SINEAD GOES REGGAE! We’ve got island fever this week on "Detours and Outliers", but which island is it, Jamaica or Ireland? Where does Sinead fit on the Enya-to-Ani DiFranco spectrum? Is this a Sly and Robbie album? Where is our Britney Spears/Burning Spear mashup? Can you do a religious album without a religion? Does this album foreshadow Sinead's…

DANZIG GOES CLASSICAL! Don White (Ice Troll, Never Kenezzard) rejoins us as we discuss Glenn Danzig’s instrumental album. What kind of dungeons do they use in "dungeon synth"? Who is the most litigious Misfit? What do Tom Cruise and Glen Danzig have in common? And which of them should play X-Men's Wolverine? Did Beavis and Butt-head resurrect Danzi…

DREAD ZEPPELIN DOES DISCO! One of the most original cover bands tried to shake up their schtick, and were roundly rejected for it. If you're only known for three things, how do you get rid of two? Why did the nineties hate the seventies? Did disco eventually win? Are the Bee Gees only a disco band? Was BTO ever a disco band? What Led Zep song are t…

STEVE SINGS THE STANDARDS! No longer will the rest of The Steve Miller Band be holding Steve Miller back on his first and only solo album, an album of jazz and blues covers. Where do jazz and blues meet? Does anyone remember the UPN show "Shasta McNasty"? What songs have you heard the most in your life? Did Steve pass his test? Did he play it too s…

THE BEACH BOYS WITHOUT BRIAN WILSON! Continuing with the "August Of Summer" we're looking at another under-performing Beach Boys album. Is this what you would expect the Beach Boys to sound like if you only knew them from "Kokomo"? How could an album with so much cross-promotion on television fail so spectacularly? Who writes the songs that make th…

BRIAN WILSON WITHOUT THE BEACH BOYS! It’s the "August Of Summer" here on Detours and Outliers and we are celebrating by a whole month of episodes about the quintessential band of summer, the Beach Boys. Did Brian Wilson predict the sound of the 1980s? Would you rather hear a middle aged man sing about teenage romance or about a late-night talk show…

KEITH MOON GOES SOLO! Kasey Elkington from Cattle Axe rejoins us to discuss Keith Moon's one and only solo album. The question here isn't The Who, but the why. Why did Keith make a solo album? Why can't you hear Keith on his own album? Why did the record company give him so much money? Why doesn't Keith play drums more on this? Why does Miguel Ferr…

DEE DEE RAMONE RAPS! This album is much shorter, but is it any better? Can Dee Dee rap? Can Dee Dee rap better than he sings? Can Debbie Harry rap better than Dee Dee? Is there a dress code in The Ramones? Do you need to know the name of the band you are joining? Who is playing on this record and why aren't they credited? How much hip-hop has Dee D…

LOU REED AND METALLICA – TOGETHER AT LAST! This week we look at "Lulu" an album that is the result of the lyrical genius behind "Metal Machine Music" collaborating with the band that brought us St. Anger. What did people expect this team-up to sound like? Does Metallica have a bass player? Is this harder to listen to than a double-album of guitar f…

VAN HALEN WITHOUT HAGAR OR DAVE! It's been a year, but we're back for the third time 'round. And speaking of the third time around, Van Halen tries to try out their third lead singer in this bloated '90s misstep. How much of this is Gary Cherone's fault? Why is the guy behind the "Law and Order" theme producing this? Who woul'’ve been a better fit …

VOIVOD GOES PSYCH-PROG! Third time's a charm with returning guest Mhyk Monroe (Grief Ritual, FATHERS). This week we dive into Voivod's confusing fifth album. Just how subtle are the distinctions between various subgenres of metal? How is a song about a pirate ship somehow less silly than previous albums' lyrics? Why are Men Without Hats involved in…

KID CUDI TRIES TO ROCK! We crossover with the Brian from the Boothin' podcast as Kid Cudi tries to crossover into the rock world. When does a Kid Cudi get old enough to be an Adult Cudi? Who is the Phil Collins of hip-hop? Why is Travis Barker on every album? Does Kid Cudi have the same guitar pedal as Moby? When is it okay to release a bonus disc …

