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That Awful Sound

"⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" - MetallicaDad420 | The show about the music you liked before you knew better | Every week Alexander Edward and a guest revisit, dissect, and mock can embarrassing song and music video from their past
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Now displaying: Category: general
Oct 24, 2016

This week we're covering the terrible rap metal your older brother wasn't listening to: Suicidal Tendencies side-project, Infectious Groove's "Therapy" featuring Ozzy.

Guest Jerry "Wazzup" Woolbright remembers being introduced to this band in second grade by an older cousin as a way to bridge the gap between hair metal and punk, and we revel in another euphemism for mental illness involving a train and Ozzy Osbourne.

Also in this episode: The band's appearance in Encino Man, this video's ties to adult swim, and multiple songwriting credits on this album attributed to a cartoon character invented by the band (really).

Recommended in this episode: Suicidal Tendencies (obviously), Neurosis' "Fires Within Fires" and the films Murder Party, Blue Ruin, and Green Room

Oct 17, 2016

Disclaimer: Slightly spicier language found in this episode

This week: first-time guest Chris Arias shares his memories of Aaron Carter’s Aaron’s Party, second-time guest Jerry Woolbright remembers being too old for this sh*t, and together we dissect this Kid Power throwback to the golden age of funk and hip hop.

In this track: Out of control calls and responses, corny sound fx, anachronistic lyrics obviously written by much older men, and uncomfortable allusions of what was to come for the young artist.

Stuff we like: Charly Bliss - “Urge to Purge,” Dinosaur Jr. - “Give A Glimpse of What Yer Not,” Lush - “Blind Spot EP”

Oct 10, 2016

This week Sloane Sache joins me for the first time to talk about Harvey Danger's Flagpole Sitta, and try to figure out what these misheard lyrics actually are.

Turns out we both still kind of like this song, but there's plenty to make fun of, including run-together lyrical deliveries, eyeroll-inducing hipster kitsch, and bizarre financial decisions made by the band.

Stuff we like this week: Other Harvey Danger songs! Outlaw State of Mind by Chris Stapleton and Mr. Fish by Pile.

Oct 3, 2016

This week we’re revisiting the titans of fart rock, Smash Mouth, and their 1999 single, “Then The Morning Comes.” We cover the meme-ification of the band and singer Steve Harwell, the incessant rhyming in the lyrics, fake sleaziness and forced nostalgia of the song, and tediousness of the “humorous” video.

Plus: a painful but necessary mash-up with Steely Dan, the infinitely better songs from which these riffs were stolen, and the incredibly inappropriate lyrics included in actual Alvin & The Chipmunks covers.

Stuff we like: Touche Amore’s "Stage Four," Wildhoney’s "Your Face Sideways," and BADBADNOTGOOD’s "IV"

Sep 26, 2016

First Ever Awful Sound Reissue! Wasn't able to get a new episode edited in time, so here's one from the back catalogue that I particularly enjoy. Back to the normal schedule next week.

To celebrate the return of the show, we're dissecting two unlikely songs and videos from the cast of The X-Files: the titular track from David Duchovny's Weather Channel inspired, cliche-ridden debut album, "Hell or Highwater," and Gillian Anderson's hyper-sexual, spoken-word nonsense for Hal's Extremis.  

Also: A review of Duchovny's ridiculous children's(?) book, Holy Cow, my guest relays a story about in-laws from Roswell, these two "red-blooded males" find Gillian Anderson attractive enough to acknowledge her personhood, and, as always, a selection of delicious YouTube comments.

Sep 19, 2016

This week we’re discussing and dissecting Usher’s inaccurately titled “Nice & Slow,” and returning guest James Hernandez talks about dedicating slow jams on the radio to his middle-school crushes and making the switch from RnB to Slayer.

We’ve got helpful Genius annotations for lyrics that are anything but nice and slow, and a cinematic music video featuring probably-fake sign language, an inefficient kidnapping, and a load-bearing eyepatch.

Stuff We Like: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks and Rochelle Jordan’s “Follow Me”

Sep 6, 2016

This week we’ve got a scoff-heavy episode as Derek Chacon and James Hernandez help me dissect the goth silliness of Coal Chamber’s “Loco.”

Derek recalls a weird goth kid in his guitar class introducing him to the band, loving their edgy darkness as a kid, and, from his current vantage point, likening it to a stranger’s fart.

Also: Are these nonsensical lyrics doing ANYTHING for unstable kids? Does buying a “vintage” Pantera shirt make you a hipster? And a last-minute epiphany that might mean nothing or everything.

Music we like: Tribulation’s “Strange Gateways Beckon” and Helms Alee’s “Tit to Toe”

Aug 29, 2016

This week we’re covering the totally insane video for Livin’ on the Edge by immortal creepsters Aerosmith. My guest, Alexander Shaw, recounts his adolescent love for the band, allowing Stephen Tyler far too much influence over his fashion choices, and trying to reconcile a universe in which they coexist with his juvenile daughter.

