The Curmudgeon Rock Report

The Curmudgeons
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Music Commentary
  • Updated Biweekly

A loud-mouth retired rock critic and a cranky expat rock obsessive discuss, analyze and just plain old argue about rock ‘n‘ roll: the old stuff, the new stuff and why it all still matters.

  1. 2d ago

    Kendrick Lamar - The Last Hip-Hop Genius Standing

    In which The Curmudgeons express deep appreciation for how Kendrick Lamar both honors and respects hip-hop as an artform and continues to move it forward--even as the rest of modern hip-hop stagnates, suffers and embarrasses. We cover the span of his entire career and analyze each of his official album releases musically and artistically. This includes discussion two absolutely staggering achievements in Good Kid, m.a.a.d City and To Pimp a Butterfly and a total of five albums built around a central literary theme. And, of course, we recall thoroughly Kendrick kicked Drake's rear end in their storied musical battle from 2024.   Check out the extraordinary musical output of Kendrick Lamar (including To Pimp a Butterfly in its entirety) by accessing our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Wu3GrqmxcJaiflYLjTga7?si=720b42881a0e49bc     Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode.   (00:52 - -03:52) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of Kendrick Lamar   (04:21 - 15:39) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums from Kneecap and Weird Nightmare   (16:38 - 50:43) - First, Christopher O'Connor offers a not-so-great state of the union of today's hip-hop. Then we recall the origin story of how Kendrick Lamar established his career. Then we start discussing his albums, including Good Kid, m.a.a.d. City.   (51:49 - 01:46) - We discuss the rest of Kendrick Lamar's catalog, including To Pimp a Butterfly. We also revisit what Chris had to say about the Kendrick-Drake beef right as it was about to end two years ago--and then tell the rest of the story.   Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock   Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com     Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com   Subscribe to our show on these platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911   https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb   Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons

    1h 47m

  2. 3d ago

    Fela Kuti...A Legacy

    In which the Curmudgeons express awe and amazement over the musical innovation and rebellious spirit of one Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti. Already an established jazz-fusion bandleader in his native Nigeria, a nearly year long stay in Los Angeles in 1969 exposed Kuti to the thrilling sounds of that era's soul and funk music and to the rage and purpose behind the politics of Black empowerment. Kuti returned home reinvigorated and over the course of the 1970s, he proceeded to fashion what we now call Afrobeat, writing and performing marathon-length compositions that spliced funk, R&B, jazz and Afro-Cuban music with the polyrhythmic Yoruba beats of his homeland. Kuti thrusted rousing horn punches, electric-piano sensuality and especially lush and glorious saxophone solos into the world's consciousness. And he became more furious and more targeted in his criticisms of African colonialism, imperialism and governmental corruption--to the point the Nigerian government burned down his commune and, later, imprisoned him on trumped-up charges. Kuti's resultant suffering and defiance through it all became a rallying cry for justice among the Western world, helping him transcend his status as a musical visionary into something entirely more heroic. We explore the best of Fela Kuti's music and meditate on his lasting influence during this episode.    Enjoy the music of Fela Kuti by accessing our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7jmPzVgNCI1252H9b19UhJ?si=3fcbe59f198346bb   Here is a handy navigational companion to this episode.   (00:52 - 03:37) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of Fela Kuti   (04:11 - 14:21) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums from Brother Wallace and Touch Girl Apple Blossom (and an amusing recitation mishap by Christopher O'Connor)   (15:20 - 49:18) - We discuss the musical and cultural legacy of Fela Kuti right up front. We also tell his origin story. And we begin an analysis of his best songs, starting with the nastily funky "Roforofo Fight."    (50:27 - 01:07:37) - We analyze more of Fela Kuti's best songs, including the James Brown-inspired vamp-up "Zombie" and the amazingly intense 24-minute classic "I.T.T. (International Thief Thief)"       Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock   Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com     Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com   Subscribe to our show on these platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911   https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb   Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons

    1h 9m

  3. May 7

    The Saga of Grunge Part 3 (1989)

