Discord and Rhyme: An Album Podcast

Rich, Mike, and Amanda answer a bonanza of questions from listeners. Topics include retro prog, great live albums and not-so-great live shows, fantasy supergroups, synesthesia, our favorite recent releases, and no fewer than three questions about the Moody Blues. Listen through to the end for a special request to listeners! 

Clips: 

Peter Gabriel - Start Def Leppard - Animal The Moody Blues - Here Comes the Weekend Ween - Friends The Velvet Underground - I'll Be Your Mirror LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends Jenny Conlee - Hawk (Dorian) Mary Timony - No Thirds Marnie Stern - Plain Speak Peter Gabriel - i/o (Dark-Side Mix) Days Between Stations - The Man Who Died Two Times Mondo Drag - Out of SightOpeth - Heart in Hand iamthemorning - 5/4 Liza Minnelli - I Want You Now Robert Wyatt - Sea Song Johnny Cash - A Boy Named Sue (live) Oingo Boingo - No Spill Blood (live) Underworld - Cups/Push Upstairs (live) Girls5eva - Famous 5eva Lalo Schifrin - Theme from Mannix Andy Partridge - I Wonder Why the Wonderfalls The Simpsons - Canyonero Bob's Burgers - Thanksgiving Song The Simpsons - Lisa, It's Your Birthday 

Theme: The Moody Blues - "Question" 

Amanda on synesthesia: https://discordpod.com/blog/synesthesia-corner 

Rich on synesthesia: https://discordpod.com/blog/synesthesia-corner-vol-2-born-to-synesthete

Peter Gabriel is a favorite artist of many of us here at Discord & Rhyme, but we?ve saved him for our own 138th Episode Spectacular. Peter Gabriel III (aka Melt, so called because half of Gabriel?s face on the album cover looks like a melting candle) isn?t just John?s favorite Peter Gabriel album; it?s an album that made him reconsider (in a favorable light) the entirety of popular music in the 1980s and the concept of using the production studio to create entirely new sounds, and John leads a very enthusiastic discussion on an album that we love very much. Join John, Amanda, Rich, and Mike as we gush over an album that transformed solo Peter Gabriel into something greater than ?the guy who used to sing for Genesis?; a dark noisy hellscape frontier of an album full of burglars, assassins, and not one cymbal anywhere.

Cohosts: John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers, Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/138-peter-gabriel-peter-gabriel-iii-1980

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Hear that? There goes the siren that warns of the air raid ? or maybe that?s just Bruce Dickinson?s voice. This week, Mike continues his quest to make Discord & Rhyme more metal with the album Powerslave by Iron Maiden. In the popular consciousness, Maiden are known for their goofy album covers and hits like ?Bring Your Daughter ? to the Slaughter.? But if you dig just a little deeper, they were vanguards of the new wave of British heavy metal, with a seven-album run in the ?80s that ranks among the greatest winning streaks of the album era, metal or otherwise. Powerslave is arguably their peak, boasting some of their greatest compositions and brainiest lyrics, with subjects running the gamut from The Prisoner to the military-industrial complex to the dawn of British Romanticism. But most importantly, it rocks, and Mike has invited Phil, John, and Rich to discuss eight amazing songs that will put you at a losfer words.

Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, John McFerrin, Rich Bunnell

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/137-iron-maiden-powerslave-1984

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Kylie Minogue had a big comeback last year with the Grammy-winning TikTok hit ?Padam Padam,? so Rich decided that it was finally time to give the Discord & Rhyme treatment to one of his favorite divas. Kylie?s 2007 album X wasn?t just an artistic comeback, but a physical and emotional one, recorded in the wake of her grueling but successful treatment for breast cancer. At the time, there was a groundswell of anticipation for her next big move, and X was the first album Kylie conceived as a singular project, rather than the latest entry in a production line of releases. Accordingly, there?s a certain vivaciousness and a willingness to try anything on this album that makes it unlike anything in her catalog, with songs that evoke Timbaland, Serge Gainsbourg and ?90s R&B sitting alongside Kylie?s trademark Eurodisco. Some of the experiments work better than others, but the album as a whole is a fascinating portrait of a moment in time, both for mid-2000s pop music as well as Kylie herself. And Rich has invited returning guests Jen Carman and Dave Weigel to help elaborate on why you, too, should be so lucky to become a Kylie stan.

Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Jen Carman, Dave Weigel, Mike DeFabio

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/136-kylie-minogue-x-2007

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Amanda has been threatening to talk about bluegrass on the podcast for years, and we finally settled on the perfect album to start with: Live!!!! Almost!!! by the Dillards. Half a comedy album and half a virtuoso performance by expert musicians, it?s a fantastic introduction to the genre. It was recorded in front of an audience completely unfamiliar with bluegrass music, so the band chose songs that were catchy and accessible, then made it even more engaging by adding Smothers Brothers-style jokey commentary in between. The result is an interesting and very entertaining live album that stands a good chance of winning over any bluegrass skeptics, and even if it doesn?t, it gives us a chance to explain why we like it. 

Cohosts: Amanda Rodgers, Ben Marlin, John McFerrin

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/135-the-dillards-live-almost-1964

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Uriah Heep were never critical darlings, but for a brief period in the early seventies, they were making some absolutely killer fantasy-tinged rock. Phil has always had a soft spot for 1972?s Demons And Wizards, which is probably the best example of what could happen when this band was truly firing on all cylinders. He, along with Dan and Mike, makes the case for why this album should be a staple of any respectable early seventies hard rock collection.

