Best friend Zach drops in to accompany the guys on their usual New Year goals episode. As everyone approaches 30, there’s some big life changes about to take place (did someone say kids?!), and 2020 will surely be a huge year of growth. The guys reflect on their goals for 2019 and how they did, and look forward to what they hope to accomplish in this new year. Links: Ron Carnage: The Thinker Boy Buy Reminiscent T-shirts! Mike Birbiglia: The New One on Netflix SNL: Duolingo for Talking to Childre...
Jan 03, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 152
Green Day, Weezer, and Fall Out Boy are gearing up to hit the stage in a massive tour that is somewhat reminiscent of massive stadium tours of generations passed. While the guys are probably not going to be in attendance, both draft the 10 songs they’d like to hear the most. Bonus history lesson on Weezer’s Pinkerton, as it’s Pat’s first opportunity in 150+ episodes to talk about his favorite band. Links: Hella Mega Tour Setlist on Apple Music Hella Mega Tour Setlist on Spotify That New Old High...
Dec 27, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 151
If you’re gonna talk about sad boy, hall of fame albums, you won’t get very far without coming across ‘Give Up’ by The Postal Service. Somehow 150 episodes have gone by without the attention it deserves. The band released 1 single platinum album in the early 2000s, and while one of the guys didn’t take to it immediately, it ended up rattling both of their worlds for years to come. As some sad dudes from the (kinda) mid-west, there was just nothing better than this album, and while each song is l...
Dec 20, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 150
When you’re thinking of classic sad boy acoustic jams from the early to mid 2000s, Ever So Sweet by The Early November and Hey There Delilah by Plain White T’s surely come to mind. The guys sift through why Hey There Delilah was such a greater commercial success, what attributed to that success, and what Ever So Sweet was missing that kept it from taking over the world in the same way. Links: Hey There Delilah Acoustic Hey There Delilah Radio Version Ever So Sweet Acoustic Ever So Sweet Tom on P...
Dec 13, 2019•55 min•Ep. 149
Every band in the world takes a crack at writing a several overdone cover of a classic Christmas song. Very few write decent originals, but the mixtape draft this week includes songs of both kinds released in the years 2000-2009 to get you in the spirit this holiday season! Links: 2019 Christmas Mixtape on Apple Music 2019 Christmas Mixtape on Spotify Chris’s Pop Punk Advent Calendar 2016 Christmas Episode 2017 Christmas Episode 2018 Christmas Episode Michael McDonald’s Christmas on the Bayou Th...
Dec 06, 2019•55 min•Ep. 148
5 year have passed since Jimmy Eat World released their 4th studio album ‘Futures’, and somehow the guys are just now finding out about it. They share their initial reactions to the album and try to figure out which song would have the biggest impact on their 14 year old selves. Links: Jimmy Eat World Weekly Tee Appreciating what Jimmy Eat World does best, 15 years into 'Futures' November Playlist on Apple Music November Playlist on Spotify Pitchfork Review of Futures Taylor Swift’s AMA Performa...
Nov 29, 2019•49 min•Ep. 147
Per listener request, the guys take a stab at a The Academy Is… episode. The only problem is, neither of them know the band very well, so Pat creates a game show and quizzes Tom’s knowledge of the band (which is again zero). Tom is very confused, gets fixated on Charles Manson, and sings a lot. He also made a song with his feet and his bare butt. For real… Links: Check out our new line of merch! Unisex and women’s tees! The Academy Is… Wiki Slow Down by The Academy Is… Music Video 4 Producers Fl...
Nov 22, 2019•44 min•Ep. 146
Relient K’s vaguely christian breakout 4th album ‘Mmhmm’ stirred a lot of conversation back in the early 2000s, just as it did this week. The guys discuss the christian undertones of the band, whether it hurt or helped their perception as a band that definitely knew how to rock just as hard as the rest of them, and the guys each pick their favorite banger and their favorite sleeper tune. Links: Our Mmhmm Article Stand Atlantic’s Skinny Dipping Sam Pura on The Story So Far’s ‘Proper Dose’ Kiss an...
Nov 15, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 145
With the breaking news of My Chemical Romance’s reunion show, the guys take a stab at putting together their dream set list for the show in LA. This all then begs the question, does knowing the setlist before the show cheapen the experience, are encores wack, dumb, and unsophisticated, and Tom tells a story of when he was held hostage during 5 encores at the Zelda symphony. Yeah, you read that right… Links: Nominate us for an award! My Chemical Romance Reunion Show The MCR “I’m Not Okay” episode...
Nov 08, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 144
The guys take on one of the greatest challenges of their time, drafting their year 2003 mixtape. The rules are simple: always try to pick something from the wrong year, regret all your choices, and end up trading your entire playlist with the other player. Links: The Year 2003 Mixtape Playlist on Apple Music The Year 2003 Mixtape Playlist on Spotify The October Playlist on Apple Music The Ocean Avenue Episode The Ohio is for Lovers Epiosde Our Article About Bands that Rocked Jimmy Kimmel Live Th...
