Mt. Rushmore Podcast

Let's be honest - if you brought four CDs with you on a deserted island, you'd probably use them for anything other than listening to music. You could sharpen the edges and use them as weapons to hunt birds or fish. Or shine them to reflect sunlight in hopes of catching the eye of a nearby boat or plane. Really, there are tons of uses for these things.

But, the trope is there for a reason. Music helps us to remember great things in our lives, or get us through tough periods. And being stuck on a deserted island is probably up there in terms of "tough periods".

Michael, Richard and Jeff talk about the albums that shaped their lives and they would want to listen to again and again. So gather around the fire you've started using flint, rocks and seaweed and get ready to listen.

SHOW NOTES

Michael's Picks

"Weezer (aka the Blue Album)" - Weezer

• "The Blue Album At 20: Looking Back at Weezer's Debut, Track by Track" - Grantland
• "20 Facts You May Not Know About Weezer's Blue Album" - Alternative Press

"69 Love Songs" - Magnetic Fields

• "500 Greatest Albums of All Time - 36. Magnetic Fields '69 Love Songs'" - Rolling Stone
• "My Favourite Album" "69 Love Songs" by Magnetic Fields - The Guardian

"Play" - Moby

• "'Play' Review" - AV Club
• "'Play' Review" - Pitchfork

"Kid A" - Radiohead

• "How Radiohead Shocked the World: a 15th Anniversary Salute to 'Kid A'" - Rolling Stone
• "SPINfighting: What Song on Radiohead's 'Kid A' Has the Most Lasting Influence?" - SPIN

Richard's Picks

"The Harder They Come" - Soundtrack

• "Wait, You've Never Heard: Jimmy Cliff - 'The Harder They Come'" - Consequence of Sound
• "'The Harder They Come' Soundtrack" - My Husband's Stupid Record Collection

"Skylarking" - XTC

• "Counterbalance: XTC's 'Skylarking'" - Pop Matters
• "Still in Rotation: 'Skylarking' (XTC)" - Midlife Mixtape

"Otis Blue" - Otis Redding

• "With 'Otis Bue,' Otis Redding Changed the Landscape of Soul Music" - AV Club
• "All-Time 100 Albums: 'Otis Blue'" - TIME

"Naked City" - John Zorn

• "There Are 8 Million Stories in John Zorn's Naked City" - New York Times
• "On Second Thought - John Zorn 'Naked City'" - Stylus Magazine

Pretty much everyone loves candy - unless you're one of those "health" freaks who care about "nutrition" and "not having your teeth rot out of your mouth" and "diabetes". However, there are some candies we can all agree on that no one wants. They are the candies that everyone was disappointed to get on Halloween. Simply put, they are shitty candies.

In this edition of the podcast, we take on a request from listener David Brown, librarian at the Casa Grande Public Library (it means "Big House" in Spanish). He does amazing work to keep kids interested in book readin'. Check out his YouTube page and his Twitter.

For our 25th Episode Spectacular, Richard puts on his Punctuality Award pin and Michael the Perfect Attendance pin to become co-founders of the Rushmore Appreciation Society. We delve into the finer details about the film "Rushmore" in our latest podcast, celebrate a favorite film of ours and realize that this podcast is our Rushmore.

Jeff is skinny dipping in Mr. Blume's swimming pool, giving out handjobs while these two were taking a nap on the front porch.

Horses: they can be wild, or talking or dark. But at the end of the day, a horse is a horse, of course, of course. And no one can talk about famous horses like Michael, Richard and Jeff. (As long as they don't talk themselves "horse". Good night everybody!)

This week we tackle some of the most iconic horses of all time - fictional and real. It's time to saddle up for another trail ride to Mt. Rushmore, everyone. Make sure you've got your feedbags strapped on tight - this one's good.

They are adorable, furry, sometimes cranky and often very bad at entertaining people. But enough about Michael, Jeff and Richard. Today we're talking about the Muppets! Whether they are starring in kids' TV shows, variety shows or the movies, everyone has their favorite characters. (Hint: it's not Walter. Just...no).

This week we break down the most Muppety of all the Muppets (with the exception of Kermit, because that's too easy of an answer) and try to get at the heart of what makes a Muppet. This episode features controversy, comedy and angry taco eating. So take your place in the balcony, because it's time to get things started!

It seems as though you can't turn on a television these days without landing on a TV cop show within a few spins of your dial. People love to watch because they want to feel like there are good guys keeping them safe. Also, they want to be assured that if they are found dead in the dugout of a baseball stadium, the detective will have a witty one-liner like "Well, I guess he'll need a pinch hitter."

But TV cop shows are about more than solving crimes. They are also about the relationships between the partners. Often, they are mismatched pairs who have to learn to put aside their differences to root out crime. In other cases, Jack Webb is involved and the other guy kind of stands around.

This week Jeff gets to play both Good Cop & Bad Cop in a performance that's sure to merit Emmy consideration, as he goes undercover as a amiable podcast host to take down the nefarious ferret smuggling operation run by Michael and Richard. He'll win their trust by moderating their discussion of the Mt. Rushmore of TV Cop Teams and then...well, just wait for the final act.

No, we aren't talking about the band that gave us "Dancing in September" and "Fantasy" - although they are pretty sweet. We're talking about the four elements. It's what makes up everything that's around you. Well, technically, that's molecules and protons and stuff. Who knows! We're podcasters, not scientists. If you want that, go find Bill Nye.

Join us as Michael and Richard try to determine the four things that best describes each of the elements, and Jeff summons the spirits to make a ruling.

We're Americans. We like our food with lots of sugar, fats, cheese and enough chemicals to stock the labs at Cal Tech. In many cases, this comes in the form of novelty food items that are mash up two things we love, reimagine food that we love, or simply cram as much stuff together into one wad of goodness.

In this episode, we dive headlong into the world of novelty food items. Open up your craw so we can jam as much junk food in as possible!

Some of the biggest celebrities in the world are athletes, who gain the adoration of millions for playing child's games. (Except for Australian Rules Football, which is the pinnacle of non-child gaminess.) But what about when the fans are as famous - or more famous - than the players they support?

This week, Michael, Richard and Jeff explore the work of sports fans who either were already famous or became famous because of their sports fandom. Pick up your pom poms, get out your Vuvuzelas and...actually, please put that Vuvuzela down. It's really quite loud and BLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Are you ready to get PUMPED? We're definitely ready to get PUMPED! You can tell how PUMPED we are by how often we spell PUMPED in ALL CAPS! Maybe we'll throw some extra exclamation points in there just to show just how PUMPED we are!!!

If you want to get PUMPED like us, you're going to need the right music. Fortunately, this week we've got you covered, as we explore the Mt. Rushmore of Training Montage Music. This topic was suggest by Aaron Spacemuseum, a great musician and friend of the show. If you have an idea for a topic, let us know in the comments.

WARNING: Lots of "Rocky" ahead. Also, make sure you listen for the MAJOR CONTROVERSY that breaks loose midway through.

PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED