Joanna Robinson joins Yasi to break down one of the defining soundtracks of the ’80s: 'Dirty Dancing.' They get into the real-life tension between Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze that became undeniable on-screen chemistry, the soundtrack’s seamless blend of ’60s nostalgia and ’80s pop hits, Swayze’s surprise turn as a recording artist with the hit song ‘She’s Like the Wind,’ and how the music helped transform a modestly budgeted film into a full-blown cultural phenomenon.

CREDITS:
Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek
Guest: Joanna Robinson @jowrotethis
Producer: Rob Sundermann
Editor: Adrian Bridges
Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles
Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Madonna Month icon Patrik Sandberg is back to help Yasi break down 'Confessions II,' Madonna’s return to the dance floor. They break down the album’s callbacks to New York nightlife, the name-checks from Debi Mazar and Mark Kamins to Basquiat and Keith Haring, and why Madonna is revisiting one of her most beloved eras. Plus, our review (we love it)!

CREDITS:

Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek

Guests: Patrik Sandberg @patriksandberg

Producer: Rob Sundermann 

Editor: Jamie Yukich 

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Yasi and returning guest Bre Morell discuss their favorite new albums that came out this spring. Plus, the new singles from their most anticipated albums of the summer!

Next, Yasi talks with Domenic “Nicky” Palermo of Nothing about their latest album, ‘a short history of decay’, his Slide Away Music Festival and so, so much more.

Episode Playlist
Listen to the Best New Music of Spring 2026 here
And in case you missed it, listen to the Best New Music of Winter 2026 episode with Chris Ryan  here

CREDITS:
Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek
Guests: Bre Morell @bremorell, Domenic “Nicky” Palermo @bandofnothing
Producer: Rob Sundermann
Editor: Adrian Bridges
Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles
Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Yasi is joined by musician and producer Anthony Anzaldo (Ceremony, Anthony Family) to unpack 'Purple Rain,' the soundtrack that took Prince from rising pop star to household name. They discuss the making of the film, the role of The Revolution, the live recording that became the title track, Morris Day and The Time (and of course, Jerome), and how Prince blended rock, funk, and pop to create a wholly new sound, turning a soundtrack into a blockbuster event and the biggest album of his career.

CREDITS:
Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek
Guest: Anthony Anzaldo @anthonyxfamily
Producer: Rob Sundermann
Editor: Adrian Bridges
Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles
Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Madonna Month (OK, six weeks) is coming to a close, and it’s going out with a bang! First, Yasi is joined by the original Madonna influence, her mom, Fattaneh Salek! It all started here, from picking Madonna favorites while still in a stroller to transcribing lyrics for future sing-alongs.

Then, Patrik Sandberg is back to help Yasi answer all your burning Madonna questions. What was Madonna’s best hair era? Who would the dream Madonna alt-rock collab be? And most importantly, why isn’t Gen Z properly celebrating Madonna?! Plus, they rank their top five Madonna songs (but we still don’t agree with rankings)!

Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek
Guests: Fattaneh Salek and Patrik Sandberg @patriksandberg
Producer: Rob Sundermann
Editor: Adrian Bridges
Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles
Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Yasi is joined by Amanda Dobbins and Sean Fennessey of The Big Picture to reconsider Madonna’s life on film, including her breakout role in Desperately Seeking Susan, box office hits like Dick Tracy and A League of Their Own, polarizing works like Body of Evidence, and of course her most critically acclaimed film work, Evita. They discuss Madonna the cinephile, the vulnerability required to be a great artist, the unfair criticism that followed Madonna the actress, and what they think her best film is.

CREDITS:
Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek
Guests: Amanda Dobbins @akdobbins and Sean Fennessey @seanfennessey
Producer: Rob Sundermann
Editor: Adrian Bridges
Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles
Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Yasi is joined by journalist and critic Caryn Ganz as the Madonna series enters the modern era. They discuss the glittering revival of 'Confessions on a Dance Floor,' the superstar collaborations and pop maximalism of 'Hard Candy,' the spectacle and chaos of 'MDNA,' the leaks, vulnerability, and often misunderstood ambition of 'Rebel Heart,' and the globetrotting experimentation of 'Madame X.' Plus: The Super Bowl, the ageism, the collaborators, and the globe-spanning Celebration Tour that celebrated 40 years of Madonna, along with what they feel is coming next as 'Confessions 2' looms on the horizon.

Episode Playlist
Listen to the Madonna: Part 4 playlist here.

CREDITS:
Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek
Guests: Caryn Ganz @mehpatrol
Producer: Rob Sundermann
Editor: Adrian Bridges
Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles
Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Yasi is joined by creative director Paul Hamann as they continue the Bandsplain Madonna deep dive. They discuss Madonna’s celebrated acting role in Evita and the lasting vocal changes that came with it, her career-elevating work of Ray of Light, the ahead-of-its-time Music, and how the increasingly fraught political situation in America impacted one of her most misunderstood works, American Life. Plus: motherhood, mysticism, the perfect pop single that landed on the Austin Powers soundtrack, and how Madonna kept finding new ways to bend pop stardom around her own evolution.

Episode Playlist
Listen to the Madonna: Part 3 playlist here.

CREDITS:
Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek
Guests: Paul Hamann @hamann.co
Producer: Rob Sundermann
Editor: Adrian Bridges
Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles
Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Yasi is joined by writer and Bandsplain MVP Patrik Sandberg for Part 2 of the Madonna epic. This chapter follows Madonna from 'Like a Prayer' through 'Bedtime Stories' as she alchemizes religion, sex, fashion, and controversy into one of the most fascinating and powerful runs in pop music history. They talk about the history of “Vogue,” the groundbreaking Pepsi commercial, her major leap with 'Erotica,' the much-discussed 'Sex' book, and, of course, the backlash and what it meant for her creativity. Plus: the reinventions, the Cher beef, her acting career, all the incredible music and imagery of this period, and so, so much more.

Episode Playlist
Listen to the Madonna: Part 2 playlist here.

CREDITS:
Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek
Guest: Patrik Sandberg @patriksandberg
Producer: Rob Sundermann
Editor: Adrian Bridges
Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles
Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Yasi kicks off Bandsplain’s multipart Madonna epic with returning guest and fashion icon Mel Ottenberg. They discuss Madonna’s childhood and upbringing in Michigan, her dance career and the formative relationships that led her to New York City, her history playing in bands, her immersion in the club scene, the breakthrough singles that made her impossible to ignore, her first three albums, and all the major collaborators, major looks, and major breakthroughs along the way.

Episode Playlist
Listen to the Madonna: Part 1 playlist here.

CREDITS:
Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek
Guest: Mel Ottenberg @melzy917
Producer: Rob Sundermann
Editor: Adrian Bridges
Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles
Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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