Robbie & James Talk Music

Episode 37 - Christmas II - Bleachers & Sufjan Stevens

Episode Discussion Topics: – Christmas music.  – Love Actually facts.  – Artist credibility & Christmas albums.  Tracks: Bleachers’ “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBpYk9vuneE&list=RDaBpYk9vuneE&start_radio=1]” Sufjan Steven’s “Christmas in the Room [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29v-7IFq_Zs&list=RD29v-7IFq_Zs&start_radio=1]”  Further Listening/Reading: Bleachers [https://open.spotify.com/artist/2eam0iDomRHGBypaDQLwWI?si=m95WGzfXRX2HdwHHNvuWcQ]Richard Curtis’s Love Actually [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314331/] (2003) Sufjan Stevens [https://open.spotify.com/artist/4MXUO7sVCaFgFjoTI5ox5c?si=hRmeAvopRpqfM6-Ew6xbBA]Sufjan Stevens & Lowell Brams’ Aporia [https://open.spotify.com/album/1juVCzBeCE5Nzx0iqXZ8kU?si=BuGbs1cCRxCKVdCJWnnDsA] (2020) Sufjan Stevens’ Songs for Christmas [https://open.spotify.com/album/2cuvGy1kWrtB3vX04Irpis?si=chkH2zwyQCWkssOO3FAEvA] (2006 Sufjan Stevens’ Silver & Gold [https://open.spotify.com/album/44F2QKfMCpbLH8qvQLEVTw?si=_2ckR0-FRpmYhkanWkrEVA], 2012 George Saunders’ “Chicago Christmas, 1984 [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/12/22/chicago-christmas-1984],” The New Yorker (2003) Playlists: Ongoing Pod Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4EEppKLonhZRgJzOXHtbNQ?si=7urkZdODQsqFGHilgb_n0w] Episode 37 Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7J5XRNUowhvJ6ivLb6ecLS?si=oQdK-W9CQeqpJttBL-e8Ew]

Episode 36 - Christmas I - The Oh Hellos & Run–D.M.C.

Episode Discussion Topics: – Christmas music.  – When we listen to Christmas music. – The history of Christmas music.  – Die Hard facts.  Tracks: The Oh Hellos’ “Mvmt I: “Rejoice! Rejoice!” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sSPFx9_6mQ&list=RD5sSPFx9_6mQ&start_radio=1]” Run–D.M.C.’s “Christmas In Hollis [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR07r0ZMFb8&list=RDOR07r0ZMFb8&start_radio=1]”  Further Listening/Reading: The Oh Hellos [https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Fe3pszR2t4TOBVz41B1WR?si=AS-RI0S7TwyffbieFDQtJA]“Joy to the World [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_to_the_World]” “Coventry Carol [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Carol]” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hark!_The_Herald_Angels_Sing]” The 2025 Essay Daily Advent Calendar [https://www.essaydaily.org/p/the-essay-daily-advent-calendar.html]Run–D.M.C. [https://open.spotify.com/artist/3CQIn7N5CuRDP8wEI7FiDA?si=pLmTVpy3Tm-XjJCQ9rJEYw]John McTiernan’s Die Hard [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095016/] (1988) Nadia Khomami’s "British public’s verdict is in: Die Hard is not a Christmas movie, [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/01/die-hard-not-christmas-movie-home-alone]" The Guardian (2025) David Mickey Evans’ The Sandlot [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108037/] (1993) Playlists: Ongoing Pod Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4EEppKLonhZRgJzOXHtbNQ?si=7urkZdODQsqFGHilgb_n0w]  Episode 36 Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2ecGxWJ5qiK4EaY3r3fp2w?si=d3euCPKZS4-ImLn1ifmvWQ]

