Dad's Attic

Strangely, the summer had gone so fast it almost felt like a dish at Thanksgiving--passed. (Hey, we can't all be Raymond Chandler!) Our final episode of the season is here, and we've got a (partially) wrapped biography on Stan Freberg as referenced in our last show. (Can anyone really get to the bottom of that guy?) This week Dad does try to get to the bottom of who sparked the likes of Ri...

A few spooky Suspense scenarios, a burrow down a 'Wally and Beaver' rabbit hole, and a snippet about Stan...you've got yourself the penultimate episode of Season 4, folks! In our normal fashion (if either one of of us could possibly be considered normal ... ( We are normal and we want our freedom (Hey! What is this, an episode about the Bonzo Dog Band again??))), we attempt to explain...

Hey Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, quit Monkeeing around already and listen up! Dad has some hot takes on artists that should not have been inducted...along with some that 'to-Tull-y' should be (Hint, hint)! Also, find what it was like to live life as a Monkee, and then browse through Dad's Jethro Tull album collection with us. Check out photos of the album art on our Instagram page--its_...

If there's one thing we do best it's sharing our critiques of what many would consider "old news", but to us, old news is the best news. Today's news is that Dad promises this will be the last serious critique of his favorite band to loathe...The Stones. We'll just see about that! Then stay tuned for a series of outrageously grotesque, desperately verbose advertisements f...

Ahh, summer...when you make the hike up the attic stairs, sweating profusely over seemingly obsolete topics of yore...that's right, we've forgone the poolside for the important stuff! ! A report on The Flintstones, more on Judy Collins, and a bio on Bea Benaderet! How could anyone resist?! And listeners, while I understand you may want to tune in from your beach chair, I ask, why not get i...

Good morning, afternoon, or evening! Whenever or wherever you've found us is fine by us. We happen to be broadcasting not from dad's attic, but from Willa's basement. C'mon! It's hot in that attic in summer! Give us a break! We had what seemed like an unlimited amount of chatting to do today, specifically about the impeccable casting of the Andy Griffith show, the uninhibited l...

In this episode we leave the attic and make a break for the great outdoors. Welcome to 'Willa's Backyard'! (Doesn't quite have the same ring to it...back to the drawing board) Today we giggle and gaggle about various 60s tunes, the venerable Verna Felton, and the publication of yet another delightful collection of Ernie Bushmiller's 'Nancy' comic strips. Darling listene...

Dear listener, you might be wondering which delightful topic the above title is referring to. Well, you are sure to be impressed to discover it pertains to two separate themes: The 1952 classic western 'Bend of the River' as well as the humorous film 'The Producers'. You see, the words in our title are synonymous with 'Bend of the River', and we all know Mel Brooks was behi...

In this episode Dad and Willa compare 1970s rock and roll greats Stevie Wonder and Chicago, exploring the momentous sound produced by the two. Dad also uncovers fascinating lyrical secrets of Bobby Bloom's 'Montego Bay' (Who Vernon and Gillian are we may never know!). Dad is very excited at the prospect of expanding his Nancy comics collection. Surely Ernie Bushmiller will be a hot topic of conver...

5...4...3...2...1....Mics on, volume up...we're back on the air! It has been a few seasons since we've had a season, and folks, we are flooded with ideas and fervor to talk about all things antique. Join us for discussions on W.C. Fields (again), P.G. Wodehouse, and the little known Connie Converse. It's good to be back! Tabbytwist!

The truth behind the Dad's Attic legend of us never saying 'um'.

Dear listeners, a name change may be in our future; you may come to know the show as Grandpa's Attic from here on out! With the new little Alfred Hitchcock look-alike on the way, we conclude this season with a healthy talk on many musical musings, specifically touching on the works of Keef Hartley, Cat Stevens, and Fleetwood Mac, among others. As usual, we can't help but mention some favor...

In this episode our two crusaders of quondam culture prattle on about the likes of Sinatra, Little Richard, the band 'Bread', and so much more. Join us for a discussion on viewpoints changing over time, for better or for worse! Just don't 'touch that dial' and change this episode out for one of those 'blech' new fangled podcasts that revolve around ' gasp!' mode...

