WEBVTT

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What is going on, friends? Welcome to My Weekly

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Mixtape, a show that takes the classic mixtape

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approach to building a modern playlist. I'm your

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host, Brian Colburn, and we are finally at that

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point that we are rounding down the top songs

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of 2025. Yes, as quickly as it feels like we

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were just talking about the best songs of 2024,

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here we are rounding up another year's worth

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of music. For the third time in a row, who better

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to join me for that discussion because we did

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it in 2023 as well as 2024 is my friend DT Carell

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of Space Castle. DT, welcome back to the show,

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my friend. Thanks, man. At this point, I'm just

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having myself cryogenically frozen in between

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doing these. So the years go by super fast and

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I just wake myself up just to do this every year.

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So I love it. So thanks for having me back, man.

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Well, it's glad to see you've thought out in

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time for this. And I'm curious. What do you think

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2025, if you had to sum up the year in music,

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how would you do that? Oh, man. So just going

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off of my playlist that I've selected tonight,

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it's revival and looking back and resurrection

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of a lot of things and a lot of like reflection

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and introspective thoughts and whatnot. So that'll

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make a lot more sense once we get into the list.

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It's a lot of looking back, but also looking

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forward to the future in a lot of ways, too.

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Awesome. And for mine, I consider it to be more

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of a cyclical nature. I feel like a lot of the

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newer bands that are out now are borrowing from

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bands of the past. And I don't mean borrowing

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like Copycat. I mean the sounds and the style.

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What's old is new again. This happens in waves.

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It happens so many times over the decades. There

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are bands that... A couple of years ago when

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Greta Van Fleet came out, you're like, oh, that's

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a throwback to the 70s. And bands like Rival

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Sons and stuff like that, I feel like it's happening

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in a lot of other genres now. Oh, yeah, in a

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big way. And I think that's okay because it touches

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on nostalgia for the older audience, but it also

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touches on a quote -unquote new sound for the

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young audience, which is their target demographic.

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100%, yeah. Like I said, we're going to see a

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lot of that in my playlist tonight where it's

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a marriage of what people our age are listening

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to and what kids that like our kids, basically.

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I don't have kids, but kids of the generation

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of like your kids are listening to as well. A

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lot of the shows I went to this year were a lot

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of the bands on this list. And it was parents

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bringing their kids and both the parents and

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the kids knowing all the words of the songs and

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rocking out and having something to relate to

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on both those levels. It was a really cool year,

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honestly. And of course, it wouldn't be a My

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Weekly Mixtape episode if I didn't include some

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of the Patreon mixtapers into this fold. And

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a few of them chimed in with some of their top

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songs to give you and I some food for thought

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as we dive into 2025. So I want to give a quick

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shout out to a few of them. Starting off with

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Chad LaMassa, who chimed in with Weekend Friends.

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He's been all about them this year. They are

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a great band. His Album of the Year and Song

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of the Year both came from them. The album feels

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like hell. and the song Smoke Mirrors. I have

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to say this album is absolutely amazing. And

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as far as cover songs, they do a killer version

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of Natalie Imbruglia's Torn. It's one of my top

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cover songs of the year. So I love this pick.

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I do too. That guy is awesome. I've gotten to

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know that guy on your Discord, which is just

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a banging place to learn about music. He turned

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me on to Weekend Friends and he told me about

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the fact that they're going to be playing in

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my neck of the woods, Colorado. I think next

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year in the spring. And I'm going to go just

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because he's had me listen to so much of the

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music that I am in love with him now too. And

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yes, that album is phenomenal. And so is the

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track you picked. Well, with that, Tom Hutchison

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chimed in for song of the year. It's birds by

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turnstile saying the tiny desk performance was

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epic and he can't stop listening to that song.

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However, for album of the year, he's going with

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tsunami sea by spirit box saying it's a heavy

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album and Courtney's voice. is so beautiful throughout

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the whole record. Spirit Box, I got to see them

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with Shine Down and Papa Roach on that tour,

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and it is such a 180. Every song goes from this

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ethereal to the depths of hell in one song, and

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it's so seamless. You'd think that that wouldn't

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work. It's the devil and the angel kind of battling

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it out in each song, and they've really honed

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in on that sound and that style. And then for

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Turnstile, I don't think there's really anything

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that needs to be said. They are, over the last

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several years, just really making this scene

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their own. Love the pick. I love the turnstile

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pick too, man. That band has exploded this year.

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They're really good. Massive genre benders. Just

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super fun to see them perform. And then Philip

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Bergman chimed in saying, Brian, I know you want

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to avoid politics. Well, I guess you know me

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very well. But there's no denying that the political

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scenes did give us some catchy tunes, saying

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it'd be like discussing a mixtape of 1970 without

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Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's Ohio. So he has

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to include the House of Evos mix of a gift from

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Todd's hostile government takeover. And then

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on the non -political side of the spectrum, he's

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going with Sabrina Carpenter's When Did You Get

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Hot and the paranoid styles tearing the ticket.

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He then chimed in a couple of days later saying

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he knows it's past the deadline, but he wanted

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to try to squeeze in Olivia Dean's Man I Mean.

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He just heard it for the first time today, and

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it immediately jumped to the top of the year

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list for him. Olivia Dean's a vibe, man. Dude,

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100%. Yeah, and I will allow the deadline passing

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because that is a worthy pick. That's an awesome

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choice. And also my girl Sabrina, man. She's

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just lighting it up. Everything she drops is

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fire, man. It's crazy. I'll be shocked if we

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get through this episode without talking about

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her. But with that said, I don't want to give

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any more spoilers. If you would like to join

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the mixtaper community and chime in on future

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episodes, you could do so over at patreon .com

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forward slash my weekly mixtape. It's free to

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join. And there's several tiers if you want to

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pick up some extra goodies. If you want to chime

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in on topics for future. My Weekly Mixtape episodes,

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you can hit me up at myweeklymixtape at gmail

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.com via this Patreon, like I just mentioned,

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patreon .com forward slash myweeklymixtape on

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all the social media haunts at myweeklymixtape

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or via the contact page at myweeklymixtape .com.

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All right, DT, the time is now 2025. We're looking

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back. I cannot believe I'm saying this because

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I feel like we just. Did the 2024 look back?

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But what do you have to kick things off tonight?

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We're going to kick things off in what's been

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kind of a weird and tumultuous year for a lot

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of people with just an absolute ray of joy and

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sunshine. And that is Bender by The Paradox featuring

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Travis Barker. Nice. This is a band based out

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of Atlanta that formed just last year, if you

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can believe it. They started putting their videos

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and their music on social media and they just

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went viral and exploded. They got invited by

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Green Day to come open for them. They got invited

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by Jack White to come open for them. They just

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got on everybody's radar right off the bat. And

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they were playing shows like Warped Tour and

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the When We Were Young Festival and going to

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all these big, huge tours with these big musicians

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before they even had a full catalog of songs

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for an LP or an EP. So I actually got to see

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them live previously earlier this year. This

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is just before they released the album, so I

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can actually say they were on their first tour

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before the big album was released. And they had

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to play a lot of cover songs because they only

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had a handful of their own songs. But all those

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songs are phenomenal bangers. And it is just

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an absolute joyful throwback to the early 2000s

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pop punk scene. And that's why Travis Barker

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noticed them while he jumped on board and he

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guested on this track, which is insane. And yeah,

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Bender is just, it's a song about partying too

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hard when you're in your 20s. Maybe regretting

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it the next day, but knowing you're going to

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end up doing it again because you're 20 and nothing

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really matters. But it's also done in such a

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joyful and fun fashion. And these kids are just

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full of energy. They're doing amazing things.

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And when I saw them play in Denver, it was dads

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and sons and mothers and daughters, generational

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gaps who all knew the words to every song. And

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we're all in the pit jumping around together

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and having a great time. And if you haven't heard

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this band, you're going to. It's inevitable.

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They're going to take the world by storm. And

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their new EP. NSFW, not safe for work, is just

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amazing and super sweet and awesome and fun.

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And I cannot wait to see where these boys go

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next. I could not agree more. They are making

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Atlanta proud in terms of punk rock. You don't

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normally hear about the Atlanta punk rock scene.

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If there wasn't one, there is one now. I read

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a bunch of stuff online, you know, because people

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on the Internet just want to ruin everything.

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talking about, oh, their industry plant, stop

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it. They just formed. They just have that magic.

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They have that lightning in a bottle. They're

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extremely talented. They know how to work the

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social media algorithm because at the end of

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the day, if their song sucked, it doesn't matter

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how great their social media content was. Nobody

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would care. Jack White invited them out to play

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because there were songs there. They're touring

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with All Time Low. Because there are good songs

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there. They're going to be at Welcome to Rockville

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in 2026 because there are good songs there. So

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it doesn't matter how new or old of a band they

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are. The foundation has been laid throughout

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2025. I love this EP. And then just as a sidebar

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question, has Travis Barker ever featured on

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a shit song? Like, I don't think he's ever played

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on a song where you go, man, that song kind of

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sucks. No, Travis Barker's got a reputation uphold,

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and Blink -182 has always been one of the mainstay

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pillars of the pop punk genre. So for him to

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buy in and fully endorse, to not only appear

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in the video and hang out with these guys, he

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actually jumped up on stage as a surprise thing

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when they played Warped Tour this summer and

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actually played a couple of songs with them.

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So if that is not a resounding endorsement of

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the quality of this band, I don't know what is.

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And can we please get off of calling every new

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band that makes it big like a studio plant? Like

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this happened before with the last dinner party.

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Those five girls just busted on the scene and

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just made a huge splash and put out amazing music.

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And because they were really successful out the

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gate, all of a sudden, like it was just manufactured

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and it was designed by, you know, the record

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labels and whatnot. Like, can we stop tearing

00:11:08.580 --> 00:11:11.299
each other down out of pure envy and just celebrate

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the fact that we've got such really good music

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from young artists out there? And the fact that

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you can still make it as a musician in this atmosphere

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and this economy and this environment. Please,

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can we just support each other? Can't we all

00:11:24.899 --> 00:11:30.460
just get along? Now, look, I immediately, my

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brain wants to follow up Paradox and Travis Barker

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combined with Goldfinger and Mark Hoppus on freaking

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out a bit. However, as much as I love that song

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and as much as I love the fact that ska punk

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is still thriving in 2025. I have to go with

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a song that I discovered literally the week after

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you and I recorded the 2024 episode. It came

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out in November of 2024. My buddy Drew sent it

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to me and said, dude, this ska band I've been

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into for a couple of years just dropped an absolute

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banger. You need to check this out. And so the

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song is from November of 2024. However, I'll

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allow it. I don't care. There's no more rules

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anymore on this show. I could put a song from

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1971 if I feel like it. Hell yeah, damn right.

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This EP dropped in 2025. It's called Better Safe

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and Sorry. The band is called Millington. Yes.

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And the song is called Radio. Ska punk is alive

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and well in 2025. The full circle pop punk movement

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is here. If you consider the paradox, to be a

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25 year cycle of what pop punk was in the early

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two thousands. Then Millington is what the third

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wave ska sound was in the late nineties and early

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two thousands. It's back again, full circle.

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Could this be the fifth wave of ska? Who knows,

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but I am here for it. These guys are talented.

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I do hear hints of Jordan Pundit of newfound

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glory in the vocals. But it's not a hat tip or

00:13:13.990 --> 00:13:18.549
an homage to him. It is just the way this band

00:13:18.549 --> 00:13:20.769
sounds. It's got a little bit of that pop punk,

00:13:20.950 --> 00:13:24.850
but a lot of that ska. And ska is, I've always

00:13:24.850 --> 00:13:27.169
been a huge fan of it. And I think coming out

00:13:27.169 --> 00:13:30.309
of the paradox, you talked about a band that's

00:13:30.309 --> 00:13:33.429
up and coming on the rise. I really hope that

00:13:33.429 --> 00:13:35.490
Millington is one of those next up and coming

00:13:35.490 --> 00:13:38.250
ska bands to blow up. I think the Interrupters

00:13:38.250 --> 00:13:41.009
need to bring these guys out on tour with them.

00:13:41.470 --> 00:13:44.129
Because The Interrupters were part of that fourth

00:13:44.129 --> 00:13:47.610
wave of ska that everybody now accepts The Interrupters

00:13:47.610 --> 00:13:50.970
as a top tier ska punk band. And I feel like

00:13:50.970 --> 00:13:53.429
when I've seen them, they brought out bands like

00:13:53.429 --> 00:13:56.629
The Devil Makes Three and Joey Valance and Bray.

00:13:56.669 --> 00:13:59.049
Yeah. But they need to bring out more ska punk

00:13:59.049 --> 00:14:00.750
because there's a big scene out there that's

00:14:00.750 --> 00:14:03.070
still thriving and Millington is doing it with

00:14:03.070 --> 00:14:06.730
radio. We just need more ska in the world. Ska

00:14:06.730 --> 00:14:09.470
is so much fun and just about having a good time.

00:14:10.120 --> 00:14:12.220
I cut my teeth going to ska shows when I was

00:14:12.220 --> 00:14:14.919
a teenager. And it was just as much about dancing

00:14:14.919 --> 00:14:17.019
and jumping around as it was like throwing your

00:14:17.019 --> 00:14:18.500
arm around the person next to you and just singing

00:14:18.500 --> 00:14:20.500
along with all the words. If we're headed for

00:14:20.500 --> 00:14:22.879
a fifth wave of ska, now is the perfect time

00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:25.039
for it because we just need more of that joy

00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:27.480
and that beautiful, positive energy in the world.

00:14:27.659 --> 00:14:30.340
I love the pick. I love the band, dude. That

00:14:30.340 --> 00:14:33.159
album is such a banger. And yeah, if Millington

00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:34.419
is going to be one of those bands that leads

00:14:34.419 --> 00:14:37.259
the fifth wave of ska into the world. bring it

00:14:37.259 --> 00:14:40.059
on fellas like i'm ready for it let's go it makes

00:14:40.059 --> 00:14:42.700
me a little melancholy feeling for the fact that

00:14:42.700 --> 00:14:44.480
all the stuff that i love as a kid is now becoming

00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:46.940
that weird sort of cool you know what i mean

00:14:46.940 --> 00:14:49.220
like everything is cyclical like that 25 years

00:14:49.220 --> 00:14:51.000
cycle like you said and i'm feeling a little

00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:53.039
bit old that like ska punk and like pop punk

00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:55.100
is cool again like what does that say about me

00:14:55.100 --> 00:14:58.820
but if we're gonna bring back genres let's bring

00:14:58.820 --> 00:15:02.019
back freaking ska punk and pop punk because they're

00:15:02.019 --> 00:15:05.139
just so much fun i love it and i do want to say

00:15:05.629 --> 00:15:08.289
As far as I'm concerned, Scott Punk and Pop Punk

00:15:08.289 --> 00:15:11.850
never left. Hell yeah. But they left the mainstream

00:15:11.850 --> 00:15:15.429
conversation. And I want it back in the mainstream

00:15:15.429 --> 00:15:18.470
conversation. And I feel like The Paradox and

00:15:18.470 --> 00:15:20.269
Millington are two bands that are worthy enough

00:15:20.269 --> 00:15:24.009
to carry that torch. 100%. Love it. So where

00:15:24.009 --> 00:15:26.840
do we go from here? Uh, instead of young kids

00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:28.399
bringing up the old sound, we're just going to

00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:30.399
go with some older dudes maintaining the same

00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:33.320
sound for the last 25 years. It's my dudes, the

00:15:33.320 --> 00:15:36.879
hives. They put out maybe their best album ever.

00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:39.639
And that's not hyperbole because they're my favorite

00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:42.519
band. The hives forever. The forever. The hives

00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:45.039
is probably their best album since barely legal

00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:48.399
in like the year 2000. The track is hooray, hooray,

00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:50.240
hooray. And it was really difficult for me to

00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:52.159
narrow down which track I wanted to throw on

00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:54.820
this list because every track is a non -skip.

00:15:55.200 --> 00:15:58.240
banger and these dudes are in their mid 40s early

00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:00.580
50s and they're still jumping around on stage

00:16:00.580 --> 00:16:02.659
and jumping into the crowd and crowd surfing

00:16:02.659 --> 00:16:05.340
and just going berserk and playing some of their

00:16:05.340 --> 00:16:08.879
best music ever this track just comes out swinging

00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:11.899
and kicking and jumping and throwing itself onto

00:16:11.899 --> 00:16:14.919
the stage and just acting a fool but with the

00:16:14.919 --> 00:16:17.879
same discipline and incredible energy and just

00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:19.740
razor sharp focus the hives have always brought

00:16:19.740 --> 00:16:21.620
to the music If you haven't heard this album,

00:16:21.740 --> 00:16:23.580
go check it out. If you haven't seen them live,

00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:26.639
they're touring America again for the second

00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:28.639
time in two years, which is unheard of for them.

00:16:28.700 --> 00:16:31.019
Go see them live because I think they are still

00:16:31.019 --> 00:16:34.740
the best live band in the world, as was foretold

00:16:34.740 --> 00:16:38.240
by Spin Magazine in the 2000s. I love this band.

00:16:38.379 --> 00:16:42.039
I love this album. I love this song. I would

00:16:42.039 --> 00:16:44.480
have been shocked if this didn't make your list.

00:16:45.500 --> 00:16:47.820
When the death of Randy Fitzsimmons came out

00:16:47.820 --> 00:16:50.879
in 2023, there was that 11 year gap between Lex

00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:54.700
hives and the death. And I said, well, I'm a

00:16:54.700 --> 00:16:56.559
little concerned, you know, could they have lost

00:16:56.559 --> 00:17:00.580
it? And that album was amazing. They didn't lose

00:17:00.580 --> 00:17:05.000
a step. The hives forever. The hives makes it

00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:08.900
sound like that album had lost a step. If that

00:17:08.900 --> 00:17:11.599
makes any sense, I'm not putting it down. It's

00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:14.700
so much better. It's so much better, but there's

00:17:14.700 --> 00:17:16.660
nothing against the death of Randy Fitzsimmons.

00:17:16.680 --> 00:17:19.420
I love that album, but the hives forever. The

00:17:19.420 --> 00:17:21.460
hives makes me look at it differently. That's

00:17:21.460 --> 00:17:24.059
how good it is. It's so wild that we get two

00:17:24.059 --> 00:17:26.660
hives albums in two years and they almost kind

00:17:26.660 --> 00:17:28.500
of go together as one singular album because

00:17:28.500 --> 00:17:31.240
they're very, very different in tone. And I've,

00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:33.400
I've come to, as a big fan of the band view,

00:17:33.460 --> 00:17:35.519
the tube albums as sort of like an a side and

00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:37.059
a B side of like the same sort of collection.

00:17:37.940 --> 00:17:39.680
Because like you said, like the death of Randy

00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:41.740
Fitzsimmons is a very good album, but it kind

00:17:41.740 --> 00:17:44.750
of. It slows down in the back end and it doesn't

00:17:44.750 --> 00:17:46.450
really maintain the same energy that it kicks

00:17:46.450 --> 00:17:50.069
off with. And this album just kicks off and just

00:17:50.069 --> 00:17:52.990
doesn't stop. Like it is, it has got the same

00:17:52.990 --> 00:17:54.890
energy as one of the live shows where it just,

00:17:54.890 --> 00:17:57.789
it just kicks off and it fills your ear with

00:17:57.789 --> 00:18:01.109
just this noise, this sound, this wonderful chaos.

00:18:01.410 --> 00:18:05.430
And it doesn't stop for 30, 40 minutes. And like

00:18:05.430 --> 00:18:07.730
I said, I love the Randy, the death of Randy

00:18:07.730 --> 00:18:10.430
Fitzsimmons, but the hives for over the hives

00:18:10.430 --> 00:18:13.750
is one of the, best albums they put out ever.

00:18:13.849 --> 00:18:15.789
Usually the best one they put out in 20 years.

00:18:15.970 --> 00:18:19.650
So yeah, man, it's crazy, man. Like they're aging

00:18:19.650 --> 00:18:22.970
like fine wine. Well, following that up, I'm

00:18:22.970 --> 00:18:25.509
going to, I'm going to hop onto that energy you're

00:18:25.509 --> 00:18:27.509
talking about. And I'm going to go with a song

00:18:27.509 --> 00:18:32.230
that remember how I mentioned that songs I'm

00:18:32.230 --> 00:18:34.710
going to be pulling maybe have not come out in

00:18:34.710 --> 00:18:38.049
2025, but there's loopholes. This is the biggest

00:18:38.049 --> 00:18:41.019
loophole I'm going to pull tonight. Because this

00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:47.980
song was released as a single in 2023. I don't

00:18:47.980 --> 00:18:50.680
know, man. I might be out. I'm kidding. Let's

00:18:50.680 --> 00:18:53.980
see. I talked about it with Coco Kenan on the

00:18:53.980 --> 00:18:57.619
90s Punk episode back in 2024. Okay. And at this

00:18:57.619 --> 00:19:00.299
point, Winona Fighter was putting their first

00:19:00.299 --> 00:19:03.660
studio album together. And early this year, in

00:19:03.660 --> 00:19:06.880
2025, they released their first studio album,

00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:11.319
My Apologies to the Chef. And as far as I'm concerned,

00:19:11.460 --> 00:19:14.940
it's their debut album. So if this song is on

00:19:14.940 --> 00:19:16.759
their debut album, I don't care when it came

00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:20.539
out as a single, don't at me. It's on the 2025

00:19:20.539 --> 00:19:24.279
album. And I am going to go with the track hams

00:19:24.279 --> 00:19:27.500
in a glass. That is such a banger track, dude.

00:19:27.559 --> 00:19:32.680
Oh my God. Oh my, it is unbelievable. And I've

00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:36.779
been through a ton of stress this year. It has

00:19:36.779 --> 00:19:39.960
been one of the most. single -handedly stressful

00:19:39.960 --> 00:19:42.599
years of my life and this song has been an absolute

00:19:42.599 --> 00:19:46.880
release for me this whole year and i love this

00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:50.119
album from start to finish i should probably

00:19:50.119 --> 00:19:52.440
mention the fact that there's now two versions

00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:54.940
of the album because about six months after the

00:19:54.940 --> 00:19:58.579
album dropped they put out a deluxe edition that

00:19:58.579 --> 00:20:01.940
featured the entire album acoustically i want

00:20:01.940 --> 00:20:04.720
to say that the label was behind that i hope

00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:07.490
the label was behind that because I would have

00:20:07.490 --> 00:20:10.789
loved to buy the deluxe edition on day one. It's

00:20:10.789 --> 00:20:13.069
become a new trend. A lot of bands are doing

00:20:13.069 --> 00:20:15.789
that, releasing deluxe editions within months

00:20:15.789 --> 00:20:18.809
of the album coming out. And I understand there's

00:20:18.809 --> 00:20:20.549
a good chance it's for the streaming numbers

00:20:20.549 --> 00:20:22.890
and to try to make an impact on streaming sites.

00:20:23.190 --> 00:20:25.789
But there are a lot of folks like me that like

00:20:25.789 --> 00:20:28.369
to go out and buy and collect physical media.

00:20:28.849 --> 00:20:32.049
And I feel like it punishes that circle of people,

00:20:32.190 --> 00:20:36.009
that circle being your biggest. because at the

00:20:36.009 --> 00:20:38.549
end of the day, one album sale, I'm sure benefits

00:20:38.549 --> 00:20:42.049
the band a lot more than one album stream. So

00:20:42.049 --> 00:20:44.529
I don't want to say it's not a diss. This is

00:20:44.529 --> 00:20:47.650
one of the best albums to come out in 2025. And

00:20:47.650 --> 00:20:50.670
I highly suggest you buy it. Grab the deluxe

00:20:50.670 --> 00:20:53.410
edition because there's an entire, the entire

00:20:53.410 --> 00:20:55.410
album done acoustically. There's some covers

00:20:55.410 --> 00:20:59.509
on it. It's great stuff. And if you're not familiar

00:20:59.509 --> 00:21:02.440
with Winona Fider. Go back to earlier this year,

00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:05.319
there is a full album dive episode with Coco

00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:08.400
Kinnan where we dive into all the tracks from

00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:11.779
My Apologies to the Chef. Definitely one of the

00:21:11.779 --> 00:21:15.440
albums of the year for me. And Female Pop Punk

00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:18.839
is alive and thriving. They put on such an incredible

00:21:18.839 --> 00:21:21.660
live show. You'll be thankful you go see them.

00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:25.519
They are making a name for themselves from their

00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:30.079
live show. Grassroots, no nonsense. Town to town,

00:21:30.140 --> 00:21:32.960
just tearing it up. And I think they're going

00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:34.779
to be one of the next big things in pop punk.

00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:36.980
I think they're going to be one of the next big

00:21:36.980 --> 00:21:39.259
things, period. This band is relentless. And

00:21:39.259 --> 00:21:41.200
I mean that in the absolute best way possible,

00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:43.000
both in terms of their sound and their music,

00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:46.160
but their live shows too. This band is just firing

00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:48.920
on all cylinders. They're so hungry, but so goddamn

00:21:48.920 --> 00:21:52.380
rawly talented at the same time. There's no way

00:21:52.380 --> 00:21:53.680
they're not going to hit the stratosphere and

00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:55.019
just become one of the biggest bands on the planet.

00:21:55.390 --> 00:21:57.609
This entire album is wonderful. I agree with

00:21:57.609 --> 00:21:59.089
your sentiment that everybody should buy it immediately.

00:21:59.230 --> 00:22:01.509
Don't just stream it. Don't just play it on Spotify

00:22:01.509 --> 00:22:03.349
or Deezer or whatever your streaming platforms.

00:22:03.809 --> 00:22:06.589
Go buy an album by a band like this that you

00:22:06.589 --> 00:22:10.150
know is just doing it for the pure passion and

00:22:10.150 --> 00:22:13.269
outlet of being this loud and this angry and

00:22:13.269 --> 00:22:16.009
this badass. Like, that's a perfect word for

00:22:16.009 --> 00:22:18.990
Winona Fighter. They are just badass, man. They

00:22:18.990 --> 00:22:22.430
just get after it. And they just have boundless

00:22:22.430 --> 00:22:25.119
energy and their music is so... freaking good

00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:28.619
too love the pic love the album love the song

00:22:28.619 --> 00:22:31.720
too man it's so wonderfully angry it's awesome

00:22:31.720 --> 00:22:35.059
yeah that screaming it is so visceral it's it's

00:22:35.059 --> 00:22:38.180
everything that yeah man all the pent -up frustration

00:22:38.180 --> 00:22:41.019
i have in 2025 gets released every time i hear

00:22:41.019 --> 00:22:43.299
that song it's it's goosebumps every time i get

00:22:43.299 --> 00:22:45.619
to that point in the song every time yeah it's

00:22:45.619 --> 00:22:49.099
wonderful so where do we go from here We're going

00:22:49.099 --> 00:22:51.180
to keep representing the ladies, the front women

00:22:51.180 --> 00:22:53.359
in rock and roll right now. And my next pick

00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:55.960
is from a band that started just a couple of

00:22:55.960 --> 00:22:58.819
years ago in LA. They're called Rocket. And they

00:22:58.819 --> 00:23:00.519
just put out their first feature length album

00:23:00.519 --> 00:23:03.599
this year. And the single off that album is a

00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:06.059
song called Take Your Aim. So this is another

00:23:06.059 --> 00:23:08.759
band kind of sort of like The Paradox, wherein

00:23:08.759 --> 00:23:11.099
they kind of went viral before they actually

00:23:11.099 --> 00:23:13.200
sort of started thinking about touring and putting

00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:15.839
out like a feature length album. And this song

00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:18.490
just grabbed everybody's attention, man. It's

00:23:18.490 --> 00:23:21.049
another like throwback style song. And it's very

00:23:21.049 --> 00:23:23.750
much a throwback style band and album. But I

00:23:23.750 --> 00:23:25.309
don't want to pigeonhole them as being like,

00:23:25.329 --> 00:23:27.309
you know, trying to ape or trying to capture

00:23:27.309 --> 00:23:31.569
that old sound. But this band Rocket just effortlessly

00:23:31.569 --> 00:23:35.230
captured the shoegaze sound of the early 90s.

00:23:35.289 --> 00:23:38.009
I'm talking bands like My Bloody Valentine and

00:23:38.009 --> 00:23:40.849
bands like that. And they just nail it. And I

00:23:40.849 --> 00:23:43.130
actually got to see them live in Phoenix a couple

00:23:43.130 --> 00:23:46.740
of months ago. And they were just flawless. like

00:23:46.740 --> 00:23:48.859
if you told me that oh no they actually didn't

00:23:48.859 --> 00:23:50.500
play their instruments they just played the song

00:23:50.500 --> 00:23:54.359
live i'd be like you know what it was that perfectly

00:23:54.359 --> 00:23:57.019
played that i'm not i'm gonna give them the benefit

00:23:57.019 --> 00:23:58.420
of the doubt and say that yeah they played it

00:23:58.420 --> 00:24:00.380
because obviously yeah they're that talented

00:24:00.380 --> 00:24:05.059
but just one of the cleanest and just best produced

00:24:05.059 --> 00:24:08.059
live shows i've ever seen and like the track

00:24:08.059 --> 00:24:09.960
on the album is exactly the same take your aim

00:24:09.960 --> 00:24:12.619
is just It's a dynamite track. It's the track

00:24:12.619 --> 00:24:14.940
they opened their live shows with, and it's just

00:24:14.940 --> 00:24:17.359
an absolute banger. This is not one of those

00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:18.920
bands that are young and up and coming, and they're

00:24:18.920 --> 00:24:20.599
just going to hit the stratosphere at any point

00:24:20.599 --> 00:24:22.480
because they are just that talented and that

00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:25.759
cool, and the sound is just that good. Another

00:24:25.759 --> 00:24:27.819
one where I highly recommend not streaming it,

00:24:27.859 --> 00:24:29.920
just go on their website and buy it and support

00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:32.299
these young, hungry musicians who are just doing

00:24:32.299 --> 00:24:34.460
some of the best music I've heard in decades,

00:24:34.660 --> 00:24:37.509
honestly. Now, I need you to correct me if I'm

00:24:37.509 --> 00:24:40.549
wrong here, but I have the CD of R is for Rocket

00:24:40.549 --> 00:24:43.470
and Take Your Aim isn't on it. Maybe that's just

00:24:43.470 --> 00:24:46.849
a streaming only thing. Shoot, you're right.

00:24:46.890 --> 00:24:48.849
It's not on the album. It was released as a single

00:24:48.849 --> 00:24:53.210
before it. You're right. I'm an idiot. Don't

00:24:53.210 --> 00:24:58.269
edit this out. Roast me. You're right. No, it

00:24:58.269 --> 00:25:00.789
was a single they released before. That's where

00:25:00.789 --> 00:25:04.920
I want to go with this, because that song. It

00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:08.299
whet your appetite for the album. And I was so

00:25:08.299 --> 00:25:12.240
severely disappointed when it didn't make the

00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:16.319
final cut because the album is phenomenal. Yeah.

00:25:16.539 --> 00:25:20.319
Phenomenal. This is that 90s shoegaze alternative

00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:23.799
rock sound. I don't know about you, but I even

00:25:23.799 --> 00:25:26.559
hear some Smashing Pumpkins in their music. Yes.

00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:28.339
Thank you. I've been saying the same thing to

00:25:28.339 --> 00:25:30.579
people. It's very, very early Smashing Pumpkins.

00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:36.900
Yeah. the sounds are cyclical. And that's becoming

00:25:36.900 --> 00:25:39.660
the theme this year because we talked about the

00:25:39.660 --> 00:25:43.400
paradox. We talked about Millington, Winona Fighter.

00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:48.920
Rocket has that sound, but the thing is, it's

00:25:48.920 --> 00:25:52.619
generating a buzz with people that are my age,

00:25:52.740 --> 00:25:57.380
in their 40s, as well as the young crowd. So

00:25:57.380 --> 00:26:00.200
you're hitting two different musical generations.

00:26:01.259 --> 00:26:05.619
With a sound that if you told me, here's an undiscovered

00:26:05.619 --> 00:26:09.779
album I found from 1994 and you put in R is for

00:26:09.779 --> 00:26:14.059
Rocket, I would 100 % believe you that the album

00:26:14.059 --> 00:26:16.579
came out in 1994. And then if you said to me,

00:26:16.680 --> 00:26:21.180
in the same breath, it came out in 2025, I believe

00:26:21.180 --> 00:26:24.980
you too. That is amazing that you can make an

00:26:24.980 --> 00:26:28.160
album that sounds like it's 30 years old and

00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:32.099
brand new all at the same time. Yeah. Dude, kudos

00:26:32.099 --> 00:26:34.019
to their sound engineer because the album is

00:26:34.019 --> 00:26:36.200
just crisp and clean. And along with the track

00:26:36.200 --> 00:26:38.500
that I am a complete idiot for not recognizing,

00:26:38.759 --> 00:26:42.220
I do now. It's just one of those weird things

00:26:42.220 --> 00:26:43.880
where I listen to the album all the way through

00:26:43.880 --> 00:26:45.200
and it's like, yeah, I'm also going to go back

00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:47.200
and listen to Take Your Aim because it's such

00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:50.279
a catchy banger of a track. And you're right.

00:26:50.339 --> 00:26:52.339
This band is so talented and the album itself

00:26:52.339 --> 00:26:54.259
is so good that they didn't even need to put

00:26:54.259 --> 00:26:57.059
their biggest current hit on the album in order

00:26:57.059 --> 00:26:59.549
for it to be successful. I'm scared that'll be

00:26:59.549 --> 00:27:02.009
on the deluxe edition of ours for rocket that

00:27:02.009 --> 00:27:07.950
comes out next week. Right. Right. Well, we're

00:27:07.950 --> 00:27:11.130
talking about the sounds that are what's old

00:27:11.130 --> 00:27:14.109
is new again. And I think I'm going to follow

00:27:14.109 --> 00:27:18.509
up rocket with a band that is very uniquely 2025,

00:27:18.690 --> 00:27:22.250
but also has a sound that you could say this

00:27:22.250 --> 00:27:25.130
album came out in the nineties and make a good

00:27:25.130 --> 00:27:28.410
argument for it. I was introduced to this band

00:27:28.410 --> 00:27:31.630
in 2019 with their album Celebrity Mansions,

00:27:31.630 --> 00:27:35.930
which I discovered as Dinosaur Pile Up was the

00:27:35.930 --> 00:27:38.869
opening act for Shinedown on their summer tour

00:27:38.869 --> 00:27:42.509
with Bad Flower. I immediately fell in love with

00:27:42.509 --> 00:27:45.109
this band's style, this band's vibe, this band's

00:27:45.109 --> 00:27:48.069
sound, and I'm going to go with, off their newest

00:27:48.069 --> 00:27:52.009
album, I Felt Better, the track My Way, which

00:27:52.009 --> 00:27:56.200
mixes in a... unique style of alternative rock

00:27:56.200 --> 00:28:01.500
and hip hop and grunge all kind of thrown into

00:28:01.500 --> 00:28:03.960
a blender. Kind of sounds like a little bit of

00:28:03.960 --> 00:28:07.319
Beck thrown into the mix and a little bit of

00:28:07.319 --> 00:28:11.859
punk rock. And it's just kind of a smorgasbord

00:28:11.859 --> 00:28:15.980
of sounds. And the funny part about dinosaur

00:28:15.980 --> 00:28:20.920
pileup is that song. The song my way is not indicative

00:28:20.920 --> 00:28:25.140
of. the band's entire spectrum of music because

00:28:25.140 --> 00:28:28.559
they also incorporate a lot of punk on the heavier

00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:32.720
side, as well as metal. I think the easiest song

00:28:32.720 --> 00:28:35.259
that I could go to is off of celebrity mansions,

00:28:35.259 --> 00:28:38.460
which would be thrash metal cassette. That is

00:28:38.460 --> 00:28:42.700
a purely thrash metal track done only the way

00:28:42.700 --> 00:28:45.500
dinosaur pile up can do it. And this is a group

00:28:45.500 --> 00:28:48.819
that I talked about when I had shine down on

00:28:48.819 --> 00:28:52.140
the podcast, we talked about the fact that. They

00:28:52.140 --> 00:28:53.920
were kind enough because at the time that we

00:28:53.920 --> 00:28:58.420
saw them, the band's banner was draped over their

00:28:58.420 --> 00:29:02.440
amps because it had broke. And the band saw this

00:29:02.440 --> 00:29:05.980
and realized, and when I say band, I mean Shinedown

00:29:05.980 --> 00:29:09.759
noticed this was happening. And the band paid

00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:12.579
for a brand new banner for them to be up on stage

00:29:12.579 --> 00:29:15.400
behind them. That's awesome. Because they wanted

00:29:15.400 --> 00:29:18.069
them to get. the notoriety in the United States

00:29:18.069 --> 00:29:20.529
that Shinedown felt they deserved because Dinosaur

00:29:20.529 --> 00:29:23.630
Pileup is from the UK. And to me, that was one

00:29:23.630 --> 00:29:27.509
of the coolest community things in music that

00:29:27.509 --> 00:29:30.970
I've ever heard. And it's why I will always ring

00:29:30.970 --> 00:29:33.049
the bell for Shinedown. They are just genuinely

00:29:33.049 --> 00:29:35.630
good people. And I think I'm going to put a pin

00:29:35.630 --> 00:29:38.029
in that because I'm sure I might have some more

00:29:38.029 --> 00:29:40.170
to say about that later. But Dinosaur Pileup

00:29:40.170 --> 00:29:43.960
is my way to follow up Rocket. I love that track.

00:29:44.259 --> 00:29:46.759
I love that band too, man. And like you said,

00:29:46.839 --> 00:29:48.980
one of my favorite things about music is the

00:29:48.980 --> 00:29:50.859
community aspect of it. And that's not just between

00:29:50.859 --> 00:29:53.160
fans. It's about bands too. And what you just

00:29:53.160 --> 00:29:54.880
said about Shinedown really kind of taking them

00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:56.359
under their wing and also like taking care of

00:29:56.359 --> 00:29:59.079
them financially. It reminds me of like back

00:29:59.079 --> 00:30:01.359
when like, like when 82 was first coming up and

00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:03.559
they went on tour with Pennywise. And Pennywise

00:30:03.559 --> 00:30:05.940
was like equal parts like mentoring them and

00:30:05.940 --> 00:30:08.160
helping them grow and establishing them in front

00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:11.190
of new audiences. And also like, tormenting him

00:30:11.190 --> 00:30:12.950
and bullying the hell out of them at the same

00:30:12.950 --> 00:30:17.190
time uh read mark hoppus's book it's wonderful

00:30:17.190 --> 00:30:20.509
but no i love dinosaur pilot man and the whole

00:30:20.509 --> 00:30:23.230
album is great but my way is just a great track

00:30:23.230 --> 00:30:25.730
to get a little like maybe this is me being crazy

00:30:25.730 --> 00:30:28.089
a little puddle of mud in there too kind of sort

00:30:28.089 --> 00:30:30.450
of kind of i could hear that yeah just a little

00:30:30.450 --> 00:30:33.329
bit yeah but it's very much got that like don't

00:30:33.329 --> 00:30:36.250
give a f vibe to it from like the late 90s early

00:30:36.250 --> 00:30:39.380
2000s of rock and sort of genre bending bands

00:30:39.380 --> 00:30:41.579
like puddle of mud but i love the pick i love

00:30:41.579 --> 00:30:44.059
the energy um i can't wait to see what these

00:30:44.059 --> 00:30:46.039
guys do next like many of the bands on this list

00:30:46.039 --> 00:30:48.640
this is an absolutely worthy addition to this

00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:51.460
list all right where do we take it from here

00:30:51.460 --> 00:30:55.359
are we staying with this 90s throwback vibe brian

00:30:55.359 --> 00:30:57.299
you've known me for a number of years now and

00:30:57.299 --> 00:30:59.579
you know at some point i was gonna get weird

00:30:59.579 --> 00:31:01.480
and go off the rails with this and i feel like

00:31:01.480 --> 00:31:04.039
this is the time i'm just gonna get weird i'm

00:31:04.039 --> 00:31:05.500
gonna drop this on you we're gonna see what happens

00:31:06.190 --> 00:31:08.730
It's Tyler, the creator, because if he would

00:31:08.730 --> 00:31:10.990
just stop dropping bangers every year, I would

00:31:10.990 --> 00:31:13.170
stop including him on these lists every year.

