Instead of a shared theme, we decided to gameify a bit (HT to Dilletante DJ Rob for introducing that flavor), with each of us crafting a list based on a theme, but only sharing the list and NOT the theme with the other. I think the list titles should give away which of these might be challenging to figure out and which… not.

Mainly, we just hope to create a space where guests feel comfortable and excited to come in and share. And I think we’ve done that. As long as they don’t mind cussin’. I really like to cuss. Want to join us or have an idea for an amazing guest? Drop us a line at theneedleexchangepodcast@gmail.com.

Having spent the last week with these two lists, I can certify that they are vibes, and very, very different ones in every way (I’ll also cop to my list maybe just a little bit being the kind of list one makes for themselves and for that I’m sorry I’m not sorry).

We hope you enjoy the lists and can’t wait to bring you the actual interesting people we’ve been promising you. Very soon.

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Jim's list:

Alice Cooper | Feed My Frankenstein | Hey Stoopid | 1991

Eels | My Beloved Monster | Beautiful Freak | 1996

Jonathan Coulton | Re: Your Brains | Thing a Week Two | 2006

David Bowie | TVC15 | Station to Station | 1976

Michael Jackson | Thriller | Thriller | 1982

Reckless Love | Monster | InVader | 2016

Gwar | Gor-Gor | America Must Be Destroyed | 1992

Monster Magnet | Negasonic Teenage Warhead | Dopes to Infinity | 1995

Blue Öyster Cult | Godzilla | Spectres | 1977

The Edgar Winter Group | Frankenstein | They Only Come Out At Night | 1972

José's list:

Momus | I Want You, But I Don't Need You | Ping Pong | 1997

The Magnetic Fields | God Wants Us to Wait | Love at the Bottom of the Sea | 2012

Henry Nilsson | Cuddly Toy | Pandemonium Shadow Show | 1967

Ezra Furman | Driving Down to L.A. | Driving Down to L.A. | 2018

The Monkees | Love Is Only Sleeping | Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd. | 1967

Damaged Bug | Heavy Cathedral | Bunker Funk | 2017

Morphine | Souvenir | The Night | 2000

Bong Water | What Is? | The Power of Pussy | 1990

Gustaf | Best Behavior | Audio Drag for Ego Slobs | 2021

R.E.M. | I Don't Sleep, I Dream | Monster | 1994

Thank you for joining us and please help us spread the word!
Use the link below and/or follow us on Instagram.

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The theme came to us courtesy our special guest for this episode, Cristóbal Borges, and was inspired by Bruce Lee (from whom it is a direct quote) and the work of trailblazing writer Gloria Anzaldúa. Hearing it, I immediately expected playlists with some experimental works, with some discordant-yet-somehow-complementary pairings, and three very different soundscapes. And I was not disappointed.

What I could not have foreseen is just how much the behind-the-scenes at The Needle Exchange would also reflect the theme, because once again, we are a-going through some changes. Our fellow Dilletante DJs Rob MacGregor and Zach Prewitt have other projects in their lives calling to them, so while they aren’t leaving the TNE family, they are stepping back from being regular contributors.

That left José and I with a question that has often defined my life: What’s next? So, before releasing this next episode, we sat down, talked it over, and shared our plans with all of you here: TNE - A Brief Interlude.

But, you know what? Save that for when you are ready. The real goodies come in the main episode. You should just dive in there. The lists are real good.

Thank you to Rob and Zach for all their contributions and to all of you for being listeners and readers! We hope you’ll stick around to see where we go next.

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Cristóbal's list:

Johann Sebastian Bach, Virgil Fox | Fugue in G Minor, BWV 578 "Little" | Organ Works: Bach | 1988

Frank Loesser | Fugue For Tinhorns | An Evening With Frank Loesser | 1994

The Beatles | Help! | Help! | 1965

Bob Marley & The Wailers | Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) | Natty Dread | 1974

Takénobu | Toki Doki | Conclusion | 2019

Anthrax | Antisocial | State Of Euphoria | 1988

Coleman Hawkins | Under Paris Skies | The Hawk In Paris | 1956

Ryuschi Sakamoto, Jaques Morelenbaum, Everton Nelson | Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence | 1996 | 1996

Hermanos Ayala | Yayabo | Bomba De Loiza | 2006

Dirty Revival | Dirty Love | Dirty Revival | 2015

Zach's list:

Little Comets | A Little Open | Life Is Everywhere | 2013

The Smiths | The Headmaster Ritual | Meat Is Murder | 1985

The Kinks | The Hard Way | Schoolboys in Disgrace | 1975

Dead Kennedys | Take This Job and Shove It | Bedtime For Democracy | 1986

The Clash | Career Opportunities | The Clash | 1977

Todd Rundren | Bang the Drum All Day | The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect | 1982

Erasure | Chains of Love | The Innocents | 1988

Radiohead | House Of Cards | In Rainbows | 2007

From Monument To Masses | Comrades and Friends | The Impossible Leap in 100 Simple Steps | 2003

Dario Marianelli | Evey Reborn | V For Vendetta (Music From The Motion Picture | 2006

José's list:

David Bowie | A Small Plot of Land | 1. Outside (The Nathan Adler Diaries: A Hyper Cycle) | 1995

Odd Nostum | Freakout 3 | Level Live Wires | 2007

Saul Williams, Cristian Scott aTunde Adjuah | Encrypted & Vulnerable (feat. Cristian Scott aTunde Adjuah | Encrypted & Vulnerable | 2019

Karima Walker | One Moved Slowly Through This Place | Hands in Our Names | 2017

Danger Mouse, Sparkle Horse, David Lynch | Dark Night of the Soul (feat. David Lynch) | Dark Night of The Soul | 2010

Nurse With Wound | Ketamineaphonia | Huffin' Rag Blues | 2008

Sun Ra | I Am Strange | I Am Strange / I Am An Instrument | 2009

Mount Eerie | I Know No One | No Flashlight | 2015

Cristobal Tapid Da Veer | What's Gonna Happen To Us? | The White Lotus: Season 2 | 2022

Ben von Wildenhaus, Von Wildenhaus | Aluminum | Anna Sonata - Von Universe 1 | 2023

Can’t wait to share our first episode in the new format with you all. Stay tuned!

