Tag Archives: music

The Toy Department – Episode 176

  By toyAdmin | July 31, 2019 - 11:17 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 176, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky have a quick chat about Madden’s concert-going exploits before delving into:

  • The premiere of the final season of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black (2:10), which Madden enjoyed more than Kolsky but also maybe Kolsky just needs to stick with it a little longer…
  • Amazon’s new Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg production The Boys (10:15) and how it is different than any superhero show you’ve seen and pretty damn good…
  • The Showtime documentary Shangri-LA (16:20) and its fascinating subject Rick Rubin…
  • Chance the Rapper’s new album The Big Day (31:45) and how it is long but really quite good throughout…
  • Homework for next week (40:50), including: the premiere of Bachelor in Paradise (for real this time), the return of Dear White People on Netflix, the new season of HBO’s Hard Knocks (featuring the Oakland Raiders), a new HBO show – A Black Lady Sketch Show (from Issa Rae), Whitney Cummings’ new comedy special on Netflix and the new Tarantino film Once Upon A Time in Hollywood…

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The Toy Department – Episode 175

  By toyAdmin | July 24, 2019 - 4:08 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 175, Derek Madden finds Matt Kolsky STILL on paternity leave and STILL without a high quality microphone to record into, but nevertheless they persist with:

  • The conclusion of the second season of Big Little Lies (1:55), and whether the HBO drama had enough to justify coming back…
  • HBO’s teen drama Euphoria (14:15) and how it’s a unique and impressive work of prestige television…
  • Toy Department hits the movies, as Madden saw Stuber (25:05) and Kolsky saw the new Lion King (27:50)…
  • Hulu’s surprise early drop of the fourth season of Veronica Mars (36:15), and how it takes us right back to that Veronica Mars place in our hearts…
  • The new album Help Us Stranger by the Raconteurs (39:45) and how the influence of Brendan Benson tames the genius of Jack White in an appealing way…
  • Homework for next week (48:40), including: the premiere of Bachelor in Paradise, the return of Orange is the New Black on Netflix, and the new Amazon show The Boys (from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg)…

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The Toy Department – Episode 157

  By toyAdmin | March 6, 2019 - 10:56 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 157, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky tempt fate with the prediction of a short show (spoiler alert — it actually came true!!) before breaking down:

  • The return of FX’s Better Things (1:25), a pod favorite, and how its brilliance appears intact after the departure of co-creator Louis C.K…
  • The Netflix film Paddleton (8:45), how it manages to be enjoyable and distinctly Duplass-y despite a persistent sadness and what it says about the movie industry’s changing status quo…
  • The HBO film O.G. (25:05), featuring a typically tour de force performance performance from Jeffrey Wright in a clinical look at incarceration…
  • Gary Clark, Jr.’s new album This Land (34:10) and how its eclectic mix of blues-tinged genre-jumping makes for a really good album that may not do much for his popularity…
  • Homework for next week (45:10), including: The Case Against Adnan Syed on HBO, Losers and Workin’ Moms on Netflix and check-ins on HBO’s The Shop and FX’s You’re the Worst…

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The Toy Department – Episode 145

  By toyAdmin | December 5, 2018 - 11:28 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 145, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky deliver the usual senseless patter before focusing in on:

  • Creed II (1:45), the first of two films the guys watched this week, and how while it was relatively entertaining, it failed to deliver on the promise of the first Creed movie…
  • The Front Runner (15:55) and how it was not necessarily great but is certainly very relevant to our current political landscape…
  • Netflix’s new Narcos: Mexico (25:20) and how both guys are all in after watching the first two episodes…
  • A brief detour into the market saturation of the trailer for Vice (29:45) and how excited the podcast is to cover it…
  • A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, the new album by The 1975 (34:45) and how both guys have become real fans of this band…
  • Anderson .Paak’s new album Oxnard (39:35) and how it doesn’t quite rise to the standards of his masterwork Malibu, but it is still very good and highly enjoyable…
  • Homework for next week (46:10), including: the return(s) of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon and Top Chef on Bravo, plus comedy on Netflix with Russell Brand’s stand-up special Rebirth and the Jeff Ross/Dave Attell collab Bumping Mics and some catch-up on Homecoming and Escape at Dannemora…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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The Toy Department – Episode 142

  By toyAdmin | November 14, 2018 - 12:22 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 142, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky briefly discuss sick days and nap time and puppies before jumping into:

  • A little check-in on the NBA (2:30) covering the recent spat between Warriors’ stars Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, plus some discussion of the Wolves’ Jimmy Butler trade…
  • Amazon’s new series Homecoming (12:40), with focus on director Sam Esmail and a very impressive cast…
  • John Leguizamo’s Netflix special Latin History for Morons (20:00), and how it hit Madden and Kolsky differently…
  • Season 2 of Room 104 (27:30), HBO’s Duplass-produced anthology series, and whether it has anything to offer…
  • Vince Staples’ new album FM! (34:10), and how it is a success as an ode to radio, though it may not have many bangers…
  • Homework for next week (40:15), including: seeing the new movies Widows and Green Book (for real this time), Netflix’s The Kominsky Method, and the new Showtime series Escape at Dannemora (with an all-star cast directed by Ben Stiller)…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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The Toy Department – Episode 140

  By toyAdmin | October 31, 2018 - 11:02 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 140, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky briefly address the HOWLiday before hustling into a long list of topics, including:

