Music Raygun

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Each episode of Music Raygun explores a different musical artist, topic or concept. Hosts Paul Ciampanelli and Kirk Pynchon watch and discuss related music videos, TV clips, commercials, interviews and other pop-culture ephemera on YouTube.

Paul Ciampanelli & Kirk Pynchon


    • Jun 2, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 55m AVG DURATION
    • 362 EPISODES

    4.9 from 26 ratings Listeners of Music Raygun that love the show mention: janet, old friends, video, different, learn, guys, always, show, fun, love, new, thanks, great, listen, paul and kirk, music raygun.



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    Latest episodes from Music Raygun

    Miniepisode: Aces Wylde

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 11:36


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul have nothing.

    180: Grab Bag 18

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025 75:51


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul reach into the ol' grab bag for another 10 videos that defy categorization by topic, sort of.

    Miniepisode: A Lot of Squeak-Squonk

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 26:56


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul play Boy Band Bank Heist with the Jackson 5. After that, a music trivia quiz for no candy.

    179: Motown

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 67:31


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul look at Motown from the 1960s through the 2000s.

    Miniepisode: Music for the Weather Channel

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 27:00


    Miniepisode: Music for the Weather Channel by Paul Ciampanelli & Kirk Pynchon

    178: Billboard Top 10 Singles of 1985

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 75:45


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul watch the music videos of America's 10 best-selling singles of 1985 according to the Billboard year-end chart.

    Miniepisode: The Vengabus Is Coming

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 28:44


    In this episode, Kirk plays Where They From? European Edition, then there's a music trivia quiz.

    vengabus
    177: Dominic Sena

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 87:54


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul watch '80s and '90s music videos directed by Dominic Sena ("Kalifornia," "Gone in 60 Seconds," "Swordfish").

    Miniepisode: Nakutaka Pia

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2025 55:14


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul rank all the songs on Michael Jackson's "Bad," and Paul tries to win candy from the music trivia quiz.

    176: Clavinet

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2025 57:28


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul look at music that features the electric keyboard instrument that powered funk music in the '70s and is most closely associated with Stevie Wonder: the clavinet.

    Miniepisode: A Pure Alliance With Susanna Hoffs

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2025 30:26


    In this miniepisode, non-metal guys Kirk and Paul break down the similarities and differences between Viking metal, black metal, pagan metal and melodic death metal (aka melodeath). Then Paul plays a "Survivor"-themed laser round. Then a music trivia quiz happens.

    175: TV Theme Music 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2025 83:08


    In this sequel to "Music Raygun" episode 46 from way back in 2018, Kirk and Paul take another look at some of their favorite TV theme music.

    Miniepisode: Santa Cruz Viking Metal

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2025 23:22


    In this episode, Kirk's son goes to a metal show, then there's a laser round, then there's a music trivia quiz.

    174: Memphis

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2025 72:44


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul look at musical artists from Memphis, Tennessee.

    Miniepisode: The 1-2-3 Punch of Susanna Hoffs, Cake and Pretenders

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2025 36:23


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul visit Trading Card Corner, then they analyze the BeachLife Festival lineup, then Kirk attempts candy in the music trivia quiz.

    173: Great Songs With Bad Videos

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2025 88:14


    This episode is a sort-of sequel to episode 141: "Bad Songs With Great Videos." In this episode, Kirk and Paul look at the other side of the coin by watching bad music videos for great songs. Watch the bad videos for yourself in this episode's YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwkBtmWrUCYPPvcb8BU-Vv0qxOz0sd0Kg

    Miniepisode: Spice World Isn't Trash

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2025 32:10


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul play Boy Band Bank Heist with the Spice Girls, and there's a music trivia quiz at the end.

    172: Paul McCartney Covers

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 67:42


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul take a look at 10 YouTube musicians who cover classic by Wings and Paul McCartney. Watch the videos featured in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwkBtmWrUCYOUZNIz-VQhk9RRAU2sEY-G

    Miniepisode: Who Bought Singles in the CD Era

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2025 31:14


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul discuss the best-selling albums of the ‘90s, the yacht rock dockumentary, the nmusic trivia quiz.

    171: Mid-'90s Harmless Rock

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2025 88:54


    In this cursed episode, Kirk and Paul take on the bland, male toothlessness of the harmless, good-for-all-quadrants "rock" that emerged from the post-grunge mid-'90s.

    Miniepisode: Another Bad Cat Stevens Creation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2025 27:45


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul talk about Sun City and Kool & the Gang. Then there's a laser round, then a music trivia quiz, then we're done.

    170: Grab Bag 17

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 81:24


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul kick of the 17th season of "Music Raygun" with another grab bag episode.

    Miniepisode: Otherkin 1960s Psychedelic Sunshine Pop

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 51:06


    In this episode, Kirk gives a final report on his son's university Beatles class, Kirk and Paul review their Spotify Wrappeds, and there's a quiz of music-themed trivia.

    169: B-Sides 13

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2024 78:27


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul sew up season 13 of "Music Raygun" by looking back at the episode topics that made this season the instant classic that it was. See you in 2025!

