SPEAKER_01: 0:47

Welcome back to another super awesome mix. My name is Matt Sidholm, alongside my co-host and co-founder, Samur Albu Salvi. Samur, happy new year. Welcome to season two.

SPEAKER_00: 0:58

Oh my goodness. Thank you so, so much. That is really fun to hear. Um and I'm happy your intro stayed the same. I, you know, I've been wondering these last couple of weeks, like, are you gonna introduce some kind of new crazy wacky season two thing? But you know, it's like stick to what works. I like it.

SPEAKER_01: 1:15

You know, growing up, if you were a fan of sitcoms in uh the 80s and even the 90s, right? That was part of the excitement when the season premiere would come around is what were they gonna do differently in the intro. Right, yes, right. Like like the kids were a little older. All right, maybe you're walking in the back door instead of the front door. There's a new theme song. So yeah, there were so many possibilities for what are you gonna change in season two? But I just kind of was like, you know what, we're going with the same thing. Let's just keep this rolling.

SPEAKER_00: 1:48

I like it. I like it. We could also have gone the Game of Thrones route and just spent like two and a half minutes opening up the show. With some kind of a really pro protracted intro song or maybe like an audio exploration. It could have been really special, you know.

SPEAKER_01: 2:07

Yeah, just like a almost like one of those soundscape type things. Right. Where it's just like just a really, I mean, kind of trippy type thing that just keeps going and kind of loses you for a second, then brings you back around, right? Yes. Because you want to see at the end who it's written by and directed by that particular episode, right? Exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_00: 2:28

Well, you know, we got our season three opener planned already, it sounds like we're we're gonna start working on it now.

SPEAKER_01: 2:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 2:35

Yeah, exactly. Starting early this this new year. Well, I I hope you had, you know, I hope our all of our listeners had a really wonderful and safe new year. Uh, I know it's a bit of a crazy time out there, but you know, we're so excited to be back. Um we got a great season opener for season two, and we thought, what better way to kick off a second season of a show than with an exploration of second albums by musicians. Uh so Matt, why don't you go ahead and tell tell our listeners a little bit more about how we picked these songs?

SPEAKER_01: 3:04

Yeah, what we looked at, we kind of thought, all right, this is our second season, and you know, one of the things I think you and I both remarked, at least off the air, was how much better we sounded near the end of the season versus the beginning of the season. Like you just get better, right? Like the more you do anything, the better you're gonna get. That's just kind of the natural order of things, right? And so, you know, kind of the same thing here. We thought, wow, okay, so let's take a look at some artists and their second albums and take a look at what what came of those. And uh I I don't know about you, but I thought it was just fascinating how many big hits were on second albums. Like it was really hard to narrow this down and and choose, you know, six from my side to to pick because there were just so many that was like, oh, you can pick that one, you can pick that one. And you know, a lot of artists get to two albums, you know, that's not a high warm watermark necessarily, but but yeah, it does help you kind of find the groove a little bit. So we thought it would be interesting at the beginning of our second season, where hopefully we're getting better, to take a look at how some some major artists improved on their second album.

SPEAKER_00: 4:12

Yeah, I love that. Um, and I I do agree. I I think you know, there's a quote that came to mind as I as I was like researching and picking songs, which is that it's like it's it's an artist's entire life to get to their first album, and it's just the time between first and second to get to their second, right? So it's like sometimes it's you know, it's like their entire life to produce this first work of of art, but then to do this to do it a second time, you know, some people really struggle with that because maybe not enough time has passed, right? But in other cases, you know, to your point, it's like they find a little bit more of themselves or they go a little bit deeper and then they release something that just blows up, and it's really kind of exciting and cool to see that. And I think you know, we've got a really nice range of of artists covered here, um, which is something that I at least wanted to really try to do better in season two, is spread out a little bit more. There's some familiars, you know. We we'll we'll see that. Um, but I'm gonna do my best to to spread out.

