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’ roll.

Charles mourns the golden era—when the only thing being sold was your dignity for drink tickets. Lisa follows the money trail, where once-grimy venues got replaced by influencer lounges, sponsored stages, and VIP sections so exclusive even the bands can’t get in.
From legendary surprise shows… to standing in line for an hour to get a free energy drink branded by a cryptocurrency you don’t understand.
It’s the story of how SXSW went from South By Southwest… to South By Sponsored Content.

So grab your wristband, scan your QR code, and enjoy a festival experience carefully curated by a marketing department that has never heard of a guitar.

Because nothing says “indie spirit” like a panel hosted by a bank. [Ep 131]

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Produced by: Charles Mooney
Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger

Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger

Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

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 basically said, “Great set… see you after.”

From bulletproof egos to not-so-bulletproof SUVs, this episode explores what happens when music stops being just music and starts sounding like a very public obituary rehearsal.

Requests were made.
Money changed hands.
Notes were delivered… and not the kind you frame.

Jackalope Tales asks the important question:
Is it still a “fan request” if saying no voids your life warranty?

Press play… and maybe don’t accept any folded pieces of paper mid-performance. [Ep 131]

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

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 minimalist German oddities behind Trio, the band responsible for the deceptively simple hit Da Da Da. Was it just a quirky new-wave song… or a hypnotic psychological test to see how little music the public would tolerate before complete mental collapse?

Along the way Charles and Lisa explore whether pop music might sometimes be less about art… and more about agenda. Because nothing says “covert cultural influence” quite like drum machines, awkward haircuts, and a chorus that sounds like it was written by a malfunctioning fax machine.

Jackalope Tales — where the conspiracy theories are questionable, the music is suspicious, and the CIA definitely isn’t listening… probably. [Ep 130]

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

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?

Charles digs into the mysterious world of nonprofit labels — where money allegedly vanishes into “administrative costs,” “artistic development,” and possibly a suspicious amount of craft beer and vintage analog compressors.
Lisa asks the harder questions:

• If a record label is nonprofit… why does the CEO drive a Tesla?
• Why do the bands still end up broke?
• And is “artist support” just a nicer phrase for creative tax shelter?

Expect nonprofit loopholes, shady music-industry math, and the uncomfortable realization that sometimes the biggest charity in the room… is the band donating their labor.

Because in the music business, the only thing more dangerous than a crooked record label…
…is one claiming to be doing it for the good of humanity.

Welcome to Jackalope Tales — where the legends are strange, the stories are darker than a club bathroom at closing time, and tonight we ask the question:

Is it nonprofit… or just another Jackalope? [Ep 129]

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

In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa open a dusty filing cabinet labeled “Top Secret: Adult Contemporary.” Inside: two power ballads so suspiciously inspirational they may have been weaponized.

Lisa follows the whistling trail of the Wind of Change—a song that somehow floated over the Berlin Wall, slipped into the bloodstream of a collapsing empire, and convinced millions that freedom smelled like Aqua Net and Marlboro Lights. Was it written by German rockers… or by a guy in Langley wearing fingerless gloves and softly weeping over a Stratocaster?

Meanwhile, Charles investigates Looking for Freedom—a power ballad so potent it turned a lifeguard into a geopolitical event. As Hasselhoff stood on the Berlin Wall in a glowing Members Only jacket, historians insist it was a cultural moment. We ask the real question: how many intelligence officers died inside hearing that chorus for the 400th time?

From psychological warfare disguised as soft rock, to ballads engineered to make entire populations feel feelings against their will, this episode uncovers the terrifying possibility that the Cold War wasn’t won with missiles… but with key changes.
Because nothing topples governments faster than a grown man whisper-singing about freedom over a Yamaha keyboard preset labeled “Emotional Pad 3.” [Ep 128]

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

The Grammys happened. Civilization limped away.

In this fever-dream episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa wade knee-deep into the glittery wreckage of Grammy 2026 like raccoons rummaging through a rhinestone dumpster.

Charles dissects the gospel of glam gone wrong as he unpacks Chappell Roan’s now-infamous Grammy moment — the dress that looked like it was stitched together from haunted prom curtains, weaponized tulle, and the ghosts of mall goths past. And yes… the glares. The side-eyes. The full demonic ocular hexes fired across the auditorium like she was trying to curse someone’s Spotify streams into oblivion. Were they artistic statements? Allergies? A ritual? Charles investigates with the seriousness of a man who has paused and zoomed in 47 times.

Meanwhile, Lisa dives into the emotional thunderstorm that was Jelly Roll’s acceptance rant — a speech that started as gratitude and slowly spiraled into a sermon, a therapy session, and possibly a Senate filibuster. Was it heartfelt? Absolutely. Did it feel like we were being lovingly yelled at by a motivational preacher who just discovered Red Bull? Also yes.

From couture catastrophes to podium prophecies, Charles and Lisa break down the music, the drama, the body language crimes, and the spiritual warfare happening under arena lighting.

Because it’s only Roan & Roll…

…but we don’t like it. [Ep 127]

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

This week, Charles and Lisa carve up the real main event of Super Bowl LX: the music. Forget who scored more touchdowns — we’re talking about the cavalcade of performers who tried to out-sing, out-anthem, or out-harmonize a football game that literally has cheerleaders dressed like pyrotechnic reject mannequins. From Charlie Puth’s earnest belt of the national anthem to Green Day launching into patriotism-tinged punk rock like a dad trying to reconnect with his skateboarder son, the pregame stage was a buffet of musical identity crises.
But wait: the halftime show! The Puerto Rican phenomenon Bad Bunny headlined an almost entirely Spanish set with surprise turns from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, turning what should’ve been a 15-minute pause in football into a full-on cultural summit no one asked for but everyone talked about (especially people yelling about it on Twitter).

Strap in for a snarky, slightly bitter breakdown of why the Super Bowl playlist this year was more dramatic, more confusing, and more culturally seismic than the final score — and definitely more soulful than anything the refs did on the field. [Ep 126]

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

Some bands want you to feel the music.

Others want you to sign a waiver.

In The Show Must Go Wrong, Charles and Lisa dive headfirst into the beautiful disaster zone of live music where safety is optional, chaos is guaranteed, and the stage is just another weapon.

Charles breaks down the legacy of Hanatarash, the most dangerous live band ever—where bulldozers, power tools, and flying debris were just part of the set list. No encores. No refunds. Possibly no walls left standing.

Lisa counters with her own firsthand trauma—seeing Genitorturers live—a show that blurred the line between concert, endurance test, and something you’re pretty sure violated at least three city ordinances.

This episode is about bands that didn’t just push boundaries…

They sprinted past them, lit them on fire, and asked the crowd to stand closer.
If you’ve ever thought, “This show could kill me,”

Congratulations—you’re the target audience.

Jackalope Tales — where the music is loud, the stories are darker, and the show always goes wrong. [Ep 125]

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