Stereothematica

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...

In this episode, we slow things down with a theme we need right now: soothing. From the dreamy melancholia of John Maus to the tender, ambient layers of Branden Eder, we explore songs that bring calm through the chaos. Tune in for stories of mystery, memory, and music that hold space for stillness. Videos: John Maus: Hey Moon (2011)  Brendan Eder Ensemble: Isn’t it True (2023) Extras:  The Guardia...

Moving your body from the bar to the dance floor is easier said than done, sometimes . But these songs do it for us all the time.  In this week's episode we get down, and up, and all around, from the complicated nature of dancing to the gimmicks that make it silly.   “You can dance, for inspiration / Come on, I'm waiting…” ( Madonna) Videos: Raffaella Carrà: Rumore (Song: 1974/Video: 197...

In this episode of Stereothematica, Christina and Christine get into the fascinating world of unusual instruments in everyday band lineups. Now, what counts as “unusual” can vary depending on where you’re from, who you are, and what you like, but whatever your story, it’s always exciting to hear musicians expand their sound with something unexpected. Videos: The Octopus Project: I Saw The Bright S...

This week on Stereothematica, we’re diving into the songs we first heard on mixtapes. Whether it was from a carefully curated cassette from a friend, a crush, or a burned CD passed around in high school, we get into the emotional data transfer of mixtapes, and why some songs just stick—even if the relationships didn’t. Videos: Devo: Beautiful World (1981)  The Slits: Typical Girls (1979) Extras: D...

Being caught off guard by a song is a certain sort of pleasure (and possibly pain). Maybe you notice something in the lyrics you've never heard before, or maybe you fall in love with a song from a band you thought you had figured out. Whether you realize you were wrong—or just surprised, discombobulated, maybe even terrified—the unpredictability of music, and more importantly, your reaction t...

Is there anything more exhilarating  than hearing a song in a movie for the first time and immediately falling in love with it? Your emotions add to the scene–you become a character, reacting to the music, it changes your life, and your perception of the film.   This week, Christina and Christine get into a couple songs unearthed from the silver screen. Join them as they explore these musical trea...

Do you remember your first radio request? Is this something that people still do?  This week on Stereothematica, Christina and Christine talk about yet another formative experience in their lives as music lovers: their first radio request (that they remember)!  Videos: Outkast: B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) (2000) Eddie Murphy: Party All the Time (1985) Extras:  A Look at Eddie Murphy's Musical...

This week on Stereothematica, Christina and Christine dive into the elusive concept of the "Perfect Album,” an album so stellar, you'd never dream of skipping a track. As they explore what musical perfection means and reveal their ideal songs from their ultimate no-skip albums, they also uncover insights into their own musical (and personal!) psychology along the way. Videos: Pescado Rab...

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 House: L’Inconnue ,  7 (2018) David Bowie: Andy Warhol , Hunky Dory (1971) Extras: Pitchfork album review of “7” L'In...

In honor of International Women’s Day (March 8!) and Women’s History Month, we are talking protest songs! When words and feelings fail us, music comes to the rescue to help us shout, plead, or sometimes even ask nicely for the change we want to see in the world.  Videos: Joni Mitchell: Big Yellow Taxi (1971) Pussy Riot: Make America Great Again (2016) Extras: Joni Mitchell Archives KCRW’s Lost Not...

Straightforward, right? And yet... But really, what constitutes a hit? Isn’t that subjective?  Should Christina and Christine have stricter parameters when playing this game?  Is it even a game at this point?   Or is this really just an excuse to share some mind-blowing music?  Videos: Air: La Femme D’argent (1998) Emahoy Tsegye-Maryam Guebrou: Homeless Wanderer (1960s) Extras: Korg demo Honky Ton...

How well do Christina and Christine know each other's musical tastes?  How well do you think you know theirs? Too soon to tell?   This week they predict what song they have in their respective music libraries that the other person will also have in theirs.  Here’s the catch: the other person is supposed to like the predicted song a lot more because it’s supposed to be more up their alley. If...

Does family drama make music better? There are too many bands with siblings to mention here, though Christina and Christine talk about a few of them–drama and all.  This week's episode features songs that showcase the transcendent tunes born from the complicated nature of working with your blood. Videos: The Beach Boys: God Only Knows (song:1964/video: 2022)  Las Grecas: Te Estoy Amando Locam...

These are not your go-to karaoke songs.  Even if you don’t like karaoke, if you’re listening to Stereothematica, you must love music, and therefore, you must have a song you fantasize about singing to a captive audience.  Videos: Lola Flores: A Tu Vera (song: 1962/ video: 1971) Kate Bush: Wuthering Heights (1978) Extras: Rosalía singing A Tu Vera in Dolor y Gloria Theory and Play of the Duende Pat...

In addition to revealing their ages to their listeners, this episode gave Christina and Christine a chance to think about their birth years through the lens of their favorite songs from that very year. Videos: Tracy Chapman: Fast Car (1988) Stevie Wonder:  Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing   (1973 - album /1974 single) Extras: Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs 2024 Grammy’s Performance  Tracy Chapman: Give...

Who hasn’t thought of their life as a movie and imagined what song would be playing as their character first appears on screen? And if you haven’t thought about this, today is your chance to be a music supervisor for your own life’s hypothetical movie. Videos: Talking Heads: Psycho Killer (1977)  Brenton Wood: Oogum Boogum (1967) Extras: Talking Heads: Psycho Killer Featuring Arthur Russell on Cel...

Christina and Christine need a dopamine hit this week. Maybe you do, too? In this episode, they talk about the songs that pump them up each time they hear them.   Songs: Yelle: Je Veux Te Voir (2007)  Amadou & Mariam: Bofou Safou (2017) Extras: Paper Magazine Article about Bloghouse Cuizi’s Gourmand Note: Amadou Bagayoko died since we recorded this episode. Here's a lovely tribute to his...