Jackalope Tales on Radio Misfits

Charles Mooney, Lisa Umbarger
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  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
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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. 2D AGO

    Jackalope Tales – Let Them Eat Lemon Pound Cake

    In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa stroll into a courtroom that smells faintly of citrus, chaos, and questionable police decisions. The saga of Afroman takes center stage—where a home raid turns into a legal circus, a surveillance nightmare becomes a music video, and somehow… lemon pound cake ends up being the most innocent thing in the room. Charles breaks down the trial like a true crime doc narrated by someone who definitely shouldn’t be allowed near a gavel, while Lisa connects the dots between small-town law enforcement, viral humiliation, and the kind of petty revenge that comes with a beat and a hook. Evidence gets weirder, testimonies get shakier, and the line between justice and performance art disappears faster than dignity in a body cam clip. Was it a lawful raid… or the world’s worst audition for “Cops: The Musical”? And when life gives you lemons… do you make lemonade—or a diss track? Pull up a chair, grab a slice, and prepare for a story where the justice system gets frosted, sliced, and served cold. [Ep 137] 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. APR 29

    Jackalope Tales – Hit The Road Jack(alope)

    Some bands break up. Some bands “take a break.” And some bands treat their lead singer like a suspicious duffel bag and just… leave him at a gas station. This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dive headfirst into the fine art of getting fired—musician edition—where loyalty is optional, group chats are silent, and your bandmates might literally drive away while you’re inside buying beef jerky. Charles unpacks the slow, theatrical unraveling of Dennis DeYoung—a saga involving illness, ego, and an increasing desire to turn Styx into a full-blown Broadway fever dream. Spoiler: the band did not want jazz hands with their power ballads. What followed was less “Come Sail Away” and more “Please Exit Stage Left Immediately.” Meanwhile, Lisa brings the chaos with the story of Vitriol, who allegedly solved their internal conflict by pulling the most passive-aggressive move in rock history: abandoning their singer Kyle at a gas station—with his dog. And his girlfriend. And, presumably, his trust issues. What happened next involves a GoFundMe, a long road home, and a masterclass in how to get kicked out of a band and still ask the internet for gas money. From fax-machine firings to roadside betrayals, this episode explores the darker side of band dynamics—where the music stops, but the pettiness plays on. Because in rock ‘n’ roll, sometimes the real encore… is getting ghosted by your own band. Jackalope Tales — where the stories are true… until they absolutely aren’t. [Ep 136] 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. APR 22

    Jackalope Tales – Nickels & Spice, And Nothing Is Nice

    Grab your tin foil hats and a stiff drink. This week, Charles and Lisa descend into the auditory abyss to investigate two “musical” acts that were far too successful to be mere accidents of talent. What if the airwaves of the late ’90s and early 2000s weren’t a cultural wasteland, but a highly calibrated psychological operations battlefield? Inside This Week’s Dossier: • The Maple Leaf Manchurian: We dissect Nickelback. Was Chad Kroeger’s hair actually a sophisticated receiver for CSIS frequencies? We explore the theory that “How You Remind Me” was a weaponized earworm designed to pacify the American working class into accepting Canadian soft power—one mid-tempo power ballad at a time. • The Union Jack-In-The-Box: The Spice Girls. Five distinct archetypes, one singular goal: total global submission. Lisa argues that “Girl Power” was a front for a post-Cold War MI6 initiative to re-establish the British Empire through platform boots and leopard print. • The Sonic Lobotomy: Why do these songs survive in our brains like cockroaches after a nuclear winter? We look at the correlation between “Wannabe” and the breakdown of rational discourse. “Is it ‘Look at this photograph,’ or is it ‘Look into the hypnotic spiral of the deep state’?” Join us as we prove that the only thing more terrifying than the lyrics to Photograph is the possibility that the government wanted you to hear them. It’s dark, it’s petty, and it’s definitely not “zig-a-zig-ah.” Warning: This episode may contain traces of existential dread and 4-chord progressions. Listen at your own peril. [Ep 135] 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

    50 min

  4. APR 15

    Jackalope Tales – Back In The U.S.S.R.I.P.

    This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa take a cheerful little stroll through Soviet-era paranoia, where the guitars are electric, the lyrics are dangerous, and the exits are… suspiciously high up. Charles tells the tragic and eyebrow-raising story of Alexander Bashlachev, the underground poet whose words hit harder than a government crackdown. Officially, he “fell” from a window. Unofficially? Let’s just say in Russia, gravity sometimes works overtime on people with opinions. Meanwhile, Lisa dives into the chaotic and deadly shooting of Igor Talkov, a rising star who went from headlining concerts to becoming one of the most mysterious backstage deaths in Russian music history. Was it a heated argument? A botched confrontation? Or did someone decide his voice needed a permanent mute button? From falling rock poets to bullets behind the curtain, Charles and Lisa explore a pattern that feels less like coincidence and more like a very dark playlist curated by people who don’t take criticism well. So pour yourself a stiff drink, keep your lyrics vague, and remember: in some places, the most dangerous thing you can drop… isn’t an album. It’s a truth. Back In The U.S.S.R.I.P. — where the encore might be your last, and the reviews are written in classified documents. [Ep 134] 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

