A music discussion podcast that isn't just that, it's only that. Hosted by the band Zen Arcade.
I'd a house to myself so decided to record an episode to myself! No guests, no co-stars, no messing, just pure, raw, unfiltered, constant nattering to myself.
Having returned to Austin after a day in Dallas (dallas't place you wanna be) and Fort Worth (fort what it's worth), myself, Sloane and Felix found ourselves in a familiar formation around the kitchen table mic in hand, ready to welcome to the show for the first time Madison Clapp! Together the four of us recap on our yester-day trip, making sure to sprinkle in some of the artist's work we bore witness to at a museum in Fort Worth ('bore' being the operative term). This gives the show some edge before we dull said sharpened edge with everything we say afterwards. Having established ourselves as worldly and learned, we immediately dive into the iPod songs we thought defined our singular experiences in childhood but quickly find, thanks to Adam Sandler, that the illusion of individualism is a myth designed to blind us from the horrors of the hive mind we're all a part of. Brushing that aside rather quickly, we recap on the month that was after last month's episode which included some Austin shows, karaoke and a renaissance faire. That frees us up to dive headlong into the segments which sees us highlight micro-genius moments from the likes of the Flying Burrito Brothers, St Vincent, Chappel Roan and Olivia Rodrigo and discuss Phil Lynott's inability to consume confectionary effectively. Make sure to stick around to the end so you get to hear the visceral disappointment in our new guest's voice when we get to Guilty Hatred's and then despair at the time you've wasted listening to these four specific individual's once Pete's Patent Pending comes to a merciful close.
Our monumental, momentous milestone 50th episode is monumentally momentous and milestonic for multiple reasons: 1. It's the 50th one. (For those who struggle mathematically, drop 50 things on the ground and then count them, that's how many it is. It's the first right after 49, if you hit 51 you've gone too far.) 2. It's conducted from the back of a van. 3. It's conducted in the company of old friends that have stuck around, and new friends who have just started sticking around. After filling you in on the a blazed trail that took its toll on our brittle bodies and weak minds after taking us from New York, back to Austin, to LA and then back to Austin again, we regale ourselves and each other with our hassle getting back after a long night together. Having concluded we've all got questionable philosophies on arriving home at a sensible time and in a sensible fashion, we assign our Sex And The City elemental signs before cracking into the rest of the episode.
After a two month sabbatical, of which many apologies for are due but none are forthcoming, we are back in business with a stateside statement of intent and a brand new guest! This episode Sloane, Felix and I are joined by a protege of theirs, Belle!
This episode finds you a week later, and finds Lord Friday The 13th over a month into a truly gruelling (truelling) European tour. Join us as we try to piece together the last 4 weeks from the pieces of ourselves that remain. There's everything from a show in an old mortuary, to a sound man called Machine Gun, people raising donkeys, an interview conducted in a toilet, -substances- being smoked outside, a police raid and a stay in an actual, honest to goodness, no fooling, proper old castle. The best part (or worst part) is, that all happened in the SAME DAY. There's more where that came from unfortunately.
Don't have time for a long intro, we're already late enough as it is! GUEST THIS EPISODE IS MY SISTER MORNA AND SHE DOES A CLASS JOB.
Episode 46 sees me return stole items to Peter Rugman and he returns the favour by stealing the show. During a routine headlining of the last ever Static Shock Weekend with The Number Ones, Peter Rugman was gracious enough to grace us once again with his presence and once he's done that, goes on to tell us about his award winning, improvised murder mystery show (which is his way of confessing to -actual- murder). I gloss over his homicidal tendencies and instead dive into his beef with Charlie Puth while I break the law by stealing some electricity from a plug in a pub. Sonic Second follows swiftly with contributions from Counting Crows and Julian Lennon and from there we fall in to Vox Pas with some terrible examples of Irish accents in video games. Workfarce makes its inglorious return and then after Have I Got Tunes For You we treat you to a song from The Number One's headline set from that night at the Lexington. Whole show is rounded out with a delayed flight and delayed responses from some tired rockers in Stansted airport the following morning.
