Brian reports back on his latest assignment from Cort: chapters 6–16 of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. Somewhere along the way, Brian may have warmed up to the previously disparaged Owen Teale. The conversation expands to Jones’s broader body of work and why empathy, once activated, can be deeply inconvenient. From there, things go where they always do. Clare Danes gets a brief nod. The guys half-commit to an end-of-year wrap-up, tie off a few loose threads, and wander through college football, fluoridated water, and the strange realization that talking trash about other podcasters might actually work. Eddie Murphy enters the chat. Politics follow, because it’s the end of the year and pretending otherwise would be dishonest. Brian delivers his latest movie-listening report (The Strangers: Part 2 and Wake Up Dead Man), and the episode closes with a fresh assignment for Cort because the cycle must continue. Brian’s Assignment from Cort:📖 The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham JonesNarrated by Shane Ghostkeeper, Marin Ireland, and Owen Tealehttps://www.audible.com/pd/The-Buffalo-Hunter-Hunter-Audiobook/B0DD52VDNL 📖 Explore Stephen Graham Jones’ work:https://www.demontheory.net 🎶 Theme Song: Cyrus Oh Cyrus — The Flying Scrub Jayshttps://open.spotify.com/track/3S9T5HUS4cwky1922WhF1J?si=6fcad8771f724492

Brian assigned Cort some holiday spirit with Holiday Rules, a Christmas compilation by various artists, and some nostalgia with The Grand Archives by Grand Archives. Feelings were had. Some stronger than others. No one is claiming a seasonal awakening, but we listened and we showed up. From there, the conversation predictably veers off course into night swimming, because apparently that was inevitable. Brian runs through recent movie watching, including The Black Phone 2 (written by Stephen King’s son) and Jay Kelly, and then he brings up another little nugget, Ella McKay starring Emma Mackey alongside Jamie Lee Curtis. This leads us to Brian’s theory about why movies like Ella McKay don’t get made often enough, but there is some cruel irony related to his theory and his feelings about Jay Kelly. Cort reiterates his puzzlement about Pluribus detractors (boo, hiss), and Brian attempts to help Cort understand what exactly the “Durian Gap” is.  We wrap things up with a report from a Nate Bargatze concert. Was Nate funny? Was the show good? What ultimate podcast sin could Nate possibly have committed that would get Brian and Cort riled up? The episode is Christmas-adjacent and mildly festive. Albums discussed: The Grand Archives — Grand Archiveshttps://open.spotify.com/album/3Ya4unJBIYZFYs42Ebyf4t?si=9G3W3kJRS42Xewb_w4SXVQ Holidays Rule — Various Artistshttps://open.spotify.com/album/6WYKqCoezPOWXD9UxbXyGZ?si=RS_SZCc2SOiUDgKJirLZeA Theme song:Cyrus Oh Cyrus — The Flying Scrub Jayshttps://open.spotify.com/track/3S9T5HUS4cwky1922WhF1J?si=6fcad8771f724492

This week, Brian reports back on his assignment: the first five chapters of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones (Cort’s new literary obsession and Brian’s long-standing one). Turns out, loving Jones on the page may or may not mean loving his work performed directly into your ears. Brian’s early take? Cautiously optimistic. Marin Ireland does fine. Owen Teale … well, Brian isn’t convinced he wants an entire book read to him by "Welsh Gravel Goliath." But then enters Shane Ghostkeeper, voicing Goodstab, and suddenly Brian is handing out two thumbs up like he’s Roger Ebert at a Fellini festival. From there, the conversation drifts into Stranger Things Season 5, where opinions are shared, and Brian demonstrates that even confident opinions can be wrong. Cort finally gets a chance to see Leslie Odom, Jr. return as Aaron Burr in Hamilton, and he absolutely did not throw away his shot. Both hosts also caught & Juliet at the Orpheum, resulting in a predictable difference of opinion between a guy who's a theater geek and a guy with a massive intellect firing on all cylinders (whether necessary or not).. They close things out by taking Rolling Stone firmly to task over its end-of-year lists, which somehow manage to be wrong in every possible direction at once ... an achievement that deserves recognition, if not praise. Settle in. It’s a ride. A slightly combative, extremely opinionated ride. Brian’s Assignment from Cort:📖 The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham JonesNarrated by Shane Ghostkeeper, Marin Ireland, and Owen Tealehttps://www.audible.com/pd/The-Buffalo-Hunter-Hunter-Audiobook/B0DD52VDNL 📖 Explore Stephen Graham Jones’ work:https://www.demontheory.net 🎶 Theme Song: Cyrus Oh Cyrus — The Flying Scrub Jayshttps://open.spotify.com/track/3S9T5HUS4cwky1922WhF1J?si=6fcad8771f724492

