Stereothematica

Ever feel like skipping ahead to see what's in store for the next chapter?Understandable, but it's probably best to let your next chapter unfold naturally. That's what we're doing this week--embracing next chapters and the music we listen to as we mentally settle into a new path. Welcome to Season 3, friends!SONGS:Broadcast: Before We Begin (2003)Canned Head: Going Up the Country (1968 / 1970 Performance)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Broadcast Wants You to Stay Inside (Medium)Untold Stories (Part 1) - The History of the Birmingham Music Scene in the 1960s (YouTube)Broadcast Singer Trish Keenan Dies (Rolling Stone)A true artist: The legacy of Broadcast’s Trish Keenan (Far Out Magazine)Distant Call - Collected Demos 2000-2006 (Bandcamp)Spell Blanket - Collected Demos 2006-2009 (Bandcamp)Henry Thomas: Bull Doze Blues (1928)Henry Thomas: Honey, Won’t You Allow Me One More Chance (1927)Bob Dylan: Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance (1963)Henry Thomas: Fishing Blues (1928)Lovin’ Spoonful: Fishing Blues (1965)Henry Thomas: Don’t Ease Me In (1927)Grateful Dead: Don’t Ease Me In (1966)Tommy Jones: Canned Heat Blues (1928)Son House: Father of Folk Blues Album (1965)Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson Website Alan Wilson: The Bridge Between Woodstock and the Delta BluesFive Reasons Alan Wilson Remains a Guitar LegendHAPPENINGS:Devo: The First 50 Years! (Until June 20 at MutMuz Gallery)ADVICE:Download the Merlin Bird ID appConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Memorable melodies. A theatrical flair. A note only a Broadway star could hold. It's showtime, baby! This week we're puttin' on the ritz and singing along to our favorite showtunes. Join us in the chorus line, won't you?SONGS:Big Spender from Sweet Charity (Original, Broadway cast 1966) Cats Memory Reprise (Original Broadway cast 1983) RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Big Spender Scene from Sweet Charity Movie (1969)The Rich Man’s Frug from Sweet Charity Movie  Beverly D’Angelo performing Big Spender in National Lampoon’s European Vacation  (1985)Shirley Bassey: Big Spender (1967 - Live Performance: 1971)Peggy Lee: Big Spender (1966)Queen: Big Spender Live (Night at the Odeon - Encore - 1975)Cy Coleman talking about Collaboration with Dorothy Fields on NPR (1999)The Fosse Woman: Analysis of Femininity, Aesthetics, and Corporeality by Dara Milovanovic (2018) Missy Elliott: Big Spender (2002)Freeway Ft. Jay-Z: Roc-A-Fella Billionaires (2007)'Memory' Elaine Paige | Cats The Musical (1999)Echoes Phantom of the Opera ComparisonCATS: The Jellicle Ball Broadway MontageParis is Burning (1990)Chasity Moore Ballroom Wiki NYT: I Was Broadway’s First Grizabella. I Couldn’t Have Imagined the New ‘Cats.’Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

"Not knowing is the most intimate." We might not be Buddhists, but we can definitely get behind this logic. Join us as we lay bare our ignorance and learn some really cool stuff along the way (to enlightenment???).SONGS:Flying Burrito Brothers: If You Gotta Go (1970) Minnie Riperton: Lovin’ You (1974)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Bob Dylan - If You Gotta Go, Go Now (Or Else You Got to Stay All Night) (Studio Outtake - 1965) Manfred Mann: If You Gotta Go, Go Now (1965)Si tu dois partir - Fairport Convention (1969)If You Gotta Go, Go Now. Dylan being light-hearted and spooky (Untold Dylan)The many cover versions of If You Gotta Go + Bob’s rarest single! (Untold Dylan)Hermit Who Lives In Literal Cave Learns About Pandemic, Gets Vaccinated Lovin’ You Live Performance on Burt Sugarman’s The Midnight Special Live (1975)South Park - Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride  Minnie Riperton: Les FleursMaya Rudolph on Questlove SupremeMinnie Riperton’s Lovin’ You Gives a Voice to the Whistle Register  Amazing Moments in TimbreMagic Flute, Queen of the Night Aria Best Singers of All Time: Which Singers Have the Best Vocal RangeConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

