Mark And Sarah Talk About Songs

We end the Best New Artist season where it all began for the podcast: the Grammys. We're talking today about the 67th Grammy Awards' "big 4" categories, plus a couple of wildcards -- and along the way, the American need for underdogs, nominations of encouragement, Mark's "Folkmore" playlist, Uncanny George Valley nightmares, couples skate, and a purse dog named Aristotle. Grab an electric clarinet and join us! (Throw the clarinet in the garbage first. THEN join us.) Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne; for more information, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES Nominations list at Grammys.com Episode 1: Heavy D and the Boyz, "Now That We've Found Love" Record Of The Year Showdown, Episode 1: 1959-1974 The "Now and Then" video Episode 224: Dua Lipa, "Levitating" (allegedly) shirts are on sale at Exhibit B. rn "Chappell Roan Confronts The Sickness Of Modern Fandom" Episode 166: Taylor Swift ft. The Dixie Chicks, "Soon You'll Get Better" Best New Artist Breakdown 07: 2009-2016 The "Die With A Smile" video Record Of The Year Showdown, Episode 4: 2007-2022 Doechii's Tiny Desk concert The "Tailor Swif" video Emma Pittman and Brody Grant sing "Hopeless War"

It's the Best New Artist Breakdown season finale, featuring a MASTAS greatest-hits line-up, the return of sprung rhythm, grand unifying complaints about breakthrough categories, Elt Zeppelin, and how to evolve past Wolfman Jack in pop-music discovery. Do we agree with the Grammys' most recent BNA choices? Have we decided how to tackle the 2025 nominees? Should jerks win awards? Come spook the Recording Academy herd with us! Intro and outro by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli; for more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES Ms. Warwick "roasts" Chance The Rapper Episode 68: "Stay" Title Bout Episode 247: Julia Michaels, "All Your Exes" MB's Top 10 Songs of 2024 at The Lost Songs Project Episode 224: Dua Lipa, "Levitating" Record Of The Year Showdown, Episode 4: 2007-2022 Do Call It A Comeback, Episode 3: The NEXT Next 15 Episode 189: Yola, "Faraway Look" NPR's Stephen Thompson on Ingrid Andress's upsetting anthem Phoebe Bridgers in The New Yorker Single 19: Favorite Discoveries on NPR's Women+ Song List

Our penultimate Best New Artist Breakdown moves into the teens; we're talking about Amy Clonehouses, lost anthems of lady rage, gold-watch nominations, the Overton window of band-name ludicrosity, and much more. Grab those Kendrick Lamar seminar syllabi and have a listen! Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne; for more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES Episode 107: Bond-Movie Songs, Ranked Duffy's return to social media after her ordeal Episode 166: Taylor Swift ft. The Dixie Chicks, "Soon You'll Get Better" Episode 182: The Stills, "Changes Are No Good" Episode 74: Four By Pink Pop Goes The Actor 4: '80s Movie Gents Episode 68: "Stay" Title Bout Episode 14: Bastille, "Pompeii"

As the Best New Artist Breakdown season rounds the millennium turn, we're talking about which band is playing when Jennifer Love Hewitt flees a serial killer, artists we should like on paper but fall asleep to in practice, the music of shampoo ads, and the basic room in each of our hearts. If Kanye West will make room, join us on the line between genius and madness for our latest episode! Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne; for more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES The list of Best New Artist recipients, and nominees The Best New Artist Breakdown season premiere Episode 186: Nelly Furtado, "I'm Like A Bird" Record Of The Year Showdown, Episode 3: 1991-2006 Episode 116: Maroon 5, "Moves Like Jagger" Episode 71: Kanye West, "Jesus Walks" Amy