00:31:13.650 --> 00:31:16.809
The track is Don't Tap That Glass slash Tweekin.

00:31:16.890 --> 00:31:19.529
It's a twofer. It's almost like a double track

00:31:19.529 --> 00:31:22.930
off of this year's Don't Tap The Glass album.

00:31:23.210 --> 00:31:26.210
I didn't know how he was going to follow up Chromacopia,

00:31:26.349 --> 00:31:28.349
which was one of the best hip hop albums of the

00:31:28.349 --> 00:31:32.750
decade, maybe the last 20 years. He just came

00:31:32.750 --> 00:31:35.309
out swinging once again with Don't Tap the Glass,

00:31:35.470 --> 00:31:38.289
which is, dude, this is just literally like one

00:31:38.289 --> 00:31:41.869
amazing rapper and like sound nerd, just like

00:31:41.869 --> 00:31:43.910
recording stuff in his house and like putting

00:31:43.910 --> 00:31:45.789
it together as an album. And it's just magic

00:31:45.789 --> 00:31:48.009
every time he does it. This track is just so

00:31:48.009 --> 00:31:50.349
much fun. And like I said, it's a double track.

00:31:50.430 --> 00:31:51.930
So you get two different vibes for the price

00:31:51.930 --> 00:31:54.049
of one here. You get like the straight up sort

00:31:54.049 --> 00:31:56.730
of like go with the flow sort of rap track. And

00:31:56.730 --> 00:31:58.509
then you get tweaking, which is. Kind of goes

00:31:58.509 --> 00:32:00.569
off the rails like I am right now with this list.

00:32:00.829 --> 00:32:03.369
But Tyler, the creator, just does all this weird

00:32:03.369 --> 00:32:06.630
shit and stuff. And it shouldn't work cohesively,

00:32:06.730 --> 00:32:09.210
but it does anyway. And I think the man is just

00:32:09.210 --> 00:32:10.990
a genius. I think he's one of the most electric

00:32:10.990 --> 00:32:13.769
rappers and performers in general of the last

00:32:13.769 --> 00:32:16.369
couple of decades. The man is just amazing. He's

00:32:16.369 --> 00:32:17.930
never going to stop. He's already hit legendary

00:32:17.930 --> 00:32:20.869
status. And I feel like if he keeps releasing

00:32:20.869 --> 00:32:24.049
a banger album every year like he has been, then

00:32:24.049 --> 00:32:27.920
there's still hope for humanity. But yeah, no,

00:32:28.099 --> 00:32:30.700
Don't Tap the Glass slash Tweekin is one of my

00:32:30.700 --> 00:32:32.819
favorite rap songs of the year off of one of

00:32:32.819 --> 00:32:34.960
my favorite rap albums of the year from one of

00:32:34.960 --> 00:32:37.380
my favorite artists of all time. I think it absolutely

00:32:37.380 --> 00:32:39.539
had to be on this list. And I apologize. And

00:32:39.539 --> 00:32:43.099
I can't wait to see where you go from here. Well,

00:32:43.180 --> 00:32:45.400
look, it was his fourth consecutive number one

00:32:45.400 --> 00:32:49.460
album. So you cannot deny his impact. Now, I'm

00:32:49.460 --> 00:32:51.440
familiar with this because I knew the song Big

00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:54.480
Poe with Pharrell Williams. That's the opening

00:32:54.480 --> 00:32:57.359
track on the album. And when I talk with my oldest,

00:32:57.619 --> 00:33:00.400
she said to me, Tyler, the Creator's one of those

00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:03.500
artists that's hot or cold. You're either all

00:33:03.500 --> 00:33:06.599
in on the sound or you're not. She's never met

00:33:06.599 --> 00:33:09.819
anybody who's mid on his music. No, you're either

00:33:09.819 --> 00:33:13.019
fanatic or you're like, whatever. But I meet

00:33:13.019 --> 00:33:15.680
way more people that are like, oh my God, Tyler,

00:33:15.700 --> 00:33:17.890
the Creator's amazing. Because if you're not

00:33:17.890 --> 00:33:19.750
a massive Tyler the Creator fan, I feel like

00:33:19.750 --> 00:33:22.630
you just haven't heard of him yet, honestly.

00:33:22.769 --> 00:33:24.410
Or you've only heard one or two tracks and you

00:33:24.410 --> 00:33:26.890
haven't really dived full head first into his

00:33:26.890 --> 00:33:29.809
music. Because once he grabs you, man, there's

00:33:29.809 --> 00:33:31.470
no letting go. You're just along for the ride.

00:33:31.609 --> 00:33:34.890
He's just incredible. As much as the song Big

00:33:34.890 --> 00:33:38.410
Poe was fun, that New Orleans bounce style hip

00:33:38.410 --> 00:33:41.829
hop that Don't Tap That Glass has, it's undeniable.

00:33:41.950 --> 00:33:44.640
It drags you right in. And then there's tweaking,

00:33:44.740 --> 00:33:47.779
which on paper should be nowhere near this track.

00:33:47.859 --> 00:33:51.380
But for some unknown reason, it actually works.

00:33:51.640 --> 00:33:55.099
He's a mad scientist. They are literally on opposite

00:33:55.099 --> 00:33:58.200
sides of the spectrum, but they work so well

00:33:58.200 --> 00:34:01.019
together. That's Tyler, man. He just does that

00:34:01.019 --> 00:34:03.660
and he doesn't care. And somehow it's just amazing.

00:34:03.799 --> 00:34:06.000
And it turns out to be like the best rap album

00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:09.440
of that year every time. Well, I'm going to argue

00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:12.219
one thing there. It's your favorite rap album

00:34:12.219 --> 00:34:15.320
of the year. It's not my favorite rap album of

00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:16.719
the year, so I am going to be able to follow

00:34:16.719 --> 00:34:19.500
you up, but I'm going to follow you up with a

00:34:19.500 --> 00:34:22.300
rap album that did come with some controversy,

00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:25.320
especially for those who are creatives like you

00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:27.579
and I. You got something good in the chamber.

00:34:27.639 --> 00:34:33.400
I'm ready for it. Is it one of 36 chambers? I

00:34:33.400 --> 00:34:37.360
guess my idea of controversy was not a tough

00:34:37.360 --> 00:34:41.099
thing for you to guess, but 100 % I am going

00:34:41.099 --> 00:34:44.969
with. Black Samson, The Bastard Swordsman, Wu

00:34:44.969 --> 00:34:48.510
-Tang, and Mathematics. And we are going with

00:34:48.510 --> 00:34:52.510
Mandingo featuring Wei Kuan, Inspector Deck,

00:34:52.929 --> 00:34:55.349
Method Man, and Capadonna, which I don't know

00:34:55.349 --> 00:34:57.110
why they're featured on the track. Aren't they

00:34:57.110 --> 00:34:59.429
part of Wu -Tang? Wu -Tang is weird anymore,

00:34:59.570 --> 00:35:03.289
but yeah. The fact that Wu -Tang Clan is dropping

00:35:03.289 --> 00:35:07.730
music that still hits as hard 32 years after

00:35:07.730 --> 00:35:11.449
36 Chambers. speaks to the level of hip -hop

00:35:11.449 --> 00:35:14.550
royalty that they're at. And I think that you

00:35:14.550 --> 00:35:16.630
would never get a Tyler, the Creator, without

00:35:16.630 --> 00:35:20.949
a Wu -Tang Clan. No, absolutely not. But for

00:35:20.949 --> 00:35:24.409
Wu -Tang Clan, which is like your... I don't

00:35:24.409 --> 00:35:26.909
want to say they're the grandfathers, but they've

00:35:26.909 --> 00:35:31.769
been at this for three decades. They are pioneers.

00:35:32.769 --> 00:35:35.530
They are some of the best to ever do it. And

00:35:35.530 --> 00:35:38.260
to be able to put out an album that hits... Just

00:35:38.260 --> 00:35:41.519
as hard in 2025 as some of the big names of this

00:35:41.519 --> 00:35:46.860
year speaks to this band's longevity. The controversy

00:35:46.860 --> 00:35:52.059
and the critique as a creator myself, I did not

00:35:52.059 --> 00:35:53.860
like the video because it was done completely

00:35:53.860 --> 00:35:57.239
with AI, but that's just my, I respect them as

00:35:57.239 --> 00:36:00.219
artists. I respect them as musicians, as one

00:36:00.219 --> 00:36:02.500
of the pioneering hip hop groups of all time.

00:36:02.739 --> 00:36:05.420
I would rather them just be sitting in a room

00:36:05.420 --> 00:36:08.690
lip syncing. than have an ai video as much as

00:36:08.690 --> 00:36:12.409
it was a fun concept as soon as i saw it was

00:36:12.409 --> 00:36:14.849
all ai i kind of like because it has that shine

00:36:14.849 --> 00:36:19.989
to it yeah it's hard to ignore as a creative

00:36:19.989 --> 00:36:23.050
person myself it's definitely controversial in

00:36:23.050 --> 00:36:26.610
the creative world i don't know if it's controversial

00:36:26.610 --> 00:36:29.610
outside and because you're a creative like me

00:36:29.610 --> 00:36:32.889
i knew you'd pick up on the controversy as soon

00:36:32.889 --> 00:36:35.920
as i said it Well, it's, you know, first of all,

00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:37.940
I love the pic. And let's let's touch on the

00:36:37.940 --> 00:36:40.539
fact that the RZA is one of the most legendary

00:36:40.539 --> 00:36:43.179
and greatest hip hop producers of all time. And

00:36:43.179 --> 00:36:46.679
he produced this album. And that's a true testament

00:36:46.679 --> 00:36:49.019
to, you know, Wu -Tang's longevity is the fact

00:36:49.019 --> 00:36:51.500
that the RZA is such a mad scientist, incredible

00:36:51.500 --> 00:36:54.019
producer. And like you said, people like Tyler,

00:36:54.059 --> 00:36:55.579
the creator probably wouldn't be around if it

00:36:55.579 --> 00:36:58.219
wasn't for RZA, because he really set the stage

00:36:58.219 --> 00:37:00.380
for just doing whatever the F he wanted to do.

00:37:00.750 --> 00:37:02.570
Sampling whatever he wanted to do, which is going

00:37:02.570 --> 00:37:05.010
absolutely crazy berserk on the back end of tracks

00:37:05.010 --> 00:37:07.610
after they'd recorded the vocals and just putting

00:37:07.610 --> 00:37:09.989
up this incredible, amazing, legendary hip hop

00:37:09.989 --> 00:37:12.849
that obviously clearly still influences everything

00:37:12.849 --> 00:37:17.469
that comes out after today. The video pisses

00:37:17.469 --> 00:37:21.329
me off because the RZA is such an eclectic and

00:37:21.329 --> 00:37:24.309
incredible producer. And for them to just cop

00:37:24.309 --> 00:37:27.190
out the video and just do like an AI thing. When

00:37:27.190 --> 00:37:29.570
like Michael Jai White is still in amazing shape.

00:37:29.710 --> 00:37:31.429
I mean, you basically have him in the video.

00:37:31.550 --> 00:37:33.190
Just get him to show up on a green screen and

00:37:33.190 --> 00:37:34.769
take his shirt off and do some badass martial

00:37:34.769 --> 00:37:36.670
arts moves. And there you go. That would have

00:37:36.670 --> 00:37:39.769
been a better video. But no, the track is incredible.

00:37:40.090 --> 00:37:42.489
Wu -Tang is still for everybody. They're one

00:37:42.489 --> 00:37:45.329
of the eternal hip hop slash rap groups. They

00:37:45.329 --> 00:37:47.789
always will be. The RZA will forever be one of

00:37:47.789 --> 00:37:50.809
the best producers of all time. And yeah, no,

00:37:50.949 --> 00:37:52.530
it's like you said, every time Wu -Tang Clan

00:37:52.530 --> 00:37:55.139
drops something. It's still awesome. It's still

00:37:55.139 --> 00:37:57.340
phenomenal. It's still Wu -Tang. Like, yeah,

00:37:57.420 --> 00:37:59.920
they're inescapable, and I hope we never, ever

00:37:59.920 --> 00:38:03.440
have to escape them. All right, so we got a back

00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:06.000
-to -back hip -hop duo of Tyler, the Creator,

00:38:06.179 --> 00:38:08.900
and Wu -Tang plus Mathematics. Where do we go

00:38:08.900 --> 00:38:10.940
from here? I'm going to get weird again. I don't

00:38:10.940 --> 00:38:11.960
know. Of course, why not? I'm going to have to

00:38:11.960 --> 00:38:14.380
go through a beer now. It's 2025. Everything's

00:38:14.380 --> 00:38:17.920
weird anyway. I really fell in love with this

00:38:17.920 --> 00:38:20.960
song over the late spring, early summer. and

00:38:20.960 --> 00:38:23.360
it really kind of captured my imagination and

00:38:23.360 --> 00:38:25.579
became for me the banger, like the hit track

00:38:25.579 --> 00:38:28.400
of the summer. It's Maris and Caroline Kingsbury.

00:38:28.440 --> 00:38:30.840
The track is called Give Me a Sign. It's another

00:38:30.840 --> 00:38:32.480
one of those groups that went, or not groups,

00:38:32.480 --> 00:38:34.539
but just performers that went viral online with

00:38:34.539 --> 00:38:36.940
this track. It actually afforded them the ability

00:38:36.940 --> 00:38:39.139
to go on a co -headlining tour that I caught

00:38:39.139 --> 00:38:42.079
here in Denver. It was a true co -headlining

00:38:42.079 --> 00:38:43.960
tour, which is really cool. They would both come

00:38:43.960 --> 00:38:47.150
out and perform this song. stop halfway and then

00:38:47.150 --> 00:38:49.210
it would switch off performing every like five

00:38:49.210 --> 00:38:51.550
or six songs or so so you wouldn't just wait

00:38:51.550 --> 00:38:53.389
and see one and then see the other or whatever

00:38:53.389 --> 00:38:55.329
like you had to like wait and like get through

00:38:55.329 --> 00:38:57.469
the entire show to see both of their sets and

00:38:57.469 --> 00:38:59.230
in between they would do songs together and it

00:38:59.230 --> 00:39:01.889
was just super cool but these are two immensely

00:39:01.889 --> 00:39:05.829
talented women who are doing incredible 80s throwback

00:39:05.829 --> 00:39:09.010
pop which is something i have always loved and

00:39:09.010 --> 00:39:11.429
yeah i check out that the track on youtube the

00:39:11.429 --> 00:39:13.969
video is phenomenal too And then go do a deep

00:39:13.969 --> 00:39:16.489
dive on both of their catalogs because these

00:39:16.489 --> 00:39:19.050
are just two immensely powerful, wonderful, passionate

00:39:19.050 --> 00:39:21.190
women who are just having the time of their lives.

00:39:21.289 --> 00:39:23.650
And we are just along for the ride. And I'm so

00:39:23.650 --> 00:39:26.949
happy to be along for the ride. I'll be honest.

00:39:27.170 --> 00:39:29.570
The first time I heard this song, I said, okay,

00:39:29.630 --> 00:39:32.429
the Chapel Roan effect is real. Yeah, I won't

00:39:32.429 --> 00:39:34.769
deny it. And I'm not saying in any way that they're

00:39:34.769 --> 00:39:38.070
copying it. I'm saying that what Chapel Roan

00:39:38.070 --> 00:39:43.699
did in 2023 and 2024 opened the door. For labels

00:39:43.699 --> 00:39:47.440
and artists to realize that this sound is something

00:39:47.440 --> 00:39:50.880
that people are craving and want more of. Totally.

00:39:50.920 --> 00:39:53.480
So I want to be very clear. I am not saying that

00:39:53.480 --> 00:39:57.599
Maris is going down like a copycat route. I am

00:39:57.599 --> 00:40:00.440
not saying that at all. I am saying that every

00:40:00.440 --> 00:40:03.539
now and then an artist will come out and it will

00:40:03.539 --> 00:40:07.360
bring a sound back into the mainstream. And I

00:40:07.360 --> 00:40:09.820
think we can go as far back as the weekend's

00:40:09.820 --> 00:40:13.550
blinding lights. As with that 80s throwback sound

00:40:13.550 --> 00:40:17.210
where, oh, the 80s can be cool again. It doesn't

00:40:17.210 --> 00:40:19.690
sound dated. And I feel like that might have

00:40:19.690 --> 00:40:22.329
been the song that was the tipping point for

00:40:22.329 --> 00:40:27.469
the 80s to sound relevant in the 2020s now. I

00:40:27.469 --> 00:40:30.070
could not agree more. I think you're spot on

00:40:30.070 --> 00:40:31.889
with your choice of The Weeknd as being that

00:40:31.889 --> 00:40:34.269
sort of gateway guy who used to be a rapper.

00:40:34.389 --> 00:40:36.389
And then he was like, I'm going to try 80s style

00:40:36.389 --> 00:40:38.789
pop. And that was what he was supposed to be

00:40:38.789 --> 00:40:43.550
doing all along. Holy shit. Amazing. But yeah,

00:40:43.630 --> 00:40:45.789
no. And I'm so grateful for artists that do that

00:40:45.789 --> 00:40:47.670
type of thing. And for, you know, like we were

00:40:47.670 --> 00:40:49.070
talking about before where like Shinedown was

00:40:49.070 --> 00:40:51.210
bringing Dinosaur Pilip out with them on tour

00:40:51.210 --> 00:40:54.170
and just introducing all these up and coming

00:40:54.170 --> 00:40:56.110
bands that are recapturing that old sound, but

00:40:56.110 --> 00:40:58.349
bringing their own modern and young and youthful

00:40:58.349 --> 00:41:01.409
spirit to it. Yeah. Just check out Maris and

00:41:01.409 --> 00:41:03.449
Carolyn Kingsbury. Like if you're a big fan of

00:41:03.449 --> 00:41:07.139
big. bombastic 80s pop ballads and stuff like

00:41:07.139 --> 00:41:09.380
that you'll totally dig them but there's also

00:41:09.380 --> 00:41:11.139
that modern twist on it like they're they're

00:41:11.139 --> 00:41:13.659
not just out there trying to you know recapture

00:41:13.659 --> 00:41:15.139
the sound of the 80s they're putting their own

00:41:15.139 --> 00:41:17.300
twist on it and just using it as an influence

00:41:17.300 --> 00:41:19.940
to introduce this whole new wave of sound too

00:41:19.940 --> 00:41:22.679
which is really cool and go see them live that

00:41:22.679 --> 00:41:26.519
was one of the most like genuine and impassioned

00:41:26.519 --> 00:41:30.889
and sweet and inclusive and just communal experiences

00:41:30.889 --> 00:41:33.010
I've ever had at a show like that. And those

00:41:33.010 --> 00:41:35.690
two just deserve to be massive stars. I think,

00:41:35.690 --> 00:41:38.130
you know, the YouTube video going viral and that

00:41:38.130 --> 00:41:40.510
song affording them the ability to go on a co

00:41:40.510 --> 00:41:42.690
-headlining tour the first time is just the tip

00:41:42.690 --> 00:41:44.429
of the iceberg for these two. Like you're gonna

00:41:44.429 --> 00:41:46.429
have, I'm actually wearing a Marist t -shirt.

