Jackalope Tales on Radio Misfits

Charles Mooney, Lisa Umbarger · radiomisfits.com

Jackalope Tales pulls back the curtain on the strange, spooky, and sometimes shocking urban legends that lurk within the music industry. Hosts, and founding members of the platinum selling band Toadies, Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger explore the weird and wacky stories behind music’s biggest names. Some legends are too bizarre to be true, while others may have a kernel of truth buried beneath the hype. You’ll never listen to your favorite songs the same way again after you hear the outlandish myths behind them on Jackalope Tales.

166 episodes

11d ago latest

weekly cadence

English language

Explicit rating

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Episodes 167

Jackalope Tales – Poopin’ In The Pit
4d ago · 44:03
Concert etiquette is officially dead…and apparently someone crapped on the grave. This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dive ass-first into the disturbing new frontier of live music: people pooping at shows. 💩 Charles investigates the infamous Devilskin concert incident, where one fan allegedly decided the pit needed a little more movement than usual. Meanwhile, Lisa explores the dedication of Olivia Rodrigo fans who reportedly use Depends so they don’t have to surrender their hard-earned spots. Because nothing says GUTS World Tour like making a decision your lower intestine will rem
Jackalope Tales – Crock of Shit
11d ago · 44:02
This week, Charles and Lisa dig into the unholy little mess that erupted when Charley Crockett’s camp dropped satanic doo-wop duo Twin Temple from a run of shows—and somehow turned an opening-act change into a musical culture-war casserole. Was it the Satanism? The backlash? A booking screw-up? Or did somebody finally read Twin Temple’s bio after signing the contract? Jackalope Tales sorts through the controversy, the finger-pointing, and the beautiful absurdity of booking a band whose entire aesthetic screams SATAN and then apparently becoming concerned about all the Satan. Charles and Lisa a
Jackalope Tales – FULL METAL JACKALOPE
18d ago · 48:29
Somehow, Jackalope Tales blew up in Vietnam—which either means we’ve finally gone international or someone in Hanoi left Spotify running overnight. So naturally, Charles and Lisa packed their bags and headed to Vietnam to meet the people responsible for this terrible lapse in judgment. In “Full Metal Jackalope,” we recount our journey into the heart of our newest fanbase: a plane trip long enough to make us question the invention of aviation ✈️, food that occasionally required us to ask “Which part of the animal is this?” 🍜, and encounters with some seriously cool Vietnamese punk bands who pr
Jackalope Tales – Body Oddy Oddy, Episode Replay
25d ago · 27:23
Ke$ha & her tail, an udderly ridiculous amount of nipples, and why Bad Bunny is a Sad Bunny. EP 5 – [Ep 149] Originally Released 08/30/23 Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney
Jackalope Tales – Whose Line Is It Anyway?
1mo ago · 40:58
Did your favorite band write that brilliant lyric… or just “borrow” it while nobody was looking? This week, Charles and Lisa dig through rock’s musical crime scene, uncovering the bands that lifted lyrics word-for-word from other songs. Some did it as a heartfelt tribute. Others did it because apparently their lawyers needed something to do. From clever Easter eggs that made fans smile to lawsuits that made accountants smile, we follow the lyrical fingerprints left all over music history. Was it homage? Theft? Or just the world’s longest game of copy-and-paste? Join us as we put the suspects i
Jackalope Tales – You Gotta Keep’em Overrated
1mo ago · 53:32
This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles blindsides Lisa with a hit list of bands the internet has convicted of the ultimate musical crime… being overrated Will they defend the sacred cows? Will they happily throw legendary bands into the musical wood chipper? Or will lifelong fanbases begin sharpening their pitchforks and typing in ALL CAPS? Some of these picks are expected. Others are so controversial they may get us banned from your next backyard barbecue. So grab your favorite band shirt, prepare to be personally offended, and remember… just because a band sold 50 million records doesn’t mean
Jackalope Tales – Rock, Paper, Lawsuit
1mo ago · 54:54
This week, Charles and Lisa dive headfirst into the glorious dumpster fire of bands suing other bands. From stolen riffs and borrowed lyrics to trademark tantrums and courtroom guitar solos, they uncover the rock stars who decided lawyers hit harder than drummers. Because nothing says “rock ‘n’ roll forever” quite like a cease-and-desist delivered by certified mail. Grab your air guitar, hide your songwriting notebook, and remember… every great lawsuit starts with someone saying, “Hey… that was MY chord progression.” [Ep 147] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Fa
Jackalope Tales – I’ve Got Friends In Cold Cases
1mo ago · 40:57
This week, Charles and Lisa mosey straight into one of country music’s weirdest rabbit holes: the internet rumor that Garth Brooks is secretly a serial killer. From viral conspiracy theories to fans connecting dots with the enthusiasm of a detective who’s had way too much coffee, they dig into why this bizarre legend refuses to die. Is there any truth to it? (Spoiler: rumors aren’t evidence.) Or is this just another case of the internet deciding that selling millions of records isn’t suspicious enough? So grab your cowboy hat, keep your alibi handy, and remember… if someone asks where you were