What makes a perfect road trip song? That depends on countless factors and combinations, it's really its own sort of equation. And while we don't go through all the possibilities, we do talk about a couple of our favorite tracks for trippin', and we hope you'll share yours on Instagram.SONGS:Ana Tijoux: 1977 (2010)Steely Dan: Reelin’ In the Years (1972)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Breaking Bad  - Shotgun - 1977 Clip 1 (Jesse and Mike)Breaking Bad Shotgun - 1977 Clip 2 (Walt)Broad City - Abby’s and Ivana’s Divergent Days  - 1977Roland Shaw and His Orchestra: From Russia with Love (1966)Matt Monro: From Russia with Love (1963)Anita Tijoux: Despabílate Words Like Hails of Bullets (Norient)For Ana Tijoux, Hip Hop is Home (The Harvard Gazette)NPR Tiny Desk (2024) Makiza: La Rosa de los Vientos (1999)Dhakabraka: Sonnet (2020)Deep Cuts Lost & Found PodcastThe origins of Steely Dan (Entertainment Weekly)America's Finest Maybe‐Rock Non‐Band (NYT)Steely Dan’s Induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of FameFootnote to Statement:Toxic Confidence is Everywhere (NYT)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Natural beauty can be ephemeral. Take wildflowers, for example. They bloom and often quickly disappear, leaving you wishing it were springtime again. How do you capture that feeling of fleeting beauty? Maybe with a song. And that's exactly what we attempted this week.SONGS:Hot Chip: Colours (2006)Dina Ögon: Undantag (2021)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:How Did the Bluebonnet Become a Symbol of Texas?Tom Petty - WildflowersLadybird Johnson Wildflower Center - Texas BluebonnetCalifornia Super BloomPoppy Cam Live Feed Reaction Video for Udantag (Neon Mushroom)Pri on Dina Ögon’s new album MänniskobarTyler, The Creator Shares His Favorite Songs of 2022 Dina Ögon Might Be the Brightest Band on the Planet (Pop Corporation, 2023)Dina Ögon’s guest Dj set on KEXPDear listener, please take a page out of the book of wildflowers and grow where you want. Be delicate, and resilient. Exceed expectations (if you feel like it). And take care of yourself, and those around you.Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Do you have a personal motto? Should you? We think it's fine. After all, nothing matters... but music. Join us this week as we dive into the songs we utilize as our personal mottos of sorts.SONGS:Bomba Estéreo: Soy Yo (2015)  Charli XCX: Twice (2022)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Merrell Wrapt (POOG 20% OFF: HAGFOOT20) Bomba Estereo: Huepaje (2005)NPR with Bomba Estéreo Founder Simón Mejía about So Yo How #NiUnaMenos Grew from the Streets of Argentina into a Regional Women’s Movement (NPR)So Yo Grubhub Commercial (2020)Bomba Estéreo Collabs:Bomba Estéreo & Will Smith - Fiesta (Remix) Bomba Estéreo ft. Balkan Beat Box - Química  Bad Bunny (ft. Bomba Estéreo) - Ojitos Lindos  Bomba  Estéreo & Manu Chau - Me Duele Sofi Tukker & Bomba Estéreo - Playa GrandeCharli XCX - Twice linksPredatory Wasp - TwiceCharli XCX Apple Music InterviewBuddhism: Basic BeliefsConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Can you remember what you were listening to in 2016? It was a different world, an end of an era, a sad time, in fact, a shit year, some might say–we say it pretty unequivocally. But the music we listened to provided an escape, relief, and sometimes just a pleasant enough distraction. Join us on this (brief) trip down memory lane!SONGS:Julia Jacklin: Pool Party (2016)Gal Costa: ​​Vou Recomeçar (1969)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Pitchfork The 100 Best Songs of 2016Solange: Cranes in the SkyWhat Are The Filming Locations of Solange's Latest Album?Pitchfork’s Ryan Schreiber shaped Internet music journalism and now leaves it behind (2019)NPR Obituary for Gal Costa (2022)Interview with Gal Costa (2020)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

As we established back in March of last year, all protest songs are love songs! If you're confused, check out the episode. And if you're intrigued, join us for this week's sweeping statement: Resistance is NOT futile. The world might seem like it's imploding. You might be mad as hell (we are). So join us, and the resistance. We need you. SONGS:Nina Simone: Mississippi Goddam (Live at Carnegie Hall, 1964)Le Tigre: Hot Topic (1999) RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Nina Simone’s LIVE Performance of Mississippi Goddam at the Antibes Jazz Festival (1965) The Story Behind Nina Simone’s Protest Song Mississippi GoddamThe Story Behind the AnthemRev Left Radio Podcast - Nina Simone: The Revolutionary High Priestess of Soul (2019)Riot Grrrl United Feminism and Punk. Here’s an Essential Listening Guide (NYT)“Hot Topic”: The Complete Annotated LyricsWhen Racism And Sexism Are No Longer Fashionable, How Much Will Your Art Collection Be Worth?Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

"Nepo babies." Pejorative term or celebration of creative lineage? We don't care, as long as the outcome is good! And the outcome from our nepo baby musicians is, indeed, good. Whether your parents are indie folk legends or you're part of Hollywood royalty.... it doesn't really matter to us. Keep making the hits!  SONGS:Going to a Town: Rufus Wainwright (2007) Coconut Records (Jason Schwartzman): Any Fun (2009)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Billie Eilish's Mom Maggie Baird Claps Back at "Nepo Baby" LabelLouden Wainwright III - Dead Skunk (1972)Folk Singer Kate McGarrigle Dies At 63 Rufus Wainwright interview in the Sunday TimesBetween My Legs: Rufus Wainwright's Phantom NodGoing to a Town Wikipedia pageBored to Death Opening Credits (HBO)Phantom Planet: California (2001)Jason Schwartzman on The Treat with Elvis Mitchell (KCRW- 2025)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

