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The Radio Star Murders

The Pensky File

In the 1980’s, a crime wave rocked the music world. A new kind of technology enabled the systematic murder of hundreds of musicians, artist’s whose only crime was having a face for radio. In this podcast, internet sleuths Wes and Clay review hundreds of case files in an effort to solve a mystery that has endured for decades: did video kill the radio star? Listen as the duo analyze music videos, looking for any kind of evidence to finally crack the case.

17 - blink-182 – All the Small Things

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17 - blink-182 – All the Small Things

Our journey through 1999 continues with pop punk sensation blink-182 and their smash hit, "All the Small Things". It's two minutes of romantic pop-punk sensibilities filled with bombastic drum fills and nasally declarations of love. And the video is supremely 1999, even if that means that you won't get half of the references.

https://youtu.be/9Ht5RZpzPqw

Join Wes and Clay as they talk about a band that neither finds particularly enjoyable and a video that both find to be obnoxiously unfunny and boring. Punk rock has a reputation for subverting cultural values and mocking those in power, and blink-182 adds to that perception by... imitating pop stars from 1999 by dressing up like them and dancing in an airplane hangar?

The guys also discuss the importance of having a good drummer, meeting rocks stars as a youth, and why "Damnit" is the best blink-182 song!

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 - 29min
16 - Eminem – My Name Is

Our coverage of 1999 continues with the song that The Ringer ranked 22nd on its list of the biggest singles from 1999: Eminem's "My Name Is". It was our introduction to the Slim Shady persona, platinum blond hair, and endless controversies of a young man named Marshall Mathers aka Eminem.

https://youtu.be/sNPnbI1arSE
Hi kids, do you like Primus/violence?

Eminem would later call the song "cheesy", but as an example of what the young star sounded like during his early years it works as an excellent introduction. It's full of cultural references, nods to a difficult childhood, insults, and non-sequitur stories. It's also interesting to look back at what we thought about Eminem when he first appeared on the scene, as opposed to the rap icon who has been lingering in our cultural consciousness for over two decades.

Wes and Clay discuss all of this, and they also discuss the first video the podcast has covered where censorship has completely changed meaning and interpretation of the song!
Wed, 31 Jul 2019 - 34min
15 - Santana Ft. Rob Thomas – Smooth

In today's episode, Wes and Clay discuss Santana and Rob Thomas' 1999 smash hit, "Smooth"! It's one of the most successful songs of all-time, it brought Santana back into the cultural consciousness, and it allowed Rob Thomas to brag about having a smoking hot Latina for a girlfriend!

https://youtu.be/6Whgn_iE5uc

The guys discuss yet another video from 1999 and try to figure out who exactly is responsible for the color and exposure that's ruining so many of them. They also break down the story behind the song and try to figure out who should actually be tagged as "featured". Plus, they talk about the cinematic history of apartment building fans, magical incense, and what it takes to write a Latin-flavored song when you're a white guy who looks like Rob Thomas.

The oral history of "Smooth"

Funny or Die sketch

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 - 27min
14 - Britney Spears – … Baby One More Time

Is a desperate plea to keep a lover from slipping away? Or is it the cry of a woman who needs some domestic violence to make herself feel alive? Whatever the case may be, it's a catchy little diddy from 1999 that sparked the career of a pop star who burned too brightly in the early 2000s.

It's Britney Spears and the song is "... Baby One More Time".

https://youtu.be/C-u5WLJ9Yk4
Oh baby, baby...

Our coverage of 1999 continues as we dive into the pop star renaissance that brought us acts like Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera, and many others. How manufactured was it? What happened to alternative rock? What was the deal with sexualizing high schoolers?

Wes and Clay discuss this and much more in this episode of the show. Enjoy!

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 - 27min
13 - Smash Mouth – All Star

SUM BUDDY once told me...