Jackalope Tales – Stars & Shart Stripes
2mo ago · 45:01
This Fourth of July, Charles and Lisa light the fuse on America’s playlist and stand back. From songs that make you want to salute… to songs that make you want to defect, we’re counting down some of the best and worst musical tributes to the red, white, and bruised. Expect patriotic anthems, embarrassing flag-waving, misunderstood classics, and enough musical explosions to make the neighborhood HOA file a complaint. So grab a hot dog, hide your fireworks from Uncle Gary, and remember… nothing says “freedom” quite like arguing over whether Born in the U.S.A. is actually patriotic. Jackalope Tal
Jackalope Tales – Don’t Stop Misbelievin’
2mo ago · 52:51
Did Sinbad really star in a genie movie? Did Dolly Parton actually have braces in Moonraker? And are we all absolutely sure the lyric isn’t “Hold me closer, Tony Danza”? 🤔🎤 This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa tumble headfirst into the musical multiverse to explore the strangest Mandela Effects lurking in songs, albums, band logos, and music history. From lyrics that never existed to album covers that seem to change when nobody’s looking, they’ll investigate whether our memories are broken… or if reality is quietly gaslighting us. 😵‍💫💿 Along the way they’ll uncover misheard lyri
Jackalope Tales – The Fathers, The Sons, & The Holy Notes
2mo ago · 57:54
The Fathers, The Sons, & The Holy Notes This Father’s Day, Charles and Lisa gather the musical family tree and start a custody battle over who actually deserves credit for inventing your favorite genres. 🎸👨‍👦⚰️ Who is the Father of Techno? The Father of Death Metal? The Father of Ambient? The Father of Punk? More importantly, who got stuck paying decades of overdue child support for the noise they unleashed on the world? Along the way, Charles and Lisa nominate their own questionable candidates, challenge the official histories, and discover that every genre’s origin story eventually leads
Jackalope Tales – My Drummer Has A LinkedIn Now
2mo ago · 1:03:48
Every band says they’re going to make it. Most of them end up updating their résumé. This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dig into the strange, depressing, and occasionally inspiring second acts of musicians who traded backstage passes for time clocks. From metalheads who became accountants to punk rockers who now sell insurance, they explore what happens when the dream dies but the bills keep showing up. Some found success. Some found stability. Some found themselves explaining transferable skills from a six-month tour in a van that smelled like wet socks and regret. It’s a journey
Jackalope Tales – Empty Seat Blues
2mo ago · 53:16
What happens when nobody buys tickets, but nobody wants to admit it? This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa catch a nasty case of Blue Dot Fever—the mysterious industry illness that strikes when concert seats stay empty and record labels suddenly discover “scheduling conflicts,” “unforeseen circumstances,” and “logistical challenges.” From mysteriously canceled tours to last-minute show pullouts, they dig into the rumors, excuses, and corporate fairy tales that appear whenever ticket sales flatline. Was it really a routing issue, or was the venue emptier than a gas station salad bar at
Jackalope Tales – Master Baiters
3mo ago · 55:57
This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa wade into the murky pond of one very important question: does Phish secretly hate their fans… or just enjoy psychologically torturing them for sport? From marathon jams that feel less like concerts and more like hostage situations, to cryptic setlists, fake-outs, inside jokes nobody understands, and enough noodle solos to make grown men question their life choices, they dig into the “evidence” that Phish may be the most passive-aggressive band in music. Grab your glow sticks, lower your expectations, and prepare to get lovingly gaslit by a jam ban
Jackalope Tales – Put The Hell In Coachella
3mo ago · 56:00
Coachella used to be about music. Now it’s mostly rich influencers dressed like post-apocalyptic scarecrows taking thirst traps next to a guy passed out in a $900 crochet poncho. This week on Jackalope Tales, Lisa dives headfirst into the dusty influencer wasteland known as “content creation,” exposing the tragic parade of brand-sponsored narcissists who traveled to the desert just to fake candid photos and develop heatstroke for engagement. From trust-fund wellness gurus crying because the VIP tent ran out of oat milk, to TikTok stars treating porta-potties like networking lounges, Lisa uncov
Jackalope Tales – Fleeced By Geese
3mo ago · 56:45
Some bands get accused of selling out. Geese gets accused of being a full-blown psy-op. In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dive into the increasingly ridiculous theory that the band Geese wasn’t formed naturally — they were assembled in a secret lab to psychologically damage indie rock fans. Why did they appear out of nowhere already “critically acclaimed”? Why do music journalists write about them like they discovered fire? And why does every performance feel like an experiment to see how many people will pretend to understand what’s happening? Charles follows the trail of i
Jackalope Tales – Let Them Eat Lemon Pound Cake
3mo ago · 48:16