One of the things we love most about music is its power to transport. It can carry us somewhere locational, philosophical, psychological, even quantal (as we explored more overtly in our Time Machine episode). A single song can shift the room, unlock memories, or reveal a door we didn’t even know was there. Music is the vessel that cracks open our hearts and minds, taking us on a long and winding road to anywhere.SONGS:Tinariwen: Amassakoul 'N' 'Ténéré (2004)The Balfa Brothers: Le Danse de Mardi Gras (1967)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Tinariwen Webpage Electric Blues Desert Refugees by Nate Seltenrich (Pop Matters)Rebel Blues in the Sahara: A Desert Guitar Primer by Joe Tangari (Pitchfork)Songs of Exile and Resistance by Andy Morgan (Al Jazeera)A Review of Psychological and Neuroscientific Research on Musical Groove (Science Direct)Justin Adams:Fantastical Deaths and Spectacular Rebirths by Farhad Mirza (Guernica)Tinariwen: Chet Boghassa (another fave)Tinariwen: Sastanàqqàm (another fave)Rebellion and Fragmentation in Northern MaliRebel Music: The Tuareg Uprising in 12 Songs by Tinariwen by Rollo Romig  History of Cajun Mardi GrasWhat is Courir de Mardi Gras? The Cajun Country celebration is rooted in Medieval FranceFestival Acadiens Official WebsiteHistory of Cajun Music'La Danse de Mardi Gras' Song Lyrics and MeaningPODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS:I Said No GiftsOff MenuAnna and Isabella Do Improv (Pronounced Ahnna, sorry!)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Brr. Did someone just open a window? Or did I catch a crazy vibe from this funky ass song? Ok enough silliness. This week we deep dive into the songs that give us the literal chills. You know, the type of song that makes the hairs on your arm stand up. A song that makes you sit up a little straighter... makes you "lock in" as the youth say. And no, we DIDN'T just explore this theme with "Visceral." That's different. We insist. SONGS:Herbie Hancock: Watermelon Man (1973)Rosalía: Berghain (2025)RESOURCE AND REFERENCES:Watermelon Man - 1962 versionHindewhu flute performanceThe Ethan Hein Blog - Watermelon ManHerbie Hancock on Watermelon ManWatermelon Sacrifice at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage FestivalPygmy POP. A Genealogy of Schizophonic MimesisRosalia Explains Lux: 13 Languages! Heartbreak! Betrayal! Björk! (& ‘Euphoria’) - PopcastWhat Do Rosalia’s Lyrics Actually Mean By Michelle Santiago CortesRosalía's Berghain is a thunderous goth-pop hit -- but is it opera? By Laura Snapes (The Guardian)Rosalia’s Lux is Operatic, but is it Opera? By Joshua Barone (NYT)Another article by Snapes wherein Rosalía is quoted as being “hot for God” (The Guardian)Decoding the Language and Saints of Rosalías Lux (The Glottal Stop)Lux: An exploration of divine femininity NOT centered around ability to reproduce (Reddit)Spirituality and song: What Rosalía’s ‘Lux’ says about sainthood by Hannah Rich (Theos)Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Winter)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Music has the power to soothe, excite, stir emotions, or make you get up and dance! And sometimes it elicits a visceral reaction that you weren't expecting... even after the umpteenth time you've heard the song. That's right, this week, we're talking about songs that wreak havoc on your nervous system.SONGS:David Bowie: Blackstar (2015) Bjork: hyperballad (1996)REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:Tony Visconti Talks About How Blackstar Was MadeJay Mills’ Drum Cover of BlackstarThe Guardian Review of Blackstar Video (2015)David Bowie: Lazarus (2016)A thank you letter to David Bowie from a palliative care doctorJohan Renck on directing Bowie’s final videosKendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)On David Bowie’s Blackstar, Turning to Jazz for Inspiration by Nate Chinen (2016)Bjork’s Interview in Record Collector Magazine (2002)"Hyperballad" stands the test of time... and honestly, we've yet to reach its time (The Unfortified Castle)The XFM Top 1,000 Songs of All TimeBjork's theory about paparazzi cultureConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Fa La La. Shoo ba doo bee. MmmmBOP! Did you read those out loud just now? Congratulations. You can scat! All jokes aside, this week we’re focused on made up words in music! Some of the greatest hits of all time have a nonsensical word (or two!) in their lyrics, and we’re deep diving into some of our favorites in this episode! SONGS: Ooh Poo Pah Doo: Jessie Hill Serge Gainsbourg: Shu Ba Du Ba Loo Ba (1966)EXTRAS:Non-lexical vocables in musicKim Cattrall ScattingTwin Peaks Leland Palmers "Mairzy Doats"Just Judy: Judy Hill, I Wanna Tell You About Ooh Poo Pah Doo Trombone Shorty on Treme - “Ooh Poo Pah Doo”Jessie Hill article in GambitFrance Gall - Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son - Eurovision Winner 1965Gainsbourg and Birkin: Je t’aime…moi non plus (1969) Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life - Trailer (2011)Juliette Greco: La Javanaise (1963)Gainsbourg: La Javanaise (1968)Gainsbourg's 20 Most Scandalous Moments Gainsbourg & Greco Clip for Biopic (2011)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

We’re not making any friends with this episode. But hopefully we don’t lose any either. We’re just being honest…and mildly obnoxious. Please listen until the end (unless you’re a Swiftie!).SONGS:Tom Waits: All the World is Green (2002) Beyonce: 7/11 (2014)EXTRAS:Live Circus Live at Jacksonville (2008)Tom Waits Library  Tom Waits - IMDbCinematic Appearances of Tom Waits and His MusicTom Waits Glitter and Doom Press Conference (2008)Tom Waits: Grapefruit Moon (1973)Night on Earth Soundtrack (1991) Interview with Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan (1981)Tom Waits: Way Down in the Hole (1987)The Wire: Season 1 Opening Credits - Way Down in the Hole (The Blind Boys of Alabama)The Wire: Season 2 Opening Credits - Way Down in the Hole (Tom Waits)The Wire: Season 3 Opening Credits - Way Down in the Hole (The Neville Brothers)The Wire: Season 4 Opening Credits - Way Down in the Hole (DoMaJe)The Wire: Season 5 Opening Credits -  Way Down in the Hole (Steve Earle)Story behind David Simon Choosing Way Down in the Hole for The WireDestiny's Child - Say My Name (1999)Beyonce's 2018 Coachella performanceThe Politics Behind Beyonce’s 2018 Coachella PerformanceCultural impact of Beyoncé Wikipedia Solange Has Built a Creative Empire. Now She’s Bringing Her Work HomeSolange's speech during Eldorado Ballroom performance in Houston, TX, in June 2025Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Ever think there might be an invisible thread holding things together that you cannot see, but perhaps... you can feel? This week's theme centers on the question, "Are these songs related somehow?" And the resounding answer: "No."SONGSPino D'angio: Ma quale Idea (1980) Brian Eno: Baby’s on Fire (1973)EXTRASWill Smith - Gettin' Jiggy Wit ItSister Sledge: He’s the Greatest DancerThe Bar-Kays: Sang and DanceHow Italo disco is taking over Berlin (again)Ma Quale Idea - bassline by Stefano Cerri- OR IS IT?bnkr44, Pino D'Angiò - MA CHE IDEARoxy Music: Re-make/Re-model (1972)Roxy Music: Do the Strand (1973)Roxy Music: Love is the Drug (1975)Baby’s on Fire Review by Joe HoeffnerGuardian Interview with Brian EnoFripp & Eno: No Pussyfooting (1972) King Crimson: The Court of the Crimson King (1969)Brian Eno on AI, Art and What Makes Us Human (2025)Brian Eno: Music for Airports (1978)12 Musical Works You Didn’t Know Eno ProducedEno Meets David ByrneDavid Byrne: T-Shirt (2025)Oblique StrategiesAnd of course, Eno's "Baby's On Fire" has no relation to Die Antwoord's, a track we discussed in our Scary Songs episode. Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Happy New Year! We are kicking off 2026 with a deadly fall and a sliced off ear! That's right, movie magic music is back, and this time we’re talking about the most haunting use of a song in a movie. Brace yourself for spoilers! SONGSBacao Rhythm & Steel Band: P.I.M.P. (2008)Stealers Wheel: Stuck in the Middle with You (1972)EXTRASP.I.M.P. Scene from Anatomy of a Fall Stuck in the Middle With You Scene from Reservoir Dogs50 Cent: P.I.M.P. (2003)Anatomy of a Song: A Reading of P.I.M.P. in Justine Triet's Anatomy of a Fall (Dr. Gemma Blackwood)Pitchfork Review of 55 Rolling Stone: Quentin Tarantino on Five Key Soundtrack Picks, From “Reservoir Dogs” to “Inglourious Basterds"Hip to be Square Scene in American PsychoInstrumental Song that Could Have Been a Radio Hit (where today's podcast theme idea was formed)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

