30 Day Song Challenge - Days 15-21

Day 15- Cover song

Love Rollercoaster - Red Hot Chili Peppers 

The Joe Cocker All-Stars: Cover songs that are either vastly superior to the original or just completely original musical arrangements 

Joe Cocker "Get by with a little help from my friends”, “You are so beautiful”, “The Letter” and “Feelin’ Alright” 

He’s the king of the “Cover where the band makes it there own”. 

UB40 is a great example of this with “Red Red Wine” - which is a PERFECT COVER in my opinion

Rod Stewart was really good at this as well. 

Boyz in the Hood By Dynamite Hack - another great example 

Take on Me - Reel Big Fish - another great example 

In Bloom - Sturgill Simpson  

Ryan Adams “Wonderwall” and like 10 other songs by him 

Johnny Cash "Rusty Cage” 

I will Survive by “Cake” 

Gin and Juice - The Gourds 

You Really Got me - Van Halen (honorable mention to Diamond David Lee Roth for “Just a Gigolo” 

Faith - Limp Bizkit (hate it, but gotta give ‘em credit) 

Straight Away Covers

Ring of Fire by Social Distortion 

You might Think by Weezer 

Hurt by Johnny Cash 

Voodoo Child - Stevie Ray Vaughn 

Here’s a straight ahead cover the STINKS — Phil Collins - Can’t Hurry Love — THAT’S how you make a great song WORSE! KARAOKE Style 

Carless Whisper by Seether - that’s exotic dancing music right there 

Smoking in the Boys Room - Motley Crue 

Land of Confusion - Disturbed 

Covers in which you thought they were the Original 

Whitney Houston “I will always love you” All-Stars  — This song isn’t even great — SHE IS JUST SO TRANSCENDENT and her voice is impossible to explain with words 

Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin Cover by Kris Kristofferson 

Urge Overkill “Girl you’ll be a woman soon” 

Nirvana "Lake of Fire” - really any of the covers off of the unplugged   

Gary Jules and Michael Andrews "Mad World” 

Take me to the river - Talking Heads — THAT WAS AN AL GREEN JAM???? I’ve since really enjoyed learning of this Jam and now think the original is pretty fire in it’s own right.

Tainted Love - Soft Cell — i just thought the “where did our love go part” was a cover  during the outro 

"It’s my Life" No Doubt 

My top 5 

Signs by Tesla 

Scarlet Begonias by Sublime (Honorable Mention)

Gypsy Kings - Hotel California - in Spanish and from an iconic scene for the Big Lebowski (honorable mention) 

All Along the Watch Tower - Jimi Hendrix 

Knocking on Heaven’s door - GNR 

Sweet Dreams are made of This - Marilyn Manson (honorable mention) 

Blue Monday by Orgy 

Mony Mony - Billy Idol (this is my #6) 

It’s My Life - No Doubt 

Nothing Compares 2 U - Prince cover a song he wrote and gave to somebody else to make famous - In addition it’s been covered by Chris Cornell, The Dixie Chicks, Capital Cities, Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies and More 

No Woman, No Cry - The Fugees 

Red Red Wine - UB40 

Blinded by the Light - Manfred Mann (stole it from Bruce Springsteen and made it a bigger hit) that one’s for your Rosco. In addition - Manfred Mann took Bob Dylan’s Mighty Quinn to Number 1 in the 1960’s 

Fun Fact: Bob Dylan covers being better performed by somebody else are plentiful - Guns N’ Roses, Manfred Mann, Jimi Hendrix,  the Byrds with Mr. Tamborine Man 

Day 16 - A classic favorite 

Ben E. King - Stand By Me

Shout Pt 1 & 2 - the Isley Brothers 

The Weight by the Band 

It’s 9-7 in favor of Cindy 

Day 17 - Karaoke Song w/ friend 

Take me home tonight 

Lady Marmalade 

Hunger Strike 

Wanted Dead or Alive 

Friends in Low Places 

No Woman No Cry 

I remember you - Skid Row 

Podcast Idea — Ranking Playlist on spotify and beaking them down

Day 18 - A song from the year you were born - 1978 vs.1983 - Roxanne by the Police vs. Africa by Toto 

Day 19 - Rubbish 

Day 20 - Rubbish 

Day  21 - A song with someone’s name in it 

Crazy Mary - Pearl Jam

Call me Al - Paul Simon 

Come on  Eileen - Dexy’s Midnight Runners 

Cindy, I’ll marry you one day - Robert Plant 

My Michelle - Guns N’ Roses

Allison - Elivs Costello 

Gloria - Laura Branigan 

Help Me, Rhonda - Beach Boys 

Brandy - Looking Glass

Janie’s Got a Gun ( Jane Says)

Jenny 867-5309

Karen - the national (of course there’s a song named Karen)

Lay Down Sally & Layla (Clapton and D + Domino’s)

there’s a song called Lindsay quit Lollygagging - Chiodos (What a name?!)