To kick off their celebration of the musical styling of 1999, Wes and Clay do a deep dive into "All Star" which entered the public consciousness and has never really found its way out. It was a huge hit for Smash Mouth and was included in numerous film soundtracks, cementing itself into the history books. But is the song good?

https://youtu.be/L_jWHffIx5E
Hey now, you're an all-star!

And more to the point, is the video any good? To both Wes and Clay's surprise, it focuses heavily on the Ben Stiller comedy Mystery Men (with a Doug Jones cameo!) but it otherwise follows a lot of what would become tropes of the era: oversaturated colors, bowling shirts, and hair gel. But the bright, cheery subject matter has kept this song in heavy rotation.

Wes and Clay discuss the forgotten clothing of the late '90s, metal bands finding their footing with inoffensive Top 40 pop, and how to properly frost your tips!
Wed, 26 Jun 2019 - 33min
12 - Ray Parker Jr – Ghostbusters

I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts! It's the mantra of the 80s, and it's the brain child of Ray Parker Jr. The theme song to Ghostbusters is arguably as important as the film (who doesn't know how to answer "Who you gonna call?) and it's an earworm that you're never able to forget.

The music video features a stilted performance from Ray Parker Jr, a lot of neon, and cameos from almost every Hollywood celebrity alive in 1984.

Listen as Wes and Clay dissect the music video!

Wed, 15 May 2019
11 - Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On

Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" was a massive hit that helped to propel James Cameron's Titanic to the top of the box office charts. A simple love song that mimics Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" in both cadence and structure, Dion's mega-hit features vague lyrics, soaring vocals, and a half-assed music video.

The video itself is mostly clips from the film, with Celine Dion posing against some poorly lit backdrops. Clay and Wes discuss this relic of the '90s and try to determine if it still holds up today, the influence of Titanic, and the Disney-esque nature of Dion's vocal performance.

Also discussed: how to listen to an entire Dion album, songs triggering your memory, and low effort content!

Wed, 08 May 2019 - 20min
10 - AC/DC – Big Gun

As we continue with our movie-themed music video coverage, we're moving into the mid 90s and the height of Arnold Schwarzenegger! "Big Gun" is an AC/DC song that was written for Last Action Hero - it has not appeared on any of their studio albums.

The brawny riffs of one of the greatest rock n' roll bands of all time collides with the brawn of the former Mr. Universe and the resulting explosion creates an absolutely terrific music video. Arnold stomps around on stage with AC/DC, and we're reminded that he's one of the most influential and important actors of all time.

Wes and Clay discuss thematically appropriate music videos, the highs and lows of an AC/DC song, and ranking Arnold as an actor!

Wed, 01 May 2019 - 22min
9 - Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise

West Coast hip-hop had a strong showing in the mid '90s, and one of the most iconic songs to come from the era was "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio. It was the theme song for the Michelle Pfeiffer-led Dangerous Minds film, and it won a handful of Grammys and has become a staple of pop culture. Featuring a dystopian view of life as a black man in LA, the song samples Stevie Wonder and thus has no cursing (as Wonder would not allow it)!

Clay and Wes analyze the video for the mega-hit song and try to determine if both the song and the video hold up.

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 - 29min
8 - Cyndi Lauper – The Goonies ‘r’ Good Enough

Cyndi Lauper is an iconic pop star of the '80s who penned a number of huge hits, including "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "Time After Time". Unfortunately, she also performed "The Goonies 'r' Good Enough".

It's a song based in the film The Goonies, except it has nothing to do with that film (except for the name). The video features WWF wrestlers, secret tunnels, and pirate adventures! It's a little bit of everything, and it backs up a pretty lackluster track.

Wes and Clay kick off a month where the videos are going to be themed as film tie-ins. The videos for the next few weeks will all feature a film as a prominent part of the experience. This week they discuss boyfriend managers, the last track of an album, and The Goonies (the film).

