Any Man With A Microphone

Join us as we discuss five brand new albums. From rock legends Pearl Jam and The Black Crowes to modern rocker St. Vincent... American rock duo The Black Keys... to arguably the most popular musician on the planet, Taylor Swift and her much talked about album, The Tortured Poets Department. See which albums surprised us and what album ranked the highest.

David Bowie was among the most influential and prolific songwriters and performers in the modern age. This "Rebel Rebel," who put "the art" into rock music, not only changed his unique signature looks but also his musical styles throughout his long, successful career. Join us as we discuss one of our rock "Heroes," diving into his work and vibrant rock and roll personality.

Most consider Jimi Hendrix the greatest and most influential guitarist in the history of rock and roll. His influence on modern music and almost anything that came after him is immeasurable. Hendrix pioneered the explosive possibilities of the electric guitar. His innovative style of combining fuzz, feedback, and controlled distortion created a new musical future for everyone. Our hosts look into his music and become more familiar with this legend of rock.

We discuss guitarists who move us from Stevie Ray Vaughan, Mike McCready, Trey Anastasio, Lindsey Buckingham, and Alex Lifeson to Jack White, Kurt Cobain, John Frusciante, Tom Morello, Steve Cropper, and more. Who is the best guitarist in the Beatles? Who is Sister Rosetta Tharpe? And who would be on our Mount Rushmore of top guitarists?

Our hosts discuss an unlikely topic: the Netflix documentary, "The Greatest Night in Pop," which highlights the 1985 recording of "We Are the World." The documentary goes behind the scenes of the recording process, as dozens of the era's hottest musicians and legends gathered in L.A. (for one night only) to record the single for African famine relief. We discuss the ups and downs and speculate what modern-day singers would be involved in such a project if it happened today. (Mentioned in this episode: Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Bob Dylan, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Twenty-One Pilots, Taylor Swift, and Ed Sheeran).

The 2024 Grammy Awards highlighted music's biggest stars and featured inspiring performances that spanned generations. With songs performed by Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Joni Mitchell, U2, Billy Joel, and, of course, Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs, the night was filled with nods to the past while honoring today's top songs. We discuss the winners and losers, focusing on two artists/bands, Olivia Rodrigo & Larkin Poe, and discuss their music in depth.

The 2010s saw a musical landscape that shifted from garage rock revival to the new decade's dance-worthy pop and boundary-pushing pop hybrids. Featuring tracks from Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Coldplay, George Ezra, Lewis Capaldi, Larkin Poe, Twenty One Pilots, and many more, the two lists are our most eclectic to date. Two Justins make an appearance, as does One Direction! And, of course, we could not cover this snapshot in time without discussing arguably the biggest album of the decade, Taylor Swift's 1989. Enjoy!

Join our hosts as they discuss The Beatles: Get Back documentary series directed and produced by Peter Jackson which covers the making of the Beatles' 1970 album Let It Be. The restored footage from the original film provides new and intimate insights into the band's creative process and highlights the relationships between the Fab Four. The lighter, funny moments of the documentary are discussed at length, as is the Let It Be album (and our hosts even decide which Beatles correspond with their favorite Star Wars characters!)

Deck the Halls! 'Tis the season for our Christmas Music episode extravaganza! Join us as we sip our holiday eggnog (actually, Starbucks coffee) and discuss our favorite Christmas songs. Fa-la-la along as we touch on our families' traditions and favorite songs, which include tunes from Harry Connick Jr., Los Straitjackets, even Ceelo Green, and many more. We even talk about our favorite holiday movies, in this, the most hap... hap... happiest season of all!

The 1970s were the cornerstone of classic rock. The music from the late '60s bled in with the release of Let It Be by the Beatles, then solo albums by John, Paul, and George, while bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd picked up momentum. Giants of rock 'n' roll like Queen, the Eagles, the Rolling Stones, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, and Steely Dan defined a decade often caricatured as the age of disco. Thanks to bands like the Ramones and others, genres like punk rock, hard rock, and heavy metal can all attribute their origins to this period. Our hosts pick their 30 top songs from the '70s, but their lists beg the age-old question: Do we really need more cowbell?