In this episode: Bizarre, moralizing lyrics, a non-sensical hodgepodge of music video set pieces, including cartoonish, post-apocalyptic wrecking yards and green-screen train solos, Edward Furlong playing a confused (and confusing) angsty teen, and a possible cameo from Johnny Depp in drag.

Be sure to check out Alexander Shaw's New Century and School of Movies podcasts!

Aug 22, 2016

This week we have another anthem from the Post Breakup genre with Fallout Boy’s poppy, idiom-ridden crossover hit, “Sugar We’re Going Down.”

We cover the fairly funny music video and, with help from dozens of overzealous Genius.com contributors, analyze its indecipherable wordiness. Also: “Double” dad jokes, possible Simpsons references, and a three-way mashup.

Music we like: Autolux’s “P*ssy’s Dead” and Field Music’s “Commontime"

Aug 15, 2016

This week on That Awful Sound​ podcast we cover "You're So Last Summer" from early 00s "emo" "boys" Taking Back Sunday, its made-for-MySpace lyrics, and the apex (nadir?) of ironic hip hop in pop punk with a music video featuring Flava Flav for some fake reason.

My guests recall the "hard two weeks" in which they were fans of the band, and I forget that I remembered them altogether. Also: peeing next to the singer at a urinal, wearing girl jeans, and the eccentricities of an aging web design teacher.

See Nick's work on Instagram: @TerminalRadness

Aug 8, 2016

This week Aaron Brock and Kenny Geary return to help me cover Price William’s favorite band, Linkin Park, and their blessedly short debut single, “One Step Closer.”

We go over their straight-forward, impossible-to-misinterpret lyrics and the random choices featured in the music video, including clueless teens, parkour, and levitating Monks.

Also: my guests reveal their y2k-era DJ ambitions, a lengthy relationship with spiked hair, and another mysterious design from the 90’s.

Music we like: Nothing's "Eaten By Worms," Dangers' "(D)anger(s)," and Graf Orlock's "Captive of the Thuggee"

Aug 1, 2016

This week Aaron Brock and Kenny Geary return to help me cover Crazy Town's infamous RHCP sampling, pet name spewing, single entendre of a song "Butterfly," and we keep a close eye on our drinks amid the greasy energy of the water-color crack-rave happening in its music video.

Also: an entire segment devoted to the tattoos found therein, Shifty Shellshock's time on Celebrity rehab, and the terrifying origin of the album art featuring a character known as "Little Lolita."

Jul 25, 2016

On this episode of That Awful Sound podcast, guest Shaina Turian and I revisit the TRL-retired, Todd McFarlane-directed, sentient bullet-featuring video for Korn’s mega-hit “Freak On A Leash.”

We cover why Korn can’t be a Chill Rap Rock band, how frequently the word “r@pe” appears in their lyrics, and analyze the song’s spooky scat.

Also: Head’s born-again Christianity, An acoustic, renaissance-faire-sounding version of this song feat. Amy Lee of Evanescence, and a Nick News special that scared my guest into thinking she had AIDS at the age of 9.

Jul 18, 2016

This week Angie Burian and I revisit the incredibly urgent “Separate Ways” by karaoke kings, Journey.

We dissect the infamous music video (named 13th worst by MTV), and its cocaine-fueled, sleeve-adjusting, invisible-intrument-playing stars.

Also: why this feels like stepdad rock, dad-centric mustache phobias, early experiments in music video technology, and strong feelings about Steve Perry’s hair from keyboardist Jonathan Kane

Jul 12, 2016

This week we’re revisiting the CD single Michael Muñoz’s estranged grandma gave him as a peace offering: Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca. We’ve got trumpets upon trumpets, deceptively emo lyrics, and a fun drunk driving accident.

Plus: Barbara Walters forcibly outing the singer on TV in 2000, Separate covers of the song performed by two entirely different anthropomorphic mice, and a serious conversation with Dad about Fastball’s “The Way.”

Jul 4, 2016

This week, first-time guest Tony Boswell details his childhood love of Cypress Hill’s orchestra-filled crossover hit, “Rock Superstar,” and how rap rock in general was a way to connect with both sides of his multicultural family.

We dissect the song's spooky, goofy music video which seems to be at complete odds with the message of the lyrics, Cypress Hill channeling their superstardom into a lucrative free weed racket, and a plethora of late 90’s artifacts, including evil jacks in the box, jesters, 8 balls, and the mysteriously ubiquitous Stüssy S.

Also: scaring away extended family members and potential stepdads with Van Halen and Slipknot, ghost congas, and monkey grease.

Good Music: Drake's Views and Death Grips' Bottomless Pit

Jun 27, 2016

This week Matt Booth and I "back-muse" Teenage Dirtbag, the self-produced, nakedly sensitive, “comfortably pathetic” song I ended up kind of loving. Matt remembers using these lyrics to experiment with cussing, and I remember how weird the song sounded to me as a kid.

We cover the violent DJ scribbling, superfluous (and completely inaudible) percussion instruments, “controversy” over the singer’s middle name, the teen-movie music video, the bizarre wikipedia/history of the band, an archived bio from their y2k webpage, and ironic sex.

