September 1991 Pop Culture: Brandon, Brenda & The Women Of The Music Industry

Summary

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Listen To Sassy: Life In The 90s

Episode: September 1991 Pop Culture – Brandon, Brenda & The Women Of The Music Industry

Date: April 14, 2026
Hosts: Tara Ariano, Pamela Ribon, David T. Cole

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the September 1991 issue of Sassy magazine, focusing on pop culture highlights of the time, Beverly Hills 90210 mania, and the feature “How To Have a Job in Music and Be Female.” The hosts revisit iconic 90s moments, critique magazine content, offer personal insights, and check in on the fates of women profiled in the magazine’s music industry feature. Their conversational, irreverent style and encyclopedic 90s knowledge make this a lively listen for fans of Sassy, 90s pop, and nostalgia deep-dives.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. General Pop Culture and “What Now” Corner

Timestamps: 01:06–12:15

• The hosts joke about the magazine’s hard-to-read design this month and muse over Sassy’s update on Prince’s upcoming album Diamonds and Pearls, reminiscing about his creative outbursts and visual flair.
• Prince’s DC Comic: The group is surprised to learn about Prince’s early-90s DC comic tie-in. Pam shares, “Yes. In 1991, Prince was involved with DC Comics for a comic book project. Tied to his new power generation era, notably Prince alter ego, featuring his Gemini Persona. And here it is.” (03:04)
• They riff on the magazine’s “Racism or No” blurb about a valedictorian controversy (03:33–05:07), highlighting the tricky, coded coverage of race in 90s teen media:
  • “This whole thing increased racial tensions at the high school, but both boys deny this. I guess everyone else thought it was a case of racism. Thomas, now at the University of Georgia, says, but I spoke with Jonathan.” (04:52–04:55)

2. Sassy’s Glossary: The “Andy” in Your Band

Timestamps: 11:54–14:25

• Sassy Glossary entry: “Andy noun. The person in a band who is such a zero that no one gives a care about him. Origin. Andy Taylor of Duran Duran. Usage. Danny Wood is the Andy of New Kids on the Block. Adam Clayton is the Andy of U2. Mick Mars is the Andy of Motley Crue.” (11:54–12:15)
• Dave offers context: “This is a coin coinage, similar to one we have on our sister podcast, Extra Hot Great … the ‘Pierce’ after the Chevy Chase character in Community, which is the character who could lift out of the show without disturbing any of the rest of it working.” (12:25)
• Pam: “I think Dani of New Kids is a fair example. We could say Dany, who, also like the Bowser … I want to date myself even further.” (13:51)

3. Music Reviews & Commentary

Timestamps: 22:29–27:52

• Nation of Ulysses: Erin the intern gives their album 13-Point Program to Destroy America five pips—the “hit of the month.” Fred Armisen is cited as having been influenced by them. Pam: “That’s the weird world we’re in.” (23:17)
• Violent Femmes’ Why Do Birds Sing? gets only two pips, which the hosts feel is too low.
  • Pam shares a personal anecdote: “I was like, yes, this Violent Femmes to Weezer to Pam connection here. Including, like, you know, Tara, you and your typewriter that you took to school, you would … want to be dating the boy who wore the bathrobe every Monday.” (24:44)
• Samantha Fox’s Just One Night prompts a delightfully unenthusiastic, theatrical review:
  • Dave: “I can't stand Mike’s Mikeness.” (28:55)

4. “One to Watch”: Eric Gales

Timestamps: 30:34–32:11

• Paper’s pick for up-and-comer guitarist Eric Gales gets the “hat that says I am a guitarist and possibly nothing else” treatment, and again the hosts question the criteria and longevity of these 90s predictions.
  • “If you watch the Oscars this year, you saw him on stage for Sinners.” (32:02) – Pam

5. Beverly Hills, 90210 Paper Doll Feature

Timestamps: 32:11–37:13

• Sassy’s first deep dive into 90210 territory arrives in the form of illustrated paper dolls. Tara leverages her legit 90210 credentials (“I co-wrote a book…”), fact-checking Sassy’s coverage and breaking down Brandon and Brenda’s personas/clothing.
  • Dave reacts to the illustrations: “All the faces for all the paper dolls are like 7% off. And it’s got this real sort of triggering something in my fight or flight brain. It’s like, ah, run from Brandon. Run.” (34:24)
  • Pam: “I still have not seen a minute of Beverly Hills 90210, so I let it wash over me. But I do think that you would wear Tara. Anything here and there. The Brenda Walsh situation.” (36:34)

6. Feature: “How to Have a Job in Music and Be Female”

Timestamps: 37:13–41:53

• Pam tracks down all five women profiled by the article—band manager, A&R, PR, GM, engineer—and delivers heartfelt updates:
  • Teresa Chambers: Late manager, whose daughter fronts Torture and the Desert Spiders. “She picked her name because people used to call her mom Torture Chambers.” (38:12)
  • Bettina Richards: Now legendary founder of indie label Thrill Jockey.
  • Karen Kennedy: “She founded 247 Artist Development in 1992, which still exists. She’s currently the president … of NAPAMA.” (39:56)
  • Janet Billig: Managed and publicized Hole, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, now manages Lisa Loeb’s multifaceted career. “On March 19, 2004, she was featured on the cover of the New York Post, bailing Courtney Love out of jail.” (39:59)
  • Judy Marianis: Celebrated sound engineer for the Indigo Girls and Living Colour, credited publicly for her huge impact before her passing due to COVID in 2020.
• Pam: “They really knew who they were picking, and/or it was such slim pickings that you were gonna continue to stay in this industry until you dominated, made your own version … and then continue to do it your way all the way through.” (41:53)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On 90s Collectibles:
  “Hey lady, keep it to yourself. Don’t inspire people to compete with you. There’s going to be a limited number of these at any antique mall you go to. Keep it to yourself.”
  — Dave (08:28)

