In this episode Ty takes a break from teaching Tom to sing and focuses his efforts on world peace and harmony, with a lemon twist. As the boyz delve into the New Seeker's "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" made famous by Coca-Cola, they discuss the fine line between making a living in the music industry and selling out. In the process they question the legitimacy of a message delivered by your corporate sponsor and grapple with the deeper question of whether a harmony can exist without a...

In our first Listener's Pick edition of the podcast, the boys look into the remarkable success of Tubthumping by Anarcho-punk pranksters Chumbawamba. In the process they enter a spirited discussion of whether politics has any place in popular music and whether massive commercial success taints the revolutionary message. Get your whiskey drink, or your vodka drink, your lager drink, or your water drink...we're going tubthumping! Songs: Reverb Syndicate - Better Dancing Through Technology Manic...

In this special holiday edition of the podcast, David Bowie descends from Mars and gives a lesson on the true spirit of Christmas. Joining forces with Bing Crosby, the Ghost of Christmas Past himself, the two conjure up one of the most unlikely (and perhaps surreal) Christmas classics of all time. Along the way, the fellas are joined by special guests Mariah Carey, The Pogues, Mötorhead, The Kinks, Krampus and many others in this all-time holiday classic. The Grinch also makes a special...

In this episode, the skipper and Gilligan navigate the choppy waters surrounding the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the rebirth of its memory as a #1 hit by Gordon Lightfoot in 1975. Bound for Detroit, they circumnavigate the dangerous currents associated with taking on historical events in song and film. They seem to be heading toward a safe port with the common Great Lakes experience shared by the US and Canada...until Ty steers the SS Unity  dangerously close to Niagara Falls.  Batten...

In this episode, Tom and Ty unpack the runaway success of Blur's "Song 2", a ditty which far exceeded its humble beginnings in the 90s Britpop battle between Blur and Oasis. As they unravel this "joke song" that hit pay dirt, they discover a whole slew of these oddities that could almost be called a genre and marvel at the moments when record company execs turn out to be cooler than the hipsters. In the process they consider the power, vulnerability and identity embodied in one's voice.  Hop...

In this Halloween episode, Tom and Ty run the gauntlet of horror: from the very real horror of spousal abuse as depicted in Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed," to horror as entertainment, and back again.  In the process, they consider how the perception of a song can change depending on its interpreter, have a chuckle over misunderstood lyrics, and ponder the deeper meaning of the concept of "namanunity."  Hold on to your Halloween apples everybody, you're in for quite a ride. Track...

In this episode, Tom and Ty (along with their alter-egos Clark and Tarzan) examine the 1993 surprise hit Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm.  Join the gent (and the ape-man) as they ponder the proper dosage of a musical formula and marvel at the universal appeal of the hum (hum hum hum).  Along the way, they consider why some hits become all-time classics, why others remain encased in the liquid amber of their eras, and why some become...Hit Songs from Mars! Track Listing: The Reverb Syndicate - Better Dancing...

This week, TnT examine the phenomenon of the sleeper hit with Charlene’s #3 (and #97) hit “I’ve Never Been to Me.”  On this journey to Nice and the Isle of Greece (sic), Tom and Ty analyze how a song that goes nowhere in one zeitgeist transforms into a number 3 hit in another.  Join the boys as they spend this episode exploring the "subtle whoring that costs too much to be free."  Hey Charlene…you may have been to paradise, but you’ve never been…to TnT. Track Listing: The Reverb Syndicate -...

This week Tom and Ty descend into madness as they try to suss out why the Brits love to sing about the mundane (and why they scurry for curry). The lads take a deep dive into the ska sensation and analyze its off-beat allure, while making sure to get in a few jabs, in what might be their most explosive episode to date! Put on your two-tone shoes and skank away the blues with TnT! Track Listing: The Reverb Syndicate - Better Dancing Through Technology (Theme Song) Kim Mitchell - All We...

Today, Ty throws Tom a grapefruit, who hits it out of Nostalgia Park... all the way to Scotland. Join the boyz as they delve into the mysteries of sibling harmonies, ponder the concept of self-plagiarism, and address questions of identity as they showcase musicians who boldly proclaimed, or downplayed, their heritage in song. Aye, lassies and laddies, put on your brogues and walk 500 miles with TnT. Track Listing: Rush - Roll the Bones Thus Owls - Solar Eclipse Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be...

In this episode Tom and Ty tussle over the concept of music comedy and debate whether these odd bedfellows can co-exist peacefully.  During their examination of genre crossing, Tom callously forgets about a precious TnT moment and Ty breaks Tom's heart by declaring that the guitar is at an all-time low.  They reconcile over their shared belief that limitations can be overcome in spectacular ways. It would be the after-school special of podcast episodes except that...it starts with MURDER....

This week, Tom and Ty get explicit about the origins of Rap and Hip-hop, observe the Hegelian dialectic in play between the forces of authenticity and appropriation (they think they're so smart) and address the dangerous allure of censorship.  As usual, the fellas take us on a wild, adventurous ride to get there. From Bach to bagpipes, with an inevitable stop in Metalville, Lemmy tell ya this is not an episode you want to miss. Track Listing: The Reverb Syndicate - Better Dancing Through...

This week, Tom and Ty riff on the power of the riff and divergent perceptions of music, as they follow Falco’s Der Kommissar down the rabbit hole into the strange, fascinating, and twisted wonderland of early '80s pop.  Join the lads as they explore the thin line between nod and rip-off, and ponder the version of the version as they unpack the concept of "Laura Branigan Syndrome". Don’t turn around, Uh Uh Oh, t-t-t-TnT’s in town…..Uh Uh Oh! Track Listing: The Reverb Syndicate - Better...

Join Tom and Ty as they decide whether to tiptoe through... or trample...Tiny Tim's tulips!  This week, the boys examine different approaches to singing, the conundrum of imitation, and the originality of the copy as they ponder the deeper questions of authenticity and risk-taking.  There is also a spirited discussion of the strange paradox of hyper masculinity in drag within the world of heavy metal.    Track Listing: The Reverb Syndicate - Better Dancing Through Technology (Theme...

In this episode Tom and Ty seek to unravel the mysterious success of White Horse by the Danish band Laid Back. Released in 1983, the song became a surprise hit in North America and a number one smash on the dance charts.  Join the lads as they track the white horse from the frontiers of electronica, through the shadowlands of innuendo, and into the land of the equally mysterious white pony.  Giddy up!   Track Listing: The Reverb Syndicate - Better Dancing Through Technology (Theme Song) Laid...