The B-Sides

We're back one last time with a bittersweet symphony to close out season 3 of the B-Sides.

In this mailbag episode, we're answering a flurry of questions, reading listeners' (almost exclusively Taylor Swift-related) comments, and ending with a favorite quote about how music sneaks up on us — and changes us.

Doing this podcast for the past four years in community with you all has changed us for the better. We love you and we thank you.

On today's episode we talk about nepo-siblings. Who are they? And what creates a power imbalance?

Nepo-siblings are a rare breed. Being a nepo-sibling pair relies on talent from both siblings – what level of talent separates each sibling we’ll get into in today's ep. It also relies on a hustle from the “lesser” famous sibling – putting themselves on reality shows, trapping themselves in an elevator, and lip syncing on SNL.  Join us for a discussion on three sets of siblings (Ariana/Frankie, Beyonce/Solange, & Jessica/Ashlee).

Links mentioned:

There are moments in pop culture where an artist makes a choice - and there’s no turning back.

Those moments, those inflection points, remind us that nothing is inevitable or predetermined, and we are all a part of history.

Join us to unpack 4 inflection points in detail and name a buncha others. 

Here are some links we mentioned:

So sorry, but: Why'd she have to go and make things so complicated? 

Avril is such a rare artist. She made a splash right away with Let Go, which had a rebellious yet old soul sort of vibe to it. And her early eras and albums are still so special to so many of us. She changed the moment, she was the moment, and, in some ways, she always will be. She opened doors almost immediately into 2000s alt rock and pop punk sub-genres in what used to be a far more monocultural world.

And yet, she hasn't evolved much herself as an artist over the last two decades. Instead, she regressed in some ways — at least from what we can see and hear and understand. The chaotically cool poetry in motion of Avril's Let Go and Under My Skin eras — the lyrics, sound, music videos, live performances, and core of who we thought she was — dwindled into something else later on. Her trajectory as an artist brings up all sorts of questions.

Questions about what artists can mean to us at a formative age; the validity of our expectations of them, consciously or not, as we all grow up; ageism, misogyny, the idea of a sellout and a label’s role in that; what makes a good gateway artist; what makes a good post-9/11 cultural void artist; what makes a conspiracy theory take off; can someone ever be cool again after marrying and divorcing the lead singer of Nickelback, even if she married and divorced the lead singer of Sum 41 first; and more. Join us as we pull on some of these threads...

Article and TV citations:

Now for something a little different: on today's podcast Mimi, Hannah and Becky take listeners through a few artists they're excited about. Getting yourself, or others, to listen to new artists can sometimes be a challenge. Our brains are literally hardwired to replay stuff we like and know. So let us do the hard work introduce you to some new artists including Renee Rapp, Omar Apollo, and Ethel Cain. Press play, sit back, and enjoy.

First thing's first: Go birds; E-A-G-L-E-S; and Fly, Eagles, Fly. 

Whew, okay. Here we find ourselves again at the intersection of music and sports. We're getting into the NFL's dreadful politics, we're gabbing about the iconic Super Bowl halftime shows of yore, we're speculating not-so-wildly about Rihanna's upcoming performance, and so much more.

Here in the show notes, we're also correcting the record: Lady Gaga *caught* the football at the end of her 2017 halftime show. Good for her. And if you're wondering why this note is here, listen on!

Thank you for subscribing, and consider leaving a review!

It’s our 50th episode!! We are so proud of US!

So - let’s reflect.

We’ll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror…until today.

Join us on a trip down memory lane. We talk about how pop music has changed since we launched in 2019, revisit our old takes (find out which ones did not age well!), reflect on some pop stars we thought were on the rise and now, simply, aren’t, and play a B-Sides quiz game.

We reference a bunch of our own episodes! Here’s most of them, in order of when we discuss them in the podcast:

It's September 4, 2002. You're ten years old. You're huddled around your parents' TV, quickly dialing on your landline for vote for Kelly Clarkson. She is crowned the winner of American Idol. Hot tears are falling out your eyes. Kelly is belting a moment like this. You're wondering if like will ever be the same (it won't).

