Discord and Rhyme: An Album Podcast

Latest Episodes:

077: Sam Phillips - Martinis and Bikinis (1994) Aug 10, 2021

Show notes

You might know Sam Phillips from those lovely "la la la"s on the Gilmore Girls soundtrack, or as Katya, the silent assassin in Die Hard: With a Vengeance. But she's also a fiercely talented songwriter with an encyclopedic knowledge of music and a literary lyrical sense. She first cut her teeth in the contemporary Christian music world (as Leslie Phillips, “the Christian Cyndi Lauper”) before leaving Myrrh Records and forging a creative and personal bond with producer T Bone Burnett. But though her 1994 album Martinis & Bikinis is a secular album on the surface, it’s brimming with a spirituality that makes its point without resorting to dogma, as well as melodies and arrangements that reference the Beatles without slipping into pastiche. So join Rich, Amanda, and John for a Discord & Rhyme that’s one part Beatles study and one part Bible study, with a little bit of XTC and The Brave Little Toaster thrown in for good measure.
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/077-sam-phillips-martinis-and-bikinis-1994
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Twenty-Two Twos: #19-24 Aug 03, 2021

Show notes

In which we exceed the prescribed number of twos.
Genesis - That's All
Madonna - Open Your Heart
The B-52's - 52 Girls
Tool - Eulogy
Heart - Alone
Mark Knopfler & James Taylor - Sailing to Philadelphia
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Amanda Rodgers
Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
Rich's blog post explaining this concept: https://discordpod.com/blog/2019/6/10/22-2s
Opening theme: Devo - It's Not Right
Closing theme: Blur - Song 2

076: The Who - The Who Sell Out (1967) Jul 27, 2021

Show notes

This week, we’re throwing away our hard-earned indie cred and dropping in a few more words from our sponsors than usual. We have some great new products to tell you about, and along the way, we will be discussing the 1967 classic The Who Sell Out. Conceptualized as a tribute to the UK pirate radio culture of the mid-60s, The Who go all-in on the concept (well, at least until they completely drop it about three-quarters of the way in) complete with station IDs and their own fake commercial jingles. It captures the band at their peak as a 60s pop band with instantly catchy melodies and clever, funny lyrics. Crack open another can of Heinz Baked Beans and join Dan, John, Ben, and Rich as we dig into this product placement classic.
Cohosts: Dan Watkins, Rich Bunnell, Ben Marlin, John McFerrin
Complete show notes: http://discordpod.com/listen/076-the-who-the-who-sell-out-1967
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Twenty-Two Twos: #13-18 Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

The Track 2 journey continues! This time we're taking a detour through Indie Rock World.
The Chap - Fun & Interesting
Sleater-Kinney - Ironclad
Pony Up! - The Truth About Cats and Dogs (Is That They Die)
CHVRCHES - Leave a Trace
Von Sudenfed - The Rhinohead
Pet Shop Boys - This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Chris Willie Williams
Rich's blog post explaining this concept: https://discordpod.com/blog/2019/6/10/22-2s
Sleater-Kinney performs "Ironclad" at the 2015 Pitchfork Music Festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z983DY2nPnw
"The Truth About Cats and Dogs (Is That They Die)" music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPdhe-nK07s
Opening theme: Devo - It's Not Right
Closing theme: Blur - Song 2
Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Bonus Mini-Episode: Beatles Covers Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

We're taking a break after our giant Genesis episode, so we decided to share one of our Patreon bonus episodes with everybody: the one where we found another excuse to talk about the Beatles! So please enjoy this conversation about Beatles songs covered by other artists: the good, the bad, and the really, really weird.
Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers
Get more Patreon exclusives! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
Songs discussed:
Sparks - I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Richie Havens - Here Comes the Sun
Grant Green - I Want to Hold Your Hand
Coroner - I Want You (She's So Heavy)
Barbra Streisand - Mother
Procol Harum - Eight Days a Week
Freddie Hubbard - Cold Turkey
Micky Dolenz - Good Morning, Good Morning
Peter Gabriel - Strawberry Fields Forever
Alarm Will Sound - Revolution 9
Stereophonics - Don't Let Me Down
Yes - Every Little Thing
Spotify playlist (with some extras!): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7DrHnTnHTL50BmTY1jJ8Qr?si=6482fb861b1a400c