SPEAKER_01: 5:09

Yeah, I I agree. Like I I really thought, and I think part of this, you and I have both said this, is doing a music podcast. The cool part is how much new music you discover and how many new artists, and you just go down so many different rabbit holes as guests come on and they bring their favorite artists that maybe we've never heard before, and you get into that. And um, so yeah, I mean, I I think that's a credit to definitely our listeners and our followers out there who always make suggestions on our social media, and as well as yeah, some of the guests we've had on in the past, and you know, hopefully some of the guests we'll have on in season two that will uh kind of open our eyes a little bit more and and widen the uh the the library ahead of us. But um all right, we ready? We ready to get into this super awesome mix, season two?

SPEAKER_00: 5:57

Let's do it.

SPEAKER_01: 5:58

Alright, so the first pick, you you kicked it off, and this this was a great one. And this is actually the opener of this person's second album. You went with Space Oddity by the legendary, David Bowie.

SPEAKER_00: 6:11

Yes, I um yes, I love this song. I love this song as an opener, I love to our mix. I love it as an opener to the to this album. The fact that it was on his second album was like, this is just this is perfect. This just has to be. Um I in fact I I went to a Bowie exhibit uh a couple years ago. They had a Bowie exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. So me and some friends went. And it was really cool. It was like an immersive musical ex exhibit in the sense that they give you a pair of Bluetooth headphones when you when you right before you walk in, and as you walk in, and depending on where you are on the floor, um different like sound bites occur and different, you know, like that's how you kind of explore it with his music playing, or there's a voiceover and you can experience his album and his life's work. And as you walk in the door, of course, it's Space Oddity is what plays, and so I just think it's amazing. Again, just the fact that this was just off of his second album, right? And this is I would argue, if not his biggest song, certainly one of his biggest songs, and something that I think immediately everyone is like, oh, of course, you know, Space Oddity, David Bowie. Um, and it's just such a great song, and I love that it has a countdown in it, and like, you know, obviously the lift off, and he's going to space, and I thought, what a again, what a an appropriate way to kick off season two for us.

SPEAKER_01: 7:26

I agree, yeah. No, this is an incredible start to a second album and uh an incredible start to our second season. Yeah, this is just a great song, and I, you know, I remark that this song's from 1969, right? Like that's that's a long time. It's a 50-year-old song. Right. You listen to it, and it still sounds cool. Like it's got a great sound to it. And when you put in put that into context, this was 50 years ago, and the things he was doing on the different audio tracks where he was ground control and he was Major Tom, and there's the you know, kind of ambient sounds about going into space and all that. It it really is, I mean, pretty groundbreaking, I would imagine, for the time.

SPEAKER_00: 8:09

I agree, yeah, it really is. It it absolutely stands up today. I feel like you can play it and it it feels like a modern song, um, you know, in in a way that maybe a lot of older songs like immediately date themselves. I think this still holds up to your point. The other thing that that I loved in researching this, um, and I I do want to maybe make this a mix one day. We'll see if we get to it in season two, but he wrote this song apparently the day after a breakup that he had. So he went through like a pretty bad breakup and then wrote this song. And it's just like we've covered these types of scenarios where these artists are like hung over or they got broken up with, or you know, they some kind of traumatic life event, and then they go in and they write a massive hit song. And I just again and again feel like I need to be much more productive with my you're not productive when you're down.

SPEAKER_01: 8:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 8:55

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01: 8:56

Like when you're down, you're just down.

SPEAKER_00: 8:59

Like you need to chance.

SPEAKER_01: 9:03

Yeah, you need to this would be an interesting exercise. Like sometime in 2022, if for some reason like you're you're down, like you should kind of set some sort of reminder for yourself to like pick up a pen and start writing something down and just see what comes out. I think that would be interesting. Yeah, I think that would be interesting.

SPEAKER_00: 9:22

I like that. Yeah, well, hopefully I won't if if I am down, it won't be like a super down. You know, maybe it'll just be like, oh shoot.

SPEAKER_01: 9:28

Like, I'm not like I'm not wishing that on you, okay, in the new year. I I said happy new year earlier and I mean it, but you know, we all have moments.

SPEAKER_00: 9:38

I understand. I understand. It it could be just something like I ran out of ice cream and I'm just like, oh, I'm really looking forward to ice cream. Let me go for it.

SPEAKER_01: 9:48

Right. Like it's too late for that, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 9:52

Awesome. All right. Well, um, after that strong opener, you know, we had we had to have them sometime in 2022. Why not? Why not with your opening track, Blue Springsteen, Rosalita?

SPEAKER_01: 10:05

Yeah, I figured uh why wait? I mean, people are expecting it at this point. I think exactly. Um, you know, I said on my Desert Island mix growing up was my favorite Springsteen song. This is probably my second favorite, and I think it's up there for a lot of the diehard Springsteen fans out there. Uh the second album, The Wild, the Innocent, and The E Street Shuffle. Um, I actually included the E Street Shuffle on our opening tracks mix. Um, and so I went with Rosalita here. It's a seven-minute song, but he had gotten big enough at, you know, kind of after that first album that it this actually got radio play. And actually, you know, if you're listening to classic rock stations now, every now and then they'll throw Rosalita on and you'll hear the full seven-minute version. It's uh it's a pretty incredible song. He used to use it in concerts to introduce his band. So they would kind of just extend it out even farther and uh or further, and um, you know, he'd introduce the band. Eventually that transitioned after the Born to Run album, that became 10th Avenue Freeze Out. That's the that's the song where he he goes through his band at that point. Right, right, yeah. Um, but it is uh it's an incredible song. I think it just tells a great story. I I love all the changes in music and everything throughout that. And um I think it's just a lot of fun. It's just uh it's a really cool song, especially you know, coming off of his first album, which I think we talked about during the opening tracks uh mix, but it was very much used compared to Bob Dylan, and there was a lot of very acoustic, heavy songs on that one. And so this one was in a lot of ways a pretty dramatic departure musically from that first album. And uh I think this is a pretty good representation of that.

SPEAKER_00: 11:51

Yeah, absolutely. I I love that it's a seven-minute song. I of as always love the love the storytelling. Uh, he's an amazing storyteller with the music. The um the last 30 seconds are especially fun, yeah, and I could see that playing really well at a concert where he just starts like kind of I don't know, hollering and getting everyone into it and like frenzy and stuff. So I could see that doing really well on a concert.

SPEAKER_01: 12:17

It just goes on and on. Yeah, I mean, there will be on some of the live albums that you can get out there, I mean, 13, 14-minute versions of this song. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 12:26

That's amazing. Also, congratulations to to Bruce on on his uh on his sale um of his music library. How about that?

SPEAKER_01: 12:33

Just sold his music library, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 12:36

Like a recorded 500 million, yeah. 500 million dollars.

SPEAKER_01: 12:39

Which is the highest sale price, I think, up to this point for one of those deals.

SPEAKER_00: 12:44

Wow. As as they said on SNL's weekend update, hopefully he finally has enough to move out of Jersey. Oh, that's great. The coverage on that has been really good. I think the onion also mentioned something that he could finally go back and tell his boss off or something at the manufacturing plant.

SPEAKER_01: 13:03

Yeah, right. He could finally quit his job at the factory now that he's got this 500 million. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 13:08

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01: 13:10

Um well, I mean, this is an appropriate follower since we're talking about someone who just made$500 million. Uh, your next track, The Good Life by Weezer.

SPEAKER_00: 13:20

Yes, yes, The Good Life. So this is off of the Pinkerton album. So the blue album released first. Um, you know, and obviously, like some of the albums got cut, you know, named by their color. Um but this is the one that I think like I got I heard Pinkerton really late in life. I think I was in my in my in graduate school actually. And I never really heard it before because I don't think it gets like a lot of playtime. This song does. I think people will be familiar with The Good Life. But the rest of the album is really punk in its sound. Um and it's like it's you know, it was released in in the mid-90s, I think it was 96 or 97. And it does kind of sound like a punk album, like it's a little di bit different, certainly what comes after, and even what came in the first album, but it's just like it's a really cool kind of punk slash rock album to turn up and and really and like play as loud as you want. Um, and just a very different sound to Weezer that I don't know that they like revisited too much as as they kind of went through their years. Um, so yeah, so I put this one on just mostly, you know, as a check out their second album because I think it's actually like it's really interesting, um, you know, as opposed to like a lot of their other work.

