Blastfrom Castfrom

In this year we discuss the year 2021, also known as 2020 Part 2. This is the Blastfrom annual review of the year that just passed, except a lot later in the year than usual. Perhaps that additional time will have generated a greater fondness for what was a very uneven year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anthrax - Megadeth - Metallica - Slayer The Big 4 of Thrash Metal are to this day the most famous and influential America heavy metal bands of all time. And for a brief period of time, they made metal music very popular.  In this episode we listen to all of the full length studio albums released by these four behemoths of metal - more than  half a days with of music. For the one member of the squa...

Writing about music is like arching about dancitecture. In this episode we turn to the music critics among us - those tasked with trying to measure the worth of an art form and subsequently conveying that worth to their own audience.  We have zoned in on the collected professional reviews of Harry Styles' recent album Harry's House. We try to glean, from the florid descriptions of this piece of po...

Notorious Academy Award assailant Will Smith was once a very popular and successful musician. Not only is he a pioneering figure in the now burgeoning genre of assaulting comedians on stage, Smith was also once a trailblazer in the genre of Rap music - winning the first ever Grammy award for Best Rap Performance. Now that the 'Ali' actor's film career appears to be on the ropes, perhaps he'll turn...

For heavens sake, the Blastfrom Castfrom have reunited for some severe punishment. In this episode we have the the impossible task of editing Wu-Tang Forever (the Wu-Tang Clan's 1997 quadruple album) to a single disc LP. Will it be a great triumph, or a pile of dog zhit? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the second year in a row, the Blastfrom Castfrom abandons the premise of being a music podcast to review the Grandaddy of them all - Wrestlemania. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Blastfrom Castfrom is known to it's several dozen listeners as a time travelling podcast - where we look into the historical context and interesting stories in popular music history. Every now and then we check back in with more contemporary music... just to see what's going on. Kind of like a nosey neighbour peering through their blinds. Awards season is the perfect time to find out what that...

Hurling at you now is the latest episode of the Blastfrom Castfrom. The world of Wayne's World (or maybe that should just be Wayne's world, small 'w') has been quoted enough times on this podcast that it seemed worthy of further discussion. The original Wayne's World movie was an early 90's phenomenon - hugely successful and culturally significant. The sequel also happened. If you're interested by...

In this sequel to the Musicians in the Movies episode we discuss thespian invasion of pop music. People who imagine themselves so talented that one branch of the entertainment industry cannot hold them. Some people hate it - they're taking up space after all that could be allocated to professional musicians. Space in the studio. Space on the record release schedule. And finally space in the bargai...

Tim Michaelson returns to the Blastfrom Castfrom in a life changing episode. You might know the Village People as a novelty Disco act from the late 1970s. You might not know they are a source of inspiration for self improvement - where faith meets unwieldy muscularity. Tim lets us in on the secret of his success - turning the words of Village People into a way of life. A powerful life. Listen to t...

In this episode of the Blastfrom Castfrom we take a look and listen to David Bowie in his most financially successful incarnation - a bleach blonde superstar playing to the MTV generation. It was time to cash in on a decade of good will and critical acclaim. He reimagined himself once again, jettisoning his long time production partner Tony Visconti in favour of hit maker Nile Rodgers. Not only th...

For the unfamiliar – Beef Rap is not a bovine offshoot of the popular music genre. To have ‘beef’ with another person is to take umbrage with something they have done or said. In Rap music, these issues are best addressed through the medium of song. Fury is not always the motivation for starting a lyrical feud. Some are looking to make a name for themselves, assert their overall dominance over the...

Imagine all the people enjoying the year 2020. In this episode of the Blastfrom Castfrom we terrible year and try to wring out what little pop culture related discussion points existed. We hope someday you will join us and listen to this episode of the Blastfrom Castfrom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gerrymania is running wild on the latest episode of Gerry’s Show on the Blastrom Castfrom. Rustlemania, more commonly referred to as WrestleMania, is presented every year by WWE. At Gerry’s suggestion, we abandon the entire premise of the Blastfrom Castfrom and talk about something current and with a very tenuous link to music. WWE’s WrestleMania features elbows, a liquid hat, butt shaking, specia...

