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HARKpodcast

364 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 16 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 20 ratings

Your hosts Ian & RJ review and rank every Christmas, Hanukkah, winter, holiday, et cetera song.

All of 'em. Even the bad ones. Especially the bad ones.

Music Comedy
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Episodes

Episode 359: Wage Against the Machine

April 24, 2024 03:51 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MB

To celebrate the upcoming International Workers' Day on May 1st, we've got two Christmas songs about: who else? WORKERS, BABY! Well, technically, they're also about landlords and bosses, but only in the way that Taken is about the guys who kidnapped that lady from Lost. Jeez, has she tried being in something called Exactly Where She's Supposed To Be? Anyway: we listened to "Christmas Eve In the East Side" by Aunt Molly Jackson, followed by "National Living Rage" by... let's go with Siobhain ...

Episode 358: I Have a Little Weed Day

April 10, 2024 04:36 - 47 minutes - 32.7 MB

Our annual 4/20 episode is back, and this year? Good songs only!!! You may be surprised to hear that we were still able to find two good weed-themed winter holiday songs, but indeed: "High on Hanukkah" by Micah E. Wood (featuring Ari Pluznik and Seth Kibel) is an enjoyable ode to holiday paranoia, and "Kushmas" by Smino is... well, surely it's about something, but that's sort of beside the point. The ranking music in this episode is "Sleigh", also by Smino (featuring Monte Booker and Maseg...

Episode 357: Holidays Doth Rule

March 27, 2024 03:43 - 53 minutes - 36.3 MB

As per tradition (at least from days of yore when we did episodes weekly), we're using the week of Easter to add some more traditional Christmas music to our list. And it just so happens that both of this episode's songs are from the same album, 2012's Holidays Rule! Both songs were also composed by guys named Henry who were better known for other things, which I guess is also kind of a fun coincidence? Calexico's take on King Henry VIII's "Green Grows the Holly" is a breath of fresh air, bu...

Episode 356: Lots In Translation

March 13, 2024 04:25 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MB

By request, we're tackling two holiday songs that expand the number of languages and dialects represented in our list. "Jingle Bells" as performed by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones featuring Alash marks the first appearance of Tuvan, and also, of Tuvan throat-singing! And, I don't know, maybe like the thirtieth post-modern banjo performance? And while we've had a good amount of French under our belts and in our ears already, "23 Décembre" by Beau Dommage is our first in the Québécois working-...

Episode 355: Ten Lords a Leap Year

February 28, 2024 05:00 - 56 minutes - 39.6 MB

To celebrate the Leap Year, we're leaping into two versions of The 12 Days of Christmas! Kind of!!! Neither "12 Days of Christmas" by Gucci Mane or "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by The Popguns use the traditional lyrics or structure of the song, but hey, we can consider that an improvement. The ranking music in this episode is "8 Days of Christmas" by Destiny's Child.

Episode 354: A Special Kind of Horny

February 14, 2024 06:15 - 54 minutes - 37.7 MB

It's Valentine's Day, one of the horniest holidays on the calendar, and we're celebrating with two songs from the 1950s that illustrate an uncomfortable truth: people have always been nasty little freaks about Christmas. In the case of "Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney" by Ella Fitzgerald, it's entirely listener interpreation that takes this song from silly to risqué. In "Trim Your Tree" by Jimmy Butler, however -- maybe you wouldn't call the lyrics explicit, but they are definitely inten...

Episode 353: The Super Bowl Sneak

January 31, 2024 05:09 - 1 hour - 42.6 MB

Gosh, the Super Bowl seems to come earlier and earlier every year, doesn't it? Football music starts getting played the radio, kids start lining up at the mall to sit on Bill Belichick's lap. Hmm? What's that? Ok, I'm getting word that it's actually the opposite, that the super bowl comes later now. And the other things I said have never happened? Apparently? No child has ever desired to approach Bill Belichick? And "football music" isn't anything? Well, we beg to differ (with the last thing...

Episode 352: Upstanding Podcast Citizens

January 17, 2024 05:42 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MB

It's podcasts all the way down! By listener request, we're discussing "Don't Wait For Me Beneath the Mistletoe" by The Allusionettes. The band -- comprised of Jenny Owen Youngs, Martin Austwick, and podcast host Helen Zaltzman -- was formed for an episode of The Allusionist podcast about creating a 2020-appropriate holiday hit. We pair that with another Jenny Owen Youngs holiday tune, "Maybe Next Year", which definitely came out in 2019 and not 2020! We got this wrong and there was absolutel...

