Any Man With A Microphone

In this episode, we delve into the quirky brilliance of Talking Heads—one of the most innovative bands of the late 20th century.  From art school roots to the genre-bending genius of Stop Making Sense, we explore the band's legacy, live performances, and the joy they bring to fans. Join us as we unpack the rhythm, the weirdness, and the lasting magic of David Byrne and company.

In this episode, we take a fresh listen to the legendary and often polarizing band Radiohead.  Focusing on their three most iconic albums—The Bends, OK Computer, and Kid A—our hosts (longtime skeptics of the band) dive into the innovation and distinct sounds behind these critically acclaimed records.  Will this revisit change our minds?  Are we Radiohead converts?  And where do you, the listener, stand on Radiohead—love them, hate them, or somewhere in between?Plus, we share a quick review of a recent Connor Price concert in Orlando, Florida.

On this episode of Any Man With a Microphone, we discuss the influential women of ‘90s music, celebrating the voices that shaped the decade.  From the raw power of L7 and Sleater-Kinney to the alt-rock brilliance of Garbage, Natalie Merchant, and Juliana Hatfield, we explore the impact these artists had on the era's sound and culture. Join us as we reminisce about the trailblazers, the anthems, and the lasting legacy of ‘90s women in music.  Others discussed: Liz Phair, Veruca Salt, Letters to Cleo, PJ Harvey, Sheryl Crow, Fiona Apple, Alanis Morissette, and many more!

In this episode of Anyman with a Microphone, we take a nostalgic dive into the early days of MTV and the golden age of music videos.  From groundbreaking visuals to unforgettable performances, we discuss how music videos shaped pop culture and revolutionized the industry.  Then, we each reveal our top ten favorite music videos of all time—will your favorites make the list?

In this episode, we discuss A Complete Unknown, the highly anticipated Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet. Join us as we review the film, the book it's based on, and the revolutionary impact of Dylan's first three major albums that forever changed music history.

Join us for our 2nd Annual Christmas Rock 'n' Roll Extravaganza, where we reveal our ultimate Christmas playlist—guaranteed to knock your stockings off!From timeless classics to rockin' twists, we've got it all. Tune in as we chat about our top Christmas tracks, including The Waitresses' sassy “Christmas Wrapping,” Los Straightjackets' surf-infused “Here Comes Santa Claus,” Bob Dylan's rowdy “Must Be Santa,” Tom Petty's heartwarming “Christmas All Over Again,” and so many more!So plug in the lights, pour some eggnog, and hit play—it's time for some holiday spirit!

In this episode of Any Man With a Microphone, we dive into the whimsical world of Adam Young and Owl City, exploring how his faith shapes his signature sound and lyrics.  Plus, we reveal our top artists and albums of the year as ranked by our Apple Replay stats.  Tune in for music, meaning, and our end-of-year favorites!

In this episode, Memento Mori, we honor the rock and pop musicians who left an indelible mark on our hearts and the world of music.  As November invites Catholics to remember those who have passed, we take this time to reflect on the lives and legacies of iconic artists we hold dear.  Join us on a soulful journey through their music and stories, celebrating the voices that continue to resonate long after they've gone.

Explore the powerful connection between music and emotions. From upbeat tunes that boost our energy to calming melodies that soothe the soul, we dive into how different types of music influence our moods, mental health, and daily lives. We talk with Dr. Brian Wallace, M.D., PhD, with NeuralPositive HealthTunes and get his scientific perspective. Discover how your favorite songs might shape your thoughts and feelings more than you realize!

Against all odds, Noel and Liam Gallagher have announced a long-awaited Oasis reunion, kicking off a world tour in 2025. This surprise comes on the heels of anniversary reissues for their iconic albums Definitely Maybe and (What's The Story) Morning Glory?.  Join us as we dive into the buzz surrounding this epic comeback and share our top Oasis song picks!

