Barbara Mendes-Jorge And Fran James

Shows

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS9E2 - Australia Part IV: Tame Impala (Overrated) & DZ Deathrays (Underrated)We're back in the Southern hemisphere for the fourth time on this podcast (and apologise again for any attempts at an Aussie accent...)!Tame Impala, a.k.a. the brainchild of Kevin Parker, is currently in the top 200 most-listened to artists worldwide on Spotify - but will we think his particular flavour of psychedelic-electro-pop is original or bland?And Babs has been wanting to talk about Brisbane band DZ Deathrays for AGES - they've had a reasonable amount of acclaim in Australia, but she feels that they should be better-known in Europe and beyond...2025-05-051h 38

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS9E1 - Scotland: Simple Minds (Overrated) & Idlewild (Underrated)We are back in Alba for the first episode of our latest season, which will continue to be released monthly!Fran has been a Simple Minds fan for a while - the band has 19 albums to their name, but Fran knows most people only know a few of their hits. He hopes his ten-track playlist introduces Babs and our listeners to lesser-known Simple Minds gems...Once touted as the 'next Coldplay', Idlewild made some impact on the UK's noughties indie scene, but their fame peaked with their 2002 album The Remote Part - despite making many...2025-03-281h 35

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS8E10 - New York Rock: KISS (Overrated) & Teen Girl Scientist Monthly (Underrated) - with Matt LathamJoined for the second time by podcaster Matt Latham - whose output includes the Pick A Disc podcast - we are back in the biggest of apples to discuss two quite different bands... KISS have nailed the marketing of their band probably better than any other group - but what do we think about their music, especially as most people in Europe only know a few of their hits? And Matt picked Brooklyn-based Teen Girl Scientist Monthly as underrated, outlining how his well-trained algorithm led them his way and how he's forged a lovely relationship...2025-01-301h 34

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS8E9 - Special Episode: Fran and Babs' Best of 2024, Part IIAs has become tradition, we have each picked our ten favourite tunes of the year! Like in 2023 & 2022, we have picked songs according to pre-determined categories - however as we spoke quite a lot during this episode, we've divided it into two parts - you can already listen to Part I here. In Part II, we discuss the best rock song, favourite collaboration, best song from outside of Europe, best solo song and favourite sync track. In this episode, Fran mishears a crucial lyric in a Denzel Curry song and Babs gets obsessed with...2024-12-3050 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS8E8 - Special Episode: Fran and Babs' Best of 2024, Part IAs has become tradition, we have each picked our ten favourite tunes of the year! Like in 2023 & 2022, we have picked songs according to pre-determined categories - however as we spoke quite a lot during this episode, we've divided it into two parts (the next one will be out on New Year's Day)... In Part I, we discuss the best song by a group, favourite track in a genre we don't normally like, favourite song not in English, and best song to listen to live. In this episode, we learn more than expected about...2024-12-2551 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS8E7 - British Pop: Dua Lipa (Overrated) & Sugababes (Underrated) - with Sam LakeJoined by comedian and podcaster Sam Lake, we're talking about one of the most successful British contemporary popstars (and where Sam listens to her songs while he's at the gym), and one of the girl bands we're most fond of (as well as which snack Sam associates with each of their songs). Dua Lipa is a mega pop star - she has the two most streamed albums by a female artist of all time on Spotify and was the youngest female artist to accomplish one billion views on YouTube with her video for New Rules'. Are we...2024-12-051h 35

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS8E6 - Hip-hop Part II: Eminem (Overrated) & cupcakKe (Underrated)It's been a while since we did a hip-hop episode and today we've picked two quite different acts to discuss in this episode! Eminem is one of the world's most successful rappers, who definitely helped popularise hip-hop among white audiences - however, he has always courted controversy with his deliberately caustic lyrics...Fran has toured his discography to make a ten-track playlist and we both discuss whether his notoriety is merited.... Babs chose Chicago rapper cupcakKe as an underrated pick because despite having healthy streaming figures, Babs wonders how well-known she is outside of the...2024-11-051h 30

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS8E5 - Pop Singer-Songwriters, Part II: P!nk (Overrated) & Annie (Underrated)We're back in the world of pop, having previously discussed Billie Eilish and Charli xcx last season (and Charli xcx's BRAT in this season too)! The two playlists for this episode were created by Pop Underrated, whose Linktree you should check out. P!nk is currently ranked as Spotify's 100th most-popular artist in the world - she has gone through many musical phases and is more outspoken than the average pop star, especially as she started in the noughties...but how do we feel about some of her hits? Referred by some as "...2024-10-0655 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS8E4 - Special Episode: Charli xcx's album 'BRAT'Why hello there people who snag their tights on lawn chairs, mean girls and those who think everything is romantic - don't worry if you don't understand what this means, join us anyway for a special episode where we discuss Charli xcx's latest album BRAT in depth - the songs and the cultural impact it is currently having this summer... We'd previously discussed Charli xcx (and Billie Eilish) in some depth on our pop singer-songwriters episode last season, where Babs picked her as underrated because she felt Charli didn't have enough mainstream recognition... WELL, a...2024-08-1553 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS8E3 - Dance-punk: Foals (Overrated) & Tom Vek (Underrated)We're back to the noughties, discussing two British indie acts who have more than a flavour of electro in their tunes... Babs never really got into Foals after their first record, so she asked Fran to make a wide-ranging playlist - how will they rate the Oxford band's career? And Babs is delighted to finally delve deep into Tom Vek's back catalogue - so much so that her playlist includes not one, not two, but THREE b-sides - will she get Fran on board or is she just Pushing [Her] Luck? You can...2024-07-251h 30

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS8E2 - 80s Synth Pop: Eurythmics (Overrated) & Deux (Underrated) - with George PringleWe're travelling to one of our favourite eras, joined by special guest George Pringle - a music producer, artist & gallery owner. George made both playlists for this week's episode, and we start with a discussion about Eurythmics. Their influence in synth pop is undeniable - as was Annie Lennox's look, attitude and progressive politics - but is the hype justified? Fran & Babs had never heard of Deux, a French synth-pop duo formed in Lyon, who determinedly made music to listen to in your bedroom. Will we want to join them with George at Paris / Orly...2024-06-271h 22

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS8E1 - UK 00's Indie Explosion, Part II: Arctic Monkeys (Overrated) & The Cooper Temple Clause (Underrated)Welcome back to Season 8! Delighted our lockdown project continues, thanks so much for listening. We're back in the noughties, and our overrated pick is a hugely popular rock band that neither of us are particularly keen on, especially since their first album...nevertheless, Babs made a wide-ranging playlist of Arctic Monkeys songs so her and Fran could re-assess whether there's more gold in their back catalogue than previously thought... Fran chose Berkshire band The Cooper Temple Clause as his underrated pick as he feels that they're a pretty solid act - with especially great singles...2024-05-231h 30