Cohosts: Phil Maddox, Mike DeFabio, Dan Watkins

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/134-uriah-heep-demons-and-wizards-1972

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Rodgers and Hammerstein?s musical Oklahoma! was a massive hit on Broadway in 1943. It changed musical theater forever and inspired a well-remembered 1955 film. Ben hasn't seen the musical or the film, and he doesn't know the plot or the names of the characters. But he loves the music. He and Rich and John dive into a 1964 studio recording of the Oklahoma! soundtrack and make a case for why the show?s musical numbers endure.

Cohosts: Ben Marlin, Rich Bunnell, John McFerrin

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/133-rodgers-and-hammerstein-oklahoma-1964

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were gifted musicians with a deep and complicated personal relationship, which makes them perfect subjects for a Discord & Rhyme holiday episode. Their magnum opus, Bridge Over Troubled Water, was a huge hit in 1970 and is still as beautiful, innovative, and occasionally silly as it ever was. Ben, Amanda, Rich, and John love this album dearly, and discussing all its strengths and arguing over its few flaws was the perfect way to wind up Discord & Rhyme?s sixth calendar year. Happy holidays, everyone, and may all your relationships be less acrimonious than Simon and Garfunkel?s. 

Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Ben Marlin, John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/132-simon-and-garfunkel-bridge-over-troubled-water

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

1 2 X U! As punk was just beginning to take off in the UK, Wire was already looking ahead, itching to push the genre toward artsier, more abstract frontiers. Their 1977 LP Pink Flag planted the seeds for post-punk and hardcore before most kids had even had a chance to spike their first mohawk. Boasting a dizzying 21 tracks at an economical 35 minutes, Wire packed more into one album than some of their peers managed in a career. Join Dan, Phil, Mike, and Rich as they discuss how it holds up as one of the boldest debuts of the punk era. 

Cohosts: Dan Watkins, Phil Maddox, Mike DeFabio, Rich Bunnell

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/131-wire-pink-flag-1977

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

It?s time for a psychedelic podcast extravaganza, five years and two recordings in the making! The album Chips from the Chocolate Fireball by XTC?s alter-egos the Dukes of Stratosphear was supposed to be our fifth episode, but technical difficulties turned the episode into a splendid cream bun. But Rich, Ben, and Mike are finally back for a second round discussing a collection that perhaps isn?t XTC?s definitive artistic achievement, but it?s possibly the most pure fun you can have in their discography. Artistically adrift in the mid-?80s, the band adopted goofy pseudonyms and recorded a loving tribute to the ?60s music of their youth, produced by psychedelic engineering wizard John Leckie. If you enjoy Pink Floyd, the Byrds, the Small Faces, the Kinks, the Yardbirds, and especially the Beatles ? which you most likely do, because you?re listening to this podcast ? you owe it to yourself to take a bike ride to the moon with the Dukes.

Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Ben Marlin, Mike DeFabio

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/130-the-dukes-of-stratosphear-chips-from-the-chocolate-fireball-1987

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Gentle Giant comes up so often on Discord & Rhyme, especially considering how obscure they are outside the world of hardcore prog rock fandom, that it?s amazing we haven?t covered them yet. Many 1970s prog rock bands aspired to combine rock with classical (and jazz among other things), but unlike most of their contemporaries, Gentle Giant actually knew enough about classical music to make the combination something more than rock crossed with a touch of 19th century Romanticism. John?s pick for their best album is Octopus of 1972, an album that fires ideas at the listener so rapidly that the various songs (and these are all songs, in the 3-6 minute range) become extremely memorable, even as they?re sometimes among the most complex and bewildering music to come out of the 1970s. Come listen to John, Mike, and Phil tell you why they?ve fallen in love with this band and with this album.

Cohosts: John McFerrin, Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/129-gentle-giant-octopus-1972

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

For this year?s Halloween episode, we wanted to go with an artist who scares the living daylights out of us, and what better choice than Nick Cave? After all, this is a man who once recorded an entire album of murder ballads, and whose legendary single ?The Mercy Seat? charts a killer?s stream of consciousness as he is led to the electric chair. We could have picked almost any of Cave?s albums with the Bad Seeds, but Mike threw a curveball and chose the covers album Kicking Against the Pricks, because sometimes the best way to get to the essence of an artist?s work is examining the way they interpret and curate the work of other artists. The album boasts a truly eclectic set of songs, with pitch-dark Delta blues sharing a tracklist with light pop by Tom Jones, Gene Pitney, and the Seekers, all cloaked in the one-of-a-kind, macabre atmosphere that Cave?s fans have come to know, love, and fear. Yet by the time this carnival is over, you?ll have a sense of the light that glows beneath the darkness of his music. Happy Halloween!

Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Rich Bunnell, Amanda Rodgers

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/128-nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds-kicking-against-the-pricks-1986

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Beatles For Sale is a relatively obscure album, to the extent that any Beatles album could be called obscure. This album was recorded at a time when the Beatles were creatively exhausted and almost half of it is covers, which is why it?s often dismissed as one of their weaker efforts. But we don?t think that?s fair. It?s not world-changing, that?s true enough, but it doesn?t have to be. They were still writing interesting, exciting originals, and the covers are (mostly) very well chosen and excellently performed. Once you?ve listened closely, you?ll realize that tracks like ?Rock and Roll Music,? ?Eight Days a Week,? and ?Every Little Thing? are absolutely essential to understanding the Beatles, and even the tracks that aren't as important are still tons of fun.

Cohosts: Amanda Rodgers, John McFerrin, Ben Marlin, Dan Watkins

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/127-the-beatles-beatles-for-sale-1964

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Slint are a true one-of-a-kind band - they showed up seemingly out of nowhere, singlehandedly defined an entire genre on a single album, and disappeared before that album was even released. What happened? Why is Spiderland so influential? And, beyond its influence - does the album still hold up today? Phil certainly thinks so - in his opinion, its grandeur has been frequently imitated, but never duplicated. He, along with Mike, Rich, and Dan, are here to talk about just what makes this album so special.