I know, I know what you must think, that Willa and Dad are little finks for not uploading an episode link for weeks on end...it really stinks! But here you go, before you blink, we've got it all but the kitchen sink. No really, today we get back to business discussing Lennon's 'Lost Weekend' period, chatting about Hogan's Heroes, and a variety of other miscellany. We are glad t...

We all know Dad and Willa both believe in honoring the past. In this episode our chat turns to the sense of responsibility we have to continue processing classic works of art, be they movies, books, radio shows, music... what makes them so great? What makes them stand out? Do they still deserve to take up space in the collective consciousness? Well. We don't know all the answers, but we contin...

What didn't we cover in this one?! We unwrap literal and figurative gifts in this episode, bouncing back and forth with the silliest quips, cracks, and conundrums. It's got a little bit of everything, including chats on Jim Croce, a synopsis of the movie 'The Stranger' directed by Orson Welles, talks of radio comedians Bob and Ray, and so, so much more. It's a hoot, this one, e...

Here we go again, embarking on another explosion of pop culture history here on Dad's Attic, Season 3! Lots of things have happened since we shared the airwaves with you last and, boy, are we glad to be back to the mics. To get things rocking and rolling again, we are covering a topic that is dear to us both, and to so many others out there: The Beatles. It's an absolute wonder that we kep...

Ho, ho, ho! The holiday season is upon us. A new year is around the corner, but we at Dad's Attic prefer to ring in the old and...put off the new until next year. So come along with us on a retro Christmas escapade as we discuss classic carols, provocative short stories, heartwarming flicks, and entertaining old radio programs. We unwrap a little bit of everything in this special episode! Won't yo...

 Tonight Dad gives us a loving account of one of our favorite old time radio shows, Gunsmoke. Such a treasure of a show! And Willa finish us off with the beginnings of a conversation featuring The Beach Boys...which we've determined must continue on in season three! We've had some good vibrations going on tonight for our final episode of season two. It's been so fun, fun, fun, we're already l...

Peppered with a variety of other topics, this week we satiate our appetite for antique TV and movies by biting off a hunk of the 60s show 'Family Affair', a show that Dad wouldn't say is necessarily his bread and butter, though he does admit when the other three TV channels left something to be desired, he did indulge as a young lad. We then scoop up a big gulp of the 50s film 'Niagara', which is...

We won't Yank-ovic your chain, we were a bit cranky about the comics, but, frankly, Yankovic turned out to be a barrel of unexpected fun. Accordion to dad, the funny pages aren't what they used to be, but still gets plenty of laughs from them every day. And on the rare occasions when he doesn't he folds them into an accordion and pretends he's Frankie Yankovic to his wife's chagrin. (Polka)Dot's a...

You'll sointenly enjoy this episode of Dad's Attic, especially if you are a fan of the slapstick stylings of The Three Stooges. If you aren't a fan, tune in anyway. At the very least, you'll work your extraocular muscles as you roll your eyes and learn a little something about the trio to boot. But before we launch into Stooge territory, Dad and Willa discuss the topic of creative borrowing amongs...

If you thought we couldn't get more far reaching into the realms of past pop culture, guess again. This week, Dad gives detail on John Lennon's first album 'Plastic Ono Band' and also shares readings from Lennon's fantastical books. Too bad Dad didn't bone up on his Liverpudlian accent for this one--you'll just have to 'Imagine'! To top it off, Willa gets into all things spooky by sharing her favo...

What you might not know is that during every episode Willa's mom, A.K.A., Dad's wife Geralyn, sneaks up and serves a healthy snack to us two hosts. One thing she does not do is break into 'Everybody Eats When They Come to My House' while doing so--a grave oversight. After this episode, we sure hope she gets the memo, since a major topic of discussion this week is the esteemed Cab Calloway. Get gea...

We can only hope in our wildest dreams that our dear listeners avidly tune in to episodes of Dad's Attic the way the masses tuned in to Ed Sullivan on Sunday nights. In this show we discuss how Ed made it all work so well. If that's not enough, sit back, crack a can of spinach, as we gleefully explore the metaverse of Popeye the Sailor Man (Toot!).