On today's podcast, Becky, Mimi and Hannah talk Sunday's Grammys from the Jack Antonoff memes to the Weeknd's critical decision to shut out the award show for good. The hosts briefly discuss the storied history of the Grammys and debate what place awards show hold in our society. Stay listening for the FIRST EVER B-SIDES AWARDS! Who left the biggest void in music this year? Who won the #GirlBoss vanguard award? Tune in to find out! Thank you for subscribing and leaving a review! Make sure...
Mar 17, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast And we're lucky to live in it. We’re on a break! (*Extreme Ross Gellar voice.) We will be back in March 2021, don’t miss us too much. We know that Dolly Parton is not only a brilliant songwriter and vocalist, but has had a huge impact on our world for the better. So, we break down that impact. We talk about how Dolly has influenced specific artists, public health, and just might have secretly executive produced your favorite 90s TV show… Thank you SO MUCH to our lovely guest for this conversatio...
Feb 03, 2021•58 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Buckle up, we're taking a wild ride down Real Housewives road. We're talking about housewives turned pop stars (and a few pop stars turned housewives) and what they signal about the music world. You don't want to be tardy for this party. Thank you for subscribing and leaving a review! Make sure to follow us on insta: instagram.com/listentothebsides and join the facebook group: bit.ly/bsidesfbgroup You can now leave us a voicemail! Click here to record a voicemail for us . Join our Patreon ...
Jan 21, 2021•49 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Happy New Year! Let's immediately dive back into 2020 to examine what it did to music, okay? We're talking about recording, performance, and consumption. We're looking at changes and continuities in method and content. We're meeting at the intersections of 1. individual and collective reckonings 2. never logging off & 3. pop music. We'll also share a few wishes for the year ahead. What do you think of the episode? How did your experiences of music in 2020 match up with ours? What...
Jan 06, 2021•1 hr•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Shoutout to our Lovesick Girls! Little Mix in your Area! And it’s called Blackpink Magic! Ok we’ll stop now. These are two of the biggest bands of all time - and yet, so much of the U.S. audience still knows so little about these superstars. This week we are BLESSED to welcome our special guest, Victor Carlesi. Find him on instagram at instagram.com/victor_car_bakes to enjoy more of his hot pop takes and comedy stylings. What is it about Little Mix and Blackpink that just *works*? We break down ...
Dec 23, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Wreck. Our. Plans. Taylor surprised-dropped her 9th studio album this week, and 2nd of the year. Folklore's sister, Evermore has much in common with its folksy sibling, but stands out on its on in so many ways. In this E-Sides, we go through our reactions to Evermore by discussing: Our overall reactions - 1:14 Specific songs, track-by-track - 21:20 A quick Evermore v. Folklore ranking - 1:10:30 And if you love easter eggs, we go through just enough to satisfy our curiosity, without falling...
Dec 13, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s podcast is about our childhood friend Miley Cyrus. Ok, fine, she’s not actually our real life friend, but she sure feels like it. We explore why Miley’s the perfect white privilege celebrity, what this new era of Plastic Hearts means for her and her future, and if she cleaned up the mess she left behind from that one time she came in like a wrecking ball. Thank you for subscribing and leaving a review! Make sure to follow us on insta: instagram.com/listentothebsides and join the facebook...
Dec 02, 2020•55 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Did you know that the act formerly known as the Dixie Chicks is the most punk band of all time? If you're not convinced already, you should be by the end of this episode... While on tour in 2003 for their third smash album, frontwoman Natalie Maines spoke out against President Bush's decision to invade Iraq - all while much of America was subsumed in a post-9/11 fog of blind patriotism. In short order, The Chicks went from the top of the country music charts to public enemy no. 1, and never...
Nov 18, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Today, we’re switching up positions for you. Hannah, Becky and Mimi take you through Ariana Grande’s newest single and music video "Positions" and how it falls a little flat just 10 days before one of the most consequential elections of our lifetimes. Ari - arguably one of the more politically progressive pop stars of our time - dips into the trap of corporate feminism, perpetuating the myth of #GirlBoss. It’s not all bad though: we are looking forward to the inevitable God is a Woman + Po...
Oct 26, 2020•54 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast It’s not always sexist to hate pop music. But more often than not, criticism of pop music is rooted in misogyny, and we’re sick of it. In our Season 2 premiere, Hannah, Becky, and Mimi unpack 4 common criticisms of pop music that are rooted in sexism, which are: lack of sophistication or meaning undervaluing of the fanbase (in)authenticity and perceived lack of talent of the artists Next time you hear a (probably cishet dude) person telling you why they hate pop music, ask yourself if their hatr...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast The time has come to wrap up our three-part miniseries on Glee, the critically-acclaimed musical comedy-drama that aired on FOX from 2009 to 2015. For Part 3, we now turn to season 3 and another instant-classic episode: Mash Off (3x06). Oof. This episode is particularly bittersweet: Naya Rivera and Cory Monteith act as its biggest stars, and boy do they shine (especially Naya, not that we're keeping score). There is so much going on in this episode... Mash Off centers around mashups - very much ...
