That Awful Sound

This week we cover “Truly Madly Deeply,” a song my guests and I always knew better than to like and which seems to have caused us to lose our minds. We mostly skip over the 5 minute video, which contains nothing except turtlenecks, “duster ideas,” and yellow skin, and instead focus on these utterly generic lyrics, which are fantastically trite and may conceal an ulterior motive. Also: Our guest JP’s sexual history with this track, an extremely disturbing Jude Law movie for which this song is the “love theme,” and some advice on from the comment section on the optimal time to sing this song to your lover.  Music We Like: Jackal Onasis - Big Deal Party, Grandaddy’s new single “Evermore,” and Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service

This week we cover Limp Bizkit’s hyper-aggressive “Break Stuff,” a song and video that literally broke apart my guest’s parents’ marriage. He shares this story, other parental connections to the show, and we remember how badass all these cuss words are when you’re 13. Also: a possible explanation for Fred Durst’s pitch-perfect portrayal of teenage anger, the worst genius.com annotations we’ve ever had on the show, the coolest number to have facing outward on your dice stud earring, and a listener email involving a disturbing sleepover with a KoЯn doll and an even more disturbing Lit-era wardrobe. You can now support That Awful Sound at patreon.com/thatawfulsound and paypal.me/thatawfulsound, and remember to check out Emma's work at instagram.com/emmamaatman

This week we cover No Doubt’s Spiderwebs and its unthematic video in which the band performs for an unreceptive wedding party. We’re chatting about the pre-sexual camera-humping of Gwen Stefani, Sam Rami-style cinematography, and whether Joan Stefani couldn't have been the one to screen her daughter’s phone calls. Also: fond memories of the local “steel drum guy,” and my guests relay stories about living in the Sublime house and being kissed by Lit singer AJ Popoff at a No Doubt concert. Music we like: BossaCucaNova's "Bom dia Rio," Sisters of Mercy's Floodland, and Pile's "Dogs" “I just broke up with my super hot bassist boyfriend, and I wanna get my crotch out there”

This week we cover “Dragula” by Rob Zombie, a song and video we all loved that holds up surprisingly well. With almost nothing bad to say about the video, we turn to a comment section filled with borderline insane people, including but not limited to: offended/not-offended wiccans, 9 year-old head bangers, and potential school shooters. Was this song an attempt at marketing the idea of a weekend to our dedicated labor force? Did Zombie just want to write a song about a badass car? (yes) And we come up with a cool name for your penis. Music we like: Dark Thoughts and Joan of Arc's "He's Got The Whole This Land Is Your Land In His Hands"

This week we “Meet Virginia,” a monster brought to life by mom rock juggernauts Train in their 1998 single. She’s not like other girls. Also: rhyming words with themselves… twice, remorseful memories of bullying girls in high school with Nickelback lyrics and flying burritos, and, again, a song that strikes an unlikely chord with am internet commentator. Music We Like: Watsky - X Infinity, Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition, and Afghan Whigs - Do To The Beast

This week we talk about “the opposite of jazz fusion”: Green Jelly’s claymation video for “Three Little Pigs." In this episode: Guest Derek’s appreciation of songs made up of just one riff, a healthy discussion on the merits of anthropomorphic pig asses, and an edgy, 90’s update of the Big Bad Wolf gets gunned down by Rambo. “Is this the longest punk song ever written?” “This is three minutes longer than the longest punk song ever written.” Music We Like: Ken Mode's Success LP and Nerve EP, Robert Glasper and Jill Scott's "Calls," and AFI's "Get Hurt"

This week I'm talking exclusively to Emma Maatman about her single-digit, pre-tween relationship with Backstreet Boys and the excellent video for the historically complicated "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)". We cover the most confidently dinky beat in RnB and a fun, very "believable" music video featuring a backflipping werewolf "pimp," a hideously scarred phantom of the opera, and a goofy, decidedly un-sexual mummy. Also: Not wanting to be a homewrecker or a “slut” when choosing your boy band crush, learning grammar through pop songs, and the christian names of these classic monsters Music we like: Chavez's Cockfighter EP

This week we're covering Crazy Town... again? Guest Matt Zeidner explains how, at age 12, this was the perfect blend of hip hop and punk rock (as clearly stated in the song), and how a particularly terrible lyric held a personal meaning for him. Also: Crazy Town describes what this song sounds like, namedrops MUCH better bands, hints at even more disturbing fantasies than those we’re aware of, and a listener relates an Awful Sound-related band encounter. Music we like: Slowdive's new track, Star Roving, and Migos' upcoming C U L T U R E

This week Cahn returns to chat about the INCREDIBLE "Chattahoochee" from 1993. Is this the music video America needs right now? I think so. On the docket: Alan Jackson's penchant for writing songs based on phrases he hears; the average temperature of "a hoochie coochie"; interesting reactions to frustrated abstinence; the good-natured fun and stunning visuals of the video, which revolve around teenage antics and glorious footage of Jackson himself absolutely shredding on a single ski in the Chattahoochee river. Music we like: Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, and Omar Rodriguez Lopez's Sworn Virgins Remember to check out Nick Bahula's artwork at instagram.com/bahulashop and throw some business his way!

