Month: November 2016

Ballads are enduring relics of rich oral tradition. From literary epics like Beowulf, to the seedier broadside ballads sold at public executions; these story songs give us a glimpse at the practices and values of distant times and places. Just as we ca… Read More …

Ballads are enduring relics of rich oral tradition. From literary epics like Beowulf, to the seedier broadside ballads sold at public executions; these story songs give us a glimpse at the practices and values of distant times and places. Just as we can see the heroes of the past in these narrative lyrics, so can we see the villains. Especially in the dark and twisted sub-genre of murder ballads, and perhaps even more so in the sub-sub-genre of sweetheart murder ballads. Join us this week as we explore the urban legend ‘Elisa Day’ and the history of songs of similar substance from Appalachia. We will consult experts from William Shakespeare to Allen Lomax as we try to understand the phenomena of murder and infatuation, and the (apparently) persistent need to sing about the combination. We’ll also talk about the real-world criminal case that inspired the play and novel, “An American Tragedy” and its adherence to the murder ballad tradition

Special Guest: Welcome Little Stranger http://themostwonderfulwonder.com/

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Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375 Read More …

1 Year Anniversary Special – Part 2

Who are we, really? Identity is an amorphous, malleable concept that haunts human consciousness at almost every moment. Whether telling a pushy sales person that this shirt, ‘just isn’t me’; having a skull and cro… Read More …

1 Year Anniversary Special – Part 2

Who are we, really? Identity is an amorphous, malleable concept that haunts human consciousness at almost every moment. Whether telling a pushy sales person that this shirt, ‘just isn’t me’; having a skull and crossbones inked on a forearm; or updating an online status; we are valiantly attempting to answer the question of ‘who am I’ for ourselves and the others we encounter. We want to show the world who we are, and be accepted, esteemed or valued for that presentation. Every detail, our style of dress, our haircut, hair color, our tone of voice, our choice of words, the scars and emblems that we ecru upon our skin throughout our lifetime; tell the story of ‘us’. Where does the story stop? Join us this week for a special two-part episode that asks the question are we all, just a story?

For more on this week’s episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com

Twitter: @justastorypod 

Instagram: justastorypod 

Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375 Read More …