PODCAST

Robbie & James Talk Music

robbiemaakestad

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

music music commentary

All Episodes

14:27

Episode 37 - Christmas II - Bleachers & Sufjan Stevens

Robbie & James Talk Music ·

2025/12/23

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 George Saunders’ “Chicago Christmas, 1984,” The New Yorker

13:43

Episode 36 - Christmas I - The Oh Hellos & Run–D.M.C.

Robbie & James Talk Music ·

2025/12/17

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 "British public’s verdict is in: Die Hard is not a Christmas movie,"

13:52

Episode 35 - Punk - Geese & Wire

Robbie & James Talk Music ·

2025/12/09

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 Autofocus press Michael Wheaton, writer Little Engines magazine Adam

14:42

Episode 34 - Brian Jonestown Massacre at SD Music Box...

Robbie & James Talk Music ·

2025/12/02

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: Ongoing Pod Playlist Episode 34 Playlist

14:52

Episode 33: On Rotation - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club...

Robbie & James Talk Music ·

2025/11/25

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: On Teaching College During the Rise of AI” at The Rumpus, Oct. 2,

13:49

Robbie & James Talk Music - Episode 32: Penny and...

Robbie & James Talk Music ·

2025/11/11

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 Doctor Sleep, 2019 Ti West’s X Trilogy: X (2022), Pearl (2022), and

13:59

Robbie & James Talk Music - Episode 31: 1986

Robbie & James Talk Music ·

2025/10/21

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 Street, San Diego, CA Madonna’s “True Blue,” 1986 Rob Reiner’s Stand By

16:43

Robbie & James Talk Music - Episode 30: Melancholy Songs

Robbie & James Talk Music ·

2025/10/14

In tone episodes, Robbie & James talk about feelings, moods, and perceptions in music. 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

16:49

Robbie & James Talk Music - Episode 29: On Rotation -...

Robbie & James Talk Music ·

2025/10/07

In "On Rotation" episodes, Robbie & James talk about what they've been listening to recently. 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

14:04

Robbie & James Talk Music - Episode 28: On Rotation -...

Robbie & James Talk Music ·

2025/09/29

In "On Rotation" episodes, Robbie & James talk about what they've been listening to recently. 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

16:38

Robbie & James Talk Music - Episode 27: On Rotation

Robbie & James Talk Music ·

2025/09/19

In "On Rotation" episodes, Robbie & James talk about what they've been listening to recently. 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

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Robbie & James Talk Music

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