Cohosts: Phil Maddox, Mike DeFabio, Rich Bunnell, Dan Watkins

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/126-slint-spiderland-1991

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

It's Discord & Rhyme's 125th episode, and we are marking the occasion with one of our favorite recording strategies: tackling a famous band by discussing two of their albums while making an end-run around their most critically acclaimed period. In this episode, Ben talks about the 1964 Beach Boys album All Summer Long, where the band really shifted into second gear, while John talks about the 1970 Beach Boys album Sunflower, a beautiful album released during a period when very few people had any time to add the Beach Boys to their day. Rich and Phil join Ben and John to share their thoughts on these two lesser-known albums from one of the greatest (and secretly weirdest) bands one can find in this whole world, and spoiler alert, everybody here agrees that the Beach Boys are terrific (except maybe when Uncle Jesse is prominently involved). It's about time we got around to this band, but we promise this episode will put a smile on your face.

Cohosts: Ben Marlin, John McFerrin, Rich Bunnell, Phil Maddox

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/125-the-beach-boys-all-summer-long-1964-amp-sunflower-1970

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Whether he likes it or not, Warren Zevon will forever be most remembered for his surprise hit ?Werewolves of London,? but he?s a far more complex and interesting songwriter than most folks are aware. Forever a musician?s musician, Zevon?s unique voice has influenced scores of artists although he himself has remained something of a cult figure over the decades. While 1978?s Excitable Boy does indeed feature his biggest hit, it is also home to some of the most sharp-witted and acidic songs he ever wrote. Join Dan, Mike, Rich, and returning guest Libby Cudmore as we discuss Zevon and his cast of psychopaths, mercenaries, screwups, and lycanthropes.

NOTE: There's some strong language and dark subject matter in here, so be mindful of that if there's anyone around who shouldn't be hearing it.

Cohosts: Dan Watkins, Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Libby Cudmore

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/124-warren-zevon-excitable-boy-1978

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Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Are you ready to do the Dap Dip? This week, the Discord & Rhyme Super Soul Revue travels back to 2005 to discuss Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, who play sunny R&B that sounds like it came straight out of the late ?60s or early ?70s. But despite the retro sound, there?s nothing retro about this band, who were just playing the music they loved and recording it the way they loved it. And Sharon Jones herself was the real deal, a classic diva who was born in the South literally across the state line from James Brown. The world lost Sharon Jones to cancer in 2016, but her voice lives on in the Dap-Kings? catalog, which includes six wonderful studio albums and innumerable covers recorded for hire. So put a fish in your dish and join Rich, Mike, and Dan to talk about an album that will make you fall in love with soul all over again.

Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Dan Watkins

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/123-sharon-jones-and-the-dap-kings-naturally-2005

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

We're on summer vacation after finishing our King Crimson episode, so please enjoy this release from the Patreon vault! We call these our Mad Libs episodes, where we pick a category and discuss songs that fit that category somehow. This is one of our favorites, so we hope you like it! (Please note that we recorded this in September '22, before we did the Rumours episode and before Gordon Lightfoot passed.)

More Mad Libs episodes: https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers


Songs: Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck of the Edmund FitzgeraldFunkadelic - Get Off Your Ass and JamRoxy Music - AmazonaSteely Dan - Reelin' In the YearsNeil Young - Like a HurricaneSt. Vincent - Huey NewtonFleetwood Mac - Big Love (Live)Guitar Slim - The Story of My LifeMetallica - OrionJanet Jackson - Black CatChicago - Free Form GuitarThe Beach Boys - All I Wanna Do
Extras: Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! St. Vincent plays "Forty Six and 2" Lindsey Buckingham plays "Big Love" Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn explain their fingerpicking styles Sister Rosetta shreds The Hidden Beach Boys by Mixmaster Ben Marlin

It's only talk! This week, Mike rounds out our fifth-anniversary triad of King Crimson discussions with some dialogue, duologue, diatribe, dissension, and declamation about the band's 1981 album Discipline. On this album, bassist Tony Levin and guitarist and vocalist Adrian Belew joined Crimson veterans Robert Fripp and Bill Bruford to produce some of the most complicated music in the Crimson oeuvre, with every musician devoted to making their instrument produce sounds you?ve never heard. But paradoxically, it's also one of their catchiest albums, dabbling in new wave and world beat in the same musical sphere as Talking Heads, who were part of the same New York scene as Fripp in the late ?70s. Discipline may sound like a sharp, disorienting left turn for King Crimson on first listen, but the album did a lot to cement the band?s music as a living document to be iterated upon. Join us as we break it down, frame by frame!

Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Rich Bunnell, Phil Maddox, John McFerrin

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/122-king-crimson-discipline-1981

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Part two of the Discord & Rhyme celebration of King Crimson brings us to the 1974 album Red, the band?s final studio(-ish) album before it disbanded for 7 years. John?s history with King Crimson began with this album, and while he didn?t initially like it, it?s long become his favorite King Crimson album, and the ?72-?74 King Crimson lineup especially has long become one of his favorite bands. This episode examines how everything in King Crimson?s turbulent history to this point made this album possible, and how the band?s refusal to get pigeonholed as ?progressive rock? allowed it to create some of the heaviest, most powerful, and most awe-inspiring music ever made under the general umbrella of ?rock? music. Also, ?Starless? might be the best song ever recorded, and we're happy to tell you why.

