Each guest's questionnaire is filled with so many songs, albums & artists that I now love. But in the spirit of year end music lists, here is one song from each 2025 guest that really stuck with me. Order based on flow.
HELD SONGS MIXTAPE (playlist on Spotify)
So Lonely - The Police (Jay Lund)
Pata Pata - Miriam Makeba (Liz Tuccillo)
Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Inara George)
Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead (Rainn Wilson)
St. Swithin’s Day - Billy Bragg (Stephanie Courtney)
Cherry Bomb - The Runaways (Spencer Garrett)
If It Ain’t Ruff - NWA (Mark Pieper)
I Can Let Go Now - Michael McDonald (Cleto Escobedo III)
Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield (Alexander Straus)
Running Out Of Lies - Johnnie Taylor (Jordan Whittington)
Goodbye Earl - The Chicks (Olivia de Recat)
Verdi Cries - 10,000 Maniacs (Sam Catlin)
Aphasia - Pinegrove (Liam Yorgensen)
Mandika - Sinead O’Connor (Drew Droege)
Letter to Hermione - Robert Glasper (Jamila Glass)
If We Were Vampires - Jason Isbell (Mike Soroka)
Girls Like Me - Bonnie Hayes (Merrin Dungey)
The Distance - Cake (Pete Gardner)
Come To The Manger - Donny Osmond (Jill Lover)
Blues Run The Game - Laura Marling (Max Chernin)
The Queen And The Soldier - Suzanne Vega (Tuc Watkins)
Song 2 - Blur (David Magidoff)
Never Stop - Brand New Heavies (Julie Dretzin)
The Foggy Dew - Chieftains/Sinead (Rory O’Malley)
Come Back Home - Seo Taiji Boys (Peter Kim)
Start Wearing Purple - Gogol Bordello (John Bush)
Here We Go - N’Sync (Jeannie Klisiewicz)
Painted From Memory - Elvis and Burt (Chris Douridas)
Cold Feet - Tracy Chapman (Jordan Black)
LA Angel City Head Coach Alexander Straus talks New Order, Prefab Sprout, The Pogues, Dexys Midnight Runners, Bruce Springsteen, Alice In Chains, Curtis Mayfield & more!
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. The River - Bruce Springsteen
2. Purple Rain - Prince
3. Infidels - Bob Dylan
4. Ghost In The Machine - The Police
5. Ceremony - New Order
6. The Perfect Kiss - New Order
7. Bonny - Prefab Sprout
8. Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield
9. Nutshell - Alice In Chains
10. A Rainy Night In Soho - The Pogues
11. Fairytale of New York - The Pogues
12. Searching For The Young Soul Rebels - Dexys Midnight Runners
LA Contemporary Dance Company Artistic Director Jamila Glass talks Robert Glasper, Lauryn Hill, The Temptations, Frankie Beverly & more!
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. Letter To Hermione - Robert Glasper
2. Everything Is Everything - Lauryn Hill
3. Lost Ones - Lauryn Hill
4. The Boy Is Mine - Brandy & Monica
5. Here's Where I Stand - 'Camp' Original Soundtrack
6. Give Love On Christmas Day - The Temptations
7. Before I Let Go - Maze with Frankie Beverly
8. This Too Shall Pass - India.Arie
Tony nominated actor Rory O'Malley (Book of Mormon, Hamilton) talks The Beach Boys, Beauty and the Beast, Sarah McLachlan, Green Day & more!!
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. Turn It Off - Book of Mormon
2. Pet Sounds - Beach Boys
3. Beauty and the Beast - Original movie soundtrack
4. Surfacing & Mirroball - Sarah McLaughlin
8. Dookie - Green Day
9. American Idiot - Green Day
10. Everybody Loves Louis - Stephen Sondheim
11. Sunday - Stephen Sondheim
Writer Sam Catlin (Breaking Bad, Preacher, Sugar) talks The Beatles, U2, Van Morrison, Alanis Morissette, 10,000 Maniacs & more!!
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. The Beatles - Greatest Hits - (Red album) ( Blue album)
3. No Guru, No Method, No Teacher - Van Morrison
4. Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette
5. Live! - Bob Marley & The Wailers
6. Verdi Cries - 10,000 Maniacs
7. Alive & Kicking - Simple Minds
8. Life In A Northern Town - The Dream Academy
Singer/songwriter Inara George talks Prince, Rickie Lee Jones, X, The Meters, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Judee Sill & more!!