    In which the Curmudgeons meditate on the year in which grunge as a movement officially entered the universal rock consciousness. The Seattle rock scene in the mid-to-late 1980s was defined by a bunch of smart, ambitious wiseasses who were in a virtual competition with one another to find the truest sweet spot between punk and metal. However, it was not until the band Mudhoney found an enthusiastic and adoring fanbase in the United Kingdom in 1988 and 1989 that the rest of the world started to take notice. An inquisitive and diligent writer named Everett True, with help of storied Seattle record company Sub Pop, traveled to Seattle and cranked out an authoritative, lovingly crafted primer on grunge for the magazine Melody Maker that triggered a wave of buzz and set in motion the commercial forces that made grunge a cultural phenomenon two-plus years later. And True's timing was impeccable: Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone, Screaming Trees, Tad and this one "little brother" band named Nirvana all released exciting music in 1989. We cover that grungy waterfront during this episode.    Enjoy the awesome grunge music of 1989 by accessing our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7AKkKOtc1I4lCIcF6kp7Oz?si=c5dd28c7c3b940ed   Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode:   (00:52 - 03:43) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of grunge in 1989   (04:19 - 22:43) - The Parallel Universe, in which we review recent albums from Lime Garden and Los Thuthanaka   (23:42 - 52:19) - We tell the story of how Everett True helped put grunge on the global map. We also analyze 1989 albums from Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone and Screaming Trees.   (53:46 - 01:11:39) - WE discuss 1989 albums from Tad and Nirvana as well as "grunge-adjacent" albums from The Jesus Lizard and The Pixies   Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock   Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com     Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com   Subscribe to our show on these platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911   https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb   Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons

    1h 13m

  4. Apr 22

    Van Morrison 1968-74...A Legacy

    In which the Curmudgeons revisit and marvel over one of the most amazing streaks a performer has ever had in the long history of this thing we love called rock 'n' roll. Belfast native Van Morrison enjoyed chart success early on in the mid-1960s with the hits "Gloria" and "Brown Eyed Girl" but then fell back into obscurity for a couple years before re-emerging with a mixture of bravado, introspection and poet's soul to embark on an extraordinary six-plus-year streak of artistic and eventually commercial mastery. He dropped one of the greatest albums of all time, the heavenly folk-jazz meditation Astral Weeks, in 1968. When the album bombed commercially, Morrison pivoted and spent the next several years blessing the world with a startling yet often rapturous brand of "blue-eyed" soul music that captured the world's imagination and propelled him to superstardom. We cover this whole period of Morrison's in detail--and with tremendous excitement.   Enjoy the music of Van Morrison by accessing our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5RE1t7yvh12UfRvmOam12W?si=30961af58cfc4a29   Here's handy navigation companion to this episode.   (00:52 - 03:46) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of Van Morrison   (04:42 - 26:03) - The Parallell Universe, in which we review new albums from Courtney Barnett and Angine de Poitrine   (27:02 - 57:23) - We tell Morrison's origin story and them explore his albums Astral Weeks, Moondance, His Band and the Street Choir and Tupelo Honey   (58:31 - 01:24:28) - We discuss the Morrison albums Saint Dominic's Preview, Hard Nose the Highway, ...It's Too Late to Stop Now...Vol. 1 and Veedon Fleece. We also contemplate Morrison's artistic legacy.   Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock   Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com     Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com   Subscribe to our show on these platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911   https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb   Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons

    1h 26m

  5. Apr 8

    Why Greta Van Fleet Is...Shit!!

    In which The Curmudgeons explore the work of the worst rock band of the 21st Century...so you don't have to do all the work yourself! Seriously, this is a public service we're doing here. Greta Van Fleet is a quartet from a small town in Michigan that did an admittedly great job of studying the style, technique and sound of the mighty Led Zeppelin. But then they mistook that for creative juice and served up a bunch of boring, comically vapid imitations of their heroes. When critics called them out on their uninspired mimicry, they tried their best to style themselves as a more prog-rock-leaning metal band...and became even more boring and vapid in the process. This prompts us here to ponder: Who the hell are the people that like this band and helped propel them to stardom and success?    We dare you to listen to, we guess, the best of Greta Van FLeet's music by accessing our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ACdCuo9YcuAFKb8BDZcgF?si=a9f76057b3bc4b99   Here's handy navigation companion to this episode.   (00:52 - 03:43): Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of Greta Van Fleet   (05:27-15:51) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of recent music from Automatic and Grace Ives   (16:49 - 31:17) - We tell the origin story of Greta Van Fleet and marvel at the awfulness of their debut EP From the Fires, which won a Grammy for Best New Rock Album. Related: We trash the history of this particular Grammy.   (32:31 - 49:16) - We analyze Greta Van Fleet's three full-length studio albums, which grow worse and then worser as we reach them   Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock   Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com     Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com   Subscribe to our show on these platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911   https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb   Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons

    51 min

  6. Mar 25

    The Saga of Grunge Part 2 (1988)

