#119 - The Soundtrack of Our Childhood (with James Walters)

When I say the words, “the soundtrack of your childhood,” what music pops into your head? If you’re anything like several members of The Couch community, I’m going to bet your list includes the Beach Boys, 80s or 90s country, and the forbidden Madonna. But maybe yours is different than ours! I can’t wait to compare notes.   But first, my brother, candle maker extraordinaire, and friend of the show, James Walters, joins me to compare notes on the childhood we allegedly shared and wonder at how a) we have some very different childhood musical memories despite being only three years apart and b) we have now basically turned into our parents with our love for soft rock and actual oldies (and by “oldies,” I mean 50s, 60s, and 70s; don’t you dare suggest Bon Jovi falls in that category). We also share lots of soundtracks from listeners, which is super fun.   Before we jump in, I will acknowledge a couple things up front. First, we recorded this on one microphone sitting across my dining room table, so the sound is a little wonky. And second, we recorded this episode the morning after the tragic shooting in a Texas elementary school and we are not quite ourselves. We did our best to rally, because we believe there’s great value in the light and lovely things of this world, even on our hardest, darkest days. But if you think we seem a little bit on edge, that’s why.   And of course, because this is The Couch (where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome), we also get into word games, our favorite sitcoms to rewatch, more childhood memories than you asked for, and also, call your senators. Believe it or not, it was still a good time, and I think we can have fun with this one. Let’s get started!   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: All the songs and bands on this playlist The Couch Podcast, episode #72 (TV theme songs) Alvin & the Chipmunks Christmas album   NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES: Call your senators (find their contact info here, find scripts to use here and here). Word puzzles: Wordle, Waffle, Heardle, Weaver, Phoodle, and Quordle Rewatching favorite shows (Schitt’s Creek, Agents of SHIELD, Friends)   DON’T FORGET: Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun! James owns a company called Big Gay Candle Co., and he sells candles that smell amazing and have funny names too. Find him and the candles at @biggaycandle on Instagram or over on Facebook. And buy all the candles from his shop on Etsy! And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.   Welcome to The Couch!