Discord and Rhyme: An Album Podcast

Latest Episodes:

106: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak (2003) Nov 08, 2022

Show notes

For over twenty years, Ted Leo has been one of the most intelligent and consistent songwriters of the indie rock world. In this episode, Dan, Rich, and guest rude-boy James Boo discuss the 2003 album Hearts of Oak, which showcases Leo’s talent for crafting thoughtful, politically-charged lyrics and channeling them into immediately catchy anthems. Whether it’s navigating the confusing climate of a post-9/11 America or simply ruminating on the power of ska, Ted serves it up in a poignant, ear-catching package.
Cohosts: Dan Watkins, Rich Bunnell, James Boo
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/106-ted-leo-and-the-pharmacists-hearts-of-oak-2003
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Weird Al's Polka Party! (1986), Tracks 1-6 Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

Emboldened by the success of "Eat It" and "Like a Surgeon," Weird Al titled his fourth album Polka Party!, and the 1986 record-buying public shunned what they assumed was a full album of accordion music. It wasn't, but the title track was the latest of Al's reliable polka medleys rounding up the chart music of the day. This time around we've got #1 hits by two members of Genesis, the Queen of Soul's voice doing battle with mushy '80s production, and an inconsistent but underrated Australian band that Ben and Rich have bonded over for decades.
Tracks:
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
Phil Collins - Sussudio
Eddie Murphy - Party All the Time
Lionel Richie - Say You, Say Me
Aretha Franklin - Freeway of Love
INXS - What You Need
Co-hosts: Rich Bunnell, Ben Marlin, Amanda Rodgers
Links:
"Sledgehammer" music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJWJE0x7T4Q
"Urban Renewal," the hip-hop/R&B Phil Collins tribute album: https://www.discogs.com/release/1925875-Various-Urban-Renewal
100+ pink Cadillacs at Aretha Franklin's funeral procession: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLTOnOUcLbU
Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
Other clips:
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Living with a Hernia
Otis Redding - Change Gonna Come
Bo Carter - Please Warm My Wiener
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Waffle King
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Talk Soup
Prince - 1999
Genesis - Misunderstanding
Ol' Dirty Bastard - Sussudio
Brandy - Another Day in Paradise
Kelis - I Don't Care Anymore
Eddie Murphy - Put Your Mouth on Me
Sisqo - Thong Song
Joe Pesci - Wise Guy
Eddie Murphy - My God Is Color Blind
Lionel Richie - You Are
Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin - Separate Lives
Aretha Franklin & Eurythmics - Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves
Lisa Simpson, Ann Wilson & Nancy Wilson - Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves
INXS - Need You Tonight
INXS - Don't Change
INXS - Heaven Sent
Eddie Murphy - Boogie in Your Butt

105: The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace (1985) Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

This Halloween we’re celebrating FALLoween, as we hit the north and take on the Mighty Fall! Other than a few singles that barely scraped the UK top 40, the Fall never achieved commercial success, but they built a large cult following due in large part to the personality and antics of their difficult, irascible, intelligent, and borderline unintelligible bandleader, Mark E. Smith. But what we hope to emphasize in this episode is that despite Smith’s outsized influence over the Fall, and his tendency to fire members on a whim, the Fall was always a band. Smith’s ideas formed the bedrock of their songs, but their music was always the product of a back-and-forth between him and incredibly talented musicians who added their own distinctive stamp to every iteration of the Fall. Their discography can be large and intimidating to new listeners, so we’ve chosen their 1985 opus This Nation’s Saving Grace, which is relatively accessible, but also a legit candidate for their greatest album. So even if you don’t come away from this episode as the Fall’s 50,001st fan, we hope you’ll at least understand why anyone would willingly listen to this band.
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Dan Watkins
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/105-the-fall-this-nations-saving-grace-1985
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

104: Electric Light Orchestra - Eldorado (1974) Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

We talked about our first classical suite a few episodes back, so now it’s time for Discord & Rhyme to talk about its first symphony! Electric Light Orchestra have been going through something of a resurgence in the 21st century, but in the ‘70s, music critics savaged Jeff Lynne’s attempts to mix pop songwriting with orchestral pomp. But with 1974’s Eldorado, Lynne was attempting to please his harshest critic of all, his classical-loving father, who claimed that ELO’s songs “have got no tune.” The result was a fascinating, overblown concept album about a Walter Mitty-esque character who escapes the real world through the power of fantasy, and whether the concept holds for the entire album (it doesn’t), it dazzled Producer Mike as a child and continues to dazzle him today. So join our hosts for an evening at the symphony, as we fight some of the holiest wars and smash some of the holiest jawrs(?!!).
Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, Ben Marlin, Amanda Rodgers
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/104-electric-light-orchestra-eldorado-1974
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

In Defense of Prog Rock - Disc 1, Tracks 9-12 Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

Closing out our first round of arguments in defense of progressive rock with some extra heavy hitters! And some truly baffling weirdness.
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention - Inca Roads
Focus - Hocus Pocus
The Nice - America
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man
Other clips:
King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part 1
Frank Zappa - Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar
Focus - Hocus Pocus (live on The Midnight Special)
Rita Moreno - America
R.E.M. - It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Giles, Giles and Fripp - One in a Million
King Crimson - Schizoid Men 3
Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, John McFerrin, Dan Watkins, Amanda Rodgers
Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

