A music-based podcast from the guys who made 'Off the Chain.' Every episode presents a handful of songs around a specific theme.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Ooooooooooh! This week Dave and Steel were joined by their old friend Jordan Faux for a special Halloween edition of Theme Songs. The theme for the week was “spooky songs,” and we played bonechilling tunes by Interpol, Mick Gordon, Napoleon XIV, Monkeygrinder, Phil Collins, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and Henry Hall.
Featured image by NASA Goddard Photo and Video 
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
This week’s theme was Codependency/Independence. Steel’s sister-in-law Jennie Bastian joined the two hosts to discuss how we can prevent sexual assault and harassment and best support its victims, and then the trio played great tunes from Waxahatchee, Tina Turner, John Prine, Fiona Apple, Lesley Gore, and the Isley Brothers.
Sexual assault is a major problem in our society. To get a better sense for the size and scope of the issue, you may want to refer to some facts and statistics gathered by the National Sexual Violence Research Center. Just as distressing, RAINN estimates that nearly 2/3 of all sexual assaults are ever reported to the police.
Our love and concern to all those who have suffered sexual violence or harassment. We believe you and want to do what we can to prevent this kind of behavior in the future, to provide the support and care you need, and to seek justice for those who have and are being wronged.
Featured image by soozed
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Our theme this week: songs that, despite their popularity, were secretly (and sometimes) wildly inappropriate. Dave and Steel are joined by Steel’s old friend Katie and play shockers by Benny Mardones, Bob Seger, Lour Reed, The Police, Dave Matthews Band, and Clarence Carter. The lesson of this episode in case you didn’t already know it: all the creepiest, skeeziest characters in music (life?) are men. Watch out, everybody, and stay safe.
Here’s a gallery of some of the men whose music is featured on today’s show.
Featured image by Piano Piano!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
This week’s theme: “Story Songs,” featuring songs that tell a story and tell it well. This week Dave and Steel were joined by their old friend Alan and share miniature gems from The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, Cat Power, Jens Lekman, Bishop Allen, and Steve Earle.
Featured image: art from The Crane Wife by Carson Ellis
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
This week’s theme was Desert + Island = Desert Island. Steel and Dave discuss and play desert music, island music, and pick their ‘desert island’ songs. The episode features music by U2, Steve Reich, Tinariwen, The Mantles, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, The Silver Jews and Otis Redding.
Dave’s pick for his “Desert Island” song, “Random Rules” by the Silver Jews isn’t available on Spotify. Here it is on Youtube, however
Featured image by MacBeales
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
This week’s theme was ‘That Wasn’t What I Was Expecting’ and we featured songs by bands whose musical sound doesn’t match their name. On this week’s episode Dave & Steel are joined by their old friend Spencer to play music from bands with misleading names, including Los Campesinos!, The Final Solution, Yo La Tengo, Dr. Dog, Chinese Man, and St. Paul & The Broken Bones.
Featured image: The faces of the three folks calling themselves “Yo La Tengo.” That feeling you’re experiencing? That’s called cognitive dissonance.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
This week Dave and Steel present the first episode of their new podcast Theme Songs. This week the theme is “Firsts!” and they play groundbreaking music by Kono Michi, Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), Bill Haley & His Comets, Harry Belafonte, Bruce Springsteen, Domenico Modugno, Beck, Patty Griffin, and the Rolling Stones.
We hope you enjoy the new format. If you want to suggest a theme for a future episode of Theme Song, drop us a line at themesongspodcast AT gmail DOT com.
Featured image: super awkwardly-posed image of Bill Haley and his Comets from the mid-1950s.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
We’ve got some bittersweet news. The sweet part: Spencer and Jordan rejoined us for another terrific episode. The bitter part: it’s our last ever Off the Chain. This week, our old friends and frequent guests Spencer and Jordan come back for one last ride, in which we give some pro-level small talk advice (including, for the first time ever, a list of topics to avoid), do a segment of Lost the Plot with the classic rom-com Death Race 2050, answer questions from our beloved listeners, and play conclusion worthy music by Beck, Blue, The Beatles, Tom Brosseau, and Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth.
Our deepest thanks for following us over the past few years, everyone. We’ll be back soon with a new podcast, which we’re planning to call Theme Song.
And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.
–James P. McCartney
Featured image: Dave and Spencer in the Santa Cruz Mountains earlier this summer.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
This week Dave and Steel are joined by Dave’s physicist friend Jason. Together the three of them discuss proton therapy, Jason’s top three physicists of all time, describe the new “Physics Hair” calendar they’re working on, answer Dave’s questions about fringe physics concepts, give parenting tips, play science-themed music from The Flaming Lips, Elton John, They Might Be Giants, Modest Mouse, Coldplay, and William Onyeabor, and share a classic story from Steven Hawking’s A Brief History of Time.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
This week Dave and Steel are joined by Steel’s friend Sigrid. Together the three of them discuss transportation options for families with tons of kids, Dave and Sig’s shared loved of drawing and illustration, play a few rounds of Indie Band Name Balderdash, present another edition of Small Talk, share great nighttime driving music by De La Soul, Lisa Hannigan, The War on Drugs, Phil Collins, R.L. Burnside, and Phosphorescent, and drop some book wisdom from the late, great David Rakoff.
Sig shared a passage from David Rakoff’s novel (in verse!) Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish .
Featured image by Sigrid Peterson
