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Pretty Much Pop: A Culture Podcast

A philosopher, an actor, and a sci-fi writer talk about media and how we consume it.

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PMP#84: Musician Memoirs w/ Laura Davis-Chanin

March 3, 2021 by Mark Leave a Comment

There's been an explosion of rock and roll autobiographies in recent years, with pretty much every music legend (and many others) being invited by some publisher or other to write or dictate their story. What's the particular appeal of this kind of recounting, what's the connection between writing and reading these books on the one hand and producing and listening to the actual … [Read more...] about PMP#84: Musician Memoirs w/ Laura Davis-Chanin

Mark Lint’s PEL Network Holiday Party 2020: Merry Chatting and Songs

December 24, 2020 by Mark Leave a Comment

Join the office Christmas party at the PEL network. The hired band is Mark Lint’s Dry Folk, playing their entire album, and the guests are considerate enough to only talk between the songs. BYOB! Mark holds mini conversations on philosophy, art, and life with all the PEL and PMP co-hosts, plus special guests Ken Stringfellow (a guy who played with REM … [Read more...] about Mark Lint’s PEL Network Holiday Party 2020: Merry Chatting and Songs

PMP#71: Rap Battles w/ Sacrifice (Tyler Hislop)

December 2, 2020 by Mark 3 Comments

Mark, Erica, and Brian are rejoined by our audio editor Tyler to discuss a form of entertainment close to his heart: Priming the rhymes to deliver the crimes: an attack on the character, caring not what-you-wear, anywhere, hug-a-bear... man, battle rap is difficult! So what are the rules? How does modern battle rap compare to free-styling and the beefs aired on rap albums … [Read more...] about PMP#71: Rap Battles w/ Sacrifice (Tyler Hislop)

PMP#69: Story Songs w/ Rod Picott

November 17, 2020 by Mark 3 Comments

Plenty of songs purport to tell stories, and the narrative ballad of course has a long enough history that the two forms certainly aren't alien. But how do our listening practices conditioned by pop music jibe with recognizing and understanding narrative?  Singer/songwriter and short story author Rod Picott joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to talk about classics by writers … [Read more...] about PMP#69: Story Songs w/ Rod Picott

PMP#58: “TAYLOR SWIFT RULES!” (Conversation with a Swiftie)

August 26, 2020 by Mark Leave a Comment

Prompted by the release of new album Folklore and the 2020 documentary Miss Americana, Mark, Erica, and Brian speak with guest Amber Padgett about her love of Taylor, ranking the albums/eras, Taylor as songwriter/puppetmaster, why the hate, weird levels of fan engagement, double standards in expectations for female artists, and more. Like all of our discussions, this one is … [Read more...] about PMP#58: “TAYLOR SWIFT RULES!” (Conversation with a Swiftie)

PMP#53: The Hamilton Phenomenon w/ Sam Simahk

July 22, 2020 by Mark Leave a Comment

Erica, Mark, and Brian are joined by Broadway actor Sam to discuss this unique convergence of musical theater, rap, and historical drama. Does Hamilton deserve its accolades? We cover the re-emergence of stage music as pop music, live vs. filmed vs. film-adapted musicals, creators starring in their shows, race-inclusive casting, and the politics surrounding the show. Some … [Read more...] about PMP#53: The Hamilton Phenomenon w/ Sam Simahk

PMP#41: Made-for-TV Musicals w/ Craig Wedren

April 29, 2020 by Mark 1 Comment

Craig (beyond being a rock god) has created music for many TV shows, including Glow, Shrill, Mrs. Fletcher, and Wet Hot American Summer. He joins Mark, Erica, and Brian due to his involvement with Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, which along with Glee, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Nashville, Rise, etc. represents a new era of musicals as mainstream TV. Why now? These shows all use … [Read more...] about PMP#41: Made-for-TV Musicals w/ Craig Wedren

PMP#23: The Singer Not the Song w/ Ken Stringfellow

December 17, 2019 by Mark 2 Comments

What's your relationship to music? Do you just embrace the pure sound, or do you care about who made that sound? One way of seeing where you fall on this issue is whether you care more for singles or to whole albums or careers by artists. Ken Stringfellow, who co-fronts The Posies and was a member of R.E.M. and Big Star, joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to talk about what … [Read more...] about PMP#23: The Singer Not the Song w/ Ken Stringfellow

PMP#15: Opera As Pop

October 15, 2019 by Mark 3 Comments

Opera used to be a central part of European pop culture, Pavarotti was as big a pop star as they come. But still, it's now the quintessential art-form of the wealthy and snobbish. What gives? Guest Sean Spyres from Springfield Regional Opera joins his sister Erica along with Mark and Brian to discuss opera's place in culture (including its film appearances), how it's … [Read more...] about PMP#15: Opera As Pop

PMP#11: The Live Music Experience

September 17, 2019 by Mark 3 Comments

Surely tech advances make it unnecessary to ever leave the house, right? Why go to see live people doing live things live? Dave Hamilton (Host of Gig Gab, Mac Geek Gab, and Mark's old drummer) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss what's so damn cool about live music (and theater), the alternatives (live-streamed-to-theaters or devices, recorded for TV, VR), why tickets … [Read more...] about PMP#11: The Live Music Experience

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What is Pretty Much Pop?

On Pretty Much Pop, a philosopher, an actor, and a sci-fi writer (often with entertainment industry guests) talk about media and how we consume it: TV, film, music, novels, games, comics, comedy, theater, podcasts, and more. Most of what (other) people like is pretty weird when you think about it, so thinking about it is what we do.

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