Derringer Discoveries - A Music Adventure Podcast

Toad the Wet Sprocket: Not Just Another 90s Band & Why (EP23)

Almost 35 years ago, four high school friends bonded over their love for making music – and not just any music. They came right out of the gate making top-notch alternative pop-rock songs but, desperate for a band name prior to their first gig, they jokingly adopted a silly moniker from a Monty Python skit: Toad the Wet Sprocket. It was a joke that went on too long – and it stuck. 
In this episode, the Derringer Brothers (Paul and Alton) explore Toad the Wet Sprocket’s (TTWS) pre-breakup hits from 1989’s Bread and Circus through 1997’s Coil – followed by the band’s 16-year hiatus from recording.
During the “break up years,” the band members stayed in touch, matured, occasionally played music together, and finally put aside their differences to reform in 2010.  In 2013, the band released the crowd-funded album, New Constellation, proving that the band’s fans were still around and longing for new TTWS music. The band’s 2016 EP, Architect of the Ruin, followed.
The Derringer Brothers recap seeing TTWS on tour over the last few years and explore their top three favorite songs from Toad’s latest album, Starting Now. How does the album compare to classic Toad? Listen up to find out!
Join Paul and Alton as they explain how TTWS survived the 90s, how the band differs from typical 90s bands, and what the future looks like since losing their long-time drummer.
The post-episode playout features a band from Baltimore and Florida known as We’re About 9 (WA9). Hear the story of the band’s genesis and how they are earning royalties from major airlines. In addition, Paul will relay his Top 3 WA9 songs and Brian Gundersdorf of WA9 will provide interesting insight into each of Paul's picks.
Enjoy the music heard on this episode by listening to the Toad the Wet Sprocket: Not Just Another 90s Band & Why playlist.
In addition, please visit the Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25, a music chart by Derringer Discoveries, available on Spotify. Updated monthly, this chart reflects our current 25 favorite, new songs by recording artists worldwide with a focus on fresh folk, adult rock, alternative rock, rock & roll, and power pop. Click “Like” (the heart icon) to follow the Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25.
The Derringer Brothers want to hear from you!  Send us your feedback at feedback@derringerdiscoveries.com – you may hear your comments read on a future episode of Derringer Discoveries!  Keep listening!
Please be sure to subscribe to Derringer Discoveries. This lets the providers know that you enjoy the content and look forward to future episodes. Be sure to tell your friends, family, and fellow music-lovers about our podcast.
Your Sister's Room by Ho Jo Fro is the theme song for Derringer Discoveries and is available for streaming on most platforms.

Styx: Tommy vs. Dennis & Why (EP22)

Would you believe us if we told you that, more than 40 years after their heyday, the band Styx from Chicago is better than ever?
Listen up as we quickly recap Styx's 1977 to 1983 so-called classic years, their break-up in 1984, their post-breakup solo efforts and then, their amazing comeback leading up to their 17th studio album, Crash of the Crown, released June 2021.
The numerous music snippets come at you fast and furious.  The banter is humorous and insightful.  Alton Derringer fights for Tommy Shaw.  Paul Derringer fights for Dennis DeYoung.  Unfortunately, only one - Tommy or Dennis - will prevail.
In addition, Alton and Paul review and discuss Crash of the Crown, each picking the Top Three Best Songs from the album, as well as relaying the Fans Choice, based on Spotify streams.
With a band like Styx, there will be intense discussion as to whether they have Jumped the Shark and/or Crossed the Rubicon.  Stay to the end and find out!
Today's Post Episode Playout is by WTJU Disc Jockey Michael Pillow, author of the book Summer Brush Men, as he interviews Susan Munson and Paul Johnson of the band Ho Jo Fro on the release their new single Come In.
All songs discussed or mentioned in this episode are included on the Styx: Tommy vs. Dennis playlist.  Please check it out and click "Like" (the heart icon).
In addition, please visit the Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25, a music chart by Derringer Discoveries, available on Spotify. Updated monthly, this chart reflects our current 25 favorite, new songs by recording artists worldwide with a focus on fresh folk, adult rock, alternative rock, rock & roll, and power pop. Click “Like” (the heart icon) to follow the Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25.
The Derringer Brothers want to hear from you!  Send us your feedback at feedback@derringerdiscoveries.com – you may hear your comments read on a future episode of Derringer Discoveries!  Keep listening!
Please be sure to subscribe to Derringer Discoveries. This lets the providers know that you enjoy the content and look forward to future episodes. Be sure to tell your friends, family, and fellow music-lovers about our podcast.
Your Sister's Room by Ho Jo Fro is the theme song for Derringer Discoveries and is available for streaming on most platforms.