• On Movie Watching in Teens:
  “Sometimes you just watch these bummer films when you wanna see your cute boys. They make it hard.”
  — Pam, on My Own Private Idaho (17:34)

• On Sassy’s Attitude:
  “Because of a lack of gratitude on the part of some former Zines of the Month, Pulp, et cetera, the Zine of the Month feature has been canceled until further notice.”
  — Sassy excerpt, as read by Dave (11:13)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:09 — Kickoff: What Now? section and Sassy’s magazine reading experience
• 03:04 — Prince’s DC Comic Project
• 05:07 — Milestone Movie/TV coverage: Lily Taylor, Johnny Depp, Arizona Dream
• 07:13 — Sassy’s Ins & Outs List
• 11:54 — Glossary: “Andy” in every band
• 17:34 — 90s Indie Film Reviews: My Own Private Idaho, Boyz N the Hood, and pop cultural context
• 22:24 — Nation of Ulysses: DIY punk cred, influence, and Sassy flavor
• 24:35 — Violent Femmes appreciation
• 27:52 — Samantha Fox album review (and “Mike’s Mikeness”)
• 32:11 — 90210 Paper Dolls and Fact Checks
• 37:13 — In-Depth: The Women of the Music Industry Feature—where are they now?
• 41:53 — Reflections on legacy and impact for female music industry professionals

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Conclusion

This episode is a fun, fast-paced ride through the cultural artifacts of September 1991, packed with snappy banter, sharp media criticism, and warm nostalgia. Through the hosts’ research and affectionate callbacks, listeners get both a snapshot of that Sassy issue and a sense of its legacy—especially for young women looking for inspiration in music or media. If you love Sassy, the 90s, or just sharp and witty pop culture talk, this one is worth both your ears and your heart.

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Transcript

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[Host 1]

Okay, here we go. Intro. Is September 1991. You're watching too much TV so you decided to read something.

[Pam]

Hmm.

[Host 1]

What to read here in September 1991. Oh, look, it's Tom Clancy's the Sum of All Fears.

[Dave]

I guess it's time to listen to Sassy. Hi, Pam. Hello. Hi, Dave.

[Host 1]

Remember yourself. Both hoarse and dizzy.

[Dave]

Should we get into this issues, pop culture topics?

[Host 1]

Yes.

[Dave]

What now?

[Host 1]

Yeah, what now?

[Dave]

I don't have much to say about the top left item because you can't

[Host 1]

read it because this is all in hunter green with very dubious low contrast and hard to register properly colors.

[Dave]

There's definitely that this is a little item about Prince's next album, Diamonds and Pearls, which is supposed to come out on August 27th. So it will have been out probably by the time most people were reading this issues. Don't call him princes. Like, of all of the people that she's ummed their name. Put some respect on it. You know, he's not like the other idiots that you're interviewing in this magazine all the time. Fine to call him Balti or whatever, but Balti? Sort from Balta's Arcade, Baltimore.

[Host 1]

Oh, I see. Trying to figure out why Prince was called Balti. He wasn't born in Baltimore.

[Dave]

Do we believe this hairstyle was called the Typhoon? Because that feels like something someone made up.

[Pam]

I mean, it wasn't named this after him. Like, I feel like the Typhoon could have existed before primsomes adorned it and it was known as a typhoon. All right, But I don't think he was like, I call this the typhoon.

[Dave]

Well, of all the people to just declare something to be named something for dubious reasons, that is kind of one of his things.

[Pam]

He would have called it something sexier is all. I mean, the rainstorm Typhoon, Dave. A typhoon? Is that what you said? Yeah, yeah, yeah. A typhoon. Yeah, yeah.

[Host 1]

I came. I came to play today, guys.

[Pam]

Oh, yeah, Dave's. Yeah, I like this. Let's see what happens next.

[Dave]

Dave, this item also has something about a Prince DC DC comic title, which feels like something I've never heard anyone talk about ever.

[Host 1]

Did you look it up?

[Dave]

No.

[Pam]

Did you?

[Host 1]

No. The first I'm learning about it.

[Pam]

Yes. In 1991, Prince was involved with DC Comics for a comic book project. Tied to his new power generation era, notably Prince alter ego, featuring his Gemini Persona. And here it is.

[Dave]

Insufferable.

[Host 1]

Why don't I have wapow?

[Pam]

Hold on.

[Host 1]

All right, Great. Live wapows. Fantastic.

[Pam]

Racism or no. Oh, man.

[Host 1]

Is this like a choice at a restaurant?

[Pam]

Yes.

[Dave]

Terrible game show.

[Pam]

Racism or no. Guys in the mood at Newtown County High School in Covington, Georgia. So you probably have your answer. Before we go any further, there was a trauma last June between two students over who should be the class valedictorian and get the thousand dollar prize. Jonathan Henderson, who is black, had a grade point average of 96.97. C. Thomas Allgood III. They use the number three here, which is weird.

[Dave]

No further questions.

[Pam]

Had an average of 97.7. But according to school policy, the valedictorian's grades must come from a regionally accredited school. And Thomas had earned some of his grades at a private school whose accreditation is in. Accreditation is in dispute.

[Dave]

I'm gonna say that probably means religious school.

[Pam]

Proceed and or made by Abe Ferlman, the sausage king of Chicago. Rather than just giving the honor to Jonathan, the county school superintendent said, why don't y' all share? Jonathan's father asked the super to pick one or the other. That dude picked. Jonathan. And Thomas sued, of course. A federal judge ruled that the two should share it. And on honors night, Jonathan refused to share and Thomas got the whole 1k. Principal is more important, said Jonathan, who's now pre med at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. Anyway, the New York Times reported that this whole thing increased racial tensions at the high school, but both boys deny this. I guess everyone else thought it was a case of racism. Thomas, now at the University of Georgia, says, but I spoke with Jonathan.

[Dave]

He.

[Pam]

He didn't think so. According to Jonathan, this wasn't racism, but there have been real racial tensions at the school for some time. So. Racism. Yeah, yeah.

[Dave]

Kinda.

[Pam]

Kinda.

[Dave]

Talented Lily Taylor, fresh out of a film with gifted Dermot Moroni, is now perfecting her art in a movie with beautiful Johnny Depp, uppity model Paulina Porizkova. What? And aging stunner Faye Dunaway called the Arrow Tooth Waltz. The movie is about. I don't know what. Because three different agents at the firm that represents Lily Taylor and the film had no clue. As soon as someone gets a brain, I will let you know. You know who got a brain.

[Pam]

Pam, I'm glad that Tara read this, because I still can't say Dermot Mulrooney. You did.

[Dave]

You did it.

[Pam]

No. Did you See how hard that was? I couldn't say it in real time. I had to slow myself.

[Dave]

We can do hard things. Glennon Doyle.

[Pam]

Yeah, that's another one. You don't actually have to open your teeth. This movie became Arizona Dream, the first Johnny Depp movie that little Pam went. I don't know if I can do all of them from here on out, but here's a fun fact I found. This movie is a favorite of Dave Grohl's and the song Enough space from the color and the shape is about it, which is why the lyrics say almost all the lyrics in the whole song. I was waiting for something. Maybe flying machines. That's when I found Lily. The best I've ever seen. There you go. Lily Taylor. That's your. That's your one to grow on.

[Dave]

We need a remake of Arizona Dream that is mainly about the soup plantation reopening in Tucson.

[Pam]

Racism or no. Woo pow.

[Dave]

Woopow.

[Pam]

All right. In n out is so annoying. And the only reason I was able to read it and I decided I would do it is because I'm holding the actual magazine so I could split the spine open as much as possible to try to read the ins and outs. But the top one is ins or Jason's. And outs are Johnny. And that's a very Pam centered answer. Hey, Pam out. You're Johnny in your Jason. Others include in is body fat women a woman spelled with an A and not a Y. Brows instead of lashes. Real work shoes instead of lashes.

[Host 1]

Wait, it's body fat and muscles. It's not body fat or women.

[Pam]

Oh, sorry. I did go just down the list. But you know what? I'm sorry. I live in California where it's either body fat or women.

[Host 1]

I mean, if I had to choose one, I guess I would choose body fat. What do you do without body fat? Die, I guess.

[Pam]

Journalists turn. Models are in and models turned. Journalists are out. Debbie Mazar is in and Madonna is out. Heather Graham is in and Julia Roberts is out. Other things like cubic zarcona and dental deformities are in. And out are diamonds and braces. But anyway, what is the Tweeds catalog is that? Do you guys know what that is? That's what's out. But I never heard of it.

[Dave]

It's just a fashion catalog. I don't think I ever got it.

[Host 1]

The Tweeds. What catalog? Catalog.

[Pam]

Oh, you're right. Catalog.

[Dave]

Look at that catalog else spotted. Dave, this just looks like very sort of English country house fashions for reasons who knows.

[Pam]

The Jeffersons are in And Amen is out. And I'd kind of forgotten about Amen. Yeah.

[Dave]

Star vehicle for Anna Maria Horsford. It's the thing I remember. Whoopow.

[Pam]

Whoopow.

[Dave]

Teenage gang Deb Aaron Smith is back from her triumphant appearance in Zen of the Month. And this time she's here to advise about something to collect, which is vintage board games that are tie ins for various media properties. The ones that are pictured are Planet of the Apes, Patty Duke show and the Partridge Family. I'm gonna say two things. One is she. She says in it, these are not actually that fun to play. And they're not. They're obviously like quickie rush to market to capitalize on the success of something or other, some franchise. But I also think if she's like, this is a cool thing to start collecting. Hey lady, keep it to yourself. Don't inspire people to compete with you. There's going to be a limited number of these at any antique mall you go to keep it to yourself.

[Host 1]

Good Strat.

[Dave]

I also don't believe they are swiftly becoming the hot collectibles of the 90s. This seems like this is a thing I'm doing and I think it's cool and you should do. Which is fine. But let's not make it more than it is.

[Pam]

We need to work hard. This was so pre Internet. You. You needed to be near either a lot of vintage shops or a big town like this was not easy. This was. You weren't going to find this every weekend at the garage. Sailing.

[Dave]

No, preserving. Idioticy. Which I think unlike Cato Log, it's intentional. It's intentional coinage.

[Pam]

We built this idiosity.

[Dave]

What could be more 1987 than vanity license plate plates? This moronic self centered fad, emblematic of the decline of Civilization in the 20th century is the subject of great plates. GR8PL8S. The best of America's vanity Plates from New Chapter Press. The book takes the whole thing dead seriously. It doesn't even have kitsch value. I don't know. Do you think taking it dead seriously is maybe what makes it kitschy and campy? Just a thought. But I also wanted to just shout out for our Canadians out there. Bumper stumpers. The license plate. Vanity license plate unscrambling game show that ran in Canada for a while. Like longer than you would think.

[Pam]

Yeah, I feel like I saw some of that. Is that possible? Was it when I was little and lived in Michigan?

[Dave]

Yeah, maybe.

[Host 1]

I like to remember the time when you could have a book that's basically a tumblr blog. And it could be a thing.

[Dave]

Yep. Because of a lack of gratitude on the part of some former Zines of the Month.

[Host 1]

No, no, no. You got to read it like a robot. Because it's in computer font. Because of a lack of gratitude. Do it like that.

[Dave]

Because of a lack of gratitude on the part of some former Zines of the Month, Pulp, et cetera, the Zine of the Month feature has been canceled until further notice.

[Host 1]

You got a real nerd robot energy there. That's pretty good.

[Dave]

Yeah, I mean, to. I didn't really read this as. As robot. I see.

[Host 1]

Your font says robot.

[Dave]

It does, but it's also in all caps. Because she's so mad. And it just reminded me of a few months ago when she was like, the PMS edition of what now? And sort of like they're kind of all like this just a bad attitude.

[Host 1]

Outrage. Outrage.

[Dave]

Amazing.

[Host 1]

Human must die.

[Dave]

Sassy. Glossary. Definition number 41. Andy noun. The person in a band who is such a zero that no one gives a care about him. Origin. Andy Taylor of Duran Duran. Usage. Danny Wood is the Andy of New Kids on the Block. Adam Clayton is the Andy of YouTube. Mick Mars is the Andy of Motley Crue.

[Host 1]

Mick Mars. Yeah, it sounds like first draft candy bar. Mick Mars. Scott Olgut.

[Dave]

This is a coin coinage, similar to one we have on our sister podcast, Extra Hot. Great. Which we don't do that much anymore. But it's the Pierce after the Chevy Chase character in Community, which is the character who could lift out of the show without disturbing any of the rest of it working. And, in fact, might improve it if he did.

[Host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave]

Pam, you're more of a Duran Duran scholar. Is this fair to Andy?

[Pam]

Don't actually know how I've earned this.

[Dave]

Well, didn't you have a guest star? Duran Duranor on a show that you wrote on one time?

[Pam]

Which one wasn't there?

[Dave]

Duran Duran guy and Samantha who as a guest star.

[Pam]

Did we. They didn't let me out of the room. I was a writer.

[Dave]

Oh, okay. Well, he's. He was definitely the hot one, whoever it was.

[Pam]

Well, this Andy Taylor. Oh, oh, this is ringing a bell. That we had a Samantha who. Duran Duran. Hold on, let me look it up.

[Dave]

I want to say John. The episode is called the Rock Star. John Taylor, presumably Andy's brother.

[Host 1]

Yeah, he's like. You dodged a bullet there.

[Pam]

He was also in the power station. He'd like everyone to know.

[Dave]

Oh, sure.

[Pam]

I. Actually, my cousin is a Duran Duran super fan, so I can ask her if that's fair. But I feel like all of Duran Duran was good looking. Is that not true?

[Host 1]

They hid the guy you didn't want to see. He was always behind the speaker on stage.

[Pam]

I think Dani of New Kids is a fair example. We could say Dany, who, like, also like the Bowser. Like, you know, I want to date myself even further.

[Dave]

Yeah, yeah.

[Host 1]

The Bowser really was the Fatty Arbuckle of Sean9.

[Dave]

Oh,

[Pam]

yeah, he was a real penny farthing. No, these boys are all cute. And I don't think I could tell you they're. They look exactly alike. If you told me the all five of them were brothers, I would believe it. So.

[Dave]

All right.

[Pam]

I don't know.

[Host 1]

I like the idea there's a whatever fifth member of Duran Duran who's somebody's cousin or something, had to be in the band, doesn't know how to do anything. They put him behind the speaker and he just bangs garbage cans together sometimes. He's the real Andy.

[Pam]

Well, she.

[Dave]

Christina also makes a point in her cute Band Alert, which is about the band Skunk. You don't learn that until the fifth line of this blurb, by the way. But she has. Parenthetically, they are also cute. Parenthetically. Never again will I single out the cuteness of one band member over the others for fear of offending those people who write pretentious letters to say, what?

[Host 1]

Wow.

[Dave]

Again, I'm gonna say, Christina, maybe you need a vacation. Go back to Jamaica and chill out.

[Host 1]

Yeah. Or name names.

[Dave]

Or name names.

[Host 1]

And also. Oh, sorry. Go ahead. No, go for it. Let's have a thumb more. I'll do it for it. All right. That was great podcasting.

[Pam]

Skunk was. That's why I tried to make it audible. Skunk was the. Skunk was a favorite of Billy Corgan. Who?

[Host 1]

The band or the Animal?

[Pam]

The Animal. Billy Corgan, who joined Skunk, Billy Corgan, and Matt Sweeney, who was in this band, Skunk. They together formed the band Zwan. I'm really. This is just for pumpkins fans. But anyway, so former Skunk guitarist was in. Was in Zwan with Billy Corgan.

[Dave]

There you go.

[Host 1]

The picture of the Skunk guys, really? They look like they smell. There's a lot of hair there that hasn't been washed in a long time. And clothes. All those vests they're wearing. Stinky.

[Dave]

Yeah, they're also. There's like a greenish gel over them too, so it makes them look kind of sickly as well.

[Host 1]

Called cross processing tar.

[Dave]

Thank you.

[Host 1]

Oh, no, we're done.

[Pam]

Woohoo. Watch it. This month Boyz N the Hood gets five stars. But I'm moving on to my own Private Idaho. Five stars. Because it was just the most important sounding film. There was going to be a movie with Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix after

[Dave]

that other one they were in together.

[Pam]

This was another one where you're watching it like, huh?

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Pam]

Gus Vincent. It's just, you're just like, you know, where you learn. Like, oh, I'm, I'm state school. Like, I don't know, I don't know how to watch this. I'm not cool enough. I'm over here with my weirdo lynch films and my John Waters films. But then a Gus Van Sant felt like, I just, every time I'm like, I don't know, he says it's a modern day version of Henry iv. That's not gonna help me in any way. And mixed with a story about a narcoleptic street hustler. I'm not saying it was poorly done. I just remember being like, oh no. Sometimes you just watch these bummer films when you wanna see your cute boys. They make it hard.

[Dave]

Yeah, I haven't seen it since it was out probably. I, I imagine both of us would appreciate it more now, but it was certainly not for us when we were young teenagers. Yeah, I'll say that.

[Pam]

It was very like, no, just wasn't going to do it. And that's the only Simpsons reference I can do.

[Host 1]

That was very good, Pam.

[Dave]

Very good.

[Pam]

Thank you.

[Host 1]

We acknowledge your struggle.

[Pam]

I saw that one when it happened and I got it.

[Dave]

Then she was like, I'll show you the life of a mind.

[Host 1]

Is Boys in the Hood good? I haven't seen either of these films.

[Dave]

Boys in the Hood is good, I think. Yeah, I haven't seen that since it was out either.

[Host 1]

Is that the Singleton winner?

[Dave]

Yes.

[Pam]

Yeah.

[Dave]

Yeah. He was really, really young when he made it.

[Host 1]

I remember that. 23, I'm gonna guess.

[Dave]

There you go.

[Pam]

Yeah, it does say that.

[Dave]

That's pretty young. Next, we got a 3 1/2 pip review for the man in the Moon. It was the breakout vehicle for a little someone called Reese Witherspoon. This is the first thing most people ever saw her in. I'm sure it's a 1950s set, rural coming of age story about her getting a crush on a boy when her sister also likes him. And the boys. Jason London of what he said in this issue. Fame. And he is very, very cute in this. And they are cute together. I remember this being very romantic and I'm sure if I watched it now, I'd like it a lot less than if I watched my own Private Idaho now. But this was a line drive straight down the middle to sassy readers for sure.

[Pam]

So I was going to say something about my own Private Idaho. I forgot to mention it starts with a warning.

[Dave]

The review does. Yes.

[Pam]

Yeah. The review starts with a warning. This movie's about prostitutes and deals with drug stuff and sex. If you or your parents aren't psyched about that, don't go. Jane, I remember the Doors review where you said, go. So this is confusing. And clearly advertisers were making her stressed because this is a crazy warning to have at the top. Then we have the Commitments, Three Pips. This movie, I. I know I've seen it. But I remember when the Commitments came out. People acted like this was the most important film that has ever released. We are breaking new ground internationally. This was a generational defining film. Has ever been a better Dublin music scene film that was gonna just transform America.

[Host 1]

It's a new river dance.

[Pam]

I completely forgot about the Commitments.

[Host 1]

You will not escape it. The only thing we're good for is making you finally learn whether it has two or just one. Tease in Commitments. Eventually you learn. Eventually.

[Dave]

I don't remember people saying it was important, but it's fun. It's fun for what it is. No. You guys don't like it?

[Pam]

It's everywhere, I guess. Oh, do you not? But, Dave, do you remember I never

[Host 1]

committed to watching it.

[Pam]

Maybe it's just me. Maybe it was just an MTV thing, but it was. I just felt like I was constantly watching that guy singing to a microphone.

[Host 1]

Oh, it's because the Irish, you know, they speak from the soul all the time. There's no artifice there. Right, Pam? Oh, I wish I was Irish, says Pam. She goes to dye her hair red in order to sell the illusion.

[Pam]

I don't know what's happening.

[Dave]

Yeah, but it's. I'm in your head. It was of that sort of. I mean, there were a lot of sort of middling movies like that in the 90s, and they all came from Miramax. Like, you know, your Waking Ned Divines. You're the Englishman who went up a hill and came down a mountain. Like all those sort of very middlebrow movies that seem more important because people have access.

[Host 1]

Fish and chips and Nigel.

[Dave]

Exactly. The rest.

[Host 1]

Anyway, Beef Eaters Diner. That was the thinker.

[Dave]

The Commitments is cute and that's it. I don't think it's. I don't think it's particularly important either. But I don't think you'd have a bad time if you watch it now.

[Host 1]

Dave Hadrian's Wall around myself. I will not let you in. Don't try the movie.

[Dave]

Wow.

[Pam]

Did you see this is just on the Irish tip. Did you see the thing that was going around with Jessie Buckley doing a cover of Sinead o' Connor's Troy?

[Dave]

No.

[Pam]

I'll put it in the notes. It's incredible. She's so good. This song is not easy to sing. Even when you're alone in the car in your. Pam, I do my best. Jessie Buckley unhinges her jaw to hit these notes. It's beautiful. This is the closest Pam wishes to being Irish is this moment right here. I would. I would become Irish to be Jessie Buckley in this moment.

[Host 1]

Like a crowd. There's a sound.

[Dave]

He's back again somehow. Ian Spinonius's band, Nation of Ulyses, has released an album, 13 point program to destroy America. You can't even get it a regular store. You have to send away for it to Discord Records. And their address is right here in the review. Don't worry. Even though it's being written by Aaron the intern, who has been indoctrinated into Ian Spinonius worship and gives this 5 pips. It is the hit of the month.

[Pam]

She calls them the sound of Young America. So. And I. So this album was Produced by Ian McKay of Fugazi. So this is like the hit, the peak of Nation of Ulysses, like. And the reason you have to mail away for it, Tara, is because they're not sellouts.