Episode 351: Grinch Rap Granuary

January 03, 2024 05:28 - 55 minutes - 38.7 MB

To kick off our tenth year of HARK, we're writing the first page of what will surely be many chapters exploring the question of our time: why are there so many hip hop songs about the Grinch? "I Am The Grinch" by Tyler the Creator is a pleasant but not very illuminating entry in Grinch Rap subgenre, while "The Grinch" by Bad Lucc gives us a little more to speculate on, but is, you know, no "Landy in My Eggnog". The ranking music for this episode is "Grinch 2000" by Busta Rhymes featuring J...

Episode 350: Lawrence the Network Technician

December 20, 2023 05:46 - 1 hour - 47.1 MB

It's finally here: our 2023 milestone episode! When looking for a candidate for all-time greatest Christmas songs, Jam attempted to laser-focus their pick to Ian's taste. When looking for the worst of the worst, the song Ian selected has more of scattershot strategy.  The ranking music in this episode is "Christmas Unicorn" by Sufjan Stevens. As mentioned in this episode, we were recently quoted in an article about Christmas music! You can read it here: How Simon Cowell and John Lewis k...

Episode 349: Fresh Cut Holiday Songs

December 06, 2023 19:30 - 46 minutes - 32.4 MB

The 2023 holiday season has arrived! We're celebrating with some brand new holiday songs. Since Hanukkah begins this week, we begin with the delightfuly catchy "Just A Little Hanukkah" by Oliver Richman featuring Jessica Toltzis and Nathan Brewer. Then we consider the new Christmas release by Wheatus (remember Wheatus?), titled "Christmas Dirtbag" (now you probably remember Wheatus). The ranking music in this episode is "Hanukkah" by The Manischefits.

Episode 348: Edgy Pants

November 22, 2023 05:29 - 54 minutes - 38.2 MB

Season's Eatings! This very food-centric episode kicks off with a listener request. While he's perhaps best known to Christmas nerds for his work in White Christmas, we totally ignore that while discussing Danny Kaye's "Eat Eat Eat" and instead try to discern how light-hearted this holiday patter song actually is. We follow up this deceptively complex piece with a song so utterly devoid of deeper meaning that Carrie Underwood literally titled it "Stretchy Pants". The ranking music in this ...

Episode 347: There's Nothing Funny About Weezer

November 08, 2023 05:23 - 55 minutes - 38.1 MB

Jam's birthday is here again, and that means it's BIRTHDAY BOI'S CHOICE TIME!! And this year, they've chosen chaos. Covering two Weezer songs ("The Christmas Song" and "The Deep and Dreamless Sleep") might seem like a fairly conventional and orderly episode concept, but this thing got away from us pretty much as soon as it began. In the words of Nietzsche, "...when you gaze long into the [Weezer], the [Rivers Cuomo] gazes also into you." The ranking music in this episode is "I Want a Dog" ...

Episode 346: A Country-Twanged Clusterfuck

October 25, 2023 04:55 - 55 minutes - 38.4 MB

Halloween approaches, and as is tradition, we're covering two Christmas tunes with a Halloween-y kick! The first is "Hell of a Holiday" by the Pistol Annies, which offers a mish-mash of Halloween and (select) winter holiday flavors, as well as some intriguing questions about what spells their respective cleric domains would have. Then it's "Flappie", a dark Christmas tune beloved in the Netherlands, hauntingly performed in English by Todd Rundgren. Oath of Miranda Lambert paladins would not ...

Episode 345: Very Much Another Christmas Song

October 11, 2023 04:10 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MB

Here in the brief window between August Got Run Over By a Reindeer and Halloween, we're taking a minute to get to some listener requests! "Not Another Christmas Song" by Blink-182 is more or less what you'd expect, except maybe for the fact that it was released in 2019. In contrast, we weren't sure what to expect from "Thank God It's Not Christmas" by Sparks, but it still managed to surprise us. The ranking music in this episode is "Nothing Better" by The dang Postal Service! Thank you t...

Episode 344: Jingle Horse 6: Jingle Horse with No Name

September 27, 2023 04:37 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MB

World Animal Day approaches (probably), and we are celebrating (kind of) with two festive songs about animal companions! "Santa Claus Rides a Strawberry Roan" by Jim Lowe is unfortunately less about celebrating its titular animal companion and more about shit-talking reindeer. "Jingles the Christmas Cat" by Freddy Cole doesn't give us much more in terms of lore, but dang, does it go down smooth. The ranking music in this episode is, of course, "A Horse with No Name" by America. Thank you...