The year is (almost) over! And we are delighted. So what better time to share our most-loved and most-listened to bands with our dutiful, beautiful listeners? If the year-end "best of" lists overwhelm you, we hope you'll enjoy a mini-deep dive into two bands we kept coming back to all year long. And truly, we cannot wait to discover more new (and old) music with you in 2026! Thanks for listening all year long! VIDEOSDevo: Uncontrollable Urge (1978)Being Dead: Van Goes (2024)EXTRASRolling Stone: ICE Ads Are All Over Your Favorite Streaming ServicesBeing Dead article in Texas MonthlyBeing Dead: Big Bovine music videoBeing Dead KEXP In-Studio PerformanceBowie Introduces Devo at Max’s Kansas City (1977)Human Highway (1982)Devo: Freedom of Choice (1980)Devo: Girl U Want (1980)Devo Performing I Can’t Get No Satisfaction on SNL (1979)Devo Performing Uncontrollable Urge Live on Fridays (1980)Devo Performing Nutra Theme/Jerkin Back and Forth Live on Fridays (1981)Devo Performing Uncontrollable Urge at Hollywood Bowl (Oct. 18, 2025)Guardian Interview with Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale  (2022)Mark Mothersbaug on KCRW with his Minimoog (2016)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

It's winter, minus the tinsel! And the only red noses here are Christina's and Christine's on account of their rosacea.One pick retreats inward, finding comfort in solitude and stubborn self-protection; the other stares at the cold and dreams of somewhere sunnier. Two very different ways of surviving a winter’s day--and you might just be surprised by who picks what. VIDEOS Simon & Garfunkel: I am a Rock (1966)The Mamas and the Papas: California Dreamin’ (1965 - Ed Sullivan Performance, 1967)We're not all bah humbug! We admit it, there are a few xmas songs we actually like:The Waitresses: Christmas Wrapping The Kinks: Father Christmas David Bowie & Bing Crosby: Little Drummer BoySufjan Steven: Songs for ChristmasJosé Feliciano: Feliz NavidadLhasa de Sela: Los Peces EXTRASBarry McGuirre: California Dreamin’ (1965)California Dreamin’ Scene from Chungking Express (1994)LA Times Article about California Dreamin’ (2008) Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

We’re wrapping up our winter re-releases with “Predictions.” Not to be confused with “PredictABLE,” this episode has us trying to predict which songs in our own libraries are perfectly up the other’s alley. Think of it as a little love letter to each other’s musical taste from the early days of the show. Until next week!------How well do Christina and Christine know each other's musical tastes? How well do you think you know theirs? Too soon to tell?  This week they predict what song they have in their respective music libraries that the other person will also have in theirs. Here’s the catch: the other person is supposed to like the predicted song a lot more because it’s supposed to be more up their alley.If this sounds convoluted that’s because it is! But why would you expect anything typical from this wacky duo?Videos:Sam Evian: Jacket (2024)Reyna Tropical: No Me Quieres (2018)Extras:Boz Metzdorf: Sails Across the Sea (1979 - Originally on Signs of Seasons)Drugdealer: End of Comedy (2016)Liner Notes Debate on the Vintage Obscura RedditConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Remember when Arnold from Diff’rent Strokes showed up on Facts of Life and ratted out the girls to Mrs. Garrett? This episode is that…but for music lovers!Stereothematica teams up with our friends at the Who Will Save Generation X trivia podcast for peak crossover chaos, hijinks, and lightly scarring embarrassment.------------------------------------------Who Will Save Generation XHappy Thanksgiving! We are very thankful to welcome two first time guests who are the hosts of an atypical music review podcast called "Stereothematica."Christina is from GenY and her co-host Christine is a GenX high school classmate Zabe's. We learn about their show and the special musical game they play on it, as well as an embarrassing moment at their high school reunion that you won't want to miss. The episode brings plenty of laughs and insights as we play games to reminisce about the pop culture during Generation X. Stick around at the end of the episode for a nice holiday message from Zabe. :)Round 1 features a fun game of What The Blank?!?Eight Is Enough is filled with 6 different mini games. Dysfunctional Family Feud was a lot of fun in Round 3 and the winner of the game just might surprise you...Join the fun and the effort to save Generation X from being forgotten.Website: https://www.whowillsavegenx.com/Email: [email protected]: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2730544227204426-----------------------------------------------------Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