Lola - the Kinks

Marcarena - Los Del Rio 

Maria Maria - Santana 

Mary Mary - The Monkees

Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett 

Oh Sheila - Ready for the World 

Oh Sherrie - Steve Perry 

Ophelia - The Band 

Peg - Steely Dan 

Rosalita (Come out tonight) - Bruce Springsteen 

Rosanna - Toto 

Stacy’s Mom - Fountains of Wayne 

Suzie Q - CCR

Sussudio - Phil Collins 

Tessie - Dropkick’s 

Valerie - Steve Winwood 

Wake up Little Susie - Everly Brothers 

Whole Lotta Rosie AC/DC

Wyona’s Big Brown Beaver - Primus 

Along Comes Mary - The Association 

Jenny Was a Friend of Mine - The Killers 

Johnny B Good - Chuck Barry 

Captain Jack - Billy Joel

Dropkick me Jesus (Through the Goal posts of Life) - Bobby Bare

Duke of Earl (Gene Chandler)

Hey Joe - Hendrix 

Hey Jude - The Beatles 

Jeremy - Pearl Jam 

Jessie’s Girl - Rick Springfield 

Jumpin’ Jack Flash - Stones 

Levon - Elton John 

Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin

Mickey - Toni Basil 

Sam’s Town - The Killers 

Jenny Was a Friend of Mine - The Killers 

Stan - Eminen 

Tom Sawyer - Rush 

Uncle Johnny - The Killers 

What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? - REM

Coronavirus Podcast + Potholes vs. Spill Proof Cups

Massachusetts passed a hands free cell phone while driving law recently. Now i’m almost driving into pedestrians with their heads buried in their phones. When will they pass a hands free law for people walking on sidewalks and crossing intersections? 

The “touch to text function” in my car has a mind of it’s own — so not only is using my phone dangerous and now illegal, but the touch to text is saying to me, “I’m going on break, let me know if you need anything”… WHAT!?!? I need you to work like 5% of the time i’m driving - you can’t pick to go on a break when I need to utilize your service. 

Uber and Lyft drivers are ostensibly “professional drivers” meaning that they make money driving. But Uber and Lyft Drivers are amongst the worst drivers in the city. 80% of the time when a drivers is slow, confused, going the wrong way down a one way street, you see that little Uber and/or Lyft sticker on sign in their window and it’s like “that tracks”. Very onbrand. 

But calling Uber/Lyft drivers professional drivers is like calling a crummy wedding DJ a professional musician. Like yes, you’re getting money for this service but you’re not Calvin Harris or Diplo or the late great Tiesto. 

Spill proof coffee cups - very helpful. But no match for the potholes i’m dealing with in South Boston and Dorchester as I make my way to expressway every morning. I’m hitting the pothole because there’s literally no way not to do so. And the angle at which I need to hit it actually finds a way to spill an amazing amount of coffee out of a very small opening. It’s wild 

Places listening Paris France, Philadelphia PA, Mountain View, CA in the top 3 — other spots Padstow Australia in the suburbs of Sydney and Adelaide Australia, Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Barcelona, and Erbil Iraq 

Australia, as a nation coming in #3 this week and that may be the first time Iraq has checked in 

Coronavirus COVID -19 - yikes - not a great situation to say the least. 

Los Angeles Post Kobe Bryant

Los Angeles post Kobe Bryant 

Discuss the vibe in LA post Kobe. Tana has unique perspective as a Bball player/fan who lives in LA but didn’t grow up there

Where were you when you heard the news? (This seems like an event people will remember forever “where they were”.) 

Reasons for this: partially Kobe’s massive fame, partially we saw him with Gigi on TV a lot lately, partially how vibrant/active his life was at the moment of his death. Partially cuz it all happened/ended in an instant. 

Rewind: what were your feelings on Kobe prior to moving to West Coast/ LA?

Assuming those feelings evolved, what stands out to you since you’ve been on the West Coast/LA?

What have you seen in terms  of memorials/murals/tributes/vigils around the city that stick out or are poignant?

Has any other death in LA had this type of impact on the city since you’ve been there? 

