The Midlife Critics Podcast

Your host Burke Wasson counts down our top 25 songs from #FreshCuts Vol. 112 in solo fashion and efficient results! Enjoy! If you enjoy this podcast and want to show your love for that work, you can donate any amount you like, big or small, at the following apps: PayPal at wasson.burke@gmail.com Venmo at @Burke-Wasson CashApp at $BurkeWasson Thank you for your support. It means a lot and helps cov...

Sue Walnut, Wellington Davis, Nathan Ferrell, Steve Strait, Travis Boots, and Grant Wasson join your host Burke Wasson to count down the group's top 26 songs so far of 2026. This episode is well worth it, but was a LOT of work. If you enjoy this podcast and want to show your love for that work, you can donate any amount you like, big or small, at the following apps: PayPal at wasson.burke@gmail.co...

Your host Burke Wasson looks ahead to our Songs of the Midyear poll coming this week and counts down our top 25 songs from #FreshCuts Vol. 111. If you enjoy this podcast, you can donate at the following apps: PayPal at wasson.burke@gmail.com Venmo at @Burke-Wasson CashApp at $BurkeWasson Thank you for your support. It means a lot and helps cover monthly fees. Listen to #FreshCuts Vol. 111 here on:...

Burke Wasson runs through a rapidfire top 25 countdown of songs that most of us hadn't heard in less than an hour. Enjoy! If you enjoy this podcast, you can donate at the following apps: PayPal at wasson.burke@gmail.com Venmo at @Burke-Wasson CashApp at $BurkeWasson Thank you for your support. It means a lot and helps cover monthly fees. Listen to #FreshCuts Vol. 110 here on: Spotify: https://open...

For the first time in a month, your host Burke Wasson is back, baby! Steve Strait, Travis Boots, and Bryan Mosby join Burke to count down our songs of the week from #FreshCuts Vol. 109. This episode is a lot of fun, with a recurring theme of Steve being at odds with his daughter on music. Travis and Mosby also speculate on a reason for an unfortunate trend that's happened on The Midlife Critics pr...

While our fearless leader, Burke Wasson is away for a bit, his brother, Grant Wasson steps in for this week's countdown. The illustrious, Jesse Morgan guests on this week's episode. Enjoy the countdown! As usual, AI seems to wreak havoc, creating its own chapters so please just listen to the whole pod so no songs are skipped. If you enjoy this podcast, you can donate at the following apps: PayPal...

While our fearless leader, Burke Wasson is away for a bit, his brother, Grant Wasson steps in for this week's countdown. Guests include Wellington Davis and Claire Estelle Knight. Enjoy the countdown from our largest selection of fresh cuts ever! If you enjoy this podcast, you can donate at the following apps: PayPal at wasson.burke@gmail.com Venmo at @Burke-Wasson CashApp at $BurkeWasson Than...

Your host Burke Wasson runs a solo countdown episode, revealing every person who nominated every song. Plus, an announcement at the start of the episode. Steve Strait is also on hand to hear who nominated the songs in his #FreshFour. #FreshCuts Vol. 104: The Mystery Volume exceeded expectations. Enjoy hearing each song in the countdown. If you enjoy this podcast, you can donate at the following ap...

If you want to hear a detailed chat on our issues with legendary prog frontman Greg Lake, this is the episode for you. Steve Strait joins your host Burke Wasson to reveal his #FreshFour favorite songs from #FreshCuts Vol. 104: The Mystery Volume. Steve also discusses his drawings of each song in his #FreshFour, shown on this episode cover. This episode lives up to its season and number. Dig it. If...

Your host Burke Wasson tackles this week's countdown solo, but there's an early story from Travis Boots to explain one of his nominations that missed the cut by one vote. This episode has a shocking and frankly concerning reveal, so keep your ears perked. And enjoy this episode! If you enjoy this podcast, you can donate at the following apps: PayPal at wasson.burke@gmail.com Venmo at @Burke-Wasson...

King Wellington Davis was kind enough to stop by the podcast to give his #FreshFour for #FreshCuts Vol. 103. He and your host Burke Wasson also get into a newfound appreciation for classical and German music, as well as classical German music. If you enjoy this podcast, you can donate at the following apps: PayPal at wasson.burke@gmail.com Venmo at @Burke-Wasson CashApp at $BurkeWasson Thank you f...

Travis Boots and Bryan Mosby join your host Burke Wasson for the first-ever live #FreshCuts countdown reveal. Find out which songs made the countdown and what each of you can do each week to try to get a third pick. Plus, we share tales of junior high and reminisce on a classic 1994 album. We also have a first-time winner in the countdown. If you enjoy this podcast, you can donate at the following...

