Join Matt, Glenn, and Tim from the Strange Currencies Podcast, as they explore the profound weirdness of “America’s Band,” The Beach Boys. Talkin’ Down the Highway engages in weekly, hour-long conversations about each Beach Boys LP, the “heroes and villains” of the band’s complicated story, the group’s often-bizarre aesthetic choices, and whatever else happens to be on the hosts’ minds (usually a bunch of semi-obscure Simpsons references).
While we think it’s an instant classic with the potential to revolutionize the art of podcasting, don’t just take our word for it. YouTube commenters have described Talkin’ Down the Highway as “great,” “petty,” and “click HERE for discounts on generic Viagra.” Find links to every episode of the podcast (to date) below:
Series Teaser
It’s Talkin’ Down the Highway: A Beach Boys Podcast presented by Strange Currencies Music. Join Matt, Glenn, and Tim as they explore the profound weirdness of “America’s Band.”
Episode 1: Introduction
In the premiere episode of Talkin’ Down the Highway, Matt, Glenn, and Tim discuss the origins and early history of The Beach Boys. Other topics include male pattern baldness, right-wing memes, and Brian Wilson’s well-documented love of alliteration.
Episode 2: Surfin’ Safari
In this episode, Matt, Glenn, and Tim discuss The Beach Boys’ 1962 debut album, Surfin’ Safari. Additional topics include root beer, casual racism, Poochie the Rockin’ Dog, and Andrew Jackson’s parrot.
Episode 3: Surfin’ U.S.A.
Matt, Glenn, and Tim discuss The Beach Boys’ second album, 1963’s Surfin’ U.S.A. Other topics include surf lingo, dental school conspiracies, and frosty chocolate milkshakes.
Episode 4: Surfer Girl
Matt, Glenn, and Tim discuss the 1963 Beach Boys album, Surfer Girl. Other topics include sixties-era Photoshop, the Land of Chocolate, and the importance of taking a break now and then.
Episode 5: Little Deuce Coupe
In this episode, the guys discuss Little Deuce Coupe: the third Beach Boys LP of 1963. Other topics include dickhead arsonists, solid gold houses, and YouTube view count oversight. Enjoy what is almost certainly our most explicit episode to date!
Episode 6: Shut Down Volume 2
In this episode, the group discusses The Beach Boys’ 1964 LP, Shut Down Volume 2. Other topics include unreliable narrators, dumb/misleading titles, and the 1990s sitcom, Coach.
SPECIAL EPISODE 1: Beach Boys Cruise
In this special episode — a throwback to our roots on the Strange Currencies Podcast — Matt, Glenn, and Tim discuss the once in a lifetime opportunity to go on a Caribbean cruise with Mike Love’s “Beach Boys.” Hilarity, and a profound sadness, ensues…
Episode 7: All Summer Long
In this episode, the guys discuss The Beach Boys’ 1964 album, All Summer Long. Other topics include Mike Love’s culinary preferences, root beer-related controversies, and two appearances of one of our favorite set pieces.
Episode 8: Beach Boys Concert
The gang discusses The Beach Boys’ 1964 live album, Beach Boys Concert. Other topics include the emergence of a new villain, the Citizens United case, and the ongoing debate over whether or not Mike Love actually graduated from high school.
Episode 9: The Beach Boys, An American Family (Pt. 1)
Matt, Glenn, and Tim discuss the first half of the made-for-TV movie, The Beach Boys: An American Family. Other topics include parental (dis)approval, whether or not Joey Gladstone was considered an “uncle,” and the irresistible charms of Mike Love.
Episode 10: The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album
It’s the holiday season, which means it’s time for the obligatory annual listen to The Beach Boys’ 1964 Christmas album. Other topics include JFK/Phil Spector conspiracies, a surprising new villain, and Mike Love’s worst vocal performance to date.
SPECIAL EPISODE 2: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Matt, Glenn, and Tim break down Mike Love’s legendary speech from The Beach Boys’ 1988 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It’s a monumental achievement in American oratory: kind of like MLK’s “I Have a Dream,” or Lincoln’s Second Inaugural — only completely lacking in humility, self-awareness, or hair.