00:41:46.489 --> 00:41:48.969
I just realized I did not put this shirt on on

00:41:48.969 --> 00:41:51.989
purpose before we record this. I'm looking at

00:41:51.989 --> 00:41:54.110
myself in my recording and I'm like, oh, I'm

00:41:54.110 --> 00:41:56.980
wearing a Marist t -shirt. I'm normally a brewery

00:41:56.980 --> 00:41:59.480
or a sports t -shirt guy, and I just now realized

00:41:59.480 --> 00:42:01.900
I'm wearing this Popstars t -shirt because I

00:42:01.900 --> 00:42:04.599
went to the show a couple months ago. Just go

00:42:04.599 --> 00:42:06.079
check out the track, and if you love it, and

00:42:06.079 --> 00:42:08.139
you probably will, I'm going to go out on a limb

00:42:08.139 --> 00:42:10.340
and say you absolutely will. Go listen to everything

00:42:10.340 --> 00:42:12.460
else they put out because they've been plugging

00:42:12.460 --> 00:42:14.219
away for a few years now, but this is the first

00:42:14.219 --> 00:42:16.099
time they've really broken out, and I hope that

00:42:16.099 --> 00:42:19.059
this just does amazing things for them. Well,

00:42:19.099 --> 00:42:21.420
I heard during that you brought up Shinedown,

00:42:21.480 --> 00:42:25.400
so I think... I have to pull that pin when I

00:42:25.400 --> 00:42:27.659
was talking about them before with Dinosaur Pile

00:42:27.659 --> 00:42:30.460
Up and close out the side with a song. And I'm

00:42:30.460 --> 00:42:32.239
going to get a little serious for a moment here.

00:42:33.119 --> 00:42:37.360
But this past July, I got to see the band at

00:42:37.360 --> 00:42:39.900
their first ever headlining show at Madison Square

00:42:39.900 --> 00:42:42.820
Garden in New York City. And the band was kind

00:42:42.820 --> 00:42:45.699
enough to bring me and several of my friends

00:42:45.699 --> 00:42:49.300
backstage to the show to meet them after both

00:42:49.300 --> 00:42:52.820
Barry Kirch and... Eric Bass were on My Weekly

00:42:52.820 --> 00:42:56.940
Mixtape earlier in the year. Now, I am a music

00:42:56.940 --> 00:43:00.679
podcast. I do this from my home. I'm breaking

00:43:00.679 --> 00:43:03.659
the fourth wall here a little bit. I don't have

00:43:03.659 --> 00:43:06.099
a studio that I go off to and record every week.

00:43:06.400 --> 00:43:10.460
I am an independent content producer. This band

00:43:10.460 --> 00:43:14.880
had me backstage and I was back there with the

00:43:14.880 --> 00:43:18.360
New York Post and WDHA, which is the rock in

00:43:18.360 --> 00:43:21.030
New Jersey, Terry Carr, who is... Somebody I

00:43:21.030 --> 00:43:24.610
am a she is a huge influence on me. She's been

00:43:24.610 --> 00:43:28.469
a mainstay of the New Jersey rock scene for many,

00:43:28.510 --> 00:43:30.989
many years. She is one of the best interviewers

00:43:30.989 --> 00:43:33.630
out there. I got to shoot the breeze with her.

00:43:33.690 --> 00:43:36.869
I've known her for many years. I'm a podcaster

00:43:36.869 --> 00:43:41.349
and they treated me on the same level as the

00:43:41.349 --> 00:43:44.469
professionals. And that's something I will never

00:43:44.469 --> 00:43:47.429
forget. And I got a chance to talk to Brent Smith

00:43:47.429 --> 00:43:51.449
and shake his hand. Because as I've talked about

00:43:51.449 --> 00:43:54.750
on this show, my father passed away from pancreatic

00:43:54.750 --> 00:43:59.210
cancer back in May. And I had to thank him for

00:43:59.210 --> 00:44:03.550
the song 365. Because the lyrics, if I could

00:44:03.550 --> 00:44:05.530
hitch a ride on a time machine, I would bring

00:44:05.530 --> 00:44:07.869
you right back here with me. And I wouldn't have

00:44:07.869 --> 00:44:10.789
to watch you disappear. Even though I said all

00:44:10.789 --> 00:44:13.469
the things that mattered most, while I held on

00:44:13.469 --> 00:44:15.889
tight to the end of the rope, I could keep you

00:44:15.889 --> 00:44:18.800
close, but I couldn't keep you here. A lot can

00:44:18.800 --> 00:44:22.239
happen in a year. I had to just shake his hand

00:44:22.239 --> 00:44:25.519
and thank him because that song got me through

00:44:25.519 --> 00:44:28.260
one of the hardest things I ever had to deal

00:44:28.260 --> 00:44:31.219
with. And that's coming after one year. July

00:44:31.219 --> 00:44:33.699
was one year from my open heart surgery. So I

00:44:33.699 --> 00:44:37.219
had a back -to -back double whammy. So in one

00:44:37.219 --> 00:44:39.659
year, I had my open heart surgery and I lost

00:44:39.659 --> 00:44:44.059
my father. And somehow this stranger was able

00:44:44.059 --> 00:44:47.250
to sum it up in this song. And I will tell you,

00:44:47.269 --> 00:44:50.130
when they played this live, I just sat there

00:44:50.130 --> 00:44:53.309
for three and a half minutes and cried my fucking

00:44:53.309 --> 00:44:58.190
eyes out singing along with it. And it's a moment

00:44:58.190 --> 00:45:01.949
I'll never forget. And it's a song that is very

00:45:01.949 --> 00:45:06.210
important to me because it just reminds you to

00:45:06.210 --> 00:45:08.610
hold on to every one of those special moments

00:45:08.610 --> 00:45:11.130
because you never know when you're not going

00:45:11.130 --> 00:45:13.230
to be able to again. So I know I'm ending Side

00:45:13.230 --> 00:45:15.840
A on a... Little bit of a downer, but musically,

00:45:15.980 --> 00:45:19.219
because I am the geek that I am, coming out of

00:45:19.219 --> 00:45:22.239
Maris, this is the pop side of Shinedown. So

00:45:22.239 --> 00:45:25.039
on a musical level, it does work. It's not a

00:45:25.039 --> 00:45:28.059
180, but it is an introspective way to close

00:45:28.059 --> 00:45:31.380
out Side A here. It's a beautiful song, man.

00:45:31.639 --> 00:45:35.179
Like, Shinedown, they kick ass, man. And that's,

00:45:35.179 --> 00:45:37.980
yeah, I don't know how to follow up what you

00:45:37.980 --> 00:45:41.130
just said. with the song because the context

00:45:41.130 --> 00:45:42.650
you bring to it, the personal context, the fact

00:45:42.650 --> 00:45:44.429
that you got to meet them and really just kind

00:45:44.429 --> 00:45:47.389
of share what that song meant to them is just

00:45:47.389 --> 00:45:50.929
a beautiful thing. It's awesome. Yeah, it's okay

00:45:50.929 --> 00:45:52.489
at the end of the year here when we're talking

00:45:52.489 --> 00:45:54.650
about the best music of the year to be reflective

00:45:54.650 --> 00:45:58.389
and also absorb some of the not so great things

00:45:58.389 --> 00:46:00.030
that happened, some of the terrible things that

00:46:00.030 --> 00:46:01.829
happened this year. And that's the beautiful

00:46:01.829 --> 00:46:04.250
thing about music is it's there with us with

00:46:04.250 --> 00:46:06.489
the best of times, but it's also there with us

00:46:06.489 --> 00:46:09.989
for the worst of times. And it's healing and

00:46:09.989 --> 00:46:14.429
it's empowering and it's strangers offering context

00:46:14.429 --> 00:46:16.050
to what you're feeling and helping you process

00:46:16.050 --> 00:46:18.429
it. And that's one of the coolest, most beautiful

00:46:18.429 --> 00:46:20.690
things about music in general. That's why I love

00:46:20.690 --> 00:46:24.889
music because it just touches you. And whether

00:46:24.889 --> 00:46:27.050
or not it's the musician who wrote the song providing

00:46:27.050 --> 00:46:28.969
their context or you just providing your own

00:46:28.969 --> 00:46:32.090
context for it or your life inadvertently providing

00:46:32.090 --> 00:46:35.400
certain context to a song for you. It's just

00:46:35.400 --> 00:46:37.760
a magical, wonderful thing that music is able

00:46:37.760 --> 00:46:40.239
to do that for us. I don't think it's a downer

00:46:40.239 --> 00:46:42.260
that you're ending side A with this track. I

00:46:42.260 --> 00:46:45.960
think what you went through this year made you

00:46:45.960 --> 00:46:48.099
a stronger person. I'm very proud of the things

00:46:48.099 --> 00:46:49.519
you've gone through this year. The fact that

00:46:49.519 --> 00:46:51.420
you're back doing this podcast just fills me

00:46:51.420 --> 00:46:53.920
with joy because I love you, man, and I love

00:46:53.920 --> 00:46:57.340
your show. And if this song was something that

00:46:57.340 --> 00:47:02.179
helped you cope and process and not be... washed

00:47:02.179 --> 00:47:03.900
away by the emotions and all the things you were

00:47:03.900 --> 00:47:06.440
feeling this year then maybe this song should

00:47:06.440 --> 00:47:09.320
be the first track on this playlist because of

00:47:09.320 --> 00:47:11.179
its meaning and its impact for you personally

00:47:11.179 --> 00:47:13.199
and because it has an impact on you it has it

00:47:13.199 --> 00:47:14.920
on me because you're such a good friend and i've

00:47:14.920 --> 00:47:17.280
known you for so long now that now this song

00:47:17.280 --> 00:47:19.420
takes on a very personal meaning for me as well

00:47:19.420 --> 00:47:22.639
so hell yeah dude i love the pick love the band

00:47:22.639 --> 00:47:25.980
i think this is a great way to end site a well

00:47:25.980 --> 00:47:27.980
i really appreciate that man and nothing but

00:47:27.980 --> 00:47:30.860
love for you as well coming back from me There

00:47:30.860 --> 00:47:34.099
you have it, folks. Side A of the Ultimate 2025

00:47:34.099 --> 00:47:37.659
playlist, which kicked off with The Paradox featuring

00:47:37.659 --> 00:47:41.039
Travis Barker's Bender, followed up by Millington's

00:47:41.039 --> 00:47:44.539
Radio, The Hive's Hooray, Hooray, Hooray, Winona

00:47:44.539 --> 00:47:47.559
Fighters' Hams in a Glass, Rockets' Take Your

00:47:47.559 --> 00:47:51.719
Aim, Dinosaur Pileup's My Way, Tyler the Creator's

00:47:51.719 --> 00:47:54.780
Don't Tap That Glass Tweakin', Wu -Tang Clan

00:47:54.780 --> 00:47:57.199
and Mathematics featuring Raekwon, Inspector

00:47:57.199 --> 00:48:01.099
Deck, Method Man, and Capadonna Mandingo. Maris

00:48:01.099 --> 00:48:03.619
featuring Carolyn Kingsbury, Give Me a Sign,

00:48:03.860 --> 00:48:08.179
and Shinedown's 365. Head over to myweeklymixtape

00:48:08.179 --> 00:48:10.579
.com to hear all the songs we've discussed in

00:48:10.579 --> 00:48:13.800
this mix through the playlist embedded on the

00:48:13.800 --> 00:48:18.079
episode page. And we are almost an hour into

00:48:18.079 --> 00:48:21.079
this, and we are just getting to side B because...

00:48:21.389 --> 00:48:23.809
There is no way we could do an end of the year

00:48:23.809 --> 00:48:27.909
wrap up and have it be a short and sweet episode.

00:48:28.449 --> 00:48:32.050
But I am going to follow. I'm going to cop what

00:48:32.050 --> 00:48:35.829
you did to start off side A for how I started

00:48:35.829 --> 00:48:39.030
off side B. You started off side A with your

00:48:39.030 --> 00:48:41.929
favorite album of the year. You said The Paradox

00:48:41.929 --> 00:48:45.809
was your album of the year. Yeah. NSFW is just

00:48:45.809 --> 00:48:49.539
wonderful. It's so much fun. I am going to start

00:48:49.539 --> 00:48:53.139
off side B with my album of the year. Okay. And

00:48:53.139 --> 00:48:56.619
one of the songs from it. Now on this person's

00:48:56.619 --> 00:49:00.599
first album, he avoided the guitar theatrics

00:49:00.599 --> 00:49:04.260
that everybody assumed he would go with. Then

00:49:04.260 --> 00:49:06.280
on his second album, he toyed with them a little

00:49:06.280 --> 00:49:11.239
bit, but on the end mammoth, AKA Wolfgang Van

00:49:11.239 --> 00:49:15.320
Halen blew the whole fucking thing up. And the

00:49:15.320 --> 00:49:19.190
track I'm going with. Is the end to start off

00:49:19.190 --> 00:49:22.429
side B. I know it's ironic. I probably should

00:49:22.429 --> 00:49:25.530
have ended side a with the end because it's called

00:49:25.530 --> 00:49:28.469
the end, but it's not my favorite album of the

00:49:28.469 --> 00:49:30.489
year. And when I heard you say that the paradox

00:49:30.489 --> 00:49:32.769
was your favorite album, I kind of said, okay,

00:49:32.809 --> 00:49:34.969
well now I know where mammoth is going to sit

00:49:34.969 --> 00:49:39.170
for side B. As far as I'm concerned, the opening

00:49:39.170 --> 00:49:44.469
guitar pyrotechnics immediately grabbed my attention.

00:49:45.119 --> 00:49:47.260
The music video is one of my favorite for the

00:49:47.260 --> 00:49:50.079
year. On the opposite end of the spectrum of

00:49:50.079 --> 00:49:53.420
what I criticized with the Wu -Tang Clan and

00:49:53.420 --> 00:49:56.900
Mathematics AI produced video, Mammoth went out

00:49:56.900 --> 00:50:00.199
and got Robert Rodriguez of the From Dusk Till

00:50:00.199 --> 00:50:04.619
Dawn fame to present a musical hat tip to Michael

00:50:04.619 --> 00:50:08.099
Jackson's thriller, including the card at the

00:50:08.099 --> 00:50:10.420
beginning that's a direct nod to the original

00:50:10.420 --> 00:50:13.320
video. Oh, it's the thing about his belief not

00:50:13.320 --> 00:50:16.940
being reflected by the occult nature of it. Was

00:50:16.940 --> 00:50:21.000
it what it was? Yeah. Love it. And the video

00:50:21.000 --> 00:50:24.840
features Danny Trejo slash Miles Kennedy, who

00:50:24.840 --> 00:50:27.519
he toured with this year, as well as his mom,

00:50:27.639 --> 00:50:30.860
Valerie Bertinelli. The fact that Mammoth plays

00:50:30.860 --> 00:50:34.300
every instrument on this song and every album

00:50:34.300 --> 00:50:38.019
he's ever put out. Anybody that says he's a nepo

00:50:38.019 --> 00:50:42.460
baby. Needs to check that at the door. Hell yes.

00:50:42.500 --> 00:50:45.940
He would be famous without it. I am going to

00:50:45.940 --> 00:50:49.119
say something here that might piss off non -fans

00:50:49.119 --> 00:50:53.500
of Wolfgang Van Halen, but he is reaching near

00:50:53.500 --> 00:50:56.980
Prince level of greatness when it comes to playing

00:50:56.980 --> 00:51:01.920
every instrument on an album. If you listen to

00:51:01.920 --> 00:51:04.400
the track, the end, he's doing slap bass. He's

00:51:04.400 --> 00:51:07.380
doing. finger tapping, the drums are off the

00:51:07.380 --> 00:51:10.880
hook, the vocals are on check. He is a one -man

00:51:10.880 --> 00:51:14.360
band. The way Prince was in the 80s, recording

00:51:14.360 --> 00:51:18.059
every instrument himself. Not many people can

00:51:18.059 --> 00:51:20.360
do that and do that to the level that Wolfgang

00:51:20.360 --> 00:51:23.119
Van Halen does it. Not only is he a chip off

00:51:23.119 --> 00:51:26.579
of his father's block, he is not riding the coattails

00:51:26.579 --> 00:51:30.159
of his father, but he's honing in his sound that

00:51:30.159 --> 00:51:33.239
honors his father's legacy and brings it into

00:51:33.239 --> 00:51:37.760
the future. This album is an absolute monster.

00:51:38.380 --> 00:51:40.900
If you haven't heard it yet, Mamet's the end

00:51:40.900 --> 00:51:44.039
to kick off Side B. So as soon as you mentioned

00:51:44.039 --> 00:51:46.920
the name, I was already formulating in my head

00:51:46.920 --> 00:51:49.599
how I was going to explain to people that anybody

00:51:49.599 --> 00:51:52.039
who writes him off as being a nepo baby or just

00:51:52.039 --> 00:51:54.699
sort of pigeonholes him as being his father's

00:51:54.699 --> 00:51:57.920
son can't go take a flying leap because, oh my

00:51:57.920 --> 00:52:00.860
God, this dude is immensely talented. yes he

00:52:00.860 --> 00:52:02.960
plays guitar and he does the taps and stuff and

00:52:02.960 --> 00:52:05.820
he's very very very very good at it but the dude

00:52:05.820 --> 00:52:09.219
can fucking sing too that was the thing that

00:52:09.219 --> 00:52:11.539
grabbed me because when you know when he came

00:52:11.539 --> 00:52:13.519
up he was playing bass for van halen and he was

00:52:13.519 --> 00:52:14.860
touring with his father and everybody's like

00:52:14.860 --> 00:52:17.159
oh you know that's cute haha whatever oh he's

00:52:17.159 --> 00:52:19.639
gonna do his own music oh okay whatever no f

00:52:19.639 --> 00:52:21.599
all those people because the dude is an absolute

00:52:21.599 --> 00:52:24.260
just genius and he can play every instrument

00:52:24.260 --> 00:52:26.219
like you said and he can sing like a goddamn

00:52:26.219 --> 00:52:29.099
angel And if he's a chip off the block, he's

00:52:29.099 --> 00:52:31.059
a chip that's fallen off the block and has rolled

00:52:31.059 --> 00:52:33.340
down a snowy mountain, has become this gigantic,

00:52:33.340 --> 00:52:36.320
huge goddamn force in his own right. The album

00:52:36.320 --> 00:52:38.400
is phenomenal. And I'm actually, like you said,

00:52:38.440 --> 00:52:40.800
I'm glad that he stopped kind of shying away

00:52:40.800 --> 00:52:44.420
from the guitar theatrics because who fucking

00:52:44.420 --> 00:52:46.159
cares at this point? It's like, what, his third

00:52:46.159 --> 00:52:49.639
album? And with every album, he's grown and become

00:52:49.639 --> 00:52:52.500
this incredible musician. And who cares if he's

00:52:52.500 --> 00:52:54.300
his father's son and he carries that last name

00:52:54.300 --> 00:52:56.739
because guitar is just in a dude's blood. Like

00:52:56.739 --> 00:52:59.780
how are you going to deny his DNA? And he's doing

00:52:59.780 --> 00:53:01.460
something unique and interesting and fun and

00:53:01.460 --> 00:53:03.179
different with it. He's not just like ripping

00:53:03.179 --> 00:53:05.400
off his father's sound. Like he's taking what

00:53:05.400 --> 00:53:07.800
he learned and what's in his own DNA, what he

00:53:07.800 --> 00:53:10.599
got from his father. He's fusing it into something

00:53:10.599 --> 00:53:13.159
new and interesting and hip and different. And

00:53:13.159 --> 00:53:16.340
like I said, dude, the guy can fucking sing and

00:53:16.340 --> 00:53:18.400
harmonize too. Like he's just this incredible

00:53:18.400 --> 00:53:21.489
like. Not even dual threat. He's a triple, quadruple,

00:53:21.489 --> 00:53:24.849
quintuple threat. Just an undeniable genius musician.

00:53:25.550 --> 00:53:28.769
And yes, go listen to the album. Go listen to

00:53:28.769 --> 00:53:31.030
this track, because honestly, I think this was

00:53:31.030 --> 00:53:32.869
just like the quintessential track to be the

00:53:32.869 --> 00:53:34.630
title track of the album, too, because I think

00:53:34.630 --> 00:53:37.070
it just culminates. And the video is super dope,

00:53:37.070 --> 00:53:39.409
too. It's Robert Rodriguez with like werewolves

00:53:39.409 --> 00:53:42.309
and vampires and monsters. And it's just it's

00:53:42.309 --> 00:53:45.159
just super fun. It's just awesome. We all need

00:53:45.159 --> 00:53:48.159
to appreciate and love and recognize the talent

00:53:48.159 --> 00:53:50.820
that is Wolfgang Van Halen and just stop treating

00:53:50.820 --> 00:53:52.619
him like, oh, he's just there because his dad

00:53:52.619 --> 00:53:55.360
was famous. He's doing things his dad never did.

