Mark And Sarah Talk About Songs

And now it's time for a podcast! Thanks to multiple requests, we're talking about En Vogue's "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)", and we are grateful for the funkiness. We're also brimming with theories about the song's major characters, facts about its important place in 90s pop, and sidebars about Paula Abdul.   Speaking of: Paula provides "Opposites Attract," which is th...

Just in time for Mother's Day, we're talking about pop songs featuring single moms. As a chorus of birds chatters outside Sarah's house, we consider how society's shifting attitudes about motherhood are reflected in a variety of dope hits. We also consider roller skating, Motown writer's rooms, and beats that make any subject enjoyable.    MASTAS is Mark Blankenship and Sarah D. Bunting, This week...

Sarah wanted to talk about a Liz Phair song, and then it became FOUR Liz Phair songs. And even that seems a little scant, actually, as we dive into the far-reaching excellence of her music, the weird demands of her fans, and the unlikely heartbreak of the cast of 24.    MASTAS is Mark Blankenship and Sarah D. Bunting. Theme song by Jack Baldelli and Laura Barger. Outro by Liz Phair. Visit us at fa...

We have theories about grunge! MANY THEORIES! A discussion of "Plush" by Stone Temple Pilots leads to everything from the band's unexpected evolution to the possibility that true-crime shows inspired the whole genre. Listen closely for Mark's special grunge vocals and Sarah's explanation of our whole Candlebox thing.   MASTAS is Mark Blankenship and Sarah D. Bunting. Theme song is by Dav...

Roxette uses "Listen To Your Heart" to blast us with power-ballad glory. That gets us talking about the value of being earnest, the glory of not-quite-English lyrics, and the exciting (for Mark, at least) chart facts surrounding Sweden's most popular bands. Bonus drinking game: Take a shot every time we say "Scandi"! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californi...

Our booties may never stop shaking! We are gagging over "Low" by Todrick Hall and RuPaul, which gets us talking about the joy of hot beats, the magic of witty lyrics, and the necessity of unapologetic sexuality in queer anthems. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...

Billy Joel's mama named him William, so we will call him William! A chat about his early-'80s album track "Sleeping With the Television On" leads us to consider the best and worst Joel-isms, that strange era when TV stopped showing things for the evening, and the mysterious identity of this Leyna woman.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at htt...

We're so old! To celebrate our 50th episode, we rank every song on the Indigo Girls' self-titled album, and you'd better believe there are tears. There are also roughly 500 important high-school memories, an analysis of the spiritual in popular song, and a few terrible lyrics that we just can't forgive.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art1...

Some say love it is a podcast and MASTAS its only...pod? Strained metaphors aside, we're talking about Bette Midler's "The Rose," and we're pleasantly confused by our affection for this treacly ditty. Plus, we make an urgent request for a very particular cover version. Who will make our dreams come true? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at htt...

Why yes we ARE tastefully sweaty! That's because we're rocking out to Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf." Why is this song still so alluring? So forbidding? So weird? We discuss all this and more, including a whole sidebar about songs you can't listen to around your friend's parents. Plus, there's a new pop chart astrology reading! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Ca...

Don't get sad; get MASTAS! We're savoring the danceable ache of Yaz's "Only You," which several listeners asked us cry about together. We're also discussing our respect for frontwomen, a time that Sarah used to drive around acting crazy, and Mark's ludicrous British accent. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-s...

MASTAS would like to thank the Academy for...some of these Oscar-winning songs. But for some of them, we'll never forgive them! As we talk about Oscar highs and lows, we also reflect on Celine Dion's teeth, Sarah's time at Talbot's, and Mark's unforgettable trip to China. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info....

Gladys Knight is basically Sophocles, y'all. Or at least, we find a way to link "Midnight Train to Georgia" to classic Greek drama. There are also stops at Mark's college years, Sarah's sympathies for '70s ladies trying to lean in, and the allure of hot backing vocals.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-...

And the award for Sassiest Podcast goes to...MASTAS! Unless Adele wins, that is. Either way, we're talking truth about this year's Grammy nominees for Record and Song of the Year. Listen for Bieber shade, Rihanna praise, and the origin story for Mark and Sarah's entire deal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-in...

We got the night fever, and we never recovered! Join us as we rank every song on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and gasp along as we discover that we radically disagree on certain disco classics. Stick around for a little feminist/queer theory, a little praise for Yvonne Elliman, and a LOT of lust for '70s-era Travolta and Andy Gibb. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califo...

Mark and Sarah aren't particularly religious, but when Tim McGraw compares himself to God, they still get up in arms. His insidiously "sensitive" song "I've Got Friends That Do" provokes rage about everything from arrogance to disrespecting Dolly Parton to halfheartedly suggesting the existence of parallel universes.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californ...

Turn your overalls around for MASTAS 41! Special guest Nick Rheinwald-Jones brings us Another Bad Creation's "Iesha," which naturally leads us to their boy-band battle with Kris Kross, the Svengali dreams of Michael Bivins, and the endless ocean of tweens who scored R&B hits in the early '90s. Plus, we find some MASTAS fanfic in a dark corner of the internet! See Privacy Policy at ht...

It's country-folk heartbreak, served three ways! The piercing songs of Jason Isbell get us talking about less-is-more lyrics, the fallacy of closure, and phony-baloney country artists who are not like Jason Isbell at all. Plus, there's a thing about J-Izzy sending you a kitten. HE JUST MIGHT DO IT. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/p...

This world might be bulls**t, but this podcast sure isn't! MASTAS rings in 2017 with the funky self-loathing of Fiona Apple's "Criminal," which gets us talking about women who resist the mold, hit songs that lead to weird experiments, and the things we'd do to honor S. Epatha Merkerson. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/pri...

Can listening to R.E.M. make you cool? It sure used to seem that way! A discussion of their classic hit "Stand" leads to thoughts on college radio, weird shower dancing, and the way stupid lyrics can be totally awesome sometimes. Also: This is our last episode of 2016! Thanks for spending time with us this year. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notic...

Well ho, ho, ho there! We've each chosen two Christmas songs we like and two Christmas songs that make our eggnog curdle. If you think that causes emotional moments of reflection, a tirade about mommy kissing Santa Claus, and a whole thing about buying presents at the mall, then you're right!  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privac...

Mark and Sarah have basically been preparing for 26 years to rank every song on "The Immaculate Collection." Now that day has come. Get ready for personal memories, passionate stances, and several gasps of surprise. Get ready, too, for a ton of song clips, because how can you choose just one? (Editor's note: you may experience some echoing in parts of the recording. We apologize for any...

Why are we so freaking relaxed? Because we're talking about Enya! Join us as we ponder her unlikely career, the reason straight boys think she's cool, and all the fictional languages she uses to lull us into a beautiful state of peace. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz com...

MASTAS loves dad-rock! In particular, Sarah's dad loves Chicago, which gets us talking about the brassy horns of "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" Then Mark uses his "skeezy lounge lizard" voice, Sarah goes deep with road trip memories, and John Fogerty gets confused with J. Geils. Mark's dad won't be happy about that last one. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/...

We don't quite join the Beyhive, but we certainly buzz around it as we discuss Beyonce's "Countdown." We also ponder what it means to be perfect onstage, when a cheap chorus is just the tonic, and how Rihanna fits into the picture. Special thanks to John Ramos and Tara Ariano for pitching in last week -- and to all of you for tolerating Sarah's Aeneid references. See Privacy Policy at ht...