The Album: Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark (1973)

In 1973, Joni Mitchell was in the midst of one of the greatest pop music runs of the decade. By that time, the Canadian-turned-temporary-Angelino had already put out Ladies of the Canyon, Blue and For the Roses, establishing her as one of the very few women that the rock establishment of the era would deign to even recognize. But with Court & Spark, Mitchell showcased her abilities beyond just the folk-rock world by minting a pop album that would become a defining statement of the time and her most successful LP of all time.

To talk about Court & Spark, we had in another transplant to L.A.: singer/songwriter Sidibe. Since moving out here 10 years ago, she's steadily raised her profile, especially after the release of her 2014 EPs, Metaphysical and Soul Siren. Alongside the likes of Anita Baker and Sade, Joni has been a longtime influence and inspiration on Sidibe and during our convo, we discussed Mitchell's vocal gifts, her jazz-rock collaborations on Court & Spark plus a tangential discussions on how bagging groceries might help one get discovered.

More on Sidibe

• "Meet Sidibe" (Galore Magazine)

• "Soul starlet Sidibe talks being an independent artist" (Rolling Out)

• Website | Instagram | Twitter

More on Court & Spark

• Counterbalance discussion of the album (Popmatters)

• "The story of Joni Mitchell's jazz-inflected, career-turning Court and Spark" (Ultimate Classic Rock)

• Original 1974 Rolling Stone review

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Court and Spark unless indicated otherwise):

• Help Me
• Sidibe: Unreachable
• People's Parties
• The Same Situation
• Just Like This Train
• Help Me
• Joni Mitchell: Sweet Sucker Dance
• Twisted
• Raised on Robbery
• Help Me
• Sidibe: Love is Stronger Than Pride

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

The Album: Björk: Homegenic (1997)

Josiah Wise aka serpentwithfeet joined us to talk about one of his biggest influences: Björk and 1997 album, Homogenic. First introduced to her as a child, serpentwithfeet found a kindred spirit in the eclectic creativity of the Icelandic star. That especially extends to Homogenic, which, thanks to Björk and producer Mark Bell, would mark a hard turn from the more pop-friendly sounds of Post towards a new, baroque, electronic majesty. Our conversation touched on the mesmerizing nuances of Björk's voice, the album's heavy embrace of dance music, and what it's like to be a fan of an artist when you don't even know what they look like.

More on serpentwithfeet

• The Fader cover story
• Björk's "Blissing Me" remix feat. serpentwithfeet
• "serpentwithfeet Crafts His Own Language For Queer Life" (NPR)
• Bandcamp | Twitter

More on Homegenic

• Album review (Pitchfork)
• "Put A Björk In It: How A 14-Year-Old Album Is Still Influencing Music" (Deadspin)
• "Homogenic Turns 20" (Stereogum)

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Homogenic unless indicated otherwise):

• All is Full of Love
• Björk: Bænin
• All Neon Like
• Björk: Human Behaviour
• Joga
• serpentwithfeet: blisters
• Unravel
• serpentwithfeet: whisper
• All is Full of Love
• Björk: Hidden Place
• Hunter
• Immature
• Bells Atlas: Bachelorette
• Unravel
• Erykah Badu: On & On
• Radiohead: Exit Music (For a Film)
• Janet Jackson: Got Til it's Gone
• Missy Elliott: The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
• Roni Size: New Forms
• Unravel
• Björk: Pagan Poetry
• serpentwithfeet: blisters
• serpentwithfeet: bless ur heart

Here's the Spotify plalist of as many songs as we could find on there
If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

The Album: Pretty In Pink Soundtrack (1986)

Actress and comedian Eliza Skinner is part of the brand new Maximum Fun scripted comedy show, Bubble, and hosts her own music podcast, Cool Playlist. For her guest spot on Heat Rocks, she wanted to revisit one of the iconic soundtracks of the 1980s: Pretty in Pink. The film is a key part of the John Hughes pantheon, alongside The Breakfast Club, 16 Candles and Ferris Bueller's Day Off and arguably boasts the most storied soundtrack of all of them, including now-classics that were written expressly for the film such as OMD's "If You Leave" and Echo and Bunnymen's "Bring On the Dancing Horses," and of course, the reworked, sax-ified version of the Psychedelic Furs' "Pretty In Pink."

Eliza and us discussed how soundtracks can create an invented nostalgia for a time we never knew, what lesser known tracks off this album still bump, and why Ducky really didn't deserve to belong with Andie.