Brian assigned Cort An Awesome Wave by Alt-J… and Cort actually loved it. The album’s layered production and a unique approach to the rhythm section landed squarely in his wheelhouse, especially since the lyrics mattered approximately not at all. Brian had thoughts too, of course, and they compare notes on how the album hits two very different listeners. Brian also reports back from seeing Nuremberg, and the guys generally discuss their recent watching habits.  Cort assigns the first five chapters of the audiobook The Buffalo Hunter Hunter to Brian. There is other stuff too (I'm pretty sure opinions were shared. Probably.) 🎧 An Awesome Wave — Alt-Jhttps://open.spotify.com/album/6k3vC8nep1BfqAIJ81L6OL?si=CC7wU3IqSICZTlBkOwwsFg 🎶 Theme Song: Cyrus Oh Cyrus — The Flying Scrub Jayshttps://open.spotify.com/track/3S9T5HUS4cwky1922WhF1J?si=1b5008d6d0a14170https://open.spotify.com/track/3S9T5HUS4cwky1922WhF1J?si=6fcad8771f724492  

Brian and Cort are at it again in Episode 69 of Listeners Like You, the podcast for listeners by listeners, in which Brian and Cort pretend sharing their extremely ordinary media consumption habits are a public service. In this episode, Brian and Cort heroically attempt to discuss the end of Chuck Wendig’s latest book, Staircase in the Woods, without sounding like literary snobs holding Wendig to some unattainable standard of storytelling. Brian picks apart the plot, the narrators, and his own fan-casting of the yet-to-be-made movie version of the book. Cort covers The Mash Up, a whiskey podcast. Brian unveils his “Battle of the Birthdays” game. We also detour into Stephen King adaptations, again, cult documentaries, and the philosophical question of how long two 52-year-old men can walk without dying. Finally, ask yourself this question: Does Brian contain multitudes? Listen and find out!

Cort takes on Bones by Rainbow Kitten Surprise, a band whose lineup and sound have seen some serious evolution. We also recount our recent night out at an MJ Lenderman show (with our first ever guest, Hanson Tipton), dive into the Neil Diamond jukebox musical A Beautiful Noise, and debate what actually makes something a “jukebox musical”. Ariana Grande somehow makes an appearance (don’t ask), Brian saw Weapons, and Major League Baseball’s Shohei Ohtani gets some airtime as the Dodgers continue to dominate (at the time of recording). Plus — Cort might finally listen to the Random Podcast pick, The Mashup. You should come back next time if for no other reason than to see if the man can follow through on any promise.   Bones – Rainbow Kitten SurpriseCyrus Oh Cyrus – The Flying Scrub Jays

This week, the guys revisit The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig as Brian continues his audiobook experiment and reiterates his position that nothing shatters immersion quite like a narrator trying to do both male and female voices. Cort, meanwhile, listened to the podcast My Wife Hates Video Games and wondered if that's all she hates. The conversation meanders through actors, including talk of the AI generated Tilly Norwood, and then on to music when Brian brings some excellent new album recommendations: Jeff Tweedy – Twilight OverrideAmanda Shires – Nobody’s GirlJason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow Thank you as always for the use of our theme song:“Cyrus Oh Cyrus” by The Flying Scrub Jays And if you're interested in a link to the audiobook of The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig (Audiobook), there you go!

