Nevermind the Music

Latest Episodes:

'Time After Time' by Cyndi Lauper and Off-Beat Personality Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

What’s a better introduction to an artist, a ballad or a bop? With all due respect to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” we’d rather overthink Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 hit “Time After Time.” Mark has something to say about the relationship between syncopated rhythms (big word alert!) and the song’s themes, while Nichole shares the psychological take on whether people’s personalities can change or stay the same (time after time). Importantly, the hosts end by considering which The Breakfast Club character they most embody.

Other music heard in this episode: The Hooters - "And We Danced", Dire Straits - "Money for Nothing", Bonnie Tyler - "Total Eclipse of the Heart", Scott Joplin - "Maple Leaf Rag", Louis Jordan - "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie", Daft Punk - "Around the World", Aretha Franklin - "Chain of Fools", Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe"

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Bonus! Music Study Group Part 3 May 29, 2025

Show notes

What are all these hashtags all over my sheet music? In our final music review session, Mark and Nichole talk sharps, flats, scales, and chords. Get your head on straight with all things pitch before the class withdrawal deadline! Another full episode next week!

Music heard in this episode: Coolio - “Gangsta’s Paradise”

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Sidetrack - Mark's Lousy High School Music Teacher May 27, 2025

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Which one of us was learned good? Nichole gushes about Mr. Joe Mulligan, her amazing high school music teacher, while Mark laments the sad story of <NAME REDACTED>, his below-average high school music teacher. See you next week for a full episode!

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Bonus! Music Study Group Part 2 May 22, 2025

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Did you learn your fractions? In this bonus episode, Mark and Nichole break down timing in music, including both rhythm and musical form (and key lime pie). The paper is due next week, so you’d better attend so the TA can review your outline before you fail this class and lose your football scholarship! Regularly-scheduled Sidetrack next week!

Music heard in this episode: The Beatles - “And Your Bird Can Sing”

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'Undone - The Sweater Song' by Weezer and the Blue Notes of Depression May 20, 2025

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Wait, was “Undone” really the most popular early Weezer song? In this epic episode we unravel Weezer’s 1994 hit (in some universes, at least), “Undone - The Sweater Song.” After discussing the hosts’ history with the band, Mark follows a thread of connection between some of the iconic elements of the song and older - much older - kinds of music. And Nichole finally gets Mark to understand what this song seems to really be about: depression.

To hear more of Nichole’s story, check out the episode “Burnt Toast” from the Scissors N Scrubs podcast from March 2023.

Other music heard in this episode: Weezer - “Say it Ain’t So”, The Rentals - “Friends of P”, Wheesor - “Undone - The Sweater Song”, Weezer - “Africa”, Weezer - “Perfect Situation” - Richard Berry and the Pharaohs - “Louie Louie”, René Touzet - “El Loco Cha Cha Cha”, Metallica - “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”, Robert Johnson - “I Believe I’ll Dust By Broom”, Mead ‘Lux’ Lewis - “Honky Tonk Train Blues”, The Jimi Hendrix Experience - “Purple Haze”, The Beatles - “Taxman”, Garbage - “Supervixen”, Jet - “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”

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Bonus! Music Study Group Part 1 May 15, 2025

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What’s with all the fancy terms? In this bonus episode, Mark and Nichole convene the study group just in time to help with your homework. In this meeting, the hosts talk through the terms and concepts associated with how music sounds, and be ready when big words like timbre, staccato, fortissimo, and polyphony show up on the final! Next week, back to a full episode!

Music heard in this episode: Fleet Foxes - “Mykonos”, Fleet Foxes - “Mykonos (Alternate Version)”

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Sidetrack - Season 1 Mailbag 2 May 13, 2025

Show notes

How is Taylor Swift Like Super Mario Bros. 3? Which Star Trek has the coolest theme music? This week, we dip back into the well of listener questions! Come back next week for a full episode!

Music heard in this episode: Stephen Schwartz - excerpt from Godspell, Great Grandpa - "English Garden", Kris Kross - "Jump", Russell Watson - "Where My Heart Will Take Me", Max Richter - "On the Nature of Daylight", Takashi Tateishi - "Bubbleman", Nobuo Uematsu - "Forever Rachel"

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‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ by Kylie Minogue and Catchy Intrusive Thoughts May 06, 2025

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Won’t you stay? In this episode we get Kylie Minogue’s 2001 club standout “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”… stuck in our heads. Why? Because of some very simple but very effective melodic tricks: variation. Catchy hooks like this make Nichole think of intrusive thoughts, and all the hilarity and darkness that conversation leads to.

Other music heard in this episode: Kylie Minogue - "Locomotion", Little Eva - "The Locomotion", Failure - "Stuck On You," The Killers - "Mr Brightside", David Bowie - "Rebel Rebel", Bruce Springsteen - "Born in the USA"

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Sidetrack - Nichole on the Tragedies and Triumphs of TLC Apr 29, 2025

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Did you see a rainbow yesterday? An outtake from our episode on “Baby-Baby-Baby,” Nichole dives deep about Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes’ struggles, passing, and genius, and pays homage to the resilience of the other members of the group. Tune in next week for a full episode!

Music heard in this episode: TLC - “Baby-Baby-Baby”

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‘Baby-Baby-Baby’ by TLC and When Ambiguity is Great Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

Is Mark going to flake it up? He can’t figure out what the heck key is TLC’s 1992 jam “Baby-Baby-Baby” in. The internet thinks it knows, but maybe we’re better off embracing the mystery.. Nichole certainly thinks she knows for sure who the best girl group of all time is, though, and shares some thoughts on the fascinating dynamics of the group. We end with one big question: what three 90s albums best embody our hosts’ personalities?

Other music heard in this episode: TLC - "Waterfalls,” Des'ree "You Gotta Be", Psychedelic Furs - "Love My Way", Fleetwood Mac - "Dreams", Incubus - "Dig"

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