00:53:55.900 --> 00:53:58.380
And he's doing it really, really fucking well.

00:53:58.900 --> 00:54:01.840
So see if that kid is due because he's only going

00:54:01.840 --> 00:54:03.599
to get bigger and more popular and he's going

00:54:03.599 --> 00:54:06.019
to keep doing more and more cool shit. And eventually

00:54:06.019 --> 00:54:07.500
he's just going to be a household name like Van

00:54:07.500 --> 00:54:09.840
Halen was. He's going to get there. He's that

00:54:09.840 --> 00:54:12.739
good. And I'll tell you right now to put a stamp

00:54:12.739 --> 00:54:16.820
on this. Even if his last name was Smith, he

00:54:16.820 --> 00:54:19.719
is talented enough to carry it. Yeah. He does

00:54:19.719 --> 00:54:21.920
not have to lean on the Van Halen name. He has

00:54:21.920 --> 00:54:25.480
enough talent without it. Exactly. He could change

00:54:25.480 --> 00:54:27.960
his name to Wolfgang Bertinelli if he wanted

00:54:27.960 --> 00:54:31.300
to. And he would still make it because the dude

00:54:31.300 --> 00:54:34.219
is just that talented. Just insanely talented.

00:54:34.880 --> 00:54:36.920
All right. So now how do you follow that up?

00:54:36.980 --> 00:54:38.900
Are we going to stay in this hard rock vein here?

00:54:39.420 --> 00:54:41.739
Kind of, sort of. I mean, I've been a big fan

00:54:41.739 --> 00:54:45.019
of genre -bending bands this year. And this is

00:54:45.019 --> 00:54:46.380
another band that was actually discovered by

00:54:46.380 --> 00:54:48.460
Jack White. And he signed them immediately to

00:54:48.460 --> 00:54:51.099
Third Man Records when they started kind of gaining

00:54:51.099 --> 00:54:54.860
some traction. It's a quartet of four young ladies,

00:54:54.940 --> 00:54:58.360
and they are from the Austin area. And they are

00:54:58.360 --> 00:55:02.199
called Die Spitz. And the album is Something

00:55:02.199 --> 00:55:04.500
to Consume. And the track, this was another album

00:55:04.500 --> 00:55:06.579
where it's like, this album is incredible and

00:55:06.579 --> 00:55:08.920
diverse and crazy and awesome. where it took

00:55:08.920 --> 00:55:11.360
me a while to actually pick out which track was

00:55:11.360 --> 00:55:13.099
going to be on this list because all of them

00:55:13.099 --> 00:55:17.460
are a banger. But this band is so eclectic and

00:55:17.460 --> 00:55:20.460
so wild in their songwriting and their collaborative

00:55:20.460 --> 00:55:23.880
efforts as a group that they will marry shoegay

00:55:23.880 --> 00:55:28.239
sound and hardcore and metal effortlessly. And

00:55:28.239 --> 00:55:30.360
it shouldn't work at all, very much in the same

00:55:30.360 --> 00:55:32.099
vein of what Wu -Tang Clan and Tyler the Creator

00:55:32.099 --> 00:55:33.639
do in their respective fields, where they're

00:55:33.639 --> 00:55:35.420
just throwing everything on the wall. And for

00:55:35.420 --> 00:55:36.840
some reason, everything just sticks and fits

00:55:36.840 --> 00:55:39.900
perfectly together in this wild way. The track

00:55:39.900 --> 00:55:41.880
is Throw Yourself to the Sword, which is one

00:55:41.880 --> 00:55:46.199
of the more heavy metal tracks. And they're in

00:55:46.199 --> 00:55:48.000
lead singer, and they switch out lead singers

00:55:48.000 --> 00:55:49.719
for whatever song they're playing. The lead singer

00:55:49.719 --> 00:55:52.360
on this one, Eleanor, is like this four -foot

00:55:52.360 --> 00:55:54.820
-nothing redhead, but she is just the biggest

00:55:54.820 --> 00:55:58.710
ball of primal energy. You will ever see on stage.

00:55:59.090 --> 00:56:01.550
She's shredding guitars. She's screaming with

00:56:01.550 --> 00:56:04.929
this visceral vocal style. And everybody in the

00:56:04.929 --> 00:56:07.510
band is just going crazy and berserk. And there's

00:56:07.510 --> 00:56:09.570
like circle pits forming in their shows and stuff.

00:56:09.769 --> 00:56:12.190
And like this band is another one that's just

00:56:12.190 --> 00:56:14.210
kind of sort of starting out. But they've already

00:56:14.210 --> 00:56:16.789
got backing from these musicians that came before

00:56:16.789 --> 00:56:19.630
them. And they're not only capturing the sound

00:56:19.630 --> 00:56:22.570
of their forebears. They're also developing into

00:56:22.570 --> 00:56:24.309
something entirely unique and putting their own

00:56:24.309 --> 00:56:28.449
shift on it. And Dice Bits is just. like insurmountable

00:56:28.449 --> 00:56:31.670
like force of energy it's the best way i can

00:56:31.670 --> 00:56:33.789
describe it was just these four women just going

00:56:33.789 --> 00:56:37.869
absolute goddamn insane bonkers crazy on stage

00:56:37.869 --> 00:56:40.789
and on their album as well and they will shift

00:56:40.789 --> 00:56:43.690
from a more melancholy slow shoegaze song right

00:56:43.690 --> 00:56:46.710
into like borderline death metal and however

00:56:46.710 --> 00:56:51.050
however it just works every single time and i

00:56:51.050 --> 00:56:53.670
love the fact that it's not like them just trying

00:56:53.670 --> 00:56:55.710
to hedge their bets and play a bunch of different

00:56:55.710 --> 00:56:57.989
genres and see what sticks. This is just what

00:56:57.989 --> 00:56:59.969
they want to do, and they don't give a shit if

00:56:59.969 --> 00:57:01.969
you don't think it works or not, because one,

00:57:02.010 --> 00:57:04.349
it does, and two, it works for them, and that's

00:57:04.349 --> 00:57:06.389
what makes it that much more fun and that much

00:57:06.389 --> 00:57:09.510
more interesting to listen to. So dice bits,

00:57:09.710 --> 00:57:11.849
throw yourself to the sword off of this year's

00:57:11.849 --> 00:57:15.329
album, Something to Consume. Now, I know Patreon

00:57:15.329 --> 00:57:18.730
mixtaper Tom Hutchinson had mentioned Tsunami

00:57:18.730 --> 00:57:22.300
Sea by Spiritbox, and I don't... consider die

00:57:22.300 --> 00:57:25.199
spits and spirit box to be the same sound. But

00:57:25.199 --> 00:57:28.179
I think if you're a fan of spirit box, die spits

00:57:28.179 --> 00:57:30.579
is going to be in your wheelhouse. Yeah. And

00:57:30.579 --> 00:57:35.139
I have to say Jack white between what he did

00:57:35.139 --> 00:57:37.659
for the paradox and what he's doing for die spits.

00:57:37.719 --> 00:57:40.179
I feel like he's got his finger on the pulse

00:57:40.179 --> 00:57:43.719
of where music is headed in the future. And the

00:57:43.719 --> 00:57:45.579
fact that you, you already mentioned everything

00:57:45.579 --> 00:57:48.159
I was going to say about this song. You've got

00:57:48.159 --> 00:57:50.679
groove metal. You've got some hardcore elements.

00:57:50.860 --> 00:57:52.820
You've got some punk elements. You've got that

00:57:52.820 --> 00:57:55.840
shoegaze sound and it's just thrown into a blender,

00:57:55.940 --> 00:57:58.800
but they leave the top off and they push the

00:57:58.800 --> 00:58:01.500
button and whatever shoots out is where it goes.

00:58:01.559 --> 00:58:04.340
And it works on throw yourself to the sword.

00:58:04.619 --> 00:58:07.800
I am getting early kitty vibes. If you remember

00:58:07.800 --> 00:58:11.119
them. Oh, definitely. Yeah. Like brackish and

00:58:11.119 --> 00:58:13.960
Charlotte. Like I am hearing that on this track

00:58:13.960 --> 00:58:18.400
in all the best ways. Yeah, dude, I love the

00:58:18.400 --> 00:58:20.760
comparison. You're absolutely right. Just those

00:58:20.760 --> 00:58:23.380
trailblazing, trendsetting women bands just paving

00:58:23.380 --> 00:58:26.019
the way and kicking ass. They don't give a shit

00:58:26.019 --> 00:58:28.260
what you think. They don't care if you don't

00:58:28.260 --> 00:58:29.559
think they're cool because it's a bunch of women

00:58:29.559 --> 00:58:31.940
playing metal. They're that much cooler because

00:58:31.940 --> 00:58:33.579
they're women playing metal. You know what I

00:58:33.579 --> 00:58:36.400
mean? It's just fucking cool. And that's one

00:58:36.400 --> 00:58:38.199
of those bands that I have not had the chance

00:58:38.199 --> 00:58:40.519
to see live, but I desperately want to. And first

00:58:40.519 --> 00:58:41.900
chance I get when they come to my neck of the

00:58:41.900 --> 00:58:43.820
woods, I'm going to be in that circle pit, man.

00:58:43.900 --> 00:58:47.059
I'm 41. I don't give a... crap i'm gonna be i'm

00:58:47.059 --> 00:58:48.719
gonna be going home with the bruised up knees

00:58:48.719 --> 00:58:50.719
and the fucked up elbows because i was in that

00:58:50.719 --> 00:58:56.119
circle pit for 45 minutes so yeah well being

00:58:56.119 --> 00:58:58.619
you have a band that threw a bunch of stuff into

00:58:58.619 --> 00:59:02.039
a blender i'm gonna follow that up with something

00:59:02.039 --> 00:59:05.559
similar once again i'm dipping back into 2024

00:59:05.559 --> 00:59:08.539
because i discovered this song and this album

00:59:08.539 --> 00:59:12.400
shortly after you and i recorded My friend Jim

00:59:12.400 --> 00:59:14.300
Santora, who is the author of the underrated

00:59:14.300 --> 00:59:17.320
rock book, posted about it, and he got my attention

00:59:17.320 --> 00:59:21.840
saying, you like country music? Do you like Disturbed?

00:59:22.400 --> 00:59:25.820
You got to check out this song. Yeah, okay. I

00:59:25.820 --> 00:59:26.940
know where you're going with this. I actually

00:59:26.940 --> 00:59:30.280
know where you're going with this. And Lakeview

00:59:30.280 --> 00:59:37.539
and Home Team. Yeah, dude. This song is on paper

00:59:37.539 --> 00:59:43.710
should not work. In my ears, it is everything

00:59:43.710 --> 00:59:48.789
I love about music. It is who cares about genres?

00:59:49.050 --> 00:59:52.329
Who cares about the box that country music needs

00:59:52.329 --> 00:59:55.769
to stay in? Who cares about the box where new

00:59:55.769 --> 00:59:59.050
metal and heavy metal or hard rock need to stay

00:59:59.050 --> 01:00:01.090
in? Let's just take a little bit out of this

01:00:01.090 --> 01:00:03.429
box and a little bit out of this box and create

01:00:03.429 --> 01:00:06.849
our own box and create our own new sound. And

01:00:06.849 --> 01:00:09.030
next week on the show, I'm going to be doing.

01:00:09.639 --> 01:00:13.320
the 2025 country episode. And I tell you right

01:00:13.320 --> 01:00:17.719
now, country in 2025 has thrown a bomb into the

01:00:17.719 --> 01:00:21.840
genre because there is no actual definition on

01:00:21.840 --> 01:00:24.840
what country country music is no longer a sub

01:00:24.840 --> 01:00:29.099
genre. It is now an umbrella genre where everything

01:00:29.099 --> 01:00:32.239
is just kind of crawling in with that's what

01:00:32.239 --> 01:00:35.500
country music is. And Lakeview. Earlier this

01:00:35.500 --> 01:00:38.139
year, I had Cody Hanson from Hinder on the show

01:00:38.139 --> 01:00:41.360
to do an album dive on their newest album, Back

01:00:41.360 --> 01:00:45.119
to Life. And him and I got into it about Lakeview.

01:00:45.159 --> 01:00:47.840
Because earlier this year, you know my love of

01:00:47.840 --> 01:00:51.719
cover songs, Lakeview dropped a cover of Hinder's

01:00:51.719 --> 01:00:55.219
Lips of an Angel. And just a couple weeks ago,

01:00:55.480 --> 01:00:58.360
Hinder and Lakeview got on stage at the same

01:00:58.360 --> 01:01:01.739
time because they did a dual show together and

01:01:01.739 --> 01:01:06.099
performed the song. as both bands at once. Lakeview

01:01:06.099 --> 01:01:08.099
is one of those bands they have toured with Breaking

01:01:08.099 --> 01:01:11.440
Benjamin. They've toured with Stained, but they

01:01:11.440 --> 01:01:14.380
were also at the Barefoot Country Music Festival

01:01:14.380 --> 01:01:16.940
in Wildwood, New Jersey, playing alongside of

01:01:16.940 --> 01:01:21.119
hundreds of country bands. So not only were they

01:01:21.119 --> 01:01:23.539
going in one direction with their music, doing

01:01:23.539 --> 01:01:26.440
the hard rock side of things, they were also

01:01:26.440 --> 01:01:28.820
making a name for themselves in the country universe,

01:01:29.139 --> 01:01:32.420
touring with country artists in the year 2025.

01:01:33.389 --> 01:01:35.710
It's hard enough to make a name for yourself

01:01:35.710 --> 01:01:40.489
in one genre or style of music. And here comes

01:01:40.489 --> 01:01:43.469
Lakeview saying, we're going to do it in multiple

01:01:43.469 --> 01:01:47.170
genres and be successful at it. So as far as

01:01:47.170 --> 01:01:49.969
I'm concerned, yes, I'm even sneaking a little

01:01:49.969 --> 01:01:52.469
bit of country into this 2025 playlist. But when

01:01:52.469 --> 01:01:55.949
you hear the chorus to Home Team, you'll understand

01:01:55.949 --> 01:02:00.090
why it fits coming out of Die Spitz. And that

01:02:00.090 --> 01:02:02.869
rhymed. And now I feel like Dr. Seuss. Anyway.

01:02:05.289 --> 01:02:11.070
I love you, Brian. You're my muse. So, yeah,

01:02:11.190 --> 01:02:12.889
I mean, this is the first track I heard off of

01:02:12.889 --> 01:02:14.530
this album, which is their self -titled album.

01:02:14.610 --> 01:02:17.449
And it's fitting because it's got like that sort

01:02:17.449 --> 01:02:19.289
of like Southern rock country vibe to it. And

01:02:19.289 --> 01:02:20.269
you're kind of going with it. It's like, all

01:02:20.269 --> 01:02:22.769
right, I'm feeling this is cool. It starts building

01:02:22.769 --> 01:02:24.949
up and it's like, all right, like I'm not the

01:02:24.949 --> 01:02:26.909
hugest country fan, but I'm like vibing with

01:02:26.909 --> 01:02:29.849
this is awesome. And you kind of feel the tension

01:02:29.849 --> 01:02:33.039
of the song in the pre -chorus. And then when

01:02:33.039 --> 01:02:36.019
the chorus itself kicks in, you're like, what?

01:02:38.440 --> 01:02:42.920
Wait, hold on. OK, hold on. Oh, my God, this

01:02:42.920 --> 01:02:45.300
fucking works. And that's all the whole album

01:02:45.300 --> 01:02:47.920
is like, dude, this track is just it was brilliant

01:02:47.920 --> 01:02:49.320
of them to make this the first track in the album

01:02:49.320 --> 01:02:51.780
because it just it just sets the prime. It primes

01:02:51.780 --> 01:02:53.679
the pump. It sets the tone for what they're trying

01:02:53.679 --> 01:02:55.639
to accomplish and what they're doing, like you

01:02:55.639 --> 01:02:57.619
said, should not work. And it fucking really

01:02:57.619 --> 01:03:00.380
does. And it's like. Like I said, I'm not the

01:03:00.380 --> 01:03:03.199
biggest country fan. A lot of the country I listen

01:03:03.199 --> 01:03:05.019
to on a regular basis is stuff that you've turned

01:03:05.019 --> 01:03:07.420
me on to because you have great musical taste.

01:03:08.000 --> 01:03:11.139
And this is just a really good album by a really

01:03:11.139 --> 01:03:13.239
good band that, like you said, are just not giving

01:03:13.239 --> 01:03:15.780
a shit when it comes to melding genres and just

01:03:15.780 --> 01:03:18.079
doing what sounds good to them and taking bits

01:03:18.079 --> 01:03:19.719
and pieces from things they love and marrying

01:03:19.719 --> 01:03:21.659
them together in something that's reminiscent

01:03:21.659 --> 01:03:23.639
of multiple genres, but at the same time something

01:03:23.639 --> 01:03:26.300
wholly unique and interesting also. It's just

01:03:26.300 --> 01:03:30.449
really fucking good. And I just can't wait to

01:03:30.449 --> 01:03:33.630
see where they go next. I love both sides of

01:03:33.630 --> 01:03:35.869
what they're doing. And as one cohesive unit,

01:03:35.969 --> 01:03:39.730
it's just wonderful and fun, man. They're fun.

01:03:40.409 --> 01:03:43.989
This song is like the party anthem of 2025. As

01:03:43.989 --> 01:03:45.989
far as I'm concerned, Cody Hanson, a hinder said,

01:03:46.150 --> 01:03:49.590
this is our post -show party song. And when you

01:03:49.590 --> 01:03:51.250
listen to it, you're like, yeah, I can see why

01:03:51.250 --> 01:03:54.199
this is the. Everybody rock the fuck out song

01:03:54.199 --> 01:03:56.059
of the night. And that's, that's what it was

01:03:56.059 --> 01:03:58.559
for me throughout this whole year. That's exactly

01:03:58.559 --> 01:04:00.300
what this song is. It's just the rock the fuck

01:04:00.300 --> 01:04:03.019
out song for the weekends. Like it's just dope.

01:04:03.099 --> 01:04:06.800
I love it. So coming out of this trio of mammoth

01:04:06.800 --> 01:04:08.880
die spits and Lakeview, where are we going to

01:04:08.880 --> 01:04:11.539
go from here? Off the rails again, my friend,

01:04:11.599 --> 01:04:13.400
I'm sorry. We're going to go even more genre

01:04:13.400 --> 01:04:15.980
bending. This is a group that I've been a fan

01:04:15.980 --> 01:04:17.559
of for a number of years and they've been around

01:04:17.559 --> 01:04:19.820
for a number of years, like maybe 20 years and

01:04:19.820 --> 01:04:22.380
not enough people know who they are. This is

01:04:22.380 --> 01:04:24.179
one of those groups that should be just massive

01:04:24.179 --> 01:04:26.260
and gigantic and playing festivals and everybody

01:04:26.260 --> 01:04:28.619
should be wearing their t -shirts. If you see

01:04:28.619 --> 01:04:30.780
the name on paper, it looks really freaking weird.

01:04:30.900 --> 01:04:34.099
It's H -O -9 -9 -O -9, but it's pronounced horror.

01:04:34.480 --> 01:04:37.480
And that's just how off weird the beaten path,

01:04:37.619 --> 01:04:40.280
like artsy, kind of crazy, chaotic this group

01:04:40.280 --> 01:04:45.380
is. They are a hip hop, like a rap group, but

01:04:45.380 --> 01:04:46.760
they marry a number of different sounds. And

01:04:46.760 --> 01:04:48.119
the best way I can describe it to people would

01:04:48.119 --> 01:04:51.380
be like, if you took like Prodigy. And you threw

01:04:51.380 --> 01:04:53.719
it into like a washing machine with like bad

01:04:53.719 --> 01:04:56.900
brains and outcast. So it's like rap. It's like

01:04:56.900 --> 01:05:00.139
rap rock. It's like techno rap. It's just a combination

01:05:00.139 --> 01:05:01.860
of a bunch of different genres all together.

