Drop the Needleheads

"But my pod woke up on the wrong side of his cast . . . " Eight years from their explosive debut Definitely Maybe , Oasis had graduated into stadium rock stalwarts. Their previous album, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants , was met with lukewarm response; its psychedelic flourishes and laid-back vibe were a far cry from the ear-crushing, electric guitar-dominated sounds of their early work. It's n...

"Kids are running around naked, podcasting in the bushes . . . " As the popularity of Britpop declined, Oasis found themselves at a bit of a crossroads. So, they decided to switch things up. They ditched their iconic logo for one with a more futuristic typeface, added some psychedelic flourishes to their songs, and used a completely non-British photo of the New York City skyline. for the album cov...

On a very special episode of Drop the Needleheads , Schmiggy and Yahtzee discuss Oasis' triumphant return to the United States on their Live '25 tour. They both attended the Chicago show on August 28, 2025, and were among the tens of thousands blown away by what has become the tour of the year . . . nay, decade. They talk about the long-anticipated show 16 years in the making, the vibes in the cit...

"Kickin' up a storm from the day that I was born / Cast a pod with me, one from 'Let it Be', open up your eyes get a grip of yourself inside . . . " In 1997, Oasis was the biggest rock band in the world. So, it was befitting they released an album grand in scope, length, guitar overdubs . . . well, grand in everything . Unleased onto the public at the end of the summer, Be Here Now flew off the sh...

"Someday you will find me caught beneath the landslide, in a champod supercasta in the sky . . . " After Definitely Maybe exploded onto the scene, Oasis was charged with the ever-difficult task of following up its success. In the spring of 1995, they decamped to Rockfield Studios in Wales armed with Noel Gallagher's newly-minted tunes. Just over two weeks later, they completed their second album (...

"Is it worth the aggravation to find yourself a pod when there's nothing worth casting for?" In the history of rock music, few debut albums have had the seismic impact of Oasis' Definitely Maybe . Released in 1994 at the height of the grunge movement, this group of Mancunians countered the nihilism of the day with their own brash brand of life-affirming rock 'n' roll. Their mix of loud guitars, sn...

"Hey, it's lonely at the bottom, Man, it's dizzy at the top / But if you're casting in the middle, oh, ain't no way you're gonna pod . . . " The year was 1979. Disco and punk were the rage, and bands like Led Zeppelin were considered "dinosaurs" by the rock music intelligentsia. Wounded from personal loss (the death of Robert Plant's son), addiction (Jimmy Page and heroin, John Bonham and alcohol)...

"For the mighty arms of podcast hold the heavens from the Earth . . . " In the summer of 1975, Led Zeppelin was on top of the world. Ahead of an upcoming US tour, Robert Plant and his family took a vacation, but a terrible car crash left him and his wife badly injured. The shows were canceled, and a hobbled Plant met up with Jimmy Page in Malibu to channel their frustrations into new songs. Releas...

"Oh let the sun beat down upon my cast, with pods to fill my dream . . . " At the peak of their popularity in the mid-70's, Led Zeppelin retreated to Headley Grange once again. The goal was to write enough songs for a new record, but they came up with more than could fit on one LP. The solution? Dig back into the vaults and put out a sprawling double album. Physical Graffiti was met with near-unan...

"We've done four already but now we're steady, and then they went . . . one, two, pod, cast . . . " How does a band follow up its most iconic album? For Led Zeppelin, they turned in their loosest LP yet. Houses of the Holy included crowd-pleasers like "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "The Ocean", live staples like "The Song Remains the Same" and "No Quarter" - along with some downright cheeky fil...

"Yes, there are two casts you can go by, but in the long run - there's still time to change the pod you're on . . . " IV, Zoso, Four Symbols . . . whatever you call it, Led Zeppelin's fourth album is ubiquitous with rock music. After the mixed reception to their third album, the band was on a mission to put out their best work yet. They hunkered down at Headley Grange, a creaky mansion in the Engl...

"The hammer of the gods will drive our pods to new casts . . . " Within two years of its formation, Led Zeppelin had become the biggest rock band in the world. Instead of following up their second album with more of the same, Jimmy Page and Co. made a sharp left turn with their third LP, placing undeniable riffs like "Immigrant Song" and "Out on the Tiles" alongside acoustic numbers like "Gallows...

"Squeeze me, baby, 'til the pod runs down my cast . . . " Like the German bombardiers depicted on its sepia-toned cover, Led Zeppelin II blitzed onto millions of turntables in October 1969. Mike Carpenter and Ben Yates continue their deep dive into the band's discography, dropping the needle on the nine-track album featuring Zeppelin's only top-ten single "Whole Lotta Love", along with other class...

"In the days of our youth, we were told what it means to pod a cast . . . " In January 1969, Led Zeppelin crashed into record stores with their seminal debut album. Mike Carpenter and Ben Yates begin their deep dive into the band's discography, dropping the needle on the nine-track LP featuring classic rock radio staples like "Good Times Bad Times" and "Dazed and Confused". Recorded just a month a...

Drop the Needleheads is a music podcast focusing on rock's greatest artists. Mike Carpenter (Schmiggy) and Ben Yates (Yahtzee) take deep dives into the discographies of their favorite musicians, devoting an episode to each album. Join them as the records spin, the bourbon flows, and the breakdowns are deeper than John Bonham's bass drum.