On today's podcast, we're talking about the one and only, Kelly Clarkson. We discuss how she's managed to stay America's golden girl, the men who have tried to f*ck her over, and her evolving style (fedora hat and all). We hope you'll break away from your daily life and see what's behind those hazel eyes. 

Thank you for subscribing and leaving a review!

When 10 people died at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival in November of 2021, it was incredibly difficult and painful to make sense of the news. Over a year later, we are here to pull lessons learned from the tragedy.

TRIGGER WARNING for this episode: mass casualty events, substance use

Part 1. Overview

Part 2. The fallout for Travis and the Kardashian-Jenners

Part 3. How crowds and artists *usually* protect each other

Part 4. Six human errors that led to this tragedy

Citations:

This week we've got just one more review for you, and then we'll move on to our not-reviewing-a-new-album-or-film-every-episode programming.

We watched Selena Gomez's new documentary, "My Mind & Me," and now it's time to share some thoughts on the fallacies of celebrity activism, great expectations, managing relationships within pop stardom and child stardom, passing bills through Congress, and more — including the ever-present soulless enterprise we all know as capitalism. Here's a quote we read aloud on the pod and said we'd post here, from A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things by Raj Patel and Jason Moore:

“Often in visualizations of the spread of capitalism, the image that offers itself is an asteroid impact or the spread of a disease, which starts at ground or patient zero and metastasizes across the planet. Capitalist frontiers require a more sophisticated science fiction. If capitalism is a disease, then it’s one that eats your flesh — and then profits from selling your bones for fertilizer, and then invests that profit to reap the cane harvest, and then sells that harvest to tourists who pay to visit your headstone. But even this description isn’t adequate. The frontier works only through connection, fixing its failures by siphoning life from elsewhere. A frontier is a site where crises encourage new strategies for profit.”

We promise that the episode is both connected to this quote and somehow fun at times. It contains multitudes!

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Thank you for subscribing and leaving a review!

We came back for you with a full episode review of Carly Rae Jepsen's newest album, The Loneliest Time. The album – which was released the same midnight as Midnights – is a moonstruck album, chock-full of the suns and stars. 

The B-Sides is BACK for Season 3! (We came back for you, baby!)

We are the *most* excited to launch season 3 with a review of Taylor Swift’s 10th studio album, Midnights.

There’s a lot we would’ve, could’ve, should’ve said, but these are our immediate reactions after our first day of listening. We can’t wait to hear what you think - make sure to get in touch with your reactions.

We give out superlatives and awards like: The "That's So Tay" Award, The Cringiest Lyric Award, and The Miss AmericaNO Award. Find out what wins ;) 

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Thank you for subscribing and leaving a review!

The B-Sides season 3 is COMING!

Until then, enjoy this bonus episode. Your friendly neighborhood B-Sides hosts went to see Carly Rae Jepsen live in concert at Radio City Music Hall for her So Nice Tour. Today’s episode is an in-depth review of the magical show - even if you didn’t see the concert, our review will help you Cut To The Feeling.

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Thank you for subscribing and leaving a review!

Welcome to our season 2 finale! We're wrapping up 2021 with a nice long chat about the long shadow of 2009 in pop and pop culture. Such power, such impact. It's time to revisit the brash and soaring sound of music, the final cohort of ubiquitous artists, and the transformative technology that ushered in our modern hell scape. Should be fun, so settle in!

Today we’re going to talk about Taylor Swift. We know it’s not ethical to speculate on celebrities’ sexualities. But it feels so intoxicating - and in some moments, righteous - to speculate on Taylor Swift’s personal life, especially when she invites deep speculation into her discography and all the text she puts out into the world. What’s a progressive to do?

We’ll tackle this in four parts:

• Part 1: Why it is actually harmful to speculate about anyone’s sexuality
• Part 2: Taylor’s own history on this issue and what her easter eggs have done to melt our brains
• Part 3: Some history, including the history of closeted celebs and open secrets
• Part 4: Trying to land on some actual truths about Taylor
• Then we’ll end with our new favorite segment, what are you listening to?