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. A Little Girl From Little Rock - Marilyn Monroe
2. Thanks, I'll Eat It Here - Lowell George
4. Condition Of The Heart - Prince
5. Pirates - Rickie Lee Jones
7. Los Angeles - X
8. The Meters - The Meters
9. Cannonball - The Breeders
10. Oh! You Pretty Things - David Bowie
12. Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
13. The Kiss - Judee Sill
14. All Rise - Inara George
15. An Invitation - Inara George w/ Van Dyke Parks
Writer/Cartoonist/Illustrator Olivia de Recat (The New Yorker) talks Fleetwood Mac, The Chicks, Taylor Swift, Gillian Welch, Eliot Smith & more!
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
2. Walking On Broken Glass - Annie Lennox
3. Goodbye Earl - The Chick
4. Teardrops On My Guitar - Taylor Swift
5. A Fond Farewell - Eliot Smith
6. Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell
Legendary metal rock singer John Bush (Armored Saint/Anthrax) talks Black Sabbath, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, UFO, Gogo Bordello & more!
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
2. Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin (album/Led Zeppelin II)
3. Duece - KISS (album/Kiss Alive!)
4. Sing A Song - Earth, Wind & Fire (album/Gratitude)
5. Golden Lady - Stevie Wonder
6. Call On Me - Chicago
7. Back In The Saddle - Aerosmith (album/Rocks)
8. John performing The Four Horseman with Mettalica
9. Start Wearing Purple - Gogol Bordello
Mark Pieper is CEO & agent of one of the top and longest running baseball agency's in the business, ISE Baseball. They've represented some of the best players in the game like Justin Verlander, Mariano Rivera, David Ortiz, Jim Thome and tons more.
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. Blue Suede Shoes - Elvis
2, You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine - Lou Rawls
4. Detroit Rock City - Kiss
5. Changes - Tupac
6. Can't Truss It - Public Enemy
7. Fight The Power - Public Enemy
8. True Fuschnick - FU-Schnickens
9. If It Ain't Ruff - NWA (MC Ren)
10. Sara Smile - Hall & Oates
11. Just Breathe - Pearl Jam
12. Sirius - The Alan Parsons Project
Washington Nationals MLB pitcher Michael Soroka talks Alterbridge, Elton John, Burton Cummings, Hans Zimmer & more!
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. Blackbird - Alter Bridge
2. Still Counting - Volbeat
3. Candle In The Wind - Elton John
4. Clair de lune - Claude Debussy
5. Break It To Them Gently - Burton Cummings
6. Final Ascent - Hans Zimmer
7. If We Were Vampires - Jason Isbell
PITCHING PLAYLIST
A. Dream On - Aerosmith
B. Like A Stone - Audioslave
C. One Of These Nights - Eagles
D. Take It To The Limit - Eagles
E. Even Flow - Pearl Jam
F. Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
G. Into The Mystic - Van Morrison
H. Rocket Man - Elton John
Actor Max Chernin ('Parade' Broadway tour) talks Laura Marling, Lianne La Havas, Chet Baker, Amos Lee, Nick Drake, Stephen Sondheim, Emily King & more!
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. Blues Run The Game - Laura Marling
2. What You Don't Do - Lianne La Havas
3. Everything Happens To Me - Chet Baker
4. Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight - Amos Lee
5. Pink Moon - Nick Drake
6. Chromolume #7 - Stephen Sondheim (Sunday In The Park With George)
7. Distance - Emily King
8. Post Tropical - James Vincent McMorrow
Actor/Comedian Peter S. Kim (A Nice Indian Boy) talks Britney Spears, Emancipator, Seot Taiji, John Mayer, Sylvan Esso & more!
EPISODE PLAYLIST
What did 3 year old Cleto Escobedo III (bandleader for Jimmy Kimmel Live) do when he met one of his father’s “female co-workers” at the Sahara? What store primed Cleto to know exactly what 501 jean & Le Tigre shirt combo would go well together? What song did Cleto’s Dad see his own father perform on the Johnny Carson show? What do the lead singer of Men at Work and Cleto’s old bandmate have in common? What was Cleto and his mom’s favorite 8 track to drive around to? Why didn’t Cleto end up in choir with John Greene for 6th grade centers and instead switch to saxophone?
