Make it Stop: A Bad Music Podcast

Make it Stop is a podcast dedicated to dissecting terrible albums. Hosted by musicians Heather Mack and Mike Dunn and featuring a variety of quirky guests from the Boston arts and music scene, Make it Stop braves the putrid depths of the worst albums ever made. By the end, you'll be begging them for more...while screaming "make it stop!" Proud part of Pantheon - the podcast network for music lovers.

Music Commentary
Music
Music Interviews
26
Season 3 Finale Part 1: Corey Feldman - Angelic...
Alright Stoppies, you sick fucks. You know what time it is, because you assholes voted for it - and we couldn't be prouder/more disgusted. That's right baby, it's time for a Core-tastrophe of epic proportions - a nightmarish plunge into the twisted mind of the "Skrillex you bought on Wish" aka Corey Feldman....
80 min
27
Soulja Boy - Souljaboytellem.com (w/ Sean Rosa)
In 2007 there was perhaps no one on earth more notorious than DeAndre Way, better known as Soulja Boy. His signature style of simplified, self-produced snap music swept the world as lead single "Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)" quickly rocketed to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and he made himself a multimillionaire at age 17, no small feat for a young black teenager from Georgia making beats in his bedroom...
105 min
28
Liz Phair - Self Titled (w/ VQ)
Oh, Liz Phair. An indie darling and feminist rock icon who DIY-ed herself into underground superstardom with her classic 1993 album "Exile in Guyville", Phair had gone through some ups and downs musically and personally after her breakout album, putting out a few quietly mediocre albums in the late 90s and getting married, having a child, and divorcing. So why did, at the age of 36, Liz "Fuck and Run" Phair team up with bubblegum pop wizards The Matrix, known for their songcrafting for teen pop ingenues Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears, to write aggressively bland midtempo cougar pablum? No one knows for sure, and certainly nobody wanted it...
110 min
29
Aerosmith - Music From Another Dimension (w/ Ma...
Aerosmith are regarded as true legends in the classic rock pantheon. As famous for their backstage escapades and interpersonal drama as for their meticulously layered production, bar rock bangers, and multi-platinum power ballads, the band managed to stay in the spotlight for at least four decades, no small feat indeed. Does that mean they've earned the respect of this podcast's intrepid hosts? Dream on.
115 min
30
Trapt - Self Titled (w/ Stefan Perrier)
There can be no denying that we here at Make It Stop are headstrong, and that we will, of course, take on anyone. This week we've set our sights on early aughts nu-emo bruisers Trapt.
104 min
31
U2- Songs of Innocence (w/ Ashleigh and Maggie ...
On this week's episode of Make it Stop we continue to rail against insufferable, self-important celebrities who take themselves way too seriously, this time taking aim at U2 and their 2014 album Songs of Innocence, which was famously auto-downloaded to every iPod in America without consent.
126 min
32
Quarantine Stream: Tonetta
"Tonetta combines the filthy sex lyrics and Canadian trashiness of Chuggo with the chauvinism and chest-thumping of every weekend warrior band you've seen on open mic night at Dad's favorite pub. And there's often a dash of Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs tossed in for a little spice." If that won't get your blood pumping, what will?
104 min
33
Quarantine Stream: Joe Exotic
Heather and Mike take on the ambitious music videography of the one and only "Tiger King" Joe Exotic in their very first "quarantine stream" episode
114 min
34
March Badness FINALE
It's the Worst, Least-Wonderfulest time of the year. March was always a brutal month, but this one is definitely the Baddest on record - with a global pandemic forcing entire cities on lockdown, hospitals desperate for gowns, masks and ventilators, and scary spiky death graphs getting ever more urgently plotted. This is a Bad Time, #stoppies, but what are we to do in a crisis besides doubling down on this, our deepest dive so far into the most despicable, soulless, self-indulgent rock music ever made? As we stand here, dangling on the precipice of total destruction, our precious time on this planet is more important than ever. So relax, grab a tasty quarantine edible or two, and spend the next hour and 45 minutes with us as we argue over whether Nickelback or Imagine Dragons is more bad than the other one. Just like our toes dancing on that cliff's edge, it's a razor thin margin and a heckuva ride, #stoppies. Won't you join us from the safety of your own homes as we settle this, once and for all? Part of the Pantheon Podcasts Network.
106 min
35
March Badness Semi Finals Episode 2: Imagine Dr...