You'll notice the repetition of a prior episode title, but there's just cause for this repetition, and it's just cause I want to. But also because the guest is another Peter, but not just ANY Peter, it's the Peter that is the reason I'm Peter O' Hanlon Jnr. (Like Robert Downey and his son, except without the troubled past and billion dollar franchise. Yes, my dad disgraces us with his presence on the podcast during a routine visit back to Cavan. We talk through how we first me (in a hospital, lots of screaming) and what it was like living together (in a house, lots of screaming). Dad gales and regales me with stories from his past, doing us all a favour and shutting down NCAD for 11 days and adventures in haunted houses over in Dallas. Morna and Ross drop in on a call to discuss the rite of passage that a ‘numny' from Dad is and then we talk through Dad's incessant desire to erect sheds and direct plays. Eventually we turn our attention towards the segments where poor dad comes a cropper with some rearing senility that returns for the sign off. After father and son'ing our way through Sonic Seconds, Second Best and Word On The Street we get to Acoustic Corner and Dad whips out his classic, 16 Tonnes. (There's a second performance of another household favourite but thats only for the Patreon members). My mother elects to make a cameo appearance to set the record straight and recommends we listen to the national anthem so we can wrap up. This episode is a family affair that could've gone worse.
Rathmines feels our wrath this episode and I feel the wrath of KLDD who join me in the Wine Buff for an evening of recollections and recommendations. We cover everything from nightmare shows to disgraced school journals, old demos to new performances, the humour is broad and the horizons are narrow.
This episode holds a very special place in my heart, not half because my guest is a stellar chap (not even a quarter of why I like this episode) but also because his name is ALSO Peter and I finally get to use a title I've had for longer than I care to admit. I'm going to type it again because it's such a ruddy humdinger of a title and typing it means I have to say it in my head and I get to realise its brilliance all over again. Peter Rugman is my guest this episode and with him he brings the novelty of the same name and also some riveting contributions to the segments. We start as we don't mean to go on and dissect a Strypes fanfiction about bearing our children. From there we talk through the preceding days drinking and dancing and our Pokemon trainer history, (Rugman, who Peter will be referred to as from now on to save confusion) critiques and evaluates O' Hanlon's current Pokemon crystal squad) before we crack on into the segments. We circled around Sonic Seconds and cover ground from Flyte to Labi Siffre to Kath Bloom to Klaatu to Matthew Sweet to The Raspberries and finally Brian Wilson. Coming into land we don't settle the debate between YouTube app vs YouTube in-browser (Rugman's answer will disappoint you) before hurtling headlong into Vox Pas and take off soaring again into Pete's Patent Pending which enjoys a welcome return (if some sub-standard offerings). After gliding through our shared memories of canine cartoons we careen into Have I Got Tunes For You (recommendations on our end involving 'Novelty Island' and 'The Merrymakers' before we engage the landing gear and round out our time together for an Acoustic Corner for the ages.
In the beginning, this podcast was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move. An even worse move was to get Shane O' Neill on as a guest and relive the misery we've put each through over the course of the last 17 years.
For episode 41, I thought it best to make the mistake of sitting down with Sean, Eddie and Conor from The Number Ones after standing up from sitting down with them earlier on in Mulligans pub. Talk circles around our dislikes (bands, sweets, each other), our vague familiarity with household musical icons, (-Gene- Campbell and -Tim- Westerberg), displays of aggression and inadequacy in secondary school (art and woodwork), and finally an excuse for an attempt at a song at the end.
Episode 40 finds us in Austin Texas and finds us reaching a milestone! And to celebrate this milestonic occasion, we totally abandon the well worn segmented approach this show has rigidly adhered to for the last 39 outings and instead use it as an opportunity to ruthlessly dissect the month of shows myself and my guests Sloane and Felix, of Lord Friday The 13th, have enjoyed and endured during my stay in the US. We flip off thieves at Dino's Bar And Grill in Nashville, dine on natto in New York, and rattle through Austin's dives and haunts for SXSW all while making sure we're home in time for MIlf Manor.
My guests this month are the incorrigible and irredeemable Emily 7. We start the episode desperately trying to piece together how we first me which proved impossible. The details of our adventures are foggier than a winters morning by a lake (and all the better for it) so we moved on to the segments once we'd agreed on a chronology of events. After debating the correct pronunciation of street names, we move on to Sonic Seconds and tickle our brains with moments from Gilla Band, Led Zeppelin and Labi Siffre (who we find out was the original Slim Shady). From there we hear about a potentially lethal run in with sodium hydroxide at my place of work, and a potentially lethal gig for Emily 7 in Mountjoy Prison before Have I Got Tunes For You gives us the chance to shine with recommendations ranging from Guthrie Govan to Curly Bliss to Julee Cruise to Diiv. Rounding out the evening, Scott wows us with his Clinton impression and then him and Dan disappoints us with their predilection for and proficiency with prank phone calls.
