Cort takes on Bones by Rainbow Kitten Surprise, a band whose lineup and sound have seen some serious evolution. We also recount our recent night out at an MJ Lenderman show (with our first ever guest, Hanson Tipton), dive into the Neil Diamond jukebox musical A Beautiful Noise, and debate what actually makes something a “jukebox musical”. Ariana Grande somehow makes an appearance (don’t ask), Brian saw Weapons, and Major League Baseball’s Shohei Ohtani gets some airtime as the Dodgers continue to dominate (at the time of recording). Plus — Cort might finally listen to the Random Podcast pick, The Mashup. You should come back next time if for no other reason than to see if the man can follow through on any promise.   Bones – Rainbow Kitten SurpriseCyrus Oh Cyrus – The Flying Scrub Jays

This week, the guys revisit The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig as Brian continues his audiobook experiment and reiterates his position that nothing shatters immersion quite like a narrator trying to do both male and female voices. Cort, meanwhile, listened to the podcast My Wife Hates Video Games and wondered if that's all she hates. The conversation meanders through actors, including talk of the AI generated Tilly Norwood, and then on to music when Brian brings some excellent new album recommendations: Jeff Tweedy – Twilight OverrideAmanda Shires – Nobody’s GirlJason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow Thank you as always for the use of our theme song:“Cyrus Oh Cyrus” by The Flying Scrub Jays And if you're interested in a link to the audiobook of The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig (Audiobook), there you go!

This ep, Cort listens to Another Fine Day by Golden Smog, Brian tries his hand at instant home brewing, and the guys talk about Memphis’s shifting soccer scene. With the loss of 901 FC almost ancient news at this point, Brian rejoices the arrival of a new semi-pro team. 🎶 Album: Another Fine Day – Golden Smog🎵 Theme: Cyrus oh Cyrus – The Flying Scrub Jays

Just when we think we've got this podcasting thing figured out, we get thrown a curveball. So now we're throwing curveballs too! Brian’s assignment was the first eight chapters of the AUDIOBOOK of Chuck Wendig’s A Staircase in the Woods—about an hour of listening pleasure. Brian, ever the overachiever listened to double the assignment, and Cort, as the self-proclaimed audiobook-o-file of the podcast and not to be outdone, finished the whole thing. We talk about the listening experience (pros, cons, and how to fit audiobooks into real life) and the book itself (with only the mildest of spoilers). Brian realizes that unlike his own children, he may not have been read to as a child, but he likes it.  Give the full ep a listen for all the details and introspection. Quick hits (because we're not just an audiobook podcast): Cort discussed his very late-to-the-game exposure to Arctic Monkeys’ Humbug and beyond that he decided he might need to give some once-dismissed pop hits a new listen. That detour leads to TV-music chatter (yes, Paradise with Sterling K. Brown gets mentioned). Then it’s back to the reason we're all here, podcasts of course, with TIME’s “Top 100 Podcasts of All Time,” where the guys agree that they very much disagree with TIME. Theme song: Cyrus oh Cyrus by The Flying Scrub JaysDon Henley: New York MinuteAudiobook: Chuck Wendig's A Staircase in the Woods

Cort listened to Brian’s Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats setlist-turned-playlist assignment.  Brian spent a week in Colorado going to concerts and is ready to talk about it! Brian is still watching shark movies ... good ones, even.  The guys also get into Memphis’s craft brewery scene, and Cort waxes nostalgic about one of his favorite beverages, which is all followed up by Brian mentioning the bizarre saga of Walmart's possibly radioactive shrimp. Also in this episode: a bean-based app that’s somehow revolutionizing ADHD productivity. And in breaking news Cort finally gets Brian to accept his first audiobook assignment. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats Playlist (Brian's assignment to Cort):SpotifyAmazon Music Cyrus Oh Cyrus – The Flying Scrub Jays (theme music): Listen on Spotify

In this episode, did Brian enjoy the Old Gods of Appalachia horror podcast? Cort didn’t listen to it, despite promising to, which prompts Brian to demand a new, more reliable system for assigning homework. AUDIOBOOKS ARE ON THE TABLE! (accountability is not) Brian recounts his recent trip to see The Wiz, a show marred only by an unfortunate tangle of hair. We discuss the Memphis craft beer scene, including the loss of Memphis Made Brewing. There’s a detour into South Park’s latest political parody and ICE’s apparent attempt to draft Superman (seriously). But the real, "bury the lead why don't ya," bomb-drop is that Brian went to Colorado and saw not one, but two live shows: The Lumineers and Regina Spektor. Tune in to see which blew his mind. Finally, Cort’s next assignment is a Colorado-trip-inspired, Brian-curated playlist of Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats tracks, so we're giving you an early link to the playlist in case you want to play along for next episode. Theme Music: Cyrus Oh Cyrus – The Flying Scrub Jays Check out Old Gods of Appalachia here: Old Gods of Appalachia Cort's Next Assignment: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats playlist→ Listen on Spotify→ Listen on Amazon