103: Madvillain - Madvillainy (2004) Sep 27, 2022

Show notes

As luck would have it, two of Discord & Rhyme’s most powerful villains have been turned loose for an episode that will strike terror into the hearts of men! This week, Rich and Mike take on the 2004 hip-hop classic Madvillainy, a team-up between MF DOOM, a rapper with a metal mask and a tragic, comic-book backstory, and Madlib, a DJ with eclectic taste and an unpredictable, artfully imprecise style. The album’s 22 tracks unfold like a fever dream over just 46 minutes, with samples drawn from Bollywood, Brazilian music, Zappa, and Sun Ra crashing headfirst into snippets from old cartoons. And this is all presided over by DOOM, who packs almost unfair amounts of wordplay and meaning into every line. It may seem like chaos at first, but there’s a method to Madvillainy, and it shows how hip-hop can contain the world.
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/103-madvillain-madvillainy-2004
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

In Defense of Prog Rock - Disc 1, Tracks 5-8 Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

Continuing our enthusiastic defense of progressive rock with this extremely compelling evidence!
Jethro Tull - Cross-Eyed Mary
Yes - Starship Trooper
The Soft Machine - As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still
Gentle Giant - Knots
Additional evidence:
Yes - Heart of the Sunrise
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
Iron Maiden - Cross-Eyed Mary
Jethro Tull - Lap of Luxury
Yes - The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)
Yes - Starship Trooper (Yessongs version)
The Soft Machine - All White
The Soft Machine - A Concise British Alphabet – Pt. 1
The Soft Machine - A Concise British Alphabet – Pt. 2
Björk - Submarine
Simon Dupree & The Big Sound - Kites
Gentle Giant - Alucard
Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, John McFerrin
Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

102: Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (1967) Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

The Jefferson Airplane's drugged-up, hyper-political jams are often dismissed as a relic of the late 1960s. But the band's talent was in abundance on their earnest debut album The Jefferson Airplane Takes Off; and when they added vocalist Grace Slick to their lineup and recorded their second album, 1967's Surrealistic Pillow, the whole world discovered what they were capable of. In discussing that album, Ben, Amanda, and John make the case that the Airplane's musicianship, harmonies, and attitude all hold up today.

Cohosts: Ben Marlin, John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/102-jefferson-airplane-surrealistic-pillow-1967

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

In Defense of Prog Rock - Disc 1, Tracks 1-4 Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

We're back on our compilation business! A few years ago, Producer Mike handed us all two discs filled with vintage progressive rock, including tentpole acts like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Genesis, and Yes, as well as more obscure outsider art like Egg, Magma and Henry Cow. The collection was titled "In Defense of Prog Rock," and since most of us agree that prog is worth defending, we're officially sharing Discord & Rhyme's first homegrown collection with you. Keep watching the skies!
Co-hosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Amanda Rodgers
Tracks:
Genesis - Watcher of the Skies
Camel - Freefall
Caravan - Winter Wine
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Knife-Edge
Other clips:
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Tarkus
Smash Mouth - All Star
Camel - Rhyader
The Wilde Flowers - Impotence
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Hoedown
Links:
Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock by David Weigel: https://wwnorton.com/books/The-Show-That-Never-Ends/
Genesis performs "Watcher of the Skies" in 1973: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4su9Sz0n0ns
D&R discusses ELP's debut: https://discordpod.com/listen/2018/9/18/007-emerson-lake-palmer-emerson-lake-palmer
D&R discusses Collins-era Genesis: https://discordpod.com/listen/075-genesis-a-trick-of-the-tail-1976-and-invisible-touch-1986

101: Camille Saint-Saëns - The Carnival of the Animals (1886) Aug 30, 2022

Show notes

John was always going to tackle a classical work for the podcast at some point, it was just a matter of finding the right piece. For our first visit to the orchestral hall, Discord & Rhyme is also taking a trip to the circus by covering The Carnival of the Animals, a 25-minute suite of musical jokes that 19th century French composer Camille Saint-Saëns wrote to put off writing the symphony he’d been paid to write. The Carnival of the Animals was John’s introduction to classical music as a kid, and when he fell back in love with classical music in his late 20s he was delighted to find that he still loved this piece (even without the silly poems in his version from when he was a kid). John (host), Mike (moderator), and returning special guest Sean Rodgers had a wonderful, in-depth conversation, ranging from the niche (like John’s love of birdsong in classical music), to the serious (like Saint-Saëns’ feelings about the musical world changing around him more than he liked), to the ridiculous (the notion of a tortoise doing the world’s slowest can-can). Come listen to us make the case that classical music is for everyone, and that The Carnival of the Animals is one of the funnest gateways to classical music anyone has ever written.
Cohosts: John McFerrin, Mike DeFabio, Sean Rodgers, Amanda Rodgers
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/101-camille-saint-sans-the-carnival-of-the-animals-1886
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

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