My Weekly Mixtape: Music Discovery & Nostalgia

This week, Brian Klemm, guitarist for Orange County ska-punk favorites Suburban Legends , joins us to craft the ultimate Disney playlist —20 songs spanning movies , TV shows , and classic cartoons that have captured the hearts of generations . We also dive deep into Suburban Legends’ unique connection to Disney , including their high-energy , dance-filled live shows at Disneyland —events that beca...

This week, I’m joined by Tad Kinchla , bassist for Blues Traveler , as we dig into songs from across the band’s 30+ year career — from radio staples to deep cuts and creative detours you may have missed. We talk about material from their soul-inspired album, Traveler’s Soul , and revisit the story behind their ahead-of-its-time 2000 digital release, Decisions of the Sky . Tad also breaks down the...

This week, guest curator Jon Loree , drummer for Tantric , joins me to spotlight 20 of the most underrated rock drummers in history. From hidden legends to overlooked masters of the kit , we celebrate the players who drive the beat but often don’t get the credit they deserve . “Underrated” is subjective — and that’s part of the fun . Tune in to hear how our picks stack up against your favorites ,...

This week, guest curator Joe Milliken — author of Let’s Go! Benjamin Orr & The Cars — joins me to craft a mixtape celebrating the best songs from The Cars’ legendary discography. Along the way, we dive into Joe’s book, explore Benjamin Orr and Ric Ocasek’s pre-Cars band Milkwood , and chat about The New Cars , the 2007 lineup featuring Elliot Easton , Greg Hawkes , and Todd Rundgren . As a lif...

Think back to a time when the concert encore and a power ballad went hand-in-hand . This week, Sean Faust returns as guest curator as we craft the show’s first-ever Vol. 2 episode , picking up right where our original ’80s & ’90s Power Ballads playlist ( Episode 16 ) left off. This follow-up dives deeper into the era of soaring choruses , emotional guitar solos , and arena-sized feelings — the...

This week, my guest curator is Chris Graue — the creative force behind the 8-bit ska-punk band Lo(u)ser — and together we’re building the ultimate playlist of songs from Kevin Smith movies . From Clerks to Chasing Amy to Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back , this episode is all about the soundtracks that helped define the View Askewniverse . Along the way, we’re also talking music videos , since Chris...

This week, I’m joined by singer-songwriter Jono Manson to dig into Bootlegger Days!! — his brand-new duo album with John Popper of Blues Traveler — and the 30+ year musical relationship that finally brought this project to life. Jono and I trace the story back to the early ’90s New York City roots-rock scene , where Blues Traveler cut their teeth opening for Jono’s band Joey Miserable & The Wo...

This week, I am joined by Jim Loughlin , multi-instrumentalist & percussionist for moe. , in a (ahem) "jam-packed" episode, diving into songs from throughout the band’s 30+ year history. We explore how their songs evolve in live shows , their unique approach to recording “studio” albums in a live setting , and how multiple lead singers shape the songwriting process . Plus, we break down how se...

This week, Jason Whissell of It’s Not That Bad and There Can Only Be One joins me to tackle one of the trickiest challenges in music: the sophomore album . Every artist here released both their debut and follow-up in the ’90s, making the challenge even tougher . And yet, these second albums didn’t just survive the pressure — they proved the first record wasn’t a fluke . From alternative rock and b...

This week, I’m joined by Jay Sweet to build a playlist of 20 popular songs you didn’t know were cover songs . From massive radio hits to tracks that feel inseparable from the artists who made them famous, we dig into recordings that actually started somewhere else entirely . Some of these reveals genuinely caught us off guard, and the result is a playlist that’s equal parts familiar , surprising ,...

This week, I’m joined by DT Carel , host of SpaceCastle , to curate a playlist spotlighting the 2000s Garage Rock Revival — a movement that brought grit , swagger , and distortion back to the forefront of rock music. Emerging in the early 2000s, the garage rock revival blurred the lines between punk , indie rock , and alternative , favoring raw energy over polish and attitude over perfection . Ban...

New Wave was a genre built on transition — where punk’s raw energy collided with pop hooks , synths , fashion , and experimentation . This week’s guest curator, Patreon Mixtaper Ben Cheknis , host of the Two Vague Podcast , joins me to curate a playlist celebrating the essential New Wave classics of the late ’70s and ’80s . This episode traces New Wave’s evolution from its jittery , stripped-down...

This week, I’m joined by Aaron Comess — drummer for Spin Doctors — to help me build the ultimate Spin Doctors playlist , pulling from the band’s biggest hits , longtime fan favorites , and a few deeper cuts along the way. We also dig into the details behind the band’s first new studio album since 2013’s If The River Was Whiskey . Along the way, Aaron reflects on the band’s 30-plus-year friendship...

This week, I’m joined by Art Alexakis — singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Everclear — to take a deep dive into the stories behind the band’s biggest hits , fan favorites , and overlooked gems . We talk about everything from the 30th anniversary of their debut album World of Noise (recorded for just $400 !) to the leap to a major label with Sparkle & Fade , the massive success of So Much Fo...

This week I'm joined by Scott Klopfenstein —multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and frontman of The Littlest Man Band , as well as his tenure with Reel Big Fish & The Scholars . Together, we’re skanking our way through ska history to build the ultimate ska punk playlist , featuring anthems from every era and decade of the genre’s evolution. From third-wave ska classics and ‘90s Warped Tour favori...

This week, we’re dialing back the tempo just enough to let the notes breathe — then creaking it up the heat like only Texas can. Joining me as guest curator is Patreon Mixtaper David Lee Smith , and together we’re digging deep into the catalog of one of blues rock’s true pioneers: Stevie Ray Vaughan . SRV was a musical chameleon . Whether he was tearing through Texas blues , reinventing a cover ,...

This week, I’m joined by Matt Kennedy of XRadioX , and we’re dialing things up for a playlist that proves punk rock has a way of making everything sound more dangerous . We’re curating 20 punk cover songs that rip familiar tracks out of their original context and rebuild them with distortion , urgency, and zero concern for the rules . From early punk and hardcore to pop-punk and modern scene stapl...

This week, I’m joined by Lawrence Gowan — keyboardist and singer for Styx — for a deep dive into the stories behind some of the band’s biggest songs and their musical evolution over the last five decades . We talk about how Styx’s sound has grown and shifted over time and what it’s like stepping into a legacy band while still carving out your own creative voice . Lawrence also reflects on his solo...

This week I'm joined by Bobby Shultz of the Effin’ Cultured Podcast , and together we’re curating a fun and flavorful mixtape filled with our favorite summer cookout and BBQ-themed songs —but with a delicious twist: every track is centered around food and drinks you’d find at a classic backyard gathering. That’s right—this isn’t your typical playlist of songs for a summer BBQ. Instead, we’re servi...

This week, I’m joined by Bill Gibson — drummer and percussionist for Huey Lewis & The News — to help curate the ultimate playlist celebrating one of the most enduring American rock bands of the last 40 years . Together, we’re pulling from every corner of the catalog: massive radio staples , longtime fan favorites , and a handful of deeper cuts that deserve a little more love. What makes this c...

This week, I’m joined by DJ Doug Miller of Elite Sound Entertainment , and we’re dialing it back to 1993 — a year that didn’t just deliver great hip-hop, it reshaped the culture. With landmark albums like Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) , Doggystyle , and Midnight Marauder s all dropping within months of each other, 1993 felt like a nonstop run of instant classics . This episode pulls 20 standout...

This week, I’m joined by Jason Whissell — host of It’s Not That Bad and There Can Only Be One — to curate a playlist packed with great songs from critically panned movies . These are the soundtrack moments that outshined the films they were attached to — songs that stuck around long after the credits rolled . To be clear, these aren’t movies we necessarily think are bad — we actually enjoy a lot o...

This week, I’m joined by Alex Jacob — Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner and 2006 United States Poker Champion — to curate a playlist celebrating the best songs from 2000s movie soundtracks . The 2000s marked a turning point for film soundtracks. As digital downloads and early streaming changed how we discovered music , soundtrack albums stopped being guaranteed cultural events — which made...

This week, I’m joined by Ryan Pak , host of Soundtrack Your Life , and we’re traveling back to the ‘90s , a decade when movie soundtracks mattered just as much as the movies themselves ! We’re curating a full ’90s soundtrack snapshot — from the songs everyone remembers to a few deeper cuts that might’ve slipped through the cracks. From late-night video store runs to CDs that lived permanently in y...

This week, I sit down with Alex Gomez — host of The Sleevie G. Show — to put together a soundtrack playlist that could only come out of the 80s . We’re diving deep into the era of big hair , bigger emotions , and some of the most unforgettable songs ever tied to a film . Expect the classics that defined a generation , plus some lesser-known gems that’ll make you want to rewind and play again. Whet...