Nov 01, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 143
Often described as “the emo anthem”, Hawthorne Height’s single Ohio is for Lovers played a very important role in the culture of the early 2000’s emo scene. The guys speculate on what it is about Ohio that makes people write such sad music, if writing so candidly about sensitive topics such as depression, self-harm, and suicide ended up being a good thing for teens to become immersed in, and about the VFW energy that Hawthorne Heights managed to bring to their many live on television appearances...
Oct 25, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 142
She Hates Me may be regarded as the last viral, word of mouth song that’s ever existed. Tom and Pat recall schoolyard talk about a song that’s an absolute bop, but also like, swears a whole lot! It blew their 10 year old minds, even if they couldn’t fully relate to the relationship-gone-stale storyline of the song. All things considered, this song is an absolute banger (in the vacuum of melody, music, and ability to scream the chorus with a group of friends), and the video is just the cherry on ...
Oct 18, 2019•54 min•Ep. 141
Let’s face it, Teenage Dirtbag is the best loser anthem of all time, and possibly one of the best songs of the 2000s. That statement alone sums up the entirety of this episode, but we all know the Google algorithm rewards verbosity, so here we go. The guys discuss the first time they heard the song, which was a decade too late, and how the band’s sincerity and dedication to doing exactly what the frick they want screams “punk” more than most skids could ever hope to amount to. Links: Teenage Dir...
Oct 11, 2019•55 min•Ep. 140
We are gathered here today to determine a winner from the selection of 4 songs off Hot Fuss that received their own music video. The rules are simple, no one cares about anything and you always speak the first thing that comes to your mind. Between Mr. Brightside, Somebody Told Me, Smile Like You Mean It, and All These Things That I Have Done, which has the better music video (or did they all suck), which had the better message, and which will ultimately stand the test of time? Links: Hot Fuss o...
Oct 04, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 139
Not a single soul alive today could forget the song “The Reason” by Hoobstank. Every radio station in the world made darn sure of that. Both Tom and Pat have been fans of the song all 15 years it’s been out, but an effort to poke fun at the music video goes completely sideways when they find out it’s actually the best music video that’s ever been produced. Links: Read our Hoobastank article here! September Apple Music Playlist September Spotify Playlist Snoop Dog SNL skit The Reason on Friends N...
Sep 27, 2019•52 min•Ep. 138
The music video for I Miss You turns 15 years old and the guys go deep. They discuss the first time they heard the song, what the hell is going on in the video, how did Blink-182 wind up in this haunted house in the first place, who are these women and why are they dead, and the cultural impact this video had on emo and the subculture it existed in. Tom announces a new podcast he’s launching next year with some insanely exciting guests, Pat asks the deep questions of does being familiar with 50 ...
Sep 20, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 137
It’s been 15 years since Green Day rocked the entire universe with their career revitalizing ‘American Idiot"‘. The guys remember where they were when they first heard the record, how it impacted their lives then, what it meant for the band they were just forming back in 2004, and how the album’s reception has changed since becoming a music, documentary about a music, and planned movie. The band also announced the Hella Mega tour with Fall Out Boy and Weezer just hours before this episode was re...
Sep 13, 2019•54 min•Ep. 136
After a quick meditation to get back into the swing of things, and after a brief and super normal fan mail bag, the guys discuss the brand new album from Taylor Swift, Lover. They discuss initial thoughts, where this fits in the hierarchy of past albums, which songs each loves the most, what were the standout parts from the standout songs, and how streaming has been redefining pop albums in recent years. Links: Lover on Apple Music reputation Album Review reputation Stadium Tour on Netflix Revie...
Sep 06, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 135
Pat moves into an AirBnB, Tom explains the differences in cold brew and Japanese style iced coffee, Taylor Swift runs into some controversy (*Pikachu Face*) over who owns her masers, Tom does a follow up on his New Year’s Resolutions, and the guys explain why they’ve decided to take a 2 month break from doing the show. Miss you all already. Links: Happy Days by Blink-182 Mother Nature by The Dangerous Summer Taylor Swift Controversy over Owning her Masters Simple Creatures ‘Strange Love’ EP Hell...
Jul 05, 2019•50 min•Ep. 134
The guys take some time to recap their 10 year high school reunion, of which 1 attended and 1 did not last week in Erie, PA, fun times were had at Tom’s dad’s house, 17 year old time tries to dance to Soulja Boy with a girl, Pat watches The Hills for days on end, Pat is struck by a miracle foul ball which ends up as nothing more than foul play, and the guys craft their high school reunion playlist which will live only on this show. Links: 10 Year High School Reunion Mixtape on Apple Music Songs ...
Jun 28, 2019•50 min•Ep. 133
This episode was recorded at 72 miles per hour in the middle of what ended up being an epic road trip back home to Erie, PA for a 10 year high school reuinion. Tom recounts a story of finding a message in a bottle from Canada, attempts to discuss some kind of morning routine/schedule, but they end up having a crush-off of different kinds of potato chips… Don’t ask me, I just write the descriptions. Links: Cortex podcast The dogs of Reminiscent: Seamus Levi Arlie Follow us on Twitter at @_Reminsc...
Jun 21, 2019•41 min•Ep. 132
2005 did not disappoint our little corner of the music universe when it gave us A Fever You Can’t Sweat out by Panic! at the Disco and From Under the Cork Tree by Fall Out Boy mere months apart. While there’s plenty of similarities and cross-overs between these 2 groups, their unique sounds took on a life of their own and proved to be pretty polarizing, even in the decade since their release. The guys take a stab at breaking down the 5 best parts of each album in this week’s episode. Links: A Fe...
Jun 14, 2019•47 min•Ep. 131
It’s no secret that Tom DeLonge has been busy making waves in the field of UFO research, and with the news of Blink-182 touring Enema of the State in it’s entirety, the guys discuss the ethics of the situation. Should Blink tour this groundbreaking recording without one of its main songwriters, and would it be better for society if Tom just left Blink behind and focused solely on The The Stars Academy? The guys may not have the answers, but they do have a lot of opinions. Links: Tom DeLonge and ...
Jun 07, 2019•43 min•Ep. 130
The year 2002 saw the release of some really great movies, tv shows, and especially studio albums, including but not limited to No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls by Simple Plan and The Young and the Hopeless by Good Charlotte. This week, the guys come loaded with their 5 strongest arguments for why each album their representing was better than their partners. Which one do you think bops harder? Let us know on Twitter! Links: Buy Ron Carnage: The Thinker Boy! No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls on Appl...
May 31, 2019•59 min•Ep. 129
Drawing inspiration from Lord of the Flies, of which both Tom and Pat both indulged in the Cliffnotes versions in high school, the guys draft the albums that would have made it to their desert island playlists, had they been stranded in 8th grade. It was a fun look back at what they were listening to at the time, and tbh, a modern day desert island wouldn’t look too terrible different. Links: [SPOILERS] Enema of the State by Blink-182 Dookie by Green Day Meteora by Linkin Park Your Favorite Weap...
May 24, 2019•44 min•Ep. 128
In a bizarre mashup of sorts, the guys decide to each talk about 2 completely different albums at the same time, inspired by a friend and listener of the show. Tom covers the album Meteora by Linkin Park, and in normal long-winded Tom fashion, it’s full of stories form his adolescence. The album helped him through some serious family trauma as a young teen, motivated him to wear nothing but DC clothing for years, and he even performed a song for three 7th grade girls in his bedroom after an earl...
May 17, 2019•51 min•Ep. 127
Tom kicks things off with an apology that was months in the making, the guys discuss Blink-182 touring with Lil’ Wayne, Pat throws some serious shade at Jacksonville, Florida (sorry Tom’s mom), there was a traumatic experience while hearing Ocean Avenue for the first time, whether or not Best of Me by The Starting Line is a better pop-punk song, does Metallica rock or not, and about an upcoming 10 year reunion and the anxiety that surrounds it. Was that even a sentence? Links: Ocean Avenue Music...
May 10, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 126
No middle school skating party is complete without three things: four wheels, glow sticks, and screaming “Wake Me Up!” as your mom watches you maneuver left turns for hours on end. Bring Me to Life by Evanescence is an absolute anomaly that shook the entire nation in 2003, winning 4 Grammys, and introducing “Goth Metal” to a whole mess of children who would otherwise still be jamming Sk8r Boi by Avril Lavigne. This week, the guys break down the lyrics, music video, and dig into some of the inter...
May 03, 2019•50 min•Ep. 125
The most anticipated single of the year dropped as we started recording this episode. Taylor Swift teamed up with Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco to create the jam of the summer in Me! We discuss all that’s lead to this moment, where she’s come since reputation, then watch the video live! Links: Me! Music Video Taylor Swift reputation Tour Episode Wildest Dreams Live at the Grammy Museum Songs of the week: Heads Gonna Roll by Jenny Lewis Me! by Taylor Swift feat. Brendon Urie Get a 3 month t...
Apr 26, 2019•43 min•Ep. 124
MakeDamnSure is a song that captivated the iPod Nano’s of everyone in our sophomore high school class. The guitar riffs are infectious, the melodies carry every adolescent emo heart away to the darkest corner of their angst, and the lyrics are weirdly poetic and altogether confusing. But, unfortunately, the music video kinda sucks. This week the guys break down the shot list with insider information from some behind-the-scenes footage that originally aired on MTV2, take a dive into the lyrics, u...
Apr 19, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 123