Episode 343: An Inexplicably Good Time

September 13, 2023 04:40 - 54 minutes - 37.6 MB

Since the High Holidays are just around the corner, we're listening to two songs celebrating their winter-time relative, Hanukkah! By request, we hear "The Night of the Dreidel" by Craig Carothers, a song with an epic-sounding title that tells a smaller, sweeter story about a drama-free holiday. But don't worry, "The Chanukah Song (We Are Lights)" performed by Jane Olivor has plenty of dramatic flair. Also: we got an email! The ranking music in this episode is "Eight Candles (A Song for Ha...

Episode 342: Our Podcast Got Run Over By GGROBAR

August 30, 2023 04:43 - 56 minutes - 38.8 MB

It's been a long month, and we're closing it out by going back to the beginning. Randy Brooks's own version of "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" joins our list, as does his own parody of his own novelty hit, "Grandma Got Run Over by Corona". The bar is low and he's just gotta clear it to get us to the end of this freaking month!! The ranking music in this, and all August Got Run Over By a Reindeer (AGROBAR) episodes, is "Everything Sucks" by Reel Big Fish, and you can't take that away f...

Episode 341: Our Podcast Got Run Over By Regional Accents

August 16, 2023 03:27 - 46 minutes - 32.5 MB

It's the second installment of our inexplicable self-inflected psychological experiment, August Got Run Over By a Reindeer! Our theme for these started out as "grandparents being run over by other, non-sleigh vehicles", but we discovered a variety of common threads. "Grandpa Got Runned Over By a John Deere" by Cledus T. Judd and "Grandpa Got Run Over By a Beer Truck" by Da Yoopers both turn the tables on grandpa, and also, they're both bad! Our ranking music is... well, you'll understand.

Episode 340: Our Podcast Got Run Over By Some Ska-Punk

August 02, 2023 05:10 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MB

Well, it's come to this. Welcome to our first installment of "August Got Run Over By a Reindeer", a month-long "celebration" of the many, many mutations of Elmo and Patsy's 1979 novelty hit, "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer". We ease our way in with two covers recorded by some familiar, nostalgic musical acts - Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish. This week's ranking music is "Everything Sucks" by Reel Big Fish!

Episode 339: Birthday Boy's Big Band Christmas

July 19, 2023 04:03 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MB

It's Ian's birthday (soon)! So he's running the dang podcast!!! For his Birthday Boy's Choice picks, he lands on two classic-adjacent tunes from years not yet covered on the show. "Happy Holidays" by Bing Crosby (with the Music Maid and Hal and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra) seems like a commercial for hotels masquerading as a Christmas song, but it's actually a stealth New Year's song masquerading as musical theatre masquerading as a Christmas song. "Winter Weather" by Benny Goodman ...

Episode 338: Is the Jam Jar Half Empty or Half Full?

July 05, 2023 03:57 - 47 minutes - 32.3 MB

We're back on our bullshit! Our bullshit being "dicussing listener requests". We take a look at two songs with a surprising amount in common - "Lonely Christmas" by WALLIS and "Alien Christmas" by Tay Zonday. Both are 2020 Christmas songs by artists who got their start by going viral on youtube - and both beg the question, "ok but is this good actually?" The ranking music in this episode is "Chocolate Rain" by Tay Zonday. Thank you to our #1 Fan TimeMachine for these requests!

Episode 337: The Bluegrass is Greener

June 07, 2023 14:51 - 1 hour - 41.6 MB

We're going to be taking our next scheduled episode off because we're doing some traveling this month. To help prepare us for our trip to the U.S., we're taking two requests for some good old fashioned American country music. "Christmas Time's A-Comin'" by Emmylou Harris is a song from a country tradition we enjoy, namely bluegrass. "364 Days to Go" by Brad Paisley is ... Well, it's definitely better than his other entry on our list. This week's ranking music is "Christmas Time's A-Comin'"...

Episode 336: Santa Thanks

May 24, 2023 16:29 - 53 minutes - 36.9 MB

This week on HARK, we've got two songs with the same title and very different stakes. By request, we cover "Santa Please" by Bill Medley, a tale of alcoholism, regret and reconciliation at Christmas that leaves us troubled. Then, we discuss "Santa Please" by Toni Braxton, which is basically just four minutes of the singer sexily asking to speak to the manager about travel logistics. The manager is Santa Claus.   The ranking music in this episode is "Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Chri...

Episode 335: Backup Episode

May 10, 2023 05:11 - 56 minutes - 38.8 MB

Sometimes we take requests, and sometimes we take a while to cover those requests. And sometimes, sometimes, someone who's waiting to hear us cover their request sends us back-up requests in case their first requests were not holidays-ish enough. Thus, sometimes -- specifically this time -- Ian uncerimoniously schedules those backup requests for an episode several years later even though one of them is about a incredibly sad real-world tragedy. Soooo, we're talking about "Christmas Eve Blues...

Episode 334: James Bluntmas

April 26, 2023 05:18 - 50 minutes - 34.3 MB

Listen. When the universe gives us two songs titled "Feeling Like a Right James Blunt at Christmas" (by Death of Guitar Pop featuring James Buckley) and "Merry Christmas James Blunt" (by Wash Your Dirty Money With My Art featuring Martin Meincke), what are we supposed to do, NOT theme an episode around it? The ranking music in this episode is, I mean, exactly what you'd expect.

Episode 333: Joy to the Weed

April 12, 2023 04:41 - 45 minutes - 31.2 MB

It's that time of year again, baby! Blaze it up with us (figuratively) as we discuss two weed-related Christmas songs, "Green Christmas" by Snoop Dogg featuring Jenn Em, and "Merry Christmas Mary Jane" by Katie Pruitt. The ranking music in this episode is "Roll Me Up" by Willie Nelson featuring Jamey Johnson, Kris Kristofferson, and of course, Snoop Dogg.

Episode 332: Sting, Stang, Stung

March 29, 2023 05:16 - 54 minutes - 36.7 MB

Easter and Passover are fast approaching, so as is HARK tradition, we listen to two more traditional, religious songs - one for Christmas, and one for Hanukkah. Except this year, we kind of blew it? You could call these songs religious, and they're both of a tradition, but we're going more folk festival than liturgical this year. "I Saw Three Ships" as performed by Sting offers us some whimsy from his weird phase (~1990-Present). Then, marking the second recontextualized Leonard Cohen song o...

Episode 331: A Large Pile of Spaghetti

March 15, 2023 04:56 - 49 minutes - 33.6 MB

By request, we're taking our first look at the Christmas tunes of music legend Neil Diamond! "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" is nothing if not very, very Neil, while his rendition of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" is a dozen other things he was apparently trying out. The ranking music in this episode is (what else) "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. Thank you to Nearly Nearly Neil for these requests!

Episode 330: Fucking Pie

March 01, 2023 06:03 - 51 minutes - 35.6 MB

Just in time for Pi Day, we're covering two versions of the greatest Christmas song ever written about having some FUCKING PIE!!! The ranking music in this episode is "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee.

Episode 329: The Squeakquel

February 15, 2023 05:40 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MB

By listener request, we've got two covers of cartoon-related Christmas classics! "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" as performed by JP Maurice says a polite no-thank-you to skits, while Khruangbin's version of "Christmastime is Here" is a whole vibe. The ranking music in this episode is "Skating" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Thank you to Dave and Dan for these requests!

Episode 328: Brand Synergy

February 01, 2023 06:13 - 58 minutes - 39.8 MB

Valentine's Day is approaching, and we're celebrating with two tracks from one of our favorite (bad) holiday romcoms, Christmas in the City (2013). "You're My Christmas" by Juliet Lyons may have been stuck in our heads for years now, but there's still something a little off about it. After revisiting it, "Christmas Love" by Ashanti feels like a breath of fresh air. The ranking music in this episode is "White Wedding" as performed by Juliet Lyons. If you want to hear Jam experience more ...

Episode 327: Noodly Communion

January 18, 2023 05:58 - 47 minutes - 32.2 MB

New year, new requester! As suggested by a first-time requester, we listen to two songs off of an intriguing album by a new-to-us artist. "Listen the Snow is Falling" makes its third apperance on the show, this time as hauntingly performed by Thea Gilmore. Then we shoot the shit with Gilmore's "That'll Be Christmas", which is, you know, pretty good! The ranking music in this episode is "Christmas Unicorn" by Sufjan Stevens. Thank you to Dusty for these requests!

