Offbeat Tracks
146 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsShowcasing forgotten or unknown music that deserves to be remembered and known.
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Episodes
Episode 97: Mo-Do
May 28, 2018 16:00 - 22 minutes - 25.2 MBA model-turned-pop-techno act and another entry in the "Europeans making records in other languages than their native one" binder. Stay until the end for a special message.
Episode 96: Pat & Mick
May 21, 2018 16:00 - 23 minutes - 27.4 MBWe couldn't possibly have anything bad to say about charity singles, right? Well, put two weird British radio DJs - one with a mullet - at the helm, and let's see.
Episode 95: Kon Kan
May 14, 2018 16:00 - 29 minutes - 33.4 MBThis week it's a duo from Canada who jumped into the sampling craze of the late 1980s and then tried a few different things that really didn't work for them in the 1990s. Do you want to hustle? Do you want to salsa?
Episode 94: Eurovision 2018 Preview
May 07, 2018 16:00 - 50 minutes - 57.7 MBIt's that time of the year - Happy Eurovision Week! We bring in a friend of ours who also loves Eurovision and share our picks among (and point and laugh a bit at) this year's entries!
Episode 93: Naked Eyes
April 30, 2018 16:00 - 24 minutes - 27.7 MBOffbeat in so many ways - a British band that didn't have any hits in Britain, and one-hit wonders whose less popular hit is the one more often included in throwback compilations and playlists. What exactly was the deal with Naked Eyes and their obsession with fire?
Episode 92: Caramba
April 23, 2018 16:00 - 24 minutes - 27.9 MBWe go about as offbeat as we've ever gone this week and discuss an album written entirely in gibberish. Guaranteed to make hu gvarpa gu schtep qwinn glorp gorble schtack fengin hungin huveppa grappa dip.
Episode 91: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
April 16, 2018 16:00 - 32 minutes - 37.3 MBSure, their name is extra, but the concept is anything but: Two guys who hated rock music set out to make music out of anything that wasn't guitars and drums. The result is a career that - with a couple of breaks - is still cranking today!
Episode 90: The Most '90s Things
April 09, 2018 16:00 - 29 minutes - 33.3 MBAs we promised you 10 episodes go, we're spending Episode 90 discussing what we feel are the qualities that most define the music of the 1990s.
Episode 89: OMC
March 26, 2018 16:00 - 24 minutes - 28 MBWe're already travelling back to the Pacific Island nations this week to discuss a group from New Zealand that made an unexpected worldwide ripple in the mid 1990s.
Episode 88: Maria Vidal
March 26, 2018 16:00 - 25 minutes - 28.9 MBIf you're a casual '80s music listener, you've probably never heard of Maria Vidal. If you're into '80s dance music, you probably see her as a one-hit wonder who had a club hit with a movie theme. Either way, this week, we're here to tell you about the rest of her catalog that you've (probably) never heard!
Episode 87: Koo De Tah
March 19, 2018 16:00 - 22 minutes - 25.5 MBUp this week it's Aussie dance-pop duo Koo De Tah. Join us as we hold a clinic in mid-'80s pop, and declare ourselves as official federal ambassadors (which we're pretty sure we have the authority to do).
Episode 86: Bobby Orlando, 1982-83
March 12, 2018 16:00 - 33 minutes - 38.7 MBWe're back, and we're talking Hi-NRG - specifically the undisputed king of it, the guy who gave the finger to classical music training and a career in boxing to screw around with synths and drum machines.
Episode 84: Robin Beck
February 26, 2018 16:00 - 21 minutes - 25.1 MBThis week, we analyze what it really means to be a one-hit wonder, straight from the mouth of a lady who holds that distinction.
Episode 83: Madame X
February 12, 2018 16:00 - 26 minutes - 30.2 MBWhat other show could possibly deliver you such a cool, sexy trio of ladies who fused together everything that was great about Klymaxx and 1987? We're just that type of podcast.
Episode 82: Wall Of Voodoo
February 05, 2018 16:00 - 29 minutes - 34.2 MBEasily the strangest act that we've covered yet, and probably the only band to attempt to fuse new wave and the spirit of the wild west.
Episode 81: Pepsi & Shirlie
January 29, 2018 16:00 - 26 minutes - 30.6 MBYou surely know of Wham!, but did you know that two of their backup singers were totally besties who continued on in the world of dancepop after GM went solo?
Episode 80: The Most '80s Things
January 22, 2018 16:00 - 23 minutes - 27.1 MBWe're doing something a bit different for this Superlatives episode: We've each made a list of the five things that we think are the biggest definers of '80s music.