We've got your Ticket to Ride as we rank all the Beatles albums.  Join us as we discuss and celebrate the greatest albums from the Fab Four.  Whether you're a die-hard fan or just getting started, we'll take a Magical Mystery Tour from Revolver to Let It Be, Abbey Road to Help!, Rubber Soul to Please Please Me, and many more.  

In this episode, we dive into the enigmatic world of Jack White's latest release, No Name. From his signature guitar riffs to his mystifying lyrics, we explore how this album marks a return to form, reminiscent of his bluesy-charged anthems from his time in the White Stripes. Tune in as we dissect the tracks, uncover hidden layers, and discuss what makes this album a standout in his discography.

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.  

"Come Sail Away" with your hosts as they discuss the legendary rock band, Styx, and the recent show they attended together.   Known for melding hard rock guitar balanced with synthesizers and piano (while incorporating elements of musical theatre) the band continues to captivate audiences with their songs to this day.  Join us on a journey through the band's complicated past and their merits of someday being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame... Dōmo arigatō! 

Having conquered the 80s with two most excellent lists, your hosts tackle the 90s, wearing full flannel and picking songs from bands like R.E.M., Smash Mouth, Southern Culture on the Skids, Oasis, Third Eye Blind, Foo Fighters, and many more!  From the angst-ridden yells of Nirvana to the melodic tunes of Sugar Ray and Hootie and the Blowfish, the lists have a bit of it all and include 50 songs from this impressive era in music!

We pay tribute to the amazing talent of Adam Schlesinger on the three-year anniversary of his passing.  A gifted musician, songwriter, and producer, he was a founding member of the bands: Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows.  He is also known for writing songs for TV and film, including "That Thing You Do," for the film with the same name.  Nominated for Academy, Tony, and Golden Globe Awards, he won three Emmy Awards and a Grammy, amongst others.  We discuss the wonderful music he left behind.

Big hair, big shoulder pads, and big keyboard solos-- the 1980s was a grand era for music.  In this episode, listen to your hosts struggle to limit themselves to 21 songs from a decade rich with great tunes.  The question remains... will "99 Luftballons" make the cut, or will "Come on Eileen" find its way onto one of the lists?  

Our hosts each present the other with a band to check out.  Bands discussed are Sleater-Kinney & twenty one pilots.  They weigh the deeper themes and meanings behind the songs and decide if they are now fans!  If you have yet to delve into either of these bands, we hope you'll check them out.

Join us as we remember past concerts we've attended; including such names as Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, the Ramones, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, and of course, Ratt!  The list goes on!  We discuss positives and negatives of live music (but mostly positives) and reminisce about seeing the bands we love.

Jack White released two new solo records in 2022; Fear of the Dawn and Entering Heaven Alive, discussed and compared in this episode.   Rockin' riffs and lyrical melodies jam-pack these two exciting (relatively) new releases.

Much has been debated and many have poured over which Beatles album is the best, so we will give it our best shot in discussing the Beatles 1966's innovative release of Revolver.  This album is packed with great songs, and we discuss each track and give details of the recordings (But wait!  What about St. Pepper's, Rubber Soul, the White Album, and Let it Be?)  Oh, and Abbey Road...

A continuation of the discussion about '90s bands, highlighting Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and The Smashing Pumpkins.  Part two dives deep into STP and The Smashing Pumpkins.  Rankings 1-4, as well as a '90s game of musical "This or That!"

Let us take you back to 1991, when the musical landscape changed and alternative rock bands ruled the airwaves.  This is the first of two episodes discussing four key bands in the '90s: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Smashing Pumpkins.  In the first episode, we will highlight Nirvana and Pearl Jam and pick two songs we think best represents them. 

A spirited discussion and comparison of Paul McCartney's RAM (1971), John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band (1970), and George Harrison's All Things Must Pass (1970).

Your hosts Jarrad and Brandon discuss their inspiration for the podcast, their musical histories, and play a game of Musical This or That.