The Popdose Podcast: Episode 8

Jason Hare April 2, 2010 17

Easter is almost upon us, and this leaves your three favorite morons very excited. Because not only does it give each of us an opportunity to end the weekend three pounds heavier than the one before, but it also gives us something to talk about on the latest episode of The Popdose Podcast. First we thought about discussing our favorite items to give up for Lent, but quickly realized that three of us know absolutely nothing about a season of fasting, prayer and penance. (Especially penance.) Then we thought about discussing the prevalence of that cute, furry, buck-toothed animal that gives us eggs as goodies, but (insert mother joke here).

And then, suddenly, a great idea came to us (okay, to Jeff): Pop Culture Resurrections! Jesus Christ isn’t the only one to make a totally kick-ass comeback, folks — Tina Turner did it too, as did LL Cool J, although apparently he would appreciate it if you did not refer to it as such. And as you know, we here at the ‘Dose love talking about artists that aren’t, shall we say, “popular.” And though we love it when artists try to return to the spotlight and fail miserably, we also do like celebrating those who have given it a go and succeeded. We’ll talk about a whole bunch of ‘em in today’s episode, but we’d love to know who you think we missed. So you know the drill — click, download, listen, leave us a review on iTunes, and meet us in the comments section!

The Popdose Podcast, Episode 8: Pop Culture Resurrections (1:07:56, 77.8 MB), featuring Jeff Giles, Jason Hare, and Dave Lifton.
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Show Notes

0:00 Intro: Jeff regales us with tales from the Meltdown Family Music & Book Festival.

4:05 Jason talks about the next-door neighbors, the loud sex they’re having, and what he did about it. Completely unrelated, he then shares an absolutely gross story about Dennis DeYoung.

Pop Culture Resurrections!

13:25 And awaaaaay we go! Naturally, we begin our conversation with music resurrections, recalling the comebacks of Cher, Donny Osmond, Tina Turner, Sheriff (Jason’s fault), Benny Mardones (Jeff’s fault, which then leads us into a discussion of Jeff’s “original dick move” and all the other dick moves he’s pulled on Jason, and yes, take that any way you want), Christmas music resurrections, Neil Sedaka and/or Paul Anka, Ratt, Hall & Oates (see Episode 1 for more on Dave’s hipster irony rant), the Eagles, Meat Loaf, and Brian Wilson.

43:27 Oh right, there are pop culture resurrections outside music! Forgive us. We continue our discussion with John Travolta, Vinny Testaverde, Kerry Collins, the Democratic Party, Mickey Rourke and Betty White.

51:17 We discuss various pop culture resurrections that we’re hoping for: the return of Jellyfish, Harry Nilsson (or his corpse), quality network television, and Moxy Früvous.

EnDOSEments

57:32 Jason endorses Barenaked Ladies’ All In Good Time. (Song: Barenaked Ladies, “Summertime”)

1:00:18 Jeff endorses The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession by David Grann, and the mother jokes finally kick in. (Song: Jonathan Coulton, “I Crush Everything”)

1:03:11 Dave endorses Locksley’s Be In Love, naming it his power-pop discovery of the year. (Song: Locksley, “Darling, It’s True”)

Wrappin’ It Up

1:02:03 Thanks, as always, for listening to us ramble! Have a great Easter or Passover if that’s your kinda thing — otherwise, just stuff your face with chocolate. Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes, and to visit our Facebook fan page as well as the Popdose Twitter feed. See you back here in May!

  • http://www.facebook.com/mburke77 Michael Burke

    Enjoyed Jason facing down his loud bangin' neighbors.

  • http://www.wingsforwheels.net dslifton

    I thought I was going to have a stroke from laughing so hard.

  • http://www.popdose.com DwDunphy

    The Tommy Shaw suppository shot just hurt me.

  • http://www.wingsforwheels.net dslifton

    So Jeff has now imagined Tommy Shaw eaten by seals, and having his face silk-screened on a suppository and shoved up Dennis DeYoung's ass.

  • http://www.popdose.com DwDunphy

    A fixation! Where will Jeff's Shaw obsession resurface next?