This ep, Cort listens to Another Fine Day by Golden Smog, Brian tries his hand at instant home brewing, and the guys talk about Memphis’s shifting soccer scene. With the loss of 901 FC almost ancient news at this point, Brian rejoices the arrival of a new semi-pro team. 🎶 Album: Another Fine Day – Golden Smog🎵 Theme: Cyrus oh Cyrus – The Flying Scrub Jays

Just when we think we've got this podcasting thing figured out, we get thrown a curveball. So now we're throwing curveballs too! Brian’s assignment was the first eight chapters of the AUDIOBOOK of Chuck Wendig’s A Staircase in the Woods—about an hour of listening pleasure. Brian, ever the overachiever listened to double the assignment, and Cort, as the self-proclaimed audiobook-o-file of the podcast and not to be outdone, finished the whole thing. We talk about the listening experience (pros, cons, and how to fit audiobooks into real life) and the book itself (with only the mildest of spoilers). Brian realizes that unlike his own children, he may not have been read to as a child, but he likes it.  Give the full ep a listen for all the details and introspection. Quick hits (because we're not just an audiobook podcast): Cort discussed his very late-to-the-game exposure to Arctic Monkeys’ Humbug and beyond that he decided he might need to give some once-dismissed pop hits a new listen. That detour leads to TV-music chatter (yes, Paradise with Sterling K. Brown gets mentioned). Then it’s back to the reason we're all here, podcasts of course, with TIME’s “Top 100 Podcasts of All Time,” where the guys agree that they very much disagree with TIME. Theme song: Cyrus oh Cyrus by The Flying Scrub JaysDon Henley: New York MinuteAudiobook: Chuck Wendig's A Staircase in the Woods

Cort listened to Brian’s Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats setlist-turned-playlist assignment.  Brian spent a week in Colorado going to concerts and is ready to talk about it! Brian is still watching shark movies ... good ones, even.  The guys also get into Memphis’s craft brewery scene, and Cort waxes nostalgic about one of his favorite beverages, which is all followed up by Brian mentioning the bizarre saga of Walmart's possibly radioactive shrimp. Also in this episode: a bean-based app that’s somehow revolutionizing ADHD productivity. And in breaking news Cort finally gets Brian to accept his first audiobook assignment. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats Playlist (Brian's assignment to Cort):SpotifyAmazon Music Cyrus Oh Cyrus – The Flying Scrub Jays (theme music): Listen on Spotify

In this episode, did Brian enjoy the Old Gods of Appalachia horror podcast? Cort didn’t listen to it, despite promising to, which prompts Brian to demand a new, more reliable system for assigning homework. AUDIOBOOKS ARE ON THE TABLE! (accountability is not) Brian recounts his recent trip to see The Wiz, a show marred only by an unfortunate tangle of hair. We discuss the Memphis craft beer scene, including the loss of Memphis Made Brewing. There’s a detour into South Park’s latest political parody and ICE’s apparent attempt to draft Superman (seriously). But the real, "bury the lead why don't ya," bomb-drop is that Brian went to Colorado and saw not one, but two live shows: The Lumineers and Regina Spektor. Tune in to see which blew his mind. Finally, Cort’s next assignment is a Colorado-trip-inspired, Brian-curated playlist of Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats tracks, so we're giving you an early link to the playlist in case you want to play along for next episode. Theme Music: Cyrus Oh Cyrus – The Flying Scrub Jays Check out Old Gods of Appalachia here: Old Gods of Appalachia Cort's Next Assignment: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats playlist→ Listen on Spotify→ Listen on Amazon

Brian assigned Talking Through Tin Cans by The Morning Benders, and what starts as Cort’s simple album review turns into a deep dive on the band’s identity shift, artistic shift, and the fact that the name change apparently changed everything. Cort did his research, people, but Brian came with doctorate-level analysis, as per usual. Elsewhere, the new Ben Folds Live with the National Symphony Orchestra gets full marks (who’s surprised?), and the first part of HBO’s new two-part Billy Joel documentary sparks conversation, appreciation, and… Cort’s possibly under-examined thing for pianists. Brian watched more shark movies (it was all for research, of course) while Cort recommends something different to Brian to shake things up for the next episode. And they might’ve made it through an entire episode without talking politics, but no guarantees. 🎧 Talking Through Tin Cans by The Morning Benders🎶 Theme music: Cyrus Oh Cyrus by The Flying Scrub Jays