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS7E10 - Special Episode: Fran and Babs' Best of 2023The final episode of the season is our annual special where we each pick our favourite songs of the year! Like in 2022, we have picked songs according to pre-determined categories: favourite song by a solo act, best song by a group, favourite track in a genre we don't normally like, favourite song not in English, best collaboration, best sync song, favourite song we'd like to hear live, best new artist, best rock song and favourite non-European song. Which two artists come back again for Fran & Babs? Which artist is picked twice in two different categories...2023-12-291h 36

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS7E9 - Avant-pop: Björk (Overrated) & Bat for Lashes (Underrated)Fran & Babs listened to (almost) the entirety of Björk's discography - having only previously dipped in and out of her music - and collaborated on a ten-track playlist spanning the decades to properly deliberate on her music and legacy... Natasha Khan a.k.a Bat for Lashes is this week's underrated artist - Fran thinks she has many good songs beyond her hits, while until now, Babs was mostly indifferent...will his ten-track playlist convince her otherwise? You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all the songs from our playlist, plus bo...2023-12-211h 26

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS7E8 - Australia Part III 🇦🇺 INXS (Overrated) & The Go-Betweens (Underrated) - with Bill CummingsJoined by writer & broadcaster Bill Cummings, we're returning down under to discuss two bands who experienced wildly varying levels of success... INXS have sold a whopping 95 million albums worldwide - they're one of Australia's most successful musical acts ever. With their crisp new wave sound and iconic frontman, will Fran & Babs feel the hype is nevertheless deserved? Bill picked The Go-Betweens as "the quintessential underrated band" - with nine studio albums to their name, they never secured an Australian or UK Top 40 single (although the band has had a bridge named after them in their n...2023-12-151h 31

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS7E7 - Special Episode: Overrated & Underrated Cover VersionsWe often discuss covers, so it was about time for a special episode dedicated to the ones we admire, as well as those we don't love so much... We've picked ten overrated cover versions - those that are better known than the originals or ones we don't enjoy - as well as ten underrated covers, songs we feel add to, or even improve on, the original. Tune in also for a slightly controversial pick, which lead to an in-depth online and offline discussion on what the difference is between a remix and a cover version...2023-12-071h 30

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS7E6 - Britpop Part III: Stereophonics (Overrated) & Ash (Underrated) - with Robin AllenderJoined by musician, comedian and podcaster Robin Allender, we are back feeling nostalgic about the late 90's... Stereophonics are clearly one of the more successful acts to emerge from Wales - to date, their most famous song Dakota has had over 200 million streams on Spotify - but are Fran, Babs or Robin fans of the band? Robin picked Ash as an underrated favourite in part due to the influence their Trailer EP had on him as a youth, especially the song Uncle Pat...Fran & Babs are Ash fans, but is their favourite Ash era the...2023-11-301h 39

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS7E5 - Pop Singer-Songwriters, Part I: Billie Eilish (Overrated) & Charli xcx (Underrated)Billie Eilish is undoubtedly one of the world's most famous pop stars and Babs enjoys quite a few of her songs. She pitches some of her faves - and a couple of not-so-faves - to Fran, as we both ponder whether the hype is justified... Babs also FINALLY gets to chat Fran's ear off about how much she loves Charli xcx. Charli is undeniably also a famous pop star, but Babs is frustrated that she doesn't have enough mainstream recognition and not enough people know the breadth of her back catalogue...will Fran agree? Babs...2023-11-231h 50

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS7E4 - Goth: The Cure (Overrated) & Xmal Deutschland (Underrated) - with Ryan SchaffJoined by our first ever returning guest - Ryan Schaff, host of ⁠The Broken Record Player podcast⁠ - we're breaking out the eyeliner, black nail varnish and discussing what makes a band truly goth... Ryan is a huge fan of The Cure - they're in his top five favourite bands of all time - while Fran & Babs don't exactly muster the same level of enthusiasm...can he get them more on board? Xmal Deutschland's 'Incubus Succubus' might be considered a 'goth classic', but Ryan argues that this 80's band deserve more success and recognition beyond one song - an...2023-11-161h 34

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS7E3 - Special Episode: Underrated music from The Netherlands 🇳🇱 with Lieselotte SmetsJoined by friend of the podcast Lieselotte Smets, we're learning more about the musical landscape of the Netherlands 🇳🇱 Lieselotte is Belgian, but has lived in the Netherlands for many years. Despite being Flemish - and therefore a native Dutch speaker - she realised there was a massive gap in her Netherlands music knowledge, so she has been keenly exploring the country's lesser-known gems. For this episode, Lieselotte created a ten-track playlist of some of her favourite underrated Dutch acts, which we discuss in depth - and we also talk about the dreaded 'Dutch disease' at concer...2023-11-091h 28

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS7E2 - Post-punk: U2 (Overrated) & The Psychedelic Furs (Underrated)U2 are obviously one of the biggest bands in the world, with 15 studio albums to date - Fran believes there's a lot of gold in their extensive back catalogue and that some of their albums are more underrated than others...will Babs agree? We also discuss The Psychedelic Furs' back catalogue in some depth - Babs had previously dipped into the band's music but not gone much beyond their biggest hits...can Fran convince her they should be known for more than Pretty in Pink? You can find ⁠⁠the playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠ - it inc...2023-11-021h 35

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS7E1 - Special Episode: Interviewing Bob Stanley, music journalist and founder of Saint EtienneWe're kicking off our new season with a very special episode! We're interviewing Bob Stanley, a very talented writer, musician, DJ, and film producer. Since founding the band Saint Etienne, Bob has enjoyed a parallel career as a music journalist. He came on the podcast to talk about two of his books, which - together - span the entire history of pop, from the invention of the 78 rpm record at the end of the 19th century to the current modern pop age. This being Over/underrated, we still wanted to ask Bob for five of his most...2023-10-301h 13

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E10 - Prog Rock: Emerson, Lake & Palmer (Overrated) & Marillion (Underrated) - with Joz NorrisJoined by comedian, writer & performer Joz Norris, we're finally delving into prog rock for our last episode of the season - and we hope, like us, that you don't take it TOO seriously... Joz picked Emerson, Lake & Palmer as overrated because he feels that they represent the wildest excesses of prog and contribute to its pretentious reputation. With one of the songs on Joz's playlist called 'The Three Fates: i) Clotho ii) Lachesis iii) Atropos', will Fran & Babs agree they're too ostentatious - or will they get on board the ELP train? The underrated pick...2023-06-011h 32

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E9 - Glam Rock: Queen (Overrated) & The Ark (Underrated) - with Christian PatrickJoined by content creator, musician, amateur historian, YouTuber, journalist & author Christian Patrick, we're discussing two glam bands on, arguably, the opposite of the fame spectrum this week... First up, another sacred cow under the microscope - we're talking about behemoths Queen, specifically their output from the 70's...like most people, Christian, Fran & Babs like some of their output - but going into the discussion, we all agree that they're overrated...will a five-track playlist change anyone's mind? Christian is close friends with his underrated pick - Swedish band and Eurovision participants The Ark - having...2023-05-251h 46

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E8b - Record Label Special, Part II: Jade Tree Records (Underrated) - with Mark Fraser & Chris CusackJoined by Chris & Mark from the Unsung Podcast, it's Part II of our Record Label special, where we're talking about Wilmington, Delaware's Jade Tree Records (check out Part I where we discussed Washington DC's Dischord Records). Fran & Babs hadn't previously heard of Jade Tree Records - and didn't know many of the bands on their roster. Founded in 1990 and initially focused on post-hardcore and noise rock bands, Jade Tree began incorporating emo, punk, melodic hardcore, and experimental groups later on that decade. Chris & Mark make a good case for it being underrated, picking five interesting, diverse acts...2023-05-221h 11

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E8a - Record Label Special, Part I: Dischord Records (Overrated) - with Mark Fraser & Chris CusackJoined by Chris & Mark from the Unsung Podcast, it's a different approach for today's episode - our guests have picked two different record labels and five bands who released records from them to make up each playlist, and we're all discussing whether a label can be classified as overrated or underrated. In Part I we're talking about Washington DC's Dischord Records, an ⁠independent record label⁠ specializing in ⁠punk rock⁠, co-founded by Fugazi's Ian MacKaye & Minor Threat's Jeff Nelson. As people involved in the punk scene, Mark & Chris have been extremely influenced by both the music and etho...2023-05-181h 13

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E7b - Special Episode, Reviewing Worst Kept Secret: The Subwoolfer Eurovision Documentary - with extra European guests 🇪🇺Following on from our Eurovision 2023 episode, we popped online for a quick chat to talk about an entertaining short film - Worst Kept Secret: The Subwoolfer Documentary which is available on the Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel. Fans of Eurovision 2022 will definitely remember Subwoolfer, the yellow Norwegian space wolves who managed to keep their identities under wrap throughout the competition - or did they? The documentary explores how the song was conceived at a writing camp, how A1's Ben Adams and Norwegian Idol runner-up Gaute Ormåsen became semi-permanent Subwoolfer members Keith and Jim, w...2023-05-1130 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E7 - Special Episode: Eurovision 2023 - with extra European guests 🇪🇺It's our yearly Eurovision special - we've listened to all 37 songs from this year's competition and picked our five favourite and least favourite tunes. This time, we're also joined by contributors across Europe giving their opinions on the competition and some of the entries we talk about! If you enjoy this episode, you should check out our 2022 and 2021 episodes as well as our two-part special with Babs' dad, which analyses Eurovision 1958-2019 - both the underrated and overrated aspects, of course... Thanks to Paula Wiseman, Shane McMenemy, Iva Babić, Riku Pudas, Sara Lucas, Georgette Cullum, T...2023-05-091h 26

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E6 - Southern Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Calvin Harris (Overrated) & Frightened Rabbit (Underrated) - with Shane McMenemyJoined by Shane McMenemy from the Mixtaping Identity podcast, we're talking about one of his all-time favourite bands - as well as a DJ he's not super-keen on. It's not that Shane massively dislikes Calvin Harris (Dumfries), but he feels his music is "cynically-produced and commercially-driven" - Shane feels Calvin is good at capitalising on trends, but there's little substance. Will Fran & Babs agree - or is his music hitting them right in the feels? Frightened Rabbit (Selkirk) are a hugely important band for Shane - for the music as well as lead singer Scott...2023-05-041h 37

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E5b - British Singer-Songwriters, Part II: Nick Drake (Underrated) - with Tom HaighFriend of the podcast Tom Haigh joins us again - he previously talked about David Bowie in Part I of this British Singer-Songwriters theme - and this time he's talking about musician Nick Drake. An influence on many big artists like R.E.M., Kate Bush and The Cure, Nick Drake's profile was low during his short lifetime - and, argues Tom, still not high enough these days for such a talented musician... Tom's brother Jack is an extremely talented guitarist - you should check out his videos and follow him on Instagram @jackhaighmusic. You...2023-05-011h 01

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E5a - British Singer-Songwriters, Part I: David Bowie (Overrated) - with Tom HaighJoined by friend of the podcast Tom Haigh, we had such fun chatting to him that it's gonna be another two-parter... Fran & Babs have wanted to talk about David Bowie for ages and Tom is a mega-fan, primed and ready to defend him - he has picked some deeper cuts to introduce lesser-known Bowie tunes to two people who feel that he is, at the very least, overhyped... Tom's brother Jack is an extremely talented guitarist - you should check out his videos and follow him on Instagram @jackhaighmusic. You can find the...2023-04-271h 12

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E4 - Electro: Kraftwerk (Overrated) & Henric de la Cour (Underrated)While Fran acknowledges Kraftwerk have been a huge influence on many bands he likes, he's never been interested enough to dip into into their back catalogue too heavily...Babs is a fan and hopes to convince Fran that Kraftwerk's source material is worth listening to in more depth... Fran introduces Babs to Henric de la Cour, a solo act who also used to be the main singer-songwriter in the bands Yvonne and Strip Music. Through his ten-track playlist, Fran hopes to get Babs interested in another lesser-known Swedish act 🇸🇪 The Kraftwerk Pop Art documentary we mentio...2023-04-201h 29

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E3 - Australia Part II 🇦🇺 Jet (Overrated) & King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (Underrated) - with Brad LeBaronJoined by Wisconsinite podcaster and YouTuber Brad LeBaron, we're heading back down under... Melbournites Jet are obviously best known for their smash hit 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' - but they produced three albums and supported huge acts like the Rolling Stones, Oasis, Green Day and Bruce Springsteen...however, do Fran & Babs agree that a lot of their music sounds derivative? Brad is a huge King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard fan and with 23 studio albums to their name, it was tricky for him to narrow his playlist down to five tracks showing the breadth...2023-04-131h 33

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E2 - 90's Rock: Foo Fighters (Overrated) & Feeder (Underrated) - with Jen DixonWe're joined by Teesside-based singer songwriter Jen Dixon this week, who brings two nostalgic rock bands for discussion.. .Jen is a huge Foo Fighters fan - drumming from a young age, she was especially in awe of Taylor Hawkins...Fran is a Foo Fighters fan and says they're excellent live - but Babs has always felt they're overplayed (and that Dave Grohl shouts a bit too much in songs). Will Jen's playlist and Fran's arguments help change her mind? Welsh band Feeder have been going for almost thirty years and released an album as recently...2023-04-061h 06

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6E1 - Leeds Part II: Kaiser Chiefs (Overrated) & The Music (Underrated)'Ow do! We're back in Yorkshire to discuss two more Leodensian rock bands, having talked about Alt-J and Duels back in our first season... Kaiser Chiefs might be best known for their songs and albums of the noughties, but the band has continued to release music as recently as 2022...Fran has put together a playlist spanning most of their albums so he and Babs can talk about whether their top tunes have been overplayed - and whether they should be better-known for their most recent hits. Fran & Babs have been fans of difficult-to-Google band The...2023-03-301h 36

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS6 TrailerWe will be back next week with the first episode of Season Six! Bands we'll be discussing in this series include David Bowie, Queen, Nick Drake, The Ark, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Jet, The Music, Kaiser Chiefs, Kraftwerk, Calvin Harris, Henric de la Cour and Frightened Rabbit. In the meantime, find out what some of our BIGGEST FANS have to say about the podcast....2023-03-2300 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E13 - Special Episode: Interviewing Chris Olley, Six by SevenRounding off this season is a special bumper episode with Chris Olley, musician and lead singer/guitarist from Six by Seven. If these names sound familiar, it's because Fran picked Six by Seven as an underrated band in our previous Nottingham episode - so this conversation is an Over/underrated first! Chris listened to our episode, got in touch and we invited him to come on to talk about whether he agreed with our assessment of the band and hear more about the music he's making now. We also asked Chris to pick five songs from acts h...2023-01-191h 53

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E12 - Christmas Special 🎄 with Richard DelahaySanta Fran & Babs welcome you to our first ever Christmas special! We're joined by festive music appreciator and friend of the podcast Richard Delahay, who has picked his top five overrated & underrated Christmas songs... How much has working in retail and catering traumatised Fran & Richard's reactions to Christmas songs? How much of our conversation will be dominated by discussing the various Band Aid versions? And will Christmas pessimist Babs react to Richard's picks in a particularly bah humbug-y way? For more end-of-year cheer, check out our Best of 2022 episodes - Part I and Part II...2022-12-241h 20

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E11b - Special Episode: Fran & Babs' Best of 2022, Part IIWe've wrapped up the year once again, each picking our ten favourite tracks from 2022 and discussing our musical highlights and lowlights. However, this year we've mixed it up a little 🍸 and assigned each of our picks to ten categories... In Part II, we have five more categories to discuss: best sync song, favourite song you'd like to hear live, best new artist, best rock song and favourite non-European song. Check out the accompanying Best of 2022 Part I episode which came out last week - you can also listen to our Best of 2021 and Best of 2020 epi...2022-12-191h 08

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E11a - Special Episode: Fran & Babs' Best of 2022, Part IWe've wrapped up the year once again, each picking our ten favourite tracks from 2022 and discussing our musical highlights and lowlights. However, this year we've mixed it up a little 🍸 and assigned each of our picks to ten categories... In Part I, we'll be talking about each other's favourite song by a solo act, best song by a group, favourite track in a genre we don't normally like, favourite song not in English and best collaboration. Join us next week for Part II and to find out the other five categories we've picked for song ran...2022-12-1557 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E10 - Sweden Part II 🇸🇪 The Cardigans (Overrated) & The Tiny (Underrated) - with Daniel BellqvistVälkomna alla till säsongens sista avsnitt! This week we are joined by Daniel Bellqvist, lead singer of Swedish indie band Eskobar. Daniel shares some great rock'n'roll anecdotes in this episode, including those relating to this week's overrated act, The Cardigans. While we all agree that Lovefool was extremely popular and played non-stop, is it fair to label The Cardigans overrated - or are there more underrated gems in their back catalogue? Fran & Babs are also introduced to The Tiny, Daniel's favourite Swedish band of all time - he discovered them live and loves the...2022-11-171h 27

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E9 - Theatrical Americans: Prince (Overrated) & Jill Tracy (Underrated) - with Dr Becky Alexis-Martin and Annie GreatorexHello DARLINGS and welcome to a most flamboyant episode! We're joined by Dr Becky Alexis-Martin and Annie Greatorex to discuss one of the most famous theatrical American musicians of all time and one rather more unknown... Dr Becky is keen to discuss mega-famous, revered Prince - she thinks he's written great songs for women (Sinead O'Connor, The Bangles) but feels many of his own tunes are TOO LONG! Will Fran, Babs & Annie agree - or will they be too busy doing the Batdance? Annie introduces us to Jill Tracy, who describes herself as a "musical...2022-11-101h 21

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E8 - British Blue-Eyed Soul: Rod Stewart (Overrated) & Robert Palmer (Underrated) - with Paula WisemanJoined by Paula Wiseman, journalist and host of the Divine Comedians podcast, we're back in the UK this week talking about two singer-songwriters some might not realise are even British... Rod Stewart's music career began in 1962 when he started busking with a harmonica - and he's not stopped making music since. But are his songs interesting enough to deserve the worldwide fame? Fran investigates by making a five-track playlist of hits to discuss... Paula has been a huge Robert Palmer fan for many years and is very keen to introduce Fran, Babs and our listeners...2022-11-031h 17

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E7b - New Wave, Part II: Indochine (Underrated)Following on from Part I of our new wave episode, focused on The Cars, we're crossing the Atlantic and travelling to Paris to discuss our underrated pick, Indochine. The best-selling French band of all time, Indochine released their first album in 1982 and have continued to make music ever since - but remain fairly unknown in English-speaking countries. Babs fell in love with the band when living in Luxembourg in 2002, following the release of their smash album Paradize - and also credits their music with motivating her to improve her French. Will Monsieur Fran agree that les rosbifs...2022-10-311h 05

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E7a - New Wave, Part I: The Cars (Overrated)This week, Fran & Babs talked about new wave and 80s music for so long that we've had to make this a two-parter... We've taken a bit of a different approach with this week's overrated pick...Babs was a fan of The Cars without knowing much of their back catalogue while Fran was less sure how he felt. Therefore, Babs took it upon herself to listen to all seven of The Cars' studio albums and come up with a ten-track playlist which represents their long career.... We will be back in Part II to discuss Babs...2022-10-2748 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E6 - Brighton Part II: Royal Blood (Overrated) & The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster (Underrated) - with Mike LashJoined by Mike Lash from the Playlist Yeah! podcast, we're heading back to the sea - but is it boring? Mike certainly thinks that the hype surrounding two-piece behemoths Royal Blood is undeserved - while some of their songs are certainly overplayed, will Fran & Babs agree they're overrated? Babs & Mike also get excited about The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, a difficult to categorise band who clearly influenced many of their contemporaries. This episode was recorded before the news that the band are releasing an expanded reissue of ‘Hörse Of The Dög’, with liner notes...2022-10-201h 21

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E5 - Nottingham: London Grammar (Overrated) & Six by Seven (Underrated)We're back in the UK this week, swooping into the East Midlands for our latest episode... Fran is a London Grammar fan, but every time Babs has tried to get into them nothing stuck out for her...will Fran's ten-track playlist turn her into a fan of Hannah, Dot & Dan? Babs is also introduced to Six by Seven, a band Fran remembers having posters of on the wall. However, despite releasing eight studio albums and being touted as "the next Radiohead", they have flown very much under the radar - so Fran is hoping to...2022-10-131h 16

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E4 - New York Indie Rock: Vampire Weekend (Overrated) & Nation of Language (Underrated) - with George ThurleyJoined by friend of the podcast & afro-pop sympathiser George Thurley, we're back in Noo Yoik City for more discussions of rock.... Babs has never been particularly keen on Vampire Weekend and wonders if this is as much due to their aesthetic as their music. Will George's five-track playlist convince her that Ezra Koenig is more of a genius than she realises? George also introduces Fran & Babs to self-styled "working class synth-pop" band Nation of Language. Formed in 2016, Nation of Language definitely wear their 80's synth-pop influences on their sleeve. While this is normally very much...2022-10-061h 14

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E3 - Australia 🇦🇺 AC/DC (Overrated) & The Vines (Underrated)G'day mates and welcome to an exploration of two of Australia's biggest musical exports... AC/DC is one of the biggest bands in the world - their album Back in Black is the second best-selling album OF ALL TIME! While Fran & Babs can appreciate their career longevity, how much do they actually like the music? Babs has been a fan of The Vines since they exploded onto the scene in the early noughties but remains distraught they're mainly known for their early work. She maintains they've continuously put out good music and frontman Craig Nicholls...2022-09-291h 30

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E2b - Jazz Rock Fusion, Part II: Steely Dan (Underrated) - with Matthew CrosbyWe are joined once again by writer, comedian, broadcaster and podcasting legend Matthew Crosby for Part II of our jazz rock fusion-themed episodes. This time, Matthew is talking about one of his all-time favourite bands - Steely Dan. Matthew admires how Steely Dan manage to make music which is simultaneously "interesting, weird, complex" as well as "singable, hummable, pop" - and loves how their tunes are also accompanied by arch, witty lyrics. However, he's had some difficulty in generating a similar level of enthusiasm about Steely Dan amongst his friends. Will he be able to...2022-09-261h 03

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E2a - Jazz Rock Fusion, Part I: Red Hot Chili Peppers (Overrated) - with Matthew CrosbyJoined by writer, comedian, broadcaster and podcasting legend Matthew Crosby, we’re diving deep into the discography of two darn groovy bands… Abracadabracalifornication to all you jazz fusion funk hoppers! Or maybe not, because on this episode we find out why Matthew takes such umbrage with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Despite acknowledging they’re brilliant musicians, “everybody seems to like them” and he’s not quite sure why… Fran & Babs have made fun of RHCP and Anthony Kiedis in the past - but will they agree with Matthew? Or do they believe there are some gems buri...2022-09-221h 03

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS5E1 - New Romantics: Spandau Ballet (Overrated) & Japan (Underrated)Put on some liquid eyeliner, find your sparkliest eyeshadow and bring out the hairspray - we're talking about some New Romantics legends! Fran is a big fan of the era but thinks that behemoths Spandau Ballet only have a handful of good songs...Babs doesn't know much Spandau Ballet beyond the hits - so will she agree with Fran? Babs is also properly introduced to the band Japan - they're not Alphaville of Big in Japan, we'll have you know! Fran loves the band but says he hasn't met anyone who likes Japan. Can he...2022-09-151h 23

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS4E10 - Cardiff: Manic Street Preachers (Overrated) and Mclusky (Underrated) - with Ceri MitchellJoined by Ceri Mitchell from the Playlist Yeah! podcast, we're swooping over The Valleys and landing in Wales' capital.. Ceri studied in Wales and felt the Manic Street Preachers' presence even more strongly there...but it didn't make him a big fan. Despite loving their androgynous image, will Fran & Babs agree that they're overhyped? For his underrated pick, Ceri introduces Fran & Babs to Cardiff-based band Mclusky. It turns out Babs had saved a couple of their songs back in 2016 but hadn't explored further, so will she get on board the Andrew "Falco" Falkous train? And...2022-05-191h 25

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS4E9 - Special Episode: Eurovision 2022It's that time of year again! Fran & Babs listen to all 40 songs from this year's competition and pick their top five best and worst tunes. Who does Babs accuse of greenwashing? Which region of Europe do a lot of Fran's selections come from? And like in our 2021 episode, will some picks appear in opposing lists? If you enjoy this episode, you should check out our 2021 episode and our two-part special with Babs' dad, which analyses Eurovision 1958-2019 - both the underrated and overrated aspects, of course... The incredible 2017 Ukrainian interval act Babs keeps banging on...2022-05-101h 11

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS4E8 - Blues: The Rolling Stones (Overrated) and Memphis Minnie (Underrated) - with Karlyn KingWe're joined by music lecturer, writer and podcaster Karlyn King in our latest episode, tackling one of the biggest rock bands in the world - and talking about a blues musician who should definitely be better-known... With blues as the theme, Fran has picked five early songs by The Rolling Stones to argue that they are an overhyped band in this genre. Will Babs & Karlyn agree that they continue to receive way too many accolades? Karlyn also introduces Fran & Babs to Memphis Minnie, a fascinating genius who wrote around 200 songs, including the Led Zeppelin-covered When...2022-05-051h 08

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS4E7 - UK 00's Indie Explosion Part I: Kasabian (Overrated) & (British) Sea Power (Underrated)We can't believe we haven't covered this theme yet... Babs really likes Kasabian - she doesn't want to, but them's the breaks - and wants to convince Fran to see beyond their lad rock reputation and appreciate their use of synths, their psychedelic edge, as well as their more underrated "bleepy bloopy" songs. Naturally, we also address the recent line-up changes and how the band handled them.. Meanwhile, Fran would love more people to get into Sea Power - previously known as British Sea Power - because they are a unique indie band...however, he often has a hard time...2022-04-281h 31

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS4E6 - Indie Folk: The National (Overrated) & Sharon van Etten (Underrated) - with Helen SadlerJoined by Helen Sadler from the Flixwatcher podcast, she has curated two eclectic playlists which arguably fall under the indie folk umbrella... Helen got on board The National train when she saw them live - however, Babs didn't have a great experience watching them during a heatwave at a festival, she felt they were quite boring....will her mind be changed by Helen's picks? Sharon van Etten is this week's underrated pick - hailing from New Jersey, Sharon has recently moved further away from her country/Americana origins by incorporating more synths into her music...2022-04-211h 13

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS4E5 - Depeche Mode SpecialA.k.a. we've both wanted an excuse to talk about Depeche Mode for a while, so we've each picked our top five overrated and underrated DM tunes to have somewhat of a theme! Fran's favourite Depeche Mode albums are Songs of Faith and Devotion and Some Great Reward, while Babs really got into the band thanks to her mum buying the 81-85 and 86-98 Greatest Hits in the early noughties - just as the Exciter era hit. It was hard to make the playlists - there's a lot of songs to pick from - a...2022-04-141h 12

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS4E4 - New York Art Rock: Talking Heads (Overrated) & They Might be Giants (Underrated) - with Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam PayOur first episode with two guests! We're joined by Sam Pay and Martin Zaltz Austwick from the Song by Song podcast to chat arty NYC musicians. Martin & Sam & Fran & Babs differ in opinion on how much - and why - they think Talking Heads are overrated. Discussions centre around whether the band's attitude is a bit elitist, David Byrne's standing in pop culture and how many different types of sounds DB can emit (Fran is deffo compiling a spreadsheet). As for They Might Be Giants - who have, at time of recording, released 23 studio albums...2022-04-071h 37

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS4E3 - Canada 🇨🇦 Alanis Morissette (Overrated) & Nelly Furtado (Underrated)Força! We've crossed the Atlantic to discuss the legacy of two of Canada's finest singer-songwriters... Until Babs discovered You Oughta Know, she wasn't a huge Alanis Morissette fan - her biggest songs were definitely overplayed...however, Fran has toured Alanis' discography and chosen ten tracks which show a wider variety of styles than either of them initially thought... Babs is also delighted to finally chat about one of the most famous singers of Portuguese origin, Nelly Furtado. Her biggest songs are from the early and mid-noughties, but Babs argues that she never stopped making b...2022-03-311h 33

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS4E2 - K-Pop: BTS (Overrated) & NCT (Underrated) - with Reggie C CrawfordA.k.a. some oldies talk about that newfangled music making waves across the world! We're joined by the lovely Reggie C Crawford - an audio editor, podcaster, audio engineer and voice-artist - who got into K-Pop thanks to his daughters and provides an excellent introduction to the genre to n00bs Fran & Babs. Reggie wants to make clear he is a BIG BTS fan - but nominated them as overrated because, well, they're one of the biggest bands in the world at the moment! Do Fran & Babs think they're too hyped up or will...2022-03-241h 31

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS4E1 - Trip-hop: Massive Attack (Overrated) & Sneaker Pimps (Underrated)We're starting out pretty chilled in the first episode of season four...one-one-two... Coming into the record, Fran was quite indifferent to trip-hop - so Babs hopes to convince him there's more to Massive Attack than the big hits we've heard on TV shows and adverts. And with Sneaker Pimps releasing a new album in 2021 - 19 years after their previous one - Babs thought it would be a good opportunity to take Fran through their wide-ranging discography, although she might live to regret it... You can find the playlist for this episode on S...2022-03-171h 35

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS3E10 - Hip-hop: Puff Daddy (Overrated) & Jurassic 5 (Underrated) - with Kobi OmenakaJoined by the talented Kobi Omenaka - a podcaster, digital marketing specialist, consultant and teacher - we're finally diving into a genre we're not so knowledgeable about, hip-hop. Puff Daddy a.k.a. P Diddy a.k.a. Puffy a.k.a. Diddy a.k.a. Sean Combs was incredible successful in the late 90s and 00s - but is his fame deserved, should he be better known as a tastemaker rather than a rapper? We also learn a lot more about alternative hip-hop legends Jurassic 5, who Babs affectionately dubs "The Gilmore Girls of rap".2022-02-071h 07

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS3E9 - Dad Rock: Dire Straits (Overrated) & Cheap Trick (Underrated)Fran picked his dad's literal favourite band as overrated - so will his dad be insulted or buoyed by our analysis? Fran also wants to convince Babs that Cheap Trick are more than I Want You to Want Me and Surrender - and talks about how the expression "big in Japan" was inspired by their live album "Cheap Trick at Budokan" 🇯🇵 Babs was genuinely concerned when Fran suggested this theme, but tried not to judge too much beforehand... You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlis...2022-01-271h 27

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS3E8 - California Part II: Metallica (Overrated) & Grandaddy (Underrated) - with Adam CornerJoined by Adam Corner - a writer and researcher specialising in climate change communication and culture/climate collaborations - we talk about two bands linked by the flimsiest of themes! Metallica are much-loved rock gods, but none of us quite get the hype - will Adam's considered playlist change any of our minds? Adam and Fran also reminisce about Grandaddy, which Babs was sceptical about as they're meant to be a bit twee...so will she like any of their songs? Check out Adam's website - and we promised him we'd plug Grandaddy's Bandcamp page...2022-01-201h 23

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS3E7 - Americana: Bruce Springsteen (Overrated) & Frazey Ford (Underrated) - with Clare Ferguson-WalkerJoined by comedian, spoken word artist and sculptor Clare Ferguson-Walker, we are tackling a very sacred cow as our overrated pick - does Bruce Springsteen deserve all the accolades? Clare also introduces Fran and Babs to the soulful Frazey Ford, an original member of The Be Good Tanyas. We recommend watching her music videos as well as listening to her songs - especially Done. Check out Clare's website to see her amazing work - you can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram. You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify...2022-01-131h 13

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS3E6 - Special Episode: Fran & Babs' Best of 2021We've wrapped up the year once again, picking our 10 favourite tracks from 2021 and discussing our musical highlights and lowlights - look out also for Fran's excellent suggestion for Brandon Flowers' next solo single... You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss! Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter, @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. Y...2021-12-301h 37

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS3E5 - 70's Punk: Ramones (Overrated) & The Stranglers (Underrated)Fran & Babs discuss whether Ramones are only about "1-2-3-4" and t-shirts - or is there more to them than meets the eye? Babs is also delighted to promote one of her favourite bands - The Stranglers - whose output is far more broad and experimental than most people realise, even if they are aware of Golden Brown, Peaches and No More Heroes... You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. D...2021-12-231h 33

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS3E4 - US 00's Indie Invasion: The Strokes (Overrated) & The Hold Steady (Underrated) - with Adam LarterJoined by comedian Adam Larter, we're discussing two very different bands who came up in New York at the turn of the millennium. Adam thinks The Strokes have little substance beyond becoming the template for hipsterdom, but can he convince fans Fran and Babs otherwise? Adam picked The Hold Steady as his underrated act because of the great lyrics and the "heart and soul" they pour into their songs - but given their songs are quite melodic, Babs is sceptical...will she be won over by their beautiful storytelling? Adam is on Twitter @lartymcparty and h...2021-12-161h 36

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS3E3 - Radiohead Album Showdown Special: The Bends vs. Hail to the ThiefFran & Babs recently realised they're seemingly different types of Radiohead fans - Fran thinks The Bends showcases them at their strongest, while Babs - controversially? - says Hail to the Thief is the best Radiohead record. In this Album Showdown Special™, they've picked their five fave songs from each album and, as ever, try and convince each other they're right. Will they agree on anything or will it just retreat into a Sulk? (sorry....) Babs has since watched The Darkness' cover of Street Spirit (Fade Out) and can't quite believe how good it is. You sh...2021-12-021h 06

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS3E2 - Britpop Part II: The Verve (Overrated) & Mansun (Underrated) - with Tara CourtJoined by DJ and podcaster Tara Court, we're reminiscing about the 90's again! First up it's the The Verve a.k.a. releasers of the 18th best-selling album in UK chart history with Urban Hymns. Their music seems to have stalked Tara a bit too much over the years - but do they deserve the overrated label? While most people only know their biggest hit Wide Open Space, Tara and Fran are huge Mansun fans and enthusiastically introduce Babs to the weird and wonderful world of Paul, Chad, Stove et al. Mansun's music is definitely more sophisticated than your average...2021-11-251h 20

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS3E1 - Sweden 🇸🇪 ABBA (Overrated) & kent (Underrated)We are BACK - and taking on a pop behemoth in the first episode of season three! Babs has a bit of a vendetta against her dad's favourite band ABBA - sure, they're influential but do they deserve ALL the hype? Meanwhile, Fran wants to raise awareness of the indie band kent - who sing mostly in Swedish - to the English-speaking world, and beyond... You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. 2021-11-181h 37