Brian assigned Talking Through Tin Cans by The Morning Benders, and what starts as Cort’s simple album review turns into a deep dive on the band’s identity shift, artistic shift, and the fact that the name change apparently changed everything. Cort did his research, people, but Brian came with doctorate-level analysis, as per usual. Elsewhere, the new Ben Folds Live with the National Symphony Orchestra gets full marks (who’s surprised?), and the first part of HBO’s new two-part Billy Joel documentary sparks conversation, appreciation, and… Cort’s possibly under-examined thing for pianists. Brian watched more shark movies (it was all for research, of course) while Cort recommends something different to Brian to shake things up for the next episode. And they might’ve made it through an entire episode without talking politics, but no guarantees. 🎧 Talking Through Tin Cans by The Morning Benders🎶 Theme music: Cyrus Oh Cyrus by The Flying Scrub Jays

We’re back with Brian’s thoughts on Tyler, The Creator’s Chromakopia, an album recommended by Cort’s daughter. While Brian’s reaction is, let’s say, unsurprising … the conversation actually gets pretty deep into the weeds in a good way. We dig into the fact that what makes a challenging album listenable (or even inspiring) to some, maybe does not to others, and Cort may give a demonstration on how not to defend art that plays with uncomfortable lines (a.k.a. our new podcast in the works Why Some Things Are Better Left to Those Who Know.) From there, it’s a stop at Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup victory, which gives Brian a reason to celebrate and to wade (briefly) into the geopolitical glorious glory (or fiery dumpster fire) surrounding the win. Then it’s capes and cowls time with a check-in on the new Superman movie, before we wrap up with a ChatGPT songwriting experiment that is very on-brand, if not exactly the next Spotify hit. Theme music: Cyrus Oh Cyrus – The Flying Scrub JaysFeatured Album: Chromakopia – Tyler, the CreatorBonus Link: Superman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)  

This week, we welcome our youngest (and likely most musically gifted) guest ever, Brian’s son, Whit Faughnan, who gave us a playlist of Fugazi tracks because he likes Fugazi and the DC Hardcore scene (you know, the one from before he was born). We go deep on Fugazi's music and history and dig through the legacy of Dischord Records and the Hardcore movement. What more could you want? Also in this episode: A discussion of Whit’s own band, Over Under, based in Blacksburg, VA, check them out if you're ever there. We also talk some Kimberly Akimbo and weather at the FIFA Club World Cup. Finally, Cort assigns Brian a new album and predicts Brian will loathe it. 🎧 Whit’s Fugazi Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6SsTEzPeuDPOOAmkqqK7U5?si=f4ef5a30351e45af🎧 Whit’s Fugazi Playlist on Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/c39f04327ab44f7c816765df935bbd8dsune?ref=dm_sh_X9pH1TDWvYjL9CO4ZJ88mzEKJ&referrer=dm_sh_messages🎶 Theme Music – “Cyrus Oh Cyrus” by The Flying Scrub Jays: https://open.spotify.com/track/3S9T5HUS4cwky1922WhF1J?si=111345d6cdc04093

This episode, Cort reports back on Not Animal by Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s and yada, yada, yada, next thing you know Brian is practically giving a TED Talk on the original makeup of the band, its founder Richard Edwards, and the band’s “break-up.” So what actually is Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s? The original members only? Or anyone Richard feels like dragging into the studio? (Shoutout to The Shins' James Mercer.) We issue a formal apology to Carrie (the 1976 version) for the figurative bucket of pig’s blood we dumped by failing to mention it in our last episode during our roundup of “good” Stephen King adaptations. Our mea culpa leads us into a topic we have tiptoed around in the past: are King’s short stories easier to adapt to the screen than his novels? And if so, does that rule hold for all writers, or just King? On the TV front, Cort and his wife binged We Were Liars on Amazon Prime, featuring Candice King (aka Caroline from The Vampire Diaries). And when we switch to movies, Brian reflects on the emotional trauma of seeing Jaws as a child, which led to his totally rational adult obsession with shark movies. Cort saw The Materialists recently and … didn’t leave before it ended. So that’s something.   PLUS - Next episode, we welcome our next guest: Brian’s son, Whit, who assigned us a Fugazi playlist to listen to and discuss. You can listen along too: Whit’s Playlist on SpotifyWhit’s Playlist on Amazon Music   Theme music: Cyrus Oh Cyrus by The Flying Scrub JaysFeatured Album: Not Animal by Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s

