Discord and Rhyme: An Album Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Weird Al's Hooked on Polkas (1985), Tracks 6-11 Apr 19, 2022

Show notes

This week, we close out our second Weird Al polka medley with some nuclear war, some proto-hair metal, and a lot of sexual innuendo (or "out-uenndo," in the case of Frankie Goes to Hollywood). Returning guest Libby Cudmore returns to reminisce about her Weird Al concert experiences, gush about yacht rock, and help our sheltered hosts turn subtext into text.
Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It
Nena - 99 Luftballons
Kenny Loggins - Footloose
Duran Duran - The Reflex
Quiet Riot - Bang Your Head (Metal Health)
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Phil Maddox, Libby Cudmore
Links:
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
The OST Party on the "UHF" soundtrack (featuring Rich): https://ostparty.podbean.com/e/episode-27-uhf/
The OST Party on the "Footloose" soundtrack: https://ostparty.podbean.com/e/episode-48-footloose/
"We're Not Gonna Take It" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xmckWVPRaI
You're Wrong About on the PMRC hearings: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1112270/7857100-tipper-gore-vs-heavy-metal-the-hearing
Dee Snider's speech before the Senate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0Vyr1TylTE
Yacht Rock episode 11 (Footloose): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX1Nh6c80wo
Closing credits music: Kenneth Kraylie
https://kennethkraylie.bandcamp.com/
https://casinos.bandcamp.com/

A Thousand Million Questions Go Forth (Listener Q&A #4) Apr 12, 2022

Show notes

Q&A is here again! In this edition, we discuss power ballads, music biopics, bad band names, and the artists we'll probably never cover.
Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Amanda Rodgers, Dan Watkins
Theme music: The Moody Blues - Question

Weird Al's Hooked on Polkas (1985), Tracks 1-5 Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

Weird Al's second polka medley was his first to consist entirely of contemporary chart hits, a formula he would (mostly) follow for the rest of his career. This week, we discuss a largely forgotten duet between Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger, discover the missing link between ZZ Top and the Moody Blues (like we do), and ponder how the owner of a parcel of land in Montana compares to the owner of a pie.
The Jacksons and Mick Jagger - State of Shock
ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man
Tina Turner - What's Love Got to Do with It
Daryl Hall and John Oates - Method of Modern Love
Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers
Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
Slate's Hit Parade podcast on Hall and Oates: https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2022/01/hall-and-oates-biggest-duo-in-chart-history
"State of Shock" sung by Harvey Leeds (whom Rich misidentified as "Harvey Leeks"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLzVgfOCKkk
John Michael Higgins sings "Owner of a Lonely Heart" in The Break-Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aky2LIJu7yM
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" bit from Mystery Science Theater 3000: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5Rq5f9ZXKg
Closing credits music: Kenneth Kraylie
https://kennethkraylie.bandcamp.com/
https://casinos.bandcamp.com/

092: Can - Tago Mago (1971) Mar 29, 2022

Show notes

Can’s music is part of the DNA of an incredible variety of music - from indie rock, to new wave, to electronica, to ambient, and most points in between. Despite this, Can are not well known outside of music geeks like the Discord and Rhyme crew. They have long been one of Phil’s very favorite bands, though, and he’s here to talk about perhaps the band’s greatest album, 1971’s Tago Mago, along with John and Mike. Together, they’ll demonstrate that while the voyage into the world of Can can be a somewhat difficult trip, it’s a trip very much worth taking.
Cohosts: Phil Maddox, Mike DeFabio, John McFerrin
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/092-can-tago-mago-1971
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Weird Al's Polkas on 45 (1984), Tracks 7-13 Mar 22, 2022

Show notes

This week we round out our coverage of Weird Al's first polka medley, including four bands we've talked about on the podcast before, a whole bunch of "Hey Joe" covers of varying style and quality, and Foreigner's surprising prog rock roots.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Hey Joe
Talking Heads - Burning Down the House
Foreigner - Hot Blooded
The Police - Every Breath You Take
The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go
The Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash
The Who - My Generation
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Amanda Rodgers, Dan Watkins
Links:
D&R on "Hey Joe": https://www.spreaker.com/user/14421968/this-is-comp-nuggets-disc-1-tracks-10-18
D&R on Talking Heads: https://discordpod.com/listen/057-talking-heads-fear-of-music-1979
D&R on the Police: https://discordpod.com/listen/086-the-police-synchronicity-1983
D&R on the Rolling Stones: https://discordpod.com/listen/074-the-rolling-stones-their-satanic-majesties-request-1967
D&R on the Who: https://discordpod.com/listen/076-the-who-the-who-sell-out-1967
Al discusses Devo's "Freedom of Choice" on the podcast This Particular Album Is Very Very Important to Me: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/devos-freedom-of-choice-with-al-yankovic/id1406834876?i=1000447314876
Al sings George Harrison's "What Is Life": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXMq3QJwJiA
Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
Closing credits music: Kenneth Kraylie
https://kennethkraylie.bandcamp.com/
https://casinos.bandcamp.com/