[Dave]

Okay, I know.

[Pam]

Anyway, I texted Tara yesterday from a vehicle pulled over because Fred Armisen just suddenly says, you know, my band was super influenced by. Lists a bunch of bands, and then says Nation of Ulysses to the point where I pulled over and was like, is that the same Nation of Ulysses? How did this crossover happen where Ian and Fred are just sort of hanging out in the back being like, mad respect. But that's. That's the weird world we're in.

[Dave]

Yeah. I'll say this after all my complaints, that was more melodic and accessible than I expected his music to be. Like that little bit of what we heard of Spectrasonic sound. I was like, all right, I would probably listen to this. Unfortunately, I'm not going to. I'm not going to go out of my way. It's not going to come up on my Apple Discover channel, I'll tell you that. But if this was all he was doing, I'd be fine with it. I'm just. Again, get off his jock. Sassy, please.

[Pam]

Every time I look at that ugly

[Dave]

moon, it reminds me of you. It reminds me of you.

[Host 1]

You.

[Pam]

An insulting two Pips to Violent Femmes. As Whitey Bird sing. This album is great.

[Dave]

I had this album so good.

[Pam]

Kicking off with that American music. She likes me is in this. I'm gonna make more money tonight than you've ever dreamed of.

[Dave]

There's.

[Pam]

This has a good feeling at the end. As a closer. And I went looking through some Pitchfork reviews, I got a little tidbit which is drawing from a deep pool of songs Misfit Gano wrote in high school, where he allegedly wore a bathrobe to class every Monday. I was like, yes, this Violent Femmes to Weezer to Pam connection here. Including, like, you know, Tara, you and your typewriter that you took to school, you would. I would want to be dating the boy who wore the bathrobe every Monday. I would just be, like, shipping the two of you and hoping that you typed up lyrics that he sang in the bathtub. And this is it. This is. This is my fanfic, because Violent Femmes. I'm just gonna interrupt one last time to say, if you had fallen in love with Violent Femmes, you might not have so much. They might be giants in your life.

[Dave]

It's not a competition.

[Pam]

It is.

[Dave]

All right, look. I pulled up the video for American Music, and I'll put it in the show notes to capture that clip. Gordon Gano's eyes at the start of that video are. The pupils are so dilated. I can't imagine it was a video effect this early in video effects technology. I just. I was. They're so huge. I was concerned that he was okay. So check that out.

[Pam]

He's feeling good is what I think this means.

[Dave]

Great.

[Pam]

An hour. Whatever. Whatever they gave him to keep going, he feels just fine.

[Dave]

Let's get busy. One time the body rocks. Yeah in the place to be Good

[Pam]

sex we've been having

[Host 1]

wow. Yeah.

[Pam]

Wow.

[Host 1]

That wasn't embarrassing for anybody.

[Dave]

Well, that's why I captured that particular clip of the song.

[Host 1]

What was up with the hype man there? That voice?

[Dave]

I had no idea.

[Host 1]

One Time.

[Pam]

Was that the opening track to the album?

[Dave]

I don't know, but it's the one that they talk that. It's the first one mentioned in the not review. It's a. It's a mashup of More, More, More and Love to Love youe Baby.

[Pam]

Oh, well, that's funny because it sounds like, how do you want me? Hello, do you need me? But I guess it's some other song. Yeah. So, yeah, this is Samantha Fox's Just One Night. And we wouldn't have known without that guy telling us that Samantha Fox is making this music. This is. Look, I don't know why every Samantha Fox song has to have lyrics and musical moments that are exactly from her two hits. But this one song on here called Hurt Me, Hurt Me, but the Pants Stay on, which has a video that JLO is in, is no exception. Full force produced the song, maybe that's why. But, like, in it you can completely hear, Naughty girls need love too, and I want to have some fun. So she just has like. Like the Dave's buttons that make cues happen and then she just moans over them. And then they put some new track and they call it a Samantha Fox joint. Anyway, she's still touring. She looks amazing. So, you know, Naughty Girls need tours, too.

[Dave]

Yeah, well, good for her. Here's not good for Mike, because, of course, this is his review. Question mark. Editor's note. This is all italicized. We're not able to bring you Mike's review. When we went to ask him for it, we found him sprawled alongside his desk, his body at convulsing mass. He was wearing a Walkman containing the Just One Night cassette, the largely incoherent. He was mumbling something about a, quote, blonde Brit bimbo, end quote, and asking, who gets a recording contract next? Marley Matlin. He pointed to a song listed on the cassette case, a medley of the disco classics More, More, More and Love to love you, Baby. As his eyes rolled back in his head, Mike foamed a little at the corners of his mouth and muttered, wasn't this stuff horrible enough the first time it came out? He then swore revenge against one Christina Kelly for her cruel and unusual punishment in assigning him to review. It assumed a fetal position and lost consciousness. More details as we received them. I'm good. Relax. We get it. You don't like this shit. Like, just ask to be assigned something else or don't do it. I can't stand. I can't stand Mike's Mikeness.

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[Host 1]

One to watch. One to watch. One to watch. Is he one to watch? He is Eric Gales. Does he blow or is he refreshing?

[Dave]

If only he were a saxophonist. But he is not. He's a guitarist.

[Host 1]

Yes, he's got the hat to prove it. That's the kind of hat that says, I am a guitarist and possibly nothing else. I wake up in the morning, I make myself a guitar smoothie. I pee out guitars.

[Pam]

I call the dude from Extreme and a Bon Jovi of some kind.