Taylor Swift‘s Top 10 Stone-Cold Classics & Why (EP21)

Since 2006, Taylor Swift has released 179 songs spanning nine studio albums.  Now that she has regained the copyrights to her first five albums, she is re-recording them one by one.  You will know the new ones by the caption Taylor's Version in parentheses after each re-recorded song title.
In this Derringer Discoveries episode, Paul Derringer is joined by Rylan Derringer who is subbing for Dave Derringer.  While counting down his Top 10 favorite Taylor Swift songs, Paul provides insight into copyrights versus phonographic rights and why Taylor is re-recording Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), and 1989 (2014).
Joining Paul and Rylan is a panel of three (Delaney Derringer, Layton Derringer, and Abbey Derringer).  Each member of the panel, as well as Rylan, will let Paul know if he picks a song not deserving to be in the Top 10.  Each time a panelist or Rylan agrees with Paul's pick, a bell rings.  Does the bell ever ring five times?  Listen up and find out.  The ultimate question is do you agree or disagree?
Adding to your listening enjoyment is Abbey Derringer who provides insight on how each of Paul's Top 10 picks fared on various music charts, worldwide.
Stay for the Post Episode Bonus for an interview with singer-songwriter Steve Slagg from Chicago.
In addition, please visit the Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25, a music chart by Derringer Discoveries, available on Spotify. Updated monthly, this chart reflects our current 25 favorite, new songs by recording artists worldwide with a focus on fresh folk, adult rock, alternative rock, rock & roll, and power pop. Click “Like” (the heart icon) to follow the Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25.
The Derringer Brothers want to hear from you!  Send us your feedback at feedback@derringerdiscoveries.com – you may hear your comments read on a future episode of Derringer Discoveries!  Keep listening!
Please be sure to subscribe to Derringer Discoveries. This lets the providers know that you enjoy the content and look forward to future episodes. Be sure to tell your friends, family, and fellow music-lovers about our podcast.
Your Sister's Room by Ho Jo Fro is the theme song for Derringer Discoveries and is available for streaming on most platforms.

The Killers Peaked? & Why (EP20)

The Killers are back!
In this episode, Paul Derringer teams up with Ho Jo Fro bandmate Alton Derringer and together they discuss and call on Dave Derringer, Augie Derringer, and Paddy Derringer to each pick their Top 3 favorite songs from The Killers new album Pressure Machine.  This time around, Dave Mason's song We Just Disagree is not invoked, since the five largely agree.
The Derringer Brothers also weigh in on whether or not The Killers have Jumped the Shark or Crossed the Rubicon.
Please visit the Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25, a music chart by Derringer Discoveries, available on Spotify. Updated monthly, this chart reflects our current 25 favorite, new songs by recording artists worldwide with a focus on fresh folk, adult rock, alternative rock, rock & roll, and power pop. Click “Like” (the heart icon) to follow the Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25.
The Derringer Brothers want to hear from you!  Send us your feedback at feedback@derringerdiscoveries.com – you may hear your comments read on a future episode of Derringer Discoveries!  Keep listening!
Please be sure to subscribe to Derringer Discoveries. This lets the providers know that you enjoy the content and look forward to future episodes. Be sure to tell your friends, family, and fellow music-lovers about our podcast.
Your Sister's Room by Ho Jo Fro is the theme song for Derringer Discoveries and is available for streaming on most platforms.

The Beatles 10 Worst Songs & Why (EP19)

Is there anything new to say about The Beatles?
In this episode, The Derringer Brothers discuss The Beatles worst songs.  Paul Derringer takes you through his Top 10 list of The Beatles worst while Dave Derringer and Paddy Derringer weigh in, sometimes agreeing and other times invoking the Dave Mason song We Just Disagree.
It would be sheer folly for anyone to say that The Beatles Jumped the Shark or Crossed the Rubicon.  The Derringer Brothers make it clear that they are big fans of The Beatles, but even the best band in the history of rock music has a few clunkers.  Listen up and decide for yourself!
Please visit the Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25, a music chart by Derringer Discoveries, available on Spotify. Updated monthly, this chart reflects our current 25 favorite, new songs by recording artists worldwide with a focus on fresh folk, adult rock, alternative rock, rock & roll, and power pop. Click “Like” (the heart icon) to follow the Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25.
The Derringer Brothers want to hear from you!  Send us your feedback at feedback@derringerdiscoveries.com – you may hear your comments read on a future episode of Derringer Discoveries!  Keep listening!
Please be sure to subscribe to Derringer Discoveries. This lets the providers know that you enjoy the content and look forward to future episodes. Be sure to tell your friends, family, and fellow music-lovers about our podcast.
Your Sister's Room by Ho Jo Fro is the theme song for Derringer Discoveries and is available for streaming on most platforms.

Al Stewart Taught Me Everything & Why (EP18)

Al Stewart is widely known for Year of the Cat and Time Passages, but he has given the world so much more:
Al taught us about the complexities and pitfalls of love;
Al introduced us to interesting historical figures such as Nostradamus whose only book, first published in 1555, still captivates us today; and
Most importantly, Al taught Paul Derringer enough about World War II to get him through high school history with a solid B.
In this episode, The Derringer Brothers take you on a journey that goes beyond Al's big hits.  They connect Al to Kurt Vonnegut and Slaughterhouse Five.  They play snippets of Al's epic Love Chronicles featuring Jimmy Page and Jon Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin.  They even discuss the 450 year-old saying "All is Fair in Love and War" while tying it to a classic Al Stewart song.
Will you be entertained? Hopefully, yes! Will Dave Derringer agree with any of Paul Derringer's Top 10 picks or will they need to invoke Dave Mason's We Just Disagree? Listen up and find out!
And when all is said and done, after more than 54 years in the music business, has Al Stewart Jumped the Shark? Has he Crossed the Rubicon? Stay to the end and find out!
The songs discussed in this episode can be found on the Al Stewart Taught Me Everything Spotify playlist.
In addition, please visit the Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25, a music chart by Derringer Discoveries, available on Spotify. Updated monthly, this chart reflects our current 25 favorite, new songs by recording artists worldwide with a focus on fresh folk, adult rock, alternative rock, rock & roll, and power pop. Click “Like” (the heart icon) to follow the Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25.
The Derringer Brothers want to hear from you!  Send us your feedback at feedback@derringerdiscoveries.com – you may hear your comments read on a future episode of Derringer Discoveries!  Keep listening!
Please be sure to subscribe to Derringer Discoveries. This lets the providers know that you enjoy the content and look forward to future episodes. Be sure to tell your friends, family, and fellow music-lovers about our podcast.
Your Sister's Room by Ho Jo Fro is the theme song for Derringer Discoveries and is available for streaming on most platforms.

The Killers Have Not Peaked & Why (EP17)

More popular in the UK than in the US, The Killers are an American band from Las Vegas fronted by singer, keyboardist, and lyricist Brandon Flowers.
In this episode of Derringer Discoveries, Paul & Dave Derringer are joined by two special guests, Augie and Paddy, who take on the Derringer surname as the four discuss The Killers' six studio albums spanning 2004 to 2020 in anticipation of their seventh studio album (See Episode 20 for The Killers' Pressure Machine).
While relaying intriguing stories about The Killers and life in general, the Derringers pick and discuss their favorite songs and they ponder whether it is better to be human or a dancer, as posited by Brandon in the classic song Human.
Near the end of the episode, they debate whether The Killers have Jumped the Shark.  And, they dip their toes into the Rubicon, but dare they cross it?
Stay for a post-episode explanation as to the meaning behind In Rivermont by Ho Jo Fro, the same band who provide the Derringer Discoveries theme song, Your Sister's Room.
The songs discussed in this episode can be found on the The Killers Have Not Peaked Spotify playlist.  Please "like" it.
Also, Turnip Music Radio has launched The TMR Top 25, a countdown of our 25 favorite new (or recent) songs by recording artists worldwide in the genres encompassing pop, alternative, folk, and rock & roll.  Please check it out and click "Like."  Each month, the chart will be updated to reflect the current best of what's new.
Contact The Derringer Brothers at derringerdiscoveries@gmail.com and "follow" Derringer Discoveries on your favorite digital platform.

Bob Marley Rocks & Why (EP16)

When Bob Marley died on 11 May 1981 at age 36, his star was on the rise.  Since then, he and his Wailers have ascended to mega-superstar status in the world of roots rock reggae.  Take a look on Spotify and you will see that Bob Marley's top songs each have received hundreds of millions of streams, affirmation that his timeless music is beloved worldwide.
Using humor and brotherly love, in this episode, Paul & Dave Derringer take you on a musical journey through the life and legacy of Bob Marley.  Picking their Top 10 favorite Marley songs, Paul & Dave play snippets not only of Marley's originals, but also cover versions by other famous rockers.  Along the way, they tell interesting stories, including the one where Marley gave away several of his songs to Vincent Ford, a friend, in order to keep Ford's soup kitchen open.  Plus, stay to the end to learn what three cherished objects were buried with Marley.
The songs discussed in this episode can be found on the Bob Marley Rocks Spotify playlist.  Please check it out and "like" it.
Also, Turnip Music Radio has launched The TMR Top 25, a countdown of our 25 favorite new (or recent) songs by recording artists worldwide in the genres encompassing pop, alternative, folk, and rock & roll.  Please check it out and click "Like."  Each month, the chart will be updated to reflect the current best of what's new.
Contact Paul & Dave at derringerdiscoveries@gmail.com and "follow" Derringer Discoveries on your favorite digital platform.
The band Ho Jo Fro provides the Derringer Discoveries theme song Your Sister's Room.  In addition, Click here to watch budding director Danny Wagner's Music Box Killer video on YouTube.

