The New Dad Rock – Détails, épisodes et analyse

The New Dad Rock presents a field-recorded farewell.

This wasn’t the episode we planned—but it’s the one we had to make. Episode 100 is a requiem for Rubén, Keith’s dear friend and one of the few true guerilla contributors to this podcast. 

Keith was supposed to meet Rubén in Lucerne, Switzerland the first couple days of June 2025, but Ruben left this world ten days before Keith arrived. Keith didn’t change his plans. How could he? 

What you’ll hear are unfiltered field recordings—no overdubs, no edits—captured on September 2, 2021, February 17, 2022, June 4, 2022, and December 7, 2023. These were originally recorded as part of our unofficial, off-the-cuff episodes. This episode was edited over two days in June 2025 while Keith was in Lucerne.

Rubén would’ve loved this. He always encouraged the art, the chaos, the beauty in the imperfect.

At one point, around 14 minutes in, Rubén talks about visiting people’s homes and listening to their records, saying it’s like trying on someone else’s clothes. Keith tells Rubén he is never inviting him over to his house. Rubén just laughs: "We’re the same size." 

Six months later, Rubén and Keith are at Rubén's friend’s house playing music together and Rubén suggests they switch shirts, which they did. The picture used as the podcast thumbnail is them post-shirt exchange. 

This episode isn’t just about Rubén. It is Rubén. 

🎙️ EPISODIO 100: Un Réquiem por Rubén
The New Dad Rock presenta una despedida grabada en campo.

Este no era el episodio que habíamos planeado, pero era el que teníamos que hacer. El episodio 100 es un réquiem por Rubén, querido amigo de Keith y uno de los pocos colaboradores verdaderamente guerrilleros de este podcast.

Keith debía encontrarse con Rubén en Lucerna, Suiza, a principios de junio de 2025, pero Rubén dejó este mundo diez días antes de que Keith llegara. Keith no cambió sus planes. ¿Cómo pudo?

Lo que escucharán son grabaciones de campo sin filtro (sin sobregrabaciones ni ediciones) capturadas el 2 de septiembre de 2021, el 17 de febrero de 2022, el 4 de junio de 2022 y el 7 de diciembre de 2023. Estas grabaciones se realizaron originalmente como parte de nuestros episodios no oficiales e improvisados. Este episodio fue editado durante dos días en junio de 2025 mientras Keith estaba en Lucerna.

A Rubén le habría encantado. Siempre promovía el arte, el caos, la belleza en lo imperfecto.

En un momento dado, alrededor del minuto 14, Rubén habla de visitar casas de gente y escuchar sus discos, diciendo que es como probarse la ropa de otra persona. Keith le dice a Rubén que nunca lo invita a su casa. Rubén simplemente se ríe: "Somos de la misma talla".

Seis meses después, Rubén y Keith están en casa de un amigo de Rubén tocando música juntos y Rubén sugiere que intercambien camisetas, lo cual hicieron. La imagen que se usa como miniatura del podcast es de ellos después del intercambio de camisetas.

Este episodio no se trata de Rubén. Se trata de Rubén.

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On July 3, 1999 Mark Sandman, frontman and two-string slide bassist of Morphine collapsed and died while performing onstage in Palestrina, Italy. Ironically a few years earlier he wrote aa song in which he sang about hoping to have french fries with pepper on September 9th of that year. 

But don't let that get you down. As we approach our 100th episode, we turn back the clock 25 years to the strange, beautiful, and paranoid world of 1999. Clinton was impeached, Napster was born, and people were hoarding water in fear of Y2K. Now in 2024, we’ve got AI making music, faking voices, and threatening to write this podcast for us. Coincidence?

We explore the eerie parallels between Y2K fear and AI anxiety, all through the lens of the incredible music that defined the end of the millennium. Featuring everything from The Flaming Lips’ cinematic masterpiece The Soft Bulletin to Fiona Apple’s poetic rage, and from Rage Against the Machine's fury to Beck’s freaky funk, this episode is a tribute to the year that birthed some of the deepest—and weirdest—dad rock we still love today, including: 

• The indie guitar heroics and existential hooks of Built to Spill’s “Keep It Like a Secret” 
• The strange and defiant Primus’ “Antipop” 
• Moby’s soundtrack to the digital dawn “Play”
• Pavement’s bittersweet farewell produced by Nigel Godrich “Terror Twilight”
• And Wilco’s “Summerteeth” which is Dad Rock and not New Dad Rock 

This isn’t just a nostalgia trip—it’s a portal between two centuries, two technopanic moments, and a lot of great records.

🎧 Episode 100 is coming next… and it’s all about YOU. Send us your questions, dad rock confessions, or AI fears before the robots take over for real.

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In Episode 92 of The New Dad Rock, Steve and Keith take a deep dive back into 1992, a year that arguably defined the dawn of dad rock. This was the year that grunge hit mainstream radio, MP3s were born, and Lollapalooza was the place to be, with acts like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Ice Cube, and Ministry. As they journey through memories of late-night concerts and cheap beers in Central Park, they reflect on iconic moments and albums that shaped the era. 

Steve and Keith remember wild concerts like GWAR’s chaotic "America Must Be Destroyed" tour and the second Lollapalooza. They relive the sounds of bands like Nirvana, whose rise was unstoppable, and reflect on albums that have become dad-rock staples like Automatic for the People by R.E.M., Eric Clapton’s Unplugged, and Dirt by Alice in Chains. They also touch on lesser-known gems: The Afghan Whigs’ Congregation, PJ Harvey’s Dry, and Sonic Youth’s Dirty.

With their usual banter, Steve and Keith bring the sounds and vibes of ’92 back to life, giving a tour of the soundtrack of their youth—when Pavement, Radiohead, Beck, and Rage Against the Machine were just beginning to shape the musical landscape. So, pop in your earbuds and take a trip back in a time when rock was raw and dad rock was just getting started.

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At long last, Steve convinces Keith to dedicate an entire episode to metal. From its roots in the late 1960s with Black Sabbath and Steppenwolf, through its evolution in the 70s, to mainstream acceptance in the 80s, and a terrible detour through the Nu Metal years they cover it all. So whether you're like Steve, rocking out with the sign of the horns raised high, or like Keith, cowering in fear of the the devil's music, you won't want to miss this one.

Some of the songs that are referenced in the episode can be found in the following playlist:
"Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf
"In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Slayer
"Wicked World" by Black Sabbath
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" by AC/DC
"I Love Rock and Roll" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
"Metal Health" by Quiet Riot
"Rock You Like a Hurricane" by Scorpions
"The Trooper" by Iron Maiden
"For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Metallica
"No Place For Disgrace" by Flotsam and Jetsam
"Suck" by Pigface
"The Years of Decay" by Overkill
"Hangar 18" by Megadeth
"Planet Caravan" by Pantera
"Suzerain" by Anthrax
"Heaven and Hell" by Black Sabbath

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How do you describe someone whose talent leaves your speechless? From an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in her early twenties, through her many award winning albums, prolific collaborations, and forays into other fine arts, Steve and Keith do their best to put into words how they feel about PJ Harvey. Join them as they present a career overview of the diminutive phenomenon from England.

For further listening, please check out these songs:
"Sheela-Na-Gig" from Dry-Demos
"Rid of Me" from 4-Track Demos
"Dry" from Rid of Me
"To Bring You My Love" from To Bring You My Love
"Down By the Water" from To Bring You My Love
"C'mon Billy" from To Bring You My Love
"Is That All There Is?" from Dance Hall at Louse Point (collaboration with John Parish)
"A Perfect Day Elise" from Is This Desire?
"Is This Desire" from Is This Desire?
"Broken Homes" collaboration with Tricky
"This Mess We're In" (feat. Thom Yorke) and "Kamikaze" from Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea
"The Letter" from Uh-Huh Her
"Piano Fire" collaboration with Sparklehorse
"Crawl Home" from Desert Sessions (a collaboration with Josh Homme)
"When Under Ether" from White Chalk
"The Words That Maketh Murder" from Let England Shake
"The Ministry of Social Affairs" from The Hope Six Demolition Project
"Come to Me" collaboration with Mark Lanegan
"Red Right Hand" a Nick Cave cover

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Keith innocently asks Steve how he finds new music.

Steve replies with a case study of how he discovered the rock band Baroness only to unwittingly become their biggest fan for a brief period in 2019.

If you want to check out Baroness, here are a few songs to whet your appetite:

"A Horse Called Golgotha" from Blue Record
"Take My Bones Away" from Yellow & Green
"Morningstar" from Purple
"Borderlines" from Gold & Grey
"March to the Sea" from Yellow & Green
"The Gnashing" from Blue Record
"Bullhead's Lament" from Blue Record
"Seasons" from Gold & Grey
"Eula" from Yellow & Green
"Pale Sun" from Gold & Grey
"Isak" from Red
"Shock Me" from Purple
"The Sweetest Curse" from Blue Record

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Did you know that The New Dad Rock has swag? Coffee mugs, pillow and t-shirts in a multitude of colors and arm lengths.

In the year 2000, Modest Mouse graduated from the scrappy, low-fi punks that we knew and loved to became critically-acclaimed major label artists. Join Steve and Keith as they look back at the circumstances surrounding the release of The Moon & Antarctica, their initial reactions to the band's new direction, and an assessment of the work twenty years on.

Along the way they delve into such subjects as the impact CDs had on the flow of albums, the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and PJ Harvey.

Please enjoy the following selections from Modest Mouse's The Moon & Antarctica:
1. "What People Are Made Of"
2. "I Came as a Rat"
3. "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes"
4. "Stars Are Projectors"
5. "A Different City"
6. "Lives"
7. "Alone Down There"
8. "The Cold Part" 

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Did you know that The New Dad Rock has swag? Coffee mugs, pillow and t-shirts in a multitude of colors and arm lengths.

As parents, we are responsible for bringing out the best in our youth. Is censoring music, keeping them away from art, and limiting their expression the way to do it?

Steve and Keith share the travails of parenting today against a backdrop of authoritarian credos aimed at them since adolescence. Having been raised under the guidance of the PMRC and Nancy Reagan's Just Say No! campaign, the specter of cynicism looms large as the youth gone wild raise kids of their own.

For further exploration on the topic, please enjoy the following musical selections:
"Killing in the Name Of" by Rage Against the Machine
"Vitamin C" by CAN
"all the good girls go to hell" by Billie Eilish
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" by The Mamas & The Papas 
"Porn Wars" by Frank Zappa
"We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister
"Darling Nikki" by Prince
"Sugar Walls" by Sheena Easton
"Eat Me Alive" by Judas Priest
"Faith" by George Michael
"Dress You Up" by Madonna
"She Bop" by Cyndi Lauper
"Dig It" by Skinny Puppy

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Tours, concerts, and other large gatherings are on hiatus due to coronavirus. This has left millions of music fans missing their favorite artists. To sate their thirst for spectacle, many bands have been participating in Livestreams--appointment airings of classic concerts, rare footage, studio out-takes, conferenced performances, and various ephemera.

Keith and Steve examine this phenomena citing examples such as Built to Spill, Post Malone and Travis Barker, Phish, Pink Floyd, and many more. Their discussion includes a long digression on Oranssi Pazuzu (who shared a Livestream on May 15). Spoiler: Keith thought it was sick, dude.

As always, please check out these songs by artists mentioned in the latest episode of The New Dad Rock:
"You Were Right" by Built to Spill
"Wow" by Post Malone
"All of This" by blink-182 (feat. Robert Smith)
"Oikeamielisten sali" by Oranssi Pazuzu
"Lahja" by Oranssi Pazuzu
"Careful With That Axe, Eugene (Live at Pompeii)" by Pink Floyd
"Dinner and a Movie" by Phish
"I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab For Cutie
"Negativland" by Neu!
"Oh Yeah" by CAN
"Seeker's Reflection" by Waste of Space Orchestra
"Lunacy" by Swans

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Did you know that The New Dad Rock has swag? Coffee mugs, pillow and t-shirts in a multitude of colors and arm lengths.

Pavement is one of The New Dad Rock's favorite bands, but perhaps you are not well-versed in their oeuvre. Let Keith and Steve guide you through their career highlights, regale you with anecdotes tangentially related to the band, and otherwise guide you on your search for enlightenment.

If you're up for further exploration, please enjoy this (by no means exhaustive) playlist of Pavement songs from throughout their prolific but brief career.

"Box Elder" from the Slay Tracks: 1933-1969 EP* (1989)
"Debris Slide" from the Perfect Sound Forever EP* (1991)
"Summer Babe" from Slanted and Enchanted* (1991)
"Here" from Slanted and Enchanted (1991)
"Two States" from Slanted and Enchanted (1991)
"Frontwards" from Watery, Domestic EP (1992)
"Lions (Linden)" from Watery, Domestic EP (1992)
"Silence Kit" -- also known as Silent Kid from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
"Gold Soundz" from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
"Cut Your Hair" from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
"Range Life" from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
"We Dance" from Wowee Zowee (1995)
"Rattled By The Rush" from Wowee Zowee (1995)
"Easily Fooled" b-side from Rattled By The Rush single (1995)
"Grounded" from Wowee Zowee (1995)
"Father to a Sister of Thought" from Wowee Zowee (1995)
"AT&T" from Wowee Zowee (1995)
"Give It a Day" from the Pacific Trim EP (1996)
"Stereo" from Brighten the Corners (1997)
"Shady Lane" from Brighten the Corners (1997)
"Spit on a Stranger" from Terror Twilight** (1999)

* these tracks were also Included on the Westing (By Musket and Sextant) compilation
** for a further discussion of Terror Twilight, please see EP 1 of The New Dad Rock

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Did you know that The New Dad Rock has swag? Coffee mugs, pillow and t-shirts in a multitude of colors and arm lengths.