  • http://www.popdose.com DwDunphy

    Jason's Meat Loaf recollection really begs the Podcast to delve into the worst albums you've all bought just because you thought girls would like you for it.

  • Thierry

    I hope to God that Jian Ghomeshi and the other members of Moxy Früvous didn't listen to this, as there is no need whatsoever for a reunion. No, really guys – go play at Jason's house if you have to, but leave the rest of the world out of this.

    That being said, perhaps that would prevent cringeworthy interviews like Ghomeshi's Billy Bob Thornton-fuelled return to the spotlight from happening again…

  • Thierry

    I read the scripts (this was in the pre-torrent days) of the first season-and-a-half of Dawson's Creek online, just so I would have something to talk about with this cute girl in the office I was working in at the time. Does that count?

    Otherwise, all I have is this relationship where I dated a Canrock fan and attended an absurdly large number of terrible shows with her (Moist, the Tea Party, Big Wreck, Our Lady Peace, the Matthew Good Band three times).

  • http://www.jasonhare.com jasonhare

    While I'm okay with them playing at my house, what's your reasoning? And I thought Jian handled that interview as best he could…

  • Thierry

    I think you'd have to be somewhere near a university in Canada in the '90s to understand why a Moxy Früvous reunion is unnecessary – they were so ubiquitous (as were BNL around 1992) that a 10-year silence hasn't been long enough that I can bear hearing those songs without screaming and running away.

    As for the interview, well, yeah, it wasn't Jian's fault this time, and good on him for handling that one – and the aftermath – quite graciousl. That said, I've seen him rub interviewees the wrong way many times – on one occasion, he essentially asked Jamie Lidell (and I'm only paraphrasing slightly) whether he wasn't ashamed of opening up arena shows for someone as bad as Elton John. Lidell didn't quite know what to make of that. He's gotten better over the years, but he occasionally has those moments where he's trying too hard to buddy up to the interviewee and try to be cooler-than-thou – which is somewhat ironic, since Moxy Früvous are no one's idea of cool on this side of the border.

    As for the Jellyfish reunion? I'd be thrilled with that, but I'd settle for a Grays comeback. I'm also looking forward to Glen Campbell's second attempt at a resurrection (he's recording an album featuring collaborations with Jakob Dylan, Paul Westerberg, and Robert Pollard, among others)…

  • SB

    The music comeback I remember most from my childhood was Roy Orbison. Maybe because he died suddenly which is not the way to cap a comeback but I seem to remember it being around the time of the comebacks you listed. Cher, Sherriff etc…

  • http://www.popdose.com jefito

    I can't believe we forgot Roy. Thanks for setting us straight.

  • http://www.wingsforwheels.net dslifton

    I had Orbison on my list at one point, but it didn't make it into my final notes for some reason.

  • Thierry

    What about the Monkees? Those MTV reruns and the renewed success that followed practically define resurrection, no? Now, let's not bring up the New Monkees, or Pool It!, or Justus, or Mickey Dolenz on Canada's finest charades-based game show, Acting Crazy…

  • http://www.jasonhare.com jasonhare

    Agreed on both of these. MTV was singlehandedly responsible for the Monkees' return. I saw their comeback tour. Weird Al opened. It was awesome. I think overall I'm a bigger fan of their '96 “comeback” than their '86 one. (For the record, I liked some of the tracks on Justus, and am still pissed that Nesmith backed out of the tour before it hit the US).

  • http://www.jasonhare.com jasonhare

    Well, I was close — I went to college in Buffalo in the mid-'90s, and I never had a problem with BNL or Fruvous. I was actually introduced to them at the same time. I'm a sucker for novelty backed up by good harmony.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Rob-Wynne/565771662 Rob Wynne

    I was gonna write and protest the oversight of the Monkees, who I've seen far more times than is probably necessary (Mostly thanks to my eternally 16 year old ex). Let's see. The band in 86, 97, and 2001 (twice). Dolenz solo (twice), Jones solo (once), Tork with Shoe Suede Blues (Check them out if you never had. They *smoke*).

    Nesmith is still the I've yet to see live. *grump*