X TRIES TO GET COMMERCIAL! Michael and Jenny from Shiny Around the Edges join us to discuss X’s frustrating attempt to cash in. How obscure can an artist be and still have documentaries made about them? Is X the best or the worst name for a band? What did Ray Manzarek bring to the table? Did X just put out an album that none of us listened to? Is n…

LIL WAYNE TRIES TO ROCK! This week we are joined by fellow podcaster and Canadian DJ Bryson Worden (The BLOCK with Bryson Worden) to discuss Lil Wayne's attempt to be a dope boy with a guitar. Who is Wayne trying to impress? Was anyone rocking in 2010? Why do people remember the rap-rock of Limp Bizkit more than Ice-T's Body Count? Is Canadian Wiki…

CHRIS CORNELL GOES POP! Production designer, fabricator, and saxophonist Aaron Schilling joins us to discuss Chris Cornell's attempt to remain relevant in a post-grunge world. Is this the worst album we've covered? Who wrote these songs? Who claims to have written these songs? Who is credited with writing these songs? Why is Chris smashing a guitar…

THE BOSS GOES ACOUSTIC! We are joined this week by illustrator Karl Christian Kumpholz (30 Miles of Crazy!) since he’s far more familiar with Bruce than we are. Why did he release an album of demos? Why is this only Springsteen album that the cool kids can claim to like? What exactly would the E Street Band have done to these songs? Is Bruce really…

VILLAGE PEOPLE DON’T DO DISCO! Comedian and artist Katie Bowman joins us to discuss the Village People’s attempt to survive the death of Disco. Was cocaine a thing in the 80s? Did anyone notice that the lead singer was replaced? Are the Village People a boy band or macho men? Why are three of the eight songs on this album about food? Did the Villag…

MOBY TRIES TO ROCK! We’re starting beef with a vegan. And to help us out we’ve got Alf (KTCL 93.3) on hand to discuss Moby abandoning electronica just as it was about to break through to the mainstream. Is that a drum machine or is Moby a drummer? Does this sound like a demo? Who was supposed to write lyrics and sing these songs? Does Moby have a s…

JONI SINGS THE STANDARDS! Aleeya Wilson (Death In Space) joins us virtually to discuss Joni's orchestral and big band covers album of "The Great American Songbook". Was the title an attempt to trick casual fans, or a concession to the record company (who wanted to trick casual fans)? How many sides does love have? How many musicians does it take to…

NEIL YOUNG DOES DOO-WOP! We have no guest this week, so we’re reverting to our earliest days with the cross between episode 1 (Frank Zappa's "Cruisin’ With Ruben and The Jets") and episode 3 (Neil Young's "Trans"). How did this record affect R.E.M.? Why didn't this record affect Pearl Jam? Was this record even finished? What was Neil going for? Whe…

SLAYER COVERS PUNK SONGS! Podcaster, director, artist, and musician, Andrew Novick, leads us through one of stranger moments in metal history. Is this album too Slayer-y or not Slayer-y enough? How does it compare to "Garage Days Re-Revisited"? Does it really count as a cover if you’re doing your own song? Who chose these bands? Why didn’t we get a…

ELTON JOHN DOES DISCO! Events coordinator and sci-fi rock-opera composer, Dana Cain, goes back to her younger fangirl self as we dig into the mysteries of this peculiar album? Could Elton have spent any less effort getting out of his UNI record contract? Does the world need an eight minute Chuck Berry cover? Does this album even rate a single menti…

SNOOP DOGG DOES REGGAE! Guitarist and vocalist, Jen Korte (Lady Gang, Sega Nemesis) joins us in the hizzouse to discuss Snoop’s musical and religious transformation. Is Snoop still a Rastafarian? Why would you hire Diplo to produce your reggae album? Other than each recording a reggae album, do Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg have anything else in com…

PINK FLOYD LETS EVERYBODY WRITE! Bass-centric tribute artist Rick Thompson grooves with us in a cave while we discuss this transitional album. How do you pronounce "Ummagumma"? Which member of Pink Floyd looks like a horse? Is the Grand Vizier a Pict? How did Nick Mason sneak his flautist wife in on what was supposed to be a totally solo outing? Wh…

GARTH BROOKS GOES ROCK! Friend of the pod, Bonnie Finley, joins us for that one album we knew we were going to have to do eventually. Is this more like Jim Carrey playing Andy Kaufman, or Andy Kaufman playing Tony Clifton? Is this what people in Nashville think rock sounds like? What lessons did a young Garth Brooks learn from Kiss? Which Indiana J…

