In 1984, Michael Mann's crime drama Miami Vice hit the airwaves. Unlike the traditional police procedurals that came before it, Miami Vice drew upon 1980s pop culture and used contemporary rock and pop music as the background for its dark, often nihilistic storylines. Returning guest, poet and essayist Sarah Nichols, joins us as we unpack some of the songs - and musical guests - that made this iconic neo-noir television series pop.

Songs discussed in this episode: Miami Vice Theme - Jan Hammer; Vital Transformation - Mahavishnu Orchestra; Miami Vice Theme - Jan Hammer; Harlem Shake - Baauer; Peter Gunn Theme - Henry Mancini; Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell; Beach Theme - Tangerine Dream; In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins; Crockett's Theme - Jan Hammer; Smugglers Blues, You Belong To The City - Glenn Frey; Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits; Hello Earth - Kate Bush; Just The Way I Planned It - Philip Michael Thomas; Heartbeat - Don Johnson; I'm Not In Love - 10cc; Cry - Godley & Creme; Little Miss Dangerous, Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nugent; Duel, P-Machinery - Propaganda; Fly On The Windscreen - Depeche Mode; Nine Million Rainy Days - Jesus and Mary Chain; Me Myself I, Dark Truths - Joan Armatrading

For our FIRST Patron-curated episode of 2026, we asked Patrons of the show to send in a song from their parents record collection that stayed with them...and got them high! Thanks mom and/or dad!!

Songs discussed in this episode: At The Balalaika - Nelson Eddy; I Can See For Miles - The Who; Before The Next Teardrop Falls - Freddy Fender; Flowers On The Wall - The Statler Brothers; The Only Living Boy In New York - Simon & Garfunkel; Buzzin' Fly - Tim Buckley; Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In - The 5th Dimension; Out On The Weekend - Neil Young; Guitar Man - Bread; Poor Jenny - The Everly Brothers; Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson; Autobahn - Kraftwerk; Hands On The Wheel - Willie Nelson; Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado; Historia de un Amor - Eydie Gorme and Trio Los Panchos; Que Sera Sera - Doris Day; Groovin' With Mr Bloe - Mr Bloe; East Bound and Down - Jerry Reed; I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better - The Byrds; Charmaine - Mantovani

Longtime Patron and returning guest Rory Cox Zoomed-in all the way from Slovenia to discuss Athens, Georgia band Drive-By Truckers and their incendiary 2016 album, 'American Band'. Overtly political - and as timely today as the day it was released - this is protest music with the guitars turned to eleven!

Songs discussed in this episode: The KKK Took My Baby Away (Ramones cover) - Drive-By Truckers; Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd; Ronnie and Neil - Drive-By Truckers; Green Grass & High Tides - The Outlaws; Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd; I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) - Aretha Franklin; Ramon Casiano, Darkened Flags on the Cusp of Dawn - Drive-By Truckers; The South's Gonna Do It Again - Charlie Daniels Band; Surrender Under Protest, Guns Of Umpqua, Filthy and Fried, When The Sun Don't Shine - Drive-By Truckers; A Good Idea - Sugar; Kinky Hypocrite - Drive-By Truckers; Dead Flowers - The Rolling Stones; Ever South, Dead, Drunk and Naked - Drive-By Truckers; Cover Me Up - Jason Isbell; What It Means, Once They Banned Imagine, Baggage, Every Mother's Son (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover) - Drive-By Truckers

Seattle singer/songwriter Robert Deeble brings us British band Mojave 3 and their 2003 release 'Spoon and Rafter'. Borne from the ashes of their previous band Slowdive, its core members Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell and Ian McCutcheon dialed-in the dream pop/folk with stunning arrangements and a feather-light touch.

Songs discussed in this episode: Love From Room 109 at the Islander (Tim Buckley cover) - Mojave 3; Hi-Lo and In Between - Neil Halstead; My Life In Art - Mojave 3; Orphan Song - Robert Deeble; Bluebird Of Happiness, Starlite #1, Bill Oddity - Mojave 3; War On War - Wilco; 40 Days - Slowdive; The Kiss - Robert Deeble; River Man - Nick Drake; Writing To St. Peter, Battle Of Broken Hearts - Mojave 3; Oh! Sweet Nuthin' - The Velvet Underground; Hard To Miss You, Tinkers Blues - Mojave 3; The Forest From The Tree - Robert Deeble; She's All Up Above, Too Many Mornings, Between The Bars - Mojave 3; Not On Your Team - Robert Deeble

Writer, comedian, musician Aug Stone joins us this week to unpack The Afghan Whigs and their stunning 1996 release: 'Black Love'. Leader Greg Dulli and company mine themes of vengeance, remorse and self-loathing on a record that manages to be both ferocious AND soulful.

Songs discussed in this episode: The Bed (Lou Reed cover) - Afterhours (feat. Greg Dulli); Written In The Stars - Aug Stone & The Love Conspiracy; Premonitions - Damien Youth; Rachel On The Rooftops - Aug Stone; Debonair - The Afghan Whigs; There's Been An Accident - The Twilight Singers; Crime Scene Part One, Turn On The Water, My Enemy, Double Day - The Afghan Whigs; Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations; Blame, Etc, Step Into The Light - The Afghan Whigs; Superstition - Stevie Wonder; Going To Town, Honky's Ladder, Night By Candlelight, Bulletproof, Dear Prudence (Live Montreal 1998), Purple Rain (Live, LA 2012), Summer's Kiss - The Afghan Whigs; Teenage Wristband - The Twilight Singers; Faded - The Afghan Whigs; Rachel On The Rooftops - Aug Stone; Been Teen - Dolly Mixture; There Are Solutions To Each & Every Problem - Black Watch; A Lighthouse I Ain't Ever Been To - Aug Stone

This week, returning guest - and founder of Rochester New York's Carbon Records, Joe Tunis - brings us a subject near-and-dear to his heart: the music of the New Zealand underground. This essential compilation, 'Xpressway Pile=Up', is a great snapshot of the late 80s/early 90s New Zealand underground music scene and the artists involved.

Songs discussed in this episode: Quiet In The Village - Eye; Anything Could Happen - The Clean; What Goes On - The Velvet Underground; Midnight Blue Vision - Plagal Grind; Kicks - Vacuum; Native Waiter - Victor Dimisich Band; Rain - Wreck Small Speakers On Expensive Stereos; Subtle Holy Gift - Sentridoh; Meluzina Man - The 3D's; 3 Years - Dead C; Down and Around - The Stones; Randolph's Going Home - Shayne Carter & Peter Jefferies; Water Cuts My Hands - Mecca Normal; Lindauer - 2 Foot Flame; On An Unknown Beach - Peter Jefferies; People To Talk To - The Mad Scene; Splat - Bailter Space; Emmanual - Snapper; Airships - The Cakekitchen; Yes Jazz Cactus - Plagal Grind; Walk In A Straight Line - Nocturnal Projections; Uncoffined - The Terminals; Dream Of The Sea - The Renderers; Stancing - Bilders

What more can be said about the much maligned 1978 musical film 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' that hasn't been said already (11% on Rotten Tomatoes)? But this week's guest, multi-instrumentalist, artist and songwriter Robbie Gennet, contends that the movie - and especially its accompanying soundtrack - deserves a second look. Featuring the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, and a slew of guest artists covering Beatles songs (AND produced by none other than George Martin!), as well as a murderer's row of side men including Max Middleton, Wilbur Bascomb and Bernard Purdie, it's an eclectic, at times bizarre collection of songs you've known for all these years. We hope you will enjoy the show.

Songs discussed in this episode: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Bee Gees with Paul Nicholas; Vacillate, Don't Wait (Live, 2025) - Robbie Gennet; I've Gotta Get A Message To You (Live at The Forum, 1976), Too Much Heaven - Bee Gees; I'm In You, Show Me The Way (Live) - Peter Frampton; Cause We've Ended As Lovers, Head For Backstage Pass - Jeff Beck; Fire and Brimstone - Hummingbird; Here Comes The Sun - Sandy Farina; Theme song from 'Which Way Is Up' - Stargard; Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - Dianne Steinberg with Stargard; Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - Elton John; I Want You (She's So Heavy) - Bee Gees with Donald Pleasence; Good Morning Good Morning - Bee Gees with Peter Frampton; Oh! Darling - Dana Fuchs; Maxwell's Silver Hammer - Steve Martin; Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) - Bee Gees with Peter Frampton; Got To Get You Into My Life - Earth, Wind & Fire; Night Fever - Bee Gees; I Want You (She's So Heavy) - Eddie Hazel; Because - Bee Gees with Alice Cooper; Come Together - Aerosmith; A Day In The Life - Bee Gees; Get Back - Billy Preston; Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Finale) - Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, Cast; No Questions - Robbie Gennet

For our first episode of 2026, we talked the New York Dolls and their eponymous 1973 debut with special guest Jerid O'Connell. As a Connecticut teen sneaking into New York City to see the Dolls play places like Club 82 and Max's Kansas City, Jerid - who eventually played drums in NYC band Rousers - was instantly smitten by their raw, high energy sound/delivery and never let go. Turn this episode up!!

Songs discussed in this episode: Personality Crisis (New York Dolls cover) - Teenage Fanclub & Donna Matthews; Product Of The USA - Rousers; ABC - The Jackson 5; Personality Crisis (Live in Paris, 1974) - New York Dolls; Aladdin Sane (Live 1974) - David Bowie; The Times They Are A-Changin' - Bob Dylan; Out In The Streets - Blondie; Be My Girl, Party Boy, Ramrod, Bumble Bee Rock - Rousers; Personality Crisis - New York Dolls; Give Him A Great Big Kiss - The Shangri-Las; Looking For A Kiss, Vietnamese Baby - New York Dolls; Pretty Vacant - Sex Pistols; You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory - Johnny Thunders; Lonely Planet Boy, Frankenstein (Orig.), Trash, Bad Girl, Subway Train - New York Dolls; Pills - Bo Diddley; Pills, Private World, Jet Boy - New York Dolls; Bumble Bee Rock - Rousers

For our final episode of 2025, we asked our Patrons to send in their favorite - and unlikely - musical collaborations. As usual, they did NOT disappoint!

Songs discussed in this episode: Wanted Man (Take 1) - Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash; Living Doll - Cliff Richard and The Young Ones; Mama - My Chemical Romance w/Liza Minnelli; Perfect Day - Lou Reed & Luciano Pavarotti; Don't Give Up - Willie Nelson & Sinéad O'Connor; Mad John - The Small Faces; Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby & David Bowie; Untitled (Hash Jar Tempo) - Bardo Pond and Roy Montgomery; Morning High - Tommy Ambrose & Bruno Gerussi (Fuzzy Love); Kid Fears - Indigo Girls w/Michael Stipe; Lazyitis - Happy Mondays w/Karl Denver; World Destruction - Time Zone (Afrika Bambaataa & John Lydon); Est-Ce Que Tu - Dusty Trails (Vivian Trimble and Josephine Wiggs); Gloria - Van Morrison w/John Lee Hooker; Riding With The King - Eric Clapton & BB King; Don't Hurt Yourself - Beyonce & Jack White; Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart - Marc Almond & Gene Pitney; I Love you, Mary Jane - Cypress Hill & Sonic Youth; Sometimes Always - Jesus and Mary Chain w/Hope Sandoval; Death Is Not The End - Nick Cave with Anita Lane, Kylie Minogue, PJ Harvey, and Shane MacGowan; NYCNY - Darryl Hall w/Robert Fripp; Bring The Noise - Anthrax/Public Enemy

When Grammy-nominated Louisiana Zydeco musician Corey Ledet offered to discuss Bruno Mars' multi-platinum third album '24K Magic', TRGMH host and part-time music snob Rob braced himself for a painful week. But Mars' tight, 9-song attempt to capture the sound of the 80s/90s R&B, funk and New Jack Swing he listened and danced to during his childhood - the same music Ledet listened to as a teen growing up in Houston, TX. - quickly won him over. Seriously, if this record doesn't make you feel a LITTLE bit better you might want to seek professional help.

Songs discussed in this episode: 24K Magic (Bruno Mars cover) - Vale Acevedo; Alaska Funk (Live in Alaska), Buchanan Ledet Special, Jai Parti Dans La Campagne, This Is All I Want (Live in Alaska) - Corey Ledet Zydeco; Computer Love - Zapp & Roger; 24K Magic - Bruno Mars; The Message - Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five; Chunky - Bruno Mars; Poison - Bell Biv Devoe; Funky Drummer Pt. 1 - James Brown; Perm - Bruno Mars; Jungle Love - Morris Day and The Time; Love Never Felt So Good (Michael Jackson cover) - Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band; That's What I Like, Versace On The Floor - Bruno Mars; Classical Gas - Weird Al Yankovic; Baby I'm Yours - Shai; Straight Up & Down - Bruno Mars; Treasure (Bruno Mars cover) - Corey Ledet Zydeco (Live Jazz Fest 2017); Calling All My Lovelies, Finesse, Too Good To Say Goodbye - Bruno Mars; The Lady In My Life - Michael Jackson; Boudin Man (Live in Alaska) - Corey Ledet Zydeco