The first episode of the new year starts as most disasters do, with a trip to Galway. I sit across from and beside Lachlann and Naoise, the other two members of Adore, and Ray, who walked into the kitchen of his own house at the wrong time. The gates of hell had already closed behind him and he had no choice but to grab a mic. After listing the personal ailments plaguing me at the moment, (including a right ear so full of wax its sore to turn my head, the peeling skin on the roof of my mouth thanks to a scalding sip of lava java and the bracing winds of Dublin relieving my jacket of its buttons and exposing me to more cold) the four of us head off on our merry way through flatulent forays on the Irish rail system and pop songs rendered through the prism of a culchie accent. In the segments we enjoy some Chubby Checker discourse, interesting revelations about the Blues Brothers and their involvement in the Falklands, and a mouthful becomes a lapful for Naoise in Garglebox.
I just finished editing this at 2am and its bloody ruddy Christmas Day night, there'll be a proper description here in the morning.
Myself and the returning delight that is Becky Walsh find ourselves hitting the ground running and not stopping for a breath until we've managed to run through, Joe Doherty and Tadhg Williams, to The King And I to Yul Brynner to Ben Kingsley to Vanessa Hudgens to Gandhi to Mother Reilly's in Rathmines (a night Joe Doherty will always REMember) to Modern Warfare 2 to Notting Hill to Adore playing in London to tongkat ali (and a customers reluctance to engage with the concept of washing up liquid) to compostable dog poop bags (and potential human use) to expired nori flakes to rotting pumpkins to to spitting a digestive biscuit out a car window on the way to Enniskillen soundtracked by Jack L to lethal petting zoos to Mary Kate and Ashley to Melvin Doo to Holes to my shock that Becky has never seen Holes to the Big Big Move to Joe's big big move to Barcelona and finally to the smell of burning before we even START the first segment. After that its smooth sailing through Sonic Seconds with a guest appearance from Becky's housemate Lara, Vox Pas with slamming indictments of Morrissey (a first for him I'm sure) and then story time with Becky, Blink 182 and Machine Gun Kelly before rounding off with a round from the Acoustic Corner.
Episode 35 of Higher Fidelity sees me (Pete) and him (Joe Doherty) fail to recount our past together and fail to secure a future together. Instead, we wind our way through avenues not worth pursuing in the pursuit of reasons to like each other. We VICIOUSLY disagree on REM and VICIOUSLY agree on Glen Campbell.
Tadhg Williams graces us with his presence on Episode 34 of Higher Fidelity. He returned my ear drops to me and I returned the favour by getting him on the show. Unfortunately, thanks to the drops, my ears were back in functioning order and I could hear everything he said with absolute clarity. We kick off with a catch up and some war stories from the front line and the front of the stage before careening headlong into the segments. Tadhg comes in all puns blazing with James Joyce quotes and Richard Hawley music boxes while I'm left with nary a jock to piss myself in. Throughout the course of the show Tadhg opens my eyes and we both now implore you to open your hearts to the song 'Jesus Is My Friend'. Faux Pas sees us turns our eyes towards towards the white haired incompetence of Edgar winter and Pat Kenny who never fail to deliver and always succeed in failing. Tadhg disappoints me during 'Have I Got Tunes For You' with the fact he doesn't know what Heffalumps And Woozles are. I ended the show promptly thereafter.
Higher Fidelity has developed quite the knack for unexpected breaks but it is back for the sequel to the number 32 with episode 33! This episode features loud contributions from Last Apollo and even louder contributions from a lost bird in my back garden. After a dissection of my squalid living quarters and a discussion about their debut EP, 'Ordinary Matter' we move on from their rising star and my rising damp to what we've been up to recently which is, in their case: a lot, and me: very little. We then wind and whine our way through Sonic Seconds, Vox Pas, Work Farce and a brand new segment courtesy of Lucy and the absent Astronauts of Last Apollo, 'Pete And Bleak'. A segment of their own design designed to uplift and degrade me. Voices fly in all the way from Fermanagh, Donegal, Valentia and Berlin to make this episode what it is, an episode.
