Super Awesome Mix – Details, episodes & analysis

What happens when catchy tunes mask unsettling and problematic lyrics? Join Matt and Samer for a candid and thought-provoking journey through music history as we uncover the dark realities behind some of the most popular songs. We start with the Black Eyed Peas' "Let's Get It Started," originally rife with offensive language, only to be cleaned up thanks to the NBA's intervention. We then discuss Cher's "Half-Breed," reflecting on her series of similarly themed songs and how they shine a light on evolving societal standards and the need for mindful consumption of music.

In this episode, we tackle the dissonance between melody and message by dissecting Sublime's "Wrong Way" and Benny Mardones' "Into the Night." Catchy, yes, but these tracks come with disturbing themes that raise serious ethical questions. Our exploration doesn't stop there; we also critique Genesis' "Illegal Alien" for its outdated portrayal of Mexican stereotypes and take a closer look at the flirtatious yet potentially coercive undertones of the holiday classic "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Through modern reinterpretations, we examine how the song's lyrics resonate—or don't—in today's context.

Rounding off our discussion, we analyze the cultural insensitivity and lack of research that plagued pre-internet era songs like Band-Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and George Jones' "The Poor Chinee." Misguided intentions and offensive stereotypes are laid bare, prompting us to question the responsibilities of artists and platforms in handling such content today.

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/cancel-these-songs/pl.u-8dqGjTZrAMJ

1. Let's Get It Started - Black Eyed Peas
2. Half-Breed - Cher
3. Wrong Way - Sublime
4. Into the Night - Benny Mardones
5. Ur So Gay - Katy Perry
6. Illegal Alien - Genesis
7. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Dean Martin
8. Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
9. Turning Japanese - The Vapors
10. Hey, Little Tomboy - The Beach Boys
11. Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid
12. The Poor Chinee - George Jones

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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Ever wondered how the shift from summer to fall can drastically change one's mood? This week, Samer shares his personal journey with summer seasonal affective disorder and how the cool embrace of September brings him renewed energy. We also dive into the nostalgia-inducing sounds of "Bright Lights" by The Killers and chuckle over the evolution of advertising from the peppy 90s to today's pharmaceutical-centric commercials.

Our musical exploration doesn't stop there. We spotlight a captivating song that merges orchestral elements with powerful vocals, creating a truly cinematic experience. Sabrina Carpenter's clever songwriting in "Coincidence" gets its moment of appreciation. Discovering hidden gems like Los Campesinos and their thought-provoking, energetic tunes is another highlight of our discussion, celebrating the depth and variety in contemporary music.

Finally, we journey through an eclectic mix of tracks, from early 2000s-inspired sounds to Post Malone's surprising country venture with "Nosedive." We relish Bright Eyes' witty lyrics in "Bells and Whistles" and jam out to Big Sean's confident beats in "Who You Are (Superstar)." Rounding off the episode, we marvel at RZA's orchestral collaboration with the Colorado Symphony and get hyped with Lil Wayne and friends on the high-energy track "Can't Hold Me Down." Join us for an episode that celebrates the vast and vibrant world of today's music!

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/new-music-september-24/pl.u-XmqkcXZ0qz

1. Bright Lights - The Killers
2. The Emptiness Machine - Linkin Park
3. Don't Keep Me Waiting - Pete Yorn
4. Colorful State - Kishi Bashi
5. Coincidence - Sabrina Carpenter
6. The Coin-Op Guillotine - Los Campesinos
7. Bells and Whistles - Bright Eyes
8. Who You Are (Superstar) - Big Sean
9. Nosedive - Post Malone featuring Lainey Wilson
10. Feel - The Heavy Heavy
11. Clear Sky After Storm - RZA featuring the Colorado Symphony
12. Can't Hold Me Down - Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, Pharrell Williams featuring DOODLES & Kyle Ricch

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Matt and Samer are back with more new music in what Samer calls an underrated month, May.  We've got some big names on this one along with a few that we're hoping get big very soon. 

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/sam-new-music-may-2024/pl.u-KR7P6tDdJj0

1. These Walls- Dua Lipa
2. Legendary- Bon Jovi
3. Buried Alive- Chance the Rapper
4. Too Yung- Brainstory
5. Sit Down- FEET
6. Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? - Taylor Swift
7. They Don't Know How To Fall In Place- The Lemon Twigs
8. The Boy- Mark Knopfler
9. Incredible (feat. Labrinth)- Sia
10. Skin- Allison Ponthier
11. You've Fallen In Love Again- Jade Bird
12. Tiny Moves- Bleachers

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Matt and Samer take you through tracks from their favorite albums where the skip button is just not needed.

