Stereothematica

This is our love letter to the lost art of letter-writing…in songs. Consider it a carefully folded note passed across time. Signed, sealed, AND delivered by the Postal Service, or by hand. Song as letter, or letter as song, whatever the concept, these musical missives hit our hearts in ways an email can't.  VIDEOS  XTC: Dear God (1986) Lulu: To Sir, With Love (1967)  EXTRAS  ‘Dear God’: The v...

We’re getting into the spooky spirit talking about the scariest songs in our music libraries. While Monster Mash and Thriller do make an appearance, we’re clawing our way past the Halloween clichés to scream about the songs that really get under our skin and linger like the breath of death.   VIDEOS  Die Antwoord: Baby’s on Fire (2012) The Zombies: Butcher’s Tale (Western Front 1914) SPECIAL TREAT...

Your eyes are not deceiving you–we are indeed going corporate! At least for this episode, wherein we reflect on the strange sorcery of songs from commercials: the ones that, for a moment, make you forget you're a cog in the sparkling machine of late capitalism. Sure, they were used to sell us stuff, but we still kind of love them. VIDEOS  Geico Caveman Ad featuring “Remind Me” by Röyksopp (20...

What makes a song decadent? Is it the banging build-up giving way to a glorious release? The urge to don a banana skirt or surrender to collapse in a bathtub of brandy? From glitter to dust and lugubrious Balkan brassy indie waltzes, we wade into the lush layers of musical decadence. Melancholy meets spectacle. Longing meets the dance floor. Find out why surrender sometimes feels like survival, an...

Ah, the joy of an animated TV show. Whether watching a Saturday morning cartoon, something not quite suitable for children, or the classics from the days of yore, you can probably bet on one thing: you're gonna hear a bangin' theme song. From cool-cat jazz on the prowl to a bumbling, cyborg sleuth, we celebrate the cartoon earworms you can’t shake. VIDEOS  Pink Panther Theme Song Inspect...

What if time travel was about chasing the music you wish you could’ve felt in real time? In this episode we daydream our way into those moments, hearing the first notes and electric performances as if we were there. It’s complicated, it’s joyful, and it’s all about how music lets us bend time, and, as always, our minds! VIDEOS George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (1927 Recording) James Brown: The Pay...

Sometimes holding a grudge isn’t the healthiest option, but indulging one for the length of a song? That might be just what the moment calls for. In this episode, we lean into defiance, righteous anger, and the sweet, private thrill of SINGING what you’d never actually say out loud. To our enemies… this one’s for you! VIDEOS Islands: I Feel Evil Creeping In (2008) Alaska y Dinarama: A Quién Le Imp...

This week, we are restless! Maybe that’s every week. On edge and buzzing, we talk through the moods and ways of being that come with that jittery energy, and the songs, of course, that match, and sometimes surpass it. VIDEOS Almendra: Ana No Duerme (1969) Parquet Courts: Master of my Craft (2012/3) EXTRAS Sean’s Music Hunt   -   Story of Almendra Tacks, the Boy Disaster - Frozen Feet Who Will Save...

For most of us, going to a concert is a special kind of experience with so many unknowns: Will there be guests? Will you hear your favorite songs, or fresh material that gets you excited for a new album? Will you stand in front of someone who complains about you being too tall? Will someone ask you for a “swallow” of wine? Will you be moved to dance? Or cry? Will this be a night to remember?  What...

We're back, baby! We took our first ever pod-break and we are ready for Season Two. To kick things off, we thought we ought to share some songs that are... well, not quite our typical style. Out of Character, if you will. VIDEOS Guns N Roses: You’re Crazy (1987)  Thin Lizzy: Jailbreak (1976) EXTRAS You’re Crazy (Lies) Best Debut Albums of All Time (GNR Appetite for Destruction #8) The Story B...

Season 2 starts September 2, and yes, we are making a statement. About music. About meaning. About life and death. Stereothematica is back: dramatic, erratic, and occasionally bombastic. Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com  (for extra fun)! If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you...

We are on break until September 2, but we hope you’ll press play on this re-release of one of our favorite episodes. -- Ever love an album so much, you'd call it perfect—if it wasn't for that one skippable track? This week, Christina and Christine reveal the single songs they'd remove from a couple of their favorite records to create their ultimate no-skip albums.  VIDEOS: Beach Hou...

We’re on a short break until September 2, so we’re rewinding our Mixtape episode. Please press play and relive the joy of swapping songs, discovering new favorites, and maybe falling for Devo all over again. -- This week on Stereothematica, we’re diving into the songs we first heard on mixtapes. Whether it was on a carefully curated cassette from a friend, a crush, or a burned CD passed around in...

Songs can teach you things! Who knew? Our artists knew, obviously. And we've learned a few cautionary tales in addition to our picks this week. Like... don't drink and gamble . Don't be a bad dad ! Guns? Not our favorite. But if you're gonna have them, don't take them to town ! And above all, if you're a jerk husband like Earl, well, watch out ! Our cautionary tale to...

Today we are waxing nostalgic. Well, more like longing for a moment, a feeling, a history we never experienced. The Germans, of course, have a word for it: sehnsucht . In Korean, it's han , a soulful ache that can span generations. And in English? We’ve got anemoia (thanks to a somewhat newly made-up word rooted in Greek). Join us as we unpack this beautifully complicated feeling through musi...

This week we tackle the songs we love with lyrics that confuddle us. Less, "what are they saying???" and more "what do they mean?!"   VIDEOS The Replacements: Swinging Party   (1984) Sabina Sciubba: Viva L’Amour (2014) EXTRAS When did drunks start wearing lampshades? VPM Interview with Sabina Sciubba (2024) Penelope and Mrs. Baskets at Costco The Pleasure of the Text (Not Chris...

Movie magic is back (again)! This time we’re talking sing-alongs! Not the big staged numbers, but those unplanned, diegetic moments when characters just start singing along to a song because they must. Whether it’s in a bar, a bus, or a car, these are the scenes that sneak up on you and stick around long after the credits roll. VIDEOS The Deer Hunter - Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You  Almost Famous...

What happens when music refuses to stay in its lane? It gets some major Stereothematica love.  This week Christina and Christine talk about the artists who blur boundaries, break molds, and bend genres in ways that feel both surprising and inevitable. These are sounds shaped by curiosity, contradiction, and a refusal to be easily defined. Videos: Arthur Russell: This is How We Walk on the Moon (19...

It’s our 25th episode! What better way to celebrate than with a chat about collaboration—the good, the weird, and the legendary. From surprise duets to global jams, we’re talking about musical magic-making that moves our bodies and minds and reassures us that just maybe humanity isn’t doomed after all. Thanks for being a part of the Stereothematica collaboration! VIDEOS David Byrne and Selena: God...

From the grief-fueled artistry of Ben Kweller to the soulful resurgence of Ethiopian legend Girma Bèyènè, this week, we get into the emotional power of musical comebacks—those triumphant, and sometimes tragic, returns to the spotlight.   Videos: Ben Kweller: Dollar Store (2025) Girma Bèyènè & Akalé Wubé: Enkèn Yèlélèbesh (2017)   Extras: Ben Kweller’s famous nosebleed at ACL 2006 Vulture’s Rev...

Whether you think the summer song is a relic of the past or you need some tunes to get up and dance--or maybe just for lounging by the pool--we’ve got you covered.  Videos: Sofi Tukker: Energia (2018) Charli XCX:360 (2024) Sofi Tukker Collabs: Sofi Tukker and Pabllo Vittar: Energia Part 2 (2018) Sofi Tukker Featuring Charlie Baker: Good Time Girl (2018) Sofi Tukker and Bomba Estéreo: Playa Grande...

From spacey synth odysseys to hypnotic flamenco boogie jams, these songs turn extended length into a vibe, not a chore…unless that chore is hauswerk .  Videos: Autobahn: Kraftwerk (1974)  Capablanca & T. Keeler: No Hay Ritmo (2011)  Please note: the vocals on "No Hay Ritmo" are hard to hear in our recording. If you'd like to listen to the parts referenced, please go to 1:31-1:41...

This week, we are burning up with desire to share the songs from our childhood that made us feel sinful, shameful, or just plain wrong for listening them. From religious baggage to misunderstood lyrics, we explore the complicated relationship between early music obsessions and the guilt they stirred.  Videos: Madonna: Burning Up (1983) Romeo Void: Never Say Never (1982)  Extras:  Madonna: Get into...

This week we might actually get canceled... because we're diving into the discussion of those artists we used to love, but we can no longer, in good conscience, count them among our favorites. We're sure you can think of a problematic artist without too much effort. But the tricky part is, can you separate art from artist?  Videos: The Smiths: The Boy With the Thorn in His Side (1986) Mi...

This week, we’re facing the music—literally. It’s all about those songs we can’t help but like, even though they make us wince, cringe, or yell “NOOOO” at the lyrics. Join us as we tiptoe through the landmines of musical problematica, and try not to get canceled. Videos: Joe Dassin: L’ete Indien (1975) Jimmy Soul: If You Wanna Be Happy (1962)  Extras:  Kovács Kati: Indián Nyár (1977) Joe Dassin: E...