Sep 23, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast So here's what you missed on Glee... That's right - we're back with Part 2 of a three-part miniseries on the critically-acclaimed musical comedy-drama that aired on FOX from 2009 to 2015. And now it's time to turn to a season 2 episode that some would consider an instant classic: Rumours (2x19). Titled after Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album of the same name, this episode is the first and possibly only centered around a single album - and the songs really work together to push the plot forward in ways ...
Sep 18, 2020•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you been looking for the right moment and excuse to (re)watch Glee, the critically-acclaimed musical comedy-drama that aired on FOX from 2009 to 2015? Of course you have, and we ask that you look no further. The B-Sides is here with a three-part miniseries on Glee, seasons 1-3 (the best seasons, sorry)! Together, we'll look back at a few choice episodes + the legacy of this Obama-era staple with 2020 vision. These days it all feels so foreign yet familiar, and certainly bittersweet.&n...
Sep 14, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Folklore just dropped. Let's talk about it. Welcome to: The E-Sides! Our wary quarantine minds and bodies needed this album more than we realized. Our moodiness found purpose when Taylor Swift gave it a body of work to hold onto. But some people are using Taylor's "acoustic" project as a way to diss her earlier, pop-y work. We won't stand for it! Let's talk about that. Let's talk about *how* to talk about Karlie Kloss. Let's talk about how we think this album stacks up to others, and let's ...
Jul 25, 2020•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast How do you record an album in quarantine? Find out in this special interview with Frass Green, a DC band that Hannah had the honor of interviewing for the pod. Frass Green's EP, "Death of Pop," drops TODAY, May 29. Our interview covers what the album means to them, what it's like to be a DC band that some people think might be pop, what impact the violin solo in "Ocean Avenue" had on the band's musical journeys, and whether or not you have a moral imperative to listen to an Ariana Grande album i...
May 29, 2020•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast On our season finale, we take a trip down memory lane. We recap our favorite artists, songs, and theme from this past decade and make predictions about 2020. Who will be president? Whose album are we most excited for? Listen and let us know! Thank you for subscribing and leaving a review! Make sure to follow us on insta: instagram.com/listentothebsides and join the facebook group: bit.ly/bsidesfbgroup Find us everywhere you find your podcasts! Including Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com...
Jan 01, 2020•59 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast Kesha is a queen. But did we always appreciate her as such? We dig into not only Kesha's talent and resilience, but start to shed a spotlight on the toxic music industry that fed on her success and ended up hurting her greatly. But of course - she took the Higher Road. As always we have three segments: - A-Sides - 9:15 - B-Sides - 20:10 - U-Sides - 57:43 Here are some links 4u: 1. THE B-SIDES ZIIIINE! bit.ly/buybsideszine2019 2. The B-Sides NEWSLETTER! bit.ly/listentothebsides 3. The second B-Si...
Dec 18, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode is pure B-Sides: we're devoting the whole thing to an interview with a very special guest, Dan Baggarly of Philly-based bands Trash Boy and Little War. Dan has been a versatile musician and progressive activist for most of his life, and the thoughts that spill from his brain are well worth your time and ours. Together, we talk through questions like How do we align our music consumption with our politics? Accelerated capitalism's influence on the music industry is bad, no? Wh...
Dec 04, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast On this week's b-sides we take you from Broadway to Beverly Hills. Focusing in on three "stars" (Ben Platt, Lea Michele, and Ariana Grande), we take down the winding road that lead them from the broadway stage to (maybe) platinum studio albums. Why did only one of these three make it in the pop world? Can Lea Michele read? Why does Ben Platt dance like Robyn in the RAIN video? Listen to find out! As always we have three segments: - A-Sides - 4:02 - B-Sides - 15:42 - U-Sides - 48:19 Thank you for...
Nov 20, 2019•54 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast The world is full of questions. Luckily, we have answers. Like literally all the answers you’d ever need for real. Today we A’ed your burning pop music Q’s that you submitted through our Instagram (listentothebsides) and FB group (bit.ly/thebsidesfbgroup)! Questions such as: -Does pop music matter as much as it did 10 years ago? -Are we all saying Avril Lavigne’s name wrong? Why isn’t it la-vin-yay? -Is taylor swift gay? -What’s up with the “music from this episode” phenomenon in teen shows in t...
Nov 06, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s podcast we talk to our resident straight cis white man, Logan Bayroff, about pop music and masculinity. We explore feminism and misogyny and what it means to be a straight white man who likes Ariana Grande. Time stamps: -A-Sides - 5:30 -B-Sides Interview with Logan Bayroff - 13:00 -U-Sides - 1:02:52 And shout to Jared of Jared and Ashley I (Bachelor/Bachelorette fame) for using his platform to highlight is love for the Backstreet Boys and the Jonas Brothers. Thank you for subscribing ...
Oct 10, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast The year was 2009. Miley Cyrus was just becoming a household name, bringing three Jonas brothers along with her, and new artists Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez weren’t far behind. It’s honestly wild that six people who were SO invested in by the La La Land machine are still incredibly relevant to pop culture today. We give them each their due: going through our old faves, our new faves, and our thoughts about these 6 people/ 4 artists. THANK YOU to special guest Miranda Feneberger, we <3 you! F...
Sep 25, 2019•1 hr 21 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Smash the play button to crack open a time capsule from 1999, the briefest respite from omnipresent geopolitical terror. The year we cared about Y2K. The moment before mainstream pop crystallized into the formalized industry we know so well today. Why were artists and consumers so down to clown in 1999, and what's changed? We have some thoughts, so grab a Go-Gurt and come along with us. A-Sides - 5:07 B-Sides - 14:31 U-Sides - 49:48 Most of what you need to know re Smash Mouth "All Star" memes: ...
Sep 11, 2019•56 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast This week on The B-Sides, we take you through the who, what, when, where and why of Jack Antonoff. Jack's sounds are recognizable in every song he touches, sprinkling pop synth dust over female pop vocals. Join us as a take a deep dive into the man who may or may not have had an affair w/ Lorde. Love Jack or hate Jack, either way he's on your mind. Jack+ Lorde powerpoint: https://mashable.com/2018/04/20/lorde-jack-antonoff-powerpoint/ Thank you for subscribing and leaving a review! Make sure to ...
Aug 28, 2019•54 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast “Holy Ground finally gets a name. And the name is Cornelia Street.” Welcome to our mini-episode! To dive into the beauty and complexity is Lover, we went through some: -Overall Impressions [2:35] -Themes of the album [16:00], including love and its complexities, reflecting on her twenties, narcissism, whether or not she is dating Karlie Kloss, and white feminism. -Favorite moments [39:08] We hope you love! Thank you for subscribing and leaving a review! Make sure to follow us on insta: instagram...
Aug 26, 2019•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are a pop music podcast. You know that. But do you know WHAT pop music is? Do WE? Today we unpack what pop music is - is it a sound? Is it a collection of the most popular songs? What does pop have to do with Top 40 anymore? As always we have three segments: A-Sides: Some recent pop news - 03:37 B-Sides: What is pop music - 12:20 U-Sides: What do you think pop music is? - 47:04 Articles we referenced: https://www.theringer.com/music/2017/11/16/16666306/taylor-swift-poptimism-2017 https://www....
Aug 14, 2019•53 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast The B-Sides crash-lands into the world of musical conspiracy theories. Did Avril Lavigne die in 2004? Is Jay-Z a vampire? Was Britney Spears a tool of the Bush administration? Why do conspiracy theories exist? Who are they here for, and who are they hurting? For valiant attempts at answers to these questions and more, tune in to this week’s episode. A-Sides: CGI Cats - 06:35 B-Sides: Conspiracy Theories - 15:02 U-Sides: Have you heard any conspiracy theories related to the pop music world? - 54:...
Jul 31, 2019•1 hr•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast This week on the B-sides we talk about the woman on all of our lips: Lizzo. This year, so far, has been the year of the Lizzo: pumping out a spectacular new album, climbing the charts with Truth Hurts, and playing Sasha Flute on the Ellen show. But Lizzo has been shattering society and music norms for the better part of a decade — so why is she famous now? We take you through a deep dive of her life, her albums, and why Trump’s America created an opening for her. And we’re feeling good as hell....
Jul 17, 2019•49 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast What if "We Can't Stop" went to Rihanna? Would Ariana be as big of a star as she is if "Dangerous Woman" went to Carrie Underwood? Songwriting in the pop music industry is FASCINATING. Songs are constantly shopped to other artists before landing with the artists who cut the versions we know and love. So today, we talk about songs that ALMOST went to other artists, and speculate wildly about what the world would look like if: -We Can't Stop went to Rihanna -Dangerous Woman went to Carrie Underwoo...
Jul 03, 2019•55 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast The B-Sides takes it back to the turn of the millennium, when Princess of Pop Britney Spears ruled the airwaves. Why was Britney everywhere, and where is she now? Was the burden she faced unique? Did it hurt when she single-handedly carried us from the 1900s to the 2000s? What does her trajectory tell us about pressure and pop? Is it still lonely at the top? A-Sides: Dedicated, Carly Rae Jepsen B-Sides: Britney Spears, Princess of Pop U-Sides: When you were growing up, do you remember ever think...
Jun 19, 2019•55 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast 