SPEAKER_01: 14:28

Yeah, it's funny when I saw this come on because I remember when Pinkerton came out and people hated this album. Like the blue album was so popular, and you're right, it it was just that wheezer sound, and then that sort of came back on their subsequent albums. And Pinkerton always stands out as this album that initially, when it came out, critics hated it, fans hated it, and then eventually, you're right, it kind of had this second life where people were like, actually, this is kind of cool. All right, I kind of like this, and critics kind of came around on it, and now people really kind of love this album, or you know, it gets a lot more critical acclaim now, but in its time, I remember it was like these guys are a one-in-wonder, get these guys at it. Like people were real down on Pickerton, so um, yeah, it was funny to see this in real time. But I I also thought the album was pretty good, but you're right, very different from other sort of classic Weezer.

SPEAKER_00: 15:29

Yeah, absolutely. All right, track four. Um jumping into some country now. We've got I Can't See Texas from Here by George Strait.

SPEAKER_01: 15:41

Yeah, I had to include some more country for Samura. I'm not giving up on that mission to kind of bring it around. Uh, and this is real country. I mean, this is they they call him King George. Okay, George Strait's had like 60 number one hits. Um, and off this album, which was um straight from the heart, straight spelt like his last name, S-T-R-A-I-T, that included the uh his probably his most notable song, Amarillo by Morning. Now, R Reagan Bromley included that on his mix when he was a guest on the show in season one. So I went with I Can't See Texas from Here. Now, the notable thing about this song is that it's it's kind of the last song George Strait wrote himself. He has had just songwriters writing stuff for him ever since. And he obviously every album he's got two or three number one hits on it. But this was the one that this was kind of the it's sort of known that this is the last song he wrote that um I I I'm not even sure if this one went to number one, but it's a very popular George Strait song. Um but yeah, it it's a good one, and I know Texas gets a lot of criticism these days. Um, but obviously George is from Texas, I'm from Texas, and uh, you know, well we we do have still have some pride in our state.

SPEAKER_00: 16:57

Yes, yes, understandable. Um you know this one this one actually got me kind of moving whenever I hit play on it. Um I thought I was gonna hate it. Um and I didn't. That's what this is, you know. We'll take it. Yeah, we'll take it. Maybe that that frozen block of ice that that holds country music inside is starting to melt just a little bit. Um, it's a it's a I I literally wrote this is the fun little ditty, because it kind of is, right? Like I can't describe it any other way. Like um, and I like the sense, you know, obviously what he's writing about of just like I think everyone, whether it's Texas, whether it's wherever you're from, everyone's got a place that, you know, as he says, like you can be somewhere else, you can be somewhere wonderful, but there's a place called home. And like, you know, you always are are looking back there, and it's no offense to where you are, but you want to be back to where you call home. So I I like the the sentiment here uh of what he sings about.

SPEAKER_01: 17:54

Absolutely, yeah. I I would agree with that, is that it really comes down to just missing where you're from and what you call home. So you don't even necessarily have to like Texas to to appreciate this. And uh and I think it like you said, it's it's a fun song. It's gonna put you in a good mood, it's upbeat, all that.

SPEAKER_00: 18:11

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01: 18:13

Um so speaking of fun songs, I mean, number five here, your next pick, you got Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

SPEAKER_00: 18:23

Yes. Um so in this case, I was torn because technically McLamore's second solo album is Gemini, which is also an amazing, amazing album and definitely worth checking out. But if you just kind of look at, you know, obviously he was a huge part of this duo album with him and Ryan Lewis, so I would count this as his second album, uh, The Heist, which is also just incredible. Um I will admit also sadly going into this, I didn't even know this this was his second album. Um I so that kind of speaks to potentially speaks to, unless I was just in the dark, that his second album was way bigger than his first. Um and this song in particular. I mean, I remember when this blew up, especially the music video, which I'm certain a lot of our our listeners are familiar with. That got shared a lot. And I think that might have been my introduction to Macklemore as an artist. I got the chance to later see him live. He's an amazing performer live. I really appreciate the musicians who like can obviously sing really great songs, but then all you know know how to perform and like get an audience like in into their music and into the whole event. So he's absolutely one of those people. Um, so yeah, this is an amazing album. This might this ended up not even being my favorite song off of the album. It's really good, but like that's how good the album is. Is that there's a lot of other songs on there that I ended up listening to a lot more than this one, um, including White Walls that I that you wrote that you were listening to just a couple weeks back. Oh, right, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes. And I was like, yes, I love White Walls. That's a great song.