Up until now, we've always waited to put out any #FreshCuts episodes until after the poll closes. Don't worry, we still will. But now we're going to be treated every Monday night or Tuesday morning to some of our fellow Critics' #FreshFour picks before the poll closes at noon Central each Wednesday. So anyone still on the fence with their votes and #FreshFour can hear some #Fresh perspective. In t...

Current events. Underground pop. #FreshCuts-induced confusion in the drive-thru. A great, old but fresh song from a band we don't like. Anonymous trendsetters. And a retort to our fellow Midlife Critic Bryan Mosby. All of that and so much more are on this episode. Nathan Ferrell (seen in the cover artwork as a doctor) and Grant Wasson count down #FreshCuts Vol. 101 with your host Burke Wasson. Thi...

Angel Grit comes from the concrete of New York City’s Lower East Side. They are a collision of hardcore, punk, and metal that doesn’t fit neatly into one box. The band exists to cut through a male-dominated scene with a ferocious, female-forward presence that is as melodic as it is heavy. Frontwoman Melissa Schainker and drummer Louis Iacobelli sit down with Wellington Davis and Steve Strait to di...

Angel Grit comes from the concrete of New York City’s Lower East Side. They are a collision of hardcore, punk, and metal that doesn’t fit neatly into one box. The band exists to cut through a male-dominated scene with a ferocious, female-forward presence that is as melodic as it is heavy. Frontwoman Melissa Schainker and drummer Louis Iacobell sit down with Wellington Davis and Steve Strait to tal...

This is an old-school episode wrapped totally around a chat between your host Burke Wasson, Travis Boots, Bryan Mosby, and Steve Strait. We discuss our #FreshMadness tournament of #1 songs of the week from the first 99 volumes, get into discussion of the top 4 #FreshestCuts, and spend the last hour or so complaining, laughing, and getting into what's ahead in Vol. 101, out this afternoon.

Each month, our Grand Poobah Wellington Davis gets to pick a topic that we must discuss on the podcast. For his first, he chose how we pick the songs we nominate in #FreshCuts. But that's not all! We also discuss what genres or artists we've got into from #FreshCuts, what genres we STILL don't enjoy despite (and because of ) repeated exposure, and what changes are coming to #FreshCuts starting nex...

Travis Boots, Bryan Mosby, Steve Strait, Wellington Davis, and Claire Knight join your host Burke Wasson to count down a massive week of #FreshCuts Vol. 99. The songs that made the top half were more inspired than usual, and we get into those songs as well as which country we'd be willing to call our new home. This one was a lot of fun, but the music is our source. Plus, hear what plans are in sto...

To discuss the largest #FreshCuts volume we've ever had, your host Burke Wasson brings in some heavy hitters: Wellington Davis and Nathan Ferrell. We count down our top 22 songs plus 2 Stray Cuts. We discuss how often we'd like to have a supersized volume of #FreshCuts where each person can pick 3. And we marvel at the level of songs in this volume. Listen to the #FreshCuts Vol. 98 playlist on the...

Your host Burke Wasson gets into every single song in our Songs of the Week countdown from #FreshCuts Vol. 97. Which three songs does he think the group snubbed? Which three would he remove from the countdown, if he could? Find out. Plus, which artist this week sounds like Herbert from Family Guy? And our #1 song this week adds a cool fact to some #FreshCuts history. Nerd out. Listen to #FreshCuts...

Wellington Davis, Nathan Ferrell, Steve Strait, Travis Boots, and Bryan Mosby join your host Burke Wasson for one of the most genuinely thoughtful and humorous episodes we've done, counting down our songs of the week from #FreshCuts Vol. 96. Be warned. There are voices, a preview of an upcoming album, and a Grand Poobah announcement. And as always, great music. And if you enjoy this podcast, you c...

Year of October is a Nashville-based trio with Kentucky roots and a heavy fuzz rock soul sound. Their 6th album, I've Given You Everything, was released in October and is a bloozey trip that sounds just as rewarding in your living room as it does at a kegger in the woods. Phlecia Sullivan's soulful vocals mingle well with her husband Josh Sullivan's thick but nimble guitar tone and James Varner's...

Bryan Mosby, Travis Boots, Steve Strait, Nathan Ferrell, Grant Wasson, and Claire Knight join your host Burke Wasson to count down #FreshCuts Vol. 94. What would a Mosby sandwich look like? And which of us would be the mayonnaise? Is Jello Biafra the punk version of Fred Schneider? What music video did Steve Strait thoroughly enjoy? What does Travis Boots think of high school reunions? What revela...

Wellington Davis, Nathan Ferrell, Steve Strait, and Bryan Mosby join your host Burke Wasson to dig into our songs of the week from #FreshCuts Vol. 93. Steve, Mosby, and Burke also discuss Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show at the start of the episode. Plus, find out which tribute albums in the '90s are worth seeking. Mosby and Burke get into social media pet peeves. And find out which ho...