Episode 326: Just Wild

January 04, 2023 02:46 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MB

For our first episode of 2023, we're reflecting on the Christmas songs we heard in the wild during the recent holiday season! First up is the best of Kelly Clarkson's several attempts to craft an heir to the All I Want For Christmas Is You crown, "Underneath the Tree". Then - and you are going to have to trust us on the fact that we heard this song at a major retail chain - "Date With Santa" by Andreas Weise, which doesn't pose a question as much as provide the answer to a question no one wa...

Episode 325: Ten O'Clock and All Is Hell

December 21, 2022 22:48 - 1 hour - 43.2 MB

We're finally here, at that year-end vortex of holiday delights, and as always, we've got a new milestone episode to celebrate it! Ian is charged with finding the best song, and submits a mysterious tune that rides on vibes. Jam is in charge of finding the worst and, after whittling away some very terrible runners-up, presents a slurry mix of cynical shock-comedy and manipulative parasocial-relationship-baiting internet celebrity. Content warning: there is a prominent line in the second song...

Episode 324: Subscribe to the Holidays

December 07, 2022 06:36 - 49 minutes - 33.4 MB

Hanukkah is almost here, and to celebrate, we've got two- wait a sec, our producers are saying something. They say that we didn't do enough CanCon this year. Well, shoot, I guess we gotta scrap the songs that we were- what's that? A producer is now telling me the two Hanukkah songs we're listening to this episode ARE Canadian! Phew, that's pretty convenient! "Happy Hanukkah" by Walk Off the Earth featuring Scott Helman and "Chanukah Christmas" by Shelley Posen bring us two different flavors ...

Episode 323: Mistletoe and Fire

November 23, 2022 06:27 - 58 minutes - 39.6 MB

It's that thanking-time holiday in the United States, and so we're expressing our gratitude for our long-time listeners - by covering a repeat requester's request! Long-time listener Liam brings us two UK Christmas #1s from the 1980s, the somewhat perplexing "Mistletoe and Wine" by Cliff Richard and the more straightforwardly fun "Merry Christmas Everyone" by Shakin' Stevens. The ranking music in this episode is "Burn the Witch" by Radiohead, for reasons. Thank you to Liam for these re...

Episode 322: Jam Jam Jam

November 09, 2022 03:17 - 54 minutes - 36.8 MB

It's that most wonderful time of year again: BIRTHDAY BOI'S CHOICE. Jam is another year older and thus got to choose this episode's songs! As is their right!! First they treat Ian to TLC's delightful version of "Sleigh Ride". Then they throw a curveball with "The Mistletoe Jam (Everybody Kiss Somebody)" by Luther Vandross, a song with a premise so intriguing and baffling that it makes us completely forget that it sounds like he's saying "Missile Toejam". The ranking music in this episode i...

Episode 321: The Buttless Horseman

October 26, 2022 04:28 - 59 minutes - 40.2 MB

In this spoooOOOky episode, we listen to two Christmas songs by Halloween-y characters! By request, we've got The Cryptkeeper performing... (checks notes)... (sighs)... "Christmas Rap". And then non-puppet Alice Cooper (along with other presumably human men John 5, Billy Sheean, and Vinny Appice) covers "Santa Claws is Coming to Town". Did you see what they did there? No? You didn't? Well, don't worry, Alice has got your back. Thank you to Charles for the request! The intro/outro music...

Episode 320: Second Chances

October 12, 2022 03:33 - 53 minutes - 35.8 MB

This epsiode was going to be themed around light, because Diwali is coming up soon? And then it kinda turned into being themed around requests from CJ, a longtime HARK listener. And theeeen it kind of turned into a third thing? We listened to "Donner and Blitzen" by Thor and "Bohemian Chanukah" by Six13, with open hearts and minds. Some corrections: the light source is probably above them. Also we forgot about challah, and yes of course they already made it because they absolutely don't k...

Episode 319: lofi eggnog beats to study to

September 28, 2022 04:03 - 59 minutes - 39.9 MB

Eggnog Watch 2022 is well under way, and we're taking on another mission - to find some eggnog tunes to groove to while you scan those shelves. "Six Cups of Eggnog" by Larry Costa certainly sounds classic and celebratory, but may be more concerned with what's in the nog than the superlative drink itself. Thankfully, a visionary emerges to set us on the right path: "Time Travel Eggnog" by Eggnog Queen holds many important lessons for us, our listeners, and our list. The ranking music in th...

Episode 318: It's Fall.

