Jackalope Tales on Radio Misfits

Charles Mooney, Lisa Umbarger
  • 5.0 (36)
  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Jackalope Tales pulls back the curtain on the strange, spooky, and sometimes shocking urban legends that lurk within the music industry. Hosts, and founding members of the platinum selling band Toadies, Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger explore the weird and wacky stories behind music’s biggest names. Some legends are too bizarre to be true, while others may have a kernel of truth buried beneath the hype. You’ll never listen to your favorite songs the same way again after you hear the outlandish myths behind them on Jackalope Tales.

  1. 6D AGO

    Jackalope Tales – It’s Only Roan & Roll, But I Don’t Like It

    The Grammys happened. Civilization limped away. In this fever-dream episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa wade knee-deep into the glittery wreckage of Grammy 2026 like raccoons rummaging through a rhinestone dumpster. Charles dissects the gospel of glam gone wrong as he unpacks Chappell Roan’s now-infamous Grammy moment — the dress that looked like it was stitched together from haunted prom curtains, weaponized tulle, and the ghosts of mall goths past. And yes… the glares. The side-eyes. The full demonic ocular hexes fired across the auditorium like she was trying to curse someone’s Spotify streams into oblivion. Were they artistic statements? Allergies? A ritual? Charles investigates with the seriousness of a man who has paused and zoomed in 47 times. Meanwhile, Lisa dives into the emotional thunderstorm that was Jelly Roll’s acceptance rant — a speech that started as gratitude and slowly spiraled into a sermon, a therapy session, and possibly a Senate filibuster. Was it heartfelt? Absolutely. Did it feel like we were being lovingly yelled at by a motivational preacher who just discovered Red Bull? Also yes. From couture catastrophes to podium prophecies, Charles and Lisa break down the music, the drama, the body language crimes, and the spiritual warfare happening under arena lighting. Because it’s only Roan & Roll… …but we don’t like it. [Ep 127] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    1h 13m

  2. FEB 18

    Jackalope Tales – This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Superbowls

    This week, Charles and Lisa carve up the real main event of Super Bowl LX: the music. Forget who scored more touchdowns — we’re talking about the cavalcade of performers who tried to out-sing, out-anthem, or out-harmonize a football game that literally has cheerleaders dressed like pyrotechnic reject mannequins. From Charlie Puth’s earnest belt of the national anthem to Green Day launching into patriotism-tinged punk rock like a dad trying to reconnect with his skateboarder son, the pregame stage was a buffet of musical identity crises. But wait: the halftime show! The Puerto Rican phenomenon Bad Bunny headlined an almost entirely Spanish set with surprise turns from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, turning what should’ve been a 15-minute pause in football into a full-on cultural summit no one asked for but everyone talked about (especially people yelling about it on Twitter). Strap in for a snarky, slightly bitter breakdown of why the Super Bowl playlist this year was more dramatic, more confusing, and more culturally seismic than the final score — and definitely more soulful than anything the refs did on the field. [Ep 126] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    52 min

  3. FEB 11

    Jackalope Tales – The Show Must Go Wrong

    Some bands want you to feel the music. Others want you to sign a waiver. In The Show Must Go Wrong, Charles and Lisa dive headfirst into the beautiful disaster zone of live music where safety is optional, chaos is guaranteed, and the stage is just another weapon. Charles breaks down the legacy of Hanatarash, the most dangerous live band ever—where bulldozers, power tools, and flying debris were just part of the set list. No encores. No refunds. Possibly no walls left standing. Lisa counters with her own firsthand trauma—seeing Genitorturers live—a show that blurred the line between concert, endurance test, and something you’re pretty sure violated at least three city ordinances. This episode is about bands that didn’t just push boundaries… They sprinted past them, lit them on fire, and asked the crowd to stand closer. If you’ve ever thought, “This show could kill me,” Congratulations—you’re the target audience. Jackalope Tales — where the music is loud, the stories are darker, and the show always goes wrong. [Ep 125] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    1h 6m

  4. FEB 4

    Jackalope Tales – Tapin’ Pennies

    Tapin’ Pennies is the sound of a nation learning—too late—that nothing in life is cheaper than “11 records for a penny.” In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dig up the glorious scam-adjacent era of mail-order music clubs, when all you needed was a ballpoint pen, a form torn from the back of a magazine, and a penny taped on like a hostage note to your future finances. The promise was simple: vinyl, cassettes, or 8-tracks delivered straight to your door. The reality? Lifetime obligations, mysterious billing, and the creeping feeling you’d accidentally entered into a legally binding curse. Lisa opens the case file on Columbia Music Club, the gateway drug of mail-order regret—where every teenager learned the hard way that “no obligation” was more of a vibe than a rule. Charles follows with the velvet-voiced menace of Longines Symphonette, a company that didn’t just sell music, but a dream… and then invoiced you for it forever. It’s a darkly funny tour through fine print, threatening letters, surprise shipments, and the quiet shame of realizing you owe money for albums you never ordered, don’t like, and can’t explain to your parents. Tape the penny. Lick the envelope. Ruin your credit. This is Tapin’ Pennies. [Ep 124] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    59 min