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about the elusive and enduring genre of music that is Christian Rock. How did it happen? Why do we (as Jews) like the sound of Christian Rock? Why do some bands “pretend” not to be as Christian as they are? We'll discuss all this and more, plus play a game called "is this Christian Rock or White Christian Men singing?" We also dive into Adele's new album 30, and of course, Red (Taylor's Version). 

Join our discord to keep the conversation going: https://discord.gg/DCy4cTnue9

Other works cited:

With her 2017 album Witness, Katy Perry invented the genre of “purposeful pop” more as a tool for relevance in her album promotion than an actual political analysis, which hurt both the political agenda she was pushing and the album itself. We think you’ll enjoy this episode whether or not you know the album (and spoiler: even some of the most ardent pop listeners don’t know this album!).

This episode continues the conversation we began in episode 40. You don’t need to listen to episode 40 first, but feel free to!

This episode contains four parts:

• Part 1: Witness Overview
• Part 2: 2017 Music and Politics Context - 21:17
• Part 3: “Purposeful Pop” throughout history - 30:26
• Part 4: The result - 54:05
• And introducing a new segment: What are you listening to? - 1:01:45

Here was the syllabus for this episode. Feel free to follow along:

This week, we return to flophood but with a Halloweentown twist. Because the flop eras we’re talking about this episode involve artists who felt compelled to enter eras and try on identities that are aesthetically creepy, at the very least. We dare you to take a side-by-side look at the cover art for Christina Aguilera's Bionic and Katy Perry's Witness...

But the larger story here is about what happens when a pop star reinvents themselves for a new era of their career and, instead of a natural evolution or next step, it seems forced and goes badly. After all, reinvention is a double-edged sword: it can really elevate an artist’s career, help them grow and express themselves in new ways, and even change the direction of pop music, but it can also usher them into flophood. There are a lot of variables at play that can determine whether or not these pivots are successful, but often there’s just sort of an “it” factor of like...does it seem genuine? And then we have to ask why or why not...

We'll also touch on Madonna's role in setting the tone for reinvention and what it means to be a dynamic, longstanding pop star.

Xtina + Bionic starts at: 6:40, Katy Perry + Witness starts at: 46:00 ish

On today's podcast we are joined by musical expert Jon Schneidman. Together we do a deep dive into Dear Evan Hansen, the recent musical turned movie, that may or may not have ruined Ben Platt's career. We explore white mediocrity in film vs stage, autistic coding, and nepotism. Maybe, after you listen, you'll be found.

TW: this episode talks about suicide as it relates to the plot of DEH.

What’s in a flop?

On today’s episode, we look at moments that “flopped” through a more critical lens to discuss why albums flop, what happens when a “flop” is not really a “flop,” and how the cultural void of the early aughts fits in to this. We’ll do that by examining two seminal texts - ARTPOP by Lady Gaga (2013) and Glitter by Mariah Carey (2001).

In today's episode, we're trying to figure it out. Looking at the facts of a feud itself and how stories about it unfold can tell us a lot about power dynamics in the industry, who gets empathy and who doesn’t, and also? Talking about drama can be fun. The word "feud" seems to hold a lot of weight and draws people’s attention (again, drama is fun) but it often makes the actual circumstances seem far more superficial and balanced than they really are. 

We each came to the table with a so-called feud we’d like to get into - but at a distance, from the safety of our podcast’s virtual space. Here are the feuds (?) we're looking at today:

• Mariah Carey vs. Jennifer Lopez (5:00ish)
• Lea Michele vs. the cast of Glee (22:30 ish)
• Ariana Grande vs. Victoria Justice (45:50 ish)

Join us as we explore questions like: Can it be a feud if they’ve never spoken to each other directly? Can it be a feud if the playing field is so uneven? Can it be a feud if it’s actually just people in power being monsters to people who aren’t in power and can’t control the situation or the narrative?

When done well, a soundtrack can do so much for a show, audience, and featured artists - it enriches and even memorializes scenes, tells us how we’re supposed to feel and introduces artists and audiences to each other. And no one did it better than some of our fave shows from the 2000s: Grey’s Anatomy, the OC, and Gossip Girl.

