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~~~~

Season 6 Episode 6 - Depeche Mode & New Order – The Flipside Twins of New Wave

FEATURED SONGS:

REC – “Polymath” (from Syzygy for the Weird AND RECcollection: The Best of REC 2007-2020)

REC – “All Kinds of Right (The Highway 28 Song)” (from Synergy for the Weird)

STREAM THEM EVERYWHERE

https://www.nickdematteo.com/reccollection

This week it’s the powerhouse double whammy of Depeche Mode and New Order, flip sides of the same new wave / techno coin.

I talk about their careers, compare & contrast their mix of darkness & light, and explain why they’ll always be linked together in my mind.

Are you a fan of either band? Do you prefer one? Do you remember when you could ONLY be a fan of one or the other? Can you hear their influence on music of the last 20 years? Discuss dammit!

BONUS EPISODE ON VINCE CLARKE!

~~~

*intro music credit: REC - "Wake Up High"

*mid roll music credit: The Drop - "Outerloper"

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I spend an hour with Steve Rosen, veteran rock journalist and author of TONECHASER - UNDERSTANDING EDWARD: MY 26-YEAR JOURNEY WITH EDWARD VAN HALEN.

We discuss how he came to write this book, his professional and personal relationship with Eddie Van Halen, the band's music, and so much more.

For more on Steve and his incredible book:

https://www.tonechaserbook.com/

BONUS EPISODE featuring more comments on the book, and my take on Van Halen's career

~~~~

Support MxG & REC:

Get a shirt! - NEW DESIGNS

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~~~

*intro/outro music credit: REC - "Sing Owwt"

*mid roll music credit: The Drop - "Outerloper"

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Support MxG & REC:

Get a shirt! - NEW DESIGNS

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~~~~

PODFAST #12 - Yin is SECRETLY INTO Yang: The LOVEFEST Inside the PROTEST

FEATURED SONG:

The Drop – “Rocket Trip, Man” (from Long Held Grudges)

STREAM IT EVERYWHERE

~~~~

Ever hate a genre or artist so much that you’re practically obsessed? It happens to everyone, and methinks we ALL protest too much.

In the twelfth PODFAST, I talk about how, deep inside our visceral dislike of certain kinds of music is an attraction we can’t unhook from. And how pulling it apart fosters perspective, understanding, and connection.

What bands or genres can you just not stand? What exactly is it about them that you hate so much? How might those elements of dislike be connected to something you actually love? Discuss dammit!

~~~~

*intro music credit: REC - "You Make Me Wanna" (from RECcollection: The Best of REC 2007-2020)

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Support MxG & REC:

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Get Nick's Newsletter! - AND CHECK THE WEBSITE UPGRADES

~~~~

Season 6 Episode 4 - The Wombats – MarSUPERIOR Electro Power Pop

FEATURED SONG:

NICK – “Sick” (from Listen You People - REMASTERED 2023)

STREAM IT EVERYWHERE

Have you heard the Wombats? Cuz you should. They are one of Britain’s best & most consistent bands of the last 20 years. I just saw them in concert in Philly, and they were INCREDIBLE.

They’re also the EPITOME of electro power pop. I have no idea if that’s what they’d call themselves. But when I listen to them, they sound the closest to REC’s music of any recent artist.

I talk about their history, the concert, what they’re doing now, and why they are the current torchbearers in a long line of premiere power pop bands.

LIVE ACOUSTIC WOMBATS COVER & A BRAND NEW REC SONG

Can you picture what an actual wombat looks like? Can you imagine what the Wombats sound like? Have you heard them, and if so, what do you like? Discuss dammit!

~~~

*intro music credit: REC - "Wake Up High"

*mid roll music credit: The Drop - "Outerloper"

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Support MxG & REC:

Get a shirt! - NEW DESIGNS

Support @ $5/month - TRY IT FREE!

Subscribe & see the videos!

Listen to REC on Bandcamp

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Get Nick's Newsletter! - AND CHECK THE WEBSITE UPGRADES

~~~~

Season 6 Episode 3 - Death is DUMB Volume 13: The Bee Gees – Brilliant Gents at Busting Genres

FEATURED SONG:

REC – “You Make Me Wanna”

(from Syncopy for the Weird AND RECcollection: The Best of REC 2007-2020)

OR STREAM IT ANYWHERE

The lucky 13th installment of MxG’s Death is DUMB series is about the Gibb brothers: Barry, Maurice, Robin and Andy. I talk about how prolific and consistent they were, and how their legacy goes far beyond pop & disco.

I also make mention of how & why their career eventually tanked for good in the US, and flesh out that subject in the Patreon exclusive MxTRA video on the Disco Sucks movement.

Are you into the Bee Gees? Did you know them first for their pop hits in the 1960s, or for their disco era smash success? Were you aware that they had a long and successful career more than 20 years beyond Saturday Night Fever? Discuss dammit!

~~~

*intro music credit: REC - "Wake Up High"

*mid roll music credit: The Drop - "Outerloper"

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Support MxG & REC:

Get a shirt! - NEW DESIGNS

Support @ $5/month - TRY IT FREE!

Subscribe & see the videos!