In episode 32 we get bombarded on Lombard Street by the hot takes and cold cuts of two of Dublin's crowning jewels, Conor Lumsden (of too many bands) and Ross Hamer (of the rest). Together we wind our way through tales of tragedy and triumph, from surviving a break in at the Brudenell Social Club, to clueless adventures in Bowie-land with John Perry, to wasabi peanuts at 5am and being replaced in a Replacements cover band. All the while taking in the sights, sounds, sins and successes of 'Sonic Seconds', 'Vox Pas', 'Guilty Hatreds' and 'One's We'll Finish Later'.
Higher Fidelity returns after an un-welcome break with even less sense and even more tangents. This episode is harder to follow than Hansel and Gretel with a handful of breadcrumbs. We go from Valentines woes, to almost murdering The Mysterines, to breaking into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame (for a peak at our OWN stuff), to a run in with The Charlatans and 10cc, to 7 hours of non-stop musical improvisation in Trinity College, to the majesty of High School Musical 3, to our childhood mass location rotations, to taking care of ailing orchestra members, to disowning Georges Harrison's perm (while forgiving Kevin Keegan for his) to trying to find out what the deal is with Kim Deal and the tragic cacking of an extra in Winning London. All the while meandering through segments new and old ('That Sounds Like This', 'Sonic Seconds', 'Vox Pas' and 'One's We'll Finish Later') complete with a cameo from Dylan McClorey. Oh, and we find a Rennie on the floor. It had a hair on it.
This landmark episode has two landmarks. First landmark: this episode has two landmarks. Dublin and Cavan. Second landmark: this episode features our first ever Scot in the form of Jack Magee, our resident outhouse artist. Bound by the distance between us, Ev, Ross, Jack and I wind our way through Workfarce, Sonic Seconds, Vox Pas, Sid Didn't Die and Second Best, taking in every ghastly opinion along the way.
The podcast already predicated on unconventionality is further unconventionalised by what follows thusly. What follows thusly should never have followed anything, let alone thusly. But it did, and now we all have to suffer the consequences of the efforts made by the people involved. This episode is a festival of fresh faces, a cornucopia of unfamiliar vocal chords, a veritable vestibule of various voices. It features any and everyone who came to see us a the Merchy Christmas market last December. It's a sonic portrait of a city falling apart and a sad indictment of the civilians contributing to its destruction. You thought normal episodes were hard to follow? BESTA LUCK WIT DIS WAN.
Our third Christmas Special is nothing special, much like us. We discuss the high fidelities and the low fidelities of a year that saw us make a fist of it and then make a mess of it. So from everyone here at Dental Records, its subsidiaries and its domsidiaries (thats a sex joke there. At Christmas? you betcha), the extended cast and crew of A Day Like Today, the writing, typing, backspacing and then typing again team behind Cro Mag Non, the exposed brains behind Higher Fidelity and the 5 souls cursed to make up The Zen Arcade we wish you a Chery Verry Mristmas.
Our exotic international location in this episode did nothing to inspire new avenues of conversation. In this episode alone, Evan turns 25, (as the show turns 27), we dissect our show at DCU, discuss our time at Left Of The Dial festival in Rotterdam, update you all on the comings, goings and wentings of our experience in Amsterdam, introduce you to our latest obsession 'BattleBots', relive our appearance on KINK, lament the decline of Smash Mouth (morally, not artistically), tell the tale of 'A White Shirt' and then talk about music (for a bit*) * at the end.
Recorded in-between back to back shows in Rotterdam with Left Of The Dial festival we made a right show out of a show. You've heard of a blowjob, you've heard of a tough job but this was a rush job! Plenty of changes in this episode, a producer, mic stands (free hands for gesticulation {and other unmentionable -ations-} and by extension, free-er minds for pontificating), and a trigger pad for the jingles! But, if you're afraid of change and all that is a bit much for you, don't worry, there's more of the same old shite from us. Joe and The Shit Boys drop in at the end for a quick natter and scatter.