Just when you thought March couldn't get any badder, it goes ahead and gets way, way worse. Seriously, what the fuck? With a nation in turmoil, a pandemic growing exponentially more serious by the hour, and all of us confined to our houses in order to attempt to stave off an even more nightmarish dystopian timeline that seems more inevitable each day, what the fuck is a #stoppie to do? What we always do: eviscerate the most miserable audio excrement the industry has to offer. The second March Badness Semifinal round heats up with a head to head battle between horny late stage Warped Tour trashboys Hollywood Undead vs. the audio equivalent of a Crate and Barrel catalog, Imagine Dragons. Distract yourself from the sense of impending doom by deep diving with us and returning guest, dear friend of the pod Ben Stein to decide which stupid band is stupider. It's not like you have anything better to do. Part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
111 min
36
March Badness Semi Finals Episode 1: Pitbull vs...
As podcasters we are the first line of defense against boredom in these unbearably trying times. As such we here at Make It Stop are *pleased* to bring you Part One of the March Badness Semi-Finals. This round pits Nickelback's 2014 post-butt experiment No Fixed Address against #1 seed Pitbull's 2014 album, which is literally called Globalization. Make It Stop mainstay Brandon Vallee jumps into the fray with Heather and Mike to tackle the nearly impossible task of determining which of these albums is worse. It's the closest match of the tournament thus far. Who will reign supreme!? Tune in to find out! Part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
140 min
37
March Badness Round 1, Episode 2: Nickelback vs...
Round 1 of the 2020 MARCH BADNESS TOURNAMENT continues, this time pitting butt rock legends Nickelback and their 2005 "classic" All the Right Reasons against radio pop stalwarts Maroon 5 and their 2015 album V. Heather and Mike are joined by Make It Stop returnee and extraordinarily funny comedian Katie McCarthy. Together they endure 22 terrible tracks and must make the dreaded decision of which artist has earned a ticket to the semi-finals to take on the first seed, Mr. Worldwide himself, Pitbull. What style of trash will win the day? The macho blowjob anthems of Nickelback or the tepid white boy dance pop of Adam Levine and his supposed band? Part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
126 min
38
March Badness Round 1, Episode 1: Imagine Drago...
Welcome to our nightmare, Stoppies! It's our first episode of the 2020 MARCH BADNESS TOURNAMENT, where the lowest rated artists from the past decade duke it out to be crowned the worst of the worst. Today's showdown begins with a familiar foe, bane of the pod Eminem and the 2009 edition of his perpetual tired ass comeback routine, Relapse. Facing off against Marshall is the milquetoast mason jar wedding band Imagine Dragons and their 2014 record Smoke + Mirrors, an album distinguished only by the fact that every song featured on it has probably washed over you in a dentist's waiting room at some point. Helping us navigate this miserable matchup are fellow bad music experts Patrick and Lilz of Jukebox Zeroes, who do their best to provide objective critique while we slowly descend into madness. Who will win (or in this case, lose) - the self deprecating, over compensating musical masochism of Eminem or the literal nothingness of Imagine Dragons? All we know is that no matter who wins in March Badness, we all lose. Part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
106 min
39
Pat Boone - In A Metal Mood (w/ Ginny Nightshad...
In the 1950s, wholesome whitebread protestants were terrified by the so-called "Race Records" of the likes of Little Richard, Charles Singleton and Nat King Cole. Enter Pat Boone, a palatable alternative to both black musicians and the gyrating hips of Elvis Presley. With his milquetoast covers of black artists' original compositions, Pat Boone quickly surged to superstardom, amassing millions of dollars, jumpstarting a career in film and television, and spreading the good word to his avowedly Christian Conservative audience. In 1997, at age 63, Boone decided to try his hand at an entirely new form of cultural appropriation by shedding his cardigan for a leather vest and choker, and recording In A Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, an album of cover songs by the likes of Alice Cooper, Ronnie James Dio, Metallica, and his neighbor and friend Ozzy Osbourne. Mike D'Angelo and Ginny Nightshade of Old School Game Show join Heather and Mike to discuss this anomaly and its place in Boone's milieu. What exactly compels a Christian Conservative grandpa, birther and avowed homophobe to give a pass to the most Satanic genre? And is there any value to be found in an album made by such a wretched bigot? It's a long way to the top if you want to croon and crow.
