The Midlife Critics Podcast

Travis Boots, Nathan Ferrell, Bryan Mosby, and Steve Strait join Burke Wasson to discuss our Songs of the Week and so much more. We discuss Mike McCready being restrained in Pearl Jam in the '90s, engage in some quality Grateful Dead talk, Nate and Burke discuss our favorite late night unwinding albums and the roles in Crosby Stills & Nash, Mosby gives Burke crap for liking one of our Stray Cuts,...

This is a sound experience with songs and discussion. You'll dig it. Every week, we pick songs most of us haven't heard. Out of a record 49 submissions, we have our Songs of the Week with the most votes. Burke Wasson has plenty to talk about with Travis Boots, Wellington Davis, and Nathan Ferrell, who ends the episode sharing his experience as a clown at Long John Silver's in 1998. Dig it. Find Th...

In time for the Facebook group's polls for Saturday, March 8th, Travis Boots, Nathan Ferrell, and Burke Wasson discuss butt rock. Is there anything more you need? We also get into new nicknames for Kiss and Scott Stapp. And Nate takes this episode to 11, literally. And if you enjoy this podcast, you can donate any amount, big or small, to keep it going through the following apps: PayPal at wasson....

Every week, people in The Midlife Critics pick 1 or 2 songs that most of us haven't heard. We vote and then award our top half as our Songs Of The Week. It's a great way to turn ourselves onto music new to us, both from this year and decades ago. Nathan Ferrell and Wellington Davis jump in and out of this episode with Burke Wasson to discuss our Songs Of The Week. You'll also hear clips of those s...

Originally from Baltimore, previously serving in the Coast Guard, and now living in Harrisburg, Illinois, Doug Blimline is a traveled man with a knack for crunchy guitar riffs. HIs 2021 song “[Do I Have] Bad Intentions” recalls the bare-knuckle riffs of AC/DC. Doug talks with Burke Wasson about his path, the music industry and social media in general, how depressed he is to follow the news, and hi...

From Harrisburg, Illinois, Franko Teston is an up and coming craftsman of hooky alternative rock melodies, first with the band Mayfall and now solo alongside friends and bandmates Jake Evans, Garrett Phillips, and Cash Thomas. Franko’s songs are packed with emotion, and his melodies are both fresh and retro at once, owing as much to modern rock as grunge influences. Franko talks here with Burke Wa...

From Carmi, Illinois, to Nashville, Tennessee, Lucas Wayne is making a name for himself in live shows with a breathtaking voice in the high range and a blistering band - The Cottonmouths. With Nate Graham, Tim Whiteford, and Max Senteney backing him, Lucas is carving a path for himself with sweet country songs of everything from Great Value Pizza to abandoned lamps, with plenty of heartbreak and r...

For the first in our ongoing Local Artist Showcase episodes, we have southern Illinois folk singer-songwriter Jonah McGuire. Jonah talks with Burke Wasson about the Harrisburg school band program leading him to develop his songs, which he is also kind enough to pick apart in a very engaging talk. At 21 years old, Jonah is just getting started. His latest EP, Honey I Don’t Love You, can be heard on...

The Midlife Critics' newly elected Grand Poobah Jennifer Bowles Hutchinson joins Burke to discuss her new role in the Facebook group and dive into our top 30 Short Ones (our favorite songs under 2 minutes). And Nathan Ferrell continues his streak of podcast episodes, diving into our new category of polls in the Facebook group - butt rock. What is butt rock? Listen and find out. And Nathan and Burk...

SEASON 3 EPISODE 7: The O.G. (Show Notes Below) 00:00:00: Intro (Burke Wasson) 00:07:22: #FreshCuts Vol. 49 Songs Of The Week (with Nathan Ferrell, Wellington Davis, and Bryan Mosby) 01:24:02: Stray Cuts (with Nathan Ferrell) 01:33:21: #FreshFlicks with Nathan Ferrell (Psycho Goreman, Sweet Darling, Body Double, Heretic) 02:04:31: #FreshFlicks with Steve Strait (The Substance, Sound Of Metal, The...

In a bonus episode, Travis and Burke discuss the star-studded Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary homecoming concert. And then Steve joins us for an in-depth talk on the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame nominations. Lots of talk. You'll dig this one. And if you enjoy this podcast, you can donate any amount, big or small, to keep it going through the following apps: PayPal at wasson.burke@gmail.com Venmo...