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But, at the same time, it is the year in your life you know the least about. And everything that you do know is secondhand, narrated to you by family or gleaned from photographs. A year known and unknown all at once.

The initial inspiration for this episode wasn’t quite so “thinky,” as my ex-wife used to say. Chatting with my friend Kristin about the podcast, she kind of wondered aloud what we might do with the challenge to make a list out of hits (having, dilletantes that we are, maybe some predilection for the esoteric). Personally, I love creative prompts with restrictions, so putting our heads together, we came up with the challenge of building a list from the Billboard Hot 100 of your birth year.

I joined in the fun with the DJs this time, so we have four curated lists: 1970, 1972, 1976, and 1977. And I can’t fully speak for the others, but for me, that known/unknown paradox carried through to list creation, as I found so many familiar tunes on my Hot 100 but also more that were completely new to me than I would have guessed.

And it is always fun to shake up the format a little. We hope you’ll agree.

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José's list:

The Temptations | Psychedelic Shack | Psychedelic Shack | 1970

Chicago | 25 or 6 to 4 | Chicago II | 1970

Freda Payne | Band Of Gold (Single Mix) | Band Of Gold | 1970

Eric Burdon and War | Spill The Wine | Eric Burdon Declares "War" | 1970

Shocking Blue | Venus | At Home | 1969

The Pipkins | Gimme Dat Ding | Gimme Dat Ding! | 1970

Dionne Warwick | I'll Never Fall in Love Again | I'll Never Fall in Love Again | 1970

Ronnie Dyson | (If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You? | (If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You? | 1970

The Five Starships | O-o-h child | Stairsteps | 1970

Four Tops | Still Water (Love) | Still Waters Run Deep | 1970

Jim's list:

War | Slippin' Into Darkness | All Day Music | 1971

Alice Cooper | School's Out | School's Out | 1972

T. Rex | Bang a Gong (Get It On) | Electric Warrior | 1971

Elvis Presley | Burning Love | Elvis (Fool) | 1972

Redbone | The Witch Queen of New Orleans | The Witch Queen of New Orleans (aka Message from a Drum) | 1971

Todd Rundgren | I Saw the Light | Something / Anything? | 1971

Jim Croce | You Don't Mess Around with Jim | You Don't Mess Around with Jim | 1972

The Main Ingredient | Everybody Plays the Fool | Bitter Sweet | 1972

Bill Withers | Lean on Me | Still Bill | 1972

Three Dog Night | Never Been To Spain | Harmony  | 1972

Rob's list:

Walter Murphy | A Fifth of Beethoven | A Fifth of Beethoven | 1976

Boz Scaggs | Lowdown | Silk Degrees | 1976

Diana Ross | Love Hangover | Diana Ross | 1976

Donna Summer | Love To Love You Baby - Single Version | Love to Love You Baby | 1975

KC & The Sunshine Band | That's the Way (I Like It) | KC & The Sunshine Band | 1975

Andrea True Connection | More, More, More | More, More, More | 1976

Rufus, Chaka Khan | Sweet Thing | Rufus featuring Chaka Khan | 1975

Rhythm Heritage | Theme From S.W.A.T. | Disco-fied | 1975

Wild Cherry | Play That Funky Music | Wild Cherry | 1976

Parliament | Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker) | Mothership Connection | 1975

Zach's list:

Marvin Gaye | Got To Give It Up, Pt. 1 | Got To Give It Up | 1977

Stevie Wonder | I Wish | Songs In The Key Of Life | 1976

The Spinners | The Rubberband Man | Happiness Is Being with the Spinners | 1976

Hall & Oates | Rich Girl | Bigger Than Both Of Us | 1976

James Taylor | Handy Man | JT | 1977

Kenny Rogers | Lucille | Kenny Rogers | 1977

Elvis Presley | Way Down | Moody Blue | 1977

Heart | Barracuda | Little Queen | 1977

Crosby, Stills & Nash | Just a Song Before I Go | CSN | 1977

Donna Summer | I Feel Love | I Remember Love | 1977

Next time, we bring in our first guest DJ and take on the theme “rigidity is death” - I have no freaking idea what the Djs will do with that, but I can’t wait to find out!

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But, at the same time, school is the goddamn best. Between public school, college, grad school, and now teaching at a community college, I have spent the majority of my life in school, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. School is not just a place of learning and discovery but also community and humanity. There is a vulnerability to being in a growth mindset, in having a willingness to be wrong, that can be a leveling and connecting force between very different people.

And that is maybe the biggest reason I have dedicated my life to school: learning is one of the things that connects us all as humans. And yet the ways we go about it, the many different versions and visions of school we encounter, are as diverse as humanity itself.

This is what the Dilletante DJs manage to collectively capture in this set of playlists - distinctly individual takes on school that still resonate with one another, from the whimsy of a John Hughes film to the research of a deep dive into tropícalía to the nostalgia of a yearbook in playlist form.

