Episodes

When Rickie Lee Jones burst onto the music scene in 1979, she was an immediate sensation. There was no one remotely like her. When week's guest - Minneapolis singer/songwriter Pamela McNeill - picked up Jones' debut on cassette at a truck stop, she was looking for some cool female-fronted music to pop into her Walkman for the long drives to gigs sitting shotgun. She got that, and more. Welcome to Coolsville... Songs discussed in this episode: Only Love Can Break Your Heart - Rickie Lee Jones; T...

Strap-in dear listeners, as we are joined by Yasuko Onuki and Ichiro Agata (Yako & Agata) of Japanese noise rock band Melt-Banana - and some creepy computer-generated translation software - for this BONUS episode discussing the soundtrack to Wim Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin) "Can you hear it? Can you see it? Can you look me in the eyes? It doesn't really matter anymore…” Songs discussed in this episode: Stopgap, Scar - Melt-Banana; Der Himmel Über Berlin (Sky Over B...

This week we dive into Glasgow Scotland's influential indie-pop purveyors The Pastels and their excellent EP/Singles compilation 'Truckload Of Trouble' with special guest, teacher and poet Josh Medsker. Songs discussed in this episode: Lonely Planet Boy (New York Dolls Cover) - The Pastels; The Horrors In The Museum - Rudimentary Peni; Nothing To Be Done - The Pastels; Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam - The Vaselines; What You Do To Me - Teenage Fanclub; What's Important - Beat Happening; Thank You...

Dagger Zine's Tim Hinely returns with a record that STILL gets him high after 37+ years. A turning point for D.C. Hardcore band Government Issue, their 1987 release 'You' saw the band moving in a more mature, melodic direction that proved to be a game-changer, and paved the way for many a post-hardcore band that followed in their footsteps. Songs discussed in this episode: Where You Live - Naked Raygun; Say Something - Government Issue; Wait For The Blackout - The Damned; Pacific 231 - Burning ...

Returning guest, filmmaker Alan Zweig (Vinyl, When Jews Were Funny), brings us Will Oldham - a.k.a. Palace Brothers, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy...etc) and his stunning debut: 'There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You' First released in 1993 under a cloud of mystery, Oldham's dark tales of sin, lust, alcohol, and redemption made for rousing conversation - as we name-checked The Louvin Brothers, The Velvet Underground and many others along the way. Songs discussed in this episode: Oh Lord Are You In...

Our guest this week, Brooklyn-based musician David Nagler (Tape Hiss), brings us Brazilian music legend Milton Nascimento and his 1973 release: Milagre Dos Peixes (Miracle of the Fishes) When many of the song lyrics were rejected by the Brazilian military regime, Nascimento elected to remove them and replace them with a wordless singing style that has been called "the voice of God" David's latest musical project - NYC-meets-Brazil musical collective 'As For The Future' - is available now at http...

For this special BONUS episode, we asked our Patrons to send in a cover of a song they feel is better than the original. As usual, they did NOT disappoint! Warning: Hot takes ahead!! Songs discussed in this episode: Hallelujah - John Cale, Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, K.D. Lang, Neil Diamond and Brandi Carlile Seven Days Too Long - Dexys Midnight Runners Black Diamond - The Replacements Swinging Party - Lorde This Guy's In Love With You - Faith No More I Am, I Said - Killdozer Don't Let Me D...

The last thing Rob expected to be doing in 2024 was talking about Anaheim, California ska-punk/pop band No Doubt, but when he invited Late Slip's ringleader Chelsea Nenni on the show her record choice was crystal clear. When she first heard their breakout album 'Tragic Kingdom' as a 10 year old girl living in Southern California, the seed of one day forming and fronting a band of her own was firmly planted, and Gwen Stefani's honest takes on navigating life and love as a young girl coming of age...