We’re back with Brian’s thoughts on Tyler, The Creator’s Chromakopia, an album recommended by Cort’s daughter. While Brian’s reaction is, let’s say, unsurprising … the conversation actually gets pretty deep into the weeds in a good way. We dig into the fact that what makes a challenging album listenable (or even inspiring) to some, maybe does not to others, and Cort may give a demonstration on how not to defend art that plays with uncomfortable lines (a.k.a. our new podcast in the works Why Some Things Are Better Left to Those Who Know.) From there, it’s a stop at Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup victory, which gives Brian a reason to celebrate and to wade (briefly) into the geopolitical glorious glory (or fiery dumpster fire) surrounding the win. Then it’s capes and cowls time with a check-in on the new Superman movie, before we wrap up with a ChatGPT songwriting experiment that is very on-brand, if not exactly the next Spotify hit. Theme music: Cyrus Oh Cyrus – The Flying Scrub JaysFeatured Album: Chromakopia – Tyler, the CreatorBonus Link: Superman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)  

This week, we welcome our youngest (and likely most musically gifted) guest ever, Brian’s son, Whit Faughnan, who gave us a playlist of Fugazi tracks because he likes Fugazi and the DC Hardcore scene (you know, the one from before he was born). We go deep on Fugazi's music and history and dig through the legacy of Dischord Records and the Hardcore movement. What more could you want? Also in this episode: A discussion of Whit’s own band, Over Under, based in Blacksburg, VA, check them out if you're ever there. We also talk some Kimberly Akimbo and weather at the FIFA Club World Cup. Finally, Cort assigns Brian a new album and predicts Brian will loathe it. 🎧 Whit’s Fugazi Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6SsTEzPeuDPOOAmkqqK7U5?si=f4ef5a30351e45af🎧 Whit’s Fugazi Playlist on Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/c39f04327ab44f7c816765df935bbd8dsune?ref=dm_sh_X9pH1TDWvYjL9CO4ZJ88mzEKJ&referrer=dm_sh_messages🎶 Theme Music – “Cyrus Oh Cyrus” by The Flying Scrub Jays: https://open.spotify.com/track/3S9T5HUS4cwky1922WhF1J?si=111345d6cdc04093

This episode, Cort reports back on Not Animal by Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s and yada, yada, yada, next thing you know Brian is practically giving a TED Talk on the original makeup of the band, its founder Richard Edwards, and the band’s “break-up.” So what actually is Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s? The original members only? Or anyone Richard feels like dragging into the studio? (Shoutout to The Shins' James Mercer.) We issue a formal apology to Carrie (the 1976 version) for the figurative bucket of pig’s blood we dumped by failing to mention it in our last episode during our roundup of “good” Stephen King adaptations. Our mea culpa leads us into a topic we have tiptoed around in the past: are King’s short stories easier to adapt to the screen than his novels? And if so, does that rule hold for all writers, or just King? On the TV front, Cort and his wife binged We Were Liars on Amazon Prime, featuring Candice King (aka Caroline from The Vampire Diaries). And when we switch to movies, Brian reflects on the emotional trauma of seeing Jaws as a child, which led to his totally rational adult obsession with shark movies. Cort saw The Materialists recently and … didn’t leave before it ended. So that’s something.   PLUS - Next episode, we welcome our next guest: Brian’s son, Whit, who assigned us a Fugazi playlist to listen to and discuss. You can listen along too: Whit’s Playlist on SpotifyWhit’s Playlist on Amazon Music   Theme music: Cyrus Oh Cyrus by The Flying Scrub JaysFeatured Album: Not Animal by Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s

In this episode, Brian goes on a three-album detour just to reach Cort's recommendation of Strange Ranger’s No Light in Heaven. Cort actually listens to one of his own recs for a change, and his feelings are … mixed. But! His one-time stated, but frequently ascribed "long-standing belief" in the power of tracks in the position of "7th" may finally be justified. Cort dives into the Irish History Podcast, Brian hits him with a quiz on Rangers, Rovers, and Wanderers (the football kind) with just enough football (ahem, soccer) information to make Cort feel dumb—but not quite enough to qualify this show as a sports podcast. Brian posits that the real cult following of this show won’t bloom until the year 3000 when we’re all living underground and podcasts have replaced history books. We also ask the big questions: Why are Wes Anderson movies so consistently lauded when they're so inconsistent, and why are Stephen King movie adaptations so consistently inconsistent?  There's always room for more.  I didn't even mention our now seemingly regular segment that could be called "Detour into Reality TV." Theme music is Cyrus Oh Cyrus by the Flying Scribe Jays, from the album Love Beneath the Moonlight. Check it out here Strange Ranger’s No Light in Heaven Dive into the Irish History Podcast if you like that sort of thing