We’re taking a short break, so today we’re bringing back one of our favorite episodes: “DO Call It a Comeback.” If you’re new here, this one’s all about the songs that marked big returns for some of our favorite artists after a hiatus from music. And if you’ve already listened, we think it’s a fun one to revisit. We’ll be back soon with more music therapy to help you cope with the holidays. Until then, we hope you enjoy this comeback classic.---From the grief-fueled artistry of Ben Kweller to the soulful resurgence of Ethiopian legend Girma Bèyènè, this week, we get into the emotional power of musical comebacks—those triumphant, and sometimes tragic, returns to the spotlight.  Videos:Ben Kweller: Dollar Store (2025)Girma Bèyènè & Akalé Wubé: Enkèn Yèlélèbesh (2017) Extras:Ben Kweller’s famous nosebleed at ACL 2006Vulture’s Review of “Cover the Mirrors”Ben’s show at the Troubadour is on July 23!Girma Bèyènè: Enkèn Yèlélèbesh (Original 1969) Girma’s Comeback Concert at Studio de L’ermitage (2015)Ethiopiques CollectionEthiopiques: Revolt of the SoulMy Beautiful GirmaConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Some of you might be thinking we already did this theme, and honestly… fair, but this isn’t our Predictions episode, this is its annoying cousin Greg. And this time we’re embracing the idea of being predictable (though we've never not embraced it)! One pick spirals through existential dread by way of psychedelic retro Turkish disco, and the other is an emo/math-rock heart-tugger that feels like being 14 again in the best possible way. Can you PREDICT who chose what?VIDEOS Altin Gün: Goca Dünya (2018)Never Meant: American Football (1999)EXTRASAltin Gün performing Goca Dünya for KEXP (2017)Erkin Koray singing Goca Dünya (circa 1972)Bariş Manço: Hal HalDerdiyoklar: Yaz Gazateci Selda Bağcan: Yaz Gazeteci Oran Gencebay: Hayat KavgasiShout LA piece: Meet Garth Trinidad The 10 Greatest Guitar Gods of EmoHow Mike Kinsella's American Footbal Became More than a "Cover Band" with Their Reunion AlbumFriday Night Lights - Crucifictorious! (Go, Jesse Plemons!) Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

In a world too often divided, we are celebrating the songs that unite us, that bring us to a shared understanding, that give a sense of togetherness, and yes, even hope. Whether with a group on a desert pilgrimage or singing along in isolation in the midst of a pandemic, we explore the songs that, religion aside, give us a sense of communion.VIDEOS Violeta Parra: Gracias a la VidaC. Tangana: Los Tontos (NPR Tiny Desk, starts at 4:10 - but please watch it all!)EXTRASOverlooked No More: Violeta Parra, Folk Genius Who Redefined Latin American MusicJoan Baez and Mercedes Sosa: Live Performance of Gracias a la VidaA Guide to the Films of Yorgos LanthimosLos Tontos (Official Video)Un Veneno Scene from Paquita SalasUn Veneno Official Video (filmed in LA)Antes de Morirme (featuring Rosalía)Tú Me Dejaste de QuererIngobernableNYT Piece on C. Tangana and El MadrileñoKEXP Interview with C. TanganaNew Order: Bizarre Love TriangleOther Fun NPR Tiny Desk ConcertsJuvenile KhruanghbinDakha BrakhaSheila E. Ssing SsingConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

In this episode, we lean into our inner goths and imagine the songs we’d want played at our own memorials…IF we even have one. One of us goes full velvet-draped drama with sweeping strings and tragic romance; the other is all about spiritual soulfulness, reggae-tinged resilience, and a send-off that feels more like a tipsy singalong than a dirge. We may have gone in completely different directions, but we both love the way music holds our grief and our joy, and how being a little “death positive” can actually make life feel more vivid.VIDEOS Giuseppe Verdi: Act 1 Prelude from “La Traviata” (1979 Decca / Sutherland Pavarotti) Jimmy Cliff: “Many Rivers to Cross” (1969)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

This is our love letter to the lost art of letter-writing…in songs. Consider it a carefully folded note passed across time. Signed, sealed, AND delivered by the Postal Service, or by hand. Song as letter, or letter as song, whatever the concept, these musical missives hit our hearts in ways an email can't. VIDEOS XTC: Dear God (1986)Lulu: To Sir, With Love (1967) EXTRAS ‘Dear God’: The violent protests triggered by XTC’s controversial single - Far Out Magazine The Blasphemous Story of XTC & "Dear God" I New British Canon - Trash Theory YouTubeDear God · Todd Rundgren cover SNL Obama Tribute - Cecily Strong and Sasheer Zamata singing To Sir, With Love (2017)One Song, Jimi Hendrix: Purple HazeLulu performs Shout (1965)Lulu performs Boom Bang-a-Bang for Eurovision (1969)Lulu performs The Man With the Golden Gun (1975)To Sir With Love: Representing Education and Race RelationsConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

We’re getting into the spooky spirit talking about the scariest songs in our music libraries. While Monster Mash and Thriller do make an appearance, we’re clawing our way past the Halloween clichés to scream about the songs that really get under our skin and linger like the breath of death.  VIDEOS Die Antwoord: Baby’s on Fire (2012)The Zombies: Butcher’s Tale (Western Front 1914)SPECIAL TREAT (NO TRICKS HERE)SCARY SONG LISTENER COLLAB PLAYLIST - Share YOUR scariest songs...if you DARE!!EXTRASJon Savage on song: The Zombies – Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)Die Antwoord - Umshini Wam (Short Film, Directed by Harmony Korine, 2011)Die Antwoord: I Fink You Freeky (2012)Chappie Featurette (2015)Pitchfork’s Review of Die Antwoord’s Tension (4.2)Zef: The Die Antwoord Story (2024)Die Antwoord Accused of Child AbuseConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Your eyes are not deceiving you–we are indeed going corporate! At least for this episode, wherein we reflect on the strange sorcery of songs from commercials: the ones that, for a moment, make you forget you're a cog in the sparkling machine of late capitalism. Sure, they were used to sell us stuff, but we still kind of love them.VIDEOS Geico Caveman Ad featuring “Remind Me” by Röyksopp (2006)Remind Me: Röyksopp (2001)Volkswagen, Trio, Da Da Da (1997)Trio: Da Da Da (1982)EXTRASApple iPod Commercial feat. the Ting TingsTony Hale in VW CommercialVolkswagen, Nick Drake, Pink Moon Parker Posey Gap Commercial Michael Jackson Pepsi Generation Gap Khaki SwingThe California Raisins, I Heard it Through the GrapevineThe Ellen Coming Out Controversy for AdvertisersConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

