? I hope this is new info, or you've been stalking us.
This week's song, "A Change of Seasons" by Dream Theater, is our longest yet at just over 20 minutes. Fortunately, special guest, Craig Miller, challenges that run time by sharing his in-depth thoughts on the band's history, their place in the greater metal oeuvre, and just how many movements it takes to describe the cycle of life and death. All that plus Rob learns that metal artists don't just write songs about demons and magic and that not all of them are scary men who want to hurt him.
Pardon for the audio drop outs at times. Perfect storm of wireless internet shenanigans as Craig tries to keep from waking up his son in a different room and I brilliantly hide my wireless extender under a coat. Think it still came out pretty darn good.
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