Good music: Blink-182's new-ish single (with Matt Skiba) "Bored to Death"

“Were any of these scenes from the movie they’re referencing, or did they have to shoot a shitty movie and then shoot a whole shitty, involved music video too?”

Jun 20, 2016

This week Michael Muñoz returns to dissect childhood favorite “Slide” by the Gru Gru Dolls and its long-winded promises, half-assed marriage proposal, and very aggressive statements about abortion. We run down the ultra-literal music video, Johnny Goo’s terrible, “tattooable” quotes, and also just his terrible tattoos.

Plus: Now That’s What I Call Music Vs. Kidz Bop Vs. Jock Jams, more Simpsons references than you could ever want, and Alien Ant Farm renounces the IE.

Good music: O’Brother’s “Endless Light” and Autolux’s “P*ssy’s Dead”

Jun 13, 2016

Warning! Explicit Adam Sandler content!

This week we have a first for the show: a song by fart-comedy legend Adam Sandler called “Steve Polychronopolous.” My guest Leigh shares her storied personal history with the comedian, including the time his jokes grounded her for a year.

We also discuss a few of the eight-minute, one-note sketches found on this album, the merits of Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, and the inexplicable hold he has on talented actors and comedians. How was there a clean version of this song? How is Will Forte in Ridiculous 6? Why do sharks exist?

Good music: Flight of the Conchords’ “Hurt Feelings” and Mastodon/Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s “Linoleum Knife”

Jun 6, 2016

This week Travis Duscay returns for our “spiritual” sequel to the Woodstock ’94 episode: Woodstock ’99!

We revisit the festival that qualified as an EPA Superfund site and was described by Kurt Loder as a “concentration camp” to analyze Creed and Robby Krieger's butt-rocking interpretation of "Riders on the Storm," as well as the band's christ-channeling, sex-shaming, mid-tempo slog, "What's This Life For."

Also: An Adam Baldwin/Mel Gibson/Simpsons Conspiracy Theory, Travis’ dad buying him a Phish album for his birthday, and misunderstandings of satirical news articles.

May 30, 2016

This week we have a very special episode: our unofficial Awful Band Spotlight on AFI. Devyn Trujillo (voted “most goth” by the AFI message boards) and Travis Duscay (voted “most frequent guest” by me) help turn what was supposed to be an episode on “Love Like Winter” into something much bigger.

We discuss the band’s interesting career arc, from classic albums like Shut Your Mouth, All Hallow’s EP, and Black Sails in the Sunset to the random electronic elements of the homophobe trolling(?), “post-goth,” nu-wave anthem in question.

We cover the many voices of Davey Havok, the Duchovny-esque lyrics on this track, and Devyn remembers knowing, even at 12, that the band’s credibility had been damaged by Sing The Sorrow. Also: insufferable AFI fans, making life-long friends on their message board, camping out overnight to see the band, Sing The Sorrow-era press releases, and Warped Tour stories from both sides of the railing.

Good Music: Daughn Gibson’s “The Pisgee Nest,” All Human’s “And So Peter Dances,” and Frank Sinatra Jr.’s “Black Night.”

 

May 23, 2016

This week we're working through Anney, aka Booty Rising's complicated relationship with the Avril Lavinge song by the same name.

She recounts living a double life, calling Avril a poser in AOL chatrooms but listening to her in secret, and we examine the mean-natured pranks in this video. (possibly directed at America herself??)

Also: a throat-clogging secret regarding Alien Ant Farm, a digital necronomicon, and "unflattering" butt pix.

May 16, 2016

Episode 50! Two brand new guests join me to confess their middle school love of edgy pop punk(?) band Good Charlotte and the very 80's "Girls & Boys." One remembers this being her perception of "hardcore" music, while the other grew too cool for the mainstream popularity that the group achieved.

Also: celebrity crush protocol, unsuccessfully trying to spike your luscious hair with egg yolks, and tales of the bro-smashing chair of my philosophy department.

May 9, 2016

This week Aimee-Beth returns to dissect “Take A Picture” from Definite Industrial Rock band Filter. Are these the most soaring and pretentious lyrics ever written about a naked alcoholic terrorizing an airplane? Would this video be better with our modern mermaid-tail technology? What does Patrick’s dad think about his son now?

Also: Our twee-est Kimya Dawson impressions, #PolingRock, and a youtube comment takes us on an oddly specific tour through the 90’s

Good music in this episode: NIN’s “Perfect Drug” and Filter’s “Nice Shot”

 

Feb 8, 2016

Today we're revisiting the corporate circus of Woodstock '94 as Travis Duscay and I analyze performances by Green Day and Live. Could something like this ever happen at a modern festival like Coachella? Was their mudfight the precursor to Billie Joe's iHeartRadio "meltdown"?  Will Live get lucky again and release a single to coincide with an attack on American soil? Find out today!

Good music: Woodstock performances of NIN's "Reptile" and and Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls"

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