  5. JAN 28

    Jackalope Tales – We Put The Fed In Feedback

    This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa crank the amps, dim the lights, and wave hello to the invisible guy in the trench coat taking notes from across the street. Lisa dives into the rumor-soaked paranoia buffet of Devo—a band so weird, so anti-normal, and so aggressively “we’re all devolving into meat robots” that the feds allegedly kept an eye on them like they were one synth line away from toppling the government. Was it the art? The message? The matching outfits? Or did someone in Washington simply fear the power of a plastic energy dome? Then Charles takes the mic and drags the Monkees into the surveillance spotlight—because apparently even America’s favorite manufactured pop band wasn’t safe once they started getting too mouthy and too independent. When you’re smiling for the cameras but saying the wrong things off-script, Big Brother doesn’t cancel you… he files you. It’s music history with a side of dread, paranoia, and government paperwork—because nothing says “freedom” like a federal employee building a case file titled: “Subject appears to be… funky.” Turn it up. Act normal. And remember: if you’re hearing feedback… it might not be your speaker. [Ep 123] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    48 min

  6. JAN 21

    Jackalope Tales – Brought Back By Thirst Traps

    Some songs die with dignity. Others get dragged out of the grave by a 7-second video, a suspiciously sweaty dance trend, and a comment section full of people typing “WHAT IS THIS SONG???” like they just discovered music. In “Brought Back By Thirst Traps,” Charles and Lisa dig up the tracks that social media resurrected—songs that went from forgotten relic to algorithmic deity overnight. The kind of tunes that suddenly become more famous now than they ever were back when radio still mattered and people pretended they weren’t obsessed with strangers on the internet. We’re talking about the hits that got reborn through memes, edits, thirst traps, and “POV: you’re falling in love with a villain” montages—only to end up stuck in your head like a cursed chant you didn’t consent to. It’s dark. It’s hilarious. It’s a little tragic/significantly horny (emotionally). And it’s proof that in 2026, nothing stays dead… as long as someone can shake ass to it in perfect lighting. Welcome back to the graveyard, baby. The playlist is haunted. [Ep 122] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    59 min

  7. JAN 14

    Jackalope Tales – Trudeau… TrueDat!

    In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa head north of the border to untangle the most musically messy political bloodline Canada ever produced: the Trudeaus. First up, Papa Trudeau himself — Pierre Trudeau — the intellectual heartthrob who governed Canada by day and allegedly ran with rock stars by night. We dive into the long-whispered legend of Pierre’s rumored romance with Barbra Streisand, a pairing so aggressively artsy it may have required a beret and a mirror ball. Was it love, politics, or just two powerful egos colliding over candlelight and show tunes? Canada still won’t say. Then we jump generations to his son, Justin Trudeau, a man who looks like he was genetically engineered in a focus group. Charles and Lisa unpack the current buzz swirling around Justin and pop superstar Katy Perry — a story that lives somewhere between tabloid fantasy, internet conspiracy, and “wait… what?” energy. Along the way, we explore the bizarre gravitational pull between political power and musical fame, why Trudeaus keep orbiting artists like moths to a very glamorous flame, and how Canada somehow stays polite while all this is allegedly happening. It’s politics, pop music, rumors, relationships, and enough maple-syrup-flavored chaos to make you question everything you thought you knew about power couples. Trudeau… TrueDat! Because sometimes the wildest musician stories don’t start backstage — they start in parliament. [Ep 121] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    51 min

  8. JAN 7

    Jackalope Tales – G.I. Jams

    Attention, maggots. In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa salute the strange, uncomfortable intersection of rock ’n’ roll and government-issued underwear. Lisa reports for duty with the story of Frank Zappa, whose brief flirtation with the military proved that no amount of discipline can survive contact with sarcasm, long hair, and a brain that refuses to salute. Expect tales of authority figures losing patience and Frank losing interest. Meanwhile, Charles digs into Johnny Cash, a man who joined the military, learned Morse code, possibly learned what not to do with military equipment, and then turned that experience into the emotional backbone of American music — after being politely shown the door. From boot camp boredom to command-level regret, G.I. Jams explores what happens when musicians are briefly forced to follow orders… and how quickly the armed forces realized this might’ve been a mistake. Lock, load, and listen — this episode is not approved by the Pentagon. [Ep 120] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    47 min
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5
out of 5
36 Ratings

About

Jackalope Tales pulls back the curtain on the strange, spooky, and sometimes shocking urban legends that lurk within the music industry. Hosts, and founding members of the platinum selling band Toadies, Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger explore the weird and wacky stories behind music’s biggest names. Some legends are too bizarre to be true, while others may have a kernel of truth buried beneath the hype. You’ll never listen to your favorite songs the same way again after you hear the outlandish myths behind them on Jackalope Tales.

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