Only person even close off the top of my head (in terms of suddenness) actor Paul Walker from Fast & Furious - but it’s not even close. [This doesn’t include homicides, suicides or overdoses - the True accidental nature of this death really makes people take a step back]

Kobe was “our age” and that makes you take stock in life being so fragile. And then the kids and other passengers and pilot news came out and that takes it from sobering to senseless. 

The other victims - have people done an appropriate job of remembering them? It’s such a had circumstance to appropriately do that. 

Anything else you want to discuss on this? 

Places listening - Paris France and Hertford UK are the top 2 cities this week. 

France, USA, UK, Australia, Spain, Sweden, Canada, Austria, Latvia, Italy and New Zealand 

Dave Matthews Band Fans react to Snub by Rock Hall of Fame

Dave Matthews Band Hall of Fame Snub - Rebuttal by the fans 

Places listening - France, USA, UK, Australia, Sweden, Canada, Austria, Spain, Latvia, Italy

In terms of cities listening - a place called O’Brien, Florida check in for the first time ever. Interesting name, especially since two of our recurring guests have the last name. 

Big Lar, his wife Christina, Bob Piano, Rosco P and maybe even Dan Ruttle bumping in at the end. It’s madness, I think we got all of Christina’s impassioned language aka cursing editing out. It was a free for all.

The point on Dave Matthews Band getting snubbed — Rock Hall of Fame has a “short bench” of interesting and more importantly famous in the moment acts coming up in future years. Dan O’Brien covered that fact on episode 301.

So, if they make Dave Matthews and someone like Pat Benatar both wait (despite being #1 and #2 in the fan vote) - it helps them set a good pace for inducting big pop acts every year instead of having the well run dry. 

But, Dave Matthews Band won the fan vote - and this was the first time in 7 years that the winner of the fan vote didn’t get in. So it really got people by surprise. Especially DMB fans. Because they rallied and “stuffed the ballot box” - they assumed based on the past 6-7 years, that Dave was a shoe-in. 

So, the Rock Hall Officials Zigged when the Fan Vote Zagged. It’s a good one-time trick. But, as you’ll hear on the pod — if you mess with the fan vote, then fans might stop voting if they don’t think they matter. 

Anyway - here’s a mini pod - very impromptu - live from Barlow’s in South Boston, MA. 

Subscribe, Rate and Review on Spotify, Sound Cloud, Apple Podcasts, Deezer and follow the pod on Instagram at Filibuster Freestyle as well as our internet home FilibusterFreestyle.com

Rock Hall of Fame 2020 Inductee Podcast

2020 Rock Hall of Fame 

Place listening Paris France - continues to lead the list, Mountain View, CA and San Jose CA, Amsterdam and long lost friends in Ashburn VA all checking in the top 5 or 10 places listening this week 

France, USA and Netherlands are the top 3 countries - also UK, Spain, Australia, Iran, Turkey and Iraq - based on episode 299 - not shocked on those countries listening 

Bad Boys for Life aka part 3, I’m all over it. Feel like it’s rare in hollywood to take like 7 years before part 2 and then like 17 more years before part 3. Both Spiderman and Batman have been rebooted twice each between Bad Boys 2 and Bad Boys 3

For the first time in 7 years the winner of the fan vote didn’t get inducted. And this year it was first time nominee, Dave Matthews Band.

Fans are up in arms, 1,000,000 people voted for them, USA Today is covering it — and frankly — I’m not a big fan of snubs — but this Manufactured Controversy is probably good for the Rock Hall’s awareness in the public consciousness.

Getting In: 

Whitney Houston — the second biggest oversight of the past 3-5 years after Janet Jackson and now they are both in

The Notorious BIG - this is a no-brainer for me - but the Hall Has snubbed LL Cool J - so it’s great to see them get one right. 

Depeche Mode

Nine Inch Nails

Doobie Brothers 

T. Rex - they are about to spur on a spinoff podcast titled “Who is the worst act inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame”.

I voted on November 7th - My Votes were Biggie, Whitney, Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden (soft spot for Cornell), Dave Matthews Band. I felt the biggest LOCK was DMB. 

At the Time of My vote in November: 

DMB was leading with 385,656 votes  (Only the beatles and rolling stones have had more #1 albums)

Pat Benatar was 2nd with 363,191 votes (this is a huge snub as well) - 8 gold albums from 1979-1988 including 6 straight going platinum. Her “You better run video” was the 2nd ever to be on MTV. 4 straight GRAMMYS for female performer of the year. 

