Screw It, I'm Just Gonna Talk About Music Or Whatever

These are all songs that have opposite pairs in the titles (with the exception of one that has "opposite" in the title and that's good enough for me). I think I also misspoke and said that the Elliott Smith album was called "From A Basement On A Hill" rather than "From A Basement On THE Hill", so my apologies to all you definite article-heads out there.   Songs discussed in this episode: The Smile...

Songs featuring keyboard/mallet percussion! We're celebrating the struck idiophones today - vibraphone, xylophone, glockenspiel, marimba, tubular bells, and more!   Songs discussed in this episode: Bobby Hebb - Sunny (1966) Harumi - Hurry Up Now (1968) Spoon - Everything Hits At Once (2001) Bright Eyes - Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh (2000) Fiona Apple - Sleep To Dream (1996) Field Music - Let's W...

Numbers - ever heard of 'em? All the songs in today's episode feature counting! Not count-ins, count-ins don't count as counting.   Songs discussed in this episode: Len Barry - 1,2,3 (1965) Feist - 1234 (2007) The Beatles - All Together Now (1969) Beyonce - Countdown (2011) Adam Ant - Apollo 9 (1985) Kendrick Lamar - DNA (2017) Philip Glass - Einstein On The Beach: Knee Play 1 (1976) The Smile - W...

Songs about friends! There are certainly other songs about friends, some very famous, that I didn't include, but that's fine because these are all really good. So be my friend about it why don't you!   Songs discussed in this episode: Adam Ant - Friend or Foe (1982) Ween - Friends (2007) Amanaz - Khala My Friend (1975) John Cale - Fear Is A Man's Best Friend (1974) Tubeway Army - Are 'Friends' Ele...

All the songs in this episode mention multiple different body parts, sometimes in list format and sometimes not.   Songs discussed in this episode: Dirty Projectors - Two Doves (2009) Nina Simone - Ain't Got No / I Got Life (1968) Nina Simone - Ain't Got No - I Got Life (1968) Townes Van Zandt - Two Hands (1971) Neutral Milk Hotel - Two-Headed Boy (1998) They Might Be Giants - Dinner Bell (1992) Y...

Here are some of my favorite songs featuring the strings section of the orchestra.    Songs discussed in this episode: Maurice Ravel / Ysaye Quartet - String Quartet in F Major M35:2 (1903/1991) The United States of America - Stranded In Time (1968) Scott Walker - The Old Man's Back Again (1969) Radiohead - Faust Arp (2007) Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine (1971) Bjork - Unison (2001) Electric Lig...

It's raining in LA, so here are some songs all about rain!   Songs discussed in this episode: Violent Femmes - I Hear The Rain (1984) B.J. Thomas - Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head (1969) Gene Kelly - Singin' In The Rain (1952) Ann Peebles - I Can't Stand The Rain (1974) Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains (1995) The Fortunes - Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again (1971) Ryuichi Sakamoto - Rain...

Sorry to all you South Carolina-heads out there, but this episode is about indie songs that work well for practicing footwork for the Charleston. That's how these are connected in my head, but I'm open to other interpretations of why they go together. Songs discussed in this episode: Air - Surfing On A Rocket (2004) Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood (2001) Neutral Milk Hotel - Naomi (1996) Yo La Tengo - Y...

All the songs on today's episode are 2 minutes or less! That's it! I tried to get a wide variety of songs for this one. As with every episode, I love all of these songs and I hope you do too.   Songs discussed in this episode: Frank Black - Whatever Happened to Pong? (1994) The Nerves - When You Find Out (1976) Kokomo - Asia Minor (1961) Misfits - Hybrid Moments (1978) Melody's Echo Chamber - Unfo...

My brother Sam is here to talk about the 1990 Depeche Mode album "Violator" with me! I talked about that I should listen to this album on the previous episode, and then I did and I freaked out all week. Sam and I go through the album, which somehow includes me playing songs by two artists who are in no way related to Depeche Mode. Also at one point I say something about "when we were a kid" - were...

Synth-based songs that sound sinister! Incorporating sounds of various genres including darkwave, synthwave, industrial, and probably others, but I genuinely don't understand how to categorize these things. The songs are all good, I'll say that.   Songs discussed in this episode: The Faint - Your Retro Career Melted (2001) Nine Inch Nails - Closer (1994) Kavinsky - Nightcall (2010) Panda Bear - Mr...

This episode features all songs that have flutes in the intro! Various types of flutes, as we'll get into. As it turns out lots of different types of songs can be kicked off with a flute.   Songs featured in this episode: Alessi Brothers - Seabird (1976) The Unicorns - Sea Ghost (2003) Bonga - Kualuka Kueto (1983) Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer (1986) Herbie Hancock - Watermelon Man (1973) Francis B...

Today's episode is about songs with previously established parts that overlap later in the song (distinct from simultaneous quodlibet, I think).   Songs discussed in this episode: The Beatles - I've Got A Feeling (1970) Beck - Nicotine & Gravy (1999) Glasser - Apply (2010) Hamid Al Shaeri - Ayonha (1983-88) Saada Bonaire - You Could Be More As You Are (1984) Marika Hackman - So Long (2017) Yeasaye...