Twenty-Two Twos: #7-12 Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

More of our favorite Track 2s! Tracks 2? Who knows.
Songs in this episode:
Motörhead - Love Me Like a Reptile
The Byrds - Have You Seen Her Face?
The Isley Brothers - Footsteps in the Dark
Television - Venus
Sly and the Family Stone - Chicken
Ween - Flutes of Chi
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, John McFerrin
Rich's blog post explaining this concept: https://discordpod.com/blog/2019/6/10/22-2s
Opening theme: Devo - It's Not Right
Closing theme: Blur - Song 2

075: Genesis - A Trick of the Tail (1976) and Invisible Touch (1986) Jun 29, 2021

Show notes

What kind of band was Genesis - strange, artsy prog-rock masters, or catchy, commercial pop stars? In this very special episode of Discord and Rhyme, we brought in returning guest Jeff Blehar to help make the case that they did both equally well - and not only that, but the presence or absence of Peter Gabriel was not the main influence on their sound. They never truly lost their prog sensibilities, but they did get better at balancing them with more commercial and accessible sounds. After you get through all three hours of our third double feature, you will be the person at the party who says, “WELL, ACTUALLY” when someone tries to tell you that post-Gabriel Genesis is bad.
Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers, Jeff Blehar
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/075-genesis-a-trick-of-the-tail-1976-and-invisible-touch-1986
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Twenty-Two Twos: #1-6 Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

You might have noticed how we're always talking about a good track two - but what the hell does that mean? Rich and Mike are here with the extremely detailed answer to that question!
Tracks included in this episode:
Stereolab - Cybele's Reverie
Radiohead - Pyramid Song
Bruce Springsteen - Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
The Cure - Primary
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Hardware Store
My Bloody Valentine - Lose My Breath
Rich's blog post explaining this concept: https://discordpod.com/blog/2019/6/10/22-2s
Opening theme: Devo - It's Not Right

074: The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967) Jun 15, 2021

Show notes

The phrase “so-and-so band needs no introduction” is incredibly overused, but if there’s a single band for whom the phrase holds true... it’s the Beatles. However, if there are two bands that it holds true for, it’s the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Many associate the Stones with “good old-fashioned rock and roll,” but that isn’t really true. Sure, the band has been locked into its trademark style for several decades now, but in the ’60s, they were far more creative than they were often given credit for. And they never ventured further afield than they did on 1967’s Their Satanic Majesties Request, a bizarre, stoned, trippy, psychedelic album, filled top to bottom with strange sounds, experimental song structures, and tons and tons of just-plain-weirdness. Fans and critics hated it and the band quickly moved on, never attempting anything in this style ever again and generally pretending that the album doesn’t exist. Is the album really that bad, though? Phil sure doesn’t think so, and he’s here to make the case to Rich, John, and Dan that it’s a detour in the Stones discography well worth taking.
Cohosts: Phil Maddox, Rich Bunnell, John McFerrin, Dan Watkins
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/074-the-rolling-stones-their-satanic-majesties-request-1967
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

073: Daft Punk - Random Access Memories (2013) Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

Buckle up and run a systems diagnostic, because this is a long one. Where do you go after revolutionizing electronic dance music twice in a row? Daft Punk’s albums Homework and Discovery spawned a whole generation of imitators, way too many of whom were content to just copy their source code. The duo’s response was to load up Random Access Memories, an album that looks back to the sounds of the great synth and disco pioneers while envisioning a bold future for music that mixes the analog and digital. The music industry chose not to pursue this future, in part because this album was just too damn expensive, but it resulted in some great music, and one of the most Discord & Rhyme-ready albums we’ve covered. So get ready to get lucky and lose yourself to dance, as Daft Punk give life back to music.
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Chris Willie Williams, Jennifer Carman
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/073-daft-punk-random-access-memories-2013
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

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