The Doobie Bros were 3rd with 328,435 votes  HOF 

Soundgarden was 4th with 325,264 votes (first Seattle grunge band to sign to a major label)

Judas Priest was 5th with 286,131 votes 

Depeche Mode was 6th with 265515 votes  HOF (arguably the best version of synth-pop out there) 

Whitney Houston was 7th with 247,791 votes  HOF  (Basically invented the national anthem as a spectacle at Super Bowl 25)

8th Thin Lizzy 

9th Motorhead

10th Nine Inch Nails  200,116 votes  HOF  (Godfather of pop/ industrial rock)

11th Todd Rundgren

12th T Rex 150,692 votes  HOF  (There are people saying they essentially invented Glam Rock when they left “Psychedelic Folk Music”- welp 

13th Biggie Smalls 148,173 votes HOF  (Biggie is what this is all about. Larger than life persona who did his version of music at the highest level possible). He’s always listed on the mount rushmore of MC’s - he’s gotta be in. I’m stoked and shocked that they got this right. 

14th Kraftwerk 

15th Rufus ft. Chaka Khan 68,852 votes 

NFL Playoffs teams as Game of Thrones Characters - 2020 edition

2020 NFL Playoff Teams as Game of Thrones Characters 

This year it’s funny - cuz we know how GOT ends (at least the HBO version) - so in the past - being Dany Targaryen was a great thing - this year not necessarily

Forgot to assign the 49ers in the notes - but they’re Bronn perhaps  
*Apologies the spelling is going to be atrocious on these notes* Places Listening #1 France five weeks straight, USA #2, Australia #3, followed by UK, Egypt, Indonesia, Canada, Russia, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Sri Lanka Top Cities after the Number 1 City of Lights aka Paris, Mountain View, CA, Cornelius, NC, Miami, Barcelona, Brisbane, Cairo and Colombo Thoughts going out to Australia and also Puerto Rico Subscribe on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud or Google Play Music - follow us on twitter and instagram @filibusterfreestyle and we’re always available with episodes and show notes on filibusterfreestyle.com Pour some out for the 4 teams that are already gone. Buffalo Bills - The Dothraki at the beginning of the “Long Night Episode” - came out on the road - swords blazing - ready to roll. Looked unbeatable for a while - but their plan/tactics appeared to be one dimensional and after getting out to a long lead, they were snuffed out 1 by 1 or point by point until ultimately falling. It’s not a perfect analogy for several reasons - but hey — if you want better analysis, don’t lose in round 1 Buffalo Bills. Shout out to the Bills Mafia for buying all of the folding tables in Metro Houston area though. New Orleans Saints - This one hurts but - Oberyn Martell - the Red Viper of Dorne. Supreme Skill and Talent from the deep south. But in the end they were a bit too careless and when leaving things up to chance and/or the refs — their opponent did just enough to keep it close and then by the end - squish their head’s like a grape in excruciating fashion on the game’s final play in overtime. Philadelphia Eagles - Wun-Wun the giant at the end of the Battle of the bastards. They overcame everything to get to this point. They’ve got an A+ pedigree for getting the job done. But they were just too hurt to survive. There’s also an analogy in there for Ramsey Bolton’s cheap shot arrow to Wun-Wun’s eyes — as pertaining to the hit by Jadaveon Clowney on Carsen Wentz. And mad props to Josh McCown for coming off the bench into his first playoff game ever at 40 years old.  

New England Patriots - King Robert Baratheon. They’ve been sitting on the throne, ruling the realm for several years. In the end, they went down via a combination of sloppiness (roster management), Betrayal (trust the likes of Josh Gordon and Antonio Brown), and getting killed while over confident — the Dolphins loss was the wild boar in the forest and the inability to recover is the suspected inside job (Mike Vrabel) playing the role of Robert’s inner circle (Cersei, Littlefinger, Grandmaester Pycell, et al)

So who’s left: The 49ers vs. the Vikings // The Ravens vs. the Titans // The Chiefs vs. the Texans // The Packers vs. the Seahawks 

I legitimately think the Ravens are a lock for the AFC - but Obviously the Chiefs have a slim chance. 

in the NFC - I can’t see the Vikings winning 2 more road games, but the Packers, 49ers and Seahawks all have alligator blood and/or X-factors at QB which mean they can definitely string 2 are wins together to reach Miami 

Minnesota Vikings - Robb Stark — they are from the North. They’ve got a righteous cause (Never won the super bowl) like Robb was trying to avenge Ned Stark. In the end Rob Stark proved to be a little too naive and a little too trusting of being on the side of “good”. But the Game of Thrones is "a ladder filled with chaos” to paraphrase Little Finger. 