Brett Morris (CBB World, Screw It We're Just Gonna Talk About The Beatles, a million other podcasts) joins me to talk about Ween's 2003 album "Quebec"! We go pretty long here, including a lengthy tangent about Radiohead.   Other Ween songs I recommended to Brett after recording: I'm In The Mood To Move, Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down), Roses Are Free, Voodoo Lady, What Deaner Was Talking About, Pi...

This episode is short, but ALL THREE SONGS ARE GREAT. These are three of my favorites, I'm talking about them today because it's upsetting me that I haven't yet. I want everybody to listen to these songs.   Songs Discussed In This Episode: The Left Banke - Pretty Ballerina (1967) Bridget St. John - The Pebble And The Man (1971) "Blue" Gene Tyranny - Next Time Might Be Your Time (1977)

It's holiday time, which for many people means family! Or some version thereof!   Songs discussed in this episode: Boney M - Daddy Cool (1976) Danzig - Mother (1988) Animal Collective - Brother Sport (2009) John & Beverley Martyn - Auntie Aviator (1970) Spirit - Uncle Jack (1968) Vampire Weekend - Cousins (2010) Bill Withers - Grandma's Hands (1971) John Prine - Grandpa Was A Carpenter (1973) K-Ci...

Today's songs all have titles in the imperative mood, including both affirmative (what to do) and negative (what to don't).   Songs discussed in this episode: Norma Tanega - Treat Me Right (1966) Perpetual Langley - Surrender (1966) Tom Waits - Hoist That Rag (2004) Madness - Shut Up (1981) Phyllis Dillon - Make Me Yours (1967) Junior Senior - Move Your Feet (2002) They Might Be Giants - Don't Let...

Today I'm sharing some songs from Japan that I like!   Songs discussed in this episode: Kyu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki (1963) Mariah - Shinzo No Tobira (1983) The Mad Capsule Markets - 公園へあと少し (1994) Susumu Hirasawa - Mediational Field (2007) Haruomi Hosono - Bara To Yaju (1973) Yukiko Okada - Hana No Image (1986/1999) Akiko Wada - どしゃぶりの雨の中で (1969) Masumi Hara - My Golden Hour (1984) Sh...

Our first episode with a theme based on lyrical content! This week all the songs are about money, either having it or not having it.   Songs discussed in this episode: Pink Floyd - Money (1973) Jane Kennaway - IOU (1980) Gary U.S. Bonds - Out Of Work (1982) Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M. (1993) Radiohead - Dollars and Cents (2001) Fat White Family - Tastes Good With The Money (2019) Destiny's Child - B...

This episode is about things that go bump in the night, by which I mean creepy stuff, NOT cocaine. This episode isn't about cocaine. I share songs I like dealing with monsters, aliens, skeletons, ghosts, and general spookiness.   Songs discussed in this episode: Joan Baez - The Magic Wood (1968) Dave Kennedy & The Ambassadors - Zombie Jamboree (1968) Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London (1978) Neut...

Today I'm sharing some favorite songs with big BIG drums, mostly but not all in the realm of psychedelia.    Songs discussed in this episode: The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows (1966) The Millennium - Prelude (1968) Pugh Rogefeldt - Love, Love, Love (1969) Dungen - Panda (2004) Broadcast - Man Is Not A Bird (2004) Kathy McCarty - Rocket Ship (1994) Doves - Here It Comes (2000) Paul Simon - Obvious...

I'm joined today by my friend Grace Spelman to talk about HORNS! Big ones, wet ones, stabbing ones, etc. You know, horns.   Songs featured in this episode: The Beatles - Good Morning Good Morning (1967) Love - Alone Again Or (1967) Steely Dan - My Old School (1973) Genesis - No Reply At All (1981) Frank Zappa - Peaches En Regalia (1969) Frankie Valli - Grease (1978) David Byrne, St. Vincent - Who...

Today I'm sharing some songs that feature elements of orchestral/classical music and electronic/digital sounds!   Songs discussed in this episode: SEATBELTS - Piano Black (1998) Jun Miyake - Lilies of the Valley (2011) Bjork - Where Is The Line (2004) Marina Herlop - Miu (2022) Balún - El Espanto (2018) Carmel Smickersgill - Leaving (2022) FKA twigs - home with you (2019) Björk - Jóga (1997) Sufja...

This week I'm sharing some of my favorite build 'em up songs - some that introduce each instrument, and some that continually add layers over the course of a song. Also a little "or whatever" note about neustons.   Songs discussed in this episode: Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells Pt. 1 (1973) Sly & The Family Stone - Dance To The Music (1968) Archie Bell & The Drells - Tighten Up Pt. 1 (1968) WITCH -...

An episode with guests! Holy cow!!! I'm joined today by my friends from another podcast, "Screw It, We're Just Gonna Talk About the Beatles" - Will Hines, Brett Morris, and Joel Spence. Instead of talking about the Beatles, this time we're screwing it and just talking about The Moody Blues' 1970 album "A Question of Balance".