Song by SongMisery is the River of the World, Blood Money, Tom Waits [302]Fran James and Bárbara Mendes-Jorge of the Over/Underrated podcast join Sam & Martin to kick off season 20 with a song about the saddest body of water you can imagine (feedback pending). We compare to other wet songs from musical theatre, discuss vocal quality and tone, and touch on the difference between enjoyment and analysis. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Misery Is the River of the World, Blood Money, Tom Waits (2002) Ol' Man River, Showboat, Paul Robeson/Jerome Kern/O...2021-10-2721 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E11a - Bonus Episode: The Best of Sussex - with Ben Hampson, AA Sessions producerFran & Babs were delighted to be joined by music producer/mixer/engineer/arranger extraordinaire Ben Hampson for a special episode focused on bands from the region he's based in, Sussex. Ben picked five songs from five top Sussex bands - most of whom he has worked with - in one of the most solid playlists ever created for the podcast. Along the way, we also chat about a range of topics including Ben's Agricultural Audio studio in the Lewes countryside, the AA Sessions collaboration he oversees, the demise of b-sides, the Spotify algorithm and the s...2021-07-301h 14

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E10 - Glasgow: Primal Scream (Overrated) & Teenage Fanclub (Underrated) - with Chris WebbIt's the final episode of the season and we're joined from New Zealand by Chris Webb, host of the film podcast Still Any Good?, who brings two different alternative bands from Glasgow for discussion. Despite not being a huge Primal Scream fan, Chris listened to ALL THEIR ALBUMS IN A ROW (!) and came with his five favourite songs to try and convince himself, Fran & Babs they're better than he thinks. Chris is also a longtime Teenage Fanclub fan - Fran knows and likes them, but Babs has only ever heard of them. Will Chris be able to...2021-07-121h 06

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E9b - Grunge: Part II, L7 (Underrated) - with Ryan SchaffJoined by Ryan Schaff, host of The Broken Record Player podcast, we took such a deep dive into grunge that we broke up the episode into two parts. In this second episode, Ryan takes us on a ten-track tour of "fierce feminist pioneers" L7. We talk about how sexism definitely contributed to their underratedness and how many bands they still influenced along the way. While Fran is not so keen on all of L7's oeuvre, he watched the 'L7: Pretend We're Dead' documentary and recommends it to any music lovers interested in the grunge movement. 2021-07-061h 03

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E9a - Grunge: Part I, Pearl Jam (Overrated) - with Ryan SchaffJoined by Ryan Schaff, host of The Broken Record Player podcast, we took such a deep dive into grunge that we broke up the episode into two parts. In this first section, we ponder one of grunge's biggest successes, Pearl Jam. Ryan is a big fan - who has never seen them live - and he's here to convince Babs & Fran - who are not big Pearl Jam fans despite both of them having seen them live - to reconsider. Through an eclectic playlist, we discuss their wide-ranging lyrical themes, the relationship between music and d...2021-07-011h 08

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E8 - Special Episode: Babs' Neighbourhood, BelgiumPart II of our neighbourhood chats! Fran & Babs are both very keen to discuss local music talent in their areas and today we're discussing musicians from Belgium... Babs has lived in Brussels for eight years and been a fan of Belgian music since her teens. She has made a ten-track playlist showcasing some of her fave artists from Flanders, Wallonia AND the capital...and highly recommends watching the videos accompanying the tunes, although be warned - some are hella disturbing. Everybody should watch the fascinating The Sound of Belgium documentary, especially those interested in the...2021-06-2449 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E7 - Special Episode: Fran's Neighbourhood, Dorset & HampshireIt's another special episode! Fran & Babs are both very keen to discuss local music talent in their areas, so this is Part I of II of our neighbourhood chats... Fran hails from Bournemouth and has made a ten-track playlist showcasing musicians from "Wessex" a.k.a. Dorset & Hampshire. Some are well-known (PJ Harvey, Klaxons) others definitely more underrated (Ed Dowie, Betika)....and who does Fran call the region's "local Jarvis Cocker"? You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists...2021-06-1754 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E6 - (Greater) Manchester: The Courteeners (Overrated) & (We Are) Performance (Underrated) - with Matt LathamWe're back travelling across the UK to (Greater) Manchester with special guest Matt Latham from the Pickadisc podcast. We discuss whether Courteeners successfully manage to escape the "landfill indie" label - despite having some great lyrics? Also, Matt introduces Fran & Babs to (We Are) Performance, who make "catchy, '80s inspired pop with a dance-rock bent" - something which, on paper, sounds right up our streets... Listen to Matt's podcast Pickadisc in most places you find podcasts. Babs previously guested on Pickadisc, where she picked the album Future Perfect by Autolux. You can find the p...2021-06-101h 20

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E5 - Mixed Gender Pop Groups: S Club 7 (Overrated) & Liberty X (Underrated) - with Sophie DaviesJoined by Sophie Davies from the It's an S Pod Thing! podcast - which analyses S Club 7's various TV shows - we ponder whether the band's music holds up and hear about how the placing of some their songs in the TV show negatively impacted Sophie's opinion about them! Unfairly labelled "Flopstars" Liberty X, runners-up of the 2001 TV show Popstars, are also in contention this week - as it turns out they have more bangers than you might think... Follow Sophie on Twitter @ItsSophieDavies. As well as It's an S Pod Thing!, Sophie also h...2021-06-031h 18

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E4 - Birmingham: The Streets (Overrated) & Ocean Colour Scene (Underrated) - with Tim ColledgeWe're visiting the "City of a Thousand Trades" via Abu Dhabi, with special guest Tim Colledge - a personal trainer, fitness business owner and podcaster - who feels Ocean Colour Scene have more to offer than just their Britpop greatest hits. Fran, Babs & Tim also discuss whether The Streets offer more than just pure noughties nostalgia... Tim hosts the Coffee with Coaches podcast, where he discusses his "no bs take on anything related to fitness training" with a range of guests - you can check it out here. You can also find the playlist for...2021-05-261h 18

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E3 - Special Episode: Eurovision 2021After analysing Eurovision 1958-2019 in the previous episodes, Fran & Babs listen to all 39 songs from this year's competition and pick their top five best and worst tunes. Will some picks appear in opposing lists? Are the songs we make up on the spot better than some in this year's competition? Listen to find out.... Josh Weller is trying to understand every singer in 2021 here. And the incredible 2017 Ukrainian interval act Babs keeps banging on about is ONUKA with the NAONI Orchestra - you can watch them on YouTube. You can find the playlist for...2021-05-181h 23

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E2b - Eurovision: Part II, Underrated - with Paulo Mendes-JorgeWe're back discussing Paulo Mendes-Jorge's selection of the most unfairly ranked songs in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, a tall order - and we end on perhaps our most poignant note to date, discussing the wider symbolism of the competition and European politics...but don't worry, it's still funny. Fran managed to find the interview where Jonathan Ross strong-armed Radiohead into agreeing to participate in Eurovision, it's available on YouTube. You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other a...2021-05-1554 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E2a - Eurovision: Part I, Overrated - with Paulo Mendes-JorgeVeteran Eurovision fan, podcast newbie - and Babs' dad - Paulo Mendes-Jorge takes us on a tour through the best and worst of the world's longest-running annual international televised music competition....and there's a surprising amount of naughty chat?! Although he only picked five overrated and underrated songs respectively, we had such a fun time chatting that this episode is going to be a two-parter - in this episode, we only discuss overrated songs. Paulo, Fran & Babs will be back in Part II listening to the underrated choices. You can find the playlist for this e...2021-05-121h 02