In this episode, Brian goes on a three-album detour just to reach Cort's recommendation of Strange Ranger’s No Light in Heaven. Cort actually listens to one of his own recs for a change, and his feelings are … mixed. But! His one-time stated, but frequently ascribed "long-standing belief" in the power of tracks in the position of "7th" may finally be justified. Cort dives into the Irish History Podcast, Brian hits him with a quiz on Rangers, Rovers, and Wanderers (the football kind) with just enough football (ahem, soccer) information to make Cort feel dumb—but not quite enough to qualify this show as a sports podcast. Brian posits that the real cult following of this show won’t bloom until the year 3000 when we’re all living underground and podcasts have replaced history books. We also ask the big questions: Why are Wes Anderson movies so consistently lauded when they're so inconsistent, and why are Stephen King movie adaptations so consistently inconsistent?  There's always room for more.  I didn't even mention our now seemingly regular segment that could be called "Detour into Reality TV." Theme music is Cyrus Oh Cyrus by the Flying Scribe Jays, from the album Love Beneath the Moonlight. Check it out here Strange Ranger’s No Light in Heaven Dive into the Irish History Podcast if you like that sort of thing

This week, Cort gets an assignment that's pure rock and roll gold: Tell Me I’m Pretty by Cage the Elephant. Spoiler LOLZ, he loved it. Brian takes us deeper with his thoughts on the band, trivia about the Shultz brothers who formed it, and the band’s (or at least the brothers') southern origins. Brian also wanted to gush about the new Counting Crows release, Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!, but Cort hasn’t listened yet, obvi, so they had to vamp. Is August and Everything After a Top 10 Album of all time? Then things literally got weird. Brian brings up the syndicated column News of the Weird because he wanted to talk about whether it's reached its end, but Cort zeroes in on the true story Brian cites: Woman Suffers from Fear of Ketchup. This, naturally, unearths Brian’s deep-rooted condiment aversion. Things spiral quickly, and Brian's final word may or may not involve pickle slander. We also touch on a scientifically indefensible (but alas mostly true) story involving the Town of Collierville and a blooming battle with fluoride. And to wrap it all up, Cort recommends something for Brian to hate for the next episode. It’s the circle of life, podcast edition. Listen to the Ep. 57 assignment and judge for yourself: Cage the Elephant – Tell Me I'm Pretty Theme music: “Cyrus Oh Cyrus” by The Flying Scrub Jays from Love Beneath the MoonlightListen here

In this episode of Listeners Like You, Cort assigned homework. Brian turns in a meh review, and somehow Gracie Lawrence walks away with a Tony nomination anyway. Cort made Brian listen to Family Business by Lawrence. In Cort's opinion it's a funky, soulful, horn-infused joyride of an album featuring the Tony-nominated powerhouse Gracie Lawrence (yes, that Gracie, now starring in The Sex Lives of College Girls on MAX and in Just in Time with Jonathan Groff on Broadway). Cort’s a fan. Brian … titled the episode Jazz with No Soul. So, you do the math. We also salute the phoenix-like rise of Wrexham’s football club (three promotions in three years), lament the ever-worsening indignities of modern air travel, and channel our inner doomsday preppers by predicting what goods might vanish first if Trump’s tariffs tighten the supply chain. (Cort is hoarding soup. Brian ... probably jazz CDs.) Are cat food lines in our future? 🎧 Give Cort's assignment to Brian, Family Business, a listen here: Lawrence – Family Business 🎵 Theme music: “Cyrus Oh Cyrus” by The Flying Scrub Jays from Love Beneath the MoonlightCheck them out here: Love Beneath the Moonlight – The Flying Scrub Jays  

Brian and Cort have a guest, which of course means our listeners should quadruple.  Come listen to us discuss Peach Pit's album Magpie and compare it to one of their earlier works, You and Your Friends.  On a personal note, Brian had a lot of fun recording with Cort's son, who reminds Brian a lot of what Cort was like back when he was young and fun.  On a sad note, this episode may have led directly to Cort's son taking out a restraining order on Cort.   Magpie by Peach Pit - https://open.spotify.com/album/1LNCdy3xZoibzDh0WllxHY?si=pHBby4tJTdCLXGQPpys-zQ "Cyrus Oh Cyrus" - The Flying Scrub Jays - https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BD2HJ21S?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_VrTdsVhZSdQbGxiCG13xFkYMk&trackAsin=B0BD3HYRSL