SPEAKER_01: 19:52

Yes, yeah. I love that one. Uh no, this song, you mentioned the video, 1.5 billion views on YouTube right now of this music video for Thrift Shop. Oh my goodness. But you're right, when I saw this, I I kind of kind of thought to myself, what was Macklemore's first album? And just didn't nothing rang a bell. This was definitely where he kind of came uh into the mainstream, I think, with this song. I mean, it's just massively popular hit. And I think it still plays well today. I think it's just because it's so different for a rap song. And it got me thinking that you know, when something comes along and is sort of decidedly different, that's where we. Kind of see a hit song sort of rise up, right? And something that is uh maybe uh a uh something long-lasting as well, right? Stands the test of time, but it's when it's a little different from everything else that's out there. And if you think of the time when this song came out, I mean nobody's really doing anything like this. Yeah, he's talking about shopping at a thrift store. Everybody else, everybody else at this point is talking about how cool everything they have is. Right, right, exactly. He's just this is just the opposite direction, and it became this massive hit. So that is kind of it just got me thinking. That's kind of an interesting, there might be something there to that theory of of what becomes a hit, you know.

SPEAKER_00: 21:16

That's a really good point. I'd never really even considered it from that point of view that yeah, he's not he's not singing about his like Lamborghinis and private flights and all that kind of stuff. It's literally that he bought he bought sheets that smelled like urine, you know, like that's great.

SPEAKER_01: 21:33

I know, I remember like we shopped when I was growing up, we shopped at a thrift store from time to time, right? Because it was just like it was just cheaper, the clothes are fine, like just put this on, right? So I could certainly relate to the experience, but it's not a glamorous one, I could tell you.

SPEAKER_00: 21:50

All right. Well, speaking of someone who continuously is just blowing up and growing in popularity, uh, you got Casey Musgraves here with her song Biscuits.

SPEAKER_01: 22:00

Yeah, this is uh just a fun song, but I I just figured Casey Musgraves gets so much love nowadays. And you know, her last couple of albums, it's just Grammy after Grammy and all of this. But um early on, I mean her first album, same trailer, different park, that was the that was the name of that one. And uh it was it was well received for sure, but this was the first single off of her second album, which was called Pageant Material, and I I just think it's a really fun song. It kind of speaks to what she does from a songwriting standpoint. I think what really makes her stand out, obviously she's got an amazing voice, but I love just the lyrics in her songs. I just think they're incredible, and uh I I think this is kind of falls into that category.

SPEAKER_00: 22:49

Yeah, the lyrics are the lyrics are excellent. I actually I I love the bridge here, um, where she writes, like pouring salt in my sugar won't make yours any sweeter, and and just basically this, you know, she has a bunch of lines here of just saying, like, being a jerk isn't gonna make either of our lives better, you know.

SPEAKER_01: 23:05

Right, right. I mean it's good advice for nowadays where all people want to do is kind of make that snarky comment on social media telling you you're not that great, you know?

SPEAKER_00: 23:15

Right, right, exactly. It's like do you feel better?

SPEAKER_01: 23:19

I mean who got something out of this?

SPEAKER_00: 23:22

Like, well exactly.

SPEAKER_01: 23:27

All right, so next up, um, and you know, talk about uh you know critical darlings. You've got childish Gambino and 3005.