Episode 79: Tracey Ullman
January 15, 2018 16:00 - 33 minutes - 38.2 MBYou probably know her as a comedienne, but for a few years in the early '80s, Tracey Ullman dominated the charts in the UK and managed to land one hit here in the US. Even if you're familiar with that one hit, join us as we analyze all her homeland chart toppers.
Episode 78: Andrea True
January 08, 2018 16:00 - 26 minutes - 30.9 MBIs porn's loss disco's gain? We tackle this question as well as several about the strange porn-viewing habits of Baby Boomers in this week's disco romp through the discography of an actress-turned-musician whose iconic track you've definitely heard.
Episode 77: Jennifer Rush
January 01, 2018 16:00 - 36 minutes - 41.8 MBKick off 2018 with some offbeat adult contempo! Despite cowriting and first recording one of pop music's most iconic ballads, most US listeners don't know about her. We'll take you through Jennifer's career from schlager-pop songstress to '90s new age nightingale.
Episode 76: Starpoint
December 25, 2017 16:00 - 26 minutes - 30.5 MBWe're celebrating Christmas this year by doing talking about absolutely nothing related to Christmas. Instead, we're discussing the pride of Annapolis, MD, a group that made the transition from disco to funk to R&B dancepop!
Episode 75: Offbeat Trivia Challenge
December 18, 2017 16:00 - 1 hour - 71.1 MBIt's our 75th episode, and to celebrate, we've invited our buddy Lee DiGeorge from Something, Something Birds on to pit us against one another in an Offbeat Trivia Challenge! See how you fare! Would you have beaten us? Probably not, but try anyway. No one likes people who don't try. Thank you for 75 episodes!!!
Episode 74: Y Kant Tori Read
December 11, 2017 16:00 - 21 minutes - 24.9 MBAn album from 1988 that we were sure was dead forever has unexpectedly re-risen and has a brand new remastered release! Join us as we talk about the album that Tori Amos has inexplicably ignored for the last 30 years.
Episode 73: Romance
December 04, 2017 16:00 - 31 minutes - 36 MBWe haven't done an episode about a recently departed pop weirdo in a while; frankly because nobody that we really like has died. Until this past week, that is. So here's a look at David Cassidy's only 1980s album.
Episode 72: Strawberry Switchblade
November 27, 2017 16:00 - 31 minutes - 36.3 MBMax's girlfriend Kyle joins us this week to discuss a couple of Scottish scene girls who hit it big in Japan but were too angsty to make a second album. Danielle enjoys that we're talking about happy music with dark lyrics.
Episode 71: Five Star
November 20, 2017 16:00 - 45 minutes - 51.8 MBThis British family band had a whole slew of hits, so why don't we ever hear about them? We hit the highlights of their numerous hits this week and take time to fawn over many of their outfits, too.
Episode 70: Book Of Love
November 13, 2017 16:00 - 32 minutes - 37.3 MBWhat happens when a bunch of moody art school kids buy a bunch of synths and drum machines? Tune in this week and find out!
Episode 69: Raunchy Songs
November 06, 2017 16:00 - 21 minutes - 24.4 MBListener discretion advised!! We bring you our next superlatives episode a week early, for (hopefully) obvious reasons as we each offer up five of our favorite raunchy, nasty, grimy, positively filthy tracks. Pack Q-Tips.
Episode 68: Ryan Paris
October 30, 2017 16:00 - 23 minutes - 27.1 MBIt's been a while since we've talked italo-disco or French stuff, so this week we bring you an Italian guy who wanted to be French.
Episode 67: Boy Krazy
October 23, 2017 16:00 - 24 minutes - 28.3 MBTaking two years to rev up and then appearing and disappearing from the public conscious in one brief ångström of pop music, Boy Krazy is pretty much the epitome of early '90s pop.
Episode 66: Romeo Void
October 16, 2017 16:00 - 25 minutes - 29.2 MBWe MIGHT like you better if you listen to this episode. Check out the short but sultry and attitude-y career of the finest no wave group ever to come from San Francisco.
Episode 65: Robbie Nevil
October 09, 2017 16:00 - 26 minutes - 30.9 MBOh, that hair. Oh, that swagger. Oh, Robbie!
Episode 64: Martika
October 02, 2017 16:00 - 37 minutes - 43.5 MBWe figured it was only right to give the wife of last week's topic a proper career exploration. Our buddy Genie joins us as we step through her two brilliant pop albums.
Episode 63: Nikki
September 25, 2017 16:00 - 18 minutes - 20.8 MBThe mysterious Nikki. We literally aren't even sure what his real name is, but this one-album wonder is worth a listen anyway, so join us as we do so this week!