What makes a song decadent? Is it the banging build-up giving way to a glorious release? The urge to don a banana skirt or surrender to collapse in a bathtub of brandy?From glitter to dust and lugubrious Balkan brassy indie waltzes, we wade into the lush layers of musical decadence. Melancholy meets spectacle. Longing meets the dance floor. Find out why surrender sometimes feels like survival, and whether we’re living in a decadent moment ourselves.VIDEOS Babylon Berlin Soundtrack, Severija and the  Moka Efti Orchestra:  Zu Asche Zu Staub (2017)Prenzlauerberg, Beirut (2006)EXTRASZu Asche Zu Staub Scene from Babylon Berlin (English Subtitles)Weimar Decadence - Guardian Piece About the Real Moka Efti Nantes Accordion Tutorial (this is from 2012, but Moshe Zuchter has a lot more tutorials with far better quality and more Beirut!) Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Ah, the joy of an animated TV show. Whether watching a Saturday morning cartoon, something not quite suitable for children, or the classics from the days of yore, you can probably bet on one thing: you're gonna hear a bangin' theme song. From cool-cat jazz on the prowl to a bumbling, cyborg sleuth, we celebrate the cartoon earworms you can’t shake.VIDEOS Pink Panther Theme SongInspector Gadget Theme SongEXTRASSkeleton Dance - Silly SymphoniesPink Panic - Episode of Pink PantherPink, Plunk, PlinkThe History of Inspector GadgetAndy Kaufman’s Mighty MouseThe Social Network  - Winklevoss Brothers LoseWait Til Your Father Gets HomeSAMPLING GADGETDoug E. Fresh and Slick Rick: The ShowBad Boys (feat k love): Bad BoysConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

What if time travel was about chasing the music you wish you could’ve felt in real time? In this episode we daydream our way into those moments, hearing first notes and electric performances as if they were happening now. It’s complicated, it’s joyful, and it’s all about how music lets us bend time, and, of course, as always, our minds!VIDEOSGeorge Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (1927 Recording)James Brown: The Payback (1974 Live in Zaire)EXTRASLeonard Bernstein, Rhapsody in Blue (1976)James P. Johnson's Yamekraw, A Negro RhapsodyA century on from Rhapsody in Blue, debates about cultural ‘theft’ rage still1984 Olympic Opening Ceremony - Rhapsody in Blue Rhapsody in Blue at 100 Library of Congress Rhapsody In Blue, by George Gershwin, performed for first timeRhapsody in Blue: After a century, Gershwin's musical melting pot still resonates James Brown performing “The Payback” at Zaire 74James Brown live at the Boston Garden 1964 (full performance)James Brown speech at the Boston Garden performanceZaire ’74: politicising the sound eventSoul Power (2008)Danny Ray’s Obit in NYT - The Original Hype ManConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Sometimes holding a grudge isn’t the healthiest option, but indulging one for the length of a song? That might be just what the moment calls for. In this episode, we lean into defiance, righteous anger, and the sweet, private thrill of SINGING what you’d never actually say out loud. To our enemies… this one’s for you!VIDEOSIslands: I Feel Evil Creeping In (2008)Alaska y Dinarama: A Quién Le Importa (1986)EXTRASArticle About Serial Theme SongA Pesar de Todo Trailer Thalía at Latin Grammys 2003Drag Race México - A Quién Le Importa (Thalía cover)La Casa de las Flores - A Quién Le Importa Solteras - A Quién Le Importa (Thalía cover)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

This week, we are restless! Maybe that’s every week. On edge and buzzing, we talk through the moods and ways of being that come with that jittery energy, and the songs, of course, that match, and sometimes surpass it.VIDEOSAlmendra: Ana No Duerme (1969)Parquet Courts: Master of my Craft (2012/3)EXTRASSean’s Music Hunt - Story of AlmendraTacks, the Boy Disaster - Frozen FeetWho Will Save Gen X PodcastAccelerated Culture PodcastConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

For most of us, going to a concert is a special kind of experience with so many unknowns: Will there be guests? Will you hear your favorite songs, or fresh material that gets you excited for a new album? Will you stand in front of someone who complains about you being too tall? Will someone ask you for a “swallow” of wine? Will you be moved to dance? Or cry? Will this be a night to remember? What turns a good show into an iconic performance? And when that iconic performance is at an iconic venue, well, those are the moments we live for.VIDEOSSparks at Hollywood Bowl singing When Do I Get to Sing "My Way" (2023)Seu Jorge at Hollywood Bowl singing Space Oddity (2017)EXTRASD’oh Re Mi: ‘The Simpsons’ Take the Hollywood BowlSparks Concert Review: Mael Brothers Make It to Hollywood Bowl After 50 Years, Find the Town Is Finally Big EnoughÉtoile clip with SPARKS!Hipster’s Guide to Wes Anderson SoundtracksVice Interview with Seu JorgeReview of the Seu Jorge HB Show (with setlist!)More fan recordings of Seu Jorge at Hollywood Bowl Life on Mars? Different Angle Space Oddity and Queen Bitch (Some classic Hollywood Bowl interactions: dude asking for a “swallow” of wine!)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

We're back, baby! We took our first ever pod-break and we are ready for Season Two. To kick things off, we thought we ought to share some songs that are... well, not quite our typical style. Out of Character, if you will.VIDEOSGuns N Roses: You’re Crazy (1987) Thin Lizzy: Jailbreak (1976)EXTRASYou’re Crazy (Lies)Best Debut Albums of All Time (GNR Appetite for Destruction #8)The Story Behind the F-word in "You’re Crazy"Axl Rose’s Twitter TransformationSubreddit Survey - Best Version of "You’re Crazy"Pitchfork’s Review of JailbreakGreat Guitar Albums: Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak" (1976) as told by guitarist Scott GorhamIf you're new to Stereothematica, WELCOME! We are so excited you're here! Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Season 2 starts September 2, and yes, we are making a statement. About music. About meaning. About life and death. Stereothematica is back: dramatic, erratic, and occasionally bombastic.Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

We are on break until September 2, but we hope you’ll press play on this re-release of one of our favorite episodes.--Ever love an album so much, you'd call it perfect—if it wasn't for that one skippable track? This week, Christina and Christine reveal the single songs they'd remove from a couple of their favorite records to create their ultimate no-skip albums.  VIDEOS:Beach House: L’Inconnue,  7 (2018)David Bowie: Andy Warhol, Hunky Dory (1971)EXTRAS:Pitchfork album review of “7”L'Inconnue de la SeineReddit thread of L’Inconnue favs Dana Gillespie singing “Andy Warhol”Bowie in Basquiat (1996)   Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

