Stars of the States

The audio in me recognizes the stereo in you. Comedians and cousins Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton highlight 2 musical artists from Mississippi. This is the Stars of the States. We'll tell you some reasons to stay alive, our favorite We Sing bops, dads, Cobra Kai, Human Resources, and of course, cats. Stay tuned for our hit single, Pastries by the Park. Ang tells the story of The Weeks, Mississippi's gutter punk band and insists you listen to 2 of their songs specifically (you'll have to listen to know which.) Maureen tells us about a few women out of Mississippi including Tammy Wynette, who did the twang so that Lee Ann Rimes and Shania Twain could sang. She also touches on Bobbie Gentry, the OG. And OF COURSE we have to talk about This kiss, this kiss. Impossible. Faith Hill. I'm a Rime Song Cowboy.

Our first in person episode! EVER. Crazy. Comedians and cousins Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton highlight 2 musical artists from Minnesota. We also catch up on all things life and comedy, get to hear Maureen's amazing Paul Hollywood impression, and see a real life hawk! or falcon! or eagle! Tune in to find out which. Maureen talks to us about the life of Eyedea, a rapper, poet and freestyle battle champion. Ang highlights some interesting facts about Prince. May they both rest in peace. Of course we had to talk about the prominence of Atmosphere and Rhymesayers, because this is the Minnesota episode. We also talk about the RETURN OF THE CLOSE TALKERS. They are back!!

Mich me once, shame on you. Mich me again, shame on me. In this episode, comedians Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton each pick a musical artist from Michigan and tell their story. We also talk about Aaliyah, what we make for dinner, best episodes of Verzus, the Echo Park riots, and the passing of DMX. Maureen also hypes us on the show The Lost Pirate Kingdom (not a sponsor lol). Maureen tells the story of Mike Posner. This son of two civil rights activists started in the world of hip hop and is now renowned for his songwriting and producing. Ang tells the story of The Temptations. This legendary group has so many classic hits like My Girl, Cloud Nine and Aint Too Proud to Beg. Listen to find out about the ultimate goat move they pulled in the early 90s. Recorded April 11, 2021.

We've finally made it to our home state -- Massachusetts. We're so happy to have you with us on this journey across the United States. This description cannot convey how excited we are to have made it here. In this week's episode we shout out as many local bands as we can pronounce. We also tell as many wicked stories as we can. We pahk the cah in the hahvahd yahd or whateveh. Maureen Begley covers the Quincy-based band The Dropkick Murphys. We've all screamed or been punched to one of their songs before. Ang Buxton talks about Boston-based band The Pixies. This band directly influenced the likes of Nirvana, The Strokes and David Bowie, among others.

Maureen has some big life news this week. She also talks to us about pop punk phenomenon Good Charlotte. Or as they will be referred to from now on: Good Chrolate. We medley through all the hits, and come to a shocking discovery about who each of the Madden Brothers married. Ang tells us the story of Mark Andrews, or as you may know him: Sisqo. This former Dru Hill singer was full of life and energy, and his enthusiasm landed him the track we know today as The Thong Song. You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Hit us up with your thoughts for a fan shout out :) Recorded February 26, 2021

This episode is sponsored by Ant on a Log. Subtly the world's best snack. In this episode, Ang Buxton and Maureen Begley, comedians from Massachusetts, tell the stories of musicians from the state of Maine. This was a surprisingly tricky one to find artists for, so if you are a local musician in Maine, please hit us up! We want to talk to you! Ang's voice is getting low like an East Side Boy. They quickly touch on the very badass Juliana Hatfield, and then covers the shitshow that is Howie Day, in hopes of attraction rather than promotion. Maureen does so many hashtags. She gives us the promo info for The Fogcutters, a modern big-band. We zoom out for a minute and think longterm about the podcast. Emerson fucked around and found out. We talk about going to the doctor in sobriety vs in active addiction and alcohol-free beers. We get an update on this year's female-heavy Grammy nomination. Like and subscribe on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Hit us up and let us know: Do you think an artist with a real abusive history could ever clean up and redeem themselves?

Comedians and cousins Ang Buxton and Maureen Begley talk life, love and the pursuit of serenity. Jk kinda but not really. This week we talk about musicians from the state of Louisiana. Featuring a great quote from Danny the Grammy Man, some talk of the state of things, and some times where our attempts at humor definitely backfired. Maureen covers Lucinda Williams, Americana songwriter with a distinct voice. Ang tells the story of Jelly Roll Morton, the man who claims to have invented Jazz, a claim that has yet to be fully debunked. Tune in to learn more and to hear Maureen's update on her notes. To take any of the implicit bias tests, click here: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

The world's longest mini-sode. We talk about mental health, winter depression, 2020, and how we're getting through these late-stages of the pandemic. Send us your favorite sad songs, or at the very least, the music that is getting you through the day to day. Shout out to new listeners Etta, Mike, Tim and Jules. Follow us on Twitter @starsofthestate. Recorded some time mid-December 2020.

*AIRHORNSSSSS* Spanning over the course of at least a week, plus a whole month to edit, you are in for a wiiiiild riiiiide. Comedians Ang Buxton and Maureen Begley touch base about the holidays, the pandemic, sobriety, trauma...You know, the usual. And of course there's a little talk of musicians from Kentucky, Ken Burns and his dang documentaries, and the impact of fame. Hopefully our longest episode, we are sorry. Maureen covers the story of Skeeter Davis. You might know one of her songs from the iconic scene in Girl, Interrupted. Ang covers the story of Cage the Elephant. Their newest album, Social Cues, just won a Grammy and has Ang's recent sad boi bop, Ready to Let Go. We're pretty sure this was recorded throughout the month of November 2020. But alas. What is time.

Comedians Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton discuss musicians from Kansas while drinking fancy non-alcoholic beverages. Shout out to Kin Euphorics and Bravus Brewing (not sponsors but...hit us up.) We got a shout out from Sasha Go Hard while she ate crab legs. And we ask the age old question: WHAT day is it. As for Kansas musicians, we briefly touch on Sarah Buxton because of her great last name. We then deep-dive into the story of Abby the Spoon Lady, who, although she currently resides in Asheville, NC, was born in Kansas and is as transient as they come. Maureen covers the story of the dandy Janelle Monae, pansexual spacesuit-wearing android extraordinaire. They also discuss their first in-person comedy show together since February 2020. It was outdoors... on a farm... standing on a wagon. And this episode does include more about the grieving process, as addiction takes more folks that are close to us. Recorded October 25, 2020.

This week we're doing something a little different. We have a special guest: Dave Schneider of the world's only 100% hockey band, The Zambonis. Their song "Hockey Monkey" blew up because of shows like KaBlam! and The Loop. We talk about comedy, The Grateful Dead, cartoons, and a little sprinkle of politics. Dave has so many great stories that it would be a sin to try to summarize them here. Instead, we'll let Dave tell them.

Comedians Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton discuss musicians from Iowa. They also ask important questions like: Advil or Aleeve? Would you rather be a musician held back by a record label, or who's never had a record label with more freedom? Why do we have to gender words like "poet" and "actor"? They also hype some new tunes from Grayson Ty. They also reminisce about Doc's Place in Chicopee, MA and old Nickelodeon shows. As for Iowa musicians, Maureen dives into the story of Iowa-born Pieta Brown, folk goddess. Ang relays some of the grossest Slipknot stories, though believe it or not, they leave out some even grosser ones... It still gets gross pretty though. There are Halloween costumes for the pets. There are accents. There are gender soapboxes that are got up upon. There's some witch in this house. There is even a wardrobe change. Recorded September 24, 2020.

Welcome to Stars of the States, where comedians Ang Buxton and Maureen Begley travel from state to state, telling stories of music in the U.S. This week, we host our first guest: Jace Everett from Indiana! We also discuss Michael Jackson, an upcoming wedding, and whether or not one should separate the art from the artist. Recorded September 17, 2020.

Welcome to Stars of the States, where comedians Ang Buxton and Maureen Begley travel from state to state, telling stories of music in the U.S. This week, we discuss the stories of two musical artists from the state of Illinois! Maureen covers the story of Alison Krauss. Ang covers the story of drill music, highlighting artist Sasha Go Hard. We also discuss the facade of fall, celebrating birthdays during the pandemic, and the most emo Fall Out Boy lyrics. We look up our celebrity astro twins, and Maureen does an excellent reproduction of Da Bears.We review a number of artists from Illinois and give some lukewarm takes. Recorded September 10, 2020.

In this episode, WE ARE FREE. FREE BALLLLINNNN. Our first completely unedited episode and it's not too shabby. Comedians Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton each pick an artist from Idaho and tell their story. Songs include: "Come Over for the Halibut" and "Egg, Egg Whites." Ang gives an overview of the band Sun Blood Stories. Maureen tells the story of musician and visual artist Dame Darcy. We also circle back to shout some up and coming Hawaiian artists. Shout out to Kat Gallagher Photography for giving us names like Tezuka Lee and Just Eric. She also made this music video, as promised in the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYrv3Kj3Gz4&app=desktop Recorded September 1, 2020.