[Host 1]

I get in my car and go to guitar bucks. I get my cough car. And that's how he lives his life. Because of the hat. I can tell that. Yeah, the most painful part of that is peeing guitar, so.

[Dave]

Oh, yeah, it would be.

[Host 1]

Don't know him.

[Dave]

No, I've never heard of this guy in my life. I mean, I'm sure I read this when the issue came out, but he's.

[Pam]

He's also known as Raw Dog and he's. He's still. He's still doing it.

[Dave]

And when you Google him, the title of his website, ericgales.com is Eric Gales Band pipe. Best blues guitarist in the world. That's right there on the tin. So, I mean, I guess if he's saying it, you have to believe he

[Host 1]

heard that tip where if you want a really good recipe, you have to put world's best at the end of it. Gonna make myself some Eric Gales. Oh, here it is.

[Pam]

If you watch the Oscars this year, you saw him on stage for Sinners.

[Dave]

Oh, really? That's cool.

[Pam]

Yeah, he was up there playing. He did two tracks on the score for Sinners, so he was up there stage.

[Dave]

All right, good for Eric. We're doing something a little bit different with our first pop culture feature this month. It's sort of something you can read, but it's mostly something you can play with. They have made Beverly Hills 90210 paper dolls. This is the first major 90210 coverage they've done other than having people in what he said or a little blurb about Tori Spelling's birthday. And this is right in the top of the second season of the show. They've just come off the very successful run of brand new episodes over the summer when everyone else is showing reruns that really helped boost the show. The illustrations, by the way, are by Judy Francis and we have some links to, I believe, her work. The problem in finding her is that there's a portrait photographer named Judy Francis and an art philanthropist named Judy Francis Zankel, but I'm pretty sure I found the right one. We got Brandon Walsh and I have some fact checks here. If you don't listen to our sister podcast again with this, you may not know. I am a 90210 scholar and that is for real. I co wrote a book. Christina is the author here. She describes Brandon's best friends as both ex alcoholics. That's true of Dylan, although ex alcoholic is not what we call people in recovery. Even then, Steve has a lot of problems, but he is only a social drinker as far as we've ever seen. She says Brandon is never seen in a compromising situation. Next line. He did drive drunk and get arrested. He did. That was in season one. And then she quotes Jason Priestley, who refers to himself in the third person. Jason is much more jaded and aware of things than the innocent, naive Brandon Walsh is. All right, relax. He's trying so hard to distance himself from a character he's going to continue to play until 1998. But I will say all of these clothing items that you can put on him are definitely inspired directly from the show. I have seen all of these on him. So the research in terms of the art is very well done. Dave, anything to add from your limited knowledge of Brandon?

[Host 1]

Just that all the faces for all the paper dolls are like 7% off. And it's got this real sort of triggering something in my fight or flight brain. It's like, ah, run from Brandon. Run. Yeah, he wants to eat your tongue.

[Dave]

Next page we got Brenda, Brandon's twin sister. Christina refers to her having sex at prom. It wasn't prom. It was the spring dance. She also says, unlike Brenda, Shannon is allegedly a bit of a witch. Brenda is going to come into her witchiness in this season. Kind of stays there till she leaves the show at the end of season four. But again, flawless wardrobe choices. The Alex band, the stripy top, the belt, the bodysuit. Oh, the bodysuit. It's perfect. Love everything about this next Kelly Taylor. She's described as hot for Brandon. Barely. Morals, loose. That's the official line. We basically never even see her kiss anyone until she gets together with Dylan in season three. And based on what I've heard on her podcast, 9 021, OMG, a jet ski accident knocked any of the math skills out of her head because Christina reports here that she has a secret interest in accounting, which is crazy. And finally, Dylan, Christina writes, is supposed to be sincere and sexy, but comes off as phony and slimy. Take it back. I'm not mad. Just take it back. Take it back. Morals. Ha. She's thinking of Steve. Dylan has a very clearly defined moral code. His very first scene on the show is him intervening between a nerd and a bully. So watch a little more carefully. Christina, obviously you did not write a book about Beverly Hills night of two.

[Pam]

Widow Dave, were you upset that they made a Betsey Johnson dress for you to tell? Yeah, I was.

[Host 1]

I did see that, and I did get angry, and I thought, well, maybe I can be above it all. But no, I can't.

[Pam]

No, I didn't think you would. I didn't think you would. I didn't read a word of this article because I wouldn't understand any of it because I still have not seen a minute of Beverly Hills 90210, so I let it wash over me. But I do think that you would wear Tara. Anything here and there. The Brenda Walsh situation.

[Dave]

Absolutely.

[Pam]

That's your striped shirt. Yep. You're a total Brenda.

[Dave]

That's one of. I'm gonna say, wearing 25 striped shirts that I also.

[Host 1]

Yeah, she is.

[Dave]

Look at that shooting right now. Yeah.

[Host 1]

You got ballet flats on.

[Dave]

I have. I have slippers. Not ballet style, but they are a gift from Pam. They're starting to fall apart. I'm gonna have to probably retire them soon, which is sad.

[Pam]

I'll get you some new ones.

[Dave]

I'll get you some new ones.

[Pam]

Those headphones kind of look like your headbands.

[Dave]

Yeah. Brenda, our queen forever. We miss her.

[Pam]

Feature number two. I didn't want to interrupt that.

[Dave]

No, he's Gonna edit it out. Sorry. You can go ahead. I hope he doesn't.

[Host 1]

All right. You like sneezes, listeners? Hey, how about one of these that gets you motor running?