091: Crowded House - Crowded House (1986) Mar 15, 2022

Show notes

Before Neil Finn was the New Lindsay Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac, and after he labored in the shadow of his brother Tim in Split Enz, he was the singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter for the band Crowded House. In 1985, Finn, drummer Paul Hester, and bassist Nick Seymour recorded Crowded House's debut album with producer Mitchell Froom, featuring the hits “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Something So Strong.” Ben, Amanda, and Rich talk about this collection of punchy, melodic, and thought-provoking anthems that broke a band of New Zealanders and Australians big in America.
Cohosts: Ben Marlin, Rich Bunnell, Amanda Rodgers
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/091-crowded-house-crowded-house-1986
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Weird Al's Polkas on 45 (1984), Tracks 1-6 Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

"Weird Al" Yankovic is known for his song parodies, but another tradition that has spanned his career is his polka medleys, where he rounds up chart hits from the era and gleefully deconstructs them on accordion. We realized that these medleys basically function as compilations in their own right, so we've decided to do what we do on Discord & Rhyme and talk about them, song by song. The concept was still a work in progress for his first medley, "Polkas on 45," which is a mixture of classic rock staples, mega-hits from the early '80s, and a couple of new wave oddities.
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox
Devo - Jocko Homo
Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water
Berlin - Sex (I'm a ...)
The Beatles - Hey Jude
The Doors - L.A. Woman
Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Pre-album live version of "Polkas on 45": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOFmW8BrGd4
Original version of "Jocko Homo" (with video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRguZr0xCOc
The Simpsons "In the Garden of Eden" sequence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSCUhqsy4Nk

090: Tom Petty - Wildflowers (1994) Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

In 1994, the charts were dominated by the likes of Mariah Carey, Beck, Gin Blossoms, Ace of Base, and Pearl Jam - and then out of left field came elder statesman Tom Petty with a new album that was heartfelt, thoughtful, and beautiful, but could still rock your face off if it wanted to. Petty may have already released his greatest hits album, but Wildflowers showed that he was nowhere near done writing excellent songs. In fact, there were so many that several had to be cut in order to fit it all onto one album. As a result, Wildflowers is kind of a mess - but it’s an emotional, charming, and very interesting mess that we had a great time talking about. Tonight we ride.

Cohosts: Amanda Rodgers, Rich Bunnell, Dan Watkins

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/090-tom-petty-wildflowers-1994

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

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

089: Kraftwerk - Computer World (1981) Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

Eins, zwei, drei, vier! This week, Producer Mike brings our winter of electronic music to a close with a band that didn’t just pioneer electronic music – they basically wrote the source code. Kraftwerk formed in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1969 and started messing around with basically anything with wires that made a funny noise. They weren’t the first band to experiment with electronic music, but they infused it with a quirky, creative sense of humanity that transcended language and resonated with audiences worldwide. None of the members of Kraftwerk owned a computer when they recorded their 1981 album Computer World, but the album is shockingly prescient, anticipating the myriad ways computers have wormed their way into every aspect of daily life, and it’s also among their most influential, echoing through genres like hip-hop, electro, and basically any music with an electronic pulse. So get ready to beam yourself into the future, because Discord & Rhyme is going fahr’n, fahr’n, fahr’n auf der Autobahn.
Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Rich Bunnell, Phil Maddox, Amanda Rodgers
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/089-kraftwerk-computer-world-1981
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

MTV's Amp, Tracks 8-13 Feb 08, 2022

Show notes

It's time to rave on! Special guest Shivam Bhatt returns to help us round out the second half of MTV's late-night electronica collection, where they stuck all of the non-British acts. This time around we've got some anti-fascist digital hardcore punk from Berlin, a Crystal Method song you've heard in dozens of commercials, a history lesson about the Roland TB-303, and a hippie anthem recorded on a secluded island in Washington state.
Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Tranquility Bass - We All Want To Be Free
Goldie - Inner City Life
The Prodigy - Voodoo People (Chemical Brothers Remix)
Josh Wink - Are You There?
The Crystal Method - Busy Child
Atari Teenage Riot - Sick To Death
Links:
DJ Ron's "Dangerous" (example clip for jungle music): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2eiwK3WqCI
"Original Nuttah" by UK Apachi and Shy FX (example clip for drum & bass music): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxbekgL4w7w
Full-band TV performance of "Inner City Life": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqX5AM-7ixM&feature=youtu.be
"Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture" by Simon Reynolds: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DL1R5OE/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
"Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey" by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton: https://groveatlantic.com/book/last-night-a-dj-saved-my-life/
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Shivam Bhatt
Intro music: "Weird Al" Yankovic, "Stupid Haircut" (parody of The Prodigy's "Firestarter," from The Weird Al Show)
Closing credits music by Kenneth Kraylie, originally composed by Andy Partridge with new lyrics by Adam Smith of the Hector Collectors
https://kennethkraylie.bandcamp.com/
https://casinos.bandcamp.com/
https://thehectorcollectors.bandcamp.com/

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Discord and Rhyme: An Album Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected