Dan, Manny, & Billy rank the stereotypical top 5 Rock bands of all time and put them to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“We're numb to everything, including like extreme things that are bad, and also great things [...] You see something great and you're just like, oh, whatever, you know? And it's like, there's pure artists going on and you don't even give a fuck because you're just scrolling to the next thing and that sucks in a way.”

The Nostalgia Test boys challenge their musical fortitude by trying to rank from best to worst The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Queen. They dig deep to explain each one of their takes, which no doubt are going to make a lot of people angry, share some of the funniest memories of listening to Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma, and how that particular album served as a “test” to see if people could hang. One thing they can all agree on is their placement of The Rolling Stones and hold on to your butts (as Samuel L. Jackson’s ill-fated Jurassic Park character famously said) because they truly don’t care what anyone thinks about their opinions.

So, grab your headphones, get comfortable on some inflatable furniture, turn on the black light, and get ready to be transported by the largest wave of nostalgia in the podcast universe.

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Approximate Rundown

00:00 Sugar Crash Intro

01:28 Group Chat Chaos

03:07 Ranking Rules Setup

03:20 Number Five Rolling Stones

04:43 Stones Controversy Talk

07:29 Number Four Picks

11:03 Beatles Debate Deep Dive

13:40 Number Three Led Zeppelin

20:00 Rock Genre Tangent

24:02 Number Two Queen Praise

28:50 Pink Floyd at Two

31:26 Number One Queen Stories

36:59 Freddie Mercury Mythos

37:54 Content Overload Numbness

38:39 Phone Free Concerts

40:08 Dance Fear Meme Culture

42:42 Studio 54 Then Now

45:12 Pink Floyd Takes Top Spot

47:58 Deep Cut Floyd Albums

49:05 Umma Gumma Trip Stories

54:17 Friends Rankings Rundown

58:53 Honorable Mentions Debates

01:01:49 Modern Bands Live Shows

01:09:06 Wrap Up and Next Episodes

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The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan shares a Nostalgic Reflection on The Cranberries’ 1993 hit “Dreams.”

“Dreams is like a signal and electric shock, awakening the mind, body, and spirit so that we're prepared to receive a new energy that's going to shatter the mundanity of our lives.”

Dan starts a new series on The Nostalgia Test Podcast called “Nostalgic Reflections.” These will be solo episodes about very personal connections, curiosities, and thoughts about the hosts’ pop culture pasts. On the first Nostalgic Reflection Dan reads an essay about the song “Dreams” by The Cranberries and the transcendent power of lead singer/lyricist Dolores O’Riordan’s voice. He talks about the timeless energy of the music, how it’s soundtrack magic, and when he specifically loves to listen to this song. He also gets philosophical about dreams and how they remind us all to embrace the unknown.

You can read Dan’s essay here on Substack.

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Approximate Rundown

00:00 Welcome to Nostalgic Reflections

00:39 From TikToks to Longform

01:43 Why Dreams Transcends Nostalgia

04:17 Lyrics and Rock Bottom Shift

05:36 Dolores Voice and Timelessness

06:32 6 AM Bus Listening Ritual

07:55 How the Song Unfolds

10:03 Dreams as a Film Opening

12:03 Being Open to Premonitions

13:40 Host Reflection and Thanks

15:18 More Episodes and Call to Action

16:15 Final Tribute and Goodbye

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The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy put 8 oldies from the 50s & 60s to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“The fact that [“The Twist”] goes on for more than a minute boggles my mind because at weddings usually it's in a mix of oldies. Right? [...] So imagine twisting over the whole length of this song.”

This is a fun look back at the oldies from the 50s and 60s that filled the streets of the boys’ black parties (also, are block parties only a NY thing?), weddings, family BBQs, and their homes. It’s music that was playing daily on 101.1 FM on Long Island. The songs that Dan, Manny, and Billy put rank and put to the test are, Bobby Darin’s “Splish Splash,” Little Richard’s “Rip It Up,” The Four Tops’ “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” Aretha Franklin’s “Think,” The Supremes’ “Baby Love,” The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” Sinatra’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” and Chubby Checker’s “The Twist.” They also talk about some honorable mentions, their favorite cocktails, mob movies and the music that made them so memorable, and more block party talk.

This is an episode that opens a whole new part of The Nostalgia Test Podcast because these are songs that were popular way before any of the hosts were born, so can these be nostalgic? Is nostalgia period specific for the individual? This episode answers these questions with a lot of reflections on family and those free concerts in the part that if you were from Long Island your parents dragged you to during the summer. Sometimes there were fireworks, sometimes there were drunken adults dancing the lindy with each other, and most times there was a collection of Igloo coolers being carried with folding chairs and blankets.

See, these songs create a time capsule of both the moment they were released and the moments of childhood for kids from the 80s and 90s.

So, grab your most comfortable folding chairs, a chill group of friends, set up in the street out front on your block, crack a few domestic beers, and wait to be called in when it’s too late. This is a good one.

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Approximate Rundown

00:00 Oldies Episode Kickoff

00:16 Sweatin Headband Debate

00:47 Podcast Intro and Setup

01:27 Why 50s 60s Oldies

05:43 Songs List Breakdown

10:38 Ranking Rules Begin

10:43 Number Eight Picks

14:19 Twist Wedding Memories

17:02 Number Seven and Block Parties

23:25 Number Six Sinatra Talk

27:06 Cocktails and Martini Tangent

29:50 Number Five Starts Baby Love

30:10 Baby Love Debate

32:34 Top Four Begins

32:47 Rip It Up Reactions

37:08 Little Richard Lyrics Lore

40:07 Top Three Rankings

42:42 Four Tops at Number Two

48:30 Aretha and Ronettes Number One

52:36 Honorable Mentions

55:36 Mob Movie Music Tangent

58:46 Wrap Up and Block Parties

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The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy give their honest opinions on the slew of reboot, remake, and legacy sequel slop and rumors, and they put it all to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“I feel like as a society, we just went back in time anyway, and [...] should we be happy about it? Like there's so many things that are happening that are like from our era, like, Brittany Spears got arrested for DUI [we’re] back at war with the Middle East. I mean, like, we're in the nineties. Even the government wanted to be nostalgic. I think what I'm going  to say, I wanna blame us for this.”

If you’ve been a longtime listener to the pod then you know the boys’ opinion on reboots, and they really don’t veer away from their absolute hatred and confusion of the reboot craze and legacy sequels that aren’t Top Gun 2: Maverick. They react to the news of reboots for Starship Troopers and Faces of Death, and then Billy gives a brief and honest breakdown of the 2025 reboot of Youngbloods. They comes the endless legacy sequel rumors and news. They question the logic for a Demolition Man 2, Face/Off 2, Heat 2, Riddick 4, Toy Story 5, another Conan the Barbarian, Predator w/ Schwarzenegger, and why not do a legacy sequel for one of the most unhinged 80s action movies ever made Commando.

Days of Thunder legacy sequel anyone? This one causes the guys to pause and think about what Tom Cruise would be able to do in this film, what’s the big stunt, and Dan has a suggestion for Mr. Cruise.

Then the guys try to figure out how William Shatner got so famous being so mediocre, Dan gives an energetic F-you monologue to Gene Simmons and then graces everyone with his rendition of the Different World theme song because, that’s right, they’re producing a sequel series! Why not, right.

And while we’re at it, let’s make a confusing to figure out when it would start Man on Fire Series. If Hollywood is listening (or is interested at all) Billy is ready to help write and produce the Ghost Rider movie we all deserved.

So, grab your nerdiest friends to debate this bucket of reboot vomit, make a pitcher of Long Island Iced Teas (oh, it’s that sort of episode), and rage with The Nostalgia Test Podcast!

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Approximate Rundown

00:00 Dan & Billy Remember Snot

01:17 Nostalgia Test Returns

03:37 Kids These Days’ Music

04:25 Arnold Sequel Rumors

06:43 Commando vs Conan Debate

09:59 Days of Thunder Sequel

15:04 Franchise Kings Talk

18:11 Starship Troopers Reboot

21:34 Ghost Rider Redemption

23:05 Face/Off 2 Why

25:02 Demolition Man 2 Talk

29:08 Heat 2 Casting News

31:09 Long Movies Need Breaks

32:01 Heat Two Backlash

32:57 Jackass and Social Media

35:56 Youngblood Reboot Debate

38:33 Scary Movie Returns

40:44 Faces of Death Remake

43:38 Riddick Four and Fast

48:25 Shatner Goes Metal

50:23 Different World Sequel

52:02 Man on Fire Series

54:25 Rock Hall Gatekeeping

55:55 Toy Story Five Tablet

01:03:06 Wrap Up and Goodbye

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The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy celebrate the anniversary of the Twinkie by putting this classic snack to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“The literal first ingredient is sugar, even before flour.”

The food episodes are back with a vengeance as the boys test their childhood and stomachs with the Twinkie. So many god memories, so many tangents, and let’s not forget Billy’s kickass hat, “IMMIGRANTS MAKE AMERICA GREAT!” Because the f***in do! The guys talk about the possibly poisonous ingredients, what it was like top track Twinkles down, how Hostess was taken over by the Mexican company Bimbo, and the history of Twinkies being filled with banana cream pre-WWII. Then they eat them, and, well, you’ll have to listen to see the reactions because it’s the greatest reactions to food in the podcast’s history.

They guys also talk about their childhood memories of Entenmann's cakes and chocolate chip cookies, the Ghostbusters Twinkie reference, and they read the results of the online poll. Oh, and wait for a sort of “secret track” to get Dan. Manny, & Billy’s off the mic reactions.

So, grab a tall glass of strawberry milk, stare into the abyss of despair that is 2026, and get ready to go on a gastric nostalgia test journey like no other.

Special shoutout to Beleafer CBD for getting Dan through this episode.

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Approximate Rundown

00:00 Cold Open Chaos

00:17 Twinkie Myth Setup

00:52 Podcast Intro Twinkie Test

01:23 Text Thread vs Podcast

02:07 Vaping Sponsor Tangent

02:35 Why Food Hits Different Now

03:21 Twinkie Obsession Memories

04:04 Ingredients and Dye Rant

05:10 Hunting for Twinkies

08:06 Captain Crunch Mouth Cuts

08:47 Regional Snacks and Mann's

11:09  Entenmann's Cookie Debate

12:24 Ghostbusters Pop Culture

13:32 Twinkie Origin Story Stats

16:43 Bankruptcy and Iconic Junk Food

17:34 Hostess Snack Cake Roll Call

18:07 Snack Cake Throwbacks

18:46 Unwrapping Road Trip Classics

19:18 Shrinkflation And Smell Test

20:02 Recipe Change Reveal

21:16 First Bite Reality Check

23:00 Nutrition Label Shock

24:08 Rant And Better Alternatives

31:03 Instagram Poll Results

34:00 Final Verdict And Aftermath

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The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan & Billy invite Nostalgia Test Podcast all-star Meghan Nolan to put the 1988 Nicolas Cage black “comedy” Vampire’s Kiss to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“This is a steaming pile of sh*t. I hate everything about it. It is not nostalgic for me. You cannot be nostalgic, I'm gonna say it again, about a movie that's about him raping somebody [...] It's not a comedy. It's a film that doesn't even know what it is. It doesn't make me nostalgic about the 80s. It doesn't make me nostalgic about bats. It doesn't make me nostalgic about anything. This is a hard fail. I never wanna see this film again. I'm sad that I watched it.”

There’s not really much else to say. Dan & Billy’s guest, Meghan, sums it up pretty well. This “movie” (if you can call it a movie) is an abysmal piece of chaos that should’ve tanked Nicolas Cage’s career, but because of his status as a Coppola in Hollywood he was absolutely fine and was able to continue to run amok forever. In fact, one of the main points in this episode is how it took almost 16 years for Jennifer Beals’ career to recover from Vampire’s Kiss. Sure, she was in the Denzel Washington movie Devil in a Blue Dress in 1995, but her comeback wasn’t until her role in The L-Word in 2004. Yet, Cage was in a string of insane failures and chaotic bullsh*t since 1988, and he continues to have this momentous acting career, even after 1997's Con Air. Another movie that should’ve killed his career.

But I digress.

This episode has everything a classic Nostalgia Test episode has, tangents, regrets, jokes, and all the insane laughter about Nic Cages need to have warm yoghurt poured on his toes so her can be “aroused” in a sex scene with Jennifer Beals. Again, this man was allowed to have a career after this! Also, justice for Alva, the poor secretary played by María Conchita Alonso who has to endure being verbally, emotionally, physically, and sexually abused by Peter Loew (Nic Cage) in this abomination of a film.