In this episode, comedians Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton each pick an artist from Hawaii and tell their story. We answer questions like: Why are the potatoes crying? Why don't the upper 48 have better education on Hawaiian culture and history? How come we talk about moms so much? What would a song about Massachusetts boys sound like? Maureen tells the story of Taimane, who got her start as a street performer. She has several albums, all with very deep themes. She is a ukulele virtuoso and trust us on this one: when you watch her play, you will see the ukulele in a totally new light. We play a snippet of her instrumental music that will give you all the feels. Ang tells the story of Nã Leo Pilimehana, a group that somehow does not have a Wikipedia page despite their wide-spread popularity in Hawaii for several decades. Nalani Choy, Angela Morales, and Lehua Kalima make up this Hawaiian pop trio. They got their start by winning a talent show in high school, and are creating beautiful music to this day. The check-in this week includes some real sad news and talk about dealing with grief in recovery. Maureen has a new mic, so we had to play around with levels and are sorry about it. To donate (as mentioned in the episode): https://www.gofundme.com/f/mys4gp-family-over-everything?utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_email%2B5102-48hr-donor-share Recorded August 20, 2020.

In this episode, comedians Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton each pick an artist from the state of Georgia and tell their story. This is our shortest episode yet. They check-in about Cardi B and Meg Thee Stallion controversial song, WAP. Shout outs given to previous spotlight artists Kat from Kategory5 Band and THE ZAMBONIS for continuing to follow up with us. Keep a look out for upcoming events and special features! Ang tells the story of Ludal's, who was in the club lookin so conspicuous. We've also heard he fills cups like double D's. Though not technically a Georgia native, he reps for Atlanta, Georgia hard. We also discuss why he is superior to T.I. by reading some very disturbing T.I. quotes. Maureen tells the story of Mattiwilda Dobbs. She was one of the first black opera singers to win international recognition. She also broke some pretty significant color barriers in Georgia and at the The University of Texas at Arlington. This episode may or may not be brought to you by Ricola cough drops. They also chat about partying with neighbors, the upcoming election, ASMR, and touch back in about "Folklore." Recorded August 16, 2020.

Trigger Warning: There is a lot of discussion about grief and death in this episode. The topics may be upsetting to some. In this episode, comedians Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton each pick an artist from the state of Florida and tell their story. This week features a new guest and potential co-host, Emerson. Also, Ang Buxton should replace Ellen Degeneres. That seems pretty obvious. Maureen covers the story of the pop punk (emo?) band Yellowcard. This band, originally formed in Jacksonville, Florida, is best known for the songs Ocean Avenue and Only One. Maureen and Ang exchange memories involving their trip to Warped Tour 2004 where they saw Yellowcard play. Ang tells the heart-wrenching story of Mr. 305 a.k.a. Mr Worldwide a.k.a. Pitbull. Born and raised in "Little Havana," this dude shocks the pants off of us by being a model for self-improvement and dedication. Be prepared to learn some crazy stuff, like about his tear-inducing activism and humanitarian work. Seriously: If you hate or don't care about Pitbull, be prepared to have your mind changed. During the check-in, we swap cat-stories, give expert opinions about Taylor Swift's new album, Folklore, and "spill some tea" about RuPaul. We also discuss: Lou Pearlman, Kathleen Madigan's "Bothering Jesus," and fan shout outs. We play a snippet of Great White for one of our fans :)

In this episode, comedians Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton each pick an artist from the state of Delaware and tell their story! During the check-in, they ask the question: if you had to die during a band or artist's concert, who's would it be? and during which song? Ang does the stories of jazz musician Clifford Brown and the Clifford Brown Festival in Wilmington, Delaware. Story includes a brief audio clip of Clifford Brown, Jr.'s introduction to this year's virtual festival. They also cover the story of Betty Roche, who sang with Duke Ellington's Jazz Orchestra. Maureen becomes an investigative journalist in order to tell the story of Delaware cover band Katagory 5. She got to chat on the phone with the lead singer (and licensed real estate agent!) Kat Pigliacampi. As a result, we have some real inside scoop, like how Kategory 5 won the WMGK house band competition in 2016. Ang's life is just a half-eaten sandwich in a microwave looking for a career change. Maureen is going to the beach to check out babes. We also do like a billion fan shout outs in the middle of the show. Bruin defends John Denver.

In this episode, comedians Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton each pick an artist from the state of Connecticut and tell their story! They also check in about life and feelings. Is this finally the episode where Maureen cries? Stay tuned to find out! Maureen covers the story of Connecticut jam band Max Creek. They have a weekend long festival every summer called Camp Creek. Maureen shares some stories of her experiences there as well as revealing some surprising stories about the band including a bursting appendix. Ang does the story of The Zambonis, the first and maybe only band with exclusively hockey-themed songs (and two about curling!). It sparks a conversation about the word "zamboni" and the licensing brand agreement between the band and the Zamboni company. Additionally, Maureen explains her thoughts on cow people. Bruin makes some important points. And just when you think things are going to be normal, Petey Pablo appears. Recorded on July 22, 2020.

Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton, cousins and comedians, share the stories of 2 musical artists from the state of Colorado. Ang covers the story of Elephant Revival. This Americana folk band from Nederland has won awards under the genre "progressive edge." They believe in the power of music to connect people, and have a beautiful mission statement: "Where words fail...music speaks." Maureen tells the story of The String Cheese Incident. This bluegrass, psychedelic band from Crested Butte and Telluride combines a ton of genres. They have transformed over the years, infusing innovative electronic music techniques with their Colorado folk sound to make the eclectic sound they're known for. Additionally, they check in about job hunting, the state of the public school system and Coronavirus, and Maureen tells a heart-wrenching story of being passed over for a promotion. Ang is grumpy because [redacted]. Bruin the Dog makes his longest cameo yet. This episode also features segments like: Fuck You, John Denver. Recorded on July 17, 2020.

Hello and thank you for coming to our FlexTalk. Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton, cousins and comedians, share the stories of 2 MORE artists from California. Maureen covers Colbie Caillat. Born in Malibu, California, this artist spent a lot of time in Hawaii, and had a big impact on 17-year-old Maureen who loved Myspace and thought driving to Florida was a good idea. Ang dives into the story of Kendrick Lamar. This Pulitzer Prize winner from Compton has written some of the most influential albums not just in hip-hop, but in music as a whole. Stay til the end of the episode for a special Easter Egg. Additionally, Bruin makes a very important cameo that we had to pay a stupid amount for so we hope it was worth it! We also discuss the controversy around Kanye West, Brand New, and get real in depth about Britney Spears conspiracy theories. #FreeBritney Ang talks about Black Mirror and Maureen talks about the movie Beaches. This episode answers questions like: What does being famous do to your mental health? Is anyone still wearing bras? How does toxic masculinity manifest itself in society? Am I being awful? And more! Recorded on July 8, 2020.

In part 1 of 2 episodes about musicians from California, Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton, cousins and comedians, each research one musical artist and tell their story. Ang chose Del the Funky Homosapien, Oakland's own underground rapper of both The Hieroglyphics and Deltron 3030. The hosts theorize, among other things, about why Elektra Records abruptly dropped Del a month before his album "Future Development." Maureen covers the story of Snow tha Product, an artist from San Jose who raps in both English and Spanish and makes true bangerz. Inspired by some of Snow's songs, their conversation veers into how dudes react to queer females and the way algorithms impact what music we experience. Additionally, Maureen toggles between outstanding New York and Boston accents that you do not want to miss, 100% money back guarantee. They invent a band called The Beachie Boys and sing their top hits. Bruin the Dog was not available for a cameo this week. Recorded July 1, 2020.

In this episode, Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton each pick a musician from the state of Arkansas and tell the story of their journey. Maureen starts by taking on the extensive career of Levon Helm, drummer and vocalist for The Band. Ang covers the story of Evanescence and Amy Lee. During the check-in, they discuss caffeine, Rube-Goldberg machines, and neuroplasticity. They also accidentally discuss Tim O'Brien's In the Lake of the Woods, the movie Boys Don't Cry, and what it might be like to be on tour for long periods of time. This episode features a cameo from Bruin the Dog. Recorded on June 25, 2020.

In this episode, Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton each pick a musician from the state of Arizona and tell the story of their journey. Ang covers the story of Jimmy Eat World, including, of course, their very mysterious name. They talk extensively about the impact that songs like "The Middle" and "Hear You Me" had and continue to have. Maureen takes on the long and versatile career of Linda Rondstadt, including her family's long history in the state of Arizona. Also, Ang celebrates one year sober today! They check in about recovery from alcoholism, dealing with anger, their love of the Backstreet Boys as kids, and Lizzo. Recorded on June 18, 2020.

In this episode, Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton each pick a musician from the state of Alaska and tell the story of their journey. Maureen covers singer, song-writer and activist Marian Call. Ang takes on the story of Jewel Kilcher, the very same Jewel who asked the age old question: Who Will Save Your Soul? They also check in about protests, white flight, systemic oppression, family trauma, and sobriety. Recorded on June 8, 2020.

In this pilot episode, Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton each pick a musician from the state of Alabama and tell the story of their journey. They start the episode brainstorming for podcast names, which, as you can hear, were all trash. Ang goes over the long and extensive history of The Blind Boys of Alabama. Maureen covers Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes. They also check in about politics and the current state of the U.S., systemic racism, comedy, sobriety, and the music industry. Recorded on June 2, 2020, the death anniversary of Clarence Fountain, frontman for The Blind Boys of Alabama.

An introduction to the new podcast, Stars of the States! Maureen Begley and Ang Buxton explore the performing arts across the United States. Each episode, they pick a musician or artist from the same state and discuss their story and work. Part biography, part comedy, part history, 100% appreciation for the work that artists do. Join us as we work our way across America alphabetically, from Alabama to Wyoming, here on Stars of the States!