And Introducing film correspondent, Blank Check pod & the Atlantic’s David Sims returns for two more recent musician biopics: James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown & Michael Gracey’s Better Man. Two very different movies about very different musicians that nonetheless explore similar themes on the nature of fame, talent & musicianship. We talk Timmy, Bobby, Robbie & more, and see if there’s still juice to squeeze from the biopic genre. Plus of course: does the monkey play?
Listen to David on Blank Check wherever you get pods and subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/blankcheck
Check out David’s writing in the Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/david-sims/
Read Molly’s music blog: https://www.ienjoymusic.net/
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1:16:49
#128 WILL SMITH! (ft. Todd in the Shadows)
Welcome to the Willenium, baby! We’re joined by YouTube’s Todd in the Shadows to look at the musical career of Will Smith. From growing up under the influence of his demanding father, to discovering his performing (and lying) abilities in school, clicking with Jazzy Jeff, indulging in “chicken wings,” his super-star turn to acting & extremely self-conscious return to hip-hop, we track Will’s music & celebrity up to “the slap” and beyond from his 2021 memoir Will. As Todd says, may be one of the weirdest guys he’s ever encountered.
Check out Todd’s Trainwerckords video on Will Smith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNm0HDCRdnc&ab_channel=ToddintheShadows
Plus Todd’s always great year-end videos,
Worst Songs of 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8ssUcZSqV8&ab_channel=ToddintheShadows
Best songs of 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkXpvScL94Q&ab_channel=ToddintheShadows
Songs in order:
DJ Jazzy Jeff - Peter Piper Routine
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Girls Ain’t Nothing but Trouble
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Summertime
Will Smith - Don’t Say Nothing
Will Smith & Joyner Lucas - Tantrum
Neil Cicierega - Wow Wow
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1:33:08
#127 SERJ TANKIAN!
And introducing…on lead vocals, it’s Serj Tankian! We delve into the life of turn of the millennium metal icons System of a Down’s frontman Serj Tankian. Repping Armenia via Glendale, Serj’s life covers everything from founding software companies to composing whale-themed orchestras. We look into his politics, nu-metal in general, a passion for espresso, his signature growls and yelps, and revolutionary participation, as with SOAD’s wild musical success along the way.
Songs in order:
System of a Down - Sugar
System of a Down - Prison Song
System of a Down - Chop Suey
System of a Down - I-E-A-I-A-I-O
System of a Down - Boom
System of a Down - BYOB
Serj Tankian - Empty Walls
Serj Tankian - Orca Act II - Oceanic Subterfuge
System of a Down - Protect the Land
System of a Down - Toxicity
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1:26:53
#126 PHIL COLLINS pt. 2!
It's part 2 of our excavation of Phil Collins' memoir Not Dead Yet: The Memoir. We've reached the mid-1980s and the boy is absolutely everywhere...can he sustain the breakneck pace of being one of the most celebrated (and oversaturated) Brits in pop music history? We cover his stressful transcontinental Live Aid experience, his Disneyfied '90s, his vibrant but turbulent romantic life, his big band era, and much much more.
The book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/538475/not-dead-yet-by-phil-collins/
Songs in order:
Phil Collins - Against All Odds (8-Bit cover by HumanDaikon)
Phil Collins - Invisible Touch
Led Zeppelin - Rock And Roll (Live At Live Aid)
Phil Collins - Everyday
Phil Collins - Sussudio
The Phil Collins Big Band - Pick Up the Pieces (Average White Band cover)
Phil Collins - You'll Be In My Heart
Phil Collins - No Way Out (Theme from Brother Bear)
Phil Collins - Uptight (Everything's Alright) (Stevie Wonder cover)
Phil Collins - Take Me Home
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1:23:29
#125 PHIL COLLINS pt.1!
I can feel it coming ON the air tonight...a podcast about Phil Collins. Well, the first part of a podcast about Phil Collins. We're talking about his child actor youth, his mod adolescence, his rock 'n' roll grindset that got him a slot in Genesis, his scoot from the drumset to the front of the stage after Peter Gabriel's departure, and the hella divorced energy beginnings of his epic solo career. All through his own words, his memoir Not Dead Yet: The Memoir. Plug in your drum machine and don't f*ck up your shot at playing the bongos on a George Harrison record...because folks are saying there's still time to make it an Abacab summer.
The book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/538475/not-dead-yet-by-phil-collins/
Songs in order:
Katy Perry - Women’s World
Leo Karpatze - The Monster Fuck
Genesis - Dancing With The Moonlit Knight
Genesis - Supper’s Ready
Genesis - Dance on a Volcano
Genesis - Follow You, Follow Me
Genesis - Burning Rope
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonite
Phil Collins - Tomorrow Never Knows
Genesis - Behind the Lines
Genesis - Turn it on Again
Genesis - Abacab
Phil Collins - Can’t Hurry Love
Phil Collins - Against All Odds
UK