Share

cover art for Modern Problems Require Modern Scams, Pt. 1

Teacup Demagogues

Modern Problems Require Modern Scams, Pt. 1

Season 1, Ep. 6

Spotify has made some major changes to how they're paying artists in 2024, and people are pretty pissed about it. People, sure, but what about the Demagogues? Gabbie admits to being a total fraud who actually knows nothing about the music industry, then blithely demands that Sally explain everything to her. What are royalties, even? Does every artist deserve to have them? Are the changes to the payment model as bad as everyone says they are? Plus, Sally channels her inner bootstrap-puller in some harsh (yet loving) advice to indie musicians everywhere.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 12. Thank God My Underwear's Full Of Lead Without You

    01:06:14||Season 1, Ep. 12
    This week, Sally's guest is Chicago artist and friend Clyde Moreau. The two go ape-crap discussing John Frusciante's Niandra Lades And Usually Just A T-Shirt, their mutual favorite album of all time. Clyde rightfully proposes that this album becomes a staple in every Black household, and Sally asks, "Why Paramore, and not this?". Both want to wish John a happy belated birthday (and ask John to wish them a belated happy birthday back), Sally mildly threatens all of Clyde's shout-outs, Burzum mentioned, Black twitter is ready to erupt upon publishing. "I want to personally apologize for the late episode." - Sally
  • 11. Why Am I Trying to Describe This With Words When There Are Perfectly Good Numbers?

    48:21||Season 1, Ep. 11
    White men! We all know they are the most oppressed members of modern society, but what do they think about music? The world has never known the answer to this burning question, until today's revelatory and brave episode of Teacup Demagogues. Gabbie invites friend of the show and professional Man™ Joe Rivers to talk about serious man matters, like Radiohead and High Fidelity and ranking things and how girls have cooties. Can Gabbie maneuver around his dastardly gatekeeping and manipulation tactics long enough to retain control, or will the podcast soon have an unexpected regime change? (Spoiler: it won't.)Plus, stay tuned for a very special guest!
  • 10. Introducing: The Infusion on WTDZ Tea 101

    34:30||Season 1, Ep. 10
    WTDZ, Tea 101 presents The Infusion -- rock'n'roll's hottest hits with radio's hottest hosts, Mustang Sally and Gabbie Road. We're taking your requests and brewing up the perfect blend of chart-topping alternative, hip hop, pop, and anything else that steams up your cup. Here are the tunes we're spinning on today's show Blushing - TamagotchiLe Lune, CENSORED dialogue - PERNELLMrch - Stars AlignChawsae - land of lowerDay Dreems - The Bad Old DaysOmari Logan - BabylonRodeo Boys - Garbage ManScarlet House - RunSLOT - Sick JokeNÜDE - Say LessTo Max, Dave, and Joe: thanks for lending your voices.
  • 9. You Can't Be A Dime If You Rhyme Lime And Lime

    01:22:20||Season 1, Ep. 9
    In this special guest episode, Sally invites Ryan from the band Guster to Teacup Studios™️ to talk about dimes...What are dimes, you ask? They're not just hits, they're perfect songs. Listen as this duo tweak and geek over the best of the best! What makes a song a dime? Who are the parties responsible? Why are the Beatles so g*ddamn important? Sally gets schooled, but not convinced! Vast ground gets covered, but yes, we talk about TikTok, Dee-Lite, Alice In Chains, Lana Del Rey and RCHP again...and it probably won't be the last time. 
  • 8. Put That in Your Syringe and Shoot It, Courtney Love

    42:15||Season 1, Ep. 8
    WOMEN. What do they want? What's the point of them? Why aren't they funny? Can they even make good music? For obvious reasons, Sally and Gabbie cannot answer these questions. But they can rattle off a list of women that they've heard of and hope for the best, and then recommend some new women you may not have heard of yet. There's patriarchy toppled, folks.
  • 7. Modern Problems Require Modern Scams, Pt. 2: You Wouldn't Hit A Guy With Glasses, Would You?

    55:43||Season 1, Ep. 7
    In the long-awaited (whoopsie!) second part of their Spotify series, the Demagogues explore what can be done to rebalance the music biome. What is this elusive context, and how does the indie artist create it for themselves? What is really happening with "good guy" distributors? What is Spotify doing wrong, and why? And what is the listener's role in this ecosystem? Sally puts on her finest podcast bro regalia and flexes her business nerd muscles (thank you, ketones), while Gabbie grounds the conversation with repartée the people are actually interested in. It is, all in all, their best episode yet...and they have no plans to ever be this good again. 
  • 5. Making Their Little Batmen Kiss

    46:40||Season 1, Ep. 5
    In their riveting first episode of 2024, the Demagogues have finally christened their listeners (welcome, Teacups!). Sally makes chaos coquette by adorning her new year In/Out list with pink bows. Gabbie has big feelings about the poetry of Anthony Kiedis. Oldheads get an intermediate lesson in finding new music. Our masterful orator podcast bros who are also, somehow, simultaneously just girls, give a rundown of upcoming 2024 releases with tepid anticipation. All of these treasures (and more?) culminate in yet another incredible episode. The Demagogues have done it again, and they'll do it again next week, too.  
  • 4. Why the F&*k Are They Still Making Records?

    46:03||Season 1, Ep. 4
    You were promised an episode about the best albums of 2023, and now you're almost going to get one! Gabbie thinks she's deciphering the AOTY end-of-year list aggregator, but ends up sounding like an overeager crypto-bro failing to impress a first date. Sally quickly tires of lists and explains the inner workings of the actual music industry instead (and challenges Foo Fighters fans to a duel as a treat). What should by all rights have been a list of album recommendations devolves into miscellaneous rantings about the evolution of music production and consumption. Maybe in the new year we can stay on task?