In this positively bonkers episode, we ventured into the studio of L.A. musician/producer Fernando Perdomo to help him unpack the bizarre album by Philadelphia pop/soul hitmakers Daryl Hall and John Oates that got them dropped by Atlantic Records: 1974's 'War Babies'. Strap in, kids... Songs discussed in this episode: Is It A Star - Todd Rundgren; Searching For Myself, Self - Fernando Perdomo; Whenever You're on My Mind - Marshall Crenshaw; No Matter What You Do - Jakob Dylan & Regina Spektor; ...

Avant-garde singer-songwriter and musician Azalia Snail joins Rob in the TRGMH studio to discuss an artist near and dear to her heart - Melanie Safka aka Melanie - and some of her greatest hits: "But maybe it'll all be alright, ma Maybe it'll all be okay Well, if the people are buying tears I'll be rich someday, ma Look what they done to my song..." Songs discussed in this episode: California Dreamin' - Melanie; Take Away His Power, Expert Outlier, Zap You Of That Hate - Azalia Snail; Oh Happy D...

For our very first stab at a Dylan record, Chicago singer/songwriter Steve Dawson (Dolly Varden) veered away from the obvious and chose 1970s 'New Morning'. Coming on the heels of his widely ill-received 'Self Portrait', 'New Morning' was a tight, solid collection of songs many considered a welcome return to form from Mr Zimmerman. Super-fun conversation! Songs discussed in this episode: The Man In Me (Live at Budokan, 1978) - Bob Dylan; At The Bottom Of A Canyon In The Branches Of A Tree - Ste...

This week's guest, author Rob Drew, traces how a lowly, hissy format that began life in office dictation machines and cheap portable players came to be regarded as a token of intimate expression through music and a source of cultural capital in his new book Unspooled: How the Cassette Made Music Shareable. For this episode, he curated a mixtape of some of the music featured in his book and discusses it with Rob. TWO Rob's for the price of one! Songs discussed in this episode: Louis Quatorze - B...

For this special BONUS episode, we asked our Patrons to send in a song with horns that got them high. As always they did NOT disappoint - it's a super-eclectic episode with some really fantastic 'songs with horns' picks, so enjoy!! Songs discussed in this episode: A Message To You Rudy - The Specials; Young Americans - David Bowie; The Impression That I Get - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones; Rudie Can't Fail - The Clash; Bitch - The Rolling Stones; The Underdog - Spoon; Put The Road In Order - Bras...

This week, New York musician Stephen Bluhm brings us John Cale and his hauntingly beautiful 1973 masterpiece: 'Paris 1919' Songs discussed in this episode: Paris 1919 (live at the Paradiso Amsterdam Netherlands) - John Cale; Any Little Thing - Stephen Bluhm; Big White Cloud - John Cale; No One Is There - Nico; All The Love You Want, Wissahickon - Stephen Bluhm; Satellite Of Love - Lou Reed; China Sea - John Cale; Easy To Slip - Little Feat; A Child's Christmas In Whales, Hallelujah, Hanky Panky...

What more can be said about Led Zeppelin's densely iconic sixth studio album, 'Physical Graffiti', that hasn't already been said? Apparently quite a bit. Returning guest Corey duBrowa takes us to rock school as we unpack this multi-platinum hard rock mammoth of a double-record. Songs discussed in this episode: Kashmir (Live at Olympia, Paris, France - July 1995) - Jeff Buckley; Sons Of Freedom - Robert Plant & Jimmy Page; Thurston Hearts The Who - Bikini Kill; Custard Pie, The Song Remains The ...

The third and final studio album by Argentine rock band Pescado Rabioso, 1973s 'Artaud', is essentially a solo album by enigmatic singer/songwriter Luis Alberto Spinetta. The record's jagged, irregular shape foreshadows the darkly beautiful music within, and this week's guest Ale Campos (Las Nubes) helps hopeless gringo Rob unpack this essential Spanish-language gem. Songs discussed in this episode: Bajan (Live feat. Gustavo Cerati, Dec 2009) - Luis Alberto Spinetta; Would Be - Las Nubes; Lust ...