The early 2000s brought the rise of the Garage Rock Revival, a back-to-basics movement in rock music featuring driving guitars, raw sounds, and minimalist production. Join us as we discuss three bands that define this period: The White Stripes, The Hives, and The Strokes. Each unique in their approach and sound, we discuss their similarities and differences, lyrics, interesting backstories, and live-performance vibes.

The Beatles have released a new song! Written by John Lennon after the band's break up, the song was worked on during the 90s but brought back to life by the surviving members of the Beatles (Paul and Ringo)... And with a little help from our friends (Peter Jackson and team using modern AI), they were able to pull John's voice and George's guitar to the foreground for what is being deemed “The Beatles' last song." We discuss the marketing leading up to the release, the documentary, the song itself, and the impressive video.

The 2000’s generously left behind great songs to fill our playlists. From the emergence of the garage-rock bands like The White Stripes, The Strokes, and The Hives to numerous 90’s bands that kept their momentum going: Foo Fighters, Weezer, Beck, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The decade also gave us talent like Kings of Leon, Jack Johnson, Outkast, Jimmy Eat World, The Fray, The Killers, and lots of other bands that decided to put "the" at the beginning of their name. Join us as our hosts name each of their top 30 songs.

Look what we made her do... release a film of one of the biggest tours ever! The cultural phenomenon continues as Taylor Swift performs in a once-in-a-lifetime concert experience for the big screen. It is almost larger than life, and people are flocking to movie theaters like it's 1989! All glittered up and Bejeweled, our hosts went to see it, and it surpassed their Wildest Dreams! Listen and enjoy as they take you through it.

Soundtracks are such a huge part of movies - creating a vibe for the film and telling its own story. Music can bring emotions that pictures and dialogue can't and in this episode we explore some of the best. Wide open---our topic touches scores, musicals, original songs for film, and general collections of songs for movies! From Jaws to E.T.; Singles to Pulp Fiction; In the Heights to the Little Mermaid; and perhaps more obscure soundtracks you may not be so familiar with. Join us as we go to the movies!

GOT IT COVERED! We delve into some of the most famous (and most obscure) rock covers ever released. We discuss our favorite (and not-so-favorite) covers that span genres and decades featuring a wide variety of bands. From the Beatles' Twist and Shout to Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' I Love Rock 'N Roll, and from Dolly Parton covering Collective Soul to other artists like Johnny Cash, David Bowie, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Bjork who bring their own unique perspective to songs and make them their own.

One of our hosts reports back on a trip to London's Abbey Road Studios. He shares his experience of dangerously walking across the iconic zebra crossing and being in the presence of one of England's greatest national treasures. Hosts share the history and background of the studio and talk all things Beatles. The Abbey Road album is discussed in detail while having some fun along the way. And remember, "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

We discuss all things music from our summers, including Lewis Capaldi's new album, Taylor Swift's continuing success with her Eras Tour and her summer release of Speak Now (Taylor's Version), Beach Boys and John Fogerty concerts, and a trip to London's Abbey Road Studios. We even talk about summer movies including Indiana Jones and the Barbie Movie, giving them both our stamp of approval!

Join our discussion of Lewis Capaldi (the Scottish Beyoncé) on the release date of his new album, Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent. Already with three No. 1 hits in the United Kingdom, the album shows signs of a successful follow-up to his debut. We review the intriguing Netflix documentary about Capaldi entitled How I'm Feeling Now, which highlights his many personal struggles in writing the material for the new album. But first, host Brandon Wallace shares his promised story about how listening to James Taylor led to a run-in with the law!

Join us on our lucky 13th episode as we discuss Taylor Swift's recent Tampa concert (getting tickets, songs, the show itself, and all the records she is breaking in the process). We discuss the show's highlights and her first tour since releasing the studio albums Lover, folklore, evermore, and her most recent, Midnights.