Prediction: I can’t see the Vikings getting by San Francisco - but if they do, they likely face “fellow northmen” in Green Bay - and just as Robb Stark couldn’t overcome a northern mutiny by the Bolton’s and Frey’s — Minnesota’s Super Bowl drought will continue 

Baltimore Ravens - Appear to be Drogon in season 8 going absolutely HAM on the entire population of King’s Landing. This is a team that prides itself on being built to beat the Steelers and the Patriots but they stumbled onto a power that is basically capable of destroying everything and everything just for "Esses and Gigs”. Nobody has an answer for them and the only ones who can truly stop them at least in the AFC are themselves. 

Tennessee Titans - Lots of ways to go here but I’m going to go with the Hound. Foulmouthed and smarter than they let on. They find a way to survive and honestly the more time you spend with them, the more you like them despite themselves. Much like the hound has an aversion to fire and an obsession with a family member (Vrabel is a Belichick mini-me and the Hound is the Mountain’s lil brosef).  The Hound is a battering ram like the Titans ground game. The only issue — they can’t defeat everybody they need to without sacrificing themselves in the process. The Ravens aren’t the Mountain — they are the fire that the Hound and Mountain plunge into from the top of the Red Keep. 

Prediction: Ravens by 10+ points and it’ll never be in doubt. 

Houston Texans — these Cats are the “trick or treat team remaining”. First half vs. Bills they got worked. Second Half Watson took over and they made just enough plays to win. These guys are like Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr — they’ve got nine lives and they can keep stuff interesting but in the end — they are bit characters who don’t have the juice to make it to Miami

Kansas City Chiefs — No disrespect, cuz I like these guys — but my take is, they are the Night’s King with the Ice Dragon. We thought at the end of last season, they were going to become dominate this season and beyond. But the emergence of the Ravens makes me think that they could be beatable like the Night Kings getting iced by a 12 year old assassin aka Arya the MVP Stark. But if the show runners had done a better job with season 8’s pacing — the battle between Drogon and Ice Viserion could’ve been way more epic — and that’s what we could get in the AFC title game. 

Prediction: Chiefs should find a way against Texans but also could stumble. 

Green Bay Packers — A lot of ways to go here - but let’s pay homage to the leading ladies of Westeros. Dany, Cersei, Sansa, maybe even Arya is the best. They’ve been the favorites, they’ve been also rans, they’ve been #1 and they’ve been left for dead. They’ve been injured, yada, yada, yada — but they’ve got a set of skills that keeps them on the field with any body and a home field in this round that could prove just treacherous enough to advance. 

Let’s put it this way — if they win the Super Bowl, they are a combination of the Stark sisters — Kill the Night’s king and rule the North alone. If the Packers lose at home to the Seahawks, they are Cersei getting crushed underneath the bricks of the Red Keep. if they lose at San Fran or if they make it to the Bowl and lose with the throne in their grasp, they are Dany T the mother of Dragons — they had it all but at the end just not enough to actually rule. 

Seattle Seahawks — Euron Greyjoy and the Iron Fleet. They’re better away from home (but can’t stray too far from their style of fight). They’ll fight a bit dirty, they’ll ambush you, and their costuming is unique for the world they inhabit. In the end, they’re a little too rowdy to string 3 wins together on the road and if Green bay turns into the frozen tundra, they’re ships won’t be able to move well enough to win.

Nashville Podcast

Nashville Bachelor Party Sites and Sounds 

Places listening France by a mile or a kilometer actually, USA clear #2, UK, Canada, Kenya, Seychelles, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Germany, Philippines, Tanzania, Ukraine, Maldives, Pakistan, Marshall Islands, Indonesia, South Korea, Spain, Netherlands, Brazil, Latvia, Mexico, Bermuda, Guatemala, Sweden, New Zealand.

Top Cities listening - Paris, Moorestown NJ, Bernalillo NM, Atlanta, Miami, Nairobi Kenya and Portland Oregon 

Shout to out to Big Larry, Dan O’Brien, Doug Brown, Andrew Brown, The Navyator, The Aviator, Mikeviator  

People never talked about the 1900’s version of the 'teens when we were kids. Heard about 20’s -70’s - lived through the 80’s and 90’s and then came the ‘Aughts which we called the 2000s, and we never really switched to the “teens” for these past ten years. We called the the 2010’s — which is fine - but the past 7 years were the teens.

Tyler Seguin and two teammates

NHL Players in fancy suits on Bird Scooters saying stuff - that’s a wild confluence of events. 

