Nevermind the Music

What makes a song feel scary? This week, we welcome podcaster (Horror Movie Night) and musician (Ichabod Crane) Scott Roger to our first ever Halloween episode! Scott guides us through the classic tunes of the spooky season, especially from the teen pop craze of the late-1950’s and early-1960’s. We try to figure out the tropes they used to give a song that macabre flavor, and see if some of those...

This month’s Rewind finds a lot of commonality between the chord shenanigans in “Hold On” and this week’s throwback from Season 1! Was this song written just for this podcast? Tears for Fears’ 1985 smash “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” is so perfect that even the band name is a psychology reference. Oh, and the album title is a callout to dissociative identity disorder. Mark takes that and run...

Is nepotism a key part of a good nineties pop anthem? This week we reach for Wilson Phillips’ inspirational 1990 hit “Hold On.” Nichole explains how some songs you love give you different doses of dopamine, at different times and different regions of the brain, as the song unfolds. Mark shows us how this song’s cool use of the bass creates a fun and impactful new type of chord. Other music heard i...

Oh, no, another episode of Mark’s music? Sadly, yes! In this episode, Nichole listens to the eight new NTM mini-themes, and pitches which corporate sponsors each music bumper would best lead into. Is this a tongue-in-cheek bit or is Mark still trying to pay off these fancy microphones? Believe it or not, this conversation goes quite a bit off the rails! Thanks to these folks for lending us their m...

What’s the sweet spot between challenge and comfort? This week we tackle Journey’s 1980 anthem “Any Way You Want It.” After knocking Mark down a notch because of his taste in early-oughts literary fiction, Nichole relates this song to the so-called arousal and flow theories of motivation. Mark explains the simple rhythmic trick that helps make this song have such a driving beat: pushing the downbe...

How long can the pop stars survive? In this episode, we debut our first ever NTM draft game! Welcoming back two all-star guests, Bree Thomas (“Mariah Carey Girl” from episode 60) and Chris Fafalios (from Punchline, One Hit Thunder, and episode 76), we each battle to build a team of former child music stars trapped on a deserted island! Who’s the responsible one? Who’s going to keep the morale high...

Here in season 3, we’re starting a new feature! Once per month, we’ll be turning back the clock and showcasing an episode from our back catalog! This month, we callback to one of our favorites from Season 1! Wait, was “Undone” really the most popular early Weezer song? In this epic episode we unravel Weezer’s 1994 hit (in some universes, at least), “Undone - The Sweater Song.” After discussing the...

Are the voices in your head auto-tuned? We start season 3 off with bang with Brtiney Spears’ 2007 electro-pop hit “Piece of Me.” Mark takes us through how the melodic outlines of this track’s robotic backing vocals help shape the song’s pacing. Nichole comes in hot with some fancy terms, looking at Britney’s challenges through the diathesis stress model. She also shares some unresolved anger over...

What words do we overuse? What happens if Taylor Swift were to write lyrics to our theme music? The circle of what exactly? In this final Sidetrack of Season 2, we celebrate the end of an era by quizzing each other! Who’s coming out on top? We wrap by asking each other some earnest questions about our expertise, some of which might lead to some future episode topics. Season 3 starts next week! Mus...

If I would, could you? This week, our hosts do another over-the-top deep dive to close Season 2, this time focusing on the dreary 1992 grunge epic “Would?” by Alice in Chains. Nichole takes us through the stages of the transtheoretical model of change, looking through the lens of recovery from addiction (sadly relevant to both the song’s namesake Andrew Wood and Alice in Chains lead vocalist Layne...

106 - Sidetrack - Season 2 Mailbag 4 Are Alanis Morissette and Lauryn Hill two sides of the same coin? This week, we have one more chance to open the mailbag for Season 2! This batch of inquires hits on such controversial topics as Nichole’s accent, whether we should talk about musicals, mono-cultural tragedies, the new record by The Strokes, and whether the Beatles stole from Batman. We’re always...

Were you one of those people who loved group projects back in school? If so, you must be the social loafer! This week we synergize with The Eagles’ 1976 country-rock gem “New Kid in Town.” Nichole talks about creative collaboration in a conversation that ranges widely, from interpersonal conflict to podcast co-host dynamics and classroom assignments. Mark homes in on the brilliant pattern of key c...