We’re on a short break until September 2, so we’re rewinding our Mixtape episode. Please press play and relive the joy of swapping songs, discovering new favorites, and maybe falling for Devo all over again.--This week on Stereothematica, we’re diving into the songs we first heard on mixtapes. Whether it was on a carefully curated cassette from a friend, a crush, or a burned CD passed around in high school, these are the tracks that hit different and never left our rotation. We get into the emotional data transfer of mixtapes, and why some songs just stick—even if the relationships didn’t.Videos:Devo: Beautiful World (1981) The Slits: Typical Girls (1979)Extras:Devo performing “That’s Good” on Square Pegs (Correction: Christine mistakenly call it “Good Thing” in the episode)The Slits: I Heard it Through the Grapevine (1979)1999 Target commercial Portlandia Mixologist ClipConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Songs can teach you things! Who knew? Our artists knew, obviously. And we've learned a few cautionary tales in addition to our picks this week. Like... don't drink and gamble. Don't be a bad dad! Guns? Not our favorite. But if you're gonna have them, don't take them to town! And above all, if you're a jerk husband like Earl, well, watch out!Our cautionary tale to you, dear listeners, is to stay in touch lest you want to make us sad. And we will be back September 2 with Season Two of Stereothematica! VIDEOSSlick Rick: Children’s Story (1989)Bob Dylan: The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest (1967)EXTRASThe Making of Children’s Story  Complex 50 Best Storytelling Rap SongsStax Reacts! First time hearing Children's Story (so fun!)Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick: The ShowDoug E. Fresh and Slick Rick: La Di Da DiQuestlove's Top 50 Hip Hop Songs of All Time (2012)Nautilus Samples How Dylan Created a Minimal New Sound on John Wesley HardingBob Dylan's Most Inscrutable LyricsConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Today we are waxing nostalgic. Well, more like longing for a moment, a feeling, a history we never experienced. The Germans, of course, have a word for it: sehnsucht. In Korean, it's han, a soulful ache that can span generations. And in English? We’ve got anemoia (thanks to a somewhat newly made-up word rooted in Greek). Join us as we unpack this beautifully complicated feeling through music, memory (real and yearned for), and imagination. VIDEOSKim Jung Mi: Haenim (1973)Karen Dalton: Something On Your Mind (1971) EXTRASKim Jung Mi: Spring (When Life Gives You Tangerines - Opening Credits)Dictionary of Obscure SorrowsShin Joon Hyun: Moon Watching Haenim (Apartment Sessions with Song Yi Jeon on vocals)A Brief History of HanThe Problem with HanConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

This week we tackle the songs we love with lyrics that confuddle us. Less, "what are they saying???" and more "what do they mean?!"  VIDEOSThe Replacements: Swinging Party  (1984)Sabina Sciubba: Viva L’Amour (2014)EXTRASWhen did drunks start wearing lampshades?VPM Interview with Sabina Sciubba (2024)Penelope and Mrs. Baskets at CostcoThe Pleasure of the Text (Not Christine's copy, but some of her favorite parts are underlined)Jung in the World discussion with Lewis HydeConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Movie magic is back (again)! This time we’re talking sing-alongs! Not the big staged numbers, but those unplanned, diegetic moments when characters just start singing along to a song because they must. Whether it’s in a bar, a bus, or a car, these are the scenes that sneak up on you and stick around long after the credits roll.VIDEOSThe Deer Hunter - Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You Almost Famous - Tiny DancerWHAT DOES NOT COUNT:Lip Syncing  Ferris Bueller's Day OffAnything AcapellaThe Breakup - Move YourselfStepbrothers - Sweet Child Of Mine  Vacation - Mockingbird Clearly Choreographed Performances10 Things I Hate About You - Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You Bridesmaids - Hold On (Sorry, Christina! Staged and lip syncing from main cast)Karaoke (Limbo)Lost In Translation - Brass in Pocket & More Than This (And God Save the Queen)WHAT WORKS:Broadcast News - Edition SpecialeBefore Sunset - Just in Time (49 on NYT list)Magnolia - Wise UpWayne’s World -  Bohemian Rhapsody (debatable)Jerry McGuire - Free FallingTommy Boy - SuperstarBarbie - Closer to FineHarold and Kumar - Hold OnHeartbreak Kid - MedleyÁtame - Resistiré  (CZP's original favorite) The Silence of the Lambs - American Girl   EXTRASInterview Magazine - Cameron CroweVulture - The Real Penny Lane Has a Few Things Left to Say About Almost FamousKoçani Orkestar: Siki Siki Baba Fanfare Ciocarlia: Born To Be Wild Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

What happens when music refuses to stay in its lane? It gets some major Stereothematica love. This week Christina and Christine talk about the artists who blur boundaries, break molds, and bend genres in ways that feel both surprising and inevitable. These are sounds shaped by curiosity, contradiction, and a refusal to be easily defined.Videos:Arthur Russell: This is How We Walk on the Moon (1994)Yellow Magic Orchestra: Simoon (1979)Extras:Psycho Killer feat. Arthur Russell playing celloWild Combination documentary"My favorite song" by Ramesh Srivastava“‘I Want to See All My Friends At Once’: Arthur Russell and the Queering of Gay Disco” Journal of Popular Music StudiesLive Version of SimoonThe Music That Shaped Haruomi HosonoCrafting the Sound of the FutureMichale Jackson cover of Behind the MaskDe La Soul Sampling YMO in Big Brother Beat Reddit - Let’s Talk Music: YMO The Amazing History of YMOYMO on Soul Train - Tighten Up cover Archie Bell and the Drells: Tighten Up YMO on Soul Train - Firecracker Firecracker Samples:Afrika Bambaataa: Death Mix IIMariah Carey: LoverboyJennifer Lopez (Featuring Ja Rule): I’m RealDe La Soul: Funky Towel2 Live Crew: Mega Mixx IIConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