01:05:01.960 --> 01:05:04.539
And it just works incredibly well. But they put

01:05:04.539 --> 01:05:07.059
out an album this year. And that album is called

01:05:07.059 --> 01:05:09.719
Tomorrow We Escape. And the track that I'm throwing

01:05:09.719 --> 01:05:12.619
on this list of best songs of 2025 is called

01:05:12.619 --> 01:05:16.559
Incline. And one of the things I love about horror

01:05:16.559 --> 01:05:22.219
is the fact that they just do not give a. Frick.

01:05:22.219 --> 01:05:26.800
I love when rap and hip hop scares people. I

01:05:26.800 --> 01:05:29.159
love when punk rock scares people. I love when

01:05:29.159 --> 01:05:30.940
it's challenging and it pulls you out of your

01:05:30.940 --> 01:05:33.320
comfort zone and it makes you think and wonder

01:05:33.320 --> 01:05:34.920
about things you may have not have thought or

01:05:34.920 --> 01:05:37.119
wondered about before. But at the same time,

01:05:37.159 --> 01:05:39.079
it also makes you want to dive deeper into it

01:05:39.079 --> 01:05:40.500
and learn more about the band and more about

01:05:40.500 --> 01:05:42.179
what they stand for and all those types of things.

01:05:42.519 --> 01:05:44.179
They are sort of political. We're not going to

01:05:44.179 --> 01:05:46.179
go political with this episode of the podcast,

01:05:46.360 --> 01:05:49.690
but just know that when you go into it. But it's

01:05:49.690 --> 01:05:51.469
just two dudes who just have a lot of things

01:05:51.469 --> 01:05:55.590
to say. And they are just not apprehensive about

01:05:55.590 --> 01:05:58.409
saying it in a very angry way. And the way that

01:05:58.409 --> 01:06:00.489
they fuse music together is just wonderful and

01:06:00.489 --> 01:06:02.849
incredible and engaging and super intense and

01:06:02.849 --> 01:06:06.349
a lot of fun. And if you want to do a deep dive

01:06:06.349 --> 01:06:07.949
on them and listen to interviews they've done,

01:06:08.090 --> 01:06:11.230
these are two guys who aren't just throwing stuff

01:06:11.230 --> 01:06:13.050
into a blender and just seeing what happens.

01:06:13.150 --> 01:06:15.530
They are very, very well versed in multiple genres

01:06:15.530 --> 01:06:18.429
of music and the history of music. They are very

01:06:18.429 --> 01:06:20.369
talented musicians. They're very intelligent

01:06:20.369 --> 01:06:23.510
and eloquent. And they are doing exactly what

01:06:23.510 --> 01:06:26.250
they want to do with Razorstar Precision, even

01:06:26.250 --> 01:06:29.210
if it sounds like pure chaos at times. And that's

01:06:29.210 --> 01:06:30.670
what this album is. And this is what they've

01:06:30.670 --> 01:06:33.750
been doing for like 20, 25 years. Inclined by

01:06:33.750 --> 01:06:36.309
horror. And like I said, if you want to Google

01:06:36.309 --> 01:06:39.110
them, it's not spelled horror. It's H -O -9 -9

01:06:39.110 --> 01:06:42.010
-O -9. And the triple nine is like a motif and

01:06:42.010 --> 01:06:43.590
they're sort of like branding and their lyrics

01:06:43.590 --> 01:06:45.210
and whatnot. This is going to be the weirdest

01:06:45.210 --> 01:06:47.610
track you listen to on this playlist, playlisters

01:06:47.610 --> 01:06:49.769
and people listening in general, but it's going

01:06:49.769 --> 01:06:51.110
to be hella rewarding. You're going to really

01:06:51.110 --> 01:06:52.929
enjoy it. And you're going to get hooked on them.

01:06:52.949 --> 01:06:55.690
Like I have been for quite a while now. Well,

01:06:55.750 --> 01:06:57.730
I guess the only thing I could say to that is

01:06:57.730 --> 01:07:00.309
you're welcome because they formed in Newark,

01:07:00.369 --> 01:07:04.070
New Jersey. So they are New Jersey born and bred

01:07:04.070 --> 01:07:06.510
before they relocated to LA and really kind of

01:07:06.510 --> 01:07:08.909
hone their sound. So we have to take credit for

01:07:08.909 --> 01:07:11.369
horror, even though. Chances are they really

01:07:11.369 --> 01:07:13.090
made their break when they were in LA. We're

01:07:13.090 --> 01:07:15.929
not going to talk about that. If I had to describe

01:07:15.929 --> 01:07:18.949
their music to somebody that never heard it before,

01:07:19.090 --> 01:07:24.530
I would say picture looking directly into a strobe

01:07:24.530 --> 01:07:28.190
light. That is what it sounds like on a musical

01:07:28.190 --> 01:07:30.809
level. But I don't mean that in a bad way. I

01:07:30.809 --> 01:07:33.409
mean that positively. It's measured and it makes

01:07:33.409 --> 01:07:35.730
perfect sense, even though it's sometimes overwhelming.

01:07:36.599 --> 01:07:38.599
It's just really, really good. And like I said,

01:07:38.619 --> 01:07:40.679
these are two musical geniuses who have done

01:07:40.679 --> 01:07:42.780
their homework. They're not just goofing off.

01:07:42.860 --> 01:07:44.739
They know exactly what they're doing in every

01:07:44.739 --> 01:07:47.340
bar of every song they've ever put out. But yeah,

01:07:47.460 --> 01:07:49.519
it's overwhelming and it's an assault on the

01:07:49.519 --> 01:07:52.099
senses sometimes. But at the same time, it's

01:07:52.099 --> 01:07:55.400
metered and it's intentional and it makes sense

01:07:55.400 --> 01:07:58.199
the more you stare at it, I guess, or listen

01:07:58.199 --> 01:08:01.179
to it. But like I said, I love music that is

01:08:01.179 --> 01:08:04.659
just unabashedly angry and challenging and doesn't

01:08:04.659 --> 01:08:06.909
necessarily want to be mainstream. doesn't necessarily

01:08:06.909 --> 01:08:09.969
want to sell a bajillion albums and go platinum.

01:08:10.050 --> 01:08:11.510
They just want to make the music they want to

01:08:11.510 --> 01:08:13.690
make. And if you're along for the ride, then

01:08:13.690 --> 01:08:16.869
hell yeah. And if you're not, fuck you, honestly.

01:08:17.369 --> 01:08:20.170
You know what I mean? I love that attitude when

01:08:20.170 --> 01:08:22.390
it comes to music. It's great. They should be

01:08:22.390 --> 01:08:25.729
selling more albums than they are because the

01:08:25.729 --> 01:08:29.130
creativity is off the charts. Oh, dude, not just

01:08:29.130 --> 01:08:32.050
in the music too. Yeah, the live shows, the branding,

01:08:32.270 --> 01:08:34.779
the presentation. It's all wildly creative and

01:08:34.779 --> 01:08:39.100
artistic and just unapologetic too. But I will

01:08:39.100 --> 01:08:42.920
say this side so far, sans mammoth, we are definitely

01:08:42.920 --> 01:08:45.659
testing the appreciation for different sounds.

01:08:45.680 --> 01:08:48.699
And I can guarantee that some will be on board

01:08:48.699 --> 01:08:51.039
with some of these picks and maybe not with all

01:08:51.039 --> 01:08:53.319
of them. And that's perfectly okay because all

01:08:53.319 --> 01:08:56.619
this stuff is subjective. But I love the fact

01:08:56.619 --> 01:08:58.840
that we're really branching out, but the ship

01:08:58.840 --> 01:09:02.750
is definitely going. up and down right now. So

01:09:02.750 --> 01:09:04.569
I'm going to write the ship and kind of slow

01:09:04.569 --> 01:09:07.770
it down a little bit and kind of level it off

01:09:07.770 --> 01:09:09.590
with something that's a little bit more mainstream.

01:09:10.409 --> 01:09:12.750
However, this is an artist that I've been following

01:09:12.750 --> 01:09:16.210
for almost a decade. Her first album, Rock is

01:09:16.210 --> 01:09:19.810
Dead, came out in 2016. And it was, I don't know

01:09:19.810 --> 01:09:21.789
if I'd call it indie rock, but it definitely

01:09:21.789 --> 01:09:24.470
had touches of that while leaning a little bit

01:09:24.470 --> 01:09:27.409
into hard rock. But over the years, her sound

01:09:27.409 --> 01:09:30.829
has kind of started to evolve. However, in 2022,

01:09:31.289 --> 01:09:33.369
Dorothy came out with an album, Gifts from the

01:09:33.369 --> 01:09:35.989
Holy Ghost, that leaned a little bit more into

01:09:35.989 --> 01:09:39.010
the hard rock sound versus Rock is Dead, as well

01:09:39.010 --> 01:09:42.189
as the follow -up 28 Days in the Valley. But

01:09:42.189 --> 01:09:44.750
I feel like on her last two albums, which was

01:09:44.750 --> 01:09:48.729
2022's Gifts from the Holy Ghost and 2025's The

01:09:48.729 --> 01:09:53.289
Way, she's found her avenue. And it's modern

01:09:53.289 --> 01:09:57.119
hard rock. that borrows some elements from her

01:09:57.119 --> 01:10:00.619
earlier albums, but definitely leans more into

01:10:00.619 --> 01:10:04.060
that pure hard rock sound. And this artist, Dorothy,

01:10:04.220 --> 01:10:07.560
the opening track on the album is called I Come

01:10:07.560 --> 01:10:12.239
Alive. In hindsight, I also could have started

01:10:12.239 --> 01:10:16.260
side B with this song because the song starts

01:10:16.260 --> 01:10:21.000
with over a minute of her just riffing with vocal

01:10:21.000 --> 01:10:26.550
runs. Over the build of this song, it's an album

01:10:26.550 --> 01:10:30.710
opening track. It sets the tone for what the

01:10:30.710 --> 01:10:33.989
rest of The Way is as an album. And it's one

01:10:33.989 --> 01:10:37.789
of my top albums of the year. Mammoth edged it

01:10:37.789 --> 01:10:42.470
out, but Dorothy's I Come Alive is right there.

01:10:42.729 --> 01:10:45.069
And if you listen to her voice at the beginning

01:10:45.069 --> 01:10:47.930
of I Come Alive and you're not hooked instantly,

01:10:48.250 --> 01:10:50.970
I don't know what to tell you because it's...

01:10:51.340 --> 01:10:55.260
An absolute monster slash guests on this album.

01:10:55.779 --> 01:10:59.319
The album is definitely showing the future for

01:10:59.319 --> 01:11:03.819
Dorothy is going to be huge. And I just don't

01:11:03.819 --> 01:11:09.060
know why she hasn't truly exploded yet. Dude,

01:11:09.140 --> 01:11:10.939
I don't know, man. With a voice like that, I

01:11:10.939 --> 01:11:13.439
feel like she could not miss. I don't think she

01:11:13.439 --> 01:11:15.439
has missed up to this point. To say that this

01:11:15.439 --> 01:11:17.680
woman's voice is transcendent is still not doing

01:11:17.680 --> 01:11:20.619
her justice. Like, my God, one of the most powerful

01:11:20.619 --> 01:11:22.479
vocalists I've ever heard in rock or any other

01:11:22.479 --> 01:11:25.079
genre. It's a fantastic album. It's an excellent

01:11:25.079 --> 01:11:27.800
choice. I would love to see her break out and

01:11:27.800 --> 01:11:30.859
do amazing things, too. She should be... I don't

01:11:30.859 --> 01:11:33.340
want to compare... It feels like it's pigeonholing

01:11:33.340 --> 01:11:35.779
her to compare Evanescence and What They Achieved

01:11:35.779 --> 01:11:39.279
with a very resounding and very melodic female

01:11:39.279 --> 01:11:42.060
vocalist at the front of a hard rock band. I

01:11:42.060 --> 01:11:43.960
guess it's kind of hard to escape that sort of

01:11:43.960 --> 01:11:46.720
comparison just on paper. But they're not doing

01:11:46.720 --> 01:11:48.260
what Evanescence did. It's something very, very

01:11:48.260 --> 01:11:50.800
different. I hope that she breaks out and I hope

01:11:50.800 --> 01:11:53.319
she finds her niche because like you said, this

01:11:53.319 --> 01:11:55.779
album is a culmination and an evolution of everything

01:11:55.779 --> 01:11:58.300
she's done up to this point. And to watch such

01:11:58.300 --> 01:12:00.939
a talented musician like visibly grow with everything

01:12:00.939 --> 01:12:04.060
she puts out is just a real treat for us. And

01:12:04.060 --> 01:12:08.039
yeah, just incredible, powerful voice, man. Just

01:12:08.039 --> 01:12:10.000
honestly, one of the best rock voices or just

01:12:10.000 --> 01:12:13.020
female vocals I've ever heard. Just powerful.

01:12:13.319 --> 01:12:16.609
Amazing. And I don't know what the opposite of

01:12:16.609 --> 01:12:18.770
Lilith would be, but if there was ever like a

01:12:18.770 --> 01:12:23.569
hard rock female festival, I think the bands

01:12:23.569 --> 01:12:27.829
like The Pretty Reckless, Hailstorm, Evanescence,

01:12:27.970 --> 01:12:31.829
Dorothy, like there is a, and then you bring

01:12:31.829 --> 01:12:35.149
in some of the punk bands like Chad LaMassa mentioned,

01:12:35.270 --> 01:12:38.229
Weekend Friends, you've got Winona Fighter. There

01:12:38.229 --> 01:12:40.789
are such a, and Chad brought, I think Chad brought

01:12:40.789 --> 01:12:43.289
this up on the Discord about putting together.

01:12:43.800 --> 01:12:46.699
a female festival that's centered around hard

01:12:46.699 --> 01:12:49.439
rock and heavier music. I'd be all in on that.

01:12:49.479 --> 01:12:51.560
I'd buy a ticket in a heartbeat. A hundred percent.

01:12:51.619 --> 01:12:53.640
I would go, I would travel for that. That would

01:12:53.640 --> 01:12:58.300
be incredible. Quite frankly. All right. Well,

01:12:58.359 --> 01:13:02.960
we are at the halfway point of side B. We're

01:13:02.960 --> 01:13:05.659
at feature length, motion picture, episode length

01:13:05.659 --> 01:13:08.600
of my weekly mixtape. Not quite Marvel movie

01:13:08.600 --> 01:13:12.750
length though. We're still okay. But where do

01:13:12.750 --> 01:13:15.989
we go from here? Another female vocalist who's

01:13:15.989 --> 01:13:17.770
just taken the world by storm in her respective

01:13:17.770 --> 01:13:20.810
genre and just taken no prisoners. It's Sabrina,

01:13:21.010 --> 01:13:24.390
man. Like, she had to be on this list. She was

01:13:24.390 --> 01:13:26.930
on last year's list, too, and she's just relentless

01:13:26.930 --> 01:13:29.789
in her desire and her drive to take over the

01:13:29.789 --> 01:13:32.590
world of pop music. The album is phenomenal.

01:13:32.890 --> 01:13:35.109
Man's Best Friend had some controversy because,

01:13:35.189 --> 01:13:37.930
you know, whatever. The title track, well, not

01:13:37.930 --> 01:13:40.229
the title track, but like the main single off

01:13:40.229 --> 01:13:42.029
of that album, the one I picked for this list

01:13:42.029 --> 01:13:44.270
is obviously Man Child. On an album that's just

01:13:44.270 --> 01:13:46.130
full of bangers, this one just stood out to me.

01:13:46.270 --> 01:13:49.189
It's just super fun. And the music video is a

01:13:49.189 --> 01:13:52.689
gosh darn work of art. Like it just fully captures

01:13:52.689 --> 01:13:55.529
that sort of 80s road trip movie feel, like the

01:13:55.529 --> 01:13:57.949
comedic road trip, like almost like vacation

01:13:57.949 --> 01:14:00.369
or something. The entire presentation of the

01:14:00.369 --> 01:14:02.250
song, the entire experience of this song from

01:14:02.250 --> 01:14:04.149
just the song itself, the music video is just

01:14:04.149 --> 01:14:06.949
wonderfully crafted, incredibly well put together.

01:14:07.270 --> 01:14:10.310
Just a banger of a track from this queen of pop

01:14:10.310 --> 01:14:13.050
who is just not going to stop, man. Like she's

01:14:13.050 --> 01:14:14.569
already a household name and she's going to be

01:14:14.569 --> 01:14:17.729
forever. And as long as she keeps put up banger

01:14:17.729 --> 01:14:19.670
singles like this one, man, I'm all about it.

01:14:19.710 --> 01:14:22.189
Like come knock on my door once a year, Sabrina,

01:14:22.329 --> 01:14:24.350
and drop those bangers in my ears. Just do it.

01:14:25.369 --> 01:14:27.590
Well, I mean, Taylor Swift anointed her this

01:14:27.590 --> 01:14:30.090
year as she featured on The Life of a Showgirl.

01:14:30.310 --> 01:14:32.449
So I feel like that's like one of the queens

01:14:32.449 --> 01:14:36.270
of pop passing the torch to the next queen of

01:14:36.270 --> 01:14:39.829
pop because you really can't go anywhere without

01:14:39.829 --> 01:14:42.689
hearing her music. It's everywhere. And I think

01:14:42.689 --> 01:14:45.270
we'd be doing a disservice to the year to not

01:14:45.270 --> 01:14:49.529
mention her. Now, as a father of two younger

01:14:49.529 --> 01:14:53.100
girls. the album controversy i won't call it

01:14:53.100 --> 01:14:55.420
controversy but when my youngest pointed at the

01:14:55.420 --> 01:14:58.279
album cover yeah i said dad who's that we were

01:14:58.279 --> 01:15:00.260
in target and she pointed at the album cover

01:15:00.260 --> 01:15:03.119
and i'm like and i'm trying to change the subject

01:15:03.119 --> 01:15:04.979
and i'm like do you remember girl meets world

01:15:04.979 --> 01:15:07.659
she's one of the actresses on she was the best

01:15:07.659 --> 01:15:10.340
friend of the main character girl yes right so

01:15:10.340 --> 01:15:13.460
in my brain that's the way i always picture sabrina

01:15:13.460 --> 01:15:17.659
carpenter yeah so this new adult persona is i

01:15:17.659 --> 01:15:20.460
understand she's the age now and it's it's perfectly

01:15:20.460 --> 01:15:24.300
normal but in my mind i still see her watching

01:15:24.300 --> 01:15:28.119
girl meets world with my kids a decade ago and

01:15:28.119 --> 01:15:31.140
she was singing songs on that show and i knew

01:15:31.140 --> 01:15:33.699
she was going to be huge in an olivia rodrigo

01:15:33.699 --> 01:15:36.520
kind of way and she's done that but in a different

01:15:36.520 --> 01:15:40.340
avenue yeah 100 i think the album cover is probably

01:15:40.340 --> 01:15:43.500
largely by design but i think it's also darkly

01:15:43.500 --> 01:15:46.180
humorous you know i think it's by design where

01:15:46.619 --> 01:15:48.520
It's meant to be sort of ironic and meant to

01:15:48.520 --> 01:15:51.239
be a conversation piece. But I also think it's

01:15:51.239 --> 01:15:53.819
very much her continuing to break away from that

01:15:53.819 --> 01:15:56.420
Disney Channel persona that she had to live with

01:15:56.420 --> 01:15:58.880
for a number of years. Yeah, this shatters the

01:15:58.880 --> 01:16:02.020
Disney Channel glass. But I will say this. I

01:16:02.020 --> 01:16:04.619
feel like it borrows from the Madonna playbook,

01:16:04.840 --> 01:16:08.500
the sex book, the Vogue video. Madonna always

01:16:08.500 --> 01:16:12.310
found a way to keep herself in the news. As well

01:16:12.310 --> 01:16:15.229
as with music. And I feel like she wrote the

01:16:15.229 --> 01:16:17.909
book on it. And Taylor Swift is writing her own

01:16:17.909 --> 01:16:20.750
chapters of that book, as is Sabrina Carpenter.