EPISODE PLAYLIST
LIAM YORGENSEN / lead singer (Sarah & The Sundays)
How was the store Hot Topic integral in the musical development of 13 year old Liam? What famous song did he cover and record for his Dad’s 60th birthday? How does Liam’s experience prove that truck stop bathrooms are an underrated meet and greet location for musical heroes? How did Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister” end up on Liam’s mom’s LG enV2 phone? What significance does the TV show “How I Met Your Mother” play in Liam’s life?
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits
2. Frampton Comes Alive! - Peter Frampton
3. These Days - Jackson Browne
4. Aphasia - Pinegrove
5. Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan
6. Looking Like You Just Woke Up - The Front Bottoms
7. Hey, Soul Sister - Train
8. Don't Know Why - Norah Jones
9. About You Now - Miranda Cosgrove
10. Cursed Romantics - Maude Latour
11. Art School Wannabe - Sorority Noise
12. 1901 - Phoenix
Actor Julie Dretzin (The Handmaid's Tale, Preacher, Dirty John) What did Julie always wear as a child when running through her house singing Sondheim? What did the TV show The Hardy Boys have to do with Julie’s first record purchase? Why was her first experience with the music of Led Zeppelin during an ecstasy trip in a mattress store? What band did Julie go hard in the paint with in college and never go back to again once she graduated? What artist made her almost pee her pants when she saw him in Gelson’s?
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. At Seventeen - Janis Ian
2. Teen Dream - Shaun Cassidy
3. What A Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers
4. The Rain Song - Led Zeppelin
5. Not While I'm Around - Sweeney Todd (Stephen Sondheim)
6. Never Stop - Brand New Heavies
7. Hey Ladies - Beastie Boys
8. Faithfully - Journey
9. Secret O' Life - James Taylor
KCRW DJ Chris Douridas talks about how the first album he owned came by way of a melted 45. How his mother's record collection has influenced the choices he makes as a DJ. He explains his disdain for classifying music by genre, gives us a sneak peak into how he assembles a set list for KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic and imparts wisdom on the future telling power of toilet paper placement.
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. Our House - Crosby, Stills & Nash & Young
2. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
3. Painted From Memory - Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach
4. Love at the Five & Dime - Nanci Griffith
5. North & South Main Title - Bill Conti
NFL wide receiver Jordan Whittington (LA Rams)
According to Jordan, the Texas Longhorns were the first college team to listen to what artist? If you grew up in Cuero, Texas in the early 2000’s, who was your go to for music CD’s? What song did a 7th grade classmate play for Jordan over the phone because she said he HAD to hear how sad it was? What album does Jordan believe is a top 5 album of all time? What is his top 3 ranking of singers in his family? And how does Jordan use music to take himself on an emotional roller coaster before games?
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. Love T.K.O. - Teddy Pendergrass
2. Where I Wanna Be - Donell Jones
3. Running Out Of Lies - Johnnie Taylor
4. For All We Know - Donny Hathaway
5. I Can't Get Over You - The Dramatics
Actor Spencer Garrett (The Residence, Winning Time, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
What Broadway legends dressing room was Spencer in on opening night when he was 7 years old? Walking back from what concert did he think everyone was covered in algae? How did Spencer’s then college girlfriend save him from a trip to the emergency room…or possibly the morgue? What television homicide detective made Spencer several mix tapes and got him into MC 900 ft. Jesus? Who has Spencer seen in concert more than any other artist? What was the significance of a quirky kid in a pork pie hat at a school in the woods in Maine?
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. Peter Pan (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
2. CSN - Crosby, Stills & Nash
3. I Don't Want Set The World on Fire - The Ink Spots
4. All Shook Down - The Replacements
5. Imperial Bedroom - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
6. Small Change - Tom Waits
7. Closing Time - Tom Waits
8. Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
9. Water of Love - Dire Straits
10. Space - Grateful Dead
11. Buried At Sea - MC 900 Ft. Jesus
12. Stewart's Coat - Rickie Lee Jones
13. Valentine's Day - Steve Earle
14. The More I See You - Julie London
15. Feels Like Rain - John Hiatt
16. Cherry Bomb - The Runaways
Actor David Magidoff (Dexter: New Blood, The Morning Show, American Crime Story) How did David find himself at a Sting concert in Scranton at 12 years old and smelling weed for the first time? What did Jerry Seinfeld say to David about where he grew up in Long Island? What did BUNAC and summer camp have to do with David's introduction and eventual deep love of the band Oasis? What is David's favorite comic book and why? And what song did Paul not recognize that broke David's brain?
EPISODE PLAYLIST
Jeannie Klisