Andrew and Dominique know almost nothing about D’Angelo, so if they didn’t do a D’Angelo episode now, they might never learn.
 
We enlist LiteFM midday host and National Black Radio Hall of Famer Helen Little to help fill in the gaps in our knowledge.
 
Helen has worked at heritage R&B radio stations in both New York and Philadelphia since the '90s. She was in on the proverbial ground floor of D'Angelo's pop career, met him numerous times and has a strong connection to his first two studio albums.

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(Episode 42.)

We discuss the anomaly that is the 1993 stop-motion animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas — a gothic Halloween musical comedy for children that hinges of themes of death, depression, belonging and the Christmas spirit.
 
Extraordinarily offbeat and original, Nightmare has inspired generations of people with its music, aesthetic and lesson of embracing what makes each of us unique.
 
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This bonus episode is a loving tribute to the greatest and one true Halloween song.
 
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(NOTE: Andrew is of course referring to “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder when he says “Supernatural.” He is humiliated.)

We dive into John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s powerful 1972 statement on political violence, “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” which has just been re-released in a gigantic (potentially evil capitalist) box set.
 
Dominique rants about commercial art versus performance art, and we discuss Yoko Ono’s immense impact on the latter.
 
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U.K.-based rockers Dinosaur Pile-Up returned this year after a lengthy absence to remind us that contemporary rock music can deal with serious topics and be fun at the same time.

DPU singer-guitarist Matt Bigland re-evaluated much of his life and his choices during a hospital stay in 2021. Once healthy again, Matt recommitted himself to his music and his band. This past August, Dinosaur Pile-Up returned with its first new album in six years, I've Felt Better.

On this episode, we dive into the album's first single and lead track, "'Bout to Lose It."

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April Kae returns to the show to join the conversation around Cardi B's AM I THE DRAMA? album.

We discuss the high and low points of Cardi's highly-anticipated, 24-track (!) divorce album, her unending charm and how she constantly finds ways to push boundaries of pop music. 

April explains the debt she owes to Cardi B's "Up," as well as the challenges she’s faced while developing her own music and how a breakup clarified her vision for her music career. She also makes an "official" announcement about what's next for her solo music. 

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We check out the recent single "Hiding in Plain Sight" by the L.A.-based metalcore band Holywatr.

Andrew has highly conflicting feelings about the band, but it's right up Dominique's alley. 

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We add some context to Hayley Williams' landmark third solo album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, discuss why it's a step into uncharted territory for her and what it means for the future of Paramore.

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(Episode 40.)

We're talking about a single from Blood Orange's new album, Essex Honey.

We marvel at the mulit-instrumental talent of songwriter/producer Dev Hynes and we discuss the pitfalls and freedoms that comes with being a true solo artist.

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On the eve of the release of the new Deftones album, private music, we’re breaking down the band's “milk of the madonna" single.
 
Andrew and Dominique ask where the line is when it comes to an artist rehashing their ‘classic’ sound, and how private music is bound to be the quintessential Deftones album for the new generation of fans who just recently discovered the band and elevated the Deftones to arena-level.

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We highlight progressive metal band Kallias' latest single, "The Final Cleansing," the day their new album, Digital Plague, arrives on all streaming platforms.

Andrew and Dominique dive into the many layers of "The Final Cleansing," how the song ebbs between cinematic intricacy and straightforward slam.

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We honor the work of Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away this week at age 76.
 
Andrew and Dominique give Ozzy his flowers for being a much greater singer, performer and ambassador for rock and heavy metal music than people realize. 
 
We talk about the grim circumstances that led to Ozzy co-founding Black Sabbath with Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, and we consider how Satanic panic unwittingly fueled the band’s rise in the ‘70s.
 
We stop down on some highlights from Ozzy’s incredible solo career and consider how music history would have been different had his widow and longtime manager Sharon Osbourne not entered the picture.

Also, we consider how perfectly Ozzy exited, from his revelatory final performance in Birmingham, raising $200 million for charity, and seeing all of his friends one last time.

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(Episode 38.)

We surf with The Beach Boys in memory of the band’s late mastermind Brian Wilson, who passed away in June at age 82.
 
Andrew discusses his longstanding curiosity about The Beach Boys, while Dominique explains how one of the squarest bands of the ‘60s was an element of her teenage rebellion in the ‘00s.
 
We discuss why coolness has always eluded the Beach Boys and where the band's legacy stands today.
 
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(Episode 37.)

A band Andrew has traveled across the world to see just released its first new song in years.

From Perth, Australia, Karnivool is probably the greatest rock band in the world that nobody knows about! We discuss the new single, "Drone," the merits of having a tight catalog and why Karnivool is such a well-kept secret.

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Foo Fighters released their first new original song since 2023 this week with "Today's Song."

We give our thoughts on the track, the Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl's famous fall from grace last year and how he got away with having such an annoying personality for so long without anyone saying anything. 

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We talk about Lola Young’s embrace of 2010s indie music in her unique brand of soul-pop, and how it confirms a change in alt music, who alt music reaches and who can credibly create it.
 
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Gina Petro a.k.a. singer-songwriter HOLDN takes the wheel and assigns us Banks' Goddess debut album, one of the most impactful records for Gina's own musical endeavors. 

Gina recalls how she backed into being a "singer" in the first place and how she bonded with Banks' music in the back of a van while on tour with her old alternative band. 

We discuss the merits of seeing concerts alone, where big pop music productions fall short and why all LGBTQ+ kids need a good English lit teacher.

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Kesha's new single "BOY CRAZY." is an early contender for song of the summer. 

We ask ourselves, is Kesha's return a harbinger of an oncoming Boy Summer ... or just a recession indicator.

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On this episode, we ask why a five-year-old song by Charli xcx is suddenly a hit, and whether the indie sleaze vibe of the official music video for “party 4 u” is a recession indicator.
 
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Avril Lavigne released her first new song in a couple of years, and it features her old skate park pals Simple Plan.

Like a siren calling out to millenials, "Young and Dumb" might be enough to get the attention of aging emos, but does it have anything more to offer than nostaligia? And is Avril too young to be making these types of songs?

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