Wed, 03 Apr 2019 - 23min
7 - Blues Traveler – Run-Around

Blues Traveler made a big splash in the mid-90s with their bluesy, folk-rock harmonica driven sound (and larger than life front man, John Popper). They had a string of hits that started with "Run-Around", a whimsical and upbeat pop song that features ferocious harp playing and borderline nonsensical lyrics. The video is a play on The Wizard of Oz, complete with "Dorthy" and her companions trying to get into a nightclub to see the "band behind the curtain".

Clay and Wes discuss the skill involved with harmonica playing, the problem with jam bands, and running out of lyrics before your song is over!

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 - 29min
6 - Tears for Fears – Shout

One of the finest albums of the 1980s (in the opinion of Wes), Songs from the Big Chair spawned a number of hits, including the iconic "Shout". Tears for Fears is an almost perfect amalgam of the decade: big hair, big teeth, big clothes, and great songwriting. It's frequently considered to be an "emo" song, but in reality, it's a semi-political call to action complete with a fist-pumping chorus.

Wes and Clay discuss the music video and whether or not it helps the song get its point across. They discuss songwriting from the '80s, having a face for radio, and forgetting that bands play instruments!

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 - 20min
5 - Queensryche – Queen of the Reich

If you've got a pretty generic band with a pretty generic song, the only solution might be to spend $35 and shoot yourself one helluva music video.

Queensryche is a modestly influential metal band from the 1980s, but what they lacked in musical panache they more than made up for with their music video for "Queen of the Reich".

Clay and Wes discuss changing one metal band out for another, why singers always carry the narrative load in music videos, and not having enough coverage from shooting!

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 - 24min
4 - The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up

Change my pitch up, smack my bitch up. That's the entirety of lyrics for this song, so you know that the video is going to have to do some heavy lifting.

The Prodigy are the 90s electronic band that Wes remembers the most, and he remembers this video being "too disturbing" for MTV to air it any earlier than midnight. It's an adrenaline and cocaine-fueled romp that ends with a twist ending that young Wes never saw coming.

The guys discuss the impact of '90s electronic music, the worst people alive, and how getting older changes how one might feel about this video.

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 - 16min
3 - Meat Loaf – I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)

This week, Wes and Clay discuss the musical stylings of the inimitable Meat Loaf!

Meat Loaf became famous due to his Bat Out of Hell trilogy, and his biggest hit during that stretch of albums was the Grammy-winning I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That).

It's a Michael Bay directed masterpiece: a questionable homage to Beauty and the Beast, complete with fast paced cuts, helicopter chases, motorcycles driving through stone walls, and Meat Loaf smashing a mirror!

Wes and Clay discuss the problems with listening to Meat Loaf, the problem with looking like Meat Loaf, and the narrative logistics of the video.

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 - 21min
2 - Imagine Dragons – Thunder

In the premiere episode of The Radio Star Murders, Wes and Clay go for something to get the kids interested: the bombastic overconfidence of "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons.

Imagine Dragons has dominated the charts over the past few years, and at the same time have come under heavy criticism for their production values and advertiser friendly sound. "Thunder" is a tune that embodies a lot of what people love and hate about the band: slick production values and lyrics that focus on overcoming adversity.

The music video (or "film", rather) is a black and white sequence that uses a combination of shadow boxing and heavy handed symbolism to make its point. But does it elevate the song?

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 - 22min
1 - The Radio Star Murders – Introduction

In the 1980s, a crime wave rocked the music world. A new kind of technology enabled the systematic murder of hundreds of musicians, artist’s whose only crime was having a face for radio. In this podcast, internet sleuths Wes and Clay review hundreds of case files in an effort to solve a mystery that has endured for decades: did video kill the radio star? Listen as the duo analyze music videos, looking for any kind of evidence to finally crack the case. Did video kill the radio star, or was it a setup?

This episode is a short introduction to the concept, and an introduction of the hosts. We will be back in a few days with our first video: "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons!

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 - 3min

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The Radio Star Murders

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