Job Description with Rick Koster

As he gets older, Rick is finding that the nostalgia evoked by his all-time favorite albums evokes feelings of melancholy instead of joy.

Rick and Peter share favorite memories of jazz great Ellis Marsalis and Fountains of Wayne bassist/songwriter Adam Schlesinger, both of whom died from complications related to coronavirus.

Who actually likes singing "Happy Birthday?" Rick proposes some alternative ways to measure 20 seconds at the bathroom sink to make sure you are properly washing your hands.

Rick recalls better times - the day he spent in the early 1990s drinking scotch with Roger Kahn, the late author of "The Boys of Summer."

Luanne Rice's new novel "Last Day" will launch with at Bank Square Books on Saturday Feb. 1 as part of The Day's new book club Read of the Day. While that's two weeks away, Hygienic Art's 41st annual Salon des Independants show opens this weekend.

It's going to rain on Halloween this year, and Rick is not okay with towns trying to postpone trick-or-treating. Halloween is full of memories for both Rick and Pete - like the time Pete walked into a nursing home and realized his costume was totally inappropriate, or the incident that made Rick realize he was too old to dress up and knock on doors. Links: Rick's List - Halloween Tombstone Edition...

Rick and Pete reflect on Justin Hayward's show with Mike Dawes at The Garde, and recall times they went along to see someone else's favorite band.

Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues plays at the Garde Arts Center on Saturday. The Moody Blues, and Hayward's songs in particular, were a big deal to a young Rick Koster.   Songs we discuss:   “In the Beginning / Lovely to See You” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AukFsBv2oDY  “Watching and Waiting” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHCtqq8GDxA “The Actor” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFHUJeT...

Rick's band used to cover songs from movies in the eighties. Pete's musical taste was defined by movie soundtracks of the nineties. Are films still a major vehicle for popular music, or have video games taken over?

We were supposed to talk about something else today, but our sound check turned into an entire episode. Rick sneaks into a Brian Wilson sound check, while Pete looks for help facilitating sound checks at local candidate debates.

Stupider? More stupid? Rick and Pete discuss a scientific study that found pop songs have become musically and lyrically simpler over time. Does simpler equal worse?

How do certain bands become our favorites? Pete's favorite band, Rustic Overtones, play Saturday at the Knickerbocker Music Center in Westerly. Plus, Rick has some ideas on how to use the radio to make road trips more interesting.

Song Spinner is a video series we produce for The Day where musicians perform a song and tell the story behind it. This episode of the podcast is an extended interview form our most recent Song Spinner session. See the video at: https://youtu.be/wPV8QWruQsA Straight to VHS is a three piece rock band from New London, Connecticut whose members, guitarist/vocalist Jon Young, Drummer Jay Silva, and ba...

There is so much art, history and culture in the world, and so much of it is so far away, how will we ever get to see everything we want to see before we die?

A lot has happened to musical theater since Rick's favorite musical, "Pippin." Features editor Kristina Dorsey sits in to discuss how "Hamilton" has put hip hop in front of new audiences while teaching history lessons in a novel way.

Is it possible to appreciate art while disapproving of the artist? Rick and Peter discuss the talented comedians, musicians, authors, actors and athletes who were revealed to be terrible people, and how to view their work in light of their transgressions. Topics include Woody Allen, Louis C.K., Kevin Spacey, Ted Nugent, Michael Vick, Harvey Weinstein, Rudyard Kipling and Mark Twain.

Rick and Peter find some things to like about chain restaurants, find even more to like about authentic Texas BBQ, and try to determine the appropriate amount of time for bands to wait before playing an encore.

Put down your cell phone! Stay until the end of the show! And stop talking! Rick went to see Kendrick Lamar recently, and can't understand how millennials behave at concerts.

Rick went to review Slayer's show at Mohegan Sun Arena, part of their Farewell Tour, (read the review here) and it was so loud, he had to improvise a pair of earplugs.

Rick calls Peter at 6:30 Saturday morning to make sure he doesn't miss the Royal Wedding.

Rick reacts to some news about his favorite musicians – Neil Finn of Crowded House joins Fleetwood Mac, and The Moody Blues are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And what do you think about the new Childish Gambino video for This Is America?

Is Rick still scared by zombie movies? Will Pete’s kids love The Goonies and The Princess Bride as much as he did? We reflect on the movies we saw as children and what we see in them now when we watch as adults.

Rick opines on the latest Grammy awards, lamenting that pop performance and spectacle have pushed out musicianship. He approves of Bruno Mars, but Cardi B? not so much.

Rick and Peter think back on their work and musical listening habits of the past year.

Singer/pianist Eric Stevenson of the piano/painting duo Pocket Vinyl talks about their new documentary Drive. Play. Sleep. Through dozens of interviews and on-the-road footage, the film tells the story of independent, do-it-yourself musicians touring the country and trying to make a living from their art. Stay to the end of the podcast to hear a new song from their forthcoming album "Uncomfortably...