[Pam]

Well, it was not really. It just sounded like a. It sounded like a soundboard sound. Okay. Feature number two is how to have a job in music and be female. Christina wrote this, and it covers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ladies. And this was so fun to deep dive. What happened to. To. To be the doc's hound on all of these women, starting with Teresa Chambers, who is a band manager. She's saying, you know, you're part babysitter, part mother. She's an Irish Catholic girl from way back and manager for Something Happens, Chuck Treece and the Carneys. Her salary is 15 to 20% of what the band makes, and she says she started 10 years ago doing press in the office for Studio 54, when I assumed she was seven.

[Dave]

Like, I don't understand.

[Pam]

She must have been so young. I later got into booking bands, got into booking bands into clubs. So Teresa, sadly did pass away in 2024, but she continued on being a dominant music industry figure. Her daughter's band, Torture and the Desert Spiders, played South by this year with their first album. Torture is the name of the lead singer. She picked her name Torture because she said people used to call her mom Torture Chambers. That's cool. I thought that was really neat, and I wish them lots of success. Next we have Bettina Richards. She's an A and R manager for London Records. She's six feet tall and thin, with annoyingly long and perfect blonde hair. She's usually out until 1 or 2 in the morning looking for bands to sign. Bettina does a good job at this. She eventually founded indie label thrill jockey in 1992 with $35,000 of family and personal capital. While working at a Hoboken record store, she ran the label from her apartment in New York City. Thrill Jockey still exists, and she's on Instagram. Then we have Karen Kennedy. She's general manager of Perspective Records. At the time, she says, our expertise is going to be in providing people with different ways of producing and hearing black music. Basically, the general manager is responsible for the total operations of the company, setting up the office, hiring employees, et cetera. Her salary was about 40,000 and up. She started at the A and M Records yes to Jobs program, which was an internship for minority high school students interested in the entertainment industry. She founded 247 Artist Development in 1992, which still exists. She's currently the president this year she got elected president to Napama North American performing arts managers and agents. It's just so neat. Like everybody's just killing it.

[Dave]

Top of the game. So accomplished.

[Pam]

Then we have Janet Billig, who was director of promotions and publicity at Caroline Records at the time. She works at a small label, does the equivalent of at least three jobs, she said, spending about 30% of her time on promotions, 30% on publicity, and 40% on A& R. Her salary at the time was 20,000 to 45,000 and got the job selling band T shirts at the Ritz. Being like really super aggressive I think is important not to the point of annoying people, but to the point of taking on responsibilities whether you're asked to or not. Janet can be credited with discovering whole. She managed or publicized Smashing Pumpkins, White Zombie, Nirvana, the Breeders, the Lemonheads, Lisa Loeb and Dinosaur Jr. She became the youngest senior exec at Atlantic Records where she developed Sugar Ray, Matchbox 20 and Juul. She created and operates manage this where she manages Lisa Loeb from music to acting to eyewear. Thanks, Janet. And on March 19, 2004, she was featured on the COVID of New York Post, bailing Courtney Love out of jail. Anyway, she's got such a cool job. She is also on Instagram. And then we have Judy Marianas, the sound engineer for Pet Shop Boys, Indigo Girls Live and Living Color, including on Vivid and Time's Up. She receives a sammy, which is the Syracuse area music award from Corey Glover. Put a link to this YouTube where he credits her for Living Color sound. And then she gives her thank you speech dedicated to the unknown inductee, telling the story of her life, including the COVID of this magazine and this article that she's in as one of the highlights. She did sound everywhere for everyone and she started by working in a potato chip factory.

[Host 1]

Ooh, tell me more about that.

[Pam]

I know she doesn't stay on it long enough. When she talks about this article, she says, she mentions the name of it and she says, I'm not sure I know how to survive being a female in this industry. And I'm not sure if anything has really changed.

[Dave]

Sorry.

[Pam]

In May of 2020, sadly, Judy passed away from COVID this article. They really knew who they were picking and or it was such slim pickings that you were gonna continue to stay in this industry until you dominated, made your own version of whatever it was that you were doing and then continue to do it your way all the way through. So thanks Sassy and thanks to these ladies who I hope inspired all kinds of other people. 720sassy Go. If you know someone who became someone in the music industry inspired by this article, I'd also like to hear your story.

[Dave]

And thank you Pam Docsound for finding out what they're all up to now. That's really impressive across the board. Next time we'll be talking about the fashion etc of the September 1991 issue dress like an artist, get your nose pierced or wear beige and more. For my plug this week, since we were talking about 902200 and I'm gonna recommend the Again with this podcast, my co host Sarah Debunting and I recapped Every single almost 300 episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 and then we did it for Melrose Place and then we did it for Tosses Creek. We're almost done so you can find all of that and more there. And you can also buy a very special 90210 book which Sarah and I co wrote and we'll link that in the show Notes, also available as an audiobook if you would like Sarah and me to read it to you.

[Pam]

We did that for my plug. This week I'm once again mentioning studentsengaged.org, which are students that are engaged with policymaking in the state of Texas. I'm going to be at a fundraiser for theirs this Friday in Los Angeles. If you would like to throw a little bit of cash their way. They're really making some impressive changes. Or just go to studentsengage.org to see what they're up to and feel a little bit better about your image. Immediate future.

[Dave]

Thanks.

[Pam]

Okay, you can call us at 7:20 Sassy Go. Leave us a voicemail about the show or the magazine and we may we will definitely play it on a future episode.

[Host 1]

Unless we don't.

[Pam]

I mean, we will. We probably will. You can find more information about us, links to our visual aids, and contact info at. Listen to sassy.com thank you so much for listening. Send us your paper cutouts of yourself and your favorite clothes clothes and we'll see you next time.

[Dave]

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[Pam]

Apply.