Drop the Needle

Apologies & Forgiveness [Lost Episode #1]

This early episode is the first of several that were only briefly available before they vanished due to a server crash (or Paul's ineptitude...) Regardless, they've all been re-discovered, dusted off, freshened up, and re-released for your listening pleasure. First up:...

Admitting That We're Powerless

Whether you subscribe to the 12 steps of AA, or you can't stand the thought of "The Rooms" at all, this episode has something for everyone. It was the first episode in our ambitious, rocky trek through all 12 that...

Breaking Points (Recorded Live @ The Columbus, Ohio Podcast Festival)

Joined by guest Jen Hoening, the gang explores their different breaking points on stage during a live episode, recorded at the Columbus Podcast Festival. 

Consequences

Guest: Jason Lichtenberger  Songs in order of appearance:“Nobody to Blame” - Chris Stapleton (Jason's choice)“ABC 123” - Tune-Yards (Sean's choice)“Everybody Wants to Rule the World" - Tears for Fears (Paul's choice)“Bad Bad Leroy Brown” - Jim Croce (Jason's choice)“Bad Blood” -...

Threats

Escape

This show does not claim ownership/copyright of any of this episode's included media. 

Complacency

[Previously released October 2019] Selections include:"Back in Your Head," Tegan & Sara"The Pretender," Jackson Browne "In the Waiting Line," Zero 7"Oh Devil," Electric GuestDrop the Needle does not claim ownership over any of the media included in this episode. 

Gratitude

Looking Back [with Matt Argalas]

Songs included in this podcast: Slip Away - Perfume Genius Strangers - Sarah Klang Game Winner - Vulpeck Wearing Nothing - Dagny The Curse - Josh Ritter Horses - Yes Nice This show does not claim copyright over any of the artists or samples included. 

Amy Dresner (Author, "My Fair Junkie")

Sleep

Songs included in this episode: Sleepwalker - Hey Ocean!Afternoon - Youth LagoonRaconte-Moi Une Histoire - M83Your Hand in Mine - Explosions in the Sky The songs included in this podcast are meant for educational purposes only. This podcast does not claim any...

Instant Gratification

Beating Yourself Up

Second Chances

<DtN Presents> The Projection Room ("You Complete Me")

DtN presents a sneak preview of a brand-new weekly podcast, The Projection Room. Each week in less than 20 minutes, certified mental health counselor Rikki and certifiably mental movie fan Dusty evaluate a different movie scene. Whether it's classic, celebrated,...

The Last Whirl

Earlier this year, we returned with a brand-new co-host, a renewed purpose, and the excitement of getting together again... only to put the entire series to bed for good. In other words, this is our final-final, last-ever, we-swear-it's-over series finale. But...

I Mean, Your Cat is Named Miss Moneypenny...

Guest Matt Argalas (The Wounded Jukebox, The Lazy Flame) uses his butterscotch voice to discuss identity, loss, and Australian accents, not to mention collecting trinkets and toys and trivial things, and so much more.  Music: Alena Diane, Carpenter Brut, Arlie,...

This Song Sucks But We're Going to Get Some Ice Cream

In a previous life, Dustin Baker was a rugby star, bartender, bouncer, reader, writer, and semi-serious Shakespeare scholar. Today, he's a high school language arts teacher who explores this week's topic through the prism of pop culture. He shares a...

Why Can't I Say "No" to People?

If you're a people pleaser like 3/4 of this podcast's hosts, then this episode is a must-listen. Saying the word "no" is as empowering as it is elusive, but it's also intimidating and necessary. We walk through some tools and...

Why Can't We Have Nice Things?

Welp. Here we are, elbowing our way back into your podcast queue again. In the 2+ years we've been away, a couple of things have changed (to say the least) but that's why we've returned. Sean's steel-trap music memory is...

An Old Episode We Really Like a Lot

Before we kick off Drop the Needle 2.0 next week, here's one more unarchived episode from the not-all-that-different 1.0 version of this show. This one's from 2018. It features segments from tracks by Hippo Campus, Sharon Van Etten, R.E.M., HAERTS,...

Giving It Another Whirl

Our last new episode was released in December '19. Right after the holidays, the world shut down. Between then and now, so much has happened with the three of us that it's almost hilarious if some of it wasn't so sad....

Loyalty

Sean, Mike and Paul get into the topic of loyalty—for people, for brands, for recovery programs and everything in between. (This episode also boasts references to Boxcar Willie and "Toy Story," so it can't be all bad.) Artists include Randy...

Mike Returns!

"I'm an alcoholic and an addict and I unleashed the monster. I didn't realize how severe the consequences of that would be." Co-host Mike Verlie returns to the show—and to recovery. Mike shares a bit of his journey over the...

The Pink Cloud

By far, this is our happiest, bounciest and most upbeat collection of music in one episode. That's because we're talking about "the pink cloud" in addiction recovery—the temporary sense of euphoria, hope and well-being that occurs during very early sobriety....

Instant Gratification

Instant gratification is one of the hallmarks of suffering from addiction⁠—the soulless chase of a short-term high without thinking through the long-term consequences. Sean and Paul talk about self-control, impulse purchases, patience and focusing on the big picture. Artists include...

Beating Yourself Up

When you're in addiction recovery, it's easy to beat yourself up for the things that you did. But it's how you move past your bad decisions and forgive yourself that truly defines your future. In this episode, Sean and Paul...

You're Getting Very Sleepy...

If you're struggling with alcoholism and addiction, you know how cruel sleep can be. Likewise, if you're struggling with sobriety, you know just how cruel sleep can be, too. There's no happy medium. Many routines over many years have to...