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José's list:

Komeda | Blossom (Got To Get It Out) | Kokomemedada | 2003 x2

The Dead Milkmen | Violent School | Big Lizard In My Backyard | 1985

Finnolia Sound Effects | Handbell Ring (Hand Bell Ringing) [Version 3] | Bell Sound Effects | 2012

They Might Be Giants | Meet James Ensor | John Henry | 1994

Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders | The Game Of Love | The Game Of Love | 1965

John Linnell | Oregon | State Songs | 1999

Finnolia Sound Effects | Bell Ring (Bell Ringing) [Version 3] | Bell Sound Effects | 2012

The Donnas | Do You Wanna go out with Me | The Donnas | 1997

The Suburbs | Cows | In Combo | 2001 x2

Finnolia Sound Effects | Handbell Ring (Hand Bell Ringing) [Version 2] | Bell Sound Effects | 2012

Sound Ideas | Heavy Applause with Cheering from Children in School Auditorium | Cround: Large | 2014

David Byrne | Now I'm Your Mom | Uh-Oh | 1992

De La Soul | My Brother's a Basehead | De La Soul is Dead | 1991

Peaches | Boys Wanna Be Her | Impeach My Bush | 2006

The Magnetic Fields | When My Boy Walks Down the Street | 69 Love Songs | 1999

Finnolia Sound Effects | Handbell Ring (Hand Bell Ringing) [Version 3] | Bell Sound Effects | 2012

The Coup, Justin Sane | Your Parents' Cocaine | Sorry To Bother You | 2012

Stereo Total | Amo amor a tres | No controles | 2009

Rob's list:

Os Mutantes | Panis Et Circensis | "Os Mutantes" | 1968

Gal Costa | Vou Recomeçar | Gal Costa | 1969

Gilberto Gil | Volks-Volkswagen Blues | Gilberto Gil | 1969

Caetano Veloso | Tropicália | Caetano Veloso | 1967

Tom Zé | Não Buzine Que Eu Estou Paquerando | Grande Liquidação | 1968

Os Versateis | Ponteia | Os Versáteis e o Festival | 1967

Nara Leão | Quem Te Viu, Quem Te Vé | Vento De Maio | 1967

Jorge Ben Jor | Take It Easy My Brother Charles | Jorge Ben | 1969 x2

Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso | Baby | Gal Costa | 1969

Gilberto Gil | Cérebro Eletrônico | Gilberto Gil | 1969

Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, Os Mutantes, Caetano Veloso | Hino Do Senhor Do Bonfim | Tropicália Ou Panis Et Circensis | 1968

Zach's list:

Supertramp | School | Crime Of The Century | 1974

The Spencer Davis Group | Waltz For Lumumba | I'm A Man / Waltz For Lumumba | 1970

Dr. Timothy Leary Ph.D. | Part 10 | L.S.D. | 1966

Rage Against The Machine | Bullet In The Head | Rage Against The Machine | 1992

Richard Adler, Jerry Ross, John Raitt | The Pajama Game: Hey There | The Pajama Game (Original Broadway Cast Recording) | 1954

Jon Secada | Otro Día Más Sin Verte | Jon Secada | 1992 x2

The Immortals | Techno Syndrome (Mortal Kombat) | Mortal Kombat: The Album | 1994

Pearl Jam | Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town | Vs. | 1993

Eric Clapton | Wonderful Tonight | Slow Hand | 1977

Led Zeppelin | Ramble On | Led Zeppelin II | 1969

Sarah McLachlan | I Will Remember You | Rarities, B-Sides & Other Stuff | 1996

We also tried something new this time and announced our next theme in the closing of this episode. And while I told the DJs the inspiration for the theme, I failed to mention while actually on the mic that is was my exceptionally cool friend and subscriber to the podcast Kristin that first offered the suggestion: Your Birth Year 100 - a playlist drawn from the Billboard Hot 100 from the year of each DJ’s birth.

So, check us out next time as we get retro and drop three lists from the 70s!

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But there is just something about cities. They share qualities, and yet each is distinctive in its own right. They are more than a place - cities are living, breathing, evolving organisms, a concept captured in books like John Shirley’s City Come A-Walkin’ or the Great Cities novels of our (IMHO) greatest living sci-fi writer, N.K. Jemisin.

A city is something you really need to experience at shoe-level. You can’t understand a city by driving through it - you need to touch it, to move within it, to hear it. Because cities also have their own soundtracks, which is probably why this theme of “Cities,” a theme we had visited once before in our pre-podcast days, exerted such a strong pull to be revisited.

Usually, this is where I compliment the Dilletante DJs on once again fully understanding the assignment, but this time that involves contorting my arm around to pat my own back because for this session, Rob stepped into hosting duties while I got to dabble in some list curation of my own.

We hope you enjoy listening to them as much as we enjoyed making them, and we are already back at work crafting a new batch!

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Jim's list:

Wax Tailor | Street Scent | In the Mood for Life | 2009

Wax Tailor | No Pity | In the Mood for Life | 2009

Ryan Gosling | City Of Stars | La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2016

Steering Jets | Cruising | Cruising | 2022

J. Cole | Trouble | Born Sinner | 2013

Nina Simone, Sofi Tukker | Sinnerman - Sofi Tukker Remix | Sinnerman (Sofi Tukker Remix) | 2021

50 Cent | In Da Club | Get Rich Or Die Tryin' | 2003

King Von | 2 A.M. | Levon James | 2022

Tove Lo | Habits (Stay High) | Queen Of The Clouds | 2014

Tom Waits | Little Drop Of Poison | Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards | 2006

G. Love & Special Sauce | This Ain't Living | G. Love And Special Sauce | 1994

Zach's list:

Dawes | Time Spent in Los Angeles | Nothing Is Wrong | 2011

James Taylor | Looking For Love On Broadway | JT | 1977

Little Feat | Oh, Atlanta | Feats Don't Fail Me Now | 1974

Low Cut Connie | Boozophilia | Call My Sylvia | 2012

Nina Simone | Baltimore - Live At Vine St. Bar & Grill/1987 | Let It Be Me (Live) | 1987

Pulp, Jarvis Cocker, Steve Mackey | Sheffield: Sex City | Intro: The Gift Recordings | 1993

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | By the Time I Get to Phoenix | Kicking Against the Pricks | 2009

Randy Newman | Burn On | Sail Away | 1972

Pretenders | My City Was Gone | Learning to Crawl (US Release) | 1984

Souxsie and the Banshees | Cities In Dust | Tinderbox | 1986

José's list:

Pet Shop Boys | West End Girls | Please | 1983

Roni Size, Reprazent | Watching Windows | New Forms | 1997

Flavien Berger | La féte noire | Léviathan | 2015

Dorothy Collins, Raymond Scott | Lightworks | Mahattan Research, Inc. | 2000

The Rolling Stones | Miss You | Some Girls | 1978

Black Pumas | Sauvignon | Chronicles of a Diamond | 2023

Tom Waits | Eggs And Sausage (In A Cadillac With Susan Michelson) | Nighthawks At The Diner | 1975

Black Sheep | Go To Hail | A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing | 1991

Tangerine Dream | Bonding By Candlelight | Three O'Clock High (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 1987

Kae Tempest | Perfect Coffee | Let Them Eat Chaos | 2016

Bad Colours | Maybe I Should Move To LA | Always With U | 2022

We’ll be back to the usual line-up for next episode, but there have been rumblings around The Needle Exchange about some guest DJs in the future, so stay tuned!