SPEAKER_00: 23:38

Yes. Um I got I I've mentioned Childish Gambino before. He's made our a couple of our mixtapes. His second album is also amazing. This song I think is probably the one that got the most playtime off of it, but it's worth going and listening to to all of it. I I just would celebrate his work as much as I can. I I think he's so talented. Um and I I love the I love like the sentiment behind this song. Like he basically is just trying to say that he's like, you know, it's all about just having a purpose, not being alone. And and he he talks about how he wrote this when he just felt that like, for example, if he was afraid of dogs, but all of a sudden he was protecting his little sister from a dog, he would no longer be afraid of dogs, right? Like it was just like he felt a sense of like of purpose, and I think that's kind of what he's he's talking about here in this song. And I love the sentiment there, but it's also just a great song, and he's an amazing rapper, and I will I'll put him on my mix whenever I can. So that's why I wanted to call this one out.

SPEAKER_01: 24:38

Now, after listening to this, I realized well, I've done this with a few artists, is once I've heard one song from our mixes, I will go back and just kind of roll through their whole catalog. And um I think he's gonna be kind of next on my list for artists to just kind of start back on all right, album one, track one, and just start listening to all of it because every time I hear one of his songs, I'm like, oh, this is great. Oh, this is great. So it's like, all right, stands to reason that everything else is great. Like people aren't just handpicking out the stuff that's worth listening to. So yeah, no, I I really enjoyed this too. It's a really great beat, and I really like how he's not only a good rapper and he's a clever writer, but also he's got a really good voice, too. Like he can also sing a little bit uh during these songs, and it's it's worth listening to.

SPEAKER_00: 25:28

I agree, yeah, he does. He has an excellent voice. Um, all right, track eight. I had not heard this particular song. Um, so we've got Netflix Trip by AJR. Uh and when I when I started listening to the lyrics and and looked into them, I fell in love with it. I'm so happy I got introduced to this song. Um I'll let you I'll let you tell the story behind it. Go for it. So Netflix Trip by by AJR.

SPEAKER_01: 25:55

So, you know, we put you put AJR on I was just talking about going through an artist's entire catalog, and after hearing a couple of their songs last season, uh I did exactly that. I went through their whole catalog, and they've got I think four albums, and they're all you know, relatively short, like they're not real long songs, but I listened to their whole catalog, and so when it came time uh for this, I was like, oh, let me look at their second album, and this was on there, and I was like, this has gotta go on the mix. So this is essentially them telling stories from their life as it relates to what season of The Office they were watching on Netflix at that particular point in time. Yeah, and it's just amazing the first time you listen to this, especially if you're if you're a fan of The Office and if you've watched a lot of television. I watched a lot of television growing up, and so I kind of have the same, you know, memory device that I could sit there and go, Oh yeah, I remember that dance because afterwards there was that Saturday Night Live where so-and-so hosted and blah, blah, blah. Like, so I I watch so much television, I could kind of make those connections. So I just thought this was such a cool song that it was like uh they're clearly rolling through seasons of the office and then describing these things that happened to them. I just thought it was brilliant.

SPEAKER_00: 27:17

It it really is. I I think you know, we we talk a lot on our on our social media, um, which you can follow us on Instagram at Super Awesome Mix, um, about how you know music is like a time capsule in a way, right? Like music can bring you back the same way that it tastes and and smells and like all of that other thing. And and I'd never I'd never connected the dot that like a TV show could bring you back to a time period as well. And he he's they're absolutely right. Like I I wrote in my notes I can relate to this because like whenever we were I started watching The Office, um, it was around the time I was playing World of Warcraft still, and that was like a big part of my life. I spent I spent so many years playing that game. Um and I remember watching it with friends while we were like, you know, we'll be playing WoW in the background. And so it was like just thinking about those seasons, it immediately brings me back to that time period in my life. So I love that someone else had that experience. It is really fun to uh to hear that.

SPEAKER_01: 28:13

Yeah, it's really well done. And you know, just speaks, I mean, all of their stuff. If you like some of the songs that have gotten a little more radio play in in recent years, you know, go back and listen to their albums from a few years ago. They're really good.

SPEAKER_00: 28:27

Yes, they are.

SPEAKER_01: 28:29

Um, okay, so next up you've got Horchata by Vampire Weekend.