    In which The Curmudgeons set the dial back to 1988, when grunge started to become a real thing with real buzz and found itself no longer contained to just Seattle. Mudhoney kicked ass and triumphed in the U.K. with the gargantuan single "Touch Me I'm Sick" and their awesomely heavy debut EP Superfuzz Bigmuff. Soundgarden released its full-length debut album, which, while badly produced, found the band slashing and burning through a number of supremely intense rockers. And Screaming Trees served up a super-loud but super-cool take on 1960s psychedelic garage rock. Meanwhile, non-Seattle bands like Sonic Youth, Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. released classic hard rock albums that would influence a certain talented little guy from Aberdeen, Wa., a few years later.    Enjoy the awe-inspiring sounds of 1988 proto-grunge and grunge adjacency (with some bonus 1996 stuff from Screaming Trees) by accessing our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6lVn38eOrw3CraMeLejnTx?si=8de496ad2eb7414b   Here's a handy a navigation companion to this episode.   (00:52-03:13) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of grunge from 1988   (04:13-14:40) - Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums from Sault and Buck Meek   (15:39 - 41:12) - We tell the origin story of the mighty Sub Pop Records and cover releases from Mudhoney, Soundgarden and Scream Trees   (42:15 - 01:01:49) - We analyze tremendous "grunge-adjacent" albums from l7, Sonic Youth, The Pixies and Dinosaur Jr.   Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock   Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com     Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com   Subscribe to our show on these platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911   https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb   Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons

    1h 3m

  7. Mar 9

    The Parallel Universe All-Stars Present...Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

    In which The Curmudgeons introduce you--again--to your new favorite band. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club spliced the neo-psychedelic swagger of bands like The Brian Jonestown Massacre with the rawkin' menace of the Stone Roses, Oasis and other British bands to offer a maximal yet poignant vision of what rock 'n' roll should be. Their five-album output during the first decade of the 21st century is one of the best streaks of releases in recent memory. We analyze each album as a means of explaining why B.R.M.C. was so powerful--and so ultimately meaningful.    Enjoy the masterworks of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club using our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3POJDOxUGBOkKWVtpvSrQA?si=d8626f78bd7a4b9a   Here's a handy navigation companion for this episode.   (0:52 - 03:33) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club   (04:08-18:13) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of recent albums from Metz and Ratboys   (19:13 - 38:47:55) - We cover BRMC's origin story and discuss the albums B.R.M.C. and Take Them On, On Your Own   (39:42 - 01:00:36) - We cover the albums Howl, Baby 81 and Beat the Devil's Tattoo and contemplate BRMC's ultimate legacy    Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock   Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com    Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com   Subscribe to our show on these platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911   https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb   Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons

    1h 2m

  8. Feb 26

    The 15 Greatest Break-Up Albums of All Time

    In which The Curmudgeons show love for artists that are, well, falling out love. A great break-up album takes the listener on a journey through the complicated layers of our humanity and our very souls: Love, anger, betrayal, heartbreak, grief, forgiveness, false hope, celebrations of new love, reservations about getting back in the game and healing. The albums on our list all take us to these delicate places, and in doing so, they demonstrate the power of music, and the power of the heart, magnificently. We cover albums from artists such as Blur, Millie Jackson, Richard & Linda Thompson, Wilco and others. Oh, and there's this one album by Bob Dylan...   Check out select songs from these breakup albums by accessing our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uI7a4eI5s5uM8J04RsLxR?si=bdd3829cd454483d   Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode:   (00:52 - 02:49) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of great break-up albums   (03:00 - 11:01) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of recent albums from The Men and Dove Ellis   (12:00 - 36:31) - We start our countdown of the 15 greatest break-up albums by discussion list number 15 through number 8. Artists include Phish, Blur, Millie Jackson, Mickie Newberry and Amy Winehouse.   (37:47 - 01:06:48) - We count down from list number 7 all the way down to our (very) vaunted number 1 album on our list. Plus, Christopher O'Connor gives his spiel about how AC/DC's Back in Back is a pretty good break-up album, too.      Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock   Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com/    Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com   Subscribe to our show on these platforms: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911   open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb   music.amazon.com/podcasts/5fea16f1-664e-40b7-932e-5fb748cffb1d/the-   Co-produced and co-hosted by The Curmudgeons - Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor

    1h 8m
See All (136)

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A loud-mouth retired rock critic and a cranky expat rock obsessive discuss, analyze and just plain old argue about rock ‘n‘ roll: the old stuff, the new stuff and why it all still matters.

Information

  • Creator
    The Curmudgeons
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    136
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Central Covenant, LLC
  • Show Website
    The Curmudgeon Rock Report