The quadranscentennial jubilee installment of this show sees us discuss everything we've done over the last few weeks which is everything. Everything includes listening to the Beatles Capitol albums on the way to Listowel, Pete and Ev's stint as crew for a festival tour with Dea Matrona, (successful for Ev, disastrous for Pete), watching 'Enter The Dragon', our assistance in the nation-wide battle against teen-depression, Ross' recents stint in Cork, Sam's soon-to-be stint in Rome and then a heated debate about the properties and practicalities of swapping the characteristics and excretory locations of different bodily fluids. And that's BEFORE we even get into the segments. What a pre-amble. Pete, wary of being held in perilously high regard by the world at large, decides to nip it in the bud now with one of the most brutal Workfarces yet.
'Five Live Yard Beours', episode 24 of the SINstitution that is 'Higher Fidelity, sees us stray even further from God's light and take even MORE leave of our senses. For reasons unbeknownst to us know but were presumably knownst to us at the time, we make a lot of animal noises, discuss our dreams, break Bill Wither's record for the longest note (35 seconds, eat shit Withers) and expand Pete's Patent Pending to include the ideas of idiots. The we review our first show with an audience in Tullamore and predict our next show in Listowel. There's also a casual bit of time travel interviewing. No biggie.
Later than usual, but better than ever, this episode sees us descend into fits of laughter that we never truly recover from. From Marcus' quest for stardom (the rest is infamy) to the discovery of a mysterious individual known only as Don Plamm, (stopping at Jessica Simpson's cover of 'These Boots Are Made For Walking' and Bob Geldof's inadequate larynx on the way) episode 23 features more heavy breathing and screams of delight than a flasher's camera roll. We also discuss The Zen Arcade's FIRST encounter with a listener in the wild! Molly from Virginia, we need that photo, Spotify do your thing.
The 22nd door in the hallowed hallway of Higher FIdelity's house thats full of metaphors that get away from themselves, is split across two locations. We feel the wind in our hair in Dublin and get our hair caught in the window in Cavan. Becky beams in from Stephens Green for Sonic Seconds and Vox Pas while we beam at each other in Ev's sitting room for the rest. Fresh from the success of 'High Fidelity' and sweaty from the anticipation of 'The Many Faces Of We' stream we use cutting edge technology to get some celebrity assistance, point the finger of plagiarism at Red Kross and debate the properties of King Midas' curse and how it would manifest itself in reverse (as per The Hollies hit). One look a the 'As Heard On Higher Fidelity' playlist will tell you that we cover a lot of erratic ground on this episode. We go from Arkana ('So Little Time', Mary Kate and Ashley theme) to Jean Jacques Perrey (NOT 'So Little Time, NOT Mary Kate and Ashley theme). This rapid change of pace subjected our bodies to G forces that could've easily proven fatal were we of a lesser constitution.
In episode 21 we discuss all the things we talked about in episode 21. DISCLAIMER: This claimer is dissing your claims.
It's a brand new location and the same old insights from us on this exciting milestone. The first instance of content recycling is here, one of us made the abhorrent mistake of using a quote that was used before on a previous episode and we sincerely apologise. We can only try and be better. Of course, a betrayal like this is very hard to come to terms with and even harder to forgive but we hope you understand that we are human and we make mistakes. We raid the ideas of an interview we just came from and steal their gargling game. What follows is ASMR of a very disturbing nature. We remember the contributions from the latest live episode of Higher Fidelity, remember John Leyton in 'Johnny Remember Me' and remember the time we dipped our toes in the world of fashion and found it to be very cold.
The first 'one on one' episode of Higher Fidelity featured many happy returns, 1. The return of 'Second Best' 2. The return of 'Never Mind The Fuzzbox' 3. The return of 'Pevan' Those of a certain vintage will remember Pevan as the contraction of both Pete and Ev's names use most prominently by Tumblr and Wattpad users for their platonic and erotic stories about us. The intention to upset couldn't have been further from their minds (I hope. What an odd way to bully someone if it was intentional, 'I wrote a 13 chapter, 46 page story about you attending my school') but nonetheless, we took ourselves very seriously at the time, something we find practically impossible now. Dr Feelgood and fanfiction, a ludicrous time capsule of an erstwhile era.