You can find the playlists below on Spotify and Apple Music.

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6GenCdcQPSJ8vWvnWWrDLM?si=16e2f9840ed54aac

Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/no-skip-albums/pl.u-e98lGa5Sa5jx7qp

1. Rain On The Scarecrow by John Mellencamp
2. A Haunted House by Jon Bellion
3. Carry On by Pat Green
4. Powerful by Major Lazer, Ellie Goulding
5. High Life by Counting Crows
6. The Sun by The Naked And Famous
7. Two Hearts by Chris Isaak
8. Excavate by Macklemore, Saint Claire
9. Crying Like A Church On Monday by New Radicals
10. Shakin’ Off The Rust by The Blue Stones
11. New York City Serenade by Bruce Springsteen
12. Age Of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole) by Arcade Fire

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Matt and Samer go through a mix full of songs perfect for your island/beach getaway with a big helping hand from all of our listener suggestions!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13xkHNSXSlHsj8CIbKDf1y?si=dcecba3698934c75

1. Soak Up The Sun by Sheryl Crow
2. Rainbow by G. Love & Special Sauce, Jack Johnson
3. Sleep Walk by Santo & Johnny
4. Baby Blue by Saint Blonde
5. Vacation by Sam Hunt
6. Kokomo by The Beach Boys
7. Rebel Rebel by Seu Jorge
8. Leaky Little Boat by Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers
9. Wash Away by Joe Purdy
10. The Seashores Of Old Mexico by George Strait
11. Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald
12. Toes by Zac Brown Band

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Matt and Samer are joined by Joshua Dylan Balis to talk about his new album 'We're on Fire' and upcoming tour and go through a mix of some of his favorites and inspirations.

His mix is here:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1X4iHRTZ9pjJvxGr8A10gN?si=oEZnh0F-TpOHYDu9ijvMkg

1. Voices - Joshua Ray Walker 
2. Riga Black - Chuck Johnson
3. Every time the sun comes up - Sharon Van Etten
4. Motion picture sound track - Radiohead
5. Godan Daginn - Sigurd Ros 
6. May Janes last dance - Tom petty  
7. Tumble in the wind (version 2) - Jackson C. Frank 
8. Look at miss Ohio- Gillian Welch
9. Love - Lana Del Ray 
10. Boys of summer - Don Henley 
11. Red Eyes - The War on Drugs 
12. Girl from north country - Bob Dylan

Support the show

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Matt and Samer roll through a mix featuring the most epic guitar solos of all time!

You can find the mix on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1bNd8AMLabVhrVg2nzP3wi?si=795e1003eace4399&pt=3f8dfa4ac13264bd0bebcbb8b21f0158

You can also find it on Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/epic-guitar-solos/pl.u-11zBJy3sNWpD5mB

1. Layla - Derek and the Dominoes
2. Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
3. Beat It - Michael Jackson
4. Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers
5. Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits 
6. Gasoline by Audioslave
7. Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin
8. White Room by Cream
9. Hotel California - The Eagles 
10. All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix
11. Tom Sawyer by Rush
12. Through The Fire And Flames by DragonForce

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Jenn Tully is joined by Matt Sidhom from the Super Awesome Mix Podcast to talk about what he's listening to this week!  Here's a hint: it involves Wallflowers.

Be sure to subscribe to the show to get the latest episodes, every monday!

Support the show

Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

This week Matt and Samer present their long-discussed mix of songs with parenthesis in the title. Some are more necessary (than others).

Playlist on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Mk7TSCkVRFhMn0mHpf9lq?si=UyfLgiFRRRmWqRtcQoyvMA

Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/songs-with-needless-parenthesis/pl.u-11zBJWBfNWpD5mB

1. Stay (I Missed You) by Lisa Loeb
2. Over My Head (Cable Car) by The Fray
3. 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) by Bruce Springsteen
4. (The Forgotten People) by Thievery Corporation
5. I’m Free (Heaven Helps the Man) by Kenny Loggings
6. MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) by Lil Nas X
7. Mama Told Me (Not to Come) by Three Dog Night
8. I’m Not Okay (I Promise) by My Chemical Romance
9. Doo Wop (That Thing) By Lauryn Hill
10. (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life by Bill Medly & Jennifer Warnes
11. Don’t You (Forgot About Me) by Simple Minds
12. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics

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Host Jenn Tully asks guests what are you listening to this week?  Be sure to subscribe to the full show, available where you get your podcasts.

This week Jenn asks Super Awesome's own Samer Abousalbi!

Listen every week to find your next new favorite song!

This week's songs available on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3586kqEAu6uG3IlisaUd4f?si=aa55b12516d64a12 

Support the show

Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!