The Toy Department – Episode 225

In Episode 225, Madden and Kolsky open another attempt at a short pod with an unnecessary detour into sparkling water v. still water before moving on to:

  • HBO’s new series Lovecraft Country (6:55) and the wild, occasionally disturbing ride of the first episode…
  • The new Netflix movie Project Power (19:40), which might be a B movie, and whether the tone fit the quality…
  • A few thoughts on baseball (29:50) and its stupid unwritten rules…
  • Some NBA Playoff chatter (36:25) with thoughts on what happens moving forward…
  • Homework for next week (57:25), including: the new Netflix cartoon Hoops, the new HBO Max reality dating series Singletown and LOTS MORE NBA Playoff action…

The Toy Department – Episode 43

In Episode 43, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky fight through a weird Lipton Brisk detour and some audio technology issues to bring you discussions about:

  • Last week’s homework assignment: the new Solange album A Seat at the Table (1:30)… specifically its originality and some general thoughts about the Indie R&B genre, and a new idea about future music homework (10:00)…
  • This year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees (12:20) and how the Hall decides who is an appropriate candidate for induction…
  • NFL replay review, specifically with regards to pass interference penalties (19:00) and the disappointing end to last week’s Falcons-Seahawks game… and some thoughts on using technology for sports officiating in general (27:30)…
  • The NBA’s upcoming season (31:00) and whether the fact that the Warriors and Cavaliers are prohibitive favorites is a problem for the entertainment value of the league…
  • A few general thoughts on movies and the movie business (46:55) after Kolsky noticed some things when he went out to see The Accountant…
  • Homework for next week (51:30): Madden assigns a particular episode of the IFC show Documentary Now! to Kolsky…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes you can just click on the link below the player… Some other links down there as well… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.

The Toy Department – Episode 21

In Episode 21, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky dive into the sports world early with a discussion of Steph Curry – his ridiculous playoff comeback, his MVP award, and just his greatness in general – which leads naturally into a broader discussion of the NBA Playoffs (8:30) and some of the officiating issues (12:00), and a quick chat about the outdated notion that players want to go to New York or LA teams (15:05). The podcast shifts to music for the guys to review Radiohead’s new album – A Moon Shaped Pool (21:00), and then to TV for a check-in on Game of Thrones (32:15) and a celebration of the delight of this year’s season of Silicon Valley (41:40).

Oh, and if you want to subscribe via iTunes you can just click on the link below the player… Some other links down there as well… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.

The Toy Department – Episode 20

In Episode 20, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky begin by lamenting their physical fitness – as all aging men are wont to do – before things get serious with Madden’s Beyoncé mea culpa (3:45). The conversation heads deeper into the music world with some discussion of Radiohead’s new single (17:10), which leads them into music release strategies for the modern world. Sports talk takes over  (30:10) with some breakdown of the wild final sequence of Game 2 between the Spurs and Thunder in the NBA Playoffs, and some resulting chatter about referees in general, before Madden and Kolsky address Fox’s hiring of sports “journalist” Skip Bayless (41:35). The show wraps with a little homework assignment from Madden (55:40) and a shout-out to our outgoing President.

Oh, and if you want to subscribe via iTunes you can just click on the link below the player… Some other links down there as well… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.