Music Raygun

This one's called "Your Grandmother Should Know" because each clip features music from either the 1930s or the 1940s. That era of music history is definitely neither Paul's nor Kirk's area of expertise, but after they do some digging into the past, the episode turns out to be a lot of fun. To see the videos featured in this episode, visit musicraygun.com/playlists.

Kirk promotes a new music comedy show, not because he's involved in it (he's not) and not because it's sponsoring the show (it's not), but just because it's so good. Paul follows up on a Roger Miller tune that turned up on a previous miniepisode. On "Don't @ Me," Paul talks about band T-shirts on babies, and Kirk has an opinion about a Sophie B. Hawkins song. After that, it's the return of "Prince Tweets 2 U." And, finally, Paul tries to turn his previous music trivia win into a music trivia winning streak. All that and more in less than 20 minutes. Vicky, is the water warm enough?

Thirty-three years ago, two young men named Jeff Krulik and John Heyn drove to the parking lot outside the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, to interview a crowd of teen and 20-something tailgaters about to see a Judas Priest concert. The 17-minute film they came away with became a legendary rock-and-roll document. We're talking about "Heavy Metal Parking Lot." Hell yeah. We're ready to rock. To see the videos featured in this episode, visit musicraygun.com/playlists.

Kirk corrects a few of his recent gaffes; patron saint of "Music Raygun" Uncle Marc checks in with thoughts about guitars; "Don't @ Me" addresses whose the boy actually was between Brandy and Monica, and what happens when Joe Strummer raps; and the trivia quiz that counts is back in effect as Kirk tries to extend his two-game winning streak.

Let's tie a bow on "Music Raygun" season five. It's been six months already, which means we're closing out another season by looking back on the season's episode themes to take one more bite of those apples. It's a B-sides episode, sweet pals. This one features bonus clips from "Teen Angst," "Girl Groups," "Philadelphia," "Piano," "Todd Rundgren," "Smooth Jazz," "Def Jam Recordings," "San Francisco," "Duets and Collaborations" and "Guitar." Crunch. Chew. Yum! To see the videos featured in this episode, visit musicraygun.com/playlists.

Kirk is on assignment, but Katie Willert is on hand to talk about Motown recording artist Gene Van Buren and Vice's recent "Guide to Getting into Roxy Music." There's also an expo mission of our music trivia quiz.

A few episodes of "Music Raygun" have had musical instruments as their themes, namely saxophone, bass and piano. Well, there are only a few instruments left to cover as long as we're talking about your basic rock band, so here's one about the bedrock of the genre: the guitar. We're talking about Link Wray, George Benson, J. Mascis, Wendy Melvoin, Kevin Shields, Robert Quine and plenty more. To see the videos featured in this episode, visit musicraygun.com/playlists.

Uncle Marc writes in, hot takes about Marvin Gaye and a bad product's good jingle, and Kirk tries to build a streak in the music trivia quiz. All that plus a new segment: "Prince Tweets 2 U."

Isabel Nelson is back for another dance episode and we've got ballet comedy, a dancing teenage Kelly Ripa, Fred Astaire and Barrie Chase doing "word jazz," Spain by way of Bollywood, more clips from the movie "Fast Forward," basketball a la Lawrence Welk, classic "SYTYCD," a Japanese hip-hop dance squad, Toni Basil and the Lockers, and Beyonce and the Bugaboos. Is that enough for you?? To see the videos featured in this episode, visit musicraygun.com/playlists.

Kirk knows what Robert Smith was really about, special guest isabel Nelson grades Phil Collins' helpfulness, Paul defends history's most dunked-on rapper. Then "Trading Card Corner" is back with NKOTB facts. And the music trivia quiz will have you on the edge of your seat even though it's only an expo mission.

Just like "Music Raygun" is a collaboration between Paul and Kirk, all the video clips on this episode feature musicians singing or otherwise working together. These duets span the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s. One of them has Michael Jackson, and no, it's not a duet with one of his siblings or Paul McCartney. To see the videos featured in this episode, visit musicraygun.com/playlists.

Paul talks about seeing the Elton John biopic "Rocketman" with fellow "Walk Hard" fan Katie Willert. Hot takes about the songs "Yesterday" and "What's Up?" fly. Paul corrects a terrible mistake he made when discussing Vampire Weekend in a past miniepisode. And the music trivia quiz is turning into a real slugfest.

The music of San Francisco is a lot more than the fabled San Francisco sound. The city's given the world its share of punk, new wave, light rock, disco, power pop and R&B. Grace Slick and her band show up here too, but without the psychedelia. To see the videos featured in this episode, visit musicraygun.com/playlists.

Kirk returns to his minepisode chair to weigh in on Paul's music selections in the previous miniepisode. Kirk stans lo-fi hip-hop beats. Also, there's a new "Don't @ Me," and one of these jabronis tries to get a streak going in the music trivia quiz. CHILLHOP/LO-FI HIP-HOP ChilledCow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHW1oY26kxQ ChillhopMusic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bebuiaSKtU4

Every 10th episode of "Music Raygun" is a "grab bag" with no specific topic discussed. But for this grab bag episode, there's a theme: summer. What does that mean? Songs about summer, songs Kirk and Paul remember from particular summers, or just songs that "feel" like summer to them. So celebrate summertime with two people who don't particularly even like summer, but love summer music. It's the summer grab bag. To see the videos featured in this episode, visit musicraygun.com/playlists.

Paul's solo on this miniepisode because he was sick this week and couldn't record with Kirk when they normally would've. In an all-new, one-time-only format, Paul presents some of his favorite records released over the past few months. Check out new music from up-and-coming bands Hi, Gene!, Corner Boys, Roid Rage, Necking, and the Dead Ringers. Hi, Gene!: https://higene.bandcamp.com Corner Boys: https://cornerboys.bandcamp.com Roid Rage: https://roidrageband.bandcamp.com Necking: https://neckingband.bandcamp.com The Dead Ringers: https://thedeadringersmd.bandcamp.com Paul's frequently updated "Best New Music" playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/prc401/playlist/1e8PD6itXw4m9rKm2y1fRP?si=hjF_p1H5Tr23_UxeyG7nAA

Nearly 60 episodes deep into this podcast but we've never before focused an episode on an iconic record label. Better late than never as the first label we chose for an episode topic is the iconic Def Jam Recordings. In addition to the holy trinity of the labels early years—Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys—this one's got Oran "Juice" Jones, Slayer and the Bangles. Plus lots more. To see the videos we watch in this episode, visit musicraygun.com/playlists.

Paul and Kirk discuss their field trip to the Annenberg Space for Photography to see the exhibit "Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop." Also, Uncle Marc checks in about smooth jazz. Under discussion: Paula Abdul's performance at the Billboard Music Awards, and is Vampire Weekend something Kirk would like in a million years? Finally, Paul tries to defend his three-win streak in the music trivia quiz.

We're celebrating Kirk's birthday as he picks the clips for this entire show. It's the long-promised "Music Raygun" smooth jazz episode. All the greats of smooth jazz are here, like Grover Washington, David Sanborn, Bob James and even Sting for some reason that makes sense in Kirk's brain. In fact, this whole episode is like taking a long look inside Kirk's brain. Don't fasten your seat belts; it's going to be a smooth night. To see the videos we watch in this episode, visit musicraygun.com/playlists.

The show's fifth Beatle, Katie Willert, returns to "Music Raygun" to help celebrate Kirk's birthday, which this miniepisode does by bringing back the "Trading Card Corner" segment. Plus the usual hot takes and trivia. Also, Bazooka Joe comics.