    Miniepisode: A Book About Fleetwood Mac

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 27:17


    Kirk just finished reading Mark Blake's "Dreams: The Many Lives of Fleetwood Mac," so in this episode, Kirk and Paul talk about Fleetwood Mac. Then they do a music trivia quiz.

    168: Paul Hunter

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 72:54


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul look at the career of Paul Hunter, who since the mid 1990s has directed more than 100 music videos. We picked 10.

    Miniepisode: You Didn't Dance to 'Angie'

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 22:01


    In this episode, Paul plays the Beatles Game, Kirk plays the Laser Round, and there's a music trivia quiz.

    167: Billboard Top 10 Singles of 1990

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 92:48


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul count down the music videos for the 10 biggest hit singles in America for the year 1990.

    Miniepisode: Taxman or Batman?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 27:10


    In this episode, Kirk's son sends an update from his Beatles college course, Kirk and Paul play Boy Band Bank Heist with New Edition, and there's this trivia quiz about music.

    166: Saxophone III

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 64:09


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul talk about music featuring the woodwind instrument invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax. It is called the saxophone.

    Miniepisode: Whiny Beatles (w/ Sarah From Austin)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2024 50:28


    On this episode, Kirk and Paul are joined by fan and friend Sarah From Austin. They talk about the Beatles, visit Trading Card Corner, and play the music trivia quiz.

    165: Michel Gondry

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 84:06


    In this episode, Paul and Kirk watch music videos directed by filmmaker Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Be Kind Rewind," others) in the 1990s and 2000s.

    Miniepisode: Music Knowledge Beamed Directly Into Your Ears

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 24:32


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul look for a new introduction to the podcast; Kirk's son checks in about his college Beatles course; and there's a quiz on music trivia.

    164: Divas

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2024 76:09


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul talk about divas, and, no, it's the the first-ever opera episode of "Music Raygun."

    Miniepisode: A Deliberate Attempt to Shed Extraneous Fans

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2024 42:14


    In this episode, Kirk reports news about old white rockers fighting, Paul has more to say about "E-Bow the Letter," there's a laser round, and there's a music trivia quiz.

    163: Back to School

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2024 94:39


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul get nostalgic remembering the songs they were listening to at the start of the school year way back when they were young.

    Miniepisode: Spotify Crazy

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2024 32:14


    In this episode, Kirk reviews a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Paul challenges Kirk to another round of Popularity Contest, and Paul attempts candy from the music trivia quiz.

    162: Massachusetts

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2024 80:12


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul visit the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts to talk about mostly Boston bands but one or two others from elsewhere in the Bay State.

    Miniepisode: First-Name Bassist

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2024 23:55


    In this episode, Kirk presents the second part of his two-part book report on the new Journey bio. Then Paul challenges Kirk to a new game. Then it's the music trivia quiz.

    161: House

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2024 64:14


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul flash back to — big surprise! — the late '80s and early '90s to trace, in brief, the history of house from Chicago clubs to London clubs to New York City clubs to the top of the charts.

    Miniepisode: Literally Corporate Rock

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2024 26:34


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul talk about Nolan Thomas and Journey, Kirk plays the Popularity Content game, and blah blah music trivia quiz.

    160: Grab Bag XVI

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2024 75:58


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul watch a truly wild assortment of uncategorizable videos. It's another grab bag episode of "Music Raygun"!

    Miniepisode: The 10 Musical Pauls

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2024 26:33


    In this miniepisode, Paul pays tribute to his 10 musical namesakes, Kirk plays a new game called Popularity Contest, and they both do a music trivia quiz.

    159: Music Videos 1984

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 84:01


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul explore 10 music videos from the year 1984, "one of the top years in pop music" according to "many" according to Kirk.

    Miniepisode: Harriet Wheeler's Ramekin of Ranch

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 25:44


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul play the laser round, and Kirk tries for candy in the music trivia quiz.

    158: MTV's 1st 10 Music Videos

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 71:54


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul watch and comment about MTV's historic first 45 broadcasting minutes on Aug. 1, 1981, including VJ segments and commercials.

    Miniepisode: The Wives of Richard Marx

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2024 18:32


    In this episode: the surprisingly boring origin of one of the worst band names of all time; the surprising identity of Richard Marx's second wife; the surprising music course Kirk's son is taking at college; and the surprising Canadian songwriter Kirk thought directed the New York Philharmonic.

    157: Pro Set Superstars MusiCards

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2024 94:56


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul find out about the random bands they never heard of from the Trading Card Corner segments of the miniepisodes over the years.

    Miniepisode: Don't Sing the Song You Don't Even Know

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2024 26:12


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul visit Trading Card Corner. Then they quiz each other about music trivia.

    156: B-Sides XII

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2024 84:01


    In this episode, Kirk and Paul wrap of the show's 12th season with another video for each of the previous 12 episodes' topics. It's another B-sides episode!

    Miniepisode: Good for Deli

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 18:21


    In this episode, Kirk offers new seltzer flavors to Paul. Then there's a music trivia quiz.

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