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But, now we really are back, and ridiculously excited to share this new episode with you. Because this episode, the Dilletante DJs and I are talking L-O-V-E in response to the theme, “Dedicated to the One I Love.”

When we arrived at this theme, I knew a few things right away. 1) My eternally-single ass would have STRUGGLED with this theme. 2) The theme was submitted from an earnest and heartfelt place. 3) I was in danger of ruining everything because all my literal-B.S.-in-Advertising brain could think of over and over was an old Nutri-Grain commercial.

The actual result? Getting to spend some time with a few dudes very and completely in touch with their feelings plucking at my heartstrings and moving my feet. I hope you’ll feel the same way about these lists.

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Zach's list:

Donny Hathaway | A Song for You | Donny Hathaway | 1971

Eva Cassidy | Songbird | Songbird | 1998

Clem Snide | I'll Be Your Mirror | I'll Be Your Mirror | 2017

Jeff Buckley | Mama, You Been on My Mind - Studio Outtake - 1993 | Grace | 1994

John Coltrane, Johnny Hartman | Dedicated To You | John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman | 1963

Cat Power | Sea of Love | The Covers Record | 2000

The Magnetic Fields | The Book of Love | 69 Love Songs | 1999

Radiohead | I Promise | OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017 | 2017

Richard Ashcroft | You On My Mind In My Sleep | Alone With Everybody | 2000

Gustav Mahler, Weiner Philharmoniker, Leanard Bernstein | Symphony No. 5: IV. Adagietto | Mahler Symphony No. 5 | 1988

José's list:

The Flamingos | I Only Have Eyes for You | I Only Have Eyes For You | 1959

the xx | Chained | Coexist | 2012

Honeycut | Butter Room | The Day I Turned To Glass | 2006

Aretha Franklin | Day Dreaming | Young, Gifted and Black | 1972

Khruangbin, Leon Bridges | Doris | Texas Moon | 2022

N. Hardem, Briela Ojeda | Volcán | Verdor | 2021

Mal Devisa | if I were to fall asleep in your arms | Shade and the little Creature | 2015

Jon Bap | Don't Run Into The Dark So Quick | What Now? | 2016

Gorillaz, Little Dragon | Empire Ants (feat. Little Dragon) | Plastic Beach | 2010

The Coup, Silke | BabyLet'sHaveABabyBeforeBushDoSomethin'Crazy | Pick A Bigger Weapon | 2006

Rob's list:

Tom Tom Club | Genius of Love | Tom Tom Club | 1981

Bootsy Collins | I'd Rather Be with You | Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band | 1976

Silk Sonic | Skate | An Evening With Silk Sonic | 2021

DOMi & JD BECK | SNiFF | NOT TiGHT | 2022

Louis Cole | Park Your Car on My Face | Quality Over Opinion | 2022

Thundercat | Dragonball Durag | It Is What It Is | 2020

Childish Gambino | 3005 | Because the Internet | 2013

Parliament | Wizard Of Finance | Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome | 1977

Queen Latifah, Lil' Kim, Macy Gray | Cell Block Tango (feat. Lil' Kim & Macy Gray) | Chicago - Music From The Miramax Motion Picture | 2002

Giaccomo Puccini, Nicole Heartseeker, Mulo Francel | Muesetta's Waltz | That's Amore | 2022

For our next episode, we are going to shake things up just a little. Rob will be stepping into the host position while Jim takes a swing at the Guest DJ role. If you find yourself missing us in the interim, you can now follow us on Instagram. Thank you so much for reading and listening!

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This theme also made for some lists that, while distinct, really work well together. Binge them, I’m tellin’ ya, and you’ll see. And any order can work, but taking them in show order from Sun Ra to David Kahn is an excellent ride.

As you can maybe tell, we are feeling pretty good about this episode, and we have been learning a lot since we launched this podcast, maybe chief among them that we need a little break. So, we are marking “Bass” as the end of The Needle Exchange - Season One. Over the next couple weeks, we’ll enjoy friends, families, and holidays and take some time to reflect over these first half-dozen episodes and plot our course for a second season in the new year.

Thanks for joining us on this journey so far, enjoy some tasty, bassy tunes, and come back in 2024 to hear what the Dilletante DJs cook up next (and bring your friends!).

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José's list:

Sun Ra | Bassism | The Futuristic Sounds Of Sun Ra | 1962

Charles Mingus | Haitian Fight Song | The Clown | 1957

Tom Waits | Step Right Up | Small Change | 1976

Little Willie John | My Love Is | Sure Things | 1961

Jack Elliot, Allyn Ferguson | The Barney Miller Theme | Barney Miller | 1975

Sugarloaf | Green-Eyed Lady | Green-Eyed Lady | 1970

The Police | Driven To Tears | Zenyatta Mondatta | 1980

Roxy Music | Love Is The Drug | Siren | 1975

Soul Coughing | Collapse | Irresistable Bliss | 1996

Violent Femmes | Please Do Not Go | Violent Femmes | 1983

SAULT | Think About It | 5 | 2019

Zach's list:

Morphine | Buena | Cure For Pain | 1993

Barry White | I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby | I've Got So Much To Give | 1973

Jaco Pastorius | Come On, Come Over | Jaco Pastorius | 1976

Stanely Clarke | We Supply | ROCKS, PEBBLES AND SAND | 1980

Esperanza Spalding | I Know You Know | Esperanza | 2008

John Coltrane, Johnny Hartman | Lush Life | John Coltrane And Johnny Harman | 1963