  5. APR 8

    Jackalope Tales – Episode: K.K.K-TEL

    Step right up, folks… to the absolute worst infomercial in human history. This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa crack open one of the music industry’s most vile, moldy corners—the world of racist record labels. That’s right… before SoundCloud rappers were embarrassing themselves online, there were entire labels proudly pressing hatred onto vinyl like it was a greatest hits album nobody asked for. Charles dives headfirst into the toxic wasteland of Resistance Records—a label that somehow turned bigotry into a business model… until it collapsed under the weight of lawsuits, criminal ties, and the general fact that being openly awful eventually catches up with you. Turns out, hate isn’t just bad for the soul—it’s also terrible for long-term brand growth. Meanwhile, Lisa unearths the grimy legacy of Rebel Records, where the soundtrack was less “rebellion” and more “regression.” It’s the kind of catalog that makes you want to wash your ears out with bleach and your brain out with a Fleetwood Mac binge. This episode is dark, uncomfortable, and soaked in the kind of gallows humor that only comes from staring directly at history’s dumbest villains and saying, “Wow… you really thought this was a good idea?” We’re not celebrating these clowns—we’re dragging them. Hard. Because if there’s one thing worse than bad music; it’s bad music made by worse people. [Ep 133] 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

  6. APR 1

    Jackalope Tales – South By Sellout

    Once upon a time, SXSW was a sweaty badge of honor—where unknown bands melted faces in dive bars, record deals were whispered over cheap beer, and you might accidentally discover your new favorite artist while standing next to a guy who hadn’t showered since 2003. Now? It’s a branded tote bag with legs. This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dig into the slow, corporate embalming of South by Southwest—how a scrappy music festival turned into a networking convention for tech bros, movie studios, and companies that somehow think a panel about “the future of synergy” counts as rock ‘n’ roll. Charles mourns the golden era—when the only thing being sold was your dignity for drink tickets. Lisa follows the money trail, where once-grimy venues got replaced by influencer lounges, sponsored stages, and VIP sections so exclusive even the bands can’t get in. From legendary surprise shows… to standing in line for an hour to get a free energy drink branded by a cryptocurrency you don’t understand. It’s the story of how SXSW went from South By Southwest… to South By Sponsored Content. So grab your wristband, scan your QR code, and enjoy a festival experience carefully curated by a marketing department that has never heard of a guitar. Because nothing says “indie spirit” like a panel hosted by a bank. [Ep 131] 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 5m

  7. MAR 25

    Jackalope Tales – A La Cartel

    This week, Charles and Lisa pack their bags for a musical tour of fame, fortune… and very bad life choices. Charles dives into the story of Valentín Elizalde — a man who may have accidentally dropped a diss track so hard it allegedly got reviewed by an entire cartel… with automatic weapons. Meanwhile, Lisa unravels the legend of Chalino Sánchez — the original corrido outlaw, who sang for the wrong people, the right people, and eventually… everyone who probably shouldn’t have been in the same room together. Featuring the most uncomfortable concert moment of all time: the infamous note that basically said, “Great set… see you after.” From bulletproof egos to not-so-bulletproof SUVs, this episode explores what happens when music stops being just music and starts sounding like a very public obituary rehearsal. Requests were made. Money changed hands. Notes were delivered… and not the kind you frame. Jackalope Tales asks the important question: Is it still a “fan request” if saying no voids your life warranty? Press play… and maybe don’t accept any folded pieces of paper mid-performance. [Ep 131] 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

    55 min

  8. MAR 18

    Jackalope Tales – Popaganda

    What if some of the weirdest pop music ever recorded wasn’t just bad taste… but government policy? In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dig into the suspiciously bizarre world of Popaganda — the possibility that certain bands weren’t just musicians, but carefully engineered cultural experiments. Charles investigates the chrome-plated chaos of Sigue Sigue Sputnik, the cyberpunk band that sold ad space inside their songs and sounded like a malfunctioning arcade cabinet having a panic attack. Coincidence… or a prototype for weaponized consumerism? Meanwhile Lisa examines the minimalist German oddities behind Trio, the band responsible for the deceptively simple hit Da Da Da. Was it just a quirky new-wave song… or a hypnotic psychological test to see how little music the public would tolerate before complete mental collapse? Along the way Charles and Lisa explore whether pop music might sometimes be less about art… and more about agenda. Because nothing says “covert cultural influence” quite like drum machines, awkward haircuts, and a chorus that sounds like it was written by a malfunctioning fax machine. Jackalope Tales — where the conspiracy theories are questionable, the music is suspicious, and the CIA definitely isn’t listening… probably. [Ep 130] 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

    49 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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