Ann & Nancy Wilson Are The Heart Of Rock & Roll & Why (EP15)

From 1976 to 1993, the band Heart, featuring Ann & Nancy Wilson, put 20 songs on the American Rock & Roll Top 40 charts.  In this episode, Dave Derringer picks and discusses 10 of the 20 hit songs.  Dave's 10 are the hits that Ann and/or Nancy had a hand in writing.
While regaling us with the 10 Wilson-penned hits, Dave also relays a number of interesting stories about Heart, including the one where the band Nazareth unwittingly had a hand in crafting Heart's classic hit "Barracuda."  This is why The Derringer Brothers decided to include two of Nazareth's songs on the Ann & Nancy Wilson Playlist.
In true brotherly fashion, Paul Derringer manages to mess with Dave's perfect 10-song strategy by slipping in two additional songs.  One song, "Bebe Le Strange," bubbled under the charts at #109.  Paul and Dave explain what it means when something "bubbles under," a legitimate Billboard-coined phrase.  In addition, Dave explains the definition of "rung" and mockingly credits Paul as being the originator of the phrase "sniffing the charts."  Listen up to learn what it means when a band's single climbs a rung and is sniffing the charts.  It's actually a good thing!
Paul's second monkey-wrench involves a song written for Ann & Nancy by Martin Page and Elton John's lyricist Bernie Taupin.  Not only was this single the first of Heart's two #1 hits, it was also Nancy Wilson's rare opportunity to shine as lead vocalist.  Nancy has a good voice, but The Derringer Brothers agree that it's Ann who has one of the best voices in Rock & Roll.  Period.
The songs discussed in this episode can be found on the Ann & Nancy Wilson Playlist.  Click the hyperlink and "follow" the playlist on Spotify.
Contact Paul & Dave at derringerdiscoveries@gmail.com and "follow" Derringer Discoveries on your favorite digital platform.
Stay for a post-episode bonus snippet of the new digital single In Rivermont by Paul's indie-band Ho Jo Fro.  In addition, please add In Rvermont and Music Box Killer to your favorite playlists.  While not in the same stratospheric league as Heart, in just a few months Music Box Killer and other Ho Jo Fro songs have streamed thousands times.  Also, click here to watch budding director Danny Wagner's Music Box Killer video on YouTube.
Ho Jo Fro provides the theme song (Your Sister's Room) for Derringer Discoveries.  You can support the band simply by "following" them and sharing their songs with your friends.  Ho Jo Fro is a fan of Heart.

Fleetwood Mac Won’t Stop & Why - Part B (EP14)

In Part A (Episode 10), Paul & Dave Derringer discussed the first seven years of Fleetwood Mac.  In this Part B episode, with help from Special Guest Kathy, The Derringer Brothers debate the five albums released by the classic Fleetwood Mac line-up consisting of Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood.
In addition to providing the world with some great music, this line-up of Fleetwood Mac - the classic five - also unwittingly became a textbook example of a dysfunctional musical family, a band full of discord, strife, heartbreak, and palpable angst.  The classic five increasingly couldn't work together - they couldn't even be in the same room with each other, but the world demanded (and continues to demand) that they each put on a brave face and go out there to give the people what we want.
Taking the band up to the present, Paul & Dave also briefly note Fleetwood Mac's ever evolving line-up and their intermittent releases after the classic period.  Don't worry, The Derringer Brothers keep it upbeat and brisk.  At the end, they weigh in on whether or not Fleetwood Mac "Jumped the Shark."  They also introduce the listeners to a new Derringer Discoveries category of musical output: what it means to "Cross the Rubicon."
The songs discussed in this episode can be found at Fleetwood Mac Won't Stop Playlist B.
Contact Paul & Dave at derringerdiscoveries@gmail.com and follow Derringer Discoveries on your favorite digital platform.
Stay for the post-episode bonus track and hear Dave talk about the volcanic water given to him by Paul during the recording of this episode.  They also include another snippet of the digital single Music Box Killer  by Ho Jo Fro, the same band behind the Derringer Discoveries' theme song, Your Sister's Room.  Support a struggling group of musical misfits by including their songs on your favorite playlists and sharing with your friends.  Sharing is good and encouraged.