108 min
40
Dave Matthews Band - Everyday (w/ Brian Melanson)
Despite institutional disdain and lukewarm critical reception, the Dave Matthews Band has maintained a ravenous and vocal fanbase for nearly three decades. Their patented blend of soft rock, smooth jazz and jam band wankery has wowed trust fund hippies and white hat frat bros for as long as most of us can remember. But even Dave's hordes of loyalists couldn't help but cast a weary side eye at the band's tepid crossover album, 2001's Everyday. Written and produced with the assistance of pop songwriting stalwart Glen Ballard ("Hand In My Pocket", "Man In The Mirror") after scrapping a set of beloved session tracks recorded by legendary producer Steve Lilywhite, Everyday is chock full of soaring choruses and easily digestible song structures while lacking the jazzy experimental jamminess and earnest acoustic guitar plucking that devoted Daveheads crave. Where does that leave Heather, Mike, and their guest and Stoppie for life Brian Melanson, who never cared for Dave anyway? Well, essentially, we also think this album sucks.
107 min
41
Worst of Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone has reinvented herself countless times. She's a diva, a gay icon, and a culture vulture of the highest magnitude. She redefined womens' place in popular music. Truly, she's nothing short of a legend. She's also a new age whackjob, neolib ghoul, and has literally stolen children from impoverished Africans. There is a whole lot to unpack with Madonna, and Heather and Mike tackle that undertaking on today's Make It Stop -- The Worst of Madonna. Through a career-spanning ten tracks, your hosts find Madonna trying on a bevy of ill-fitting musical costumes. Wokescold babbling with Latin influences? Check. Campy theatre jazz odes to spankings? Check. RAPPING? Multiple checks. Coming into the episode as avowed Madge stans, Heather and Mike soon learn just how horrific both her music and her personal life can get. Get into the groove and take it straight to the borderline, because it's gonna be hard to justify your love after this episode.
100 min
42
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Movie Sou...
The Beatles need no introduction. We all know them and their legacy. We all know how they shaped popular music for decades to come. But did you know that eleven years after the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band the forces of money and cocaine collided, causing a terrible supernova known as Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band -- THE MOVIE. Helmed by a doe eyed Peter Frampton and the drug addled husks of The Bee Gees, masterminded by their manager, and rounded out with a cadre of cartoon voiced actors, Sgt. Pepper was a cultural and critical failure, earning the ire of movie and music critics alike, not to mention fans. Filtered through layers of blue eyed soul, vocoder and drug psychosis, the once iconic songs of The Beatles are hollowed out and butchered on the film's soundtrack. Joe Streeter (Have A Nice Life, Giles Corey, CONSUMER) joins Mike and Heather to endure this butchery. Now it's your turn.
110 min
43
John Cena - You Can't See Me (w/ Tony Fernandez)
Ladies, gentlemen, esteemed guests, THE CHAMP. IS HERE. The Massachusetts-grown 10 time world champion, human meme, and all around beefcake John Cena is the subject of today's episode -- specifically, his 2005 rap album WWE: You Can't See Me. A time capsule of mid-aughts hubris, You Can't See Me is equal parts ghastly vanity project and ill-conceived showcase for Cena's dipshit cousin Tha Trademarc. The two MCs trade verses about shooting guns and flipping bricks as the eyes of every listener collectively roll deep into their skulls at the audacity and caucasity. Local filmmaker and wrestling afficionado Tony Fernandez joins Heather and Mike to analyze the merits and flaws of Make It Stop's latest white rap slog. You feeling froggy, Stoppies? THEN JUMP.
107 min
44
Worst Music of 2019
The 20-teens (20-tens?) have come and gone, and as we ring in the New Year we'd like to pay tribute to the worst that 2019 had to offer. Along with the requisite collection of washed up has-beens and plastic bubble gum that you've come to expect from our yearly wrap up, the end of the decade also provided us with a bounty of white rap dorks, cheesy novelty acts, and some monumental missteps from some of our faves. It didn't seem possible, but 2019 was easily the worst of all the worst ofs in Make It Stop history and it's not even close. So count down to midnight as the ten artists we've chosen give a brand new meaning to watching the ball drop.
102 min
45
Afroman - A Colt 45 Christmas (w/ Dahlia Hill &...
Twas The Night Before Christmas, and all through the pod / Four creatures were cringing, at a hacky rap clod / Afroman was hung over, and recorded some dreck / In hopes that dumb stoners would send him a check / Your hosts were both rustled, all smug in their dread / While idiot songs got stuck in their heads / And Dahlia on Mic 1, and Liv on Mic 2 / Joined both of yon hosts to discuss how this blew / A Colt 45 Christmas arose such a clatter / We're certain ye Stoppies that nothing is badder / And we heard him exclaim, through a slovenly drawl-- / "Merry Christmas to bitches, now lick on my balls!"