September 14, 2022 04:48 - 46 minutes - 31.2 MB

Ian and Jam are back, baby, and IT'S FALL. So pull your scarves out of your closets, spice your pumpkins, and get ready to celebrate the High Holy Days. In honor of Rosh Hashana, we listen to "New Year" by Regina Spektor and "Intangible Things (A Hanukkah Song)" by Haley K. Turner.  This week's ranking music is "That Time" by Regina Spektor.

Episode 317: Fake Shark, Real Feelings

August 17, 2022 04:56 - 55 minutes - 37.6 MB

We're about to take a few weeks off, but before we do that, let's cover some listener requests! While not themed, per se, they both deal with the hustle and bustle of the winter holiday season. "Winona Ryder Hates Christmas" by Fake Shark Real Zombie is a song that takes its inexplicably silly premise seriously, while "At Last, I'm Ready For Christmas" by Stan Rogers deftly injects some sincerity into a silly-sounding scenario. The ranking music in this episode is "Dear Abby" by John Prine...

Episode 316: Elephants Are Forever

August 03, 2022 04:57 - 57 minutes - 39.2 MB

Ian and Jam are back on their bullshit, celebrating a holiday you've never heard of with - what else? - Christmas music! It's World Elephant Day, so join us as we merely skim the surface of the world of elephant-related Christmas music with "I Want an Elephant for Christmas" performed by the Peter Pan Caroleers and "I'd Like to Have an Elephant for Christmas" by Hank Thompson. Our ranking music this episode is "I'd Like to Have an Elephant for Christmas" as performed by Goofy. You know, G...

Episode 315: Birthday Vibes

July 20, 2022 04:27 - 55 minutes - 37.2 MB

IT'S BIRTHDAY BOY'S CHOOOOIICCCE Ian's birthday is this week, and so he's choosing the songs! And he's going for top 100 candidate kinda shit with the (mostly) touching lyrics of "Grateful for Christmas" by Hayes Carll and the (totally) smooth sounds of "I Dream of Christmas" by Norah Jones. This episode's ranking music is "Purple Snowflakes" by Marvin Gaye.

Episode 314: Hanukkah in July

July 06, 2022 04:21 - 51 minutes - 34.4 MB

Here we are, more than half way through 2022... and we haven't managed to add one dang Hanukkah song to the list! Ian and Jam remedy this with some seasonally appropriate warm weather Hanukkah tunes - "Hanukkah Hawaiian" by Regina Smoler and "Hanukkah in Santa Monica" (uh, no, not that one, a different one) by Mike Barnett and Allie Feder Kramer.  Our ranking music in this episode is, indeed, "Hanukkah in Santa Monica" by Tom Lehrer. Also, one of the hosts is soft-launching a new name. C...

Episode 313: Milestone-esque

June 22, 2022 04:46 - 1 hour - 39.8 MB

We're half-way through the year and we're marking it the old-fashioned way - by discussing two songs of absolutely divergent quality! By request, we listen to the heavenly "Angels Blush" by Basia, and then drag ourselves to hell with "Honorable Congratulations" by the McGuire Sisters. Our ranking music in this episode is "Coco Jamboo (Christmas Version)" by Mr. President. Thank you to Jim for these requests!

Episode 312: Rudolph B. Goode

June 08, 2022 04:10 - 52 minutes - 34.8 MB

This week, we're finally covering our oldest request on record - a song whose original (but non-thematic) pair was discussed on the show way back in February 2019. It's "Run Rudolph Run" as performed by Lemmy, Billy Gibbons, and Dave Grohl for the We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year compilation album. And what better way to welcome "Run Rudolph Run" to the list than to also cover the original by Chuck Berry? Our ranking music in this episode is "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck B...

Episode 311: Santa is the Color of Your Energy

May 25, 2022 06:06 - 56 minutes - 36.9 MB

I mean, what else were we going to do for this episode? 311 didn't leave us a LOT of options, so we had to go with "Mele Kalikimaka" performed by Nick Hexum. Then, for reasons, we listened to The Offspring's cover of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)". This episode's ranking music is "Amber" by 311! Of course!

Episode 310: Christmas Wrapping Sandwich

May 11, 2022 04:10 - 46 minutes - 30.7 MB

Inspired by the upcoming World Goth Day, we find a dark jewel in "Things Fall Apart" by Cristina. And then we kinda wander away from World Goth Day, with Ian instead leading RJ down a seemingly circuitous but actually quite straightforward route to arrive at "Christmas Time in the Motor City" by Was (Not Was). This week's ranking music is "Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses!

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