01:16:21.630 --> 01:16:24.149
I don't want to say Madonna started it, but Madonna

01:16:24.149 --> 01:16:27.430
was one of the first artists that took pop music

01:16:27.430 --> 01:16:32.109
and really kind of said, oh, you think the line

01:16:32.109 --> 01:16:36.789
is here? Yeah. We're going a mile past that line.

01:16:37.180 --> 01:16:39.479
Yeah, Madonna was a pioneer. I mean, there's

01:16:39.479 --> 01:16:41.199
there's nothing wrong with viewing that playbook

01:16:41.199 --> 01:16:43.119
and taking a couple of, you know, strategies

01:16:43.119 --> 01:16:45.640
out of it, especially when you start out as like

01:16:45.640 --> 01:16:47.779
a like a Disney Channel kid. Like you have to

01:16:47.779 --> 01:16:50.920
find ways to not just make yourself like, you

01:16:50.920 --> 01:16:53.380
know, the saccharine sort of like candy coated

01:16:53.380 --> 01:16:57.319
passe sort of child star who's becoming a pop

01:16:57.319 --> 01:16:59.600
star. You have to be like, yeah, I'm an empowered

01:16:59.600 --> 01:17:01.439
woman who's going to do whatever the F she wants

01:17:01.439 --> 01:17:03.140
to do. And if you're again, if you're not along

01:17:03.140 --> 01:17:05.279
for the ride. you're going to buy the album anyway,

01:17:05.359 --> 01:17:06.920
because she's one of the biggest names in pop

01:17:06.920 --> 01:17:10.159
right now. And she's a massive global star, but

01:17:10.159 --> 01:17:13.479
that comes to the caveat of she's going to shock

01:17:13.479 --> 01:17:15.359
you every once in a while and be prepared for

01:17:15.359 --> 01:17:19.319
that and embrace that. Well, musically, I don't

01:17:19.319 --> 01:17:22.939
have anything that falls in line with man child

01:17:22.939 --> 01:17:25.199
because man child was kind of on a plane of its

01:17:25.199 --> 01:17:30.100
own. The only song that if I, and I'm not a hundred

01:17:30.100 --> 01:17:34.350
percent sure I want to go down this road. but

01:17:34.350 --> 01:17:39.189
risk by honey revenge is kind of falls into that

01:17:39.189 --> 01:17:44.529
poppy punk kind of vibe. However, I do want to

01:17:44.529 --> 01:17:46.750
lean a little bit into the pop from my angle.

01:17:46.970 --> 01:17:51.130
And when I think of pop music in 2025, I said

01:17:51.130 --> 01:17:55.369
this in 2024, the way you said it in 2024, it's

01:17:55.369 --> 01:17:58.010
one of the big names in pop only on a different

01:17:58.010 --> 01:18:00.229
side of that spectrum being the R and B side

01:18:00.229 --> 01:18:02.630
of pop. And I'm going to go with Teddy swims.

01:18:03.420 --> 01:18:06.739
In 2024, he had I've Tried Everything But Therapy

01:18:06.739 --> 01:18:10.060
Part 1. And in 2025, he had I Tried Everything

01:18:10.060 --> 01:18:12.600
But Therapy Part 2. And I'm going to go with

01:18:12.600 --> 01:18:16.239
the song Not Your Man from that album. Musically,

01:18:16.380 --> 01:18:18.699
coming out of Man Child, it's a little bit of

01:18:18.699 --> 01:18:20.920
a pivot, but it's two songs you could definitely

01:18:20.920 --> 01:18:24.760
hear on Top 40 Radio or Apple Music or Spotify

01:18:24.760 --> 01:18:28.840
Top Pop Songs of the Year playlist. I sang his

01:18:28.840 --> 01:18:32.539
praises in 2024 on the song. Goodbye has been

01:18:32.539 --> 01:18:35.319
good to you. Not your man kind of follows in

01:18:35.319 --> 01:18:40.619
that same vibe, but Teddy swims also dipped his

01:18:40.619 --> 01:18:43.840
toes into the country scene. As at the end of

01:18:43.840 --> 01:18:46.880
2024, he combined with Thomas Rhett on a collaboration

01:18:46.880 --> 01:18:49.800
of something about a woman that took over all

01:18:49.800 --> 01:18:53.800
of country radio and dipped into pop radio as

01:18:53.800 --> 01:18:57.329
well. So anything Teddy swims touches seems to

01:18:57.329 --> 01:18:59.750
kind of go in a lot of different genres at once

01:18:59.750 --> 01:19:03.149
and does well in all of those different genres.

01:19:03.789 --> 01:19:07.390
If you were to tell me in 2026, Teddy swims is

01:19:07.390 --> 01:19:09.569
going to put out a country album. I would tell

01:19:09.569 --> 01:19:11.670
you, Teddy swims is going to put out a number

01:19:11.670 --> 01:19:15.649
one country album because every genre he's gone

01:19:15.649 --> 01:19:19.090
into, it's seamlessly just worked. His voice

01:19:19.090 --> 01:19:22.350
has got this chameleon -esque aspect to it that

01:19:22.350 --> 01:19:26.810
could fit into any style of music seamlessly.

01:19:27.270 --> 01:19:31.449
And I have such high expectations for how he's

01:19:31.449 --> 01:19:34.449
going to continue down his career moving forward.

01:19:35.029 --> 01:19:42.689
I hope he never actually tries therapy. I'm joking,

01:19:42.750 --> 01:19:45.810
of course, but man, the dude is just... putting

01:19:45.810 --> 01:19:48.529
out bangers after bangers and and the irony of

01:19:48.529 --> 01:19:51.229
you know that the album title is funny but it's

01:19:51.229 --> 01:19:53.289
like dude if music is your therapy like holy

01:19:53.289 --> 01:19:55.689
crap please keep doing that because good lord

01:19:55.689 --> 01:19:57.470
like you say everything that everything the guy

01:19:57.470 --> 01:20:00.770
puts out is a gold and he just effortlessly like

01:20:00.770 --> 01:20:02.850
jumps from genre to genre and collaboration to

01:20:02.850 --> 01:20:04.310
collaboration and he's just one of those guys

01:20:04.310 --> 01:20:06.689
who's just got that universal voice like you

01:20:06.689 --> 01:20:09.800
said that just lends itself to everything And

01:20:09.800 --> 01:20:11.600
I feel like he's one of those artists. And this

01:20:11.600 --> 01:20:13.659
is somebody that you turn me on to. I had never

01:20:13.659 --> 01:20:15.140
really listened to him until you and I were like

01:20:15.140 --> 01:20:16.760
shooting the shit one day and you threw it out

01:20:16.760 --> 01:20:18.479
there. I was like, all right, I'm not a big country

01:20:18.479 --> 01:20:22.159
fan, but you were like, hold up. It's not country.

01:20:22.260 --> 01:20:25.420
It's just country. Yeah. So yeah, no, the guy

01:20:25.420 --> 01:20:26.979
is just one of those guys where I think he's

01:20:26.979 --> 01:20:28.279
going to, he's going to be around forever and

01:20:28.279 --> 01:20:29.720
everybody's going to want to work with him because

01:20:29.720 --> 01:20:32.119
he just brings a magic to whatever he touches,

01:20:32.220 --> 01:20:35.020
man. Like that voice is just sultry and soulful

01:20:35.020 --> 01:20:37.729
and it just. grabs you like right in the chest

01:20:37.729 --> 01:20:40.310
and doesn't let go until the song is over love

01:20:40.310 --> 01:20:43.210
the pick if we do one of these again next year

01:20:43.210 --> 01:20:44.909
we probably will it's like our tradition at this

01:20:44.909 --> 01:20:47.210
point i would be shocked if the man's not on

01:20:47.210 --> 01:20:50.010
the list again in 2026 because he's just that

01:20:50.010 --> 01:20:52.729
good and he keeps putting out unique and interesting

01:20:52.729 --> 01:20:55.090
and exciting stuff and it doesn't matter what

01:20:55.090 --> 01:20:57.289
he's doing everything he does is just solid and

01:20:57.289 --> 01:21:00.189
different and fun and just works it's hard to

01:21:00.189 --> 01:21:02.779
quantify teddy swims And you certainly can't

01:21:02.779 --> 01:21:04.520
pigeonhole them as being anything because he

01:21:04.520 --> 01:21:06.699
refuses to be just one thing. And I love that.

01:21:07.279 --> 01:21:09.500
All right. Well, what are we going to follow

01:21:09.500 --> 01:21:11.279
that up with? Are we going to stay in this pop

01:21:11.279 --> 01:21:17.100
realm now? I know. I mean, we started with Mammoth.

01:21:17.100 --> 01:21:20.020
We went into horror. We went into Sabrina Carpenter.

01:21:20.399 --> 01:21:22.760
There are no rails on this episode, you know.

01:21:23.350 --> 01:21:25.989
I don't know man I this is a big year for indie

01:21:25.989 --> 01:21:28.590
and I love a lot of indie music and this is actually

01:21:28.590 --> 01:21:31.489
a band I discovered in a brewery years ago where

01:21:31.489 --> 01:21:33.010
I was just sitting in a brewery like having a

01:21:33.010 --> 01:21:34.949
quiet drink enjoying myself sitting on my phone

01:21:34.949 --> 01:21:37.850
and for whatever reason breweries tend to play

01:21:37.850 --> 01:21:40.029
really good music like they're not beholden like

01:21:40.029 --> 01:21:42.250
club music and whatnot so there's been a lot

01:21:42.250 --> 01:21:43.770
of instances where I've discovered really good

01:21:43.770 --> 01:21:46.710
bands by hearing something incredible and just

01:21:46.710 --> 01:21:48.430
pulling out Shazam on my phone and being like

01:21:48.430 --> 01:21:50.609
okay make a note of that go home and listen to

01:21:50.609 --> 01:21:53.079
the entire album Then spend the rest of the night

01:21:53.079 --> 01:21:54.899
listening to their entire catalog because they're

01:21:54.899 --> 01:21:57.479
just so good. And this is one of those bands,

01:21:57.659 --> 01:22:00.279
Car Seat Headrest. And they put out this album

01:22:00.279 --> 01:22:03.279
this year called The Scholars. And after some

01:22:03.279 --> 01:22:05.899
deliberation, because every track on the album

01:22:05.899 --> 01:22:09.460
is incredible, I settled on The Catastrophe because

01:22:09.460 --> 01:22:13.300
it's got this bridge that just blew my mind the

01:22:13.300 --> 01:22:15.119
first time I heard it. It's a very good track.

01:22:15.300 --> 01:22:17.960
The band in general, this album in particular.

01:22:18.590 --> 01:22:21.310
is very sort of reminiscent of bands like Guided

01:22:21.310 --> 01:22:23.289
by Voices, if you've ever heard of them, or The

01:22:23.289 --> 01:22:25.850
Shins, or they got a Beck quality to them as

01:22:25.850 --> 01:22:27.890
well, where they've got sort of that indie style,

01:22:28.109 --> 01:22:30.489
but it's very eclectic at the same time. But

01:22:30.489 --> 01:22:32.869
this track in particular, you almost think you

01:22:32.869 --> 01:22:34.229
know where it's going to go, and then it just

01:22:34.229 --> 01:22:36.010
says, no, this is not where we're going to go

01:22:36.010 --> 01:22:37.750
at all, but you're going to come along with us

01:22:37.750 --> 01:22:40.649
anyway. The song is like, it's like five and

01:22:40.649 --> 01:22:42.489
a half minutes long, but it feels like 30 seconds

01:22:42.489 --> 01:22:44.689
because it just carries you. It's just a vibe.

01:22:45.420 --> 01:22:47.939
This band, this album, this track is just a vibe.

01:22:48.079 --> 01:22:50.180
And that's the best kind of indie where you just

01:22:50.180 --> 01:22:52.100
kind of lose yourself in it. And you're just

01:22:52.100 --> 01:22:54.779
along for not even the vocals and the lyrics,

01:22:54.779 --> 01:22:57.300
but the story that the music is telling. And

01:22:57.300 --> 01:22:59.939
I feel like indie in general just is one of those

01:22:59.939 --> 01:23:01.840
genres where the music can tell the story just

01:23:01.840 --> 01:23:04.460
as much as, you know, the vocals can, the lyrics

01:23:04.460 --> 01:23:07.520
can. And this band just encompasses that and

01:23:07.520 --> 01:23:09.560
encapsulates that. And this song in general.

01:23:10.060 --> 01:23:13.720
is a journey so yeah it's car seat headrest the

01:23:13.720 --> 01:23:16.039
album is the scholars and the track is the catastrophe

01:23:16.039 --> 01:23:21.399
now as i'm writing these songs down as we as

01:23:21.399 --> 01:23:26.119
we go through the the title of the track is actually

01:23:26.119 --> 01:23:28.819
the catastrophe parentheses good luck with that

01:23:28.819 --> 01:23:35.079
man so we had man child not your man holy shit

01:23:35.500 --> 01:23:39.399
Good luck with that, man. Are we actually secret

01:23:39.399 --> 01:23:44.000
geniuses? We're going to call this the man part

01:23:44.000 --> 01:23:49.619
of the playlist here. Anyway, good luck with

01:23:49.619 --> 01:23:53.840
that, man. But anyway, this song, indie rock,

01:23:54.100 --> 01:23:58.960
lo -fi, flashes of punk. You mentioned Beck.

01:23:59.039 --> 01:24:02.470
Beck is perfect. Yeah. I would. throw in because

01:24:02.470 --> 01:24:04.770
we had you on for the garage rock episode many

01:24:04.770 --> 01:24:07.489
moons ago i would throw the strokes in there

01:24:07.489 --> 01:24:11.210
yeah and i would also throw in the early years

01:24:11.210 --> 01:24:15.829
of rem i agree and if you threw them into a blender

01:24:15.829 --> 01:24:21.550
back the strokes and early rem you get car seat

01:24:21.550 --> 01:24:24.109
headrest yeah i think the strokes is very apt

01:24:24.109 --> 01:24:26.010
especially in the vocals i think you're spot

01:24:26.010 --> 01:24:28.789
on with that comparison 100 There's nothing but

01:24:28.789 --> 01:24:30.109
things to like in here. You're going to pick

01:24:30.109 --> 01:24:32.210
out something, you know, that car seat has red

01:24:32.210 --> 01:24:33.409
headdresses put out there and you're going to

01:24:33.409 --> 01:24:34.869
find something to latch onto and really enjoy.

01:24:35.390 --> 01:24:37.529
And that's just going to lead you through the

01:24:37.529 --> 01:24:40.430
rest of their sort of sonic adventures and journeys.

01:24:40.670 --> 01:24:43.149
Yeah. There's some ambient moments on this album.

01:24:43.310 --> 01:24:46.210
There's some heavy moments. There's some, I don't

01:24:46.210 --> 01:24:48.789
want to say complex because that might make it

01:24:48.789 --> 01:24:50.350
sound like they're overthinking, but there are

01:24:50.350 --> 01:24:53.210
complex parts of this album. It's definitely

01:24:53.210 --> 01:24:56.310
an adventure from start to finish. I don't think

01:24:56.310 --> 01:24:58.289
complex is a bad word, especially when it comes

01:24:58.289 --> 01:25:02.689
to indie music. Like, it's not the assault on

01:25:02.689 --> 01:25:06.189
the senses that horror is, for example. No. But

01:25:06.189 --> 01:25:09.270
there are some complex melodies and harmonies,

01:25:09.270 --> 01:25:11.789
and they are very talented musicians who know

01:25:11.789 --> 01:25:14.470
how to, you know, construct songs that are more

01:25:14.470 --> 01:25:15.909
than just the power chords. You know what I mean?

01:25:15.930 --> 01:25:18.949
Like, there's depth and there's nuance to all

01:25:18.949 --> 01:25:21.369
their music. And again, it's very, very intentional

01:25:21.369 --> 01:25:24.859
and very well crafted. artistic without being

01:25:24.859 --> 01:25:27.460
artsy you know you know what i mean yeah it feels

01:25:27.460 --> 01:25:30.340
natural despite its complexity and and the layers

01:25:30.340 --> 01:25:32.520
with which they craft their music very much like

01:25:32.520 --> 01:25:35.779
guided by voices yeah i feel like lo -fi and

01:25:35.779 --> 01:25:39.380
complex almost sound like oxymorons though but

01:25:39.380 --> 01:25:41.899
the two can be combined and they're doing it

01:25:41.899 --> 01:25:45.260
in this song and across the whole album yeah

01:25:45.260 --> 01:25:48.880
speaking of combinations we each have one song

01:25:48.880 --> 01:25:54.239
left and I love the fact that we've touched on

01:25:54.239 --> 01:25:56.659
a lot of new artists this year, and I want to

01:25:56.659 --> 01:25:59.979
keep that going. But every year we also just

01:25:59.979 --> 01:26:02.760
by proxy, bring in some older artists that have

01:26:02.760 --> 01:26:05.279
dropped a song that is unexpectedly amazing.

01:26:06.239 --> 01:26:09.020
And this year I get to take the two and combine

01:26:09.020 --> 01:26:12.279
them because one of my favorite artists of the

01:26:12.279 --> 01:26:15.920
last seven, eight years, who's been doing so

01:26:15.920 --> 01:26:20.060
much to change the landscape of rock music has

01:26:20.060 --> 01:26:24.180
been young blood. Yeah. I mean, his performance

01:26:24.180 --> 01:26:26.779
of changes during the Black Sabbath Back to the

01:26:26.779 --> 01:26:28.960
Beginning Festival, which was nominated for a

01:26:28.960 --> 01:26:31.800
Grammy, rightfully so, made the hair on my arm

01:26:31.800 --> 01:26:34.000
stand up the first time I heard him do it. It

01:26:34.000 --> 01:26:37.260
was phenomenal. I agree. I mean, I saw a lot

01:26:37.260 --> 01:26:39.460
of people that were my father's age saying, who

01:26:39.460 --> 01:26:43.319
is this young blood spelled all weird? And I've

01:26:43.319 --> 01:26:46.149
known him since 21st century liability. back

01:26:46.149 --> 01:26:49.149
in the late 2010s, where it was a lot more hip

01:26:49.149 --> 01:26:52.930
hop in the mix. Then he did the funeral, which

01:26:52.930 --> 01:26:55.390
was basically the most Billy Idol song. That's

01:26:55.390 --> 01:26:57.710
not a Billy Idol song that Billy Idol ever recorded,

01:26:57.810 --> 01:27:01.430
but it works so well. And his music's fantastic.

01:27:02.310 --> 01:27:07.170
In 2025, he teamed up with Aerosmith for a live

01:27:07.170 --> 01:27:10.229
rendition of Mama, I'm Coming Home and Crazy

01:27:10.229 --> 01:27:14.529
Train for a tribute to Ozzy. And then a couple

01:27:14.529 --> 01:27:17.069
of days later, they announced the One More Time

01:27:17.069 --> 01:27:22.329
EP with a lead single, My Only Angel. Now, granted,

01:27:22.529 --> 01:27:25.890
Joey Kramer's not on the recording. Matt Sorum

01:27:25.890 --> 01:27:29.449
of the cult and Guns N' Roses fame takes the

01:27:29.449 --> 01:27:33.829
drums, which I hope it's only, I hope Joey's

01:27:33.829 --> 01:27:35.689
okay. Let me just say that. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

01:27:35.689 --> 01:27:39.109
I know. This is the first Aerosmith new original

01:27:39.109 --> 01:27:41.770
music since Music for Another Dimension, which.

01:27:43.310 --> 01:27:45.949
is pretty much my least favorite Aerosmith album

01:27:45.949 --> 01:27:50.630
of all time. That's completely fair. And I will

01:27:50.630 --> 01:27:53.829
say that this is my favorite Aerosmith song since

01:27:53.829 --> 01:27:58.770
Nine Lives. Steven Tyler's voice after they had

01:27:58.770 --> 01:28:02.090
to cancel their tour and they said he might never

01:28:02.090 --> 01:28:07.350
sing again sounds rejuvenated on this song. Now,

01:28:07.369 --> 01:28:10.439
I also know the other big thing is People are

01:28:10.439 --> 01:28:13.560
saying it sounds too auto -tuned. It sounds too

01:28:13.560 --> 01:28:17.439
many effects, too much on the band. It doesn't

01:28:17.439 --> 01:28:20.779
sound like Aerosmith. It's not an Aerosmith record.

