The Curmudgeon Rock Report

In which The Curmudgeons get on up, get into it and get very, very involved in talking about one of the most extraordinary stretches of music ever produced by anyone. When James Brown went all in on what he called "The One," emphasizing the first beat in a four-beat measure, he sparked a musical revolution that not only invented funk but also defined the early development of hip-hop. "The One" was...

In which the Curmudgeons get on the good foot and launch a three-part look at the career of a man who may just be rock 'n' roll's truest genius. From jail time in his rough-and-tumble youth to showtime at the Apollo and the chart heights of "I Got You (I Feel Good), we trace the ascension of James Brown as he croons and shuffles his way to superstardom. By 1965, he was ready to unleash a musical g...

In which The Curmudgeons are joined by renowned author and R.E.M. biographer Tony Fletcher to fondly analyze the band's musical and cultural legacy, 40 years after the album Murmur changed rock expectations forever. We also discuss why one of the best bands in American history doesn't seem to get its due, despite its obvious influence on the sound and shape of today's rock. Tony supplies learned i...

In which the Curmudgeons are joined by South Korea-based radio DJ Daniel Springer to debunk myths and celebrate the music of Australia's coolest, sexiest--and best--band of the 1980s. INXS was far more than a band with one ubiquitous hit and a gorgeous, tortured lead singer. They took elements of funk, soul and jazz and melded them with New Wave sensibilities to create something truly special: roc...

In which the Curmudgeons pulverize one of this century's most revered rock bands. And also perhaps its stupidest.   Bandleader Gerard Way claims in interviews he formed My Chemical Romance after witnessing the Twin Towers fall from his native Northern New Jersey on 9/11. That's bad enough. Way and his mates then unleashed a torrent of disgustingly celebratory stories of vampires who enjoy suicide...

In which The Curmudgeons mix bewilderment with disdain in discussing the stench-filled star run of The Killers, the Vegas band by way of Utah who have aped a band or two -- or 50 -- you may know and love for nearly 20 years.   We hold our noses and analyze a seven-album catalog that finds so-earnest-it-hurts bandleader Brandon Flowers travel a road from revering Duran Duran to capturing the spirit...

In which The Curmudgeons embark on a tour of 1970s Germany to discuss and analyze the influence of the artists and bands who invented and innovated the rock genre derisively coined Krautrock by snotty British people. The German musicians and label heads themselves called it "cosmic music." Theirs was a movement designed to distinguish a not-so-admirable Old Germany from a bolder, more hopeful, out...

In which the Curmudgeons share our definitive countdown of sublime and powerful covers of rock songs by an array of artists. Some cover artists we know you've heard of before (Led Zeppelin, The Who). Others? Maybe not (Charles Bradley, Urge Overkill). Doesn't matter. After you hear our take on these songs, you'll never need to consume another list like this one ever again.    Find specific section...

In which the Curmudgeons muse about the greatness of the rawest, realest Beatle here in the age of cancel culture. Lennon's very public journey from depressive edginess to middle-aged wisdom was inspiring and remains fascinating to study. First, we analyze how the tension between Lennon and Paul McCartney defined The Beatles' legacy. Then we trace the maturation Lennon evidenced on tape throughout...

In which Arturo Andrade rips Dave Grohl's renaissance project turned to unfortunately real band to shreds and does so vigorously...and with plenty of Internet-bred validation from others who hate this band. Chris O'Connor, who counts Grohl as a personal hero, only lightly pushes back. Alas, a turd is a turd. Let us rumble through this (mostly) steaming heap stench by stench. Usually, we endorse th...

In which one of Yours Truly Curmudgeons, Arturo Andrade, flies solo and empties out his vault to share the greatest "extended play" rock albums ever released. It's a list that has Chris O'Connor's endorsement and includes a few treasured classics as well as some obscurities and very bashed-out primitive recordings from beloved artists. Artists discussed include: R.E.M. Melvins Butthole Surfers The...

In which the Curmudgeons each count down their picks for the 20 best albums of 2002. There is plenty of overlap, but there is also plenty of disagreement. Is Beyonce awesome or lazy? Is Soul Glo a piece of gold or a piece of garbage? Either way, these are all the titles to snack on as you catch up on all this music we loved--or at least admired.  Chris's list begins at 11:31.  Arturo's list begins...

