Punch Up the Jam: Songs rewritten, for better or worse

The Premise (from Apple Podcasts):

Every week, comedians/best friends Miel Bredouw and Demi Adejuyigbe attempt to fix a popular song despite absolutely no qualifications. PUNCH UP THE JAM is a show cataloging their descent into madness as they review, rewrite, and remix all the hits you love to hate, or just love (until they ruin it for you.)

Series or standalone:

Standalone

Begin listening to:

Any episode

Format:

Comedy: The hosts talk about a song, make fun of its lyrics and composition, and then rewrite it in some way to make a new version

Host(s):

Miel Bredouw and Demi Adejuyigbe

Sound/production quality:

Quite good, particularly the recording quality of the punched-up tunes. A small quibble: Miel’s voice is naturally loud (nothing wrong with that) and sometimes is a little too much on the mic, but I think she’s gotten better about that over time.

Rating/age suitability:

Not for kids! Some of the chatter in the beginning contains language and adult themes--plus, the appeal is probably not there for most kids/teens.

Approximate length of episodes:

Anywhere from 60-90 minutes, typically. TBH, I sometimes fast-forward a bit through the preamble to listen to the jam at the end.

Curricular ties:

Probably none!

Similar recommended pods:

This is the only pod I know of that rewrites songs in a comedic way. Off Book: The Improvised Musical Podcast (review here) and Barely Composed both compose original songs during the episodes.

Podcast Librarian’s Review:

Punch Up the Jame combines iconic songs and comedy to make a truly unique podcast. Each episode, Demi & Miel team up with a guest to talk about a song of the guest’s choosing. They dissect the lyrics to the point of absurdity and often go on tangents about them. Near the end of the episode, one of the hosts plays their “Punch Up” of the song, which they have recorded in advance. Usually, it’s the same tune as the original but with new, funnier lyrics. Both hosts have good voices, so it’s not unpleasant to listen to at all. At the very end of the episode, all three talk about their Unpunchable Jam, which I think I’m understanding correctly as a song that is too good to actually be altered—basically a recommendation of good music. To be honest, I sometimes skip over that section because I think the dissection and parody sections are more fun. I’m going through the back episodes now, but so far, some of my favorites are: That’s the Way It Is, Walking in Memphis, and Mmmbop, which had me cracking up at the gym this morning. There’s lots of cussing and adult content in the episodes (including a very long discussion about ghost sex in Walking in Memphis), so they’re definitely not to share with kids—but great adult fun for you!

Update (10.17.2020)

Very soon after I wrote this review, Demi departed from the show to pursue other projects. Miel has kept it going and has a different guest on each episode, continuing in much the same format. I've listened a few times since then, and I do think the secret sauce of the pod was the Demi/Miel dynamic, but I definitely commend Miel for continuing on with the podcast as a solo host.