  • Three new albums: Esperanza Spaulding’s 12 Little Spells (2:35); Open Mike Eagle’s What Happens When I Try To Relax (7:10); and Robyn’s Honey (9:55)…
  • The new film Mid 90’s (17:15), Jonah Hill’s directorial debut, and an impressive one at that in the opinion of both Madden and Kolsky…
  • Adam Sandler’s Netflix stand-up special 100% Fresh (27:45) and the guys’ wildly diverging opinions on it…
  • Hasan Minhaj’s new Netflix show Patriot Act (33:55) and how it’s another high-quality entry in an admittedly crowded late-night genre…
  • Bodyguard (41:20), a new British action drama available on Netflix, which has its ups and downs but proves an exciting watch…
  • A quick dip into the sports world (46:25) to discuss the most tortured fan bases across the big American leagues…
  • Homework for next week (52:50), including: a couple episodes of Samantha Bee’s Full Frontal on TBS, the new Queen/Freddy Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody and the Neil Armstrong film First Man… Plus, PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE!!!
  • A discussion of LeBron James’ The Shop on HBO (54:10), which the guys almost forgot to discuss, but enjoyed very much…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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The Toy Department – Episode 139

  By toyAdmin | October 24, 2018 - 11:01 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 139, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky briefly check in on Kolsky’s new radio show before dissecting:

  • Season 2 of Netflix’s Making a Murderer (2:15) and whether the story bears further investigation or is simply a source of anger and sadness…
  • The debut of Matthew Weiner’s The Romanoffs on Amazon (12:40) and how it is a good hang and somewhat less high-concept than expected…
  • Greta Van Fleet’s debut album Anthem of the Peaceful Army (24:45) and how it’s unnecessarily pretentious and judgmental to reduce them to nothing more than a cover band…
  • The new 21 Pilots album Trench (35:00) and the guys’ diverging opinions on the quality and originality of the band in general…
  • A tiny taste of basketball (51:05) with a discussion of the Rajon Rondo/Chris Paul fight…
  • A run-down of albums Kolsky is planning to listen to (54:10) just to check if Madden is willing to give any of them a try…
  • Homework for next week (59:40), including: a whole lot of Netflix — the British series Bodyguard, Adam Sandler’s new special 100% Fresh and Hassan Minaj’s new show Patriot Act — plus LeBron James’ new HBO show The Shop and new albums from Open Mike Eagle (What Happens When I Try To Relax) and Esperanza Spalding (12 Little Spells)…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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The Toy Department – Episode 135

  By toyAdmin | September 26, 2018 - 10:52 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 135, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky open with some chatter about Kolsky’s new show and some other sports radio before transitioning into:

  • The state of the NFL (6:25) and Madden’s continued attempts to stop giving the league his money…
  • Jimmy Butler’s demand to be traded from the Timberwolves (19:05) and how it reflects on him, the team and the coach in charge of the whole mess; plus some thoughts on the NBA in general…
  • Netflix’s new limited series Maniac (36:25) and whether it makes enough sense to be enjoyable…
  • A season wrap-up discussion on Netflix’s Ozark (43:45) and how it remains one of the most entertaining shows available despite a confusing decrease in critical support…
  • The new film The Predator (52:10) and whether it’s good enough to cross into broad, popular appeal…
  • The new album Master Volume (1:00:05) by Canadian band The Dirty Nil, and how it sounds like a band on the verge of doing really cool things…
  • Homework for next week (1:08:40), including: the return of The Good Place on NBC, picking a new network show to try out, FX’s new show Mr. In Between and finishing up this season of HBO’s Insecure…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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The Toy Department – Episode 131

  By toyAdmin | August 28, 2018 - 2:05 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 131, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky open the show with an announcement about Kolsky’s life and career that you won’t want to miss before diving into less pressing concerns in the world of pop culture, including:

  • The season/series finalé of HBO’s Sharp Objects (6:25), how the last-minute twist felt for each of the guys and how they view the series as a whole…
  • A check-in on HBO’s Insecure (26:15) and whether it has gotten a little bogged down over the last couple of episodes…
  • AMC’s new show Lodge 49 (29:05) and whether it has piqued the interest of Madden and Kolsky…
  • Travis Scott’s new album Astroworld (38:40) and what it says about him as a popular artist and rapper…
  • Some thoughts on Louis CK’s return to the comedy stage (46:15) and whether the guys are interested in new material or willing to watch another act from him…
  • Homework for next week (55:50), including: the return of Ozark on Netflix, an NFL preview coming next week, Amazon’s new show Jack Ryan, the Netflix film To All the Boys I Loved Before, music from Foxing and a standup set from Drew Michael… GET BUSY WATCHING!!!
  • A quick report on Derek’s experience seeing Hamilton (1:00:05) and discussion of the art form of musicals in general…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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The Toy Department – Episode 130

  By toyAdmin | August 22, 2018 - 3:39 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 130, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky are a day late thanks to Kolsky suffering from a nasty cold, but still manage to get through:

  • Nicki Minaj’s new album Queen (4:15) and how its lack of focus and extended length take a little away from its high points…
  • Mitski’s new album Be The Cowboy (12:35) and how remarkable precision within an eclectic approach makes it a triumph…
  • USA’s show The Sinner (19:10) and whether Season 2 has sucked the guys in yet…
  • Stories from the life of Derek Madden including his new dog (27:55) and seeing a couple of old bands in concert – specifically Pearl Jam (32:10) and Smashing Pumpkins (37:00)…
  • Some quick thoughts about the Oakland A’s (43:40) and the state of baseball in general…
  • Homework for next week (47:50), including: Travis Scott’s album ASTROWORLD, an episode or two of AMC’s new show Lodge 49 and the season finalé of Sharp Objects on HBO, plus Madden is seeing Hamilton and will report back…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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