So, grab your fake plastic vampire teeth, reschedule your appointment with your inappropriate therapist, and brace yourself for one of the most insane breakdowns for a movie so bad that the podcast consensus is they’d rather watch Happy Gilmore 2.

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Approximate Rundown

00:00 Cold Open Chaos

00:38 Show Intro and Guests

02:43 First Impressions and Memes

03:34 Trailer vs Reality

04:31 Plot Setup and Alva Abuse

05:43 Noir Opening and No Plot

07:15 Bat Scene and Weird Sex

09:28 Accent Rant and Acting Choices

12:07 Office Contract and Harassment

13:52 Therapist and Vampire Teeth

15:57 Club Meet and Pasties Theory

25:47 Nick Cage Trivia Hot Yogurt

28:16 Career Context and No One Said No

31:49 Alva Home Life and Escalation

36:28 Time to Lean Quote

37:38 Bag Soup Confusion

38:48 Blanks and Assault Scene

39:30 Not a Dark Comedy

41:09 Cage Acting Trivia

42:19 Mimes and Street Filming

44:18 Roaches Pigeons Coffin

45:38 Club Murder Breakdown

49:31 Nepotism and Careers

54:02 All in His Head Theory

56:09 Therapy Session Madness

57:35 Reviews and Poll Results

01:02:06 Nostalgia Test Verdicts

01:11:01 Final Wrap and Next Picks

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The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

On this Nostalgia Test Mini episode, Dan, Manny, & Billy spin The Wheel of Pauly Shore to see which Pauly Shore movie they’ll be putting to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“I watched [Son in Law and] I was like, how the fuck did they let this man make movies?” -Billy D’Elia

This Mini Nostalgia Test episode spins out of control (no pun intended) way before the guys even spin The Wheel of Pauly Shore. After the Son in Law episode, Dan & Manny were curious if any of the other Pauly Shore movies could even be nostalgic, so here we are. Will it be:

They get Billy’s reactions of Son in Law even though he missed the episode, they talk about Brendan Fraser saving Encino Man and how it’s way more his movie than Pauly Shore, and Dan reminds everyone that Bad Bunny was the best part of Happy Gilmore 2, much like he was the best part of The Super Bowl, that’s right, he was! Deal with it!!!

So, grab your longtime friends, grab a drink or three, and place your bets on which movie the wheel will land on.

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Approximate Rundown

00:00 Mini Nostalgia Setup

00:45 Son in Law Reactions

01:28 Pauly Shore vs Sandler

03:14 Dirty Work Detour

04:03 Why We Rewatch Bad Movies

04:59 Wheel Movie Options

06:00 Dreading the Picks

07:38 Spinning Up the Wheel

08:20 Pauly Shore Rant and Airheads Talk

09:05 Wheel Lands on ________

10:40 Why _______ Must Happen

12:26 Ratings and Who Likes It

13:55 Cast and Teen Movie Vibes

15:24 Plot Breakdown Rage

16:26 How We’ll Watch It

17:05 DC Plans and Sign-Off

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The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy put 7 Drunk Sing-Along Songs for Saint Patrick’s Day to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“It's like doing shrooms together. You gotta choose the right people.”

-Manny Coelho

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day Nostalgia Testers! On this episode, the gang digs into what makes a great drunk sing-along before ranking:

Piano Man – Billy Joel

The guys talk about what makes a good drunk sing-along, share memories of their favorite drunk sing-along moments, the importance of a key change in a song, and the appropriate time of night to play “Piano Man” in a bar. There’s also a huge disagreement about one of these songs, how to control the mood in a bar with the jukebox, and there’s 3 honorable mentions that might spark a whole new drunk sing-along episode.

It’s last call, so grab one more drink, put some money in the jukebox, and gather your friends for some slurred singing, because there’s this episode is going to tear the roof off... well, your earbuds while you’re probably folding some laundry.