Beware the 13th Step

This week, we discuss the complicated, thorny and entirely unofficial “Step 13” in 12-step programs: the common phenomenon of long-timers preying romantically upon short-timers. It’s an episode about protecting yourself against vulnerability and recognizing whom to trust in recovery. With...

Step 12: "...We Tried to Carry This Message..."

In the final episode of the 12-step project, Sean and Paul discuss how to give back, removing obsessions in your life, and the art of living your best life. Artists include Vacationer, Poolside, Public Service Broadcasting, Dylan LeBlanc and Rex...

Step 11: "Sought Through Prayer and Meditation..."

Paul and Sean discuss how to "fake it until you make it" in recovery, meditation, higher powers, sensory deprivation tanks and the time Sean got locked in the record-album archives by a vengeful Paul. Artists include Lana Del Rey, Washed...

Step 10: "...When We Were Wrong Promptly Admitted It"

In this episode, Sean and Paul discuss Step 10, self-honesty, insecurity, guilt, forgiveness, "restraint of tongue and pen" and the time Paul thought he didn't appear on Sean's doorbell-camera when he actually did. Artists include Dear and the Headlights,...

Steps 8 & 9: "Made a List of People We Had Harmed & Made Amends"

In this episode, Sean and Paul bring music about the hardest steps in the book: Steps 8 and 9. Making amends is fraught with anxiety and tension as it is, but putting that into motion can be even more complicated....

Step 7: "...Remove Your Shortcomings"

In this episode, we're joined by the sunny, kind and engaging Arlina Allen, host of her own podcast The ODAAT Chat as well as the creator of Sober Life School. We discuss AA Step 7, which consists of removing one's...

Step 6: "Became Willing to Have Defects of Character Removed..."

In this episode, we welcome return guest Tommy Rutger to discuss Step 6 and removing defects of character. Artists include Gov't Mule, Lady Lamb and Fiona Apple. Also, we've been nominated for Best Music Podcast for the 2019 Columbus Podcast Awards....

Step 5: "Admit To Another Human Being The Exact Nature Of Our Wrongs..."

In this episode, we discuss the soul-shaking confession step. Artists this episode include The Trash Can Sinatras, Vampire Weekend, Yellow Ostrich, Three Dog Night, Claud, and Shearwater. Also, we've been nominated for Best Music Podcast for the 2019 Columbus Podcast Awards....

Step 4: "Made a Searching and Fearless Moral Inventory..."

In this episode, we discuss Step 4 and the process of creating a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Artists include Mal Blum, Michael Penn, Radical Face, Tristen, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, and TV Girl. Also, we've been nominated...

Step 3: "Made a Decision to Turn Our Will and Our Lives Over..."

In this episode, celebrated author, essayist and blogger Sean Paul Mahoney ("Now That You've Stopped Dying") joined us for a deep-dive into Step 3, including music from Dolly Parton, Björk, Annie Lennox, Sylvan Esso and a Future Islands remix of...

Step 2: "Came To Believe That A Power..."

In this music-heavy episode, we're joined by return guest Adam G., as well as music from Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, Joon Moon, Oasis, Civil Twilight, R.E.M. and Coldplay.  (Drop the Needle does not own or claim ownership of any music...

Step 2: "Came To Believe That a Power..."

Step 1: "We Admitted We Were Powerless..."

Step 1 brings with it songs from lovelytheband, Bleachers, Coldplay, and Father John Misty. (Drop the Needle does not own or claim ownership of any music used in this podcast. All rights go to original owner.)

Steps, Part 2

In the second part of our season premiere, Mike & Paul discuss the season's 12-step arc, as well as the concept of "walls" and how Mike has no problem staring into the middle distance for hours on end. Artists...

Steps

In our fourth season premiere, Sean & Paul introduce the topic of Steps and how each episode forward will be dedicated to one of the 12 steps of recovery. Artists in this episode include Andrew Bird, Ben Kweller, Vampire...

Recovery According to Mike, Vol. 2

In this special year-end episode, we collected some of Mike's best insights and anecdotes regarding addiction and recovery during our 2018 season. Mike shares thoughts on Authenticity, Obsession, Pride & Ego, Threats, Breaking Points, Self-Care, Being Open About Sobriety,...

Goals (Guest: Liv Pennelle)

In this special, music-less episode, Portland-based writer Liv Pennelle (Liv's Recovery Kitchen) returns to discuss Goals. Over the past year, co-host Sean has lost an incredible 250 pounds -- a remarkable journey fraught with determination, doubt, anxiety, depression and pride...

MINI-EPISODE: Clarity

Mike, Sean and Paul revisit Clarity as a topic for the first time since February 2017. You'll hear some words of wisdom from a version of Mike that was still in sober living at the time, not to mention two...

You Don’t Have to Be in Recovery to Understand Recovery or How to Raise an Well-Adjusted Child (Guest: Gayle Saks-Rodriguez)

Gayle Saks-Rodriguez is the brains behind the long-running, ever-popular blog My Life in the Middle Ages. For the last decade, she's released one affecting essay after another, refusing to allow her mother's suicide to define her as much as she's...

MINI-EPISODE: Freedom

Sincerely, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for continuing to listen to our addiction recovery music podcast Drop the Needle. As it continues to reach new listeners, I can't fully put into words how we feel...

Threats

In this episode, we talk about threats from three different aspects: threats to our active sobriety, threats back when we were using and/or drinking, and songs that simply reminded us of threats. Artists in this episode include Rusted Root, a-ha,...

Second Chances

The podcast lives! It takes us 15 minutes to get to the subject of Second Chances, but we firmly believe this episode is well worth it. Artists in this episode include Hippo Campus, R.E.M., Sharon Van Etten, HAERTS, Ten Fé...