(That said, Ducky did kill it during his "Try a Little Tenderness" scene)

More on the Pretty In Pink soundtrack: 

• "Neon Nostalgia: The Pretty In Pink Soundtrack 30 Years Later" (Stereogum)
• "30 Years Ago: Pretty In Pink Gives an Official Soundtrack to Teen Angst" (Diffuser)

More on Eliza Skinner:

• Interview (Raleigh & Company)
• Cool Playlist podcast
• Bubble podcast
• Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Pretty In Pink unless indicated otherwise):

• Pretty in Pink
• If You Leave
• Left of Center
• Simple Minds: Don't You (Forget About Me)
• The Barden Bellas: Bellas Finals: Price Tag/ Don't You (Forget About Me)
• Get to Know Ya
• Prince: Kiss
• Prince: Purple Rain
• Deniece Williams: Let's Hear it for the Boy
• Modern English: I Melt with You
• Pretty in Pink
• Wouldn't it be Good
• Otis Redding: Try a Little Tenderness
• New Order: Thieves Like Us (Instrumental)
• If You Leave
• Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
• Wouldn't it be Good

Here's the Spotify playlist of as many of the songs above as we can find on there.

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

The album: Michael Jackson: HIStory: Past, Present and Future: Book 1 (1995)

Justin Simien, whose Dear White People is just beginning its second season on Netflix, came through to join us live for another Voyager Institute collaboration. By sheer coincidence, our last VI event took on Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation and here we are again, working our way through another Jackson family LP. (Can LaToya be too far behind?)

HIStory, as our crew points out, is an odd duck in the vaunted Jackson discography. Though it was enormously successful – the best selling double album of all time (especially since disc one was a "Greatest Hits" anthology) – it tends to have been overlooked given all the controversy swirling around MJ in that era. He had already been tried and acquitted on child molestation charges but his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley was still tabloid catnip and all this resulted in him recording, to quote Morgan: his most "pissed" off album, ever. This, and more, was all fodder for our conversation. But before you even listen, you have to watch the trailer for HIStory:

Meanwhile, don't forget to listen to last week's episode, about Michael Jackson's Off the Wall, featuring Martin Perna!

More on HIStory

• "Michael Jackson Is Angry, Understand?" (NY Times, 1995)
• "20 Years Later, 20 Things You May Not Have Known About Michael Jackson's HIStory" (People)
• "The story behind the album and CD cover for Michael Jackson’s 1995 ‘HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I’" (The Undefeated)

More on Justin Simien

• Why the Creator of ‘Dear White People’ Is Doubling Down on Identity Politics" (NY Times)
• Dear White People on Netflix
• Interviewed on The Ringer
• Website | Twitter | Instagram

Show Tracklisting (all songs from HIStory unless indicated otherwise):

• “Money”
• “Scream”
• Janet Jackson: Got Till It’s Gone “Got Till It’s Gone”
• “This Time Around Feat. Biggie Smalls”
• “You Are Not Alone”
• “Stranger In Moscow”
• “Childhood”
• Michael Jackson: Bad “Leave Me Alone”
• “They Don’t Really Care About Us”
• “Tabloid Junkie”
• Michael Jackson: Thriller “Someone In The Dark”

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

The album: Michael Jackson: Off The Wall (1979)

Martín Perna of Antibalas wanted to revisit one of the formative albums of his childhood: Michael Jackson's Off The Wall. For many MJ fans, this is the king of pop's greatest work, a clear statement that he was now fully out of the shadow of the Jackson 5 and, along with super-producer Quincy Jones, ready to remake American pop music as we know it.

Perna not only brought his memories of growing up, mesmerized by the cover of the album, but his multi-instrumentalist also broke down some of the secrets behind the production on the album. Even for deep fans, there's something to learn, and for everyone else, you get to hear from one of the great pop albums of all time. (And if you haven't heard it before, check out this incredible demo version of "Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough")

Next week's episode is also about Michael Jackson as director Justin Simien (Dear White People) joins us to talk about MJ's HIStory (1995).

And look for a bonus beats episode to post soon that features Perna and us talking about the never-ending "Off the Wall vs. Thriller" debate.

More on Off the Wall

• A track-by-track breakdown of the album (Billboard)
• "How Michael Jackson rebranded himself for his first solo album" (The Undefeated)
• "Michael Jackson starts work on Off The Wall" (The Guardian)

More on Martín Perna

• Interview with Breakdown FM.
• "Antibalas: Unification Through Diversification (Tomorrow's Verse)
• Website | Twitter

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Off the Wall unless indicated otherwise):

• “Off The Wall”
• Antibalas: Antibalas “Dirty Money”
• The Wiz “You Can’t Win”
• “She’s Out of my Life”
• Jackson 5: ABC “ABC”
• “Get On The Floor”
• “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”
• “I Can’t Help It”
• Fela Kuti: Upside Down “Upside Down”
• “Rock With You”
• “Burn This Disco Out”
• “It’a The Falling In Love”
• “Girlfriend”

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

This week, Guy and the gang talk about their favorite first ladies and lady presidents in movies and TV. Is there a fictional first lady that ISN'T some kind of commentary on Hillary? What kind of media would we like to see about the Obamas? When will Melania spill the tea? Plus, Margaret's baby makes his first podcast appearance, Wynter discusses Chris Rock's Netflix special, Guy talks Queer Eye, and the panel has a conversation on Parkland and Emma Gonzalez' speech on gun control.