We're closing out the twentieth century in our fifth episode, and there are fewer howling embarrassments among our Best New Artist winners this time...but just as much anal-retentive insanity in our prep, plus diversity of sound, nothingburger arrangements saved by a Braxton, convincing Patsy Cline drag, effortful album titles, and the memory-holing of a multi-platinum act. Your dinner-party table in hell is ready, so pull up a chair and listen! Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne; for more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES The list of Best New Artist recipients, and nominees The Best New Artist Breakdown season premiere "Frosty The Snowman...Is Melted" Beats Around The Bush, Episode 01: Hippie Hop Hooray Episode 41: Another Bad Creation, "Iesha" (with guest Nick Rheinwald-Jones!) Extra Extra Hot Great 327: Focusing In On Interior Chinatown The Lilith Fair 40, Episode 02: The Next 5 Weird Al vs. Everybody, Episode 08: Crash Test Dummies Episode 8: Jewel-erdome! "You Were Meant For Me" vs. "Hands" Episode 100: Surprise Party Episode 85: Why Aren't These Songs Super-Famous, With Pam Ribon Record Of The Year Showdown, Episode 3: 1991-2006

Confusing band names, the MTV aura, and what happens if the comedy/tragedy masks and a keyboard mate: it's the 4th episode of our Best New Artist season, which brings us great winners, indefensible losers, and tracks that are more branding exercise than song. Does Mariah tie a whole Reagan-era room together? Listen now and find out! Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne; for more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES The list of Best New Artist recipients, and nominees The Best New Artist Breakdown season premiere Best New Artist Breakdown 03: 1977-1984 Episode 242: Tracy Chapman, "Fast Car" SDB's review of Monsters Beats Around The Bush, Episode 05: The Mystery Of Tone Loc Episode 50: The Indigo Girls' "Indigo Girls," Ranked Beats Around The Bush, Episode 01: Hippie Hop Hooray Episode 164: Milli Vanilli, "Blame It On The Rain" Lisa Stansfield live at The Apollo

Disco, NuRo, and not knowing where to look during "Afternoon Delight" -- it's all part of our third episode, when we're also talking about Starman's dinner party, the mayonnaise filter, the Michael McDonald industrial complex, and Mark's request to dump all the geography-named bands into one planetary supergroup. There's only one way to lift the Best New Artist curse, and that's to listen now. Intro and outro by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli. For more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES The list of Best New Artist recipients, and nominees The Best New Artist Breakdown season premiere Only Chicken Michael and Maeby sing "Afternoon Delight" Dig the styling on the Brothers Johnson "Hey Deanie" at The Lost Songs Project Record Of The Year Showdown, Episode 2: 1975-1990 In My Life's Wikipedia page Pop Goes The Actor 3: Comedians Episode 107: Bond-Movie Songs, Ranked

We're wading into the '70s in our second ep, which includes ruminations on inessential classic rock; how Karen Carpenter and Judy Garland can take you whenever they are; holding your nose and throwing your vote at the nomination dartboard; and more. We've only just beguuuuuun / to taaaaaaalk -- and to hear your comments! -- so listen now. Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne. For more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES The list of Best New Artist recipients, and nominees The Best New Artist Breakdown season premiere Episode 62: "Ode To Billie Joe" And "Harper Valley PTA" '90s Soundtrack Flashback, Episode 03: Forrest Gump Episode 18: Led Zeppelin/Dread Zeppelin/Dolly Parton, "Stairway To Heaven" Episode 69: Bryan Adams, "Summer Of '69" (with guest Danny MacEachern!) "Lost Grammy Nominee: Chase" at The Lost Songs Project "Woman Of The Hour: There are no winners here" at Best Evidence

The Best New Artist Breakdown season has begun! Instead of pitting the 64 winners of the Grammys' Best New Artist category against each other, we're talking about each year's nominees and winner in the context of their time...and in today's sixties-spanning ep, we're trying to make sense of the 20th century's monocultures, how far in the past most votes had gotten stuck, the weird dominance of the ukelele in the Kennedy years, and the weird ambitions of Mr. Swingle. Ready to go Bach to the future? Listen now! Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne. For more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES The list of Best New Artist recipients, and nominees The Record Of The Year Showdown season premiere Episode 145: Bobby Darin, "Mack The Knife" The Beat Generation box-set playlist on Spotify The Lost Songs Project on Timi Yuro Episode 62: "Ode To Billie Joe" And "Harper Valley PTA" The Lost Songs Project on Harpers Bizarre Life Magazine's cover story on the non-golden era of hijacking

