Stereothematica

Happy New Year! We are kicking off 2026 with a deadly fall and a sliced off ear! That's right, movie magic music is back, and this time we’re talking about the most haunting use of a song in a movie. Brace yourself for spoilers! 

SONGS

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band: P.I.M.P. (2008)

Stealers Wheel: Stuck in the Middle with You (1972)

EXTRAS

P.I.M.P. Scene from Anatomy of a Fall 

Stuck in the Middle With You Scene from Reservoir Dogs

50 Cent: P.I.M.P. (2003)

Anatomy of a Song: A Reading of P.I.M.P. in Justine Triet's Anatomy of a Fall (Dr. Gemma Blackwood)

Pitchfork Review of 55 

Rolling Stone: Quentin Tarantino on Five Key Soundtrack Picks, From “Reservoir Dogs” to “Inglourious Basterds"

Hip to be Square Scene in American Psycho

Instrumental Song that Could Have Been a Radio Hit (where today's podcast theme idea was formed)

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

The year is (almost) over! And we are delighted. So what better time to share our most-loved and most-listened to bands with our dutiful, beautiful listeners? If the year-end "best of" lists overwhelm you, we hope you'll enjoy a mini-deep dive into two bands we kept coming back to all year long. And truly, we cannot wait to discover more new (and old) music with you in 2026! Thanks for listening all year long! 

VIDEOS

Devo: Uncontrollable Urge (1978)

Being Dead: Van Goes (2024)

EXTRAS

Rolling Stone: ICE Ads Are All Over Your Favorite Streaming Services

Being Dead article in Texas Monthly

Being Dead: Big Bovine music video

Being Dead KEXP In-Studio Performance

Bowie Introduces Devo at Max’s Kansas City (1977)

Human Highway (1982)

Devo: Freedom of Choice (1980)

Devo: Girl U Want (1980)

Devo Performing I Can’t Get No Satisfaction on SNL (1979)

Devo Performing Uncontrollable Urge Live on Fridays (1980)

Devo Performing Nutra Theme/Jerkin Back and Forth Live on Fridays (1981)

Devo Performing Uncontrollable Urge at Hollywood Bowl (Oct. 18, 2025)

Guardian Interview with Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale  (2022)

Mark Mothersbaug on KCRW with his Minimoog (2016)

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

It's winter, minus the tinsel! And the only red noses here are Christina's and Christine's on account of their rosacea.

One pick retreats inward, finding comfort in solitude and stubborn self-protection; the other stares at the cold and dreams of somewhere sunnier. Two very different ways of surviving a winter’s day--and you might just be surprised by who picks what. 

VIDEOS 

Simon & Garfunkel: I am a Rock (1966)

The Mamas and the Papas: California Dreamin’ (1965 - Ed Sullivan Performance, 1967)

We're not all bah humbug! We admit it, there are a few xmas songs we actually like:

The Waitresses: Christmas Wrapping 

The Kinks: Father Christmas 

David Bowie & Bing Crosby: Little Drummer Boy

Sufjan Steven: Songs for Christmas

José Feliciano: Feliz Navidad

Lhasa de Sela: Los Peces 

EXTRAS

Barry McGuirre: California Dreamin’ (1965)

California Dreamin’ Scene from Chungking Express (1994)

LA Times Article about California Dreamin’ (2008) 

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

We’re wrapping up our winter re-releases with “Predictions.” Not to be confused with “PredictABLE,” this episode has us trying to predict which songs in our own libraries are perfectly up the other’s alley. Think of it as a little love letter to each other’s musical taste from the early days of the show. Until next week!

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How well do Christina and Christine know each other's musical tastes? 

How well do you think you know theirs? Too soon to tell?  

This week they predict what song they have in their respective music libraries that the other person will also have in theirs. 

Here’s the catch: the other person is supposed to like the predicted song a lot more because it’s supposed to be more up their alley.

If this sounds convoluted that’s because it is! But why would you expect anything typical from this wacky duo?

Videos:

Sam Evian: Jacket (2024)

Reyna Tropical: No Me Quieres (2018)

Extras:

Boz Metzdorf: Sails Across the Sea (1979 - Originally on Signs of Seasons)

Drugdealer: End of Comedy (2016)

Liner Notes Debate on the Vintage Obscura Reddit

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Remember when Arnold from Diff’rent Strokes showed up on Facts of Life and ratted out the girls to Mrs. Garrett? This episode is that…but for music lovers!

Stereothematica teams up with our friends at the Who Will Save Generation X trivia podcast for peak crossover chaos, hijinks, and lightly scarring embarrassment.

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Who Will Save Generation X

Happy Thanksgiving! We are very thankful to welcome two first time guests who are the hosts of an atypical music review podcast called "Stereothematica."

Christina is from GenY and her co-host Christine is a GenX high school classmate Zabe's. We learn about their show and the special musical game they play on it, as well as an embarrassing moment at their high school reunion that you won't want to miss. The episode brings plenty of laughs and insights as we play games to reminisce about the pop culture during Generation X. Stick around at the end of the episode for a nice holiday message from Zabe. :)

Round 1 features a fun game of What The Blank?!?

Eight Is Enough is filled with 6 different mini games. 

Dysfunctional Family Feud was a lot of fun in Round 3 and the winner of the game just might surprise you...

Join the fun and the effort to save Generation X from being forgotten.

Website: https://www.whowillsavegenx.com/

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2730544227204426

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Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

We’re taking a short break, so today we’re bringing back one of our favorite episodes: “DO Call It a Comeback.” If you’re new here, this one’s all about the songs that marked big returns for some of our favorite artists after a hiatus from music. And if you’ve already listened, we think it’s a fun one to revisit. We’ll be back soon with more music therapy to help you cope with the holidays. Until then, we hope you enjoy this comeback classic.

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From the grief-fueled artistry of Ben Kweller to the soulful resurgence of Ethiopian legend Girma Bèyènè, this week, we get into the emotional power of musical comebacks—those triumphant, and sometimes tragic, returns to the spotlight.  

Videos:

Ben Kweller: Dollar Store (2025)

Girma Bèyènè & Akalé Wubé: Enkèn Yèlélèbesh (2017) 

Extras:

Ben Kweller’s famous nosebleed at ACL 2006

Vulture’s Review of “Cover the Mirrors”

Ben’s show at the Troubadour is on July 23!

Girma Bèyènè: Enkèn Yèlélèbesh (Original 1969) 

Girma’s Comeback Concert at Studio de L’ermitage (2015)

Ethiopiques Collection

Ethiopiques: Revolt of the Soul

My Beautiful Girma

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

Some of you might be thinking we already did this theme, and honestly… fair, but this isn’t our Predictions episode, this is its annoying cousin Greg. And this time we’re embracing the idea of being predictable (though we've never not embraced it)! One pick spirals through existential dread by way of psychedelic retro Turkish disco, and the other is an emo/math-rock heart-tugger that feels like being 14 again in the best possible way. Can you PREDICT who chose what?

VIDEOS 

Altin Gün: Goca Dünya (2018)

Never Meant: American Football (1999)

EXTRAS

Altin Gün performing Goca Dünya for KEXP (2017)

Erkin Koray singing Goca Dünya (circa 1972)

Bariş Manço: Hal Hal

Derdiyoklar: Yaz Gazateci 

Selda Bağcan: Yaz Gazeteci 

Oran Gencebay: Hayat Kavgasi

Shout LA piece: Meet Garth Trinidad 

The 10 Greatest Guitar Gods of Emo

How Mike Kinsella's American Footbal Became More than a "Cover Band" with Their Reunion Album

Friday Night Lights - Crucifictorious! (Go, Jesse Plemons!) 

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

In a world too often divided, we are celebrating the songs that unite us, that bring us to a shared understanding, that give a sense of togetherness, and yes, even hope. Whether with a group on a desert pilgrimage or singing along in isolation in the midst of a pandemic, we explore the songs that, religion aside, give us a sense of communion.

VIDEOS 

Violeta Parra: Gracias a la Vida

C. Tangana: Los Tontos (NPR Tiny Desk, starts at 4:10 - but please watch it all!)

EXTRAS

Overlooked No More: Violeta Parra, Folk Genius Who Redefined Latin American Music

Joan Baez and Mercedes Sosa: Live Performance of Gracias a la Vida

A Guide to the Films of Yorgos Lanthimos

Los Tontos (Official Video)

Un Veneno Scene from Paquita Salas

Un Veneno Official Video (filmed in LA)

Antes de Morirme (featuring Rosalía)

Tú Me Dejaste de Querer

Ingobernable

NYT Piece on C. Tangana and El Madrileño

KEXP Interview with C. Tangana

New Order: Bizarre Love Triangle

Other Fun NPR Tiny Desk Concerts

Juvenile 

Khruanghbin

Dakha Brakha

Sheila E. 

Ssing Ssing

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

In this episode, we lean into our inner goths and imagine the songs we’d want played at our own memorials…IF we even have one. One of us goes full velvet-draped drama with sweeping strings and tragic romance; the other is all about spiritual soulfulness, reggae-tinged resilience, and a send-off that feels more like a tipsy singalong than a dirge. We may have gone in completely different directions, but we both love the way music holds our grief and our joy, and how being a little “death positive” can actually make life feel more vivid.

VIDEOS 

Giuseppe Verdi: Act 1 Prelude from “La Traviata” (1979 Decca / Sutherland Pavarotti) 

Jimmy Cliff: “Many Rivers to Cross” (1969)

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at [email protected]! We will write back! 

This is our love letter to the lost art of letter-writing…in songs. Consider it a carefully folded note passed across time. Signed, sealed, AND delivered by the Postal Service, or by hand. Song as letter, or letter as song, whatever the concept, these musical missives hit our hearts in ways an email can't. 

VIDEOS 

XTC: Dear God (1986)

Lulu: To Sir, With Love (1967) 

EXTRAS 

‘Dear God’: The violent protests triggered by XTC’s controversial single - Far Out Magazine 

The Blasphemous Story of XTC & "Dear God" I New British Canon - Trash Theory YouTube

Dear God · Todd Rundgren cover 

SNL Obama Tribute - Cecily Strong and Sasheer Zamata singing To Sir, With Love (2017)

One Song, Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze

Lulu performs Shout (1965)

Lulu performs Boom Bang-a-Bang for Eurovision (1969)

Lulu performs The Man With the Golden Gun (1975)

To Sir With Love: Representing Education and Race Relations

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at [email protected]! We will write back!