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Approximate Rundown

00:00 Drunk Singalong Setup

01:28 Rules Not Wedding Songs

04:31 What Makes One

07:50 The Seven Song List

09:33 Ranking Number Seven

16:01 Ranking Number Six

23:45 Ranking Number Five

28:31 Top Four Debate

36:04 Billy Puts Journey Fourth

38:36 Top Three Begins

39:37 Ranking Number Three

41:03 Bon Jovi Concert Memories

44:09 Number Two Debate

45:29 Piano Man Stories

48:48 Don’t Stop Believing Pick

50:11 Listener Rankings Roast

57:29 Number One Revealed

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The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan & Manny put the 1993 Pauly Shore classic Son in Law to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“This whole movie, all of Son in Law, all of [Pauly Shore’s] f***ing dialogue is just gibberish. It's just gibberish the whole time, and I'm just like, how can this be a film?”

Dan & Manny are without their longtime friend and cohost Billy to try and solve the pop-culture mystery that is Pauly Shore’s 90s fame. How did it happen? Why did it happen? Are we to blame for all his movies? These are the types of questions the guys try to figure out while literally avoiding talking about Son in Law. In fact, there are so many tangents in this episode that it should be called “181. Trips to Ithaca, Gravity Bongs, & Other Fragmented Memories.” Dan & Manny talk about the absolute gibberish of Pauly Shore’s dialogue, the unanswered for crimes in this movie, Tiffani Thiessen, and the mom in Son in Law just on the prowl for the “D.”

So, grab some “grindage,” your best “buuuuuudddiiies,” and get ready for some “cheek chillers,” because this episode might not even be a podcast, it’s an event.

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Approximate Rundown

00:00 Cold Open Banter

00:22 Nostalgia Test Setup

01:44 Groundhog Day Deja Vu

03:53 Follow Us and Going Global

05:26 Cast Rundown and 90s Problems

08:31 Pauly Shore Era and Ernest Talk

13:09 Biodome Hate and Pauly Debate

15:09 Plot Breakdown Begins

19:33 Pauly Shore Multiverse Timeline

26:59 Finally Talking Son in Law

27:20 College Tropes and Horny Mom

32:36 Camcorders to Snapchat Tangent

35:13 Weed Brands and Dispensary Stories

37:02 Gravity Bong Nostalgia

37:49 Dirty Glass and Resin Hits

39:46 Back to the Movie Plot

40:22 Bad Decisions Make Memories

42:53 Rebecca’s Instant Makeover

47:24 Homecoming and the Proposal

53:51 Pauly Shore Fatigue

57:45 Drugging and The Ending

01:02:32 Final Verdict and Ratings

01:09:33 Box Office and Pauly’s Run

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The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan & Manny put the 2003 Spike TV classic MXC (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge) to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“Everyone dies or has diarrhea after this show [...] They're throwing up [...] things are coming outta their nose, their eyes [...] I hope there's a medic. They should have had [...] a part of a show where they showed [contestants] being wrapped up.”

This episode is just as unhinged as the show itself, which says a lot about how out of bounds MXC (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge) was in 2003. Dan & Manny watch one episode from three different seasons for this test, and unfortunately, they are without Billy on this one, but he does make a special texting appearance later, so all those Billy fans will get their fix. Dan & Manny try to figure out once and for all if this show was just a bunch of captive human beings trying to make their way home, is this show racist, why was there such a dubbing craze in the early 2000s, Spike TV being okay with low budget nonsense, and so much more. The main question about MXC, did anyone die during the making?

So, get out your chain wallets, put a short-sleeved shirt over a long-sleeved shirt, crack open a Sprite Remix, and “DON’T GET ELIMINATED!” This is a fun one.

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Approximate Rundown

00:00 MXC Nostalgia Setup

01:18 What Is MXC

02:46 Wild TV Era

04:39 Picking Episodes

06:19 Episode 12 Chaos

08:33 Takeshis Castle Explained

11:29 Low Budget Carnage

18:58 Did Anyone Win

21:26 Season 3 Politics Episode

28:02 Can It Work Today

29:42 MXC Banter Highlights

30:36 Origins in Takeshi Castle

32:03 Groundlings Comedy Crew

32:46 Grossest Challenges Recap

33:14 Finale Episode Controversy

34:38 Obstacle Course Chaos

36:44 Do The Rules Exist

39:23 Dubbing Goes Too Far

43:44 Production Reality Check

46:29 Classic Clip Breakdown

47:38 Would It Work Today

50:05 Modern Attention Spans

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The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected