Active Listing

For our third annual March Madness music bracket, we put a (buck)cherry on top of Season 3 and its mid-90's theme, going double-wide with 64 artists from Alternative's brief reign. As always, the first round matchups are based on nothing more than a connection between the bands' names themselves. Will a band with a number, an animal, or a food in its name take the crown? And how much m...

Taped in April 2025 and heretofore lost to the vaults, we are happy to present this recently unearthed Season 3 bonus episode: the Buzz Clips Draft! For this draft You Oughta Know we each picked 20 classic MTV Buzz Clips released during our Season 3 timeframe: August 1994 - June 1997. Which song/video will be the Natural #One draft pick? What'll be Song 2? Who'll be undrafted and left High...

Season 3 finale! Matt's near-veto pushes a friendship to the limit, Adam refuses to let a Season 1 feud with Chris die, and two more artists join the Active Listing two-time club in a final top ten that we all declare impeccable. ☯︎ Listen to our Season 3 playlist here! https://bit.ly/4izC7ei ✇︎ Theme song: "Garden Green" by Matt LaJoie

For this year's March Madness, we line up a bracket of 32 indie-rock/pop/folk artists for head-to-head battles predicated on nothing more than the band's name itself. Which group with an animal in its name will advance farthest? Who will earn ultimate bragging rights as indie's top dog? And will Will Oldham ever answer our DM's? // Opening theme: "Last Words" by Herbcraft...

We definitely maybe daydream under the bushes at marcy playground, counting crows and throwing jagged little pills in the garbage, sharing our hardcore reasonable doubts about the infamous and sublime mystic styles of some not-so-tiny music that didn't quite crack our individual top 10 lists. Grab some refreshments: this pod's a live one! ☯︎ Pony League Honorable Mentions playlist: https://bit.ly/...

Chris joins the Columbia House music club and places his first CD order, making his picks for the top ten albums released while we were in middle school (August 1994 - June 1997). ☯︎ Listen to our Season 3 playlist here! https://bit.ly/4izC7ei ✇︎ Theme song: "Garden Green" by Matt LaJoie

Adam shares a hot take on Christmas albums before presenting his top 10 list of albums released during our time in middle school (August 1994 - June 1997). Meanwhile, Chris goes deep down the Wu-Tang rabbit hole and Matt offers a Wii Golf soundtrack recommendation. ☯︎ Listen to our Season 3 playlist here! https://bit.ly/4izC7ei ✇︎ Theme song: "Garden Green" by Matt LaJoie

For Season 3 of Active Listing, we turn the dial back three decades to talk about the best albums released while we were in middle school (August 1994 - June 1997). On the premiere episode, Matt goes on a CD-length discussion of his personal top 10 albums of this era, while Chris reminisces about junior high dances and Adam drops a Grohl bomb. ☯︎ Listen to our Season 3 playlist here! https://bit.l...

In the wake of the Grammys, Adam finally learns who Shaboozey is, Matt waxes nostalgic about 90's Memphis underground rap tapes, and Chris presents his very un-dorky folk coordinate plane as we discuss our favorite music of 2024. Adam's top albums of 2024 playlist: https://bit.ly/42Pa0Do Matt's 90's Memphis underground rap mixtape: https://bit.ly/3Qhw6a1 Matt's 100-track 2024 r...

Chris laments his audio woes, Adam reconsiders his veto, and Matt wishes he’d bent the rules as the guys voice their regrets about Season 2. Plus: a preview of Season 3’s topic and parameters, a discussion about 21st Century rock anthems, and if you could listen to only one artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?

Season 2 finale! We put in overtime discussing the best one-and-done albums on this special double-length episode. Chris orchestrates a Molly Drake gambit, Adam tells us what he really thinks about Lauryn Hill, and Matt becomes an unexpected stickler for the rules as we negotiate and collaborate on our ultimate top ten. (Opening theme song “Garden Green” by Matt LaJoie; closing theme “Radial Tranc...

Chris extols the virtues of "regular music" amid a volley of "psych acid fire" recommendations from Adam and Matt on our One and Done: Honorable Mentions episode.

On this special bonus episode of Active Listing, we honor the NCAA Tournament with our own version of March Madness: a bracket of punk bands. Witness Chris and Matt learn about punk in real time, while Adam labors to keep the entire thing afloat with his punk cred intact. Who will come out on top as our number one punk band of all time? // Theme song: "Trash Heap" by Herbcraft

Adam shares his top ten list of artists who only released one album, as well as his disappointment in Chris and Matt for omitting a personal favorite album from their own lists.

Matt declares himself the winner of Season 1 before launching into his list of the best single-album artists of all time.

On the Season 2 premiere of Active Listing, Chris lists his top ten artists who released only one album in their career, while Adam and Matt reminisce about a 2002 trip to a Hoobastank concert.

For our first Billboard tracks draft, Adam, Matt, and Chris select songs from Billboard's Top Modern Rock Tracks chart for the week ending August 19, 2000, in an effort to make the best possible playlist from a particularly grim era of popular rock music. Which track will go number one in our draft? And which hit songs will be relegated to the dishonorable "sh*t list"? Listen to our...

Adam, Chris, and Matt discuss and set ground rules for Season 2 (coming November 2023!) before contending with and defending some controversial takes from Season 1, including unpopular opinions on Pavement, Portishead, and Puff Daddy.

Season 1 Finale! Matt vetoes a living legend, Adam rejects a shoo-in, and Chris stumps for a stoner-metal classic as we debate and decide on the top ten albums released while we were in high school together. / Listen to the Season One playlist at: https://tinyurl.com/4a5dmztz

Adam, Chris, and Matt share their lists of "close call" albums — honorable mentions that were in consideration for their personal top ten lists, but ultimately didn't make the cut.

Adam, Chris, and Matt discuss some "near misses" from their top ten lists: albums that would have been in high consideration for their own personal list, but were released a few weeks too early or too late.

Matt selects 10 CDs released during our collective high school years for his CaseLogic CD visor, while Adam and Chris ponder how hot 400 degrees could possibly be.

Chris presents a concise list of critically acclaimed, best-selling and Grammy-winning albums released while we were in high school, and Adam summons the restraint to not call Chris and Matt's college band a rip-off.

On the Season 1 premiere of Active Listing, Adam presents his list of favorite albums released while we were all in high school together (August 25, 1997 through June 9, 2000) and Matt wonders why everything has to be a competition to Chris.