Listen to REC on Bandcamp

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Get Nick's Newsletter! - AND CHECK THE WEBSITE UPGRADES

~~~~

Season 6 Episode 2 - Beck – THE Megaclectic Musical Amalgamist

FEATURED SONG:

REC – “Sparkle Shine Shine” (from The Sunshine Seminar)

OR STREAM IT ANYWHERE

This week is all about Beck. He’s been my doppelganger for a long time, and someone I’ve listened to off and on for almost 30 years.

I get into his history, influences, and discography, and talk about how he might be THE premiere musical amalgamist. I discuss how he’s still kind of underappreciated. And I explain why he and my band REC are so often compared.

LIVE ACOUSTIC BECK SONG!

Are or were you a Beck fan? Did you check out after Odelay or Sea Change, or have you followed his work throughout? Do you like how he’s able to bounce from genre to genre, often blending them as well, or is it too ADD for you? Discuss dammit!

~~~

*intro music credit: REC - "Wake Up High"

*mid roll music credit: The Drop - "Outerloper"

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Support MxG & REC:

Get a shirt! - NEW DESIGNS

Support @ $5/month - TRY IT FREE!

Subscribe & see the videos!

Listen to REC on Bandcamp

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Get Nick's Newsletter! - AND CHECK THE WEBSITE UPGRADES

~~~~

Season 6 Episode 1 - The Freewheeling Catch-Up Machine #5 – Wrap-ups and Upgrades

FEATURED SONG:

NICK – “Standin’ There” (from 96 / 95)

OR STREAM IT ANYWHERE

Season 6 is here! First, we wrap up last season with some fan comments, additions, corrections, etc. The usual. Then we talk about what’s coming up this season. Be prepared for some changes.

How did you feel about Season 5? What would you like to see in Season 6? Discuss dammit!

BONUS VIDEO: Behind the scenes at MxG Studios (a.k.a. Nick & Cathryn's NYC apartment)

~~~

*intro music credit: REC - "Wake Up High"

*mid roll music credit: The Drop - "Outerloper"

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Support MxG & REC:

Get a shirt! - NEW DESIGNS

Support @ $5/month - TRY IT FREE!

Subscribe & see the videos!

Listen to REC on Bandcamp

Subscribe to REC on YouTube

Get Nick's Newsletter! - AND CHECK THE WEBSITE UPGRADES

~~~~

Season 5 Episode 46 - The MxG PARTY – A 200th EPISODE Celebration!

FEATURED SONG:

REC – “If It Feels All Right” (from Parts and Labour and RECcollection: The Best of REC 2007-2020)

OR STREAM IT ANYWHERE

Season 5 is wrapping, and we’ve got the perfect way to end it. I get to celebrate MxG’s 200th freakin’ episode with two of my favorite people: my wife Cathryn and my dad Nicky (and my mom Julie lurking somewhere off camera).

We talk about where MxG has been, where it’s going, what we’re all doing, how hella fun and stressful it’s all been, and get down to some real honesty & behind-the-scenes stuff as we eat, drink, and be goddamn merry.

Are you sad to see Season 5 end? Can you believe we’re already up to 200 episodes? Are you excited for Season 6? What are YOU drinking right now? Discuss dammit!

~~~

*intro music credit: REC - "Wake Up High"

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Support MxG & REC:

Get a shirt! - NEW DESIGNS

Support @ $5/month - TRY IT FREE!

Subscribe & see the videos!

Listen to REC on Bandcamp

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Get Nick's Newsletter! - AND CHECK THE WEBSITE UPGRADES

~~~~

Season 5 Episode 45 - Metallica – The One True MEGA True METAL Band

FEATURED SONG:

REC – “Stop It!” (from Parts and Labour)

OR STREAM IT ANYWHERE

I just saw Metallica in concert for the second time, forty years after their album debut. They’re as kick-ass as ever. I’ve been following them for 35 years, and figured a post-concert episode is perfect timing.

I get into their history, their phases, some of the business and politics, and make a case for them being the ONLY truly heavy metal band that has had mega-world-wide success. I also talk about why they’re more than just a metal band.

Are you a Metallica fan? If so, which kind are you? A fan of their early hardcore thrash albums and nothing else? A Metallica (aka The Black Album) convert like so many? A die-hard follower year after year? How do you think they’ve held up after 11 albums? Discuss dammit!

AND CHECK OUT NICK'S OLD BAND APE CAFE!

~~~

*intro music credit: REC - "Wake Up High"

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Support MxG & REC:

Get a shirt! - NEW DESIGNS

Support @ $5/month - TRY IT FREE!

Subscribe & see the videos!

Listen to REC on Bandcamp

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Get Nick's Newsletter! - AND CHECK THE WEBSITE UPGRADES

~~~~

Season 5 Episode 44 - Death is DUMB Volume 12: George Michael – BURN That Acoustic Guitar

FEATURED SONG:

REC - "Up All Day" (from The Sunshine Seminar)

OR STREAM IT ANYWHERE

https://www.nickdematteo.com/recthesunshineseminar

The 12th episode of MxG’s Death is DUMB series is all about George Michael. I go over his life, his music, his legacy, and his death.

I also talk about his importance as a singer/songwriter, both for the music itself, and especially for expanding the concept of what singer/songwriter music can sound like, beyond the bounds of the standard “person with an acoustic guitar” cliche.

Were you into George Michael and/or Wham!? If not, why not? If so, did you follow him throughout his career, or drop out after FAITH? What biases do you think you might have about him because of who he was, what kind of music he did, how he died, and/or how the media portrayed him? Do you think he qualifies as a singer/songwriter? Discuss dammit!

~~~

*intro music credit: REC - "Wake Up High"

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