This week guest Travis Duscay finally admits musical fallibility as we return to one of his adolescent favorites, The Bloodhound Gang, and their hackneyed, overbearingly ironic "Fire Water Burn." Does repeating a punchline twice make it three times as funny? As an aging actor, would you risk what might be your final performance on being the butt of Jimmy Pop's sight gags? If you admit to being white frequently enough, do you become a good rapper? Colby Ferrin has an answer for that. Music We Like: Death Grips - Bottomless Pit, Troller

It’s the 2 year anniversary of That Awful Sound! For this special episode we revisit New Found Glory’s lovesick, middle school anthem “Dressed to Kill” and its cringey video featuring a y2k-era nice-guy stalker lusting after an equally psychotic Rachel Leigh Cook.  To commemorate the 2-year anniversary we dive deeper than ever into our horrible fashion choices, including fake piercings made from household items, hot topic socks worn thin, and temporary tattoos purchased FAR too late in life. We also recap our favorite albums of the year, including Angel Du$t’s “Rock The Fuck On Forever,” Helms Alee’s “Stillicide,” Creative Adult’s “Fear of Life,” Dinosaur Jr’s “Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not,” BADBADNOTGOOD’s “IV,” Nocturnal Habits’ “New Skin For Old Children,” Solange’s “A Seat At The Table,” Field Music’s “Common Time,” Autolux’s “Pussy’s Dead,” and Royal Canoe’s “Something Got Lost Between Here and The Orbit”

This week we dive into the women-empowering, yet totally insane video for TLC's Unpretty: forced boob jobs, CGI ladybugs, gang wars (for some reason), and onscreen bulimia. Music we like: Mariachi El Bronx, Baroness's "Shock Me," and Ty Segall's new band Goggs.

This week we have an emergency broadcast! We’re talking about Lit’s current foray into country music and their new transparent, pandering single, “Fast.” How many of Real America’s erogenous zones can you tap into with one video? What’s the coolest kind of car to drive to your father’s deathbed? Would this stunt have played differently had the election gone the other way? How offensive are our fake country accents? Find out today!

This week we cover 311’s All Mixed Up and I reveal the various reasons this song stimulates the 311 pleasure center in my brain, recall how these lyrics got me all mixed up as an 8 year-old, and we cringe our way through an extremely unfortunate appearance of the song on American Idol. Also: We recast Fight Club, have a steamy discussion about outdated units of measurement, and relay more youtube comments than you could ever want. “I love that album. Transistor’s one of my favorites. Ah. Why did I say that.”

"There’s something about being a 7th grade girl, your sexual awakening is really awkward, but if he looks kind of like an alien, it makes it less awkward." No show notes due to seasonal, work-related exhaustion. Enjoy the show!

This week Emma reflects on the uncomfortable experience of hearing Offspring’s libertarian protest anthem, Why Don't You Get A Job, as an 11 year-old girl trying to get into punk music. Also: what this dumb song has in common with the Beatles, The Simpsons, and Pootie Tang; Dexter Holland’s confusion over foreign currency; a sorely missed opportunity for director McG, and a way to use this grating song to your advantage. Music We Like: Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas - Mariner, Khemmis - Hunted, A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here  

It's the long-promised third Awful Sound-Off with Aimee-Beth! You wrote in, we responded. Psychedelic Smash Mouth, sage advice from an older brother, stern mothers, and secret skateboard lessons. Thanks for writing in! Continue to do so at AwfulPodcast@Gmail.com

This week! Aimee-Beth returns to help me dissect the cringe-y music video and bizarrely outdated lyrics for “I Will Buy You A New Life” by desperate-ex-husband-in-band-form Everclear.  Aimee recalls enjoying the emotional honesty (read: oversharing) of lead singer Art, while I remember knowing, even at ten years old, that something was very wrong with the song’s message. Also: we cry about the US Presidential election and celebrate my victory at the twitter polls, where, coincidentally, I also won with a mere plurality of votes; vent some rage at Maroon 5; and uncover what the band Lit has been up to.  Music We Like: Courtney Barnett (again), Mouse on the Keys, Nocturnal Habits (again), L.A. Witch, The Coathangers, New Ruin, Super Unison  

This week my brother-in-law stops by to chat about butt rock/post grunge band Default and their 2001 single, "Wasting My Time." We discuss the Canadians' unfortunate choices both in this video and their career in general, not least of which would be letting Chad Kroeger write over half the songs on their debut album. We dive into the ultra literal and hilariously lazy music video and expound on the genre of butt rock in general: What does it mean? What bands does it cover? Where are its roots? Music We Like: Chevelle's "Saferwaters," The Lemon Twigs' "Do Hollywood," and Creative Adults' "Fear of Life" 

This week we take on ska-punk/alternative rock/post grunge/funk metal band Jimmie’s Chicken Shack and their three-minute cringe compilation of a music video for Do Right. Jimi Haha undermines the victim-playing message of the song with incriminating lyrics and makes a mediocre song much worse by dint of an insufferable music video. Emma introduces a new segment, Michael shakes his head more than in any other episode, and I find a way to make Jimi’s sophisticated artwork more relatable to the everyman. Stuff We Like: clipping.'s "Air 'Em Out," Post Pink's "Maid in Mexico," and Nocturnal Habit's "Good Grief" “The easiest way to not need a citation is if you put ‘arguably’ at the beginning”