Listen or Die

Butterfly by Mariah Carey and Opus Dei by Laibach

Mariah Carey surprises Rolling Stone by understanding hip-hop and Laibach is outlawed for being confusing. In this episode, we try to move past our rock-centric tastes and enjoy Butterfly, the 1997 album on which vocally superpowered top 40 hit machine Mariah Carey found artistic freedom and conveyed an uplifting message to burn her ex. Then we unpack Laibach, the semi-industrial band that provoked and baffled Yugoslavia and then created a theater of totalitarian kitsch on their 1987 album Opus Dei. (We think.) Questions pondered: - Is it ever a good idea to cover Prince? - Was Mariah Carey to pop radio what Full House was to syndicated TV? - When is a German-language Queen cover more than just a German-language Queen cover? - Can creating a safety hazard be art? - How infuriating are those Miss Dior ads with Janis Joplin singing “Cry Baby?” - Do people in Slovenia actually listen to Laibach? - Can Mariah Carey communicate with dolphins? Our logo is by Kelsey Byers. Our theme song is "Stuff that Sounds like This" by Women's Basketball, used courtesy of Brian LaRue. https://linktr.ee/listenordiepodcast [https://linktr.ee/listenordiepodcast]

Episode 7: Os Mutantes by Os Mutantes and Remain in Light by Talking Heads

Os Mutantes did not actually break your turntable and Talking Heads learn to get along and really collaborate, for a few weeks. After taking a month off, we are back to discuss the cross-continental pollination of ideas heard on both the Brazilian band's 1968 debut and the most beloved album in Talking Heads' catalogue. Stacey rates both one head exploding emoji. Learn about the Tropicalia, precarious rock-fusion movement that briefly prospered despite and also sort of because of Brazil's authoritarian government and how the wild song structures and stylistic cacophony of Os Mutantes convey deeper meanings. Talking Heads, the nerd table at CBBG, nearly came apart before taking some sonic and organizational cues from Afrobeat to make the 1980 classic Remain in Light. Then everything got uncomfortable again. Same as it ever was. We discuss where is the line for cultural appropriation and ask: Is it a net positive for a band to have Brian Eno around? Also, we get around to defining what is an album you must hear before you die. Our logo is by Kelsey Byers. Our theme song is "Stuff that Sounds like This" by Women's Basketball [https://womensbasketball.bandcamp.com/album/an-octopus-but-like-an-octopus-with-massive-wings-and-junk], used courtesy of Brian LaRue, and you can now listen to Women's Basketball on all the major streaming platforms. https://linktr.ee/listenordiepodcast [https://linktr.ee/listenordiepodcast]

Episode 6: Who's Next by the Who and Treasure and Heaven or Las Vegas by the Cocteau Twins

The Who relieve themselves of prog-rock ambitions and the Cocteau Twins will not dress up for you. We're again considering three albums from 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, that staple of the classic rock starter kit, Who's Next, and the Cocteau Twins' cultier Treasure and Heaven or Las Vegas. Does a song lose its meaning if you've heard it on FM radio thousands of times? Does it gain a meaning if you literally don't understand it? We consider these questions, plus the time misuse of a toilet brought needed political reforms within the Who, "Won't Get Fooled Again" as a conservative rock song, the coolness of the UK's indie charts and the auditory Rorschach test that is interpreting Elizabeth Fraser's lyrics. Join us as we think about Las Vegas because it's more brighter and the soonest to see. Our logo is by Kelsey Byers. Our theme song is "Stuff that Sounds like This" by Women's Basketball [https://womensbasketball.bandcamp.com/album/an-octopus-but-like-an-octopus-with-massive-wings-and-junk], used courtesy of Brian LaRue. https://linktr.ee/listenordiepodcast [https://linktr.ee/listenordiepodcast]

Episode 5: Nanci Griffith and Elliott Smith

Nanci Griffith tries to make folk-a-billy happen and Elliott Smith backs up Madonna, literally. This time, we ponder three albums from 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Griffith's The Last of the True Believers and two by Smith, Either/Or and Figure 8. We also dive into Texans' profound love of all things Texan, learn about the Great Credibility Scare and why it meant payday for some oddball country artists, ponder the limits of empathy and cognitive load and try to pick a sad boy Mount Rushmore. Our logo is by Kelsey Byers. Our theme song is "Stuff that Sounds like This" by Women's Basketball [https://womensbasketball.bandcamp.com/album/an-octopus-but-like-an-octopus-with-massive-wings-and-junk], used courtesy of Brian LaRue, and you can now listen to Women's Basketball on all the major streaming platforms. https://linktr.ee/listenordiepodcast [https://linktr.ee/listenordiepodcast]

Episode 4: The Wall by Pink Floyd and I Should Coco by Supergrass

Pink Floyd's awful fans punish them with more rock stardom and Supergrass discover that meeting the strange ones isn't actually so great. We also learn about Pittsburgh's Aerosmith riot of 1976, revisit the homogeny of mid-'90s alt-rock radio, stumble upon a celebrity cameo in the Supergrass story and discover that under and overachieving as an adolescent can both tragically lead to a career in journalism. Our logo is by Kelsey Byers and our theme song is "Stuff that Sounds like This" by Women's Basketball [https://womensbasketball.bandcamp.com/album/an-octopus-but-like-an-octopus-with-massive-wings-and-junk], used courtesy of Brian LaRue. https://linktr.ee/listenordiepodcast [https://linktr.ee/listenordiepodcast]