Episode 62: Danielle Dax
September 18, 2017 16:00 - 27 minutes - 31.4 MBOur discussion of the queen of gothy noisy dance-rock leads us to coin a few new terms for genetalia.
Episode 61: Tasmin Archer
September 11, 2017 16:00 - 19 minutes - 22.3 MBAnother Offbeat Tracks first: Our first adult comtemporary artist! Journey with us through the brief but varied career of this British songstress.
Episode 60: Offbeat Songs By Well-Known Artists
September 04, 2017 16:00 - 22 minutes - 26.1 MBWe like to use these Superlatives episodes to talk about artists that we don't usually get to talk about, so why not discuss our favorite offbeat tracks by artists that everyone knows?
Episode 59: M-1015
August 28, 2017 16:00 - 22 minutes - 25.7 MBYou probably know Sylvester's disco hits from the '70s, but we'll bet you've never heard his underrated 1984 electro Hi-NRG album! Allow us to introduce you to this overlooked classic.
Episode 58: Can't Stop The Music
August 21, 2017 16:00 - 32 minutes - 36.9 MBA glamourized musical biopic about the formation of The Village People with a lot of super gay disco tunes and Caitlyn Jenner in hot pants? Count us in!
Episode 57: Hilary
August 14, 2017 16:00 - 18 minutes - 21.7 MBHow did one woman manage - in four songs - to cover human genetic evolution, the American uptight view of sex, the magic of everyday banality, and her fears about the return of Nazism? Find out this week as we pore over the only four songs ever recorded by what may be our most offbeat artist yet.
Episode 56: Corona
August 07, 2017 16:00 - 23 minutes - 26.6 MBWe weren't expecting to open another FBI (Forensic Baltimora Institute) investigation so quickly, but scratching the surface of the credits of Corona's early singles led us to more and more questions. Does the lady we see on their album and single covers and in their videos ever actually sing? Find out in this week's episode!
Episode 55: Baltimora
July 31, 2017 16:00 - 21 minutes - 24.6 MBA tip so hot and controversial that we felt the need to found our own pop music forensic investigation bureau? That's right. Find out what the (potential) scandal is with ol' Balty as we italo dance our way through this week's episode.
Episode 54: The Waitresses
July 24, 2017 16:00 - 25 minutes - 28.8 MBThis week, we're serving up a tall stack of Akron new wave, topped with midwestern working class sensibilities. Grab a booth or a table and hear what makes The Waitresses so fun and relatable.
Episode 53: One-Year Special
July 17, 2017 16:00 - 25 minutes - 29.5 MBIt's our one-year special! We look back on our favorite funny and touching moments over one year(!) of doing this ridiculous show. Thank you for listening!
Episode 52: Toni Basil
July 10, 2017 16:00 - 27 minutes - 31.7 MBYou probably only know one Toni Basil song, so we thought we'd fix that for you. Check your shopping list, call your friends in Devo, and put on whatever shoes it's easiest for you to lock in, cause it's time to dance!
Episode 51: Karla DeVito
July 03, 2017 16:00 - 26 minutes - 29.9 MBBoth this week and next, we'll be discussing two women who are unsung heroes of the new wave scene. We begin with Karla DeVito, who toured with Meat Loaf and then dropped two very killer (but very different) albums on two very different labels, while pausing somewhere in the middle to write and record one of Max's all-time favorite songs.
Episode 50: WTF Songs
June 26, 2017 16:00 - 30 minutes - 35 MBEver heard something in a song that just makes you stop and think - Uh, wtf? With what we listen to, we certainly have, so here are ten of our favorite WTF moments in music.
Episode 49: Jimmy Ray
June 19, 2017 16:00 - 17 minutes - 19.9 MBWho wants to know? Who wants to know about this '90s one-hit wonder (who may be forging a comeback)? If you answered 'you,' download this episode.
Episode 48: Terence Trent D'Arby
June 12, 2017 16:00 - 28 minutes - 32.7 MBA guy who we were pretty sure was British (spoiler: he isn't!) who made a brief splash on US charts in the late 1980s, and a member of the elite club of 'Two-Hit Twofers.'
Episode 47: Eighth Wonder
June 05, 2017 16:00 - 21 minutes - 25 MBThis week, Max is here for the music and Danielle is here for the celebrity opinions as we discuss short-lived British act Eighth Wonder. We'll explore the ups and downs of their brief career, from Grade-A dancepop to Take-It-Or-Leave-It film noir jazzpop.