Episode 11: The Beach Boys Today
The guys discuss The Beach Boys Today: the album that saw Brian Wilson turning his full attention toward studio production. Other topics include Wrecking Crew-related gossip, Murry Wilson’s infamous drunken rant, and the tragic story of Dick Rising.
Episode 12: Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
The guys discuss 1965’s Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!). Additional topics in our least coherent episode to date include exclamation point etiquette, Al Jardine’s fateful lobster encounter, and the longest-ever “Sound and Vision” feature.
Episode 13: Beach Boys’ Party!
The gang discuss The Beach Boys’ 1965 quasi-live record on a podcast dropping just in time for the Q4 holiday shopping rush. Good news: it’s free! Other topics include Mike Love the narc, a Carole Kaye correction, and Tim’s visit to the Bob Dylan Center.
Episode 14: Pet Sounds (Pt. 1)
The crew discuss the context and first half of what may be pop music’s greatest masterpiece — at least aside from those created by Buckethead. Other topics include the etiquette of wearing hats in swimming pools, our most emphatic episode of “Sound & Vision” to date, and the nicest thing that we’ll ever say about Mike Love.
Episode 15: Pet Sounds (Pt. 2)
We discuss Pet Sounds‘ B-side, and its short- and long-term impact on the pop music landscape. Other topics include The Beach Boys’ attempt to make a horror film, a spirited debate over the difference between a theremin and a Tannerin, and where exactly Mike Love was on January 6th.
Episode 16: SMiLE
In this episode we discuss Brian Wilson’s legendary SMiLE project, and the monumental singles “Good Vibrations” and “Heroes and Villains.” Other topics include tape theft, strategies for hiding baldness, and practical uses for indoor tents.
Episode 17: Smiley Smile
In this episode, Matt, Glenn, and Tim discuss Smiley Smile: the 1967 album that appeared after The Beach Boys’ SMiLE project was abandoned. Other topics include time-traveling art thieves, stoned animals, and the name of our least favorite veg-e-table.
Episode 18: Wild Honey
Wherein the gang discuss The Beach Boys’ second 1967 album, Wild Honey. Other topics include winter weather, Ron DeSantis (we hardly knew ya), and discovering the real meaning behind a seemingly-innocent phrase.
Episode 19: Friends
Matt, Glenn, and Tim wrap up their discussion of the post-SMiLE trilogy with an episode devoted to the Friends LP. Other topics include the Maharishi, Dennis Kucinich, and a 1968 history lesson.
Episode 20: 20/20
With Tim out sick, a special guest is called upon to help Matt and Glenn discuss The Beach Boys’ 1969 album, 20/20. Other topics include helmet hair, unnecessary Ringo-bashing, and a dive into the pile of filth that is Conservapedia.
Episode 21: Live in London
Bad attempts at humor abound as the crew discuss The Beach Boys’ second live album, 1970’s Live in London, while simultaneously mourning the mysterious disappearance of Tim.
Episode 22: Sunflower
The gang celebrates the triumphant return of Tim while discussing The Beach Boys’ 1970 LP, Sunflower. Other topics include Murder She Wrote, the classic SNES game EarthBound, and Tim’s newfound obsession with books.
Episode 23: Surf’s Up
The crew discuss The Beach Boys’ surprisingly dark 1971 LP, Surf’s Up. Other topics include problematic Dodger fans, the complicated Dragon family tree, and Bob Dylan singing “Happy Birthday” to Brian Wilson. (Pete)
Episode 24: Carl and the Passions “So Tough”
The guys discuss the absurdly-titled 1972 LP, Carl and the Passions “So Tough.” Other topics include Glenn’s unhealthy dive into Beach Boys fan fiction, Poochie the Rockin’ Dog, and pondering why we need to keep talking about Daryl Dragon.
Episode 25: Holland
Matt, Glenn, and Tim discuss the 1973 LP Holland, and its companion EP Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairytale). Other topics include William Henry Harrison, duty-free shops, and extraordinarily sexy forests.
Episode 26: The Beach Boys in Concert
The gang discuss the 1973 record, The Beach Boys in Concert. Other topics include favorite live albums, Dennis Wilson’s haircut, Todd Gack, and the first episode of a new feature, Nixon Notes.