SPEAKER_00: 28:35

Yes, from the second album of theirs, Contra. Um I, you know, I mentioned earlier about how it's like a first album comes out, and then the second album is just a product of the time between the two. I mentioned this album because I loved their first album, and their first album was was a huge hit. And then they produced basically just like a second perfect album, which I also think should be celebrated because sometimes that's really difficult. Often it's very difficult, right? Like I think we we we have that experience of like you love a band's first work, and then their second work comes out, and for whatever reason it you know doesn't speak to you or it doesn't speak to anyone, unfortunately, you know, whatever it might be. But to produce like a second one where you're just like, yes, this is perfect, like more of this, please. Yeah. Um so I inhaled this album. I still listen to it today, you know, much like the the um other like the original three of theirs uh before the band member changed. So had to throw this one on here, and we've had Vampire Weekend before, it won't be the last time that that they make a mix.

SPEAKER_01: 29:37

I was really impressed with how many times they were able to rhyme something with horchata. And part of me was like, I wonder if that was the inspiration for the song. Like they're just kind of, you know, sitting around one night and trying to see what they could rhyme with horchata, right? And and then start, can we write a song around this really difficult word to rhyme with? And sure enough, they did it. This is a great song, it's a really fun song to listen to. But I thought that was the thing that stood out in my mind. I was like, wow, how are they doing this? This is this is really well done.

SPEAKER_00: 30:10

It is really well done. And the other thing that I noticed this go around, um, because whenever I listen to our mixes, and I recommend that everyone does this if you can, like, take the time to really listen to the song, you know, whatever, not this song, but any song of yours. Like, try to just put on headphones or whatever it is and just sit there and really listen to it because it's really different, it changes the experience of it. And so I did that with this song, um, especially, and I realized like it's they're just also so musically talented, like there's a lot going on in their songs, yeah, but it just works so well together. Uh, and I think that that was really their genius of it, is like there's just a lot of really unique instrumentation, and then their vocals and and the lyrics, and they just piece it all together so effortlessly, and it just sounds amazing.

SPEAKER_01: 30:55

Yeah, I agree. It's really I mean, that it's it's really good, just both from a musical standpoint, but like I said, just the lyrics. And I totally agree with you, like really immerse yourself in the music sometimes, and it is a very different experience. Get yourself some better headphones, too. That makes a world of difference, too.

SPEAKER_00: 31:10

Yeah, that makes a really big difference, absolutely. Um, awesome. All right, track 10, home stretch here. I I love this this pick because I love these guys. Dirty Little Secret by the All-American Rejects. I wasn't aware that you that you listened to them, I was very happy to see this actually.

SPEAKER_01: 31:28

Every now and then I'll throw something more recent on there, yeah. No, so this is off their move along album, and move along was obviously like super mega hit, right? Um, but I kind of prefer this song. Uh I just I just think it's a cool rock song, right? It it just jumps right into it, and um, you know, you get the little, it's got a good bridge in it at the end before the the chorus comes back at the end of the song. Um what I found funny about it is that the uh the two guys who wrote the song, the two guys in the band, Nick Wheeler and Tyson Ritter, they were both in long-term relationships when they wrote this song. And so it was just totally made up. Like there was no experience behind this. But I think they do a pretty good job of depicting this sort of illicit affair that they're laying out in the song. And um, but I also thought it was funny imagining them justifying that to their long-term girlfriends, right? Like, no, no, it's totally made up. Okay, like these guys are just total rock stars at this point, touring everywhere, singing this song, and and their girlfriends have to kind of believe them when it's like, yeah, no, I just made that up. Like nothing ever happened. What are you talking about?

SPEAKER_00: 32:43

Right. Especially with the title Dirty Little Secret Running. Like it's right there in the title.

unknown: 32:50

Right.

SPEAKER_00: 32:50

I would have a lot of questions. Uh, partner. Yes. Oh, that's fantastic. I did not know that that fun little tidbit. Nice one.

SPEAKER_01: 33:02

Um, speaking of big hit, uh track 11 here, and and you vowed they would make more appearances on mixes, and you are not disappointing right off the bat here. You went with Everlong by Foo Fighters.

SPEAKER_00: 33:15

Yeah, you know, I think it's important in a second season to bridge from the first season, you know, that way people feel comfortable and you're not they're not totally thrown off base. So I think we've got something with Bruce and Foo Fighters making an appearance. Um yes, Everlong. I I mean, obviously still today, one of their biggest songs. Um I saw on Spotify alone it's gotten 534 million plays, and the the largest song off their first album, and it's not it's bonkers, right? That's crazy. Half a billion plays um just on one platform. And then, you know, like if you go to their first album, which also had some decent hits, um the most popular one there is 53 million, so or 54 million, so it's like a tenth as big as this song. Yeah. Um, so yeah, their second album was was a very I think I would argue is a turning point for them as a band. Um and and like it just shows there's so many good songs off of their second album, and this song today still is like just an incredible drum song. And you know, there obviously there's have been some very famous drum battles with with this song, and to watch Taylor Hawkins drum it is also incredible. He's so talented. Um you know, not only watching Dave Grohl drum it, he obviously normally sings it, but it's it's great. I love the song, still play it today. Obviously, a lot of people do, and that that whole album, I think, is what is what became truly like the quintessential Foo Fighter sound.

SPEAKER_01: 34:42

Yeah, I I heard uh I heard Dave Grohl on the podcast Smartless recently. I'm not sure if you listened to that one with uh Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, and he was talking about how he recorded that first album. He he played every instrument. Right. And so the second album, he didn't do that, and not to say that that's why they're better necessarily, right? Because I think he's still writing all the songs, but it's just interesting that he really just did that first album. It seemed like this little side project that he wanted to do, and let me put this thing together. And uh obviously it gained a lot of popularity and he did pretty well with it. And uh then they went with a second album and had uh, you know, more of a band behind it, and uh off you go. But yes, incredible song. David Letterman has always said this is his favorite song, and I believe they were on tour in South America and flew back to New York for his final show on CBS just to perform this song.

SPEAKER_00: 35:42

That's really cool. That's awesome. Nice, all right. Well, we've got kind of a small artist uh to round out, you know, speaking speaking of artists that don't get enough attention, really. Um Gone by Kanye West.

SPEAKER_01: 36:02

Yeah, and this one features consequence and common as well. Um it's interesting. This one samples It's Too Late by Otis Redding, and Kanye West and Jay-Z also sample Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding on their song Otis from the uh Watch the Throne album. But um yeah, this this album, late registration, it's got Touch the Sky, it's got Gold Digger, it's got Diamonds from Sierra Leone, which I think were all big radio hits. Like those were kind of the hit songs from this album. But this is like track 17 out of 18, and but I think it's the best song in this album. I love this song, and even when prepping for this mix, every time it came on, I would just listen to it all the way through. I just think it's so good. And uh say what you want about Kanye West. I mean, he makes really good music.

SPEAKER_00: 36:55

He does.

SPEAKER_01: 36:56

I hate to admit that, right? But he makes really good music, and I think this just falls in that category. I that whole album's incredible, obviously for a second effort, and um, but I think this is the song that probably you know is a little underrated, but I think it's uh I think it's a great one.

SPEAKER_00: 37:15

Yeah, no, it really is. And this album was so so amazing. I I still listen to a lot of his songs from here. I'm certainly in that crowd of people that he would say is, you know, I love the old Kanye. Um I do love the old Kanye. I think I think his earlier works were really good. He has some really good later works, obviously, but I just like his earlier stuff was uh out of this world. Um just really, really awesome. And and so this is a great album. Really happy that that we could round out the mix um with some Kanye. Nice, nice work.

SPEAKER_01: 37:45

Yeah, from George Strait to Kanye West. We really we really ran the gamut here, right? We we did. Well, there you have it. There's your first super awesome mix for season two, like Samur mentioned earlier. You can follow us on social media at super awesome mix, and of course, check out the website and see where you can bring a super awesome mix to your next event. Um, and for Samur, this is Matt, and we'll be back next week with yet another super awesome mix. So do you need that.