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E1b - Bonus Episode: Grouplove's "This Is This" albumOur first bonus episode! Why? Basically, not long after we recorded our California episode, our underrated pick Grouplove released a new album...so we decided to take the time to analyse it track by track in depth...while going off on some tangents along the way - who is wearing make-up and who isn't in this episode? And do you agree #albumsarecool? We've added the extra songs discussed here to our already existing California playlist on Spotify. Get in touch! Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter, @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. You can a...2021-05-1034 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS2E1 - California Part I: Queens of the Stone Age (Overrated) & Grouplove (Underrated)We are BACK for Season 2! In sunny California, Babs has curated a particularly ecletic QOTSA playlist, while Fran introduces genre-blenders and exciting live act Grouplove. Babs' Chasing Time playlist of break-up bangers is over on Spotify. And to get a taste of what Grouplove are like live, check them out on YouTube. You can also find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have...2021-05-051h 33

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS1E10 - Hair Metal: Bon Jovi (Overrated) & Skid Row (Underrated) - with Matt HossFor the last episode of season one, Fran and Babs are joined by a special guest, the multi-talented Matt Hoss: comedian, podcaster, Twitcher, author and lover of HAIR METAL! Matt became enamoured with hair metal - or is it glam rock? - as a teenager, and still holds a torch for the genre. In this episode, he tries to convince us Skid Row should definitely be more famous (even though they're problematic, which we also discuss) and joins Fran and Babs in having a cathartic rant and tour through the worst of Bon Jovi's back catalogue (we a...2021-02-181h 14

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS1E9 - Special Episode: Boy Bands vs. Girl Bands, Part II - with Dan BullWe've CONTINUED our discussion, picking twenty more overrated and underrated tracks by boy bands and girl bands...but this time, we have a special guest accompanying us! Dan Bull from the Track by Track podcast joins Fran and Babs and while the trio are in agreement for a lot of the overrated picks, the deep cuts lead to a few more disagreements... You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. We recommend checking out D...2021-02-111h 14

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS1E8 - Special Episode: Boy Bands vs. Girl Bands, Part IYep, we've tweaked the format again 😁 this week we're discussing twenty overrated and underrated tracks by boy bands and girl bands from across the years...find out which boy band Babs gushed about for so long Fran had to cut 'about 20 mins' out and which notorious girl band's cover of The Smiths is Fran and Babs agree is 'not as bad as you would think....'? You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. The...2021-02-041h 25

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS1E7 - New Zealand 🇳🇿 Crowded House (Overrated) & Ladyhawke (Underrated)Crowded House are the closest Fran and Babs have come to a musical fall-out, but thankfully they both put their differences aside to discuss how good Ladyhawke is... Babs highly recommends checking out the Young At Heart compilation which someone has kindly put together on Spotify. Relatedly, the Spotify playlist The '80s All Lined Up is one of platform's best. The playlist for this episode 'Over/underrated - Ep 7: New Zealand, Crowded House (Overrated) & Ladyhawke (Underrated)' is on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists d...2021-01-281h 00

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS1E6 - Punk: Sex Pistols (Overrated) & Mad Sin (Underrated) - with Kate AllveyOur first episode with a special guest to help us broaden our musical horizons! Punk professor Kate Allvey from the Straight Talking English podcast joins to ask if anyone likes the Sex Pistols' music and introduces us to the German kings of psycho horror, Mad Sin... Listen to Kate's podcast and follow her on Twitter @Str8talkEnglish. You can check out Kate and Babs' Retro RAW special episode of their university radio show Trivial Rebellion on Mixcloud. Comedian and podcaster Gabriel Ebulue investigated the My Way curse on the BBC Radio 4 documentary Karaoke Rage. You can watch Ma...2021-01-211h 08

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS1E5 - Brighton Part I: Fatboy Slim (Overrated) & Blood Red Shoes (Underrated)In the first episode of 2021, Fran is questioning whether Fatboy Slim deserves so much praise - he hasn't released that many new tunes recently - while Babs wants Blood Red Shoes to receive more accolades, especially from British rock fans... You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists discussed during the episode. Download, subscribe and get in touch! Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter, @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. You can also email us at overunderratedmusicpod@gmail.co...2021-01-1457 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS1E4 - Special Episode: Fran and Babs' Best of 2020Tweaking the format slightly to finish the year on a more positive note, Fran and Babs have each shared their 10 favourite songs of 2020 and discuss their top over/underrated musicians and moments of 2020. How melodic will Fran's playlist be? Will Babs' selection be filled with "angry, soulless" music? Ultimately - will they agree on a single song?! You can find the playlist for this episode 'Over/underrated - Special Episode: Best of 2020' on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists discussed during the episode. Babs' 'Bah Humbug' alternative C...2020-12-241h 21

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS1E3 - Leeds: alt-J Δ (Overrated) & Duels (Underrated)Babs wants to convince you alt-J Δ aren't just your average nice posh boys, while Fran ponders where Duels disappeared to after burning bright in the mid-noughties. You can find the playlist for this episode 'Over/underrated - Ep 3: Leeds, alt-J (Overrated) & Duels (Underrated)' on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists discussed during the episode. Laura Snapes' Pitchfork review of Alt-J's An Awesome Wave is here and you can find the hilarious Alt-J parody song on YouTube. In Cold Blood is dissected by Alt-J on t...2020-12-1746 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS1E2 - Athens GA: R.E.M. (Overrated) & The B-52's (Underrated)Fran takes us through the best of R.E.M.'s back catalogue and Babs pleads with us to take The B-52's more seriously. You can find the playlist for this episode 'Over/underrated - Episode 2: Athens GA, R.E.M. (Overrated) & The B-52's (Underrated)' on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists discussed during the episode. Download, subscribe and get in touch! Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter, @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. You can also email us at overunderratedmusicpod@gmail.co...2020-12-1049 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsS1E1 - Britpop Part I: Oasis (Overrated) & Shed Seven (Underrated)Babs lets out years of rage against Oasis while Fran passionately discusses Rick Witter & the boys... You can find the playlist for this episode 'Over/underrated - Episode 1: Britpop, Oasis (Overrated) & Shed Seven (Underrated)' on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists discussed during the episode. The Oasis "shine" compilation is on YouTube. Download, subscribe and get in touch! Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter, @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. You can also email us at overunderratedmusicpod@gmail.com. Thanks to...2020-12-1050 min

Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and BabsOver/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and Babs (Trailer)Fran and Babs (@flame_me_up) are music fans living in two different countries (England and Belgium). After meeting online thanks to a mutual love of music and comedy, they decided to start a podcast together as an outlet for their passionate opinions - so they came up with a format, hopped on Zoom to record, and lo - a new music podcast was born 👼🏽 How does it work? Well, we think of a topic, for example a place (Brighton) or a genre (Britpop). We then each pick a band or artist one of us thinks is overrate...2020-12-1002 min