Tennessee Ernie Ford | Funny How Time Slips Away | Country Hits...Feelin' Blue | 1964

Leonard Cohen | You Want It Darker | You Want It Darker | 2016

The Fairfield Four | Lonesome Valley | O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2000

Charles Mingus | Goodbye Pork Pie Hat | Mingus Ah Um | 1959

Rob's list:

Jaco Pastorius | Portrait Of Tracy | Jaco Pastorius | 1976

The Brothers Johnson | Strawberry Letter 23 | Right On Time | 1977

Kajagoogoo | Too Shy | White Feathers | 1983

Future | Mask Off | FUTURE | 2017

Mungo's Hi Fi, Soom T | Jump Up Quickly | Listening Bug EP | 2013

Bassnectar | Basshead | Timestretch | 2010

GRIZ, LSDREAM | FUNKONAUT | FUNKONAUT | 2022

Rezz, Deathpact | Chemical Bond | Chemical Bond | 2021

Subtronics, Excision | Asteroid | Asteroid | 2023

David Kahn, John D'Amico | over the rainbow | over the rainbow | 2023

You don’t want to miss out when we return, so if you haven’t already, grab a free subscription!

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Let’s start with the etymology of the word bass. I assumed Latin roots, but bass actually comes from the Middle English bars, meaning “perch,” despite the fact none of the species commonly known as bass belong to the perch family. And, it turns out there are quite a few types of fish known as bass that aren’t actually bass, either, including the Chilean sea bass, which is actually in the cod family, and…

Hold on… What’s that? Oh, really? Sorry, my bad.

I’ve just been informed that the theme is not the short a bass but rather the long a bass, and frankly, that makes a lot more sense. Though, what am I going to do with all these fish facts now?

Anyway, BASS! Hell yeah. I’m thinking we can expect some funk, we can expect some moods, we can almost certainly expect some Tom Waits and/or Leonard Cohen growling at us.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait. In the meantime, I’m kinda hungry. Maybe some seabass?

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The inspiration provided by the theme definitely helped. Guy Fawkes is an interesting story. Guy Fawkes Day and the Guy Fawkes mask have come to represent protests against entrenched power and even anarchism to some degree, but the Guy himself is a little more complicated. “The last man to enter Parliament with honest intentions” was also intending to kill a whole bunch of people to put someone of his preferred faith on the throne. Entirely possible he’d be wearing a Q shirt if he was alive today.

But we will do with stories what we will, and Guy Fawkes’ story has proven itself to be particularly adaptable. And damn but did our Dilletante DJs take advantage of that adaptability. The three playlists they produced sound completely different, but each is thematically tight and sonically rich. Guy Fawkes Day might be two weeks in the rearview, but we hope you’ll build yourself a bonfire, pull together some friends and effigies, and listen to the lists by the light of the dancing flames.

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Rob's list:

Blaze Foley | Livin' in the Woods in a Tree | The Dawg Years (1975-1978) | 2010

Fred Neil | Gone Again | Bleecker And McDougal (US Release) | 1965

John Hartford | Gentle On My Mind | Earthwords & Music | 1967

Townes Van Zandt | Wild Crazy Things | Be Here To Love Me | 2005

Lightin' Hopkins | Wine Spodee-O-Dee | Blues In My Bottle | 1961

Mississippi John Hurt | Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor | Today! | 1966

Ola Belle Reed | High on a Mountain | Ola Belle Reed | 1973

Townes Van Zandt | I Just Had To Fall | Be Here To Love Me | 2005

Etta Baker | Railroad Bill | Railroad Bill | 1999

Ramblin' Jack Elliott | Hard Travelin' | Jack Elliott Sings The Songs Of Woodie Guthrie | 1961

Woody Guthrie | Hobo's Lullaby | Hobo's Lullaby / Boil Dem Cabbage Down | 1944

Townes Van Zandt | I Designed It That Way | Be Here To Love Me | 2005

Townes Van Zandt | Waiting Around to Die | Townes Van Zandt | 1969

Jimmie Rodgers | Hobo Bill's Last Ride | Hobo Bill's Last Ride / That's Why I'm Blue | 1930

Harry McClintock | The Big Rock Candy Mountain | The Bum Song - No. 2 / The Big Rock Candy Mountains | 1928

José's list:

The Art Of Noise | A Time For The Fear (Who's Afraid) | (Who's Afraid Of) The Art Of Noise | 1984

The Good, The Bad & The Queen | History Song | The Good, The Bad & The Queen | 2007

Jill O'Hara, Hair Ensemble | Dead End | New York Shakespeare Festival Public Theater Presents Hair - An American Tribal Love-Rock Musical | 1967

SAULT | Money | Today & Tomorrow | 2022

PJ Harvey | The Words That Maketh Murder | Let England Shake | 2011

IDLES | War | Ultra Mono | 2020

The Valentines | Blam Blam Fever (Gunsfever) | Blam Blam Fever (Gunsfever) / The Scratch | 1967

Eugene McDaniels | Supermarket Blues | Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse | 1971

Killer Mike | Reagan | R.A.P. Music | 2012

Fela Kuti | Follow Follow | The Underground Spiritual Game | 2009

Rogér Fakhr | Keep Going | Fine Anyway | 2021

Zach's list:

The Choirs Of Britain's Cathedrals Perform | Once In Royal David's City | Hymns & Songs Of Worship | 2009

Constantines | The Mcknight Life | Constantines | 2004

Constantines | Steal This Sound | Constantines | 2004

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sir Neville Marriner, et al | Requiem, K. 626. Confutatis | Amadeus (The Complete Soundtrack Recording) | 1984

From Monument To Masses | Clinical Features of Rock Trauma | From Monument To Masses | 2003

Johannes Brahms, The Monteverdi Choir, et al | Ein deutches Requiem, Op. 45: 4. Choir: "We lieblich sind deine Wohnungen, Herr Zabaoth!" | Brahms: Ein Deutches Requiem | 1991

