The Curmudgeon Rock Report

A loud-mouth retired rock critic and a cranky expat rock obsessive discuss, analyze and just plain old argue about rock ‘n‘ roll: the old stuff, the new stuff and why it all still matters.

The Curmudgeon Rock Report is a music podcast hosted by The Curmudgeons, with 141 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

The Curmudgeons hosts The Curmudgeon Rock Report, a music show with 141 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #142

  The 10 Greatest (Original) Wrestling Entrance Themes

  Aug 18, 20261h 10m

  In which The Curmudgeons get funky like a chunky monkey, if you will, and show off their knowledge of the music of professional wrestling and how it adds to the over-the-top pageantry of one of our shared beloved pastimes. The goal of a wrestler's theme music is two-fold. First, the audience should know who exactly is coming out to the ring within three seconds--and they should be damned excited about it. The music should also add to a wrestler's character arc, to his or her persona and should heat their relationship with the paying masses, whether it makes them of love the act more or despite it with furious booing. More than anything, the music should always add to the fun and the entertainment value of what we're experience. The ten songs we count down on this episode did exactly that to respective performers. Listen as we drop knowledge, and maybe a Stone Cold Stunner, on Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, The Undertaker and others. Enjoy all of this fun wrestling entrance music (including an enjoyable cover of The Fabulous Freebirds' "Badstreet U.S.A.") by accessing our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2rNeVGR6tW8qk6PUdZAZmL?si=920ca17bc0eb494c Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode. (00:52 - 02:14) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of the music of professional wrestling (03:49 - 19:06) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums from The Heavenly Bodes and Dry Cleaning (20:05 - 45:29) - We starting counting down the 10 best wrestling entrance songs. Here, we discuss music for John Cena, Shawn Michaels and others (46:33 - 01:08:54) - We wind our way toward #1. Who wins? Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold Steve Austin? Find out. Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com Subscribe to our show on these platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911 https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons

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  Episode #141

  The Saga of Grunge Part 5 (1991)

  Aug 4, 20261h 34m

  In which the Curmudgeons commune with their once-and-forever inner 16-year-olds to celebrate the most important cultural shift of our lives. And indeed, that shift happened when both of us were 16 years old. The fall of 1991 unleashed pure magic into our lives when Nirvana's Nevermind, Pearl Jam's Ten and Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger hit record shelves (remember those?). Grunge became a THING in the months that followed. We revisit all three of these albums plus a lot of other great, underappreciated grunge and grunge-adjacent music released by Mudhoney, the Melvins, Dinosaur Jr. and others. Perhaps our most moving episode ever (at least for Curmudgeon Chris it was). Listen to all the amazing grunge and grunge-ish music of 1991 by accessing our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3nQdx0v3Nk3GgMseWA3Uw9?si=50b22976c45a4977 Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode: (00:52 - 02:41) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for oursdiscussion of the grunge explosion of 1991 (02:49 - 15:57) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums from indi cult heroes Kelly Stoltz and Low Cut Connie (19:15 - 01:02:09) - We remember the context of how grunge changed the way we experienced music back in the fall of 1991. And we discuss a string of Seattle grunge albums, including those from Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. (01:01:47 - 01:32:53) - WE discuss albums from Screaming Tress and from a non-Seattle contingency that includes Dinosaur Jr., The Jesus Lizard, Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, Smashing Pumkins and The Pixies Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com Subscribe to our show on these platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911 https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons

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  Episode #140

  1991...The Year in Music (Up To Nirvana's Breakthrough

  Jul 22, 20262h 35m

  In which The Curmudgeons revisit the most popular and epic music from most of the year they both turned 16 years of age. Why most? Because on September 24,1991, a whole hell of a lot changed. That was the day Nirvana's Nevermind hit record-store shelves (remember those?). Before then, the world was inundated with diva pop from Mariah Carey and Paula Abdul, the embers of pop metal from the Scorpions, Skid Row and Guns N' Roses, a ton of mostly awful R&B slow jams, novelty hits from folks like Gerardo and MC Hammer and some actually great stuff from R.E.M., Gang Starr, My Bloody Valentine, Metallica, INXS, Londonbeat and others. We put our track shoes on in this episode to brave the rapids of these decidedly mixed and non-zeitgeist-ish first nine months of 1991...covering nearly 100 songs! Enjoy the ride... Listen to all of this great (and not so great music) from 1991 by access our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3EdH6x0Uy5phuXOadoe2z1?si=7fa8ae32186c4562 Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode: (00:52 - 03:05) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of the pre-Nirvana months of 1991 (04:04 - 22:29) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums from Mildred and Vince Staples (23:27 - 01:31:19) - We rumble through songs that were either big or notable between January and May of 1991. Some names some of you may remember: Keith Sweat, Cath Dennis, Wilson Phillips, C+C Music Factory, Extreme, Color Me Badd, Roxette and Massive Attack. (01:32:25 - 02:33:57) - We sprint through a whole bunch of other songs, this time focusing on June to September 1991. Other names you might remember: Seal, Big Audio Dynamite, EMF, Right Said Fred, Naughty By Nature and The Cult Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com Subscribe to our show on these platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911 https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons

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  Episode #139

  The Parallel Universe All-Stars Present...Kurt Vile!

  Jul 6, 20261h 4m

  In which The Curmudgeons share their reverence for one of modern indie rock's most singular and iconoclastic talents. Kurt Vile has worked hard from his native Philadelphia for nearly 20 years now to build for himself an idiosyncratic, shamanistic style that melds folk, psychedelic, classic rock and pure pop into something wholly his own. As Curmudgeon Arturo Andrade puts it, "Imagine Lou Reed and Tom Petty having a bastard child who smokes pot with Pavement and Dinosaur Jr., and the weed is provided by the Meat Puppets. Yeah, his shit is that good." Yet for as wacky as Vile may seem, he's a craftsman and a brilliant shaper of ideas and moods. And, hey, his name is actually Kurt Vile. So perhaps he was truly born to be great. Listen as we analyze Vile's work and, most especially, his vibe. Listen to the music of Kurt Vile by accessing our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6tvHBRaA2dgN7fZW1x5wU8?si=cf1a4d4ea7d44412 Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode: (00:52 - 02:15) - Arturo Andrade sets the paramaters for our discussion on the music of Kurt Vile (03:20 - 15:18) - We offer initial thoughts about what we think makes Kurt Vile so special and then offer up his origin story as a blue-collar guy working his tail off to get his music career and find his voice. (16:16 - 32:18) - We analyze Vile's first three proper albums: Childish Prodigy, Smoke Ring For My Halo and Wakin' On a Pretty Daze. (33:22 - 01:03:00) - We diver just as deep into the rest of Kurt Vile's catalog of albums, including 2026's urgent ode to gratitude and contentment, Philadelphia's Been Good to Me. Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com Subscribe to our show on these platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911 https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons

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  Episode #138

  The Saga of Grunge Part 4 (1990)

  Jun 22, 20261h 10m

  In which The Curmudgeons revisit the year before grunge exploded into the mainstream. And 1990 was indeed a really important year for the development of our beloved genre. Mother Love Bone was on the cusp of hitting it big until frontman Andrew Wood, a beloved figures in the Seattle scene, died of a heroin overdose. The band's album Apple, in the can but not yet released, was effectively tanked by its record label, robbing Wood of a posthumous star turn. But another enigmatic blonde guy started preparing for his own star turn in 1990, as Nirvana released a titanic single that signaled its pivot from sludgier sonics to a more commercial, song-driven approach. Another essential grunge band, Alice in Chains, also had its first leap toward superstardom in 1990 with the release of their downbeat glam metal juggernaut Facelift. By the end of this important year, the veritable stage was set for rock's last truly special phenomeon to become huge. Enjoy the fantastic grunge and grunge-adjacent music of 1990 by accessing our special Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2wAlMYcAn38MwZKXMHoEto?si=57fc9f65e9184ad4 Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode. (00:52 - 2:57) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for ourdiscussion of the grunge rock of 1990 (03:53 - 17:10) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums from Genesis Owusu and Twisted Teens (18:09 - 48:30) - Arturo laments the effect of heroin on the story of grunge. We then analyze 1990 grunge releases from Nirvana, Tad, Alice in Chains and Mother Love Bone (49:31 - 01:09:05) - We analyze grunge-adjacent 1990 albums from L7, The Afghan Whigs, The Breeders and Sonic Youth Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock Edited with an assist from Descript! web.descript.com Hosted on Podbean! curmudgeonrock.podbean.com Subscribe to our show on these platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911 https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons

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