Who’s your favorite female trombone player? Male flautist? Here we talk about how some instruments are weirdly gendered, find out which girly instrument Mark tried to learn, and hear a bit from Nichole about the brain differences between the biological males and females. Is all this nature or nurture? See you next week for a full episode!

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Did I hear a music major alert? Grab your college degree and geek out with us about Lizzo’s 2019 soul/hip-hop hybrid “Cuz I Love You.” Mark can’t stop crying thinking about the musical foreshadowing that occurs in this song’s bombastic hook, and how that fits perfectly with its genre blending stew. Nichole brings it all together through cognitive biases, especially that pesky hindsight bias.

Other music heard in this episode: X Ambassadors - "Renegade", The Flamingos - "I Only Have Eyes For You", The Specials - "Ghost Town", The Beatles - "Help!", Styx - "Renegade"

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What do artists owe the audience? In this sidetrack, we talk about when fans only want to hear an artist’s old material, even when they keep making new great music. The hosts share some artists they think haven’t received enough attention of late, and ponder what it means to be a “real fan.” Lastly, when is it OK to be “that guy” at a concert?

Music heard in this episode: Fiona Apple - “Criminal”, Fiona Apple - “Shameika”, Nickel Creek - “The Lighthouse’s Tale”, Nickel Creek - “Holding Pattern”, The Beach Boys - “‘Til I Die”

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What’s a better introduction to an artist, a ballad or a bop? With all due respect to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” we’d rather overthink Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 hit “Time After Time.” Mark has something to say about the relationship between syncopated rhythms (big word alert!) and the song’s themes, while Nichole shares the psychological take on whether people’s personalities can change or stay the same (time after time). Importantly, the hosts end by considering which The Breakfast Club character they most embody.

Other music heard in this episode: The Hooters - "And We Danced", Dire Straits - "Money for Nothing", Bonnie Tyler - "Total Eclipse of the Heart", Scott Joplin - "Maple Leaf Rag", Louis Jordan - "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie", Daft Punk - "Around the World", Aretha Franklin - "Chain of Fools", Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe"

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What are all these hashtags all over my sheet music? In our final music review session, Mark and Nichole talk sharps, flats, scales, and chords. Get your head on straight with all things pitch before the class withdrawal deadline! Another full episode next week!

Music heard in this episode: Coolio - “Gangsta’s Paradise”

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Which one of us was learned good? Nichole gushes about Mr. Joe Mulligan, her amazing high school music teacher, while Mark laments the sad story of , his below-average high school music teacher. See you next week for a full episode!

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Did you learn your fractions? In this bonus episode, Mark and Nichole break down timing in music, including both rhythm and musical form (and key lime pie). The paper is due next week, so you’d better attend so the TA can review your outline before you fail this class and lose your football scholarship! Regularly-scheduled Sidetrack next week!

Music heard in this episode: The Beatles - “And Your Bird Can Sing”

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Wait, was “Undone” really the most popular early Weezer song? In this epic episode we unravel Weezer’s 1994 hit (in some universes, at least), “Undone - The Sweater Song.” After discussing the hosts’ history with the band, Mark follows a thread of connection between some of the iconic elements of the song and older - much older - kinds of music. And Nichole finally gets Mark to understand what this song seems to really be about: depression.

To hear more of Nichole’s story, check out the episode “Burnt Toast” from the Scissors N Scrubs podcast from March 2023.

Other music heard in this episode: Weezer - “Say it Ain’t So”, The Rentals - “Friends of P”, Wheesor - “Undone - The Sweater Song”, Weezer - “Africa”, Weezer - “Perfect Situation” - Richard Berry and the Pharaohs - “Louie Louie”, René Touzet - “El Loco Cha Cha Cha”, Metallica - “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”, Robert Johnson - “I Believe I’ll Dust By Broom”, Mead ‘Lux’ Lewis - “Honky Tonk Train Blues”, The Jimi Hendrix Experience - “Purple Haze”, The Beatles - “Taxman”, Garbage - “Supervixen”, Jet - “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”

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What’s with all the fancy terms? In this bonus episode, Mark and Nichole convene the study group just in time to help with your homework. In this meeting, the hosts talk through the terms and concepts associated with how music sounds, and be ready when big words like timbre, staccato, fortissimo, and polyphony show up on the final! Next week, back to a full episode!

Music heard in this episode: Fleet Foxes - “Mykonos”, Fleet Foxes - “Mykonos (Alternate Version)”

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How is Taylor Swift Like Super Mario Bros. 3? Which Star Trek has the coolest theme music? This week, we dip back into the well of listener questions! Come back next week for a full episode!

Music heard in this episode: Stephen Schwartz - excerpt from Godspell, Great Grandpa - "English Garden", Kris Kross - "Jump", Russell Watson - "Where My Heart Will Take Me", Max Richter - "On the Nature of Daylight", Takashi Tateishi - "Bubbleman", Nobuo Uematsu - "Forever Rachel"

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