Radiohead | You And Whose Army? | Amnesiac | 2001

Arvo Pärt, Choir of King's College, et al | Pärt: Magnificat | Ikos: Sacred Works of Górecki, Tavener, Pärt | 1994

Mclusky | To Hell With Good Intentions | Mclusky Do Dallas | 2002

George Fridrich Handel, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Choir, et al | Messiah, HWV 56 / Pt. 2: "Hallelujah" | Handel: Messiah | 1976

Nina Simone | The Times They Are A-Changin' | To Love Somebody | 1969

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Of course, I knew the mask. As a nerd, it V for Vendetta is required reading, if not necessarily required viewing (IMHO, Moore is right in hating most adaptations of his work). I tended to think of him as an anarchic symbol associated with an annual burning of effigies that saw likenesses of Margaret Thatcher or Rishi Sunak tossed into flames.

But, it feels more complicated than that as I dug in this week. While anarchists celebrate the attempted bombing by "the last man to enter Parliament with honest intentions," the intended outcome was re-installing a Catholic monarch in England, which hardly seems the most anarchic cause.

So, I don’t know about you, but I am really curious what the Dilletante DJs cooked up for us with this particular main ingredient. I expect some politics, I expect some ‘splosions, and I’m really hoping I am right in expecting some maskplay.

Regardless, I’m sure it will impress, as our three musical anarchists never fail to when they start playing in the "Land of Do-as-You-Please."

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Am I biased? On multiple levels? Absolutely. But I’ve gotta say it: this one is a lot of fun, folks. The Dilletante DJs knocked it out of the park as they riffed on one of my favorite movies of all time (not to mention one of my favorite theater productions to work on). Each DJ brought a unique but totally on-theme take. We got nostalgic and gloomy, we got dancin’, and we even got a little academic this week. Plus, zombies.

And we almost ventured into Mandela Effect territory, for which I would have been entirely to blame. You might remember when I previewed this episode I shared that an early memory of the film was the zombie daughter eating her mother’s hand, and we talk about this in the podcast, but upon further review, it was her father she ate first (though mom does meet her end via trowel very shortly after). We at The Needle Exchange regret the error.

As recompense, we offer you three things: 1) a link to one of José’s Rosetta Stones of musical exploration (which is referenced in the podcast), 2) a recommendation and link to the insightful and entertaining Birth of the Living Dead, and 3) well, um, these sick playlists, plus a podcast where they are all broken down and explored by one tolerable and three charming dudes (we’ll let you make your own which-is-which distinctions there). We hope you have fun, and don’t forget to eat your brains!

Listen to the podcast

You can also find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Zach’s list:

The Smiths | Cemetry Gates| The Queen is Dead | 1986 | Rough Trade Records

The Cure | Lovesong | Disintegration | 1989 | Fiction Records

She Wants Revenge | Tear You Apart | She Wants Revenge | 2006 | Flawless Records

Flyleaf | I'm So Sick | Flyleaf | 2006 | A&M Records

Charlotte Gainsbourg | Hey Joe | Hey Joe | 2014 | Because Music

AURORA | Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) – Acoustic | All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend | 2014 | Glassnote Entertainment Group

The Twilight Sad | There's a Girl in the Corner | Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave | 2014 | FatCat Records

Disasterpeace | Heels | It Follows (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2015 | Milan Entertainment

PJ Harvey | Rid Of Me | Rid Of Me | 1993 | Island Records

Dean Man's Bones | My Body's a Zombie For You | Dead Man's Bones | 2009 | Anti

Joy Division |Love Will Tear Us Apart | Love Will Tear Us Apart | 1980 | Warner Music UK

Rob’s list:

Too Many Zooz | To the Top | F Note | 2014 | Too Many Zooz

Basement Jaxx, Meshell Ndegeocello | Right Here's The Spot | Kish Kash | 2003 | XL Recordings

G. Love & Special Sauce | This Ain't Living | G. Love And Special Sauce | 1994 | Sony Music Entertainment

Lykke Li | Get Some | Wounded Rhymes | 2011 | 2011 LL Recordings

Macklemore, Ryan Lewis | Can't Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton) | The Heist | 2012 | Macklemore

Beyoncé, Jack White | Don't Hurt Yourself (feat. Jack White) | Lemonade | 2016 | Parkwood Entertainment

Mal Devisa | In My Neighborhood | Kiid | 2016 | Mal Devisa

The Jim Carroll Band | People Who Died | Catholic Boy | 1980 | Fat Possum Records

Run The Jewels | Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1 | Run The Jewels 2 | 2014 | Run The Jewels, Inc.

Talking Heads | Burning Down the House – Live | Stop Making Sense (Live) | 1984 | Sire Records

José’s list:

Sound Ideas | Large Horde of Zombies Approaching | Zombies Sound Effects | 2019 | Hot Ideas

Screamin' Jay Hawkins | She Put the Wammee on Me | Screamin' The Blues | 1979 | Red Lightnin'

John Parish, PJ Harvey | Girl | Dance Hall At Louse Point | 1996 | Island Records

Bnny | Little Flower | Everything | 2021 | Fire Talk

DJ Muggs, DJ Muggs the Black Goat | Nigrum Mortem | Dies Occidendum | 2021 | Soul Assassins Records

Saul Williams | These Mthrfckrs | These Mthrfckrs: MartyrLoserKing - Remixes, B-Sides & Demos | 2016 | FADER Label

Sound Ideas | Low Moaning Zombie Ambience | Zombies Sound Effects | 2019 | Hot Ideas

Eleni Mandell | Snakebite | Snakebite | 2001 | Space Baby

Dum Dum Girls | Hold Your Hand |Only in Dreams | 2011 |Sub Pop Records

the bird and the bee | Lifespan Of A Fly | Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future | 2008 |The Blue Note Label Group

Jaks | Damn Bloodsuckers | Here Lies the Body of Jaks | 2005 | Three One G

Sound Ideas | Sloppy Gnawing and Chewing on Flesh | Blood and Gore Sound Effects | 2020 | Hot Ideas

Jorja Smith | I Am | Black Panther The Album Music From And Inspired By | 2018 | Aftermath Records

Kendrick Lamar | BLOOD. | DAMN. | 2017 | Aftermath/Interscope

Thanks as always for spending time with us! We enjoy sharing this with you, and hope you will share with others.

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Night of the Living Dead is one of my favorite films of all time. I’m not a fan of horror, generally, and it isn’t even that this is just a favorite horror film. I earnestly and wholeheartedly love this movie and rank it in my top ten ever.

It landed in my life hard, as I flipped channels and arrived just in time to watch a little girl zombie calmly eating her mother’s hand, and I was instantly hooked. By the time the lead had met his end, I realized there was so much more than simple horror here. And everything I have learned about the film or from subsequent viewings has only reinforced that belief.

I’m sure I’ll have more to say in the episode newsletter, but for right now, I have to go listen to some killer playlists from the Dilletante DJs inspired by a favorite film.

Life is good. Can’t wait to share it with y’all.

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Also, it turns out our DJs had a LOT to say this week, so while we’re dropping the podcast a little late, we’re dropping 50% more of it than we did last week.

The Dilletante DJs are going to hit you in your thinks and your feels and your feet this week with three very different lists that each riff beautifully and thoughtfully and whimsically on themes of identity.

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You can also find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Jose's list:

The Cool Kids | Bassment Party | The Bake Sale | 2008

Nicki Minaj | Come On A Cone | Pink Friday ... Roman Reloaded | 2012

Beny Moré, Pérez Prado | Pachito E Che | Pachito E Che | 1949

The Cool Kids, Chuck Inglish | ICE RICE & BEANS FAMILY DINER (Skit) | BABY OIL STAIRCASE / CHILLOUT | 2022

Mulher Melancia (Andressa Soares) | Velocidade 6 | Mulher Melancia | 2016

Fishbone | Hide Behind My Glasses | Bonin' in the Boneyard | 1988

Sleater-Kinney | Milkshake n' Honey | All Hands on the Bad One | 2000

Black Sheep | U Mean I'm Not | A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing | 1991

Dave Frishberg | My Attorney Bernie - Vocal | Dave Frishberg Classics | 1991

The Limiñanas | Je suis une gogo girl | The Limiñanas | 2010

Ken Nordine | Beige | Colors | 1966

Bobby Matos, Joe Bataan | Senor Blues (Vocal) [feat. Joe Bataan] | Ritmo & Blues | 2014

Zach's list:

Sting | The Dream Of The Blue Turtles | The Dream Of The Blue Turtles | 1985

New York Dolls | Personality Crisis | New York Dolls | 1973

Talking Heads | Once in a Lifetime | Remain In Light | 1980

Mitski | Best American Girl | Puberty 2 | 2016

PJ Harvey | Dress | Dry | 1992

Nick Cave | I'm Your Man - Live | Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man | 2006

Radiohead | All I Need | In Rainbows | 2007

Catherine Wheel | All Of That | Wishville | 2000

Yvonne De Carlo | I'm Still Here | Follies / Original Broadway Cast | 1971

Lou Reed | Modern Dance | Ecstasy | 2000

Rob's list:

Tom Waits | Shore Leave | Swordfishtrombones | 1983

Yo La Tengo | Tired Hippo | And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out | 2000

The Velevet Underground, Nico | Femme Fatale | The Velvet Underground & Nico | 1967

Pixies | Cecilia Ann | Bossanova | 1990

Ennio Morricone | Perché? | L'immoralità (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 1978

The Budos Band | Nobody's Bulletproof | The Budos Band EP | 2009

Beastie Boys | Sneakin' Out The Hospital | Hello Nasty | 1998

Ennio Morricone I Cantori Moderni Di Alessondroni | Party proibito | I malamondo (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 1964

Ennio Morricone | Perché Simona? | L'immoralità (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 1978

Mel Tormé | Comin' Home Baby | Comin' Home Baby | 1962

Nancy Sinatra | Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) | How Does That Grab You? | 1966

Thank you for listening and for sticking with us through our growing pains. We’re switching up our production schedule a bit, so keep an eye out for our next episode, featuring a special challenge theme from me to the DJs, a little sooner than you’d expect.

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So, that got me thinking a lot about identity this past week, and about the masks we slip into and out of. I’ve also through that thinking grown leery of the idea that the masks or fragments of our identity we share are somehow not genuine. I’ve been coming closer to the idea that our “true” identity may not be a secret core but rather the dressing room full of all the masks and props and costumes we present throughout our life.

But just because I gazed down my navel so hard I fell in, don’t worry about the Dilletante DJs. I’ve got their lists in my hot little hands, and in just three days, we’ll convene and debrief and share them all with you.

See you Thursday afternoon. Bring your headphones.

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And the process of developing this newsletter and podcast is no different, with one of the first insights being just HOW MUCH impact the theme has on the tone of the show. Because, as you can imagine, a theme like this week’s doesn’t suggest a whole lot of bangers.

But, that is why I personally think, in my not-terribly-humble opinion, that the Dilletante DJs outdid themselves in this session, turning a challenging theme into some deeply curated vibes. We are going to put you in your feels this week, folks, so buckle up, grab some tissues, double your meds, and join us!

Listen to the podcast!