Paraphrasing the immortal words of Martha 'is that even legal' Cox we find out that we can 'popdown, lockdown jamdown and -break-down'. Yes that is the title too. It's Title 2 'An Appearance In The Description'. It's the same as 'Superman' being said in 'Superman' and 'We Need To Talk About Kevin' being said in 'We Need To Talk About Kevin' (I haven't seen it but it's SUCH a poor title it has to be said in the film?) Join us on a walk through our wiki where we're accused of 'posthumously' appearing in Rocketman, before we dive into everything wrong with Allan M's footwear in Josie And The Pussycats. We then find ourselves finding hilarity in the vocal stylings of Micky Dolenz, Fergie and Shakin' Stevens before discussing at length and breadth The Animals' 'Lust For Glory and Quest For -Their- Money'. After discovering Pete Wentz's unlikely inspiration in the guitarist from Jason And The Scorchers we welcome the return of Pete's Patent Pending and Workfarce. Before rounding out the episode with the revelation that Shakin Stevens (yep he's brought up twice) had a hit with a song by a band that used to pal around with Black Flag, we agree to round out the episode with the revelation that Shakin Stevens (yep he's brought up twice) had a hit with a song by a band that used to pal around with Black Flag.
We were looking back to see if this year was looking back to see if we were looking back on it fondly. The new year has brought with it nothing new, only remastered blu-ray versions of last year's nonsense in high definition. We've been George Lucased.Recorded in the dying days of 2020 we let our optimism get the better of us and our pop-timisms bring out the worst in us. Admissions of enjoying The Wanted and Dave Clark clash with denials of appreciation for Sparks and Roxy Music, all while the social acceptability of going commando is hotly debated (another reason to do it, the heat).Do you fear late stage development of a bum chin? Will you, in good conscience, deny Ron Ryan his royalties? Can peace ever truly be achieved when Cardiacs fans walk among us? They don't have to suffer their existence, but we do. Look within and click above to find out.
We lose, find, lose again and then forget about the Christmas Spirit in our second festive special. New guests, old guests, friends and family gather round an electric fire hazard and in a time honoured Christmas tradition, dissect the cast list for 'How To Eat Fried Worms' (a film that wasn't a springboard for ANYONE).Evan discovers the phrase 'shawty' while discussing Jedward's appearance on the Slammer performing 'Mistletoe' by Justin Bieber. What a SENTENCE. We then go on to establish that 'It's A Wonderful Life' is the 'Citizen Kane' of Xmas films and by extension, using that metric, 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas' is the 'Alien' and 'Polar Express' is the 'Avatar' (big budget and bad).Before we, the description committee, sign off for this year we'd like to tell you a joke. Where did Mary go for a coffee after giving birth to the Baby Jesus? Pret A MANGER!
A red letter episode featuring the dissection of our ascension from nobodies to yes-bodies while our debut single 'Dont Say A Word' saw us reach new heights in terms of chart success and new lows in our ability to read social cues on live radio. 'Workfarce' and 'Never Mind The Fuzzbox' make welcome returns as Sonic Seconds takes a welcome break. It had begun to buckle and wheeze under the pressure of being omnipresent. We further discover that Rod Stewart's body began to let him down way earlier than we thought, Just Eat bags drastically affect balance and that our first tv appearance on the Toy Show is the gift that never even gave in the first place.
Higher Fidelity gets (what would've been) the -exclusive first play- of 'Don't Say A Word'! (if Irish radio hadn't jumped the shark-gun and blown our load for us).Joe Pesci's career is defined by flipping from comedy role to serious role at the drop of a brick to Daniel Stern's face. The sad nadir of this knack for jumping between the two is none more so tragically apparent than on his debut album 'Little Joe Sure Can Sing' where he -hilariously- tries to -seriously- attempt too many classics to count. It was an ambitious start to a singing career that is still stuttering to this day. Other disappointments enclosed include an alignment chart for Italian American actors and their northern English British Invasion group counterparts, and The Cars getting (de)railed by Sugar Ray.
We discuss the historical revisionism abundant in the recent reappraisal of Dr Feelgood's 'Wilko-era' and almost getting caught by the rozzers (see 'busted by the filth') for blaring the Just My Luck soundtrack at 3am. We also learn the phrase 'historical revisionism' and abuse the PHUCK out of it. Raimi's Spiderman gets another dashing against the rocks of logic and a new segment rears its head and heads for our rears, it's 'Vaux Pas', which is all about singers cacking it live.