New Orleans singer/songwriter Lynn Drury helped Rob get over his irrational Jeff Tweedy/Wilco bias and fully embrace their 1999 release, 'summerteeth'. Tweedy and multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett combined intricate studio experimentation with pure pop to craft a wonderfully ambiguous gem of a record. Songs discussed in this episode: Thirteen - Wilco; Blue, Fade - Lynn Drury; The Palace at 4 A.M. - Jay Bennett; I Can't Stand It, She's A Jar - Wilco; Baby Do Right - Lynn Drury; A Shot In The Arm...

This week, we're joined by Patron Marcia Potts as we travel back to a simpler time when the shirts were bright, the jackets Members Only and the music was...AWESOME! When director Martha Coolidge made her 1983 sleeper hit 'Valley Girl', she filled the movie with New Wave gems made popular by KROQ's "Rock of the 80s" format. Unfortunately the planned release of a soundtrack album was cancelled due to clearance problems with some of the songs. In 1994, Rhino Records FINALLY righted this wrong and ...

When British band Ultravox released their fourth studio album 'Vienna' in 1980, the addition of new lead singer Midge Ure marked a total change in direction from experimental post-rock to lushly orchestrated synth-pop. This week's guest, singer/songwriter Oscar Herrera (The Sleep of Reason, Black Tape For A Blue Girl), joins us as we explore this icely beautiful record that manages to be both cold-blooded and fierce at the same time. "This means nothing to me..." Songs discussed in this episode...

When author Bob Suren (Weird Music That Goes on Forever: A Punk's Guide to Loving Jazz) was first exposed to hardcore music as a teen in the early 80s, it opened his ears and mind to to a world beyond his suburban life in Stuart, FL. The Reno, NV band 7 Seconds were a big part of this awakening, and their blistering 1982 7" E.P. 'Skins, Brains & Guts' is a record that STILL gets him high! Songs discussed in this episode: If The Kids Are United (Sham 69 cover, live 1985) - 7 Seconds; Hardcore Ru...

Writer/director Jeff Greenstein (Will and Grace, Desperate Housewives, Friends) joins us again this week to unpack an album - and artist - that continues to get him spectacularly high: 'Big Science' by avant-garde titan Laurie Anderson. This weirdly wonderful, surprisingly catchy selection of musical highlights from her eight-hour production United States Live was ahead of its time in 1982, and STILL resonates today. Welcome to the future! Songs discussed in this episode: O Superman - Ilmiliekk...

This week, British blues guitarist, singer/songwriter Bex Marshall brings us Irish funk rock band Republic Of Loose and their acclaimed 2004 debut 'This Is The Tomb Of The Juice'. With a surprising range of sounds for an outfit from Dublin - including gospel, rap, smoky blues and dirty funk - leader Mick Pyro and company sound like a cross between OutKast and the Stones, with a bit of Sly Stone thrown in. Although relatively unknown in the states, they attracted some heavy duty fans back home in...

This week, returning guest Emile Milgrim (Las Nubes, Other Electricities) brings us Kate Bush, and her groundbreaking fourth studio album 'The Dreaming'. Released in 1982 - and her first that was entirely self-produced - the highly experimental collection of unconventional, at times dense soundscapes initially baffled both critics and the general public. Over time, however, it has been embraced as a triumph of inventive songwriting and unpredictable performances by an artist fully embracing her ...

For this special BONUS episode, we asked our Patrons to send in a song where the drumming/drummer got them high. Turn it up!! Songs - and drummers - discussed in this episode: Train In Vain - The Clash (Topper Headon); Satisfaction - DEVO (Alan Myers); PDA - Interpol (Sam Fogarino); Anthrax - Gang Of Four (Hugo Burnham); Tusk - Fleetwood Mac (Mick Fleetwood); Making Plans For Nigel - XTC (Terry Chambers); Forget - Mission Of Burma (Peter Prescott); No Backbone - The Lemonheads (Bill Stevenson);...