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. 3D AGO

    Jackalope Tales – Nonprofit…Not!

    Some record labels say they’re nonprofit. Which immediately raises the obvious question: nonprofit for who? This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa tumble down a particularly sketchy rabbit hole after discovering that their former band — Toadies — once signed to a “nonprofit” record label. A nonprofit… record label. Because nothing says charity like royalty statements that look like ransom notes. Were these labels truly benevolent music charities helping artists thrive? Or were they just the same old music industry wolves… wearing thrift-store sheep costumes and holding IRS paperwork? Charles digs into the mysterious world of nonprofit labels — where money allegedly vanishes into “administrative costs,” “artistic development,” and possibly a suspicious amount of craft beer and vintage analog compressors. Lisa asks the harder questions: • If a record label is nonprofit… why does the CEO drive a Tesla? • Why do the bands still end up broke? • And is “artist support” just a nicer phrase for creative tax shelter? Expect nonprofit loopholes, shady music-industry math, and the uncomfortable realization that sometimes the biggest charity in the room… is the band donating their labor. Because in the music business, the only thing more dangerous than a crooked record label… …is one claiming to be doing it for the good of humanity. Welcome to Jackalope Tales — where the legends are strange, the stories are darker than a club bathroom at closing time, and tonight we ask the question: Is it nonprofit… or just another Jackalope? [Ep 129] 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

  2. MAR 4

    Jackalope Tales – Power Ballad: CIA Remix

    In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa open a dusty filing cabinet labeled “Top Secret: Adult Contemporary.” Inside: two power ballads so suspiciously inspirational they may have been weaponized. Lisa follows the whistling trail of the Wind of Change—a song that somehow floated over the Berlin Wall, slipped into the bloodstream of a collapsing empire, and convinced millions that freedom smelled like Aqua Net and Marlboro Lights. Was it written by German rockers… or by a guy in Langley wearing fingerless gloves and softly weeping over a Stratocaster? Meanwhile, Charles investigates Looking for Freedom—a power ballad so potent it turned a lifeguard into a geopolitical event. As Hasselhoff stood on the Berlin Wall in a glowing Members Only jacket, historians insist it was a cultural moment. We ask the real question: how many intelligence officers died inside hearing that chorus for the 400th time? From psychological warfare disguised as soft rock, to ballads engineered to make entire populations feel feelings against their will, this episode uncovers the terrifying possibility that the Cold War wasn’t won with missiles… but with key changes. Because nothing topples governments faster than a grown man whisper-singing about freedom over a Yamaha keyboard preset labeled “Emotional Pad 3.” [Ep 128] 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

    53 min

  3. FEB 25

    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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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
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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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