77 min
46
Lil B - Green Flame (w/ Zach Armentrout)
Imma tell you like this whodie, if you're really about that pretty bitch shit, that gutta shit, that fifty, if you're still selling jerry and you know you're doin' numbers, 28 wit' a ladder, still on that FIGARO. If you're wet like wonton soup, if you look like Jesus, if you've got 50,000 bitches on your dick, if you're bitch mob task force all day, real pink bandana shit, KRIS HUMPHRIES. If you know the BasedGod, you already know what it is. It's time for an episode on Lil B. The king of all memes. The BasedGod. Brandon McCartney. An unstoppably prolific enigma of an MC, Lil B has memed his way into the public spotlight again and again -- whether through his highly effective curses on NBA players, the various public beatings he's taken from fellow rappers, or his provocative album titles like "I'm Gay", Lil B captures the imaginations of the people. Comedian Zach Armentrout, host of The Mendoza Line comedy show, joins us to discuss Green Flame, one of the eighteen mixtapes that Lil B released in 2012. In typical Lil B fashion it's lo-fi, dashed off, with seemingly no thought put into it, and yet somehow, someway, Mike is all about it. Listen as Zach and Heather try to reason with him to no avail. Part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
105 min
47
Ashlee Simpson - Autobiography (w/ Janet McNamara)
Raised in her sister's shadow and shunned and ridiculed by the public, Ashlee Simpson was put through a lot for a 19 year old. Her public image took a massive hit following a disastrous SNL lip synching gaffe, leading to a number of hit pieces, a high level of media scrutiny, and the merciless booing of her performance at the Orange Bowl. Was she really that bad? Did she deserve to be dragged through the mud? Local comedian and infamous American Idol alum Janet McNamara (seriously, look it up) doesn't think so. This episode finds Heather and Mike butting heads with their guest, who just may be the most devoted living Ashlee Simpson fan. We dive into her 2003 debut Autobiography, in which she tried to set herself apart from her bubble gum sister with transgressive elements including references to pet play, breathy pseudo-Courtney Love moans, and - gasp - electric guitars!?!?!? It's enough to make any pop aficionado's head spin. Make it Stop is proud to be part of the Pantheon Podcast Network!
96 min
48
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch - Discography (w...
We're the ones listening to bad albums out there. Not you, not you, and not you. This week it's all about a true patriot and visionary, Boston's favorite son, revisionist 9/11 savior and vicious hate crime non-apologist Mark Wahlberg. Specifically, his stint as a New Kids-affiliated shirtless (and sometimes pantsless) white rapper named Marky Mark. Sean Sullivan of the Wahlberg enthusiast podcast Two Boys in a Balcony joins the fray as we listen to not one but two albums by The Funky Bunch. Selecting the most choice cuts, we get into his storytelling skills, his family values, and most importantly, his blinding of a Vietnamese man. Wahlberg, who again, never apologized for blinding a Vietnamese man as a youth, has rightfully disavowed his rap career, despite the fact that it propelled him into fingering Reese Witherspoon on a roller coaster in Fear a mere three years later. Is he correct in his assessment of these albums? Is there any value to be found in them? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe go fuck yourself. Part of the Pantheon Podcasts Network.
99 min
49
The Rolling Stones - Dirty Work (w/ Jere Pilapil)
Even though they'd go on to extend their careers another three decades, The Rolling Stones were already Old Bags of Bones when they released Dirty Work in 1986. Mick Jagger was content to sod off and work on his questionable solo project, Charlie Watts was so zonked on heroin the band needed to hire session drummers to finish the record, and the rest of the band was so sick of each other that they all retreated into the world of oversized neon pink blazer afficionada. Comedian and Stones Superfan Jere Pilapil joins us to discuss this opiate hangover set to tape, and we dive into the band's past, present and future to figure out just how severely it tarnished their legacy. What's the worst offense? The vastly inferior cover of R&B legends Bob & Earl's "Harlem Shuffle"? Their labored take on dub reggae? Or Keith Richards' terrifying lullaby? The one thing that's certain is that we can't... and I can't stress this enough... get no satisfaction on this week's Make It Stop.
84 min
50
Weezer- Raditude (w/ Chris and Chris of We'z Ta...
This week we're joined by Chris the Elder and Chris the Younger from the We'z Talkin' Weez 2 Thee podcast. We tap into their boundless Weezer knowledge to try to make sense of 2009's Raditude. Rife with cringe lyrics, questionable genre bending and incompatible collaborations, Raditude oozes unbearable corniness. We discuss the once mighty rock giants' fall from grace and gradual transformation into a childrens' novelty rock act. We discuss Rivers Cuomo's questionable proclivities. Mike in particular is wildly excited to finally be able to nerd out about Weezer. Our love is a heartbreaker, say it ain't so, Stoppies. Part of the Pantheon Podcasts network.
118 min