Our finale finds us talking about actor/musicians with lasting pop careers: Oscar-winners (Jamie Foxx), Grammy-winners (Childish Gambino), former child stars (Hailee Steinfeld), and Jokers (Jared Leto). After discussing contemporary stank, the competent/memorable axis, music for coffee shops, and the R&B version of that Top Chef challenge where they have to elevate gas-station snacks, we talk about what we've learned about the drive to create art. Grab Ludacris and have a listen. Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne; special thanks to Amanda. For more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES Record Of The Year Showdown, Episode 4: 2007-2022 Episode 68: "Stay" Title Bout SDB's review of House of Gucci at Best Evidence Episode 73: Jamie Foxx feat. Guru & Common, "Any Given Sunday" MB on "Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)" at The Lost Songs Project

This week's crop of actor-musician hyphenates got their thespian starts in films of the 1980s: Corey Feldman, Keanu Reeves (Dogstar), Kevin Bacon (the Bacon Brothers), and Kiefer Sutherland. Copyright-compliant Gin Blossoms tracks and workout-cooldown music prompted thoughts about perfectly good outdoor-restaurant entertainment, the artistic practice that capitalism tries to stifle, and whether pretty boys want to be told they're smart (and vice versa). Strange things are afoot at the Circle MASTAS, so grab one of Kiefer's hats and have a listen. Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne; special thanks to Amanda. For more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES Harsh but fair, Discogs commenter TwoOneFive "Comeback King" by Corey Feldman '90s Soundtrack Flashback, Episode 04: Romeo + Juliet River's Edge

Do you love to laugh? Then fall down the ha-ha hole that is Pop Goes The Actor's third episode! This week, we're looking at comedians who tested the pop waters, including a Blues Brother, Eddie Murphy, Tracey Ullman, and Jack Black. Acting range, the cult of mid-'70s SNL, finding unexpected IQ points in a song you've heard a dozen times, and which instrument is the creme fraiche of blues tracks -- and much more. Someone here is from Jersey, so order your minimum two drinks and listen! Intro and outro by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli; special thanks to Amanda, and to Terri. For more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES The "limberjack dolls" SDB was trying to think of the name for Daphne Merkin goes deep for the Times on "jolie-laide" (gift link) The Dragnet rap, a staple of morning drive-time radio at that time This Had Oscar Buzz on Bernie Our Weird Al vs. Everybody season "Whatzupwitu"'s Wikipedia page

Oh yes it's ladies' night on the second episode of Pop Goes The Actor...but IS the feeling right? Sometimes! We wend our way through copyright-compliant bugle boys of Company Wonder Woman, the adorkable Zooey Deschanel, Shelley Fabares's evident terror, Marla Gibbs's appealing blood-thinner ad, and a track from Cybill Shepherd that puts the "no" back in "bossa nova." Throw that sax in a dumpster and join us for legitimate fun vs. snarky fun, the sexual politics of Camelot-era pop, and the timeline where Rosemary Clooney is good. Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne, and special thanks to Amanda. For more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES Pop Goes The Actor 1: '70s Sitcoms Extra Extra Hot Great on Fallout More on the Relatives Colleen Stan, aka "the girl in the box"

Pop Goes The Actor: a mini-season about thespians who tried (and sometimes succeeded at!) being pop musicians. In our premiere episode, we're talking about Jeff Conaway (Taxi), Donny Most (Happy Days), Esther Rolle (Good Times), Ted Knight (The Mary Tyler Moore Show), and Lawrence Hilton Jacobs (Welcome Back, Kotter) -- as well as smorgasbords of grunting, when a stew has all the right ingredients and yet no taste, how long vaudeville literacy persisted, perceptions of the primetime monoculture, and all the places pop songs think we should be boinking. Grab a Tab and rotary-dial into our latest ep! Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne, and special thanks to Amanda. For more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES Episode 27: Patrick Swayze feat. Wendy Fraser, "She's Like The Wind" Episode 111: Bruce Willis And Don Johnson (with special guests Dan and Tracie!) Beats Around The Bush Single: The Hip-Hop-to-Acting Pipeline Do Call It A Comeback, Episode 7: Footnotes and Odd Lots