THE MELVINS GET EVEN WEIRDER! We start season two with bassist Don White (Ice Troll) to dig into what Wikipedia claims is The Mevlins’ most experimental album. Were they releasing steam that they had built up having to kowtow to their overlords at Atlantic Records? Why don’t the Melvins want you to understand what they are saying? Who was a worse a…

PAT BOONE GOES METAL! For the final week of "The Merry Month of Metal" as well as the last episode of season one, we invited fellow podcaster Rick Reid to discuss this mid-90's mashup of white bread and black metal. Is this album a one? Is Pat in on the joke? Does his usual fanbase know he's joking? Is he just trying to do for Judas Priest what he …

AXL FIRES EVERYBODY! Guitarist Sara LeFevre (Vampire Squids From Hell) helps us go through one of the most storied and expensive albums ever. How many fads and trends that came and went during the fifteen years it took to record this end up on the finished album? Are the leaks better than the finished product? What happened to Brian May’s guitar so…

JUDAS PRIEST GOES FULL METAL! What? You thought Priest was always metal? Well, you have another think coming. For the first week of “The Merry Month Of Metal” we have returning guest Mhyk Monroe to guide us through the subtle distinctions between speed metal and hair metal and black metal. How could a new drummer make such a big difference on the a…

THE MONKEES PLAY THEIR OWN INSTRUMENTS! So we brought in someone else who can play their own instrument: thereminist Victoria Lundy. How did this get the reputation as the grunge Monkees album? If you were only going to write one song for a new Monkees album, why would it be about Admiral James M. Boorda? Is it better to get over your second divorc…

THE REID BROTHERS GO ACOUSTIC! Jonathan Snyder from The Lollygags joins us to discuss the TJAMC’s fifth album. Does every acoustic guitar in the nineties mean you’re auditioning for MTV’s “Unplugged”? Is it more complicated to be in a band with your sibling or your ex? Should you write your songs when you’re feeling sad and then wait till you’re fe…

JACK BRUCE GOES INSTRUMENTAL! No, it’s not “All Instrumental April” again already, but we’ve got bassist Zeke Kyoku (Ghost Tapes, Contraband) to help guide us jazz-novices through the Cream bassist’s foray into free jazz. Is this our first “Jazz Odyssey”? Who’s feeding those dogs on the cover? What kep Jack Bruce from having as commercially success…

JOE STRUMMER FIRES EVERYBODY! We managed to squeeze the entire Television Generation into our tiny studio to discuss both the last and least Clash album? What qualifies Bernie Rhodes to produce and co-write all the songs on this, other than the fact that he’s their manager? What would Art Garfunkel do if Paul Simon were the bass player for the Clas…

BONO GOES CRAZY, BROADWAY-STYLE! What do you get when you cross the subcultures of theatre geek, comic book nerd, and U2 fandom? Author Kate McIntosh helps us untangle the web of one of Broadway's most notorious flops. Did Julie Tamor know anything about Spider-Man other than the 2002 Sam Raimi film? Why wasn't this just a Cirque du Soleil producti…

PRIMUS COVERS A MOVIE SOUNDTRACK! Rick Thompson of the Primus tribute band Mr. Knowitall helps us answer all the pertinent questions surrounding this cover album. When is it appropriate to scare small children? How many collectible candy bars have been consumed during cannabis-inspired munchies? Is it possible to make that trippy boat ride sequence…

DYLAN ALIENATES EVERYONE! Dewey Paul Moffitt, curator of the International Bob Dylan Tribute Festival, joins us to discuss the first major misfire from a career full of surprising reinventions. Why did Bob pick these songs? Why did he put them in this order? Were they put in any sort of order? Would this album be less effective if the songs were pu…

THE TALKING HEADS WITHOUT DAVID BYRNE! We don’t have a guest this week, but The Heads sure do. How big of a suit did David Byrne bring against his former bandmates? Why couldn’t Jerry Harrison just join the Tom Tom Club? Is this The Asylum mockbuster version of The Talking Heads? Who exactly is Malin Anneteg? Why doesn’t Tina Weymouth just take ove…

OMD GETS EXPERIMENTAL! Local music historian, Tom Murphy, joins us to discuss the album that nearly killed OMD’s career. How can you lose 90% of your audience with one album? What is the strategic disadvantage of painting your battleships in bright garish colors? Did Andy McCluskey really think the key to commercial success was to get even weirder?…

