Robbie & James Talk Music

Robbie & James Talk Music

Robbie & James are writing and film professors who like to talk music.

Episodes

December 23, 2025 14 mins

Episode Discussion Topics:

– Christmas music. 

– Love Actually facts. 

– Artist credibility & Christmas albums. 

Tracks: Bleachers’ “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call” Sufjan Steven’s “Christmas in the Room” 

Further Listening/Reading: Bleachers Richard Curtis’s Love Actually (2003) Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens & Lowell Brams’ Aporia (2020) Sufjan Stevens’ Songs for Christmas (2006 Sufjan Stevens’ Silver & Gold, 2012 ...

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Episode Discussion Topics:

– Christmas music. 

– When we listen to Christmas music.

– The history of Christmas music. 

– Die Hard facts. 

Tracks: The Oh Hellos’ “Mvmt I: “Rejoice! Rejoice!”” Run–D.M.C.’s “Christmas In Hollis” 

Further Listening/Reading: The Oh Hellos Joy to the World” “Coventry Carol” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” The 2025 Essay Daily Advent Calendar Run–D.M.C. John McTiernan’s Die Hard (1988) Nadia Khomami’s ...

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December 9, 2025 13 mins

Episode Discussion Topics:

– The historical timeline of Punk music. 

– The aesthetic of Punk music. 

– The impact and legacy of Punk music. 

– Post Punk & New Wave

Tracks: Geese’s “Trinidad” Wire’s “Pink Flag” 

Further Listening/Reading: Ramones Patti Smith Sex Pistols The Clash The Damned Geese’s Getting Killed Mike Nagel’s “Orientation” at The Rumpus, Oct. 2, 2025 Mike Nagel’s Duplex, 2022 Mike Nagel’s “Culdesac,” 2024 Autof...

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Episode Discussion Topics:

– Brian Jonestown Massacre  

– Psychedelic Rock

– Positionality in music

 

Tracks: Brian Jonestown Massacre’s “Anemone” Brian Jonestown Massacre’s “Pish” 

Further Listening/Reading:

Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request (2008) 

Ondi Timoner’s Dig! (2004) 

The Dandy Warhols

Jamie Thompson’s “The Missing Kayaker: What Happened to Ryan Borgwardt?” at The Atlantic

 

Playlists:

Ong...

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Episode Discussion Topics:

–  Hating vs. loving Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl.

– The inherent power of live performances. 

– AI and learning spaces. 

 

Tracks: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s “Haunt” Water From Your Eyes’ “Nights in Armor

Further Listening/Reading: Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl Water From Your Eyes’ It’s a Beautiful Place This Is Lorelai Thanks for Coming Sean Cho A.’s “Human Error Is the Point: ...

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Episode Discussion Topics:

– Penny & Sparrow.   

– Horror films. 

– Harmony. 

Tracks: Penny & Sparrow’s “Jeopardy” Penny & Sparrow’s “Cheers to Good Friends

Concert Set List Playlist

 

Further Listening/Reading:

(James really wants you to listen to this Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl

Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone, 2021

Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, 2024

Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs, 2024

Mike Flanagan’s...

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Episode Discussion Topics:

– The 1980s.  

– The cultural veneer of the 1980s vs. the actuality of the 1980s. 

–  Ted Williams

– 1986 Youth Cinema

Tracks: Prince and the Revolution’s “Kiss” The Cure’s “Charlotte Sometimes

Further Listening/Reading:

Prince’s Under the Cherry Moon, 1986

1986 Hot 100

Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs of All Time

Richard Ben Cramer’s “What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?” Esquire, 1986

4121 Utah Stree...

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Episode Discussion Topics:

– Melancholy/sad songs. 

– Color and contrast to position story. 

– Organizing artforms by emotion. 

 

Tracks: Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” DUG’s “In Memorium

Further Listening/Reading:

Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love

Thom Yorke's defense of sad music

Ander Monson’s “The Sadnesses of March: In Search of Extreme Emotions

2016 March Sadness Essay Tournament 

Playlists:

Ongoing Pod Playlist 

Episode...

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Episode Discussion Topics:

– Our artistic projects during Fall 2025.  

– The purpose of art: Art for art’s sake vs. art with a larger purpose.  

 

Tracks: Public Service Broadcasting’s “The Fun of It (ft. Andreya Casablanca)” Spoon’s “Guess I’m Fallin In Love” 

 

Further Listening/Reading:

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven 

Adam Curtis’s Shifty 

Rick Rubin on “...

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September 29, 2025 14 mins

Episode Discussion Topics:

– Artistic projects we worked on in Summer 2025.  

– Art with a purpose. 

 

Tracks: Oxis’s “Long Sardine” Lupe Fiasco’s “HOMME MADE (feat. Virgil Abloh)

 

Further Listening/Reading: “Oxis Dives Into the Unknown Depths of Oceanic Electronica in Debut Album 'Oxis 7'”

Robbie Maakestad’s “The View from Bethlehem” at X-R-A-Y Magazine. W. G. Sebald

Playlists:

Ongoing Pod Playlist 

Episode 28 Playlist

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Episode Discussion Topics:

– New podcast format. 

– Lenses through which we listen to music. 

– Shoegaze: the genre. 

 

Tracks: slimdan’s “Weinerschnitzel” The Lees of Memory’s “We Are Siamese” 

 

Further Listening/Reading: Taylor Steele & Chris Malloy’s short film Shelter

The Shins

White Buffalo

Slimdan’s Second Dinner (live from mom’s office)

Wake Child

Danny Silberstein’s music

Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation

Kevin Shie...

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