The boys are at it again. Cort talks the new Hamilton Leithauser album, This Side of the Island. Bon Iver had a new album drop. So did Mumford and Sons. Brian decides it’s time to jettison a “popular” segment and leaves listeners with some sage advice. Also there is so much new TV and there’s a new game to be played. This Side of the Island - Hamilton Leithauser - https://open.spotify.com/album/06d60TFUm7t91QHcVKq65T?si=iL4Ii2vSQvGc5ojrhTgm3A "Cyrus Oh Cyrus" - The Flying Scrub Jays - https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BD2HJ21S?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_VrTdsVhZSdQbGxiCG13xFkYMk&trackAsin=B0BD3HYRSL

We get a little straight-up saucy in this one.  Brian talks about Finneas' 2024 album, For Cryin' Out Lout. There are rule-changes afoot in Traitors US and UK, and Brian doesn't like it!  Speaking of rule changes, did I mention we're saucy? Our rules are out the window for a little segment we like to call: So You're Thinking of Leaving the US?  There's more.  You know we're just two guys sharing our opinions about the things we've heard, and rumor has it we may have missed some music things back in 2020.  You got funny.  You got some angry.  You'll get some new information too! Or hey, it's new information to us anyway.   For Cryin' Out Loud - Finneas - https://open.spotify.com/album/7swV2ssDdlKc89h1DxUNh7?si=GKtoOn2uQLeA0jmeToJ11g "Cyrus Oh Cyrus" - The Flying Scrub Jays - https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BD2HJ21S?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_VrTdsVhZSdQbGxiCG13xFkYMk&trackAsin=B0BD3HYRSL

The guys discuss their somewhat differing opinions of Michigander's 2025 self-titled album. They discuss which talents such as singing ability should really be considered when determining the winners of acting superlatives in races such as the Oscars. Their ever-increasingly popular segment, So You're Thinking About Leaving the United States, meanders over to Liechtenstein, a doubly landlocked microstate in Central Europe. There's also a discussion about Brian's experience with chemistry.   "Cyrus Oh Cyrus" - The Flying Scrub Jays - https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BD2HJ21S?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_VrTdsVhZSdQbGxiCG13xFkYMk&trackAsin=B0BD3HYRSL Michigander by Michigander - https://open.spotify.com/album/40hEeqidvpcsJrUqYN4jTL?si=FqYh892dRgahhQ0tap7kHA   

There is a definite difference in musical taste when it comes to musical tastes.  Brian reviews Steep Canyon Rangers' 2023 album Morning Shift.  The guys dream of escaping to Norway.  There is a discussion about the touring version of the Broadway show Hamilton that just recently passed through Memphis. And Brian even reviews a book (although he was silent on the suspected non-audio aspect of the book), The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi.  Come on aboard; I promise you, it won't hurt the horse. Morning Shift - Steep Canyon Rangers - https://open.spotify.com/album/5AK94KLNpCTGCWf0r23UQn?si=zJWqhh6mRfOGv6QsJ3Yl5g "Cyrus Oh Cyrus" - The Flying Scrub Jays - https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BD2HJ21S?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_VrTdsVhZSdQbGxiCG13xFkYMk&trackAsin=B0BD3HYRSL  

Surprise surprise.  The guys have thrown together a little bonus episode to celebrate the release of The Lumineers new album, Automatic. Join them as they spend twice as much time discussing the album as it takes to listen to it. Laugh along at Cort's wildly incorrect interpretations of the songs.  It's fun.  As always, there is some hilarity doing some ensuing.   The Lumineers - Automatic - https://open.spotify.com/album/5WMQEzS5EBCPU5IYKSY7BM?si=tL6ZLeQrSleXyzIqZYeFLA  

Brian and Cort welcome guest Trisha Rich.  They discuss Bob Dylan's The Freewheelin Bob Dylan, a little revisiting of the play Girl from the North Country, and Bob Dylan biopic A Complete unknown, which of course leads to a broader, longer conversation about this year's Oscar nominations and Trish's annual endeavor to watch all Oscar nominated films prior to the actual awards ceremony.  Trish and Cort dissect the listening/viewing habits of a long distance runner and running in general.  "Cyrus Oh Cyrus" - The Flying Scrub Jays - https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BD2HJ21S?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_VrTdsVhZSdQbGxiCG13xFkYMk&trackAsin=B0BD3HYRSL The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan - https://open.spotify.com/album/0o1uFxZ1VTviqvNaYkTJek?si=JTkmc0L7TgCdTXGh6dgi0Q