JEFF BECK GETS POLITICAL! We’re without a guest this week as we dive into Jeff beck’s latest album? Can an instrumental be political? Why does Jeff get to call this a solo album? How many bands are named Bones? Which songs would fit in at a coffeehouse open-mic night? Will the electric guitar ever be cool again? Are old guys trying to do dubstep br…

SINATRA SAILS A SPACESHIP ACROSS THE SOLAR SYSTEM! Seriously. In the late seventies, Frank plotted a pompous triple album that would rival any prog-rock’s most pretentious sci-fi rock opera. Surf guitarist Mol Mollusk (Vampire Squids From Hell) drops by the studio to truly dig into what sounds like a dying man’s deathbed confession transformed into…

FLEETWOOD REPLACES STEVIE AND LINDSEY! Heather and Kelly from Ground Above Zero to discuss Mac’s mid-90’s misfire “Time.” If they wanted to record a country album, why didn’t they? Does sleeping in Mick Fleetwood’s bungalow automatically make you a member of the band? Who let Lindsey into the studio without a guitar? Does naming a band after your f…

THE WHO LETS EVERYBODY WRITE! We’re back to talking about songs with words and this week we’ve brought along Kasy Elkington (Cattle Axe, New Ancient Astronauts) to talk about his least favorite album by his most favorite band, The Who. Who’s idea was it to force Roger and Keith to write songs when they didn’t want to and didn’t need to? How many ro…

ANDREW W.K. GOES INSTRUMENTAL! “All Instrumental April” concludes with special guest host Rachel Caudill (jewelry designer, Resistance Is Tactile). Who is Andrew W.K.? Is Andrew W.K. real? What is real? What is the existential nature of partying? Why would a self-proclaimed Party God put out an album of spontaneous solo piano improvisations? How ma…

PRINCE GOES INSTRUMENTAL! It’s week four of “All Instrumental April” and we invite local Prince expert Kelly Prestridge (The Gones, Ground Above Zero) to help us discuss Prince’s worst selling album. Why didn’t Prince just call this “SEWN”? At what point does smooth jazz become softcore porn music? How much of this was pre-written, how much was edi…

LOU REED GOES INSTRUMENTAL! The third week of “All Instrumental April” we invite Mhyk Monroe (Grief Ritual, FATHERS) to join us in discussing what may just be a double album of Lou Reed’s guitar feeding back. Is this music? If it is, is it metal? If it’s not, is it a machine? How much time and effort would you put into trolling your record company?…

THE BEASTIE BOYS GO INSTRUMENTAL! “All Instrumental April” continues with Darren Capulong (bassist, Vampire Squids From Hell) discussing this French fanclub compilation from The Beastie Boys. If the music video for “Sabotage” was a real 1970s cop show, would this be the soundtrack? Is there some sort of prejudice against those who play their own in…

NEZ GOES INSTRUMENTAL! We kick off “All Instrumental April” with special guest Rebecca Davila discussing the wooly-hatted Monkee’s solo debut. Was this intended to be a rebuke to all those hipsters sneering at the Monkees for not playing their instruments? Or simply a gigantic tax write-off? How drunk do you have to get the Wrecking Crew before the…

P!NK GOES ACOUSTIC! Our web-designer, Rachel Livingston, bring this much-more-modern-than-usual album to our attention. What color do you get when you mix pink and green? How do you cross-promote an album when no one is using their real name and everybody keeping changing their pseudonyms? Does P!nk have a volume knob on her vocal chords? Is it “Al…

BEEFHEART TRIES TO GET COMMERCIAL! And fails. Songwriter Austin Aeschliman (Smashy Claw, Ash Lemon & His Sour Grapes, Needlejuice Records) guides through the strange Captain's strangest record… because he’s trying to be normal. How much less crap and band members willing to put up with when you’re not paying them? Has any outsider artist ever reall…

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND BECOME PEDESTRIAN! How could this happen? Thereminist Victoria Lundy (victorialundymusic.com) joins the panel to ask the pertinent questions: Who is Doug Yule, and why does he get to be the entire Velvet Underground by himself? Would a bad drummer had made this a better record? Can a whole album be nothing but filler? Would a…