Subscribe on Deezer, Spotify, in addition to Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud and Google Music Play. Instagram at Filibuster Freestyle and Twitter Filibuster Freestyle 

Christmas Past Songs from 2009 Podcast

Christmas Past (2009 Pop Song Redux) 

The return to podcasting after surgery begins

Places listening - Heavy in France, especially Paris thanks to Deezer podcast service 

We’re also on Spotify now so subscribe 

Places listening France has been number 1 for 2 weeks. USA 2, UK 3, followed by Canada, Pakistan, Cayman Islands, Egypt, Kenya, Australia, Philippines, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Seychelles (Say Shells), Poland, Peru, Netherlands, East Timor aka Timor-Leste, South Africa, Brazil, Ivory Coast, Fiji, Tanzania, Lithuania, Sweden, Bahamas  

25 countries on 6 continents — tell your friends doing research on Antartica that we want to go 7 for 7 

Little know fact - New Zealand is part of a submerged continent and Italy is also part of a submerged continent that smashed into europe and was most buried beneath it. Welcome to Plate Tectonics 

Top Cities: Paris by a mile followed by Tampa, Karachi, Georgetown (cayman), LA, Miami, NYC, Nairobi, Cairo, London, Walpole Mass, and Las Vegas  

Lightning round: Only in Boston’s twitter feed had a list of Billboard’s 2009 top songs - immediate reaction to them

#19 Kiss me thru the phone (garbage from Usher, he’s better than that)

#18 Live your life (Fire)

#17 I know you want me (Our introduction to Mr Worldwide, Mr 305, Pitbull — aka Mr. 1234 uno dos tres quatro

They skipped 16

#15 knock you down (can’t remember it)

#14 Use somebody (KOL’s coming out party was def in 2009)

They skipped 13

#12 Dead and Gone (can’t remember it)

#11 You belong to me (taylor swift’s coming out party in 2009 as well)

They skipped 10

#9 Heartless - can’t remember it

#8 Single Ladies (FIRE - prob most popular song on this list)

They Skipped 7

#6 Right Round (can’t remember it)

#5 Love Story (T Swift Killing it)

#4 I got a Feeling (Looking back, Black Eyed Peas we jumping the shark soon after 2009)

#3 Just Dance (Lady Gaga blew up in 2009)

#2 Poker Face (Like I just said Lady Gaga blew up in 2009) - this song is fire still

#1 Boom Boom Pow — this song looking back, was the beginning of the end for Blacked Eyed Peas magical run

Take aways - Taylor Swift, Pitbull, Lady Gaga, Kings of Leon were the Big Pop Music winners in 2009 - and they all kept it rolling  

Vocal Chord surgery - podcast aftermath

Gavin is on Vocal Rest Podcast

Places listening - after the US, Canada, UK, Kenya, France, Romania, Bermuda, Sweden, Colombia, Indonesia, Angola, South Korea, Greece, Austria, Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, Vietnam and Barbados

the top city listening Paris, Montreal, Nairobi Kenya, and Ploiesti Romania

unofficial sponsor of the week: "Text to Speech" App from apple store (more on that later)

Also shoutout to Two Scoops Creamery in Charlotte for featuring Gavin in their “it’s friday, this guy knows how to party” IG Post.

Freestyle is now on Spotify so follow it and for those of you using the french service Deezer - you can subscribe to the Freestyle there, too.

Why Gavin is on vocal rest - and how hard it is to communicate

biggest development of the week - becoming a Damien Woody fan - First Take

Gavin selected a British Accent version named “Daniel"

Fake Band Name Speed Round

Questions I can answer ‘yes” or “no” with a Ding.

Do you miss drinking a pot of coffee a day?

Do you find it difficult to not talk out loud to yourself?

Do you wish you’d paid more attention to American Sign Language in the 6th grade at Johnson Middle School?

Is it true that your cousin is Bob Piano of Axis Mundi Records?

Should people go download his music on Spotify ASAP?

Were you shocked to find out that the thing that Bob Piano and Cindy Harrington have most in common is an incredibly passionate interest in 90 Day Fiancee?

Can we do a deep dive podcast on that show co-hosted by Cindy Harrington and Bob Piano?

Cards against humanity style answers to questions - Gavin can only use phrases he’s already used to answer the following questions:

What is the recurring joke in Mike Birbiglia’s Netflix special the new one? (I saved your best friend’s life)

What’s the first thing you thought of the day after surgery? (Am I allowed to Drive today?)

What’s the second thing you thought of? (Want me to go to Trader Joe’s?)

Song of the summer 2018

Song of the summer 2018 

Back on June 8th I asked you guys if Childish Gambino’s “This is America” is the song of the summer.  

Rosco got a Dog named “Linus” - Plus andrew has a dog — sooooo — we’re likely going to have our first dueling barking dogs on this podcast. 

