Music of The Mat Remix

No selling is when a wrestler doesn't react to taking a move, whether because they are an unstoppable monster, running on adrenaline in a fighting spirit spot, hulking up, or just not cooperating with their opponent. It's also when people aren't buying your music. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Maura Johnston (Boston Globe, Rolling Stone) play a selection of singles that did not make the Billboard Hot 100. Artists played include Robbie Williams, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Al Green, Talk Talk, Carly Rae Jepsen, Amerie, The Cardigans, and many more. You won't be selling anything while listening to this episode because you'll be too busy jamming out!

Theme song: "Hemispheres" by Silent Partner

Bluesky: @MusicoftheMat / @justandrew / @maura

Maura's website: maura.com

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One of the more recent tropes in pro wrestling is "Why am I so violent?", where a babyface wrestler will have a crisis of conscience about the level of violence they are dishing out against their opponent (and typically stare at their hands while doing so). It's meant to be this dramatic emotional arc, but more often it just makes the babyface look like an idiot and a coward for not wanting to hurt their opponent. On this episode, Andrew comes up with one of his delightfully devilish puns with a topic called "Why am I so violin?", in which he and first-time guest Hypnotoad (VOW Discord) play songs that have a string section instrument in them (violin, viola, cello, double bass). Artists played include Kansas, The Cranberries, Ben E. King, Dexys Midnight Runners, The Shirelles, Queensrÿche, The Verve, and many more. Don't stare at your hands too long, or else you might miss this episode!

Theme song: "Hemispheres" by Silent Partner

Bluesky: @MusicoftheMat / @justandrew

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One of Dragongate's signature matches is the Unit Disbands Match, in which two units battle it out and the losing group is forced to break up. It's a match with high stakes and drama, especially in a promotion where units have been so prevalent since the beginning. The world of music has seen plenty of bands disband over the years as well, whether because of hatred, death, or just reaching a natural conclusion. Andrew and returning guest Mike Spears (Open the Voice Gate) play songs from the last album before a band breaks up (though not necessarily their final album). Artists played include Roxy Music, American Football, The Zombies, The Stone Roses, Pantera, Sublime, Pink Floyd, and many more.

• Theme song: "Hemispheres" by Silent Partner
• Bluesky: @MusicoftheMat / @justandrew / @spearsovations
• Listen to Open the Voice Gate/Those Days: https://redcircle.com/shows/open-the-voice-gate
• Sign up for Spearsovations: spearsovations.ghost.io
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There is a scene in the 1999 documentary Beyond the Mat where Dennis Stamp tells Terry Funk why he's not going to be at his retirement show: "Because I'm not booked." Dennis would end up appearing on the show, but "I'm not booked" became a classic line from the movie. In music, there are plenty of songs that are "not booked," so to speak, in that they don't make the original tracklist for the album. They might end up appearing on B-sides, reissues, deluxe editions, compilation albums, or box sets. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Kevin Hare (Voices of Wrestling, 185 Miles South) play a selection of songs that didn't get booked. Artists played include Alkaline Trio, Faces, Chamillionaire, Oasis, Black Flag, The KLF, The Undertones, and many more. Grab the weights and jump on the trampoline, because you never know when the next booking will come.

Theme song: "Hemispheres" by Silent Partner

Bluesky: @MusicoftheMat / @justandrew

Listen to Kevin on the 185 Miles South podcast: 185milessouth.com

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In 1987, Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage formed a team known as the Mega Powers. The original run only lasted about 16 months, but became the go-to example for the pro wrestling superteam. Similarly, there have been plenty of times in music when people from established bands or solo careers team up to form a supergroup. Some of these groups last quite a while, some come and go in the blink of an eye. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Brady Trappett (Voices of Wrestling) team up to play a selection of supergroups. Artists played include the Highwaymen, Broken Bells, SuperHeavy, Run the Jewels, Them Crooked Vultures, Isles & Glaciers, Wild Flag, and many more. Listen to this episode before it inevitably... EXPLODES!

Theme song: "Hemispheres" by Silent Partner

The Bloodline has been the dominant storyline in WWE for the past six years. Just when you think the saga of Roman Reigns, the Usos, Solo Sikoa, and the rest of the gang is over, it rears its ugly head. As the name suggests, it's a stable that has been mostly made up of family members, and in music, there are plenty of bands where family members share the stage. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Warren Hayes (The Mr. Warren Hayes Show, Voices of Wrestling) play bands that have family members in them. Artists played include HAIM, Split Enz, Sly and the Family Stone, The Kinks, DeBarge, The National, Heart, Sparks, and many more. Get ready to acknowledge this episode as the Tribal Chief of music shows tangentially related to pro wrestling.

Theme song: "Hemispheres" by Silent Partner

Bluesky: @MusicoftheMat / @justandrew / @mrwarrenhayes.show

Subscribe to Warren on YouTube: Youtube.com/@MrWarrenHayes

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When reading up about pro wrestlers and their lifestyle choices, you might come across the phrase "personal demons." It's a euphemism for drug and alcohol problems, which sadly are a common occurrence when you look at wrestling and its history of premature deaths. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Cola the Lodger exorcise some personal demons by playing songs about drugs and alcohol, whether they're positive, neutral, or negative about the substances. Artists played include Primus, Hank Williams III, The Pharcyde, KRS-One, George Michael, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Kyuss, Melle Mel, and many more. This episode is definitely not passing a drug test.

Theme song: "Hemispheres" by Silent Partner

Bluesky: @MusicoftheMat / @justandrew

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TV time is very important for wrestlers, especially in the big promotions stateside. If you're regularly featured on a wrestling TV show, where all the main storylines and action are happening, that means you're in the mix and making a name for yourself, as opposed to just sitting in the back doing nothing or stuck in dark matches. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Angry216 (VOW Discord) get some TV time themselves by playing theme songs to some of their favorite TV shows. Shows discussed include Twin Peaks, The Wire, BoJack Horseman, In Living Color, Veronica Mars, Scrubs, KaBlam!, Halt and Catch Fire, and many more. Grab the remote and turn on the boob tube for a fun episode!

Theme song: "Hemispheres" by Silent Partner

Bluesky: @MusicoftheMat / @justandrew

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"Under a hood" is an old school wrestling term that means working under a mask. The mask is a big part of pro wrestling, especially in lucha libre where it is sacred. Some songs have their own masks, so to speak, in that the titles are not found anywhere in the lyrics. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Rich Kraetsch (Voices of Wrestling) play songs that fall into that category. Artists played include Third Eye Blind, Kasabian, Massive Attack, Little Brother, Public Image Ltd., Sunny Day Real Estate, Faith No More, and many more. Don't try to unmask this episode or you might get disqualified!

Theme song: "Hemispheres" by Silent Partner

Twitter: @voiceswrestling

Bluesky: @MusicoftheMat / @justandrew / @voicesofwrestling.com

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A transitional champion in wrestling is one that only holds the title for a short amount of time before they drop it to someone else. Typically it's a way to get the belt from one wrestler to another without them wrestling each other, or in cases where the title win is the most important part of the story as opposed to the actual reign itself. On this episode, Andrew and first-time guest Anthony Puhl (a.k.a. foolinc from the VOW Discord) look at bands who have had transitional bandmates, so to speak, where certain members are only in the group for a short amount of time. Artists played include The Clash, Thin Lizzy, Blink-182, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Depeche Mode, The Moody Blues, and many more. These band members are here for a good time, not a long time, so listen and enjoy!

Theme song: "Hemispheres" by Silent Partner

Bluesky: @MusicoftheMat / @justandrew

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