1996's Romeo + Juliet seemed like a slam-dunk ending to our soundtrack mini-season...but we have regrets! Epcot industrial music, lazy versions of Shakespeare, the psychotic hormonal jangling of youth, Scandinavian cultural crimes, and the returns of Teddy Ruxpin AND No Middle Ground with Paul Quinn accompany our struggling to remember the Wallflowers, and to decide whether it's possible for a song to be disgusting. Sidle up to an aquarium and have a listen! Intro and outro by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli. For more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas! SHOW NOTES Where to watch Romeo + Juliet (though we don't advise it) The short, sad life of Quindon Tarver

This episode is, we suppose, like a box of chocolates, because technically you don't know what you're going to get, but we can tell you we're talking about the ubiquitous Forrest Gump soundtrack. Remembering top-loader VCRs, #justiceforJenn, powering through overplay, how long sixties soul acts gave themselves to get drawers on the floor, and songs Muppets sing at you. What does it sound like when the Beach Boys sing a New Yorker article about pirates? Find out with our latest episode! Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne; interstitial music by Classics IV. For more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas! SHOW NOTES Where to watch Forrest Gump Record Of The Year Showdown, Episode 1: 1959-1974 John Fogerty not about certain pols' use of "Fortunate Son" Episode 45: Gladys Knight And The Pips, "Midnight Train To Georgia" Episode 195: Dolly Parton's Underrated Hits

The '90s Soundtrack Flashback season is bustin' surfboards with Pulp Fiction, 1994's omnipresent Quentin Tarantino joint. After talking about how the movie itself holds up (spoiler: really well!), we move on to fights with the Ventures, QT's trademark alternate timelines, how epic moments are inevitably punctuated by frump, at-the-bank audio wallpaper, and Peanuts-apron guy's moment of glory. C'est la vie, say the rankings, so have a listen! Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne; for more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES Where to watch Pulp Fiction SDB's review of Lonely Hearts at Best Evidence SDB's piece for Slant Magazine on "Void movies" The teen-idol bracket Do Call It A Comeback, Episode 4: The Last 15 Episode 43: The Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack, Ranked

Welcome to our '90s Soundtrack Flashback mini-season! We're ranking the soundtrack albums from four legendary 1990s movies, starting with grunge-adjacent rom-com Singles. We waded into the great plaid middle of this disc to talk about the insouciance of Cameron Crowe stories, when it's okay for grunge gods to laugh, the conversation between this genre and punk (and Zep), and "hard rock for the school bus." Grab a Crystal Pepsi and a flannel buttondown and join us! Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne; interstitial music by Alice In Chains. For more information/to become a patron of the show, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES Where to watch Singles This one didn't make the Poppy-Fields Couch of Fame...but Almost Famous did Episode 239: The Replacements, "Alex Chilton" (with Taylor Cole) "The hell are cross tops?" MB and SDB talk Mark Yarm Mark Yarm talks Hozier for the New York Times N...ot the Melrose soundtrack MB meant

"Blurred Lines," the sound of the summer of 2013, is compared (unfavorably) with a cold sore in today's episode, which pits Robin Thicke, TI, and Pharrell against Weird Al's screed against bad grammar and usage errors. Despairing of Shazam, continuing to die on the hill of "irregardless," and the tyranny of younger siblings over the #oldladywalk playlist...we're working through all of it, AND figuring out who's going to "win" the season. It would be a Class-Y felony to miss it, so listen now. Our intro is by David Gregory Byrne, and our outro is by Aimee Mann. For more information/to become a patron of the show and hear all episodes of this season, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES "What...is this thing?" Start at the beginning! ThickeCorp's "Blurred Lines" video Weird Al's "Word Crimes" video More on the copyright/royalties battle Whose side are you on, NPR?? Slate breaks down all the aforementioned crimes

Thirty years after the death of frontman Kurt Cobain, Nirvana and their music still feel very close. Does that have anything to do with Weird Al's equally "defining" parody, a track that let Al "sell out" again after the disastrous UHF experience...with a band at the bleeding edge of the sell-out conversation? The shroud of tragedy, the performance of self, rebellious chaos, and ballerina tutus: better get to the gym, y'all! It's an all-new MASTAS. Our intro is by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli, and our outro is by Hole. For more information/to become a patron of the show and hear all episodes of this season, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES "What...is this thing?" Start at the beginning! Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video Weird Al's "Smells Like Nirvana," which...will probably look familiar WAvE Episode 20: "The Saga Begins"