You guys told me no then — and you were right - but Rosco had a great take on  Donald Glover - you said you think he might be an unprecedented artist. Huge music star, huge actor and created/writes a huge show which he also stars in. Dude is like a certified quadruple threat. 

Will you guys at least give me the take that Childish Gambino is the greatest actor/comdian to pop music transitions ever. Other examples, Rick Springfield’s Jessie’s Girl and who can forget Eddie Murphy’s ironically amazing “My Girl Wants to Party all the time” collaboration w/ Rick James. 

At the time Rosco also said the song of the summer “might’ve been ‘Nice for what’ by Drake until Pusha T murdered Drake with at least 2 epic diss tracks. Totally agree with that take at the time. This song’s got nearly “half a billion” listens this summer on spotify alone. It’s got everything you need in a summer jam. Great beat, great hook, big star is the performer - i can see that song as perfect for the pool, the beach, the bar, a road trip, anywhere. 

Andrew Patterson is the guy who said to me in the year 2011- "We found love in a hopeless place is my official Jam!"

Back on June 8th - Andrew Patterson said the Camila Cabella’s “never be the same” was the run away winner. 

Apparently the "Never be the same" song is on the country charts and pop charts. 

Rosco said — at the time — “Just listed to Never be the same, probably one of the 5 worst songs i’ve ever heard.” What a hot take Rosco P !

It does have 348 million plays on spotify. I listened to yesterday. Here’s the problem, it’s wildly popular, but it’s way too slow to the the song of the summer, and the fact that i’ve never heard it in a bar, or in someone’s car, or during a baseball inning switch, etc… too slow. Also as Rosco pointed out — it’s not great. 

Worth noting that her smash hit “Havana” is quickly approaching 1 Billion listens on Spotify. 968 million listens. That song kind of took the baton from “Despacito” and ran with it. Latin influence, amazingly catchy chorus  — if that came out at the correct time it might be song of the summer. 

Rosco had another hot take - everybody who still likes country should be thrown in Jail immediately

Fast forward to Aug 2nd and where the heck are we with this "4th annual song of the summer podcast”

Well I agree that Pusha T seemed to have killed Drake’s album release - and Drake got punched by Kendrick Perkins during the Cavs - Raptors series. It was a tough spring for Drake (by Drake’s standards). 

But then - because it’s 2018 — Instagram became the source for the Song of the summer of 2018 — because instagram combined social media, with a challenge, and with a pop song. 

I speak of course of Drake’s “In My Feelings” aka the soundtrack to the viral internet sensation of 2018 the "Kiki Challenge”. Before I start, this song is like a throw away version of “Nice for What” — but then it crossed over on instagram as weird combo of “the harlem shake and the ice bucket challenge"  

Here’s my take on “In My Feelings”

Social media found a way to pull a Drake song off the scrap heap and overcome the fact that Pusha T chopped him off at the knees in late May.

A song literally was made popular and mainstream due to a not very well know comedian posting a video of him dancing to the beginning of this song outside of an open car door of a “parked car”. And a month or so later — we’ve got people doing the challenge in moving cars… we’ve got people making their dogs do the dance outside of moving cars and most importantly we’ve got people “FAILING” in epic fashion to perform the Kiki Challenge

I read this quote, “Many people attempting the viral dance have been injured in different countries, prompting police across the world to warn citizen against doing the Kiki Challenge.” Well, any time the cops tell people “don’t do it” — that’s gonna make even more people want to try it. 

The Trend allegedly began when comedian “Shiggy” post the first video of dancing. Only on 2018 would the most popular song be fueled by a 12 second instragram video, and people failing to do succeed at the challenge to the amusement of everyone and to the chagrin of the authorities. 

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, Google the term “Kiki Challenge Fail” and kick back and cringe — it’s amazing

Kiki Challenge Fails: 

Saw a girl fall of a horse in one

Saw a dude get hit by someone else’s volvo in one

One girl get’s out of the car and her dad yells “Eff the Kiki challenge” and drives away while she shrieks. 

Foo Fighters at Fenway was pretty badass — but the awkward bar at the Club Quarters hotel - might have been the highlight of the evening.

Tales from Newport Jazz fest w/ Rosco P

What’s your personal favorite song of the summer?  And what’s you least favorite song of the summer? 

My Fave: Lil Duval “Smile (Living My Best Life)” featuring Snoop Dogg and Ball Greezy (who sounds fake). The chorus contains language that some would call explicit — but it’s really really catchy and Snoop gives about 65% effort in this one — which is like 40% more than he’s given since 2003.