Wait, does it need to be either rock or opera to be a rock opera? As Season 2’s final guest, we welcome podcast luminary John Lorehound for a fun conversation about concept albums. Mark’s ready to go with a custom categorization scheme, Nichole comes armed with the required Hozier and Taylor Swift mentions, and John’s ultimately just here to give an angry rant about one of his favorite albums. Tun...

Is it true that what is meant to be will be? This week, the hosts nod their heads to Lauryn Hill’s 1998 anthem of empowerment “Everything is Everything.” Nichole explains how this song is a great representation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy’s Hexaflex model and… that’s a lot of fancy words, you’ll just need to listen! Mark shows how this song’s catchy chorus keeps changing, never quite sett...

What better way to travel cheaply than listen to a great song? This week our hosts build one more list for Season 2, this time about their favorite songs about places. Nichole’s list is a little longer than Mark’s this time, but does quantity mean quality? Listen to be transported and find out! Music heard in this episode: Jesse L. Martin - “Santa Fe” from Rent , Jeremy Jordan - “Santa Fe” from Ne...

What would it take for you to join a cult? What if the leader looked like Lenny Kravitz? This week, we break down the 1993 retro rocker, “Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz. Nichole takes the messiah-energy of the song’s lyrics and describes the methods cults use to control their followers. Mark focuses on the more technical side of the song, observing the cool way the song’s bluesy riffs a...

How are we still doing this thing? To celebrate our 100th(ish) episode, we’ve brought in a heavy hitter: returning guest David from the Lorehounds. David picks our brains about our first two seasons, talking topics like our friendship, what we’ve learned from podcasting, conversations with our listeners, and why musicians always pretend to know albums they’ve never heard. Here’s looking forward to...

What did Uncle Joey do to make someone this mad? This week, our hosts tackle Alanis Morissette’s 1995 breakup anthem “You Oughta Know.” Mark tries to draw a straight line between the intensity of Alanis’s emotions and how unhinged the song’s rhythms are… before taking an opportunity to majorly over-share on mic. Nichole takes us through the four levels of anger…. the higher the better? Other music...

No Stairway? Denied! In this week’s episode, Mark and Nichole share some artists they really love… by sharing some songs they really don’t love by those artists! Please let us know what we got wrong in the Discord or at nevermusicpod@gmail.com. Music heard in this episode: The Beach Boys - “Please Let Me Wonder”, The Beach Boys - “When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)”, Stockard Channing - “There are Worse...

Another Questlove doc? That means another bonus episode! Lorehounds contributor Jean joins Mark to talk about the new documentary, Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs That’s the Weight of the World) . They talk about the many sides - good and regrettable - of the band’s mastermind, Maurice White, and all the things that went into making this band one of the best to ever do it. We talk funk,...

Does that love song really remind them of you, or is it actually their previous partner? In this week’s episode, we revel in Toto’s 1982 masterpiece “Africa.” Nichole talks about how our memories play tricks on us, and how different people react to ambiguity. Meanwhile, Mark takes us on another investigation, this time trying to uncover how this song’s iconic riff fits in with the various keys of...

Have you ever hated a song or an artist only to change your mind later? This week, we are thrilled to welcome rock critic and host of the 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s podcast, Rob Harvilla. We reveal those embarrassing times we were dead wrong about an iconic artist… and one of us may have put some of those earlier thoughts in print! This fun conversation touches on the performative aspects of h...

Have you ever had that friend who seemed to change their whole personality each time they had a new relationship? No? Then you’re probably that friend! This week, we vibe with No Doubt’s 1995 radio smash “Don’t Speak.” Nichole argues that No Doubt vocalist Gwen Stefani’s changing styles is a great example of the so-called chameleon effect, while Mark thinks this song has a great example of a cool...

Why do violinists hate violists? Is Flipper actually evil? We comb through the listeners’ increasingly deranged questions with another Mailbag episode! Hear listeners test Nichole’s rhythm and shill their music in another fun check-in with our audience.  Music heard in this episode: Eight Foot Manchild - “Circle of Salt”, Vultures of Culture - “Catch and Release”, Nice & Smooth - “Sometimes I...

Are things getting a bit companionate or maybe just fatuous? In this episode, we swoon to Kendrick Lamar and Sza’s 2024 slow jam “Luther.” Mark goes gaga over the surprising long-term trajectory of this song’s melody. Since we know our listeners always fall for a good classification system, this week Nichole brings us a good one: the triangular theory of love! The music and psychology pieces are c...