Mark And Sarah Talk About Songs

When does sad music make us happy? When we're talking about Erasure's "Oh L'Amour"! We're also covering the hierarchy of '80s Brit bands, MASTAS bingo, and songs that protect you like armor. Our intro is by David Gregory Byrne and our outro is by Duran Duran. Want to request a song, buy a birthday chart reading, or just say hello? Email us (talkaboutsongs@gmail.com), tweet us (@TalkSongs...

Don't listen to your parents, kids! Love that bad boy, or he'll DIE! These and other valuable lessons are learned as we discuss "Leader of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las and "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals, with Lyn and the Invaders' underground cut "Boy Is Gone" thrown in for good measure. Our intro is by Andrew Byrne, and our outro is by the Beatle-ettes. Want to reque...

In Episode 3 of MCBYP, Dan and Tracie and Sarah examine the bona fides of RHOBH's own Erika Jayne, the second-most legit musician in the Housewives stable. Is "Painkillr," her 2014 "chart" "topper," a sweaty club banger or a subversive study of a woman on the edge? It depends how quickly you listen to the lyrics. SHOW NOTES Bandcamp page: moneycantbuyyoupodcast.bandca...

Sometimes a great song is the best revenge. We're talking about Kesha's "Praying" and all the ways it underlines how music can help us, both individually and collectively, kick some butt. Our theme is by David Gregory Byrne, and our outro is by Dubstar. Want to request a song, buy a birthday chart reading, or just say hello? Email us (talkaboutsongs@gmail.com), tweet us (@TalkSongs), or...

When is a generic country song actually the best country song? As they discuss Travis Tritt's weepy "Foolish Pride," Mark and Sarah realize they don't entirely agree on the answer. However, they both HAVE an answer, which leads to extended metaphors about living rooms and a return to the idea of male emotion in popular song. Our theme is by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli, and our outro i...

Kick off your Sunday shoes, because we're ranking every song on the Footloose soundtrack! This sparks debate about Kenny Loggins's place in the world, Shalamar's sexy talk, and the value of fringe on a football uniform. Our theme is by Andrew Byrne, and our outro is by Tommy Keene. Want to request a song, buy a birthday chart reading, or just say hello? Email us (talkaboutsongs@gmail.com), tweet u...

What's worse: A song you've grown to hate, or a song you've always hated? That's the quandary in our discussion of Tom Cochrane's "Life is a Highway" and Jon Secada's "Just Another Day." As we consider our rage, we also touch on party etiquette, ill-fitted shirts, and how to fail at McDonald's. Our theme is by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli, and our outro is by Red Rider. Want...

In what might be the most MASTAS conversation ever, a discussion of Carly Rae Jepsen's "Cut to the Feeling" leads us to '80s movies, conversational French, gazpacho recipes, and the punishing constraints of Western masculinity. All that, plus a pop chart reading for a 10-year-old! Our theme is by David Gregory Byrne, and our outro is by Hole. Want to request a song, buy a birthday chart...

Paul Davis may have been the crappiest boyfriend on 80s lite FM, but damn if his tunes aren't catchy! As we recall the moist sounds of "Cool Night" and "'65 Love Affair," we reflect on long-haired hunks, melodic sexual harassment, and raising a toast to your own nuts. Our theme is by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli, and our outro is by Polly Jean Harvey. Want to request a song,...

In Episode 2 of our MASTAS spin-off, Dan and Tracie and Sarah go deep into the catalogue of the original Real Housewives vanity singer extraordinaire: Kim Zolciak. After orienting ourselves with “Tardy for the Party” (music with a message!) and a clip from Kim’s legendary on-camera vocal lesson, we discuss our decision to cover “Love Me First,” a song that was not only not featured on the show, bu...

Is "Moves Like Jagger" a good song? Is Maroon 5 a good band? And who's the Jag of Project Runway contestants? All these questions are explored as we investigate the surprisingly durable career of a Voice coach and his buddies. Our theme is by Andrew Byrne, and our outro is by The Rolling Stones. Want to request a song, buy a birthday chart reading, or just say hello? Email us (talkabouts...

We've got to think! Think about why we love Aretha Franklin! Our discussion of "Think" lets us honor the dearly departed diva as both a musician and an eccentric auntie. Listen for Aretha's drunk-driving PSA, and our fantasia about fur coats and sacks of cash.   Our theme is by Andrew Byrne, and our outro is by Cat Power. Want to request a song, buy a birthday chart reading, or just say...

