In The Mix

For the rest of December, we're going to be talking about our favorite music of the decade as it comes to a close! First up: some artists and songs that we think have gone under the radar and deserve a shout out.

New Jersey musician Chris Dubrow returns to the program as we, for the second year in a row, talk about some of the worst songs the holiday season has to offer. From the new Baby It's Cold Outside to bad covers from rock icons, and from miserable acapella groups to cover songs from 2000s ringtone legends, we break down the many ways one can make a truly terrible holiday song.

Brian Erickson (The Extensions, OneMore with Brian Erickson, The Great Albums Podcast) returns to the program to talk to us about music from the local scenes of Asbury Park, New Brunswick and more, as well as his journey within music scenes and how it has impacted different moments in his life.

Steve and Dave are tired guys without a lot of time to record. So they decided to take this time to help put together some songs to help them - and you - fall asleep to. From lo-fi indie to emo classics, we're here to help you get a much needed full night of sleep.

We've discussed Limp Bizkit and nu metal at length before, but this time we dedicate an entire episode to the works of Fred Durst. Writer and podcaster Lenny Burnham joins us not only to listen to some Limp Bizkit hits and deep cuts, but also to discuss Durst's 2019 film "The Fanatic" starring John Travolta. What does a Fred Durst movie look like, and what is it that makes so many classic Limp Bizkit singles still so fun after all this time?

This week, Katie Wright from the Bret Easton Hell Yes! podcast returns to the show as we discuss some of our favorite songs from musicals. Katie gives us a crash course on some of the most seminal musicals of the past several decades from Fiddler to Les Mis. Meanwhile Dave and Steve remain strong to their brands with New Jersey-centric rock options and the discovery of a ska musical.

Bill Lambusta (Fake Pockets, The Great Albums) joins us in our return to discuss some artists that we certainly enjoy - we just couldn't say we loved. What is it about popular artists from Beck to Ben Gibbard, Goldfinger to The Offspring that has as unable to fully commit to the fandom?

Our beloved Bruce Springsteen released his newest album, Western Stars, last week. So your beloved (presumably) hosts decided to honor the legend with some of their favorite interpretations of his music. Because it turns out everyone has taken the chance to put their own spin on some of Springsteen's most inspiring, saddest, and horniest songs. From funk metal luminaries to 80s one hit wonders, indie synthpop guys to classic rock icons, everyone has given Springsteen songs a try. Here are some of the most interesting.

Steve and Dave know basically nothing about astrology, but would like to know more! So we had our friend and astrology enthusiast Carol Galli over to explain astrology to us while the three of us pick songs for some of the signs. Your intrepid hosts learn a little bit about what the stars have to say about them, and are surprised to find that they relate to it more than they expect. Along the way we talk Billie Eilish, Brendan Urie and A Tribe Called Quest too.

Max Resnick returns to the show to talk a bit about Jersey Animal Rescue before we try something a little new: instead of picking our own songs, we all asked the people in our lives for songs that remind them of us. From shared memories to songs that reflect your feelings to just songs that give off your vibe we get into why certain songs can remind you of the people you love.  

Your intrepid hosts are determined to prove how cool they are with a playlist of songs for after you've had sex, and along for the ride is returning champ Ben Resnick, frontman for We're Ghosts Now. From songs picked for the emotions they carry to songs picked because the title kinda sounds like a sex thing, things get weird very quickly!

Seems like pretty much the only thing YouTube is actually good for these days is musical performances What are some of the best ones? We discuss with Riley Schiro of the Cranston Dean Band as he talks about getting most of his new music via NPR Tiny Desk videos, and we go through some of the finest from that series, as well as Audiotree, Pink Couch Sessions and A.V. Undercover.

In the Mix has returned with a new season, and to start things off we decided to do a deeper dive into a genre that constantly comes up on the show: nu-metal. We explore newer songs from the bands of our childhood, and while we may have come up with the theme years ago with the intention of making fun, our perspectives shifted and we instead find some of these bands more resonant than we anticipated. What makes this music meaningful to people still, and what caused our change of heart? Not to say it's all great. Along the way we mock the rock-to-country grift, hear centrist nu-metal and realize that a band neither of us had thought about in 15 years is still one of the biggest bands in rock today.

The boys end 2018 the way they've spent most of it: a little late. But still, our season finale is here as Steve and Dave break down some of their favorite music of the year. From old favorites to new discoveries, contemporary bands and side projects, these are some of our favorite tunes of the year.

Last year we took a look at some actually good holiday songs. This year we dissect some of the worst ones out there with the help of Scout's Devon Alana. We examine the most viscerally unpleasant Christmas song to listen to, see what happens when you're too talented to sing Christmas songs, and reinterpret the infamous Christmas Shoes to give it a meaning we think makes it more fun to listen to. Check out Scout's new single, Maybe, on Bandcamp. And come see them play the Starland Ballroom on Sayreville, NJ on Saturday January 5th!

Musician, podcaster and host extraordinaire, frontman of The Paper Jets Brian Erickson returns to the mix for a surprisingly sweet and heartfelt playlist for our parents. We get into how difficult it is to be a good parent, what it's like to hear Christmas music year-round and why 70s music lends itself so well to nostalgic romance. Just in time for big Thanksgiving family dinners, a family mix! Check out the latest singles from The Paper Jets, "Charlie It Can't Be Done" and "Go On, Go On," on Spotify. And come to their album release show at the Asbury Lanes on December 7!

Chris Fox from Ruby Bones makes his return to talk about some of his favorite bands, and more importantly their songs that didn't quite make the album cut. We cover the classics from Bowie to Bruce, try to figure out how some of these failed to make the album, and whether you can listen to Morrissey while still acknowledging all the terrible things that make him Morrissey.

Steve and Dave are busy boys who don't always have time to think of an elaborate theme, so this week they take it easy and just talk about some of their favorite new tracks and albums. We discuss Dave's recent trip to a renaissance fair, the appeal of Lana Del Rey, whether Say Anything is going out on top and much more.

Steve and Dave agreed that if there was ever not enough time for a guest to give us a theme, we would have no chance but to do... The Nuclear Option. The Nuclear Option is when we take an artist from a list of artists at random, shuffle 10 songs of their's, and discuss. That had never proved necessary until today. The boys joined returning champion Max Resnick of We're Ghosts Now in a basement bar to listen to and analyze ten songs from superstar duo Florida Georgia Line. Max puts on the neon sign at the bar as we discuss the history of this band, the tropes they continually deploy in their songs, whether these guys are the backwoods boys they claim to be and whether or not these songs make us mad. Which they do. Check out the newest song from We're Ghosts Now, "Gun in Hand," on Bandcamp and Spotify, and come see their Ghostober show at the Langosta Lounge Friday, October 19th at 9 pm.

The boys get together for a solo episode and discuss the opposite of a previous episode: some of their absolute least favorite songs to ever top the Billboard Hot 100. Some of the worst hits of the last 30-40 years are here, folks. We get into our issues with Bon Jovi, the time they created a cartoon cat for a Paula Abdul duet, and our begrudging respect for the band Crazy Town.