Episode 27: Endless Summer
The crew discuss 1974’s Endless Summer: for some, a fine compilation; for others, a “brilliant concept album.” Other topics include spring break, honking etiquette, and a litany of Simpsons references.
Episode 28: The Beach Boys, An American Family (Pt. 2)
The gang return from their brief hiatus to discuss the second half of the made-for-TV film, The Beach Boys: An American Family. Other topics include chance encounters with iconic actors, Nick Castellanos, and the relative merits of fast food chains from the American Southwest.
Episode 29: 15 Big Ones
Matt, Glenn, and Tim discuss The Beach Boys’ 1976 album, 15 Big Ones. Other topics include Glenn’s favorite gas station, Al Jardine’s great betrayal, and what exactly constitutes a “big one.”
Episode 30: Love You
The crew discuss The Beach Boys’ 1977 album Love You. Other topics include illicit sources of income, Patti Smith, and Brian Dennehy (aka, America’s answer to the Indian film star, Otm Shank).
Episode 31: Adult Child
The guys discuss the unreleased late-seventies album, ‘Adult Child.’ Other topics include Glenn making a bold prediction, Tim committing a regrettable verbal faux pas, and Matt threatening Al Jardine with a lobster.
Episode 32: Pacific Ocean Blue
Matt, Glenn, and Tim (note the Oxford comma) discuss Dennis Wilson’s 1977 solo debut, Pacific Ocean Blue. Other topics include mezcal, Aurora Borealis, and chance encounters with Bill Oakley.
Episode 33: M.I.U. Album
The guys discuss the 1978 Beach Boys record, M.I.U. Album. Other topics include playing ping-pong at Denny’s, Mike Love “fun facts” (including that his own brother apparently can’t stand him), and the podcast crew’s upcoming trip to the beautiful coastal cornfields of Iowa.
Episode 34: L.A. (Light Album)
The guys discuss 1979’s L.A. (Light Album). Other topics include helipads, stupid people on social media, 9/11, and 7-Eleven.
Episode 35: Keepin’ the Summer Alive
Matt, Glenn, and Tim talk Keepin’ the Summer Alive: the first Beach Boys album of the 1980s. Other topics include high concept art, the differences between the North and South Pole, and the classic Simpsons episode “Homer at the Bat.”
Episode 36: The Beach Boys Documentary
The gang discuss the new Disney+ documentary The Beach Boys. Other topics include Glenn discovering a new beer, Tim reminiscing about an odd bit of “Old Portland” lore, and Matt displaying fleeting sympathy for an aging Mike Love.
Episode 37: Carl Wilson / Looking Back With Love
The guys discuss the solo debut albums from Carl Wilson and Mr. Kibbles N. Bits himself. Other topics include driving on the wrong side of the road, alternate guitar tunings, and crying outside of the Abbey Road Studios.
Episode 38: The Beach Boys
The crew discuss The Beach Boys’ 1985 self-titled album. Other topics include fantasy baseball, multiple Stephen Malkmus references, and some sound advice for Nazis.
Episode 39: Brian Wilson
Matt, Glenn, and Tim talk Brian Wilson’s 1988 debut solo album. Other topics include lazy titles, Tim’s visit to something called “Dinosaur Zoo,” and the beloved garage rock band The Rising Storm.
Episode 40: Still Cruisin’
Matt, Glenn, and Tim discuss another “brilliant concept album” by The Beach Boys: 1989’s Still Cruisin’. Other topics include reverse raptures, the Dred Scott Case, and forklift certification.
Episode 41: Full House
The guys discuss The Beach Boys’ three (!?!) separate appearances on the American family sitcom, Full House. Other topics include Francoise Hardy, the appropriateness of “Glennergy” in Europe, and whether or not Joey Gladstone actually pays rent.
Episode 42: Summer in Paradise
The guys discuss the Mike Love-led 1992 album Summer in Paradise. Other topics include ringing in the new year with Captain Beefheart, buying vinyl records overseas, Tim’s love of Baywatch, and the highly-coveted Talkin’ Down the Highway presidential endorsement.
ARRIVING 7/26/24