

Discord and Rhyme: An Album Podcast
Discord and Rhyme
A music podcast where we discuss our favorite albums, song by song.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 7, 2021 • 1h 51min
079: Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1970)
The career of jazz trumpeter and composer Miles Davis from the late 1940s through his (temporary) retirement in 1975 largely doubles as a tour of every significant stylistic development in the jazz world during this time. By the late 1960s, after taking acoustic jazz as far as he believed it could go, Miles chose to immerse himself in the world of electric jazz fusion, and his 1970 album Bitches Brew remains both one of the most famous jazz fusion albums and one of the most famous Miles Davis albums overall. In this episode, Mike leads a discussion on this monster of a listening experience: an album that that gets labeled as jazz-rock but often sounds nothing like either jazz or rock; an album that got dismissed by many contemporary jazz listeners and critics as a sell-out even though it's some of the least accessible music Davis ever made; and an album where producer Teo Macero proved that extensive tape manipulation could work every bit as well in the jazz world as it could in the rock world.Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, John McFerrinComplete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/079-miles-davis-bitches-brew-1970Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpodDiscord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Aug 31, 2021 • 45min
Now That's What I Call Music (1983) - Disc 1, Tracks 1-5
As our UK listeners know, the Now That's What I Call Music! series started clear back in 1983, when a couple of major labels got together and decided to make some money by releasing a bunch of singles all at once. All of us born-and-bred Americans thought it would be fun to investigate the big chart hits from across the pond, so here's our next comp series! Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Amanda Rodgers, Dan Watkins, Limahl's mullet Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry LoveDuran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know?UB40 - Red Red WineLimahl - Only For LoveHeaven 17 - TemptationLimahl's mullet: https://kajafax.co.uk/gallery/limahl-1983/"Temptation" in Trainspotting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Yqdm2AKk0Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpodOpening credits music: Jeff Wayne - Theme from ITV's World of SportClosing credits music by Kenneth Kraylie, originally composed by Andy Partridge with new lyrics by Adam Smith of the Hector Collectorshttps://kennethkraylie.bandcamp.com/https://casinos.bandcamp.com/https://thehectorcollectors.bandcamp.com/

Aug 24, 2021 • 2h 10min
078: The Flaming Lips - Embryonic (2009)
In 2009, 25 years into their career, the Oklahoma-based eccentric alt-rock band The Flaming Lips released a dark, terrifying double-album that nobody could have expected when "She Don't Use Jelly" landed them a cameo on Beverly Hills 90210. Embryonic is an album that prompts strong love-it-or-hate-it reactions in listeners, and John (host), Rich, and Mike land among the album's lovers. Join us for a detailed look at an absolutely wild musical and emotional journey, where sheer beauty mingles with overpowering low-end, and where devastating looks at depression mingle with whimsical (yet melancholy) tunes about a woman who imitates a frog. Cohosts: John McFerrin, Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabioComplete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/078-the-flaming-lips-embryonic-2009Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpodDiscord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Aug 10, 2021 • 1h 50min
077: Sam Phillips - Martinis and Bikinis (1994)
You might know Sam Phillips from those lovely "la la la"s on the Gilmore Girls soundtrack, or as Katya, the silent assassin in Die Hard: With a Vengeance. But she's also a fiercely talented songwriter with an encyclopedic knowledge of music and a literary lyrical sense. She first cut her teeth in the contemporary Christian music world (as Leslie Phillips, “the Christian Cyndi Lauper”) before leaving Myrrh Records and forging a creative and personal bond with producer T Bone Burnett. But though her 1994 album Martinis & Bikinis is a secular album on the surface, it’s brimming with a spirituality that makes its point without resorting to dogma, as well as melodies and arrangements that reference the Beatles without slipping into pastiche. So join Rich, Amanda, and John for a Discord & Rhyme that’s one part Beatles study and one part Bible study, with a little bit of XTC and The Brave Little Toaster thrown in for good measure.Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, John McFerrin, Amanda RodgersComplete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/077-sam-phillips-martinis-and-bikinis-1994Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpodDiscord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Aug 3, 2021 • 41min
Twenty-Two Twos: #19-24
In which we exceed the prescribed number of twos. Genesis - That's AllMadonna - Open Your HeartThe B-52's - 52 GirlsTool - EulogyHeart - AloneMark Knopfler & James Taylor - Sailing to PhiladelphiaCohosts: Rich Bunnell, Amanda RodgersGet early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpodDiscord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod Rich's blog post explaining this concept: https://discordpod.com/blog/2019/6/10/22-2sOpening theme: Devo - It's Not RightClosing theme: Blur - Song 2