Episode 35 - Punk - Geese & Wire

Episode Discussion Topics: – The historical timeline of Punk music.  – The aesthetic of Punk music.  – The impact and legacy of Punk music.  – Post Punk & New Wave Tracks: Geese’s “Trinidad [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT43dsYhw0k&list=RDnT43dsYhw0k&start_radio=1]” Wire’s “Pink Flag [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgEYF8od2Ck&list=RDBgEYF8od2Ck&start_radio=1]”  Further Listening/Reading: Ramones [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1co4F2pPNH8JjTutZkmgSm]Patti Smith [https://open.spotify.com/artist/0vYkHhJ48Bs3jWcvZXvOrP]Sex Pistols [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1u7kkVrr14iBvrpYnZILJR]The Clash [https://open.spotify.com/artist/3RGLhK1IP9jnYFH4BRFJBS]The Damned [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6VeL8VhaMjHTPc5uovFl3h]Geese’s Getting Killed [https://open.spotify.com/album/0eeXb23yMW6EaIgm63xxPC]Mike Nagel’s “Orientation [https://therumpus.net/2025/07/17/orientation/]” at The Rumpus [https://therumpus.net/], Oct. 2, 2025 Mike Nagel’s Duplex [https://autofocusbooks.com/store/p/duplex-mike-nagel], 2022 Mike Nagel’s “Culdesac [https://autofocusbooks.com/store/p/culdesac],” 2024 Autofocus press [https://autofocusbooks.com/]Michael Wheaton [https://www.mwheaton.net/], writer Little Engines [https://www.littleengines.pub/] magazine Adam Voith [https://www.adamvoith.com/], writer  Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/], 1982 Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? [https://bookshop.org/p/books/do-androids-dream-of-electric-sheep-the-inspiration-for-the-films-blade-runner-and-blade-runner-2049-philip-k-dick/718ef0ab48ecf273?ean=9780345404473&next=t], 1996 New Order [https://open.spotify.com/artist/0yNLKJebCb8Aueb54LYya3]The Cure [https://open.spotify.com/artist/7bu3H8JO7d0UbMoVzbo70s]The Chameleons [https://open.spotify.com/artist/4HLWX9kzfraiCsTvrxJEXm]Depeche Mode [https://open.spotify.com/artist/762310PdDnwsDxAQxzQkfX]Talking Heads [https://open.spotify.com/artist/2x9SpqnPi8rlE9pjHBwmSC]The Rolling Stone’s 2003 Top 500 (#412) [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/jackson-browne-for-everyman-38302/] vs. The Rolling Stone 2020 Top 500 (#310) [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/wire-pink-flag-2-1062923/]Chuck Klosterman’s book But What If We're Wrong? [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/533521/but-what-if-were-wrong-by-chuck-klosterman/]Alex Cox’s Sid and Nancy [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091954/], 1986 Penelope Spheeris’s The Decline of Western Civilization [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082252/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_4_nm_4_in_0_q_The%2520Decline%2520of%2520Western%2520Civilization], 1981 Playlists: Ongoing Pod Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4EEppKLonhZRgJzOXHtbNQ?si=7urkZdODQsqFGHilgb_n0w]  Episode 35 Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5YmPIQS4KJCjH8CkWZJmkr?si=aggFN9zYT2yM2UpFpcIqJA]

Episode 34 - Brian Jonestown Massacre at SD Music Box - 10/31/25

Episode Discussion Topics: – Brian Jonestown Massacre   – Psychedelic Rock – Positionality in music   Tracks: Brian Jonestown Massacre’s “Anemone” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzjASrlNaaw&list=RDOzjASrlNaaw&start_radio=1]Brian Jonestown Massacre’s “Pish” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlwQVZUTdJA&list=RDzlwQVZUTdJA&start_radio=1]  Further Listening/Reading: Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request [https://open.spotify.com/album/4kXc4XcGYOpHpXRlWq1RFi] (2008)  Ondi Timoner’s Dig! [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388888/] (2004)  The Dandy Warhols [https://open.spotify.com/artist/7siPLyFwRFYQkKgWKJ5Sod] Jamie Thompson’s “The Missing Kayaker: What Happened to Ryan Borgwardt?” [https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2025/12/wisconsin-kayaker-ryan-borgwardt-death/684631/] at The Atlantic   Playlists: Ongoing Pod Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4EEppKLonhZRgJzOXHtbNQ?si=7urkZdODQsqFGHilgb_n0w]  Episode 34 Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1iUWuN9VDHQFFfZ79mMQvm?si=LFBPsCdsSjWnC50CM4trsw]

Episode 33: On Rotation - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club & Water From Your Eyes

Episode Discussion Topics: –  Hating vs. loving Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl. – The inherent power of live performances.  – AI and learning spaces.    Tracks: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s “Haunt [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CCxuxBQmpk&list=RD0CCxuxBQmpk&start_radio=1]” Water From Your Eyes’ “Nights in Armor [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD3Zl2rDBJo&list=RDuD3Zl2rDBJo&start_radio=1]” Further Listening/Reading: Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl [https://open.spotify.com/album/4a6NzYL1YHRUgx9e3YZI6I]Water From Your Eyes’ It’s a Beautiful Place [https://open.spotify.com/album/3qbvg9xDwbPYF16L4SAN4d]This Is Lorelai [https://open.spotify.com/artist/0GmYGGZZIU8vHbI0bAXZun]Thanks for Coming [https://open.spotify.com/artist/3dbSL43i8580GLWJRknu9w] Sean Cho A.’s “Human Error Is the Point: On Teaching College During the Rise of AI [https://therumpus.net/2025/10/02/human-error-is-the-point-on-teaching-college-during-the-rise-of-ai/]” at The Rumpus [https://therumpus.net/], Oct. 2, 2025 Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin’s The Chair Company [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31987295/], 2025 Zach Kanin, Joe Kelly, and Sam Richardson’s Detroiters [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4779762/], 2017-2018   Playlists: Ongoing Pod Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4EEppKLonhZRgJzOXHtbNQ?si=7urkZdODQsqFGHilgb_n0w]  Episode 33 Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0AXHmLF04Iv4HzyKqGuPfp?si=rMxCbRPWRaiM6dkInk2sog]