You can also find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Rob's playlist:

John Cage | 4'33" | 4'33" | 1991

Björk | It's Oh So Quiet | Post | 1995

Squirrel Nut Zippers | Put a Lid on It | Hot | 1996

Ying Yang Twins | Wait (The Whisper Song) | U.S.A. (United States of Atlanta) | 2005

Ishmael Ensemble | Feather | Visions of Light | 2021

Pat Metheny | Midwestern Nights Dream | Bright Size Life | 1976

Dire Straits | Private Investigations | Love Over Gold | 1982

Mac DeMarco | Chamber Of Reflection | Salad Days | 2014

Damien Rice | Accidental Babies | 9 | 2006

Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Gilian Welch | Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby | O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2000

(You can also read the eulogy here)

Jose's playlist:

Odd Nosdam | Up In Flames | Level Live Wires | 2007

Laurie Anderson | Looking for You - Live | United States Live | 1984

Karima Walker | Hands in Our Names | Hands in Our Names | 2017

David Byrne | I Know Sometimes a Man Is Wrong | Rei Momo | 1989

The KLF, The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu | Atlantic City to Philadelphia | Come Down Dawn | 2021

The KLF, The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu | Philadelphia to Baltimore | Come Down Dawn | 2021

Amon Tobin | Slowly | Supermodified | 2000

Solange | Beltway | When I Get Home | 2019

The Flaming Lips | Vein of Stars | At War With the Mystics | 2006

The Creatures | Morriña | Boomerang | 1989

Yo La Tengo | Night Falls on Hoboken | And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out | 2000

Zach's playlist:

Cliff Martinez | Is That What Everybody Wants | Solaris (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2002

Elliott Smith | Between the Bars | Either/Or | 1997

Boris | My Machine | Pink | 2006

Grouper | Headache | Paradise Valley | 2016

Tom Waits | Rainbirds | Swordfishtrombones | 1983

Tori Amos | Hey Jupiter | Boys for Pele | 1996

Jon Hopkins | Dawn Chorus | Piano Versions | 2021

Gustav Mahler, Sir Simon Rattle, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra | IV. Urlicht. Sehr feirlich, aber schlicht | Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor "Resurrection" | 1987

Jóhann Jóhannsson | A Sparrow Alighted upon our Shoulder | Orphée | 2016

Talk Talk | Wealth | Spirit of Eden | 1988

We’re still finding our way and learning as we go (for example, I learned how to record myself very poorly this week), and we really appreciate everyone that is coming along for the ride!

The playlists have been delivered, which means our Dilletante DJs have 72 hours to dig into each other’s lists. We’ll be recording the evening of Wed. 9/27 and plan to have the newsletter and podcast available by 6pm (Pacific US) on Thurs. 9/28.

I can’t wait to share the lists with you! And while I don’t make lists alongside the Dilletante DJs (you’re welcome!), I will be posting the one track that leapt to mind at this theme if none of them chose it.

See you on Thursday!

Now we have playlists, divorced of physical media entirely, but no less potentially meaningful. A playlist is like a little piece of yourself, one view of one pose, that you want to share with others. Similar to what the brilliant Mae Martin described as our snow globes; “Look, I am me.”

Over the last few months, some friends and I have been exchanging weekly Spotify playlists built on a common theme. And, as it turns out, some of my friends are really, really good at this (I’m fine - I like music, but just don’t have their breadth of knowledge or practiced ear).

So, I asked them if we could maybe try to make this a thing. Actually, I believe my exact words were, “No worries, this is fun, and can be only that, but you three are a show. It is stupid how obvious this is. Like, it should not take me to point this out. I will be y’all’s producer. Just say yes.” And thus, The Needle Exchange was born.

Here’s the deal: our three Dilletante DJs (José Amador, Rob MacGregor, and Zach Prewitt) are provided a theme and one week to develop a 10-song Spotify playlist on that theme. We all then have 72 hours to listen to the lists before we come together, discuss the lists, and share them with all of you.

Our first episode - The Needle Exchange: First World Problems - is in the can. We are very much still feeling our way around and trying this idea on for size, and we would love to hear from you, our friends and family and early test listeners, about what you like and what we could do better.

Podcast: The Needle Exchange Ep. 001 - “First World Problems”

You can also find the podcast on Spotify.

Playlists on Spotify:
José Amador
Styx | “Why Me” | Cornerstone | 1979

George Harrison | Got My Mind Set on You | Cloud 9 | 1987

CAN | Vitimin C | Ege Bamyası | 1972

Elvis Costello | Watching the Detectives | My Aim is True | 1977

Don Henley | Dirty Laundry | I Can’t Stand Still | 1982

De La Soul | A Little Bit of Soap | 3 Feet High and Rising | 1989

The Beatles | Nowhere Man | Rubber Soul | 1965

The Beta Band | Round the Bend | The Beta Band | 1999

“Weird Al” Yankovich | Buy Me a Condo | In 3-D | 1984

Mike + The Mechanics | The Living Years | The Living Years | 1988

Rob MacGregor
Dan Bern | Tiger Woods | Fifty Eggs | 1998

DOMi & JD BECK | U DON’T HAVE TO ROB ME | NOT TiGHT | 2022

JPEGMAFIA | Free The Frail | All My Heroes Are Cornballs | 2019

Nina Simone | The Other Woman | The Other Woman (Single) | 1959

CAN | Vitamin C | Ege Bamyası | 1972

Handsome Boy Modelling School | Modeling Sucks | So…How’s Your Girl? | 1999

Cults | Oh My God | Cults | 2011

Björk | Army Of Me | Post | 1995

Primus | Too Many Puppies | Frizzle Fry | 1990

Unknown Mortal Orchestra | American Guilt | Sex & Food | 2018

Van Morrison | Ring Worm | BANG! Contractual Obligation Album | 1968

Zach Prewitt
Huey Lewis & The News | I Want a New Drug | Sports | 1983

The Dandy Warhols | Not if You Were the Last Junkie on Earth | The Dandy Warhols Come Down | 1997

Nickelback | Rockstar | All the Right Reasons | 2005

Puddle Of Mudd | She Hates Me | Come Clean | 2001

Joe Jackson | Is She Really Going Out With Him? | Look Sharp! | 1979

Pulp | Common People | Different Class | 1995

Descendents | Parents | Milo Goes To College | 1982

Antrax | Milk – Ode to Billy | Attack of the Killer B’s | 1991

Best Coast | Goodbye | Crazy for You | 2010

Taylor Swift | Anti-Hero | Midnights | 2022

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We hope you enjoy the podcast and lists as much as we enjoyed making them! Plans for the next episode are already underway.