Brace and pace yourselves for an episode containing a Strypes song that thankfully -never- saw the light of side 2 of an album, a Beat Farmers cover that did see the light of side 1 of their debut album, and House Of Fun gets the pun remix that NO ONE asked for.
Of The Hollies personnel it's Nash who normally gets the sharp end of our blunt comments about his career and face. But this month it's the football jersey wearing, Carling enthusiast Terry Sylvester who comes in for an absolute pasting over his questionable Twitter behaviour. Our second ever guest, Becky Walsh, joins us to reminisce about Lindsay Lohan's relationship advice, plug her own podcast 'Scandal In The Wind' and weighs in on the 'hadn't begun but is now never-ending debate', 'Brimful Of Asha' vs 'Same Jeans' (with an undercard featuring 'Want A New Drug' vs 'Ghostbuster's', no out of court settlements here)In three sentences we go from Kings Of Leon, to Scouting For Girls, to self fellatio. Make of that what you will.
Episodes 9b and 9c, conducted from a hugely guarded Zoom chatroom, were a pandemic necessity masquerading as a marketing experiment. And quickly turned into a dangerous lesson on letting over eager listeners underwhelm you with their spotless bedrooms and spotfull opinions. Normality resumes with episode 10, the familiar structure and pace almost like a warm blanket around the shoulders of the hosts who fell foul of the leaky hot water bottle and badly grounded electric duvet that was 9b and 9c. A conversation about Normal People, noxious gases, Scruffy The Cat and Kilburn And The High Roads was anchored, book ended and pebble dashed with Spiderman 3 AGAIN. A friend that is always welcome, but -always- turns up too.
We've got upgraded tech and upgraded personnel. Individual mics, individual opinions, no longer are we bound by the sonic restraints of a single diaphragm. WE have the power and are going to misuse and abuse. Our good friends Sloane and Felix Lenz join us becoming our first ever guests and welcome additions to the dynamic they are. Our stale views are fresh in the eyes of these crusty merchants of fuzzy business from Texas (which is an anagram of Te Sax)(Evan Walsh can play Te Sax).Everyone comes in for a pasting, Jack White, The Grateful Dead, Roxy Music, John Mayer and John Mayer again. Not for a third time, that'd be mean and funny.
That title sounds like its the last episode doesn't it? No such luck for you, tired but dedicated listener, not on your nelly or mine for that matter. Don't put -anything- on my nelly but if you must, use a coaster. That title is merely the aptest (you're correct, 'aptest' isn't a word) as it's quite a long episode and there's a fish in it. Back to The Coasters, Cornell Gunter was a Coaster from 1957-1961. That's a fun name.
The theme of this episode is NEW, 2020 has only gone and bloody started and so in keeping with the topics on everyone's lips at the dawning of this new decade we discuss The Rutles, The Room, the 2000's and Ross Farrelly's origin story. (I used his full name because its very hard to possessively apostrophise his first name {Ross'}. See? That resembles a streaky toilet bowl thats been seen to by the spotty bot of SkidMark Mark, the Terror of the Toilet Stalls, The Fecal Fearmonger, A Man Who's Crap At Crapping)
Festivities aplenty and a floor full of cracked crackers. We listen to our audiences Sonic Seconds, some are clued in, others are terminally clued out. If you listen closely you can hear the faint jingle of sleigh bells in every jingle.
More Spider-Man 3, that's what you wanted wasn't it? Remember when this was a MUSIC podcast? Do you remember when.......we used to sing, SHA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA AH LA LYE.
This third Tuesday shows Zen Arcade are a band of their word. Still no music, videos or shows yet but thank god the peripheral extra curriculars are being prioritised.Dave Clarke is likened to a floating intergalactic planet eater (not for the first time), Baloo is accused of racism (not for the first time), Ev brings up Roy Wood (not for the first time) and the market potential of Avril Lavigne's name in the meat extract paste industry is realised (very much for the first time).
Aaaand that's the bite size mentality gone for a shite.
Like the creme de la creme of infant confectionary, Stinger bars, Refreshers, Jelly Tots and Drumsticks (but not Bounty's, NEVER Bounty's, coconut can gogonut awaywaynut) this podcast aims to employ a Bite Size Mentality, keeping the episodes short so as to appeal to you, the culture-starved empty faces, addled by disposable interests and flimsy shoes.