Ever moved from Nashville to L.A.? Mark and Nichole reminisce about their big moves and the big changes they brought. Nichole somehow finds a way to bring the conversation to a big California-bashing session. Cheap shot, Nichole, cheap shot.  Be sure to join us next week for a full episode!

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Are you nodding your head like, yeah? In this episode, we sing along to Miley Cyrus’ 2009 anthem “Party in the U.S.A.” While Nichole breaks down the cultural relativism of a big life change, Mark talks through how the song packs so much punch through the pairing of two different scales: the major and the pentatonic. And a Britney song was on!

Other music heard in this episode: ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic - "Party in the CIA", ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic - "Achy Breaky Song," Los Bohemios de Cuzco - "Wasimasillay", Matt Mallow and Sean Keane - "George White's Favourite," Giovanni Kiyingi - "Ekibbobbo", Katy Perry - "Roar," Pink - "Raise Your Glass," The Weeknd - "The Hills,"

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How hot are keyboard players? In this absolutely serious and academic discussion, we dream up two musical supergroups. Rigorous standards of consistency were certainly upheld! Listen next week for a full episode!

Music heard in this episode: Nickel Creek - "Somebody More Like You", Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Breaking the Girl", Taylor Swift - "Out of the Woods", Carole King - "You've Got a Friend", Taylor Swift - "Wildest Dream," Haim - "Gasoline," The Descendants - "When I Get Old," Rancid - "Maxwell Murder," Bad Religion - "God Song", NOFX - "Moron Bros."

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Can you hear music that no one’s playing? This week we listen to Outkast’s 2003 eargasm “The Way You Move”. This song has a really cool chord progression, but… no instrument is playing it. What’s up with that? We talk about mental schemas and how good our brains are at filling in the blanks in all sorts of ways. Well, not Mark’s - he’s proven wrong in this one.

Other music heard in this episode: Roberta Flack - "Killing Me Softly With His Song," The Fugees - "Killing Me Softly With His Song", OneRepublic - "Counting Stars"

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Can you still feel the butterflies? In this episode, Mark gives five reasons why Jimmy Eat World’s 1999 hidden gem “For Me This is Heaven” could possibly be the greatest song of all time. Nichole starts off very, very skeptical. Will Mark be convincing? Come back next week for a full episode!

Music heard in this episode: Jimmy Eat World - “The Middle”, Jimmy Eat World - “For Me This is Heaven”, Jimmy Eat World - “Sweetness”, Jimmy Eat World - “Polaris”, Jimmy Eat World - “Lucky Denver Mint”, Radiohead - “Let Down”, Jimmy Eat World - “Table for Glasses”, Jimmy Eat World - “Your New Aesthetic”, Jimmy Eat World - “Just Watch the Fireworks”, Jimmy Eat World - “Blister”

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Who needs silence when you can have music? We break down Depeche Mode’s melancholy 1990 gem “Enjoy the Silence.” While Nichole can appreciate that silence, and shares how introversion and extroversion shape our personalities, Mark would rather blab about how the song’s chords and guitar riff are interconnected in a really cool and surprising way. 

Other music heard in this episode: Adele -  "Someone Like You", Sponge - "Molly"

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What’s wrong with a little celebration, now and then? In this sidetrack, Mark gets nostalgic for his old band, Dream Hydra, who released their debut (and only) album, Radiant, exactly ten years ago. He takes Nichole on a tour of the band’s music and we discuss songwriting, being in a band in LA, and more. Check us out next week for a full episode!

Music heard in this episode: Dream Hydra - “Lethal Affinity”, The Eagles - “One of These Nights”, Dream Hydra - “Checkmate”, Dream Hydra - “In the Ether”, Dream Hydra - “Let Go”, Journey - “Lights”, Dream Hydra - “Music Man”, Dream Hydra - “Burns Up”, Dream Hydra - “Never Gonna Stop” - Dream Hydra - “Writing on the Wall”, Dream Hydra - “The Rain”, Noteworthy - “The Rain”, Jimmy Eat World - “Just Watch the Fireworks”, Dream Hydra - “End of Time”, RX Bandits - “Overcome (The Recapitulation)”, Dream Hydra - “Numb”, Dream Hydra - “Four Prayers”, Dream Hydra - “Wake Up”

The “In The Ether” music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI1lmWwhLMU

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Ladies, did you leave your man at home? Leap into Destiny’s Child’s 1999 hit “Jumpin’ Jumpin’.” Mark talks about how a big part of what makes this song’s melody so cool is that it is so….um… jumpin’!, and Nichole explains what makes certain moments like this song catch the attention of our brain and memory. So, let’s make it hot, hot!

Other music heard in this episode: TLC - "No Scrubs", Whitney Houston - "Heartbreak Hotel", Donell Jones - "You Know What's Up", Destiny's Child - "Independent Women, Part II", Destiny's Child - "Say My Name", Destiny's Child - "Bills, Bills, Bills", Benjamin Britten - "Billy Budd", Buju Banton - "Boom Bye Bye"

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Is an 80%-quality pop song good enough for you? What about 80%-quality therapy? Here we sidetrack on the growing role of artificial intelligence in songwriting and mental health services. Oh, and we hang our heads at what it’s doing to college classes… Be sure to join us next week for a full episode!

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Don’t you just love a good clean in the middle of a pop song? Cover the kids’ ears as we curse about Third Eye Blind’s iconic 1997 hit “Semi-Charmed Life.” We deep dive into the strange edits made to the radio and video versions of this song, and also chatter about radio edits in general. Hot take: one of us may prefer the clean versions of our some recent hits. I’m not listening when you say goodBYEEEEEEE!

Other music heard in this episode: Prince - "When Doves Cry," Cee-Lo Green - "Fuck You" and - "Forget You", Gayle - "ABCDEFU" (various versions), Lizzo - "Truth Hurts", Kidz Bop - "Truth Hurts", The Wiggles - “Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car”, The Presidents of the United States of America - “Peaches”, Caspar Babypants - “I Found You”

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