How much does the music in an episode matter?

[Lemon]

So, very very early on in the podcast we were thinking that Ryan O'Neals line reading in Tough Guys Don't Dance [link] would function as our theme song of sorts. That became obviously a bad idea by the second episode, but we gave the idea of theme songs a couple more chances. "Talk About The Blues" got played with a bit during the Earwolf period, and then I asked a bassist friend to try to write a riff for us to use and then had to explain to him that I didn't like it. Now that I think about it, I haven't hard from that dude in quite a while. But anyway...

Throughout it all, the editing process has included an agonizing period of trying to figure out what song is thematically appropriate to use, and whether or not you've used that Bob Mould song before. I'm just curious how that translates to the listener. Is there bands you heard for the first time inside of an F+ episode? Or do you avoid a certain episode because that REM song bothers the shit out of you?

Just curious.

[Victor Laszlo]

I asked a bassist friend to try to write a riff for us to use and then had to explain to him that I didn't like it. Now that I think about it, I haven't hard from that dude in quite a while.

But our asexual friends might pay good money to get their hands on it.

[Tophat]

I think it's a very good thing that you don't have a specific theme tune. And personally I've encountered a few songs from the podcast which have made it onto my iDevice due to me searching up the artist in question.

Camper Van Beethoven's L'Aguardiente being one that stuck in my head for days hearing it here. And actually, my avatar comes from the background of a song that I first encountered during one episode and later searched on YouTube.

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[🍆]

I wouldn't say it matters a WHOLE lot to me but it usually adds some enjoyment. Especially like the picks on the Kindle episode, X and Madness and Magnetic Fields and Lovage all in one ep is A+.

If you ever do another asexual episode, btw, I beseech you to use "Eaten By The Monster of Love" by Sparks.

[PurpleXVI]

I prefer the episode-specific tunes to having some sort of overarching theme tune. I can't say I've encountered any picks so far that made me put down an episode or annoyed me, they're pretty much always well-chosen by... whoever is the music-chooser-guy.

[fluffy]

I think the way you currently do music is great. The only reason I'd see moving to a dedicated theme song is if you start getting legal threats from the rightsholders or something, and even then there's plenty of independent music under Creative Commons licenses that you could mine instead (even if it's less familiar to, well, everyone).

[Chaz]

Is there bands you heard for the first time inside of an F+ episode?

I discovered Max Raabe through The F Plus, as the ending song to (Point To Schlong). I only discovered him a while later when I heard a cover he did of Queen's "We Will Rock You", and realised that the singing voice sounded similar to the cover of "Sex Bomb" at the end of (Point To Schlong), so I came back, looked it up and sure enough the answer was in the comments. :D

Here's his cover of Sex Bomb, as heard in Episode 7

And here's his cover of We Will Rock You!

[nilvoid]

I also like that there is no specific theme song, as I often just kind of pick an episode at random to listen to, and the music at the beginning gives a good hint of which episode it is. It can also add to the comedy of the episode at certain times, like when parts of Carry On My Wayward Son were played throughout the episode about multiples, and when I GOT PLENTY MONEY started blasting out of my speakers unexpectedly at the end of the Kickstarter episode. Also you've used songs by both NoMeansNo and The Jesus Lizard, which are two of my favorite bands.

Actually, that makes me curious. Who usually picks out the music for the episodes?Is there any one person who chooses the songs to use, or do you make a decision as a group?

[Isfahan]

Who usually picks out the music for the episodes?Is there any one person who chooses the songs to use, or do you make a decision as a group?

An episode's editor gets first crack at choices, since they're the ones who put the music in. If someone has a strong opinion on what'd be a good fit, they'll let the editor know. If the editor has no idea, they'll ask for suggestions.

[Boots Raingear]

Actually, that makes me curious. Who usually picks out the music for the episodes?Is there any one person who chooses the songs to use, or do you make a decision as a group?

What Isfahan said, usually the editor, but often with input from others. Portaxx gave me the music for the Pokegirls episode, but otherwise I take any excuse to put in NOMEANSNO/Hanson Brothers and The Jesus Lizard that I can. Also I used REM in an episode once and that seems to have bothered Lemon, which is a fun thing to know.

[Notm]

I'm going to look like a guy with horrible music taste here but:
Dance of the Dream Man
Ave Maria
Another Lonely Day
Guys and Dolls
Cold Water
Pure Imagination
You Got It
Send in the Clowns

They are all songs that I've downloaded from simply listening to them in the podcast, each of them appealing to me in their individual way. I like the music as it is given in the podcast, it can relate to the subject material whilst making it easy to listen to. You have the fun stuff as well, the Bread song, the Pee Pee song, the theme to transformers, the fan songs about Supernatural and so on.

The only song I will begrudge you for is Stuck Like Glue, seriously I want to personally slap whoever picked that song on the wrist because that stuff was stuck in my head for a week.

[fluffy]

If there's ever an episode about people who are proud to have diabetes or who want to acquire diabetes or whatever other crazy things are probably out there, might I suggest "Pancreas" by Mindless Drug Hoover?

[Locclo]

I prefer the episode-specific music. Maybe it's just because I'm so used to it by now, but I like hearing a little piece of relevant music before each episode. I can't count the number of songs that made it into my playlists because of this podcast, things like Paint it Black, White Rabbit, and (God forgive me) Miracles.

[Yossarian]

A theme song would be neat, but as long as you keep finding amusing topical songs I'll be satisfied. I have added a few artists to my list after hearing them in the podcast as well.

[Isfahan]

I dunno about a theme song. I think it would shift the feel of the podcast away from the content and more to the people reading it.

Think about the most annoying Let's Play you've seen. What'd you notice about it? The LPer made the LP more about them and less about the game. In fact, some "Let's Plays" seem to be nothing more than a person yakking on with a video game being played in the background.

(I'm leaving myself wide open here)