01:28:20.920 --> 01:28:23.420
It's an Aerosmith and Youngblood collaboration

01:28:23.420 --> 01:28:28.159
EP. So you're taking some of Aerosmith and some

01:28:28.159 --> 01:28:30.500
of Youngblood and you're bringing them together.

01:28:30.800 --> 01:28:33.800
And for some reason, their voices marry really

01:28:33.800 --> 01:28:37.680
well to at the point, there's times of this EP,

01:28:37.979 --> 01:28:41.979
I have to go, Is that Youngblood or is that Steven

01:28:41.979 --> 01:28:46.039
Tyler? And it works so well. Now in the videos,

01:28:46.119 --> 01:28:51.460
you only see Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Youngblood

01:28:51.460 --> 01:28:55.640
in the music video. And I saw a bunch of people

01:28:55.640 --> 01:28:58.340
online because people have to complain and rip

01:28:58.340 --> 01:29:02.039
apart everything saying that it's not Aerosmith.

01:29:02.640 --> 01:29:06.020
It's just Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. The rest

01:29:06.020 --> 01:29:09.789
of the band is on it, except for Joey. Todd Hamilton's

01:29:09.789 --> 01:29:11.529
on it. Brad Whitford's there. Brad Whitford's

01:29:11.529 --> 01:29:14.770
there. They're playing on these songs. Yes. And

01:29:14.770 --> 01:29:16.729
I guess the other reason I want to point that

01:29:16.729 --> 01:29:19.329
out is if you had an album called Tyler Perry

01:29:19.329 --> 01:29:21.689
and Youngblood, they would think it was another

01:29:21.689 --> 01:29:28.829
Tyler Perry. Madea goes to Tower Records. Like,

01:29:28.829 --> 01:29:34.489
I don't know. But anyway, there's also a country

01:29:34.489 --> 01:29:37.390
remix of My Only Angel that's also out there.

01:29:37.979 --> 01:29:42.100
That features Steve Martin on banjo. Yeah. Just

01:29:42.100 --> 01:29:44.979
saying. This song, the first time I heard it,

01:29:45.000 --> 01:29:48.439
I love when you find a new song that you have

01:29:48.439 --> 01:29:51.100
to keep hitting that back button. I probably

01:29:51.100 --> 01:29:54.079
played My Only Angel 20 times in a row before

01:29:54.079 --> 01:29:56.159
I moved on to the next song that week. That's

01:29:56.159 --> 01:29:59.399
how much of an impact this song had on me on

01:29:59.399 --> 01:30:02.060
first listen. And it's my last song of the evening.

01:30:02.100 --> 01:30:04.760
So that is what I'm going to go with. Welcome

01:30:04.760 --> 01:30:08.060
back, Aerosmith. dude hell yeah dude nine lives

01:30:08.060 --> 01:30:12.020
tour was my first concert ever oh nice yeah dude

01:30:12.020 --> 01:30:14.859
like my my parents were massive aerosmith fans

01:30:14.859 --> 01:30:16.659
and they took me out that was my first concert

01:30:16.659 --> 01:30:20.079
um i don't disagree that this is some of the

01:30:20.079 --> 01:30:23.100
best music that aerosmith as a band has put out

01:30:23.100 --> 01:30:26.100
since nine lives which was a great album yeah

01:30:26.100 --> 01:30:28.640
dude you're right like steven tyler like he found

01:30:28.640 --> 01:30:30.989
the fountain of youth I was kind of scared when

01:30:30.989 --> 01:30:32.529
they said he'd probably never sing again. And

01:30:32.529 --> 01:30:34.130
they kind of said the same thing about like Brian

01:30:34.130 --> 01:30:36.449
Johnson from ACDC. And I was like, oh, man, is

01:30:36.449 --> 01:30:39.189
this like childhood heroes that are hanging it

01:30:39.189 --> 01:30:40.609
up? And they're like, actually, no, never mind.

01:30:40.649 --> 01:30:43.569
We're all good. We figured it out. And it does

01:30:43.569 --> 01:30:46.189
my heart good because Aerosmith has always been

01:30:46.189 --> 01:30:49.829
a presence in my life, you know. And no, this

01:30:49.829 --> 01:30:52.670
track is amazing. And a lot of people like to

01:30:52.670 --> 01:30:54.930
hate on Youngblood, too, like you said. And this

01:30:54.930 --> 01:30:59.720
dude managed to. pulled a life out of steven

01:30:59.720 --> 01:31:01.800
tyler's voice again and like bring it back to

01:31:01.800 --> 01:31:04.600
like legendary status and you can't hate on anybody

01:31:04.600 --> 01:31:07.520
for that the track is amazing i think young blood

01:31:07.520 --> 01:31:10.239
is a great young artist i think that aerosmith

01:31:10.239 --> 01:31:12.399
is obviously one of the most legendary rock bands

01:31:12.399 --> 01:31:15.859
of all time and this is an epic goddamn crossover

01:31:15.859 --> 01:31:19.060
event you know like this is great this is killer

01:31:19.060 --> 01:31:21.500
this is like rock and roll avengers and i love

01:31:21.500 --> 01:31:24.479
it and no this is a great track to end it on

01:31:24.479 --> 01:31:27.779
and i love the The combination of like the young

01:31:27.779 --> 01:31:29.439
and the old, like we've kind of touched on this

01:31:29.439 --> 01:31:32.060
entire night where it's a younger artist and

01:31:32.060 --> 01:31:33.600
an older artist come together and making something

01:31:33.600 --> 01:31:36.340
brand new and awesome and something that's obviously

01:31:36.340 --> 01:31:38.479
sort of a throwback to previous days, but also

01:31:38.479 --> 01:31:41.220
new and interesting and cool and hip and a fusion

01:31:41.220 --> 01:31:43.939
of multiple different generations and genres

01:31:43.939 --> 01:31:46.539
of music. And it's just it's great. I fucking

01:31:46.539 --> 01:31:50.319
love it. Excellent choice. Thank you, sir. And

01:31:50.319 --> 01:31:55.810
now you have the honor of wrapping up. 2025 and

01:31:55.810 --> 01:31:58.550
a nice musical bow. Oh, I don't know if I'm going

01:31:58.550 --> 01:32:00.630
to do the entire year in a nice musical bow.

01:32:00.729 --> 01:32:02.850
I am going to follow your lead with timeless

01:32:02.850 --> 01:32:05.869
rock legends who are still out there and still

01:32:05.869 --> 01:32:08.329
putting out some of their best work ever and

01:32:08.329 --> 01:32:10.770
just proving that they are timeless, ageless,

01:32:10.890 --> 01:32:15.489
pillars, titans, monsters of rock and roll. Alice

01:32:15.489 --> 01:32:19.520
Cooper is 77 years old. And he's still Steven

01:32:19.520 --> 01:32:21.920
Tyler. I know. I know. These guys are in their

01:32:21.920 --> 01:32:24.159
late 70s and they're still putting out incredible,

01:32:24.300 --> 01:32:26.899
amazing music that is in a lot of ways, every

01:32:26.899 --> 01:32:28.899
bit as good as some of their best music ever.

01:32:29.239 --> 01:32:32.239
And Alice Cooper put out this album, The Revenge

01:32:32.239 --> 01:32:36.060
of Alice Cooper. And it's just like he went back

01:32:36.060 --> 01:32:39.100
in time and brought his younger self back up

01:32:39.100 --> 01:32:42.279
to 2025 and had his young self record this music.

01:32:42.800 --> 01:32:45.060
The track I'm picking to round out this list

01:32:45.060 --> 01:32:48.020
of the best songs of 2025 is See You on the Other

01:32:48.020 --> 01:32:51.260
Side. And we're ending on kind of a melancholy

01:32:51.260 --> 01:32:54.340
sort of retrospective note. But I mean, obviously,

01:32:54.399 --> 01:32:57.079
the song was a tribute to Glenn Buxton, which

01:32:57.079 --> 01:32:59.340
was, you know, Alice Cooper's guitarist for a

01:32:59.340 --> 01:33:01.739
number of years. He passed away a number of years

01:33:01.739 --> 01:33:04.479
ago. But the song is just a wonderful, beautiful

01:33:04.479 --> 01:33:08.279
tribute to Glenn and also sort of a tribute to.

01:33:08.829 --> 01:33:10.829
their adventures together and that the band in

01:33:10.829 --> 01:33:12.630
general and alice cooper's career as a musician

01:33:12.630 --> 01:33:15.930
over the decades and it's a melancholy song about

01:33:15.930 --> 01:33:19.369
grief and loss but it's also about optimism and

01:33:19.369 --> 01:33:21.989
the power of friendship and you know just this

01:33:21.989 --> 01:33:23.949
thought that you know maybe this life isn't the

01:33:23.949 --> 01:33:25.729
end for everybody and we're gonna see everybody

01:33:25.729 --> 01:33:28.109
we love you know once again once we're done you

01:33:28.109 --> 01:33:31.170
know on this mortal coil but the thing about

01:33:31.170 --> 01:33:33.649
alice cooper is he's still touring i didn't get

01:33:33.649 --> 01:33:35.670
a chance to catch his tour but a bunch of people

01:33:35.670 --> 01:33:38.420
i know did And they said that he just gets up

01:33:38.420 --> 01:33:41.260
and he's still rocking the F out and he doesn't

01:33:41.260 --> 01:33:43.640
take a break. Like I saw Kiss a number of years

01:33:43.640 --> 01:33:45.960
ago and like Gene and Paul went backstage and

01:33:45.960 --> 01:33:47.600
like slugged a bunch of Gatorade and the two

01:33:47.600 --> 01:33:49.539
younger guys kind of played their part of the

01:33:49.539 --> 01:33:51.720
set by themselves. Alice is out there for 90

01:33:51.720 --> 01:33:53.880
minutes and there's no breaks. There's no talking

01:33:53.880 --> 01:33:55.579
to the crowd. There's no like, let me sit down

01:33:55.579 --> 01:33:57.880
for a minute and sing this next song. He's just

01:33:57.880 --> 01:33:59.479
doing what he's always been doing for decades

01:33:59.479 --> 01:34:02.520
now. And his tracks that he's putting out, especially

01:34:02.520 --> 01:34:05.260
this album, The Revenge of Alice Cooper. It sounds

01:34:05.260 --> 01:34:07.739
like 70s Alice Cooper in the best possible way.

01:34:07.840 --> 01:34:11.600
It's amazing and timeless. And this song in particular,

01:34:11.720 --> 01:34:13.699
I've always been a fan of Alice Cooper when he

01:34:13.699 --> 01:34:15.880
writes ballads. I know everybody knows him from

01:34:15.880 --> 01:34:18.859
Feed My Frankenstein or like No More Mr. Nice

01:34:18.859 --> 01:34:21.319
Guy. But when he gets a little bit more introspective,

01:34:21.319 --> 01:34:23.039
a little bit more melancholy and kind of brings

01:34:23.039 --> 01:34:25.039
the tone down a little bit, I think he's every

01:34:25.039 --> 01:34:28.479
bit as good. And this is what this song is. He's

01:34:28.479 --> 01:34:31.359
a very talented, multifaceted songwriter, and

01:34:31.359 --> 01:34:34.899
he has not missed a step. since the 70s like

01:34:34.899 --> 01:34:37.920
he's just I hope he lives to be 177 because I

01:34:37.920 --> 01:34:40.000
wanted to keep putting amazing music like this

01:34:40.000 --> 01:34:44.260
out but I picked this track because it's cool

01:34:44.260 --> 01:34:46.260
and it's awesome and it's Alice Cooper but it's

01:34:46.260 --> 01:34:49.800
also it's a song that takes the time to remember

01:34:49.800 --> 01:34:53.180
the past and lament the past and mourn for things

01:34:53.180 --> 01:34:57.260
lost but it's also so wildly beautifully optimistic

01:34:57.260 --> 01:35:01.380
and grateful for the things that we miss because

01:35:01.380 --> 01:35:03.619
they were good enough for us to miss them and

01:35:03.619 --> 01:35:05.920
that includes people and you know experiences

01:35:05.920 --> 01:35:09.199
and you know even if your favorite brewery closed

01:35:09.199 --> 01:35:12.060
down this year you know there's a lot of reasons

01:35:12.060 --> 01:35:14.520
to mourn a lot of reasons to be you know sort

01:35:14.520 --> 01:35:16.539
of melancholy and sort of in your own head this

01:35:16.539 --> 01:35:20.079
year but this song also kind of empowers you

01:35:20.079 --> 01:35:24.140
to recognize that process it but also recognize

01:35:24.140 --> 01:35:26.489
that there's so much more that is in front of

01:35:26.489 --> 01:35:27.970
you. There's so many more people you're going

01:35:27.970 --> 01:35:29.390
to meet, so many more experiences you're going

01:35:29.390 --> 01:35:32.810
to have. And to not spend your time dwelling

01:35:32.810 --> 01:35:35.409
and being sad about what's gone, but instead

01:35:35.409 --> 01:35:37.390
just love the fact that you had it while you

01:35:37.390 --> 01:35:39.409
had it and be excited about what you're going

01:35:39.409 --> 01:35:42.069
to get next because something is coming. I love

01:35:42.069 --> 01:35:44.569
the fact that Alice is writing music that's just

01:35:44.569 --> 01:35:47.850
as hard as it always was, but with the knowledge

01:35:47.850 --> 01:35:50.310
and the experience of somebody who's in his 70s.

01:35:50.960 --> 01:35:53.279
It's beautiful. It's wonderful. I can't think

01:35:53.279 --> 01:35:55.260
of a better track to round out the best songs

01:35:55.260 --> 01:36:00.420
of 2025. Honestly, man, I think you said it all

01:36:00.420 --> 01:36:03.939
this song, the way three, six, five closed out

01:36:03.939 --> 01:36:09.500
side a hits me on so many levels this year. The

01:36:09.500 --> 01:36:11.439
first time I heard it, I was like, Oh my God,

01:36:11.479 --> 01:36:13.399
you gotta be kidding me. Like he's going there.

01:36:13.859 --> 01:36:18.079
And I know it's about Glenn and You know, he's

01:36:18.079 --> 01:36:20.420
singing about his friend and his confidant and

01:36:20.420 --> 01:36:25.300
his guitarist. But there's this hope. Yeah. That's

01:36:25.300 --> 01:36:27.720
attached to the melancholy aspect of the song.

01:36:27.979 --> 01:36:31.600
And for the year I've had losing my father, there

01:36:31.600 --> 01:36:35.579
was a lot of melancholy. But the hope is there

01:36:35.579 --> 01:36:38.340
for the future. And it's something one of the

01:36:38.340 --> 01:36:41.819
last conversations my father and I had was about

01:36:41.819 --> 01:36:45.579
the future and about being together again one

01:36:45.579 --> 01:36:49.229
day. And you summed it up with this one, man.

01:36:49.689 --> 01:36:52.850
Normally, I'm not one to say I'm at a loss for

01:36:52.850 --> 01:36:54.729
words, but I think you said everything that needs

01:36:54.729 --> 01:36:59.170
to be said here. And whether it's see you on

01:36:59.170 --> 01:37:04.409
the other side of 2025, meaning in 2026, or a

01:37:04.409 --> 01:37:06.689
deeper meaning of see you on the other side when

01:37:06.689 --> 01:37:09.869
all of our time comes on this earthly plane,

01:37:10.170 --> 01:37:14.069
it's a great way to close things out. On a spiritual

01:37:14.069 --> 01:37:18.109
and musical level. Because Alice Cooper is. One

01:37:18.109 --> 01:37:21.189
of the greats. So there you have it folks. Side

01:37:21.189 --> 01:37:25.350
B of our ultimate 2025 playlist. Which kicked

01:37:25.350 --> 01:37:29.189
off. With Mammoth's The End. Followed up by Dice

01:37:29.189 --> 01:37:32.189
Spits. Throw Yourself to the Sword. Lakeview's

01:37:32.189 --> 01:37:36.050
Home Team. Horror featuring Nova Twins. Pink

01:37:36.050 --> 01:37:40.630
Sifu and Young Skirt. Incline. That's H -O -9

01:37:40.630 --> 01:37:43.680
-9 -O -9. If you want to look it up. Dorothy's

01:37:43.680 --> 01:37:47.659
I Come Alive, Sabrina Child's Man Child, Teddy

01:37:47.659 --> 01:37:51.020
Swim's Not Your Man, and Car Seat Headrest's

01:37:51.020 --> 01:37:53.659
The Catastrophe, Good Luck With That Man, the

01:37:53.659 --> 01:37:58.380
man portion of the episode, Aerosmith and Youngblood's

01:37:58.380 --> 01:38:02.159
My Only Angel, and Alice Cooper's See You On

01:38:02.159 --> 01:38:05.119
The Other Side. Head over to myweeklymixtape

01:38:05.119 --> 01:38:07.560
.com to hear all the songs we've discussed in

01:38:07.560 --> 01:38:10.659
this mix through the playlist embedded on the

01:38:10.659 --> 01:38:14.989
episode page. Well, DT, this has truly been a

01:38:14.989 --> 01:38:18.909
blast. We did it in 2023, 2024. This makes a

01:38:18.909 --> 01:38:22.470
trio of year -end episodes. Look forward to hearing

01:38:22.470 --> 01:38:26.390
what we come up with in 2026. And hopefully this

01:38:26.390 --> 01:38:29.850
is not the last time we podcast until the 2026

01:38:29.850 --> 01:38:32.310
episode. But thank you so much for being a part

01:38:32.310 --> 01:38:34.710
of this episode today, man. Dude, my absolute

01:38:34.710 --> 01:38:38.270
pleasure. And yeah, I hope we do another podcast

01:38:38.270 --> 01:38:41.050
or a project together before the final best songs

01:38:41.050 --> 01:38:43.529
of 2026. You're one of my favorite people, dude.

01:38:43.590 --> 01:38:45.869
I always love doing this. Well, I appreciate

01:38:45.869 --> 01:38:48.130
you being here. And I also appreciate everybody

01:38:48.130 --> 01:38:51.270
tuning in tonight. If you enjoy what you're hearing,

01:38:51.310 --> 01:38:53.770
but we did not talk about your favorite song

01:38:53.770 --> 01:38:58.170
of 2025, we both want to know about it. So send

01:38:58.170 --> 01:39:02.050
me an email, myweeklymixtape at gmail .com. Hit

01:39:02.050 --> 01:39:05.229
me up on all the social media haunts at myweeklymixtape.

01:39:05.409 --> 01:39:09.130
Use the contact page at myweeklymixtape .com.

01:39:09.500 --> 01:39:12.880
or join the Mixtaper community at patreon .com

01:39:12.880 --> 01:39:16.380
forward slash myweeklymixtape. It's free to join,

01:39:16.439 --> 01:39:18.199
and there's other tiers there if you'd like to

01:39:18.199 --> 01:39:20.800
support the show a little bit extra. If you're

01:39:20.800 --> 01:39:24.300
listening on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube,

01:39:24.560 --> 01:39:27.939
please leave a five -star review, drop a comment.

01:39:28.350 --> 01:39:30.550
Click that like button. Click that subscribe

01:39:30.550 --> 01:39:33.869
button. Do all the things. It helps spread the

01:39:33.869 --> 01:39:36.489
word about My Weekly Mixtape to other music fans

01:39:36.489 --> 01:39:39.189
that are out there looking for programs such

01:39:39.189 --> 01:39:42.329
as this one. My name is Brian Colburn. This has

01:39:42.329 --> 01:39:44.989
been My Weekly Mixtape, and I hope you guys enjoy

01:39:44.989 --> 01:39:48.810
listening to the songs of 2025 that we've laid

01:39:48.810 --> 01:39:52.270
out over the last movie -length episode. See

01:39:52.270 --> 01:39:53.050
you guys next week.