The western world has never been able to let go of the 1980s. For the last 3 decades we’ve been revisiting that time in our history, trying to recapture the magic. If you combined Michael Mann, Walter Hill and a Paul Schrader script with entirely too many ellipses you might get something like Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 film ‘Drive.’The film stirred up a modernised 80s nostalgia that that was repr...

In the absence of a live music experience over the last year, Blastfrom constructs the ultimate fantasy gig. In order to pass history class, we must collect historical figures from pop music history and force them to play before a packed San Dimas High School auditorium – this time without the guidance of George Carlin. Bear witness to the outcome of this absurd and convoluted premise in the lates...

Cover songs – the tracing paper of pop music. Or perhaps its more like flat pack furniture. Or ‘Paint by Numbers’ might be more accurate. Overwrought analogies run even more wild than usual in the latest episode of the Blastfrom Castfrom (which is really saying something) as we cover the covers. We talk about Pat Boone, who made a name for himself reimagining R&B hits for a particular audience. Ji...

The endlessly fascinating Lauryn Hill is a cherished icon of 90s Hip Hop and R&B. Her debut solo album was a smash hit, critically lauded and received an embarrassment of riches during awards season. In the years since, the reputation of this piece of work has grown. Retrospective reviews have heaped praise upon praise for Hill’s one and only solo studio album. It figures into just about every ‘be...

Belly was a film released in 1998, starring rappers Nasir “Nas” Jones and Earl “DMX” Simmons. It was very poorly received in it’s initial run but quickly earned something of an odd cult status. It was also the bare beginnings of a burgeoning film career for DMX. He was a big deal at the time. Nas’s film career was not quite as… burgeoning. Written, directed and produced by Harold “Hype” Williams,...

A Christmas Gift for You from Blastfrom.24 festive songs are pulled from Santa’s sack are pitted against each other. We apply what is called Seasonal Reasoning among other things to decide which of these songs are etched into the Blastfrom Festive Playlist and which are banished forever into oblivion. If you disagree with any of the choices, there’s pretty much nothing you can do about it – record...

The first and possibly last Gerry Mak takeover on the Blastfrom Castfrom. As promised, topics of the day are addressed briefly before delving into the most interesting voices in pop music history. An additional strong disclaimer - do not follow the advice given by Gerry regarding social distancing. Maintain distance as recommended by government and health officials. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...

The heady days of the 1960s. So in love with ourselves and each other that space travel seemed of utmost importance. If extraterrestrial life exists, they'd be so pleased to see us right? We come in peace - and love. Fast forward to 2020 and we can't even stand to be around each other -why in the name of all that is good should we spread our disease-ridden, hate-filled bodies all over the universe...

Blastfrom goes to the movies. In the latest episode of the podcast we review the fascinating concerts film ‘The Song remains the Same’ starring Led Zeppelin. Released in 1976, The Song Remains the Same is an odd kind of concert film. The live performances at Madison Square Garden are interspersed with story sequences that apparently represent each band members particular tastes – mushrooms, fire s...

Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Adele, Linkin Park, Neil Young, Prince, Smash Mouth, Queen, Guns N’ Roses, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Rihanna and the Village People…These are some of the artists who would not appear on the Donald Trump playlist by their (or their estates) own volition. Toby ‘Suplex Machine’ Keith is eligible for the Donald Trump Playli...

Questionable popular culture is the lifeblood of Blastfrom. Nothing is more questionable than the popularity and cultural relevance of Wrestling in recent years. So we look back at some of the moments when music and Wrestling squared off. Music has been an integral part of the identity of Pro Wrestling for decades. You have the all important entrance themes, wrestlers who turn their talents to mus...