It’s our 25th episode! What better way to celebrate than with a chat about collaboration—the good, the weird, and the legendary. From surprise duets to global jams, we’re talking about musical magic-making that moves our bodies and minds and reassures us that just maybe humanity isn’t doomed after all. Thanks for being a part of the Stereothematica collaboration!VIDEOSDavid Byrne and Selena: God’s Child (Baila Conmigo) (1995)Khruangbin & Vieux Farka Touré: Tongo Barra (2022)EXTRASSaharan Cellphone MusicJanne Oinonen’s review of Ali in Line of Best Fit Olivia Rodrigo and David Byrne Burning Down the HouseDavid Bryne: God’s ChildMORE COLLABORATIONSBad:Bowie and Jagger: Dancing In the StreetCringey but beloved:Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder: Ebony and Ivory  Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney: The Girl is Mine & Say Say SayMost ridiculous: Michael Jackson and Eddie Murphy WhatzupwituMost Iconic: Run DMC and Aerosmith Walk This WayQueen & David Bowie Under Pressure Favorites: Sofi Tukker collab with Amadou & Mariam Amadou & Mariam collab with SantigoldCollaborating for Good:The Sahel Initiative - Raising awareness and funding for humanitarian action across West Africa’s Sahel regionVieux Farka Touré, Amadou & Mariam, Bassekou Kouyate, OMG Oumy Gueye, Songhoy Blues and Tal National: My SahelConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

From the grief-fueled artistry of Ben Kweller to the soulful resurgence of Ethiopian legend Girma Bèyènè, this week, we get into the emotional power of musical comebacks—those triumphant, and sometimes tragic, returns to the spotlight.  Videos:Ben Kweller: Dollar Store (2025)Girma Bèyènè & Akalé Wubé: Enkèn Yèlélèbesh (2017) Extras:Ben Kweller’s famous nosebleed at ACL 2006Vulture’s Review of “Cover the Mirrors”Ben’s show at the Troubadour is on July 23!Girma Bèyènè: Enkèn Yèlélèbesh (Original 1969) Girma’s Comeback Concert at Studio de L’ermitage (2015)Ethiopiques CollectionEthiopiques: Revolt of the SoulMy Beautiful GirmaDonate:17 Non-Profits Supporting Immigrant RightsMore Social Justice OrgsConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Whether you think the summer song is a relic of the past or you need some tunes to get up and dance--or maybe just for lounging by the pool--we’ve got you covered. Videos:Sofi Tukker: Energia (2018)Charli XCX:360 (2024)Sofi Tukker Collabs:Sofi Tukker and Pabllo Vittar: Energia Part 2 (2018)Sofi Tukker Featuring Charlie Baker: Good Time Girl (2018)Sofi Tukker and Bomba Estéreo: Playa Grande (2019) Sofi Tukker and Amadou et Mariam: Mon Cheri (2022)Other Summer Songs:Sofi Tukker: Drinkee Sergio Mendes: RodaGal Costa: Vou Recomeçar Tim Maia: O Caminho Do BemOur Predictions episode also had some serious summer vibes:Reyna Tropical: No Me QuieresDrugdealer, featuring Weyes Blood: The End of Comedy Sam Evian: Jacket Extras:Mean Cute with Charli xcxIs the Summer Song Dead?What is brat? (According to the NYT) This is Nicolas Jaar (According to Nicolas Jaar)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

From spacey synth odysseys to hypnotic flamenco boogie jams, these songs turn extended length into a vibe, not a chore…unless that chore is hauswerk. Videos:Autobahn: Kraftwerk (1974) Capablanca & T. Keeler: No Hay Ritmo (2011) Please note: the vocals on "No Hay Ritmo" are hard to hear in our recording. If you'd like to listen to the parts referenced, please go to 1:31-1:41 and 8:34-8:35.  Extras: Interview with Devo's Gerald Casale  Bandcamp No Hay RitmoAna Menjibar Ana Menjibar - SoleáIsabel Marant - Fall 2024 CollectionConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

This week, we are burning up with desire to share the songs from our childhood that made us feel sinful, shameful, or just plain wrong for listening them. From religious baggage to misunderstood lyrics, we explore the complicated relationship between early music obsessions and the guilt they stirred. Videos:Madonna: Burning Up (1983)Romeo Void: Never Say Never (1982) Extras: Madonna: Get into the Groove (1985) Breathless TrailerRod Stewart: Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)Lou Reed: Walk on the Wild Side (1972)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

This week we might actually get canceled... because we're diving into the discussion of those artists we used to love, but we can no longer, in good conscience, count them among our favorites. We're sure you can think of a problematic artist without too much effort. But the tricky part is, can you separate art from artist? Videos:The Smiths: The Boy With the Thorn in His Side (1986)Michael Jackson: Burn this Disco Out (1979)Extras:Jack Whatley’s Far Out Magazine article about MorrisseyWesley Morris piece in the NYT Reckoning With the Real Michael JacksonM.J. Still ProcessingConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

This week, we’re facing the music—literally. It’s all about those songs we can’t help but like, even though they make us wince, cringe, or yell “NOOOO” at the lyrics. Join us as we tiptoe through the landmines of musical problematica, and try not to get canceled.Videos:Joe Dassin: L’ete Indien (1975)Jimmy Soul: If You Wanna Be Happy (1962) Extras: Kovács Kati: Indián Nyár (1977)Joe Dassin: Et Si Tu N’existais Pas (1975) Ugly Woman Roaring Lion (1934)Dr. Nelson Winston’s take on the song (2022)Bo Diddly “Say Man” (1959)Mermaids trailer (1990)Bonus:Get Up and Dance Collaborative PlaylistConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

In this episode, we slow things down with a theme we need right now: soothing. From the dreamy melancholia of John Maus to the tender, ambient layers of Branden Eder, we explore songs that bring calm through the chaos. Tune in for stories of mystery, memory, and music that hold space for stillness.Videos:John Maus: Hey Moon (2011) Brendan Eder Ensemble: Isn’t it True (2023)Extras: The Guardian’s Best Albums of 2023, So Far  Therapy on BandCamp Cape Cod CottagePortlandia: Relaxing at the Wellness Center Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at [email protected]! We will write back!