Grey's Anatomy: 6:50ish

The OC: 31:10ish

Gossip Girl: 50minish

Some enjoyable links from today’s episode:

We are in an inflection point with Olivia Rodrigo's rise to fame. How we act now will determine not only her future as a celebrity, but the future of ~Celebrity~ in the US.

Here are some of the articles we referenced today:

If you read the title of this episode then you know it's time to take a seat and buckle up. Today we're going in on a long-awaited topic, but also an undercurrent of a lot of our episodes and conversations, and that is...GirlBoss culture and its intersections with pop music. 

What is GirlBoss really? What does it pretend to be? Where did this term come from? And mirror mirror on the wall, which pop songs are most GirlBoss of all? We'll assess some hits by some faves: from Taylor Swift to Arethra Franklin, from Ciara to Xtina Aguilera.

We're also discussing the latest on Britney Spears' conservatorship after her June 23 direct appeal. After all, the trajectory of Britney's life and career involved very hard work under a system that technically made her financially successful and the biggest pop star to ever exist, but also mistreated her to no end for profit and has done so with increasingly intensifying forms of exploitation. And nothing exposes the sham of GirlBoss philosophy quite like that.

This episode is brought to you by JK Zine! 

Today we’re going to talk about Country-Pop. A genre that, for many, was once (and maybe still) isn’t taken seriously as “good” or welcome or authentic. Some folks are quick to dismiss country music say the lyrics are predictable (rotating around words and themes like girl, truck, liquor + jesus). Others who complain about country say, melodically, the songs are boring and repetitive. All that - and a little inherent classism too - makes country a no-go for many. On today’s episode we’re going to debunk these views, and learn about a few contemporary country pop stars who are breaking the honky-tonk mold.

This episode is sponsored by Chuan Skincare!

Fandom is often seen as a frivolous identity or extra curricular, but it can be a heavy, heavy aspect of our lives. This is especially true for fans of Demi Lovato in the last few years.

Join us as we breakdown what fandom means through the lens of this incredible artist and public figure.

Their private struggles have taken on a public dimension as we all continue to learn about the pressures of celebrity and how they can contribute to a dark, dark situation for artists. We also discuss how complicated it is to be a Lovatic while hating Scooter Braun.

Link referenced:

The American national anthem AKA The Star-Spangled Banner is absurd — in terms of the lyrics, the music, and also the weight behind it as a performance piece. And we can't just never talk about that, can we? So we're going in on it today, exploring the origins of this song and some iconic performances from the past 50 years. 

The national anthem is a very hard song to sing and a high stakes milestone/legacy song for a lot of artists because, to put it simply, nationalism is real and rampant. Performances of the anthem and their outcomes can tell us a lot about an artist and Where We're At, culturally. Our Star-Spangled Banner, Ourselves.

We promised to share some crucial links in the show notes, and here they are:

On today's podcast we talk about our favorite frenemy app: Tik Tok. The app  has had a major impact beyond just how we doom scroll the hour before bed. It has shaped the literal sound of pop music, what’s on our top chats, and even manufactured musicians. Listen to find out Hannah's beef with the app, and stay for Mimi's take on the Addison Rae/Britney Spears debacle. 

"MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" dropped, and our thesis this fine day is that the world will never be the same. 

Without the benefit of hindsight, we examine why this song and video has ushered in such a watershed moment. Then, we go into what the right-wing backlash means (22:43), why Lil Nas X is not babysitting in his free time for extra cash, and the surprising thing we have in common with F*x N*ws (31:10). To wrap up, we compare this backlash to other conservative vitriol aimed at pop stars in recent history (38:00). 

We are overdue for a (re)visit to our forever princess of pop, Britney Jean Spears. Imagine being the lightning rod for so much capitalistic, patriarchal ire and garbage, while also bringing so much joy and pop gold and cultural reset after cultural reset into the world. Can you even? 

In one of our first ever episodes, we talked about how Britney had the weight of ~what it meant to be an American Girl~ on her shoulders and graciously carried us from one millennium to the next. Now we’re doing a quick catch-up on that episode and then going deep into more recent developments and discussions around her conservatorship, the years leading up to it, her Instagram account and the #FreeBritney movement. We hope it all resonates and we love you, Britney

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!  

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…

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. 

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. 

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.

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 down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole. Is Dorothea about Selena Gomez? What does the last song have to do with 1830? And the most important question we've ever asked on The B-Sides: has Taylor Swift ever sat on a bench in Coney Island?!

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.

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 turned back. What ensued was the most pervasive, violent backlash to a pop artist in decades followed by a spiritually punk, sonically country-pop comeback album so immaculate we almost didn't deserve it. And then 14 years later, we got another one.

As we now move through this dangerous little post-2020 election moment, with a sociopathic autocrat still in the White House and a harm-reducing but still imperialist administration on the way, Mimi, Hannah, and Becky take a beat to appreciate the forever unwavering moral intuition and otherworldly harmonizing of The Chicks. Some artists truly do have it all, and punk's not dead.

To everyone who contributed thoughts to this episode and walked with us through several inflection points in The Chicks' career - thank you so much! Let the conversation continue...

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 + Positions remix.

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 hatred is just thinly-veiled misogyny. And then: sic Taylor Swift’s live performance of "Cornelia Street" on them and run far away.

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 trending in pop music at the time, and Glee really embraced them. In fact, this episode features one of the most iconic mashups of all time, and perhaps one of the greatest scenes in music television history. It all goes down at the end of the episode, so...stick with us. 

But the broader theme of Mash Off appears to be "conflict": conflicting songs, conflicting ideologies, conflicting identities. These conflicts manifest as everything from a spirited dodgeball game to a ruthless political campaign, from eviscerating insults to vulnerable admissions. 

So please join us as we finish, with 2020 vision, this short but substantial and sentimental journey through an Obama-era staple.

If you didn't know, Part 1 and Part 2 of the Glee-Sides are also out now (duh, probably) - they cover the Pilot (1x01), Laryngitis (1x18), Rumours (2x19),  as well as a brief discussion on how this miniseries came to be and some other crucial musings. 

Also! Season 2 of the pod is launching on October 14.  So if you've subscribed and left a review, thank you!

And let's let the conversation continue...

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 that we don't often see on Glee. It's tight.

Rumours also gives us a rundown on the dangers of what we might now call "alternative facts," a strong case for journalistic integrity, an even stronger case for socialism, one of the best ever covers, and so much more. So please join us as we continue, with 2020 vision, on this wild ride through an Obama-era staple. 

If you didn't know, Part 1 of the Glee-Sides is also out now (duh, probably) and covers the Pilot (1x01) and Laryngitis (1x18), as well as a brief discussion on how this miniseries came to be. And stay tuned for Part 3, where we'll be discussing none other than Mash Off (3x06). 

After the Glee-Sides wrap up, season 2 of the pod will launch on October 14.  So if you've subscribed and left a review, thank you!

And let's let the conversation continue...

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. 

In Part 1, join us as we recap and heavily editorialize on two episodes from season 1: the Pilot (1x01) and Laryngitis (1x18). Back then, Glee was just finding its footing - some of our inevitable faves hadn't yet grown into the roles they were meant to play, but at least Lea Michele seemed pretty self-aware. It's a mixed bag, can't win 'em all, etc. 

And stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 of the miniseries, where we'll dip into Glee's seasons 2 and 3. For those next eps, we'll be watching Rumours (2x19) and Mash Off (3x06) - in case you want to watch them too! We'll all have fun, either way.

Also! After this miniseries, season 2 of the pod will launch on October 14.  So if you've subscribed and left a review, thank you! 

And let's let the conversation continue...

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 talk about each song one by one.

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 in order.

Informed in equal parts by the rambling energy of early garage rock coupled with the simple sounds and harmonies of the 1960’s, Frass Green, comprised of Joe Antoshak (rhythm guitar, vocals), Tyler Rippel (bass, keys, vocals), Antonio Peluso (drums) and Matt Lachance (lead guitar, violin, vocals), makes basement beach pop from the heart of Washington, D.C.

We are in between seasons 1 and 2 right now - if you subscribed rn you would seriously be helping Hannah, Becky, and Mimi so much.