Check in with Pawn Carelli, dodge that Ominous Man and bring your shoes full of rice to fellowship with the freshboys. This week all the bases will be covered regarding Villains. Will you be as surprised as 2/3 of the gang was by the album? Beware what lies ahead in the charts as the (Matchbox) 40 Horsemen of the Apocalypse are upon us.

After predicting our shortest episode ever, we find surprising enthusiasm for our U2 Top 5's. This one's all about the clips! Plus chart talk about Matthew Sweet, Ben Folds Five, and Squirrel Nut Zippers.

Our foray into middlebrow 1997 pop/rock continues with Jakob Dylan and an array of guest stars.  Al reflects on yet another sentimental favorite, while Trav and Quillen tutor him on which Offspring song is strictly taboo.  Chart talk includes Aerosmith and The Spice Girls.

The boys drink some Lakini's Juice, but when it comes to the rest of Live's album Secret Samadhi, Trav and Quillen taste seeds of Creed.  Al does his best to defend a childhood favorite that was generally seen as a letdown in 1997.  On the charts we visit Prodigy, Big Head Todd, Space, and White Town.

This - must - be: Pop! This week on the pod, the boys are talkin' U2 to you. Is their new evolution a hit? Listen to learn the actual correct pronunciation of the song title, then head into the Flood again, and finally, check the charts for Garbage.

This episode was released earlier this morning with only Trav's audio.  This is the corrected version.

Don’t take that poison just yet, Romeo!  We’re not dead, we’ve just been sleeping.  Here we are with Garbage, Baz Luhrman, and some mild audio issues.  It’s 1997.

The boys go all in on The Breeders, including detours for Channel One and Ewoks.  Then a rare glimpse into 1993's Modern Rock charts, including Radiohead, Pumpkins, Cracker, Buffalo Tom, Ocean Blue and more.

Hey, what do you want Travis to say???  It's not like he volunteered to do a podcast about 90s alternative radio.  It's time to go deep on TOP fave "Stay" by Lisa Loeb.  Plus some talk about Ida, Loeb's album Tails, and showing goodbye.

Things get dumber and dumberer as we return with a random episode about "New Age Girl" by Deadeye Dick, a band whose recordings have largely vanished from the internet.  Stick around for 90s comedy soundtracks and the return of grinchy Quillen.

There are some mild, brief audio issues about 25 minutes in.

It's time for our annual year-end special, which this year comes in the same form it does every year: the Pod Star game.  Please pardon the mild audio irregularities; we recorded in the same room (!) for the first time.

:00 Pod Star Intro

6:38 What was your favorite song in 1996?

10:30 Stats time!

19:14 Billboard Stats

21:41 Top 5 Albums for 1995

1:19:40 Announcement of Hiatus Episodes