In this week’s darkly educational episode, Charles and Lisa unzip the fur suit and expose one of the music industry’s most ridiculous, poorly-kept secrets: when a label says a musician was “attacked by a bear,” it usually means the only wildlife involved was cocaine, bad decisions, and a manager who’s very tired.

Lisa dives deep into the surprisingly furry folklore around Ian Astbury of The Cult — a man who absolutely looks like he could punch an actual bear, but whose “bear encounter” might’ve involved less forest and more backstage fridge contents.

Meanwhile, Charles gives a grim, shadow-soaked look at the recently departed Sam Rivers, whose own “bear attack” story was so suspicious the bears themselves released a statement denying involvement. Charles explores how far labels will go to keep the truth hidden — including inventing new species of bears just to pin the blame.

It’s dark, it’s funny, it’s the only podcast brave enough to ask:

If all these musicians are getting mauled… why aren’t there more bears on the charts? [Ep 113]

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Produced by: Charles Mooney

Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger

Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger

Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

Things get bloody backstage this week on Jackalope Tales, where peace, love, and understanding take a beer bottle to the face.

Charles swings first with the story of Finch vs. Disturbed, a chaotic tour that went from eyeliner to ER visit faster than you can say “Down with the Sickness.” He unpacks the night the emo kids and the muscle bros turned a rock show into a WWE tryout gone wrong.

Meanwhile, Lisa dives knuckle-deep into Faith No More’s early years, when frontman Chuck Mosley’s fist met his bandmates more often than the microphone. From flying punches to failed interventions, she shows how the band’s signature sound might’ve been forged in black eyes and broken amps.

It’s a darkly funny trip through the underbelly of band “chemistry” — where every hug might be a headlock, and every encore ends with a concussion.

Jackalope Tales: Because sometimes the real battle of the bands happens after the show. [Ep 112]

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

This week, Lisa and Charles dig through the dusty grooves on the flip side of the record—where the strangest and sometimes darkest stories hide.

Lisa drops the needle on “Unchained Melody,” the iconic B side that soared without Phil Spector’s meddling hand—though he somehow strutted off with the credit anyway. She breaks down how one of the most romantic songs ever recorded was almost left spinning in obscurity.

Then Charles takes things to a much darker groove with “Gloomy Sunday,” Billie Holiday’s haunting B side that earned its nickname as “the Hungarian Suicide Song.” He unravels the cursed history behind it and the tragic fate of its composer, whose life mirrored the song’s despair note for note.

It’s an episode that proves the B side isn’t always second best—sometimes, it’s where the ghosts live. [Ep 111]

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

In this chilling installment of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa turn up the volume on the darkest corners of the music world — songs inspired by real murders and serial killers. From haunting folk ballads that romanticize revenge to heavy metal confessions straight out of a crime scene, this episode dives into the stories that make you ask, “Wait… that song’s about what?”

Continuing our Halloween month series, Jackalope Tales explores how musicians have turned horror into harmony. Tune in… if you dare.

Jackalope Tales: where every track has a body count. [Ep 110]

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

Part of the Jackalope Tales Halloween Series

Check into the Chelsea Hotel… if you dare. In this chilling installment of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa pull back the bloodstained curtains on the notorious New York landmark where creativity met calamity. From doomed lovers and deranged artists to rockstars who never quite checked out, the Chelsea’s halls have seen more than just poetry and paint — they’ve seen pure madness.

Expect twisted tales of music’s darker guests, cursed songs, haunted rooms, and a few ghosts still waiting on room service. Continuing our October Halloween series, Chelsea You In Hell proves that some inspiration comes with a one-way ticket to the underworld.

Tune in for the scandal, the spirits, and the songs that should’ve stayed in the walls. [Ep 109]

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

This week, Charles and Lisa crank up the ghost stories and turn down the lights for another episode in our scary Halloween series. In Boohemian Rhapsody, the duo dives into the haunted homes of rock royalty and pop icons who found themselves sharing more than just chart-topping hits—they were sharing space with spirits.

Charles chills us with the eerie encounters of Loretta Lynn, whose haunted Tennessee plantation made her more familiar with ghosts than groupies. Meanwhile, Lisa takes on Adele, whose London mansion was so spooky it made her wish she’d never bought it in the first place.

It’s an episode where the only thing more haunted than the houses might be the music industry itself. [Ep 108]

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

This Halloween, Charles and Lisa slip on their velvet capes and light some black candles for a séance with the one and only Stevie Nicks—rock’s reigning witch. In The Hex Files, the duo digs into all the musicians who may have crossed Stevie and mysteriously paid the price. Was Lindsey Buckingham’s post-Fleetwood career hexed? Did Don Henley’s luck run out after their breakup? And what really happened to anyone who dared insult her shawl collection?

Expect rumors, rituals, and ridiculousness as Charles and Lisa summon the dark energy of rock-and-roll revenge, complete with incense, sarcasm, and a little moonlight mayhem.

Jackalope Tales—where legends get cursed, and laughter is the only protection spell you’ve got. [Ep 107]

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

Spooky season is in full swing on Jackalope Tales, and this October we’re handing out tricks, not treats. This week, we ride straight into the shadows with an episode all about musicians who died backstage. Charles unpacks the murder of Drakeo the Ruler, whose last show ended with flashing lights of a very different kind, while Lisa dives into the haunting story of Mark Sandman, the Morphine frontman who collapsed mid-set and never came back.

It’s part true crime, part ghost story, and 100% Halloween-level creepy. Expect gallows humor, grim giggles, and enough macabre punchlines to make even the Grim Reaper crowd-surf.

All October long, we’re bringing you the scary side of music — and this week, the encore is eternal. [Ep 106]

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

This week, Lisa and Charles throw on their metaphorical spurs and hike straight into the wild frontier of country-cowboy chaos. First up: the never-ending rodeo that is Gavin Adcock vs. Zach Bryan — beer, boots, and beefs flying in all directions. Then, just when you think the dust has settled, Charley Crockett rides into the fray to stir the pot even more. It’s part feud, part folk tale, and part barroom brawl — all with that signature Jackalope snark.

Expect cowboy hats, hurt egos, and more drama than a honky-tonk jukebox on fire. [Ep 105]

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

Things got messy on live TV — and we love it. In this episode, Charles revisits the infamous 1976 Sex Pistols interview with Bill Grundy, where Britain collectively clutched its pearls while punk officially announced itself to the world. Lisa brings the chaos stateside with the story of Jello Biafra and Tipper Gore going head-to-head on Oprah, turning daytime TV into a punk rock cage match over censorship, free speech, and the future of music. It’s spit, swears, and suburban moms fainting — just another day on Jackalope Tales. [Ep 104]

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