This week, Cort gets an assignment that's pure rock and roll gold: Tell Me I’m Pretty by Cage the Elephant. Spoiler LOLZ, he loved it. Brian takes us deeper with his thoughts on the band, trivia about the Shultz brothers who formed it, and the band’s (or at least the brothers') southern origins. Brian also wanted to gush about the new Counting Crows release, Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!, but Cort hasn’t listened yet, obvi, so they had to vamp. Is August and Everything After a Top 10 Album of all time? Then things literally got weird. Brian brings up the syndicated column News of the Weird because he wanted to talk about whether it's reached its end, but Cort zeroes in on the true story Brian cites: Woman Suffers from Fear of Ketchup. This, naturally, unearths Brian’s deep-rooted condiment aversion. Things spiral quickly, and Brian's final word may or may not involve pickle slander. We also touch on a scientifically indefensible (but alas mostly true) story involving the Town of Collierville and a blooming battle with fluoride. And to wrap it all up, Cort recommends something for Brian to hate for the next episode. It’s the circle of life, podcast edition. Listen to the Ep. 57 assignment and judge for yourself: Cage the Elephant – Tell Me I'm Pretty Theme music: “Cyrus Oh Cyrus” by The Flying Scrub Jays from Love Beneath the MoonlightListen here

In this episode of Listeners Like You, Cort assigned homework. Brian turns in a meh review, and somehow Gracie Lawrence walks away with a Tony nomination anyway. Cort made Brian listen to Family Business by Lawrence. In Cort's opinion it's a funky, soulful, horn-infused joyride of an album featuring the Tony-nominated powerhouse Gracie Lawrence (yes, that Gracie, now starring in The Sex Lives of College Girls on MAX and in Just in Time with Jonathan Groff on Broadway). Cort’s a fan. Brian … titled the episode Jazz with No Soul. So, you do the math. We also salute the phoenix-like rise of Wrexham’s football club (three promotions in three years), lament the ever-worsening indignities of modern air travel, and channel our inner doomsday preppers by predicting what goods might vanish first if Trump’s tariffs tighten the supply chain. (Cort is hoarding soup. Brian ... probably jazz CDs.) Are cat food lines in our future? 🎧 Give Cort's assignment to Brian, Family Business, a listen here: Lawrence – Family Business 🎵 Theme music: “Cyrus Oh Cyrus” by The Flying Scrub Jays from Love Beneath the MoonlightCheck them out here: Love Beneath the Moonlight – The Flying Scrub Jays  

Brian and Cort have a guest, which of course means our listeners should quadruple.  Come listen to us discuss Peach Pit's album Magpie and compare it to one of their earlier works, You and Your Friends.  On a personal note, Brian had a lot of fun recording with Cort's son, who reminds Brian a lot of what Cort was like back when he was young and fun.  On a sad note, this episode may have led directly to Cort's son taking out a restraining order on Cort.   Magpie by Peach Pit - https://open.spotify.com/album/1LNCdy3xZoibzDh0WllxHY?si=pHBby4tJTdCLXGQPpys-zQ "Cyrus Oh Cyrus" - The Flying Scrub Jays - https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BD2HJ21S?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_VrTdsVhZSdQbGxiCG13xFkYMk&trackAsin=B0BD3HYRSL

The boys are at it again. Cort talks the new Hamilton Leithauser album, This Side of the Island. Bon Iver had a new album drop. So did Mumford and Sons. Brian decides it’s time to jettison a “popular” segment and leaves listeners with some sage advice. Also there is so much new TV and there’s a new game to be played. This Side of the Island - Hamilton Leithauser - https://open.spotify.com/album/06d60TFUm7t91QHcVKq65T?si=iL4Ii2vSQvGc5ojrhTgm3A "Cyrus Oh Cyrus" - The Flying Scrub Jays - https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BD2HJ21S?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_VrTdsVhZSdQbGxiCG13xFkYMk&trackAsin=B0BD3HYRSL