With Guy Branum, Wynter Mitchell, Karen Tongson and Margaret Wappler.

That’s My Jam:

Margaret Wappler - Tammy Wynette - Stand By Your Man
Karen Tongson and Wynter Mitchell- Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA - All the Stars
Guy Branum - Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate

Each week we’ll add everyone’s jams to our Spotify playlists.

You can let us know what you think of Pop Rocket and suggest topics in our Facebook group or via @PopRocket on Twitter.

Produced by Christian Dueñas for MaximumFun.org.

Karen Tongson takes over hosting duties this week and film critic Dave White joins the panel to discuss all things Valentine's Day. Who are our favorite TV couples? Are rom coms over? What couple do our panelists aspire to be like? Plus, Karen talks the Winter Olympics, Dave tells us about his new favorite chef, and Wynter has a few more words on Versace.

With Karen Tongson, Wynter Mitchell, and Dave White.

That's My Jam:

Karen Tongson - The Shins - Heartworms (Flipped)
Wynter Mitchell - Justin Timberlake - Filthy
Dave White - Trina - Pull Over

Each week we’ll add everyone’s jams to our Spotify playlists.

You can let us know what you think of Pop Rocket and suggest topics in our Facebook group or via @PopRocket on Twitter.

Produced by Christian Dueñas for MaximumFun.org.

This week, Guy and the gang discuss different representations of their respective careers in pop culture. How accurately is stand up comedy portrayed in Seinfeld? Are the lives of archaeology professors anywhere near as interesting as Indiana Jones'? Does ER do a good job of showing the process of having a baby? Plus, Karen talks The Alienist, Margaret gets into more podcasts, and Guy is in love with One Day at a Time.

With Guy Branum, Wynter Mitchell, Karen Tongson and Margaret Wappler.

That’s My Jam:

Margaret Wappler - First Aid Kit - America
Karen Tongson - Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride
Guy Branum - The comedy of Bob Smith

Each week we’ll add everyone’s jams to our Spotify playlists.

You can let us know what you think of Pop Rocket and suggest topics in our Facebook group or via @PopRocket on Twitter.

Produced by Christian Dueñas for MaximumFun.org.

This week, Guy and the gang discuss The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. How amazing is Penelope Cruz' performance? How "true" is this true crime story and does it matter? Plus, Guy is getting into faith-based comedy, Wynter is watching even more stand up comedy, Margaret has some thoughts on The Chi, and Karen discusses The Hollywood Reporter's feature on Ellen Pompeo.

With Guy Branum, Wynter Mitchell, Karen Tongson and Margaret Wappler.

That’s My Jam:

Margaret Wappler - The Mountain Goats - Wear Black
Karen Tongson - Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good
Wynter Mitchell - Gary Numan - M.E.
Guy Branum - Bow Wow Wow - I Want Candy

Each week we’ll add everyone’s jams to this handy Spotify playlist.

You can let us know what you think of Pop Rocket and suggest topics in our Facebook group or via @PopRocket on Twitter.

Produced by Christian Dueñas for MaximumFun.org.

This week, Guy and the gang talk about awards season and give some Oscar predictions! How will awards shows change in the #metoo era? Are we all tired of obvious Oscar bait? WHY DO THE GRAMMYS EXIST?! Plus, Karen catches up on Downton Abbey, Wynter discusses Black Mirror, Margaret loves Amazon's Rose Parade show, and Guy argues on Facebook about Call Me By Your Name.

With Guy Branum, Wynter Mitchell, Karen Tongson and Margaret Wappler.

That’s My Jam:

Margaret Wappler - Jonny Greenwood - House of Woodcock
Karen Tongson - Japanese Breakfast - Machinist
Wynter Mitchell - ABBA - Happy New Year
Guy Branum - Curtiss Maldoon - Sepheryn (Ray of Light)

Each week we’ll add everyone’s jams to this handy Spotify playlist.

You can let us know what you think of Pop Rocket and suggest topics in our Facebook group or via @PopRocket on Twitter.

Produced by Christian Dueñas for MaximumFun.org.