Cohosts: John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers, Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/121-king-crimson-red-1974

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

As frequently as we mention King Crimson on this podcast, you?d think we would have done a proper episode on them by now. But we wanted to hold off until we could really do it up right, so this is the premiere of our three-episode series on the greatest pioneers of progressive rock. They didn?t fully invent prog, but they did more to solidify the genre than any group that had come before them, to the point where each song on their debut album spawned a different prog subgenre - so, while this isn?t the first prog album, it might be the most important. Time to get started on this journey, because the cracked brass bells have rung to summon back all us fire witches to discuss The Court of the Crimson King.

Cohosts: Amanda Rodgers, John McFerrin, Mike DeFabio, Dan Watkins

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/120-king-crimson-in-the-court-of-the-crimson-king-1969

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

It?s time to follow the Moody Blues into the 1980s. After a long hiatus and a disappointing comeback album, the Moodies reconvened with a new keyboard player and a new producer to start a new decade in their long career. Music production styles had changed quite a lot since their classic period in the ?60s and ?70s, and the new personnel came with a new aesthetic that sounds quite different from the Moody Blues music we?re all used to. However, if you can forgive Patrick Moraz for not being Mike Pinder, and Pip Williams for not being Tony Clarke, and the ?80s for not being the ?70s, you?ll find that there is some fantastic music to be found on Long Distance Voyager. And there is also ?Veteran Cosmic Rocker.?

Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/119-the-moody-blues-long-distance-voyager-1981

Merch store: https://www.teepublic.com/user/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

By the time he recorded his third solo album, After the Gold Rush, Neil Young had already been part of successful records by the Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and his second album had hit the top 40. As great as that music had been, though, Neil hadn't yet reached his peak - at least according to Ben. Ben explains why After the Gold Rush is a high point in a career full of high points, and why the album and its singer have meant so much to him since he was a teenager. Rich, Phil, and John also weigh in and discuss their varying - but generally substantial - levels of Neil Young fandom. 

Cohosts: Ben Marlin, Rich Bunnell, Phil Maddox, John McFerrin

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/118-neil-young-after-the-gold-rush-1970

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Phil Ochs, perhaps more than anybody else in the 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene, believed that he could end the Vietnam War and change the world through his music. He offered deeply critical insight both of mainstream society and of the folk scene itself, calling out hypocrisy where he saw it and asking his listeners to consider questions and issues without easy solutions. He did this through a combination of exceptional songwriting gifts and a blazing intensity, but this intensity also limited his ability to appeal to a wide audience, and he largely faded into obscurity after his untimely 1976 death. In this episode, John leads a discussion on the 1966 live(ish) album In Concert, which he has loved for nearly 20 years, and the tenor of the discussion ranges from serious to silly in a way that mirrors the album itself. Join John, Ben, Phil, and Amanda as they cover an essential album from one of the most complicated figures ever to pick up an acoustic guitar and declare his truth.

Cohosts: John McFerrin, Ben Marlin, Phil Maddox, Amanda Rodgers

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/117-phil-ochs-in-concert-1966

Merch store: https://www.teepublic.com/user/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Crosby, Stills & Nash weren?t the first so-called ?supergroup,? but they may have been the first to eclipse the fame of each of the bands the members came from. David Crosby (hailing from the Byrds), Stephen Stills (hailing from Buffalo Springfield), and Graham Nash (hailing from the Hollies) came together to create a group that was completely unique. While the group would become more famous with the addition of Neil Young for 1970?s Deja Vu, their 1969 self-titled LP remains the group?s masterpiece. Phil, who has a lifelong love of the works of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, is joined by Amanda and Ben to discuss just what makes their 1969 debut LP such an enduring masterpiece.

Cohosts: Phil Maddox, Ben Marlin, Amanda Rodgers

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/116-crosby-stills-amp-nash-crosby-stills-amp-nash-1969

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Q&A time is here again! In this edition, we share some exciting news and then talk about how to run a successful podcast, why we probably won't cover that album, whether Ariana Grande should cover a Moody Blues song, how much we love Producer Mike, and much more!!

If you have thoughts about podcast merch, hit us up: [email protected]

We opened a merch store!!!!! http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Cohosts: Rich Bunnell and Amanda Rodgers

Theme Music: Joni Mitchell - Free Man in Paris/The Moody Blues - Question

Everyone knows by now that Joni Mitchell is one of the most profoundly gifted and driven musicians of the 20th century, and it?s long past time we came back to her here on Discord & Rhyme. Court and Spark is Amanda?s favorite Joni album, and it marks the sweet spot where Mitchell balanced her desire to push boundaries with the need for accessibility. The result is a set of brilliant songs that sound simple enough on the surface, but are secretly full of strange and interesting details. We spent a very happy couple of hours analyzing her brilliant lyrics, deciphering the weird and complicated musical arrangements, and marveling at Joni Mitchell?s genius. 

Cohosts: Amanda Rodgers, John McFerrin, Rich Bunnell, Ben Marlin

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/115-joni-mitchell-court-and-spark-1974

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

This week, Discord & Rhyme heads back to Ohio for a discussion of Pere Ubu?s 1978 debut The Modern Dance. Rising from the ashes of the short-lived proto-punk pioneers Rocket from the Tombs, David Thomas and company emerged with a fiery set of songs fusing art and punk with an intensity that the band would never quite match again, even as their music would become even stranger and more challenging. Join Dan, Mike, and Rich for this sentimental journey of rusty Chuck Berry riffs, art-rock detours, and creepy soundscapes.

Cohosts: Dan Watkins, Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/114-pere-ubu-the-modern-dance-1978

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Even if you?ve never heard the music of Richard D. James, alias Aphex Twin, you?ve probably heard music that bears his stamp: he?s influenced artists as wide-ranging as Radiohead, Björk, Skrillex, and Billie Eilish, and his warped approach to electronica has become part of the fabric of popular music writ large. Every Aphex Twin album is a little different from his others, including the airy soundscapes of Selected Ambient Works Volume II and the ear-splitting tinnitus of I Care Because You Do, and his eponymous 1997 release Richard D. James Album features an intriguing mix of ethereal strings layered over dirty drum-and-bass beats. An expert knob twiddler himself, Producer Mike has long admired Aphex Twin?s skill at conjuring up sounds and textures you?ve never heard, and he?s invited Rich, Phil, and returning guest Shivam Bhatt to discuss Cornish geography, the milkman and his wife, and snare drums that go BRRRRRRRRR!

Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Rich Bunnell, Phil Maddox, Shivam Bhatt

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/113-aphex-twin-richard-d-james-album-1996

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Time for the closing arguments in our defense of progressive rock! And they are some very convincing arguments indeed. How will the jury rule?

Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, Dan Watkins, Amanda Rodgers

The complete playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/02jupsEliJfqmLY4fPkkAA?si=a14f83512c48419c

Tracks:

Henry Cow - Bittern Storm Over Ulm
Egg - I Will Be Absorbed
Goblin - Suspiria
Van der Graaf Generator - The Sleepwalkers

Other clips:

Slapp Happy - Casablanca Moon
John Zorn and Fred Frith - The Ladder
The Yardbirds - Got to Hurry
The Fall - War
Egg - Seven Is a Jolly Good Time
Egg - While Growing My Hair
Van der Graaf Generator - Lemmings (Including Cog)
Robert Fripp - Disengage

Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

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Jazz saxophonist John Coltrane has one of the most varied and rewarding discographies in any genre of music. Because of that variety, though, it can be hard to find an entry point into his music. Ben makes the case that your entry point should be Trane's 1960 classic Giant Steps. Giant Steps features Coltrane's trademark musical innovations and rich, emotional playing - but packaged in a series of energetic songs with catchy themes and accessible, poppy structures. And in sharing a detailed, multi-part history of Coltrane's artistic development, Ben argues that Giant Steps should only be the first stop on your long Trane journey. He's joined by John, Phil, and Mike, who share their own stories of discovering jazz and falling in love with John Coltrane's music. 

Cohosts: Ben Marlin, John McFerrin, Phil Maddox, Mike DeFabio

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/112-john-coltrane-giant-steps-1960

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Remember how Mike said this is where he put all the weird stuff? He wasn't kidding. The trial continues, with two new witnesses for the defense: Amanda, who is unreliable and inconsistent, and returning guest Dave Weigel, who is the best witness for this case anybody could ask for. He's the author of The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock, an excellent book that you all should read, and an unshakable expert witness.

Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Amanda Rodgers, Dave Weigel, Rich Bunnell

Tracks:

Atomic Rooster - Friday the 13th
Gong - Flying Teapot
Magma - Kobah
Premiata Forniera Marconi - Per Un Amico
Hawkwind - Magnu

Additional clips:

Hawkwind - Sonic Attack
Hawkwind - Time We Left This World Today
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown - Fire
Atomic Rooster - Tomorrow Night
Alice Cooper - He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)
Gong - Flute Salad
Insane Clown Posse - Who Asked You
Can - Vitamin C
Magma - Kobaïa
King Crimson - Waiting Man (from Absent Lovers)
Elton John - Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Hawkwind - Motorhead
Pink Floyd - Interstellar Overdrive
Hawkwind - Space Is Deep

Closing credits music: Kenneth Kraylie

https://kennethkraylie.bandcamp.com/

https://casinos.bandcamp.com/

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Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

The New Pornographers winkingly call themselves an ?indie rock supergroup,? even though none of their members were performing before crowds larger than 200 when they formed. Since then, they?ve grown into critical darlings with a cult following and an intimidating spread of studio albums and solo releases, but they were never scrappier, hungrier, and more fascinating than on their 2000 debut, Mass Romantic. Buoyed by bandleader Carl ?A.C.? Newman?s sturdy pop songwriting, Dan Bejar?s looser, more whimsical compositions, and Neko Case?s superhuman vocals, the album packs six or seven hooks into every song. The results are both exhilarating and exhausting, and that ebullient energy is exactly why Rich has loved them for more than two decades. If you?ve never listened to the New Pornos before but enjoy great pop music, we hope this becomes a new favorite ? because, after all, hope grows greener than grass stains.

Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Ben Marlin, Mike DeFabio, Dan Watkins

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/111-the-new-pornographers-mass-romantic-2000

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

You know we can't stay away from prog rock for long. This time we've brought in a witness for the prosecution: cohost Ben Marlin, who is famously impatient with prog's excesses! Surprisingly, he likes most of this, but there are plenty of awesomely hot takes in here.

Tracks:

Pink Floyd - One of These Days
The Moody Blues - Gypsy
Aphrodite's Child - The Four Horsemen
Procol Harum - Conquistador
Electric Light Orchestra - Daybreaker

Other clips:

Aphrodite's Child - Seven Trumpets
Aphrodite's Child - Altamont
The Tornados - Telstar
Aphrodite's Child - Rain and Tears
The Verve - The Rolling People
Beck - Chemtrails
Aphrodite's Child - ?
Procol Harum - Conquistador (studio version)

Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Rich Bunnell, Ben Marlin

Closing credits music: Kenneth Kraylie
https://kennethkraylie.bandcamp.com/
https://casinos.bandcamp.com/

Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

In 1977, Marvin Gaye divorced Anna Ruby Gordy (against his wishes), and as part of the divorce settlement he agreed to pay Anna a portion of the royalties of his next album. Marvin responded by recording and releasing Here, My Dear, a 72-minute double album about his divorce, his feelings about his ex-wife, and a lot of other topics weighty and otherwise. The album was initially a critical and commercial dud, but over time the album gained a reputation as a classic and possibly Gaye's best. In this episode, John (as host) stakes a position in favor of the album and its improved reputation, while Ben stakes a position that maybe listeners and critics got it right with their initial skeptical reaction (Rich takes a middle position, generally in favor of the album but with some reservations), and this makes for a spirited conversation about an album that can't help but prompt strong emotional response. Everybody needs love, and everybody needs to hear us talk about this complicated album from one of the most complicated men ever to sing beautifully into a microphone.

Cohosts: John McFerrin, Rich Bunnell, Ben Marlin

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/110-marvin-gaye-here-my-dear-1978

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Did you hear? Discord & Rhyme is continuing our holiday tradition of discussing bands who despise each other, and this year it?s the legendary Fleetwood Mac. After their foundation as a British blues band, they went through years of unbelievable turmoil before hiring a couple of Americans to add some sunny California rock to their sound. The result of all this was 1977?s Rumours, famously one of the best-selling albums of all time and inescapable to this day on classic rock radio. We?re taking a close look at this very famous album to see whether all that hype is truly deserved, and it turns out (spoiler alert) it totally is. So come along with us. We have some dreams we?d like to sell.

Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Ben Marlin, Amanda Rodgers

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/109-fleetwood-mac-rumours-1977

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

This week, we get busy in a Burger King bathroom and close out our coverage of Weird Al's 1992 polka medley. In this final set (for now), Janet Jackson levels up into new jack swing superstar, we discuss metal of both the hair and thrash varieties, and the Ice Man cometh.

Co-hosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox

Metallica - Enter Sandman
Digital Underground - The Humpty Dance
Warrant - Cherry Pie
Janet Jackson - Miss You Much
Divinyls - I Touch Myself
Mötley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby

Other clips:

Mariah Carey - Emotions
Megadeth - I'll Get Even
Metallica - Frantic
Madonna - Vogue
Parliament - Flash Light
Digital Underground - Doowutchyalike
Parliament - Let's Play House
Parliament - Theme from the Black Hole
Sly and the Family Stone - Sing a Simple Song
Digital Underground - Same Song
Warrant - Heaven
Janet Jackson - Escapade
Janet Jackson - Black Cat
Janet Jackson - Love Will Never Do (Without You)
Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation
Hi-Five - I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)
Cathy Dennis - Touch Me (All Night Long)
Divinyls - Pleasure and Pain
Vanilla Ice - Ninja Rap

Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Wipe that illegal smile off your face! Phil has been immersed in the music of John Prine for his entire life, and he?s brought along John and Ben to discuss the Maywood, IL, singer/songwriter, who unfortunately was one of the earliest victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. When Prine recorded his 1971 debut, industry execs saw him as a Midwestern rube, to the point of posing him on top of a hay bale on the album cover, even though hay bales are in short supply in the Chicago suburbs. But he?s a witty, intelligent, insightful, and empathetic songwriter with the ability to make listeners laugh and cry in the space of a single line, and his songs have been covered by legends including Johnny Cash and Bonnie Raitt. Prine?s passing led to a surge of interest in his music, to the point where this album charted higher in the spring of 2020 than it ever had in the previous five decades, so if he?s has flown under your radar to this point, this episode is a great opportunity to learn all about a true genius of American folk music.

Cohosts: Phil Maddox, Ben Marlin, John McFerrin

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/108-john-prine-john-prine-1971

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Weird Al spent some downtime in the late '80s and early '90s waiting for the next big thing in popular music, which turned out to be Nirvana. But a lot happened in music in the intervening six years, and as a result, our coverage of his first polka medley of the '90s covers a lot of ground, including new jack swing, Madchester, house music, and the birth of DJ remixes.

Tracks:

Billy Idol - Cradle of Love
DNA feat. Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner
The B-52's - Love Shack
Technotronic - Pump Up the Jam
R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
EMF - Unbelievable
Bell Biv DeVoe - Do Me!

Co-hosts: Rich Bunnell, Dan Watkins, Jennifer Carman

Links:

Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Suzanne Vega tells the story behind "Tom's Diner": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D99PhzEIWuA

Barry Michael Cooper on the origins of new jack swing: https://www.njs4ever.com/2020/07/04/the-man-who-named-new-jack-swing-barry-michael-cooper-interview-part-1/

Hit Parade podcast on "legacy hits": https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2022/09/radio-determines-lost-hits-vs-legacy-hits

Weird Al gives the MST3K treatment to the "Losing My Religion" music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieHA0BIfs9A

Other clips:

"Weird Al" Yankovic - The Hot Rocks Polka
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Smells Like Nirvana
Mariah Carey - Vision of Love
Generation X - King Rocker
Billy Idol - White Wedding
The Chipmunks - Cradle of Love
Stevie B - Because I Love You (The Postman Song)
Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner
Mark Jonathan Davis feat. Marylin Whitelaw - Jeannie's Diner
Fatboy Slim - Praise You
Bad English - When I See You Smile
The B-52's - Hot Pants Explosion
The B-52's - Glove Slap
Michael Bolton - How Am I Supposed to Live Without You
Jesse Saunders - On and On
Technotronic - The Pro 24s
Technotronic - Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)
Technotronic - Move This
Lil Uzi Vert - Pump Up the Jam
Paula Abdul - Rush Rush
Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up
R.E.M. - Pilgrimage
R.E.M. - It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Yoko Takahashi - The Cruel Angel's Thesis
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Spam
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Frank's 2000" TV
Andrew Dice Clay - Mother Goose
Gorillaz - 19-2000 (Soulchild remix)
Bon Jovi - Blaze of Glory
Keith Sweat - I Want Her
Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison
Bell Biv DeVoe - Do Me! (Remix)

When Discord & Rhyme was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful, a miracle, oh, it was beautiful, magical. We also knew from day one that our podcast was eventually going to talk about Supertramp, and that day has come at last. Amanda and Rich have been immersed in the UK prog-pop band?s music from a very young age, and they?ve recruited Supertramp noobs John and Phil to round out the panel. You may be familiar with their late-?70s album Breakfast in America and its quartet of radio singles, but today we?re talking about their 1974 album Crime of the Century, a musically and psychologically dense song cycle boasting some of the best art-rock production this side of Dark Side of the Moon. Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson had diametrically opposed arranging and songwriting philosophies, which tended to make their albums extremely disjointed, but for this one album, the balance was just bloody well right.

Cohosts: Amanda Rodgers, Rich Bunnell, John McFerrin, Phil Maddox

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/107-supertramp-crime-of-the-century-1974

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

On this episode, Weird Al has finally made a monkey out of us. Our latest batch of reconstructed mid-'80s pop hits includes lots of drum machines, two covers of '60s classics (to varying degrees of success), a cameo from Danny Aiello's brief and inexplicable recording career, and an ode to Mozart for people who hate every ape they see, from chimpan-A to chimpanzee.

Songs:

The Rolling Stones - Harlem Shuffle
Bananarama - Venus
Janet Jackson - Nasty
Falco - Rock Me Amadeus
Tears for Fears - Shout
Madonna - Papa Don't Preach

Co-hosts: Rich Bunnell, John McFerrin, Libby Cudmore

Links:

"Harlem Shuffle" music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAkMTu6q2pY

"Dr. Zaius" (from The Simpsons): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlmzUEQxOvA

Danny Aiello's "Papa Wants the Best for You": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xg11hwVs-M

Weird Al "interviews" Madonna in 1985: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twunYSrARk0

Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Other clips:

Bob & Earl - Harlem Shuffle
"Weird Al" Yankovic - (This Song's Just) Six Words Long
"Weird Al" Yankovic - I Think I'm a Clone Now
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Alimony
Bananarama - Aie a Mwana
Shocking Blue - Venus
Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
Kylie Minogue - I Should Be So Lucky
Morris Minor & the Majors - This Is the Chorus
Ministry - Everyday Is Halloween
Bananarama - Cruel Summer
Bananarama - Robert De Niro's Waiting ...
Genesis - Land of Confusion
Janet Jackson - Fast Girls
Falco - Der Kommissar
Falco - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
Tears for Fears - Mad World
Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World
XTC - This World Over
Tears for Fears - The Tipping Point
Madonna - Everybody
Danny Aiello - Papa Wants the Best for You
Kelly Osbourne - Papa Don't Preach
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Like a Surgeon

For over twenty years, Ted Leo has been one of the most intelligent and consistent songwriters of the indie rock world. In this episode, Dan, Rich, and guest rude-boy James Boo discuss the 2003 album Hearts of Oak, which showcases Leo?s talent for crafting thoughtful, politically-charged lyrics and channeling them into immediately catchy anthems. Whether it?s navigating the confusing climate of a post-9/11 America or simply ruminating on the power of ska, Ted serves it up in a poignant, ear-catching package.

Cohosts: Dan Watkins, Rich Bunnell, James Boo

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/106-ted-leo-and-the-pharmacists-hearts-of-oak-2003

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Emboldened by the success of "Eat It" and "Like a Surgeon," Weird Al titled his fourth album Polka Party!, and the 1986 record-buying public shunned what they assumed was a full album of accordion music. It wasn't, but the title track was the latest of Al's reliable polka medleys rounding up the chart music of the day. This time around we've got #1 hits by two members of Genesis, the Queen of Soul's voice doing battle with mushy '80s production, and an inconsistent but underrated Australian band that Ben and Rich have bonded over for decades.

Tracks:

Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
Phil Collins - Sussudio
Eddie Murphy - Party All the Time
Lionel Richie - Say You, Say Me
Aretha Franklin - Freeway of Love
INXS - What You Need

Co-hosts: Rich Bunnell, Ben Marlin, Amanda Rodgers

Links:

"Sledgehammer" music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJWJE0x7T4Q

"Urban Renewal," the hip-hop/R&B Phil Collins tribute album: https://www.discogs.com/release/1925875-Various-Urban-Renewal

100+ pink Cadillacs at Aretha Franklin's funeral procession: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLTOnOUcLbU

Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Other clips:

"Weird Al" Yankovic - Living with a Hernia
Otis Redding - Change Gonna Come
Bo Carter - Please Warm My Wiener
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Waffle King
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Talk Soup
Prince - 1999
Genesis - Misunderstanding
Ol' Dirty Bastard - Sussudio
Brandy - Another Day in Paradise
Kelis - I Don't Care Anymore
Eddie Murphy - Put Your Mouth on Me
Sisqo - Thong Song
Joe Pesci - Wise Guy
Eddie Murphy - My God Is Color Blind
Lionel Richie - You Are
Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin - Separate Lives
Aretha Franklin & Eurythmics - Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves
Lisa Simpson, Ann Wilson & Nancy Wilson - Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves
INXS - Need You Tonight
INXS - Don't Change
INXS - Heaven Sent
Eddie Murphy - Boogie in Your Butt

This Halloween we?re celebrating FALLoween, as we hit the north and take on the Mighty Fall! Other than a few singles that barely scraped the UK top 40, the Fall never achieved commercial success, but they built a large cult following due in large part to the personality and antics of their difficult, irascible, intelligent, and borderline unintelligible bandleader, Mark E. Smith. But what we hope to emphasize in this episode is that despite Smith?s outsized influence over the Fall, and his tendency to fire members on a whim, the Fall was always a band. Smith?s ideas formed the bedrock of their songs, but their music was always the product of a back-and-forth between him and incredibly talented musicians who added their own distinctive stamp to every iteration of the Fall. Their discography can be large and intimidating to new listeners, so we?ve chosen their 1985 opus This Nation?s Saving Grace, which is relatively accessible, but also a legit candidate for their greatest album. So even if you don?t come away from this episode as the Fall?s 50,001st fan, we hope you?ll at least understand why anyone would willingly listen to this band.

Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Dan Watkins

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/105-the-fall-this-nations-saving-grace-1985

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

We talked about our first classical suite a few episodes back, so now it?s time for Discord & Rhyme to talk about its first symphony! Electric Light Orchestra have been going through something of a resurgence in the 21st century, but in the ?70s, music critics savaged Jeff Lynne?s attempts to mix pop songwriting with orchestral pomp. But with 1974?s Eldorado, Lynne was attempting to please his harshest critic of all, his classical-loving father, who claimed that ELO?s songs ?have got no tune.? The result was a fascinating, overblown concept album about a Walter Mitty-esque character who escapes the real world through the power of fantasy, and whether the concept holds for the entire album (it doesn?t), it dazzled Producer Mike as a child and continues to dazzle him today. So join our hosts for an evening at the symphony, as we fight some of the holiest wars and smash some of the holiest jawrs(?!!).

Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, Ben Marlin, Amanda Rodgers

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/104-electric-light-orchestra-eldorado-1974

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Closing out our first round of arguments in defense of progressive rock with some extra heavy hitters! And some truly baffling weirdness.

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention - Inca Roads
Focus - Hocus Pocus
The Nice - America
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man

Other clips:

King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part 1
Frank Zappa - Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar
Focus - Hocus Pocus (live on The Midnight Special)
Rita Moreno - America
R.E.M. - It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Giles, Giles and Fripp - One in a Million
King Crimson - Schizoid Men 3

Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, John McFerrin, Dan Watkins, Amanda Rodgers

Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

As luck would have it, two of Discord & Rhyme?s most powerful villains have been turned loose for an episode that will strike terror into the hearts of men! This week, Rich and Mike take on the 2004 hip-hop classic Madvillainy, a team-up between MF DOOM, a rapper with a metal mask and a tragic, comic-book backstory, and Madlib, a DJ with eclectic taste and an unpredictable, artfully imprecise style. The album?s 22 tracks unfold like a fever dream over just 46 minutes, with samples drawn from Bollywood, Brazilian music, Zappa, and Sun Ra crashing headfirst into snippets from old cartoons. And this is all presided over by DOOM, who packs almost unfair amounts of wordplay and meaning into every line. It may seem like chaos at first, but there?s a method to Madvillainy, and it shows how hip-hop can contain the world.

Cohosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/103-madvillain-madvillainy-2004

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Continuing our enthusiastic defense of progressive rock with this extremely compelling evidence!

Jethro Tull - Cross-Eyed Mary
Yes - Starship Trooper
The Soft Machine - As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still
Gentle Giant - Knots

Additional evidence:

Yes - Heart of the Sunrise
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
Iron Maiden - Cross-Eyed Mary
Jethro Tull - Lap of Luxury
Yes - The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)
Yes - Starship Trooper (Yessongs version)
The Soft Machine - All White
The Soft Machine - A Concise British Alphabet ? Pt. 1
The Soft Machine - A Concise British Alphabet ? Pt. 2
Björk - Submarine
Simon Dupree & The Big Sound - Kites
Gentle Giant - Alucard

Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, John McFerrin

Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

The Jefferson Airplane's drugged-up, hyper-political jams are often dismissed as a relic of the late 1960s. But the band's talent was in abundance on their earnest debut album The Jefferson Airplane Takes Off; and when they added vocalist Grace Slick to their lineup and recorded their second album, 1967's Surrealistic Pillow, the whole world discovered what they were capable of.  In discussing that album, Ben, Amanda, and John make the case that the Airplane's musicianship, harmonies, and attitude all hold up today.

Cohosts: Ben Marlin, John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/102-jefferson-airplane-surrealistic-pillow-1967

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

We're back on our compilation business! A few years ago, Producer Mike handed us all two discs filled with vintage progressive rock, including tentpole acts like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Genesis, and Yes, as well as more obscure outsider art like Egg, Magma and Henry Cow. The collection was titled "In Defense of Prog Rock," and since most of us agree that prog is worth defending, we're officially sharing Discord & Rhyme's first homegrown collection with you. Keep watching the skies!

Co-hosts: Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio, Amanda Rodgers

Tracks:
Genesis - Watcher of the Skies
Camel - Freefall
Caravan - Winter Wine
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Knife-Edge

Other clips:
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Tarkus
Smash Mouth - All Star
Camel - Rhyader
The Wilde Flowers - Impotence
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Hoedown

Links:

Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock by David Weigel: https://wwnorton.com/books/The-Show-That-Never-Ends/

Genesis performs "Watcher of the Skies" in 1973: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4su9Sz0n0ns

D&R discusses ELP's debut: https://discordpod.com/listen/2018/9/18/007-emerson-lake-palmer-emerson-lake-palmer

D&R discusses Collins-era Genesis: https://discordpod.com/listen/075-genesis-a-trick-of-the-tail-1976-and-invisible-touch-1986