Follow The Midlife Critics private group on Facebook. Subscribe to The Midlife Critics Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts for free, and Amazon Music. Show Times: Season 3 Episode 6: They Not Like Us 00:00: Intro 05:26: Mosby and Burke talk Kendrick Lamar and future Super Bowl halftime shows 19:06: Travis and Burke talk the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame nominees.  29:28-#FreshFlicks: The Midlife Cr...

Travis Boots, Nathan Ferrell, Steve Strait, and Wellington Davis join Burke to discuss our biggest Songs Of The Week yet for #FreshCuts Vol. 47. Nate and Burke close the episode by previewing this year's Bourbon & Beyond festival in Louisville. But mostly, this episode feels personal, cathartic, and connected. With a lot more sound clips this week! Join The Midlife Critics Facebook private group....

In a historic episode with increased sound clips, Bryan "Ol' Wheeler" Mosby (pictured here) enforces his group tiebreaker status and picks our #1 Dick & Pussy Song Of All Time. Nathan Ferrell and Mosby join Burke for a rousing discussion on our top 50 Dick & Pussy Songs. And Burke breaks down #FreshCuts Vol. 46 with The Midlife Critics' Songs Of The Week. Out of a record number of votes and 40 sub...

THE MIDLIFE CRITICS PODCAST: SEASON 3 EPISODE 3 (Jan. 23, 2025) 00:00: Intro (The Band - Chest Fever)  04:59: #FreshCuts Vol. 45 Songs Of The Week (My Morning Jacket - Time Waited) 18:11: Garth Hudson Tribute/#FreshCuts Vol. 45 Songs Of The Week (The Band - Twilight) 29:17: Riff Of The Week/#FreshCuts Vol. 45 Songs Of The Week (Spiritual Beggars - Magic Spell) 31:43: Our Final Song Of The Week (Je...

A tribute to David Lynch, our Songs Of The Week you’ve never heard, our 50 greatest yacht rock songs, and songs about dick and pussy are the topics of a fun episode. Nathan Ferrell and I discuss yacht rock, and Wellington Davis and Bryan Mosby join me to discuss dick and pussy songs. Find The Midlife Critics on Facebook groups.  Enjoy yourselves and check out the songs at the links below, Burke #F...

Nathan Ferrell and Burke Wasson mine the depths of yacht rock - a retroactively named genre that we grew up with. Even if you don't like yacht rock, you'll appreciate this episode and the HBO Max documentary Yacht Rock. We dive into that documentary, the music itself with plenty of talk about Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Michael McDonald, Toto, Ambrosia, and more, and get into Tuesday's yacht ro...

In a surprisingly scholarly talk, Bryan Mosby, Steve Strait, and Burke Wasson talk about all facets of our Songs of Destruction, from our love and hate of Metallica to social commentary. This was a deep talk. Do it up. And Riverside generated show chapters, so check it out!3:06: Introspection vs. Destruction in Songs 6:00: The Role of Social Commentary in Songs 9:00: Diverse Interpretations of Des...

After a long break, Bryan Mosby, Travis Boots, and Burke dive back into the podcast arena, discussing our rankings for greatest solo debut albums and getting into the diminishing legacies of Eric Clapton and John Lennon. We also make our picks for Monday Nov. 11's polls of our favorite songs by artists we dislike, or guilty pleasures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travis Boots, Bryan Mosby, and Burke Wasson dive into the group's picks for best current artists with a few detours along the way. We get into the inevitable Black Keys/White Stripes comparison, lick our chops at the prospective group arguments on Chappell Roan vs. Billy Strings, lament that we have to choose between Marcus King and Sturgill Simpson, and reveal what midlife critics whine about...

Travis, Mosby & Burke are back on their bullshit with discussions, jokes, debates, and predictions for our best current artists. This is a real one, so strap in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk about #FreshCuts Vol. 26 and the first 2 days of our polls for best current artists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travis and I get into a wide ranging discussion on nominations for #FreshCuts Vol. 25 as well as this week's 1st round of polls to decide our best current artists. And we get criticize the lazy criticism of Oasis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bryan Mosby, Travis Boots, and I dive into ours and Wes Dorris' picks for greatest current artists. We also ponder what the music world would have looked like if Kurt Cobain hadn't died. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jennifer and I break down all 27 of this week's #FreshCuts (songs that most of us haven't heard, picked and voted on by the Live Wire private Facebook group). We ponder if you can appreciate a song without understanding its language, the king of daddy-daughter dance songs, Waylon Jennings at a rave, metal songs that Jennifer actually likes, buying a bug zapper, new songs that stoke nostalg...