In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa stroll into a courtroom that smells faintly of citrus, chaos, and questionable police decisions. The saga of Afroman takes center stage—where a home raid turns into a legal circus, a surveillance nightmare becomes a music video, and somehow… lemon pound cake ends up being the most innocent thing in the room. Charles breaks down the trial like a true crime doc narrated by someone who definitely shouldn’t be allowed near a gavel, while Lisa connects the dots between small-town law enforcement, viral humiliation, and the kind of petty revenge t
Jackalope Tales – Hit The Road Jack(alope)
4mo ago · 52:51
Some bands break up. Some bands “take a break.” And some bands treat their lead singer like a suspicious duffel bag and just… leave him at a gas station. This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dive headfirst into the fine art of getting fired—musician edition—where loyalty is optional, group chats are silent, and your bandmates might literally drive away while you’re inside buying beef jerky. Charles unpacks the slow, theatrical unraveling of Dennis DeYoung—a saga involving illness, ego, and an increasing desire to turn Styx into a full-blown Broadway fever dream. Spoiler: the band did
Jackalope Tales – Nickels & Spice, And Nothing Is Nice
4mo ago · 50:04
Grab your tin foil hats and a stiff drink. This week, Charles and Lisa descend into the auditory abyss to investigate two “musical” acts that were far too successful to be mere accidents of talent. What if the airwaves of the late ’90s and early 2000s weren’t a cultural wasteland, but a highly calibrated psychological operations battlefield? Inside This Week’s Dossier: • The Maple Leaf Manchurian: We dissect Nickelback. Was Chad Kroeger’s hair actually a sophisticated receiver for CSIS frequencies? We explore the theory that “How You Remind Me” was a weaponized earworm designed to pacify the A
Jackalope Tales – Back In The U.S.S.R.I.P.
4mo ago · 53:12
This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa take a cheerful little stroll through Soviet-era paranoia, where the guitars are electric, the lyrics are dangerous, and the exits are… suspiciously high up. Charles tells the tragic and eyebrow-raising story of Alexander Bashlachev, the underground poet whose words hit harder than a government crackdown. Officially, he “fell” from a window. Unofficially? Let’s just say in Russia, gravity sometimes works overtime on people with opinions. Meanwhile, Lisa dives into the chaotic and deadly shooting of Igor Talkov, a rising star who went from headlini
Jackalope Tales – Episode: K.K.K-TEL
4mo ago · 50:55
Step right up, folks… to the absolute worst infomercial in human history. This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa crack open one of the music industry’s most vile, moldy corners—the world of racist record labels. That’s right… before SoundCloud rappers were embarrassing themselves online, there were entire labels proudly pressing hatred onto vinyl like it was a greatest hits album nobody asked for. Charles dives headfirst into the toxic wasteland of Resistance Records—a label that somehow turned bigotry into a business model… until it collapsed under the weight of lawsuits, criminal tie
Jackalope Tales – South By Sellout
5mo ago · 1:04:57
Once upon a time, SXSW was a sweaty badge of honor—where unknown bands melted faces in dive bars, record deals were whispered over cheap beer, and you might accidentally discover your new favorite artist while standing next to a guy who hadn’t showered since 2003. Now? It’s a branded tote bag with legs. This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dig into the slow, corporate embalming of South by Southwest—how a scrappy music festival turned into a networking convention for tech bros, movie studios, and companies that somehow think a panel about “the future of synergy” counts as rock ‘n’ ro
Jackalope Tales – A La Cartel
5mo ago · 55:02
This week, Charles and Lisa pack their bags for a musical tour of fame, fortune… and very bad life choices. Charles dives into the story of Valentín Elizalde — a man who may have accidentally dropped a diss track so hard it allegedly got reviewed by an entire cartel… with automatic weapons. Meanwhile, Lisa unravels the legend of Chalino Sánchez — the original corrido outlaw, who sang for the wrong people, the right people, and eventually… everyone who probably shouldn’t have been in the same room together. Featuring the most uncomfortable concert moment of all time: the infamous note that basi
Jackalope Tales – Popaganda
5mo ago · 49:00
What if some of the weirdest pop music ever recorded wasn’t just bad taste… but government policy? In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dig into the suspiciously bizarre world of Popaganda — the possibility that certain bands weren’t just musicians, but carefully engineered cultural experiments. Charles investigates the chrome-plated chaos of Sigue Sigue Sputnik, the cyberpunk band that sold ad space inside their songs and sounded like a malfunctioning arcade cabinet having a panic attack. Coincidence… or a prototype for weaponized consumerism? Meanwhile Lisa examines the minim
Jackalope Tales – Nonprofit…Not!
5mo ago · 47:48
Some record labels say they’re nonprofit. Which immediately raises the obvious question: nonprofit for who? This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa tumble down a particularly sketchy rabbit hole after discovering that their former band — Toadies — once signed to a “nonprofit” record label. A nonprofit… record label. Because nothing says charity like royalty statements that look like ransom notes. Were these labels truly benevolent music charities helping artists thrive? Or were they just the same old music industry wolves… wearing thrift-store sheep costumes and holding IRS paperwork? C