Least Fave: Camilla Cabello with Pharrell “Sangria Wine” — that’s a bad effort from Pharell and a bad effort from Camilla. They’ve both done great prior work — but this one is a stinker

The Middle - by Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey - approaching 450 million spotify listens —this song is likely one of the best examples of a song that actually is on the radio, on in bars, on at sporting event telecasts, on in dentist office waiting rooms, etc 

Ultimate Yacht Rock Playlist and Podcast

Yacht Rock Extravaganza

places listening: 4 way tie for second place - UK, Denmark, France & Australia - New places listening Bosnia & Herzegovina, Slovenia and New Zealand 

#1 US city - Glen’s Falls, NY home of hacksaw jim duggan

stayed away from jimmy buffet and the cocktail movie soundtrack (especially kokomo) - good work

i’ve had baby come back, by player in my head for 6 days

Yacht Rock is the concentric circle where disco, rock and pop music met in the late 70s and early 80s

Yacht Rick - fake rapper on the week

Dwayne fords album. Needless freaking. Oh lord that's a great name - Lovin’ & Losin’ you is the final song on this playlist BTW

Awards: 

Most intentionally Yacht Rock song of all-time: I’m alright by Kenny Loggins — Caddy Shack theme song - Kenny Loggins’ music is so much more funk driven than i remembered “This is It” & “Heart to Heart” 

Biggest pop-hit from a Yacht Rock artist: Need nominees - 

I Keep Forgetting (Mainly because it spawns Nate Dogg and Warren G’s Regulators) 

What A fool Believes - Doobies 

Is she really going out with Him - Jackson Browne - also Somebody’s Baby 

Kiss is on my list / You make my dreams come true - Hall & Oates 

Still the one by Orleans 

Lovely Day - Bill Withers (This song has such a sick bass line) 

Let it Ride by BTO Bachman Turner Overdrive (this might be a top 5 song in the history of LIFE) 

Prog rock band masquerading as Yacht Rock: Toto - Rosanna

Mr ubiquitous award goes to Michael MacDonald. He sings back up on like 6+ songs on this record - in addition to songs he's lead singer on

Brandy - literally about sailor’s drinking and trying to pick up a waitress at a seaside bar. And the sound is yacht rock personified - strong horns/ brass in most yacht rock songs as well as harmonization — this song has both in spades - great lead off song - props to “Looking Glass” for such a jam that really holds up 40 years later

Escape (Pina Colada song) - it’s quintessential — but played out. Rupert Holmes would’ve loved Tinder/ Bumble and online dating — the personals of the news paper sounds so sketchy 40 years later. 

Sailing by Christopher Cross — I mean “yes” because it’s about Sailing — in my mind this song is a “Lady in Red” / “Cherish the love” slow jam — i’m not recommending this one - Christopher cross has a great voice though  — Also “ride like the wind” by Chris Cross is a Disco Inspired Yacht rock anthem

Rock the Boat - by Hues Corporation works well - total jam and you snagged it from Carlito’s way soundtrack - Dave Clinefeld is one of my all time favorite Sean Penn roles ever - between Clinefeld and Jeff Spicolli, we should’ known Sean Penn has infinite range

Doobie Bros - Might be Yacht Rock - but they are also “Road trip rock” and “quasi-stoner” rock — tip of the cap fellas

Lowdown and Lido Shuffle by Boz Scaggs is 100% yacht rock royalty

News Flash — Despsite the fact that it belows on this list — I must confess: I hate SUMMER BREEZE by Seals & Crofts

Baby Come back by Player — is smooth as EFF, nothing anybody can say to change my mind

Sleeper of this list might nominees - Steal Away by Robbie Dupree // Lonely Boy by Andrew Gold (like a poor man’s Billy Joel) // The Nightly by Dan Fagen (super funky)  // No Ordinary Lady by Orleans — Orleans is an unknown slice of AM Gold for me

Some notable omissions: 

Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty (on the Yacht Rock 2.0 Play list) that one needs to sneak on- Plus I used to drink at Baker Street with is where they filmed Tom Cruise’s cocktail on 60th and 1st ave

If this is it - huey lewis & the news - Huey Lewis is the Adam Levine of the 80’s - LA Band - paid its dues for ever and finally broke through

Peg by Steely Dan - Lots of Steely Dan could be on this

Valerie by Steve Windwood also the Finer things by Winwood — pretty much any mid-80s winwood

Mandolin Rain by Bruce Hornsby

Easy Lover by Phil Collins and Philip Bailey

Blinded by the Light - Manfred Mann

Evil Woman by Electric Light Orchestra