Jul 27, 2021 • 2h 9min
076: The Who - The Who Sell Out (1967)
This week, we’re throwing away our hard-earned indie cred and dropping in a few more words from our sponsors than usual. We have some great new products to tell you about, and along the way, we will be discussing the 1967 classic The Who Sell Out. Conceptualized as a tribute to the UK pirate radio culture of the mid-60s, The Who go all-in on the concept (well, at least until they completely drop it about three-quarters of the way in) complete with station IDs and their own fake commercial jingles. It captures the band at their peak as a 60s pop band with instantly catchy melodies and clever, funny lyrics. Crack open another can of Heinz Baked Beans and join Dan, John, Ben, and Rich as we dig into this product placement classic.Cohosts: Dan Watkins, Rich Bunnell, Ben Marlin, John McFerrinComplete show notes: http://discordpod.com/listen/076-the-who-the-who-sell-out-1967Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpodDiscord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Jul 20, 2021 • 39min
Twenty-Two Twos: #13-18
The Track 2 journey continues! This time we're taking a detour through Indie Rock World.The Chap - Fun & InterestingSleater-Kinney - IroncladPony Up! - The Truth About Cats and Dogs (Is That They Die)CHVRCHES - Leave a TraceVon Sudenfed - The RhinoheadPet Shop Boys - This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to LeaveCohosts: Rich Bunnell, Chris Willie WilliamsRich's blog post explaining this concept: https://discordpod.com/blog/2019/6/10/22-2sSleater-Kinney performs "Ironclad" at the 2015 Pitchfork Music Festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z983DY2nPnw"The Truth About Cats and Dogs (Is That They Die)" music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPdhe-nK07sOpening theme: Devo - It's Not RightClosing theme: Blur - Song 2Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpodDiscord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Jul 13, 2021 • 1h 18min
Bonus Mini-Episode: Beatles Covers
We're taking a break after our giant Genesis episode, so we decided to share one of our Patreon bonus episodes with everybody: the one where we found another excuse to talk about the Beatles! So please enjoy this conversation about Beatles songs covered by other artists: the good, the bad, and the really, really weird.Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers Get more Patreon exclusives! https://www.patreon.com/discordpodDiscord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod Songs discussed: Sparks - I Wanna Hold Your HandRichie Havens - Here Comes the SunGrant Green - I Want to Hold Your HandCoroner - I Want You (She's So Heavy) Barbra Streisand - MotherProcol Harum - Eight Days a WeekFreddie Hubbard - Cold TurkeyMicky Dolenz - Good Morning, Good MorningPeter Gabriel - Strawberry Fields ForeverAlarm Will Sound - Revolution 9Stereophonics - Don't Let Me DownYes - Every Little ThingSpotify playlist (with some extras!): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7DrHnTnHTL50BmTY1jJ8Qr?si=6482fb861b1a400c

Jul 6, 2021 • 37min
Twenty-Two Twos: #7-12
More of our favorite Track 2s! Tracks 2? Who knows. Songs in this episode: Motörhead - Love Me Like a ReptileThe Byrds - Have You Seen Her Face?The Isley Brothers - Footsteps in the DarkTelevision - VenusSly and the Family Stone - ChickenWeen - Flutes of ChiCohosts: Rich Bunnell, John McFerrinRich's blog post explaining this concept: https://discordpod.com/blog/2019/6/10/22-2sOpening theme: Devo - It's Not RightClosing theme: Blur - Song 2

Jun 29, 2021 • 2h 60min
075: Genesis - A Trick of the Tail (1976) and Invisible Touch (1986)
What kind of band was Genesis - strange, artsy prog-rock masters, or catchy, commercial pop stars? In this very special episode of Discord and Rhyme, we brought in returning guest Jeff Blehar to help make the case that they did both equally well - and not only that, but the presence or absence of Peter Gabriel was not the main influence on their sound. They never truly lost their prog sensibilities, but they did get better at balancing them with more commercial and accessible sounds. After you get through all three hours of our third double feature, you will be the person at the party who says, “WELL, ACTUALLY” when someone tries to tell you that post-Gabriel Genesis is bad. Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers, Jeff BleharComplete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/075-genesis-a-trick-of-the-tail-1976-and-invisible-touch-1986Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpodDiscord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod