Episode 179: Donna Summer, "She Works Hard For The Money"
Talking about Donna Summer's '80s hit has us pondering artists who can outlast backlashes, enjoying music to spite someone, and the unheralded legacy of a restroom attendant named Onetta. Our intro is...
9 Mar 202022min
Episode 178: The Village People, "Macho Man"
A dance-floor masterpiece is our topic today, but in addition to the Village People's hot hot disco hit, we're also talking about stuffed animals, allies in getting loud, and that time Sarah set a wor...
2 Mar 202034min
Episode 177: Rufus Wainwright, "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk"
Talking about Rufus Wainwright's "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" gets us thinking about turning big emotions into digestible songs, the dramatic impact of opera, and the times parents are allowed to r...
17 Feb 202029min
Episode 176: Pharrell Williams, "Happy"
There are so many ways to be happy, and Pharrell Williams' song "Happy" pretty much covers them all. We're also talking about songs that sound confident, honeymoon rituals, and important hats of 2014....
10 Feb 202020min
Episode 175: Three Oscar-Anniversary Songs
It's our third annual Oscar-themed episode with our good pal Joe Reid! This year, we're talking about Oscar-winning songs having major anniversaries -- from The Little Mermaid, Tarzan, and Crazy Heart...
3 Feb 202050min
Episode 174: The Pharcyde, "Passin' Me By"
We bow before the incredible rhymes in "Passin' Me By" by the Pharcyde, and we also talk about the pleasure of parsing lyrical references, the "collegiate" rap of the early '90s, and the best time to ...
27 Jan 202021min
Episode 173: Murray Head, "One Night In Bangkok"
It's a crazy miracle that "One Night In Bangkok" was a top-three single, but here we are. As we talk about Murray Head's hit song -- written by the guys from ABBA (!) and Tim Rice (!!) -- we also talk...
20 Jan 202018min
Episode 172: Nina Simone, "Wild Is The Wind"
[Content advisory: This episode touches on family separation, American slavery, and cultural trauma.] We welcome back Eli Oberman (a great musician and our resident wind expert) to discuss Nina Simone...
13 Jan 202037min