On Episode 1 of the new MASTAS spin-off, Dan and Tracie and Mark and Sarah dig into the vanity singles of the Real Housewives, beginning with New York City and the first song from the great Countess Luann. Considering it first appeared on the show in 2010, the song is also a testament to Luann's ability to keep it (and her) in the cultural conversation, because, as they say: elegance is learned, r...

We are a part of a MASTAS Nation! By which we mean we're ranking every song on Janet Jackson's classic album "Rhythm Nation 1814." Along the way, Sarah startles herself by loving a slow jam, Mark chair-dances so hard he almost hurts himself,  and we both have some strong advice for pop stars who make political statements. Plus, we welcome our first-ever return customer for a pop chart as...

Is this burning an eternal podcast? We'd like to think so! A discussion of the Bangles' classic ballad gets us to some of the '80s' best songwriters, the unusual harmony of the "circle of fifth," and (most importantly) a powerful musical about STDs that we'll be writing soon.   Our theme is by David Gregory Byrne, and our outro is by Aimee Mann. Want to request a song, buy a birthday cha...

The sweet sound of The Lovin' Spoonful's "Darling Be Home Soon" gets us talking about relationships that give us space, lyrical phrasing that gives us chills, and YouTube comments that make us believe in humanity.    Our theme is by David Gregory Byrne, and our outro is by Cake. Want to request a song, buy a birthday chart reading, or just say hello? Email us (talkaboutsongs@gmail.com),...

There was a time when both Bruce Willis and Don Johnson had hit songs, and we're talking about both "Respect Yourself" AND "Heartbeat." This week, "we" means Mark, Sarah, and our very special guests Dan Rogge and Tracie Potochnik. Listen on for info about the exciting MASTAS spin-off, along with talk about TV stars with pop music dreams, the value of the Pointer Siste...

What starts as a simple discussion of Miranda Lambert's "Bathroom Sink" quickly evolves to include Dolly Parton's song about a dead dog, the best way to destroy your ex-boyfriend's car, and yet another potential side project for Allison Krauss. So here's to country-music superstars: You never know which dirt road they'll lead you down next!   Our intro is by Laura Barger and Jack Baldell...

We don't believe in metaphor, so for us "Pour Some Sugar On Me" is a song about dessert. Okay, not really. Talking about Def Leppard's hard-rock classic gets us surprisingly amped, even if we do have to draw some very delicate lines around what's problematic and what's cockular.    Our intro is by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli, and our outro is by Talking Heads.  Want to request a song,...

Noir and nastiness and...nerds? That's what you get with "Watching the Detectives," Elvis Costello's archly clever jam. Special guest Kevin Flynn joins us to discuss mysterious lyrics and peppy songs about dark deeds. We also discuss Duran Duran's cover of this joint and what makes a cover work in the first place.   Our theme is by David Gregory Byrne, and our outro is by the Police.  Wa...

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MASTAS is for your ears only as we rank 7 Bond themes that reached the top 10. Will the sky fall as we discuss everything from Duran Duran's sex appeal to Sheena Easton's Oscar misadventures? Will we live and let die after Mark's shocking revelation about his dessert preferences? Listen and find out!   Our theme this week is the Bond theme. Obvs. Want to request a song, buy a birthday chart readin...

Tina Turner had a pair of weird (but wonderful) #2 hits in the '80s, but which one is the WEIRDEST? We're sussing it out as we discuss "We Don't Need Another Hero" and "Typical Male." Naturally, we also discuss thunderdomes, children's choirs, and men who still wear spats. Listen closely for a cameo by a Finnish metal supergroup!   Our intro is by Andrew Byrne. Our outro is by...

[NOTE: MB's sound is tinny; that's all SDB's fault. Our apologies! We're working on it.] ...Turns out we're both big Miley Cyrus fans, and proud of it! A discussion of her breakthrough hit "See You Again" leads to a defense of her buttcheeks, an aside about power pop choruses, and a contest that could win you a MASTAS t-shirt.   Our intro is by Andrew Byrne, and our outro is by Lennon &a...

If it makes us happy, does it matter what Billy Corgan says "Today" is about? That question drives our conversation about the Smashing Pumpkins classic, though there are sidebars about poetry, MTV, and (yet again) Candlebox.    Our theme is by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli, and our outro is by Hole. Talk to us on Twitter (@TalkSongs), Facebook (facebook.com/mastas.podcast), and email (t...