In which the Curmudgeons examine the career and the great music of rock 'n' roll's best "brother and sister" act. Okay, so they were really ex-husband and ex-wife, but hammy mythos was small part of what made The White Stripes so compelling. That, and their incredible ability to deconstruct and celebrate the blues, country and folk with explosive guitar and simple drums while also writing and reco...

In which the Curmudgeons continue their revisitation of rock 'n' roll's magical yet tense rise as the music and attitude of American youth. Last episode, we discussed the parochial influences that shaped the earliest rock and the Black pioneers who introduced it to the world. Now, we discuss what happened when Whites got a load of it. The teens loved it. Corporate America? Not so much.    Songs di...

In which The Curmudgeons celebrate this thing here called rock 'n' roll by going all the way back to the beginning. Actually, we go back to before the beginning and discuss the cultural movements and formative influences that gave our beloved musical form its shapes and colors. We also honor the four men we believe were the foremost pioneers of the genre: Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, Little Richard an...

In which the Curmudgeons counter one of the laziest conventional wisdoms in all of rock 'n' roll: that Muse is a self-serious, ridiculous ripoff of Radiohead that appeals to dumb people with bad taste. No, actually they're one of the most fearless and inventive bands of the 21st century that gets a central rock tenet: ridiculousness is your friend. This band rocks without apology. We make the case...

In which the Curmudgeons offer a study of albums from artists whose music and grand ambitions influenced the U.K.'s beloved band Muse. We'll be defending Muse during our next episode. The band's status as a mainstream stadium filler has made them a target for lazy disrespect. We're pushing back, and we're starting now with a journey through the past.    Albums discussed during this episode include...

In which the Curmudgeons offer a public service and guide you through the essentials within Osees' vast catalog of albums. This is a band that changes its name every couple of years, so maybe it's not a surprise they've released more than 20 studio albums since 2007, plus singles collections and the like. That's a lot...but, yo, we got you covered.    Albums discussed during this episode include:...

In which Curmudgeons celebrate a cult band from Vermont whose cult became massive by the end of the 1990s. The members of Phish were not noodling descendants of The Grateful Dead. They were virtuoso musicians whose songcraft and studio output--and even their live performances!--are sorely underrated. Well, not anymore.    Songs discussed during this episode include: The Chats, "I've Been Drunk in...

In which the Curmudgeons explore the six studio albums the Dead recorded and released between 1973 and 1980. By the time they dropped Wake of the Flood in 1973, the exploding cult following of their live output meant they didn't really need to make good albums to remain successful. And yet they did.   Songs discussed during this episode include: Phosphorescent, "My Beautiful Boy" RZA, "We Push" A...

In which the Curmudgeons begin a two-episode analysis of how The Grateful Dead transitioned from legends of the late '60s psychedelic underground to makers of extraordinary and timeless albums by the beginning of the 1970s. We ride that train as the band journeys through its first five studio albums.       Songs discussed during this episode include:   Money, "Suicide Song"   Purple Mountains, "Sh...

In which the Curmudgeons express admiration for a band you may have heard a negative word or two about. No, Don Henley must not die! The Eagles were much, much more than the sum of a greatest hits record that sold a boatload of copies. We explain why.    Songs discussed during this episode include: Pink Mountaintops, "Lights of the City" Black Midi, "Hellfire" The Eagles. Lots and lots and lots of...

In which the Curmudgeons recite and (sometimes furiously) shout an epilogue to the end of the 1990s. Napster, Woodstock '99, and the consolidation of radio ownership all happened during this period, and nothing has quite been the same since. But, hey, we did get a great Red Hot Chili Peppers record and the debuts of The White Stripes and System of a Down. So that's cool...    Songs discussed durin...

  In which the Curmudgeons step back a quarter of a century to analyze the tail end of a very special era for rock 'n' roll. Radiohead ascended. U2 and Oasis descended. Lillith Fair proved women could lead the festival charge. And The Verve got royally screwed in the most "Bitter Sweet" of ways.    Songs discussed during this episode include:   Angel Olson, "Big Time"   Built to Spill, "Fake Recor...

In which The Curmudgeons blast through a year defined by the legends launched during its 12 months. Beck, Tool, Sleater-Kinney, Weezer, Stone Temple Pilots and Wilco all dropped era-defining albums. Plus, Phish and Oasis cemented their statuses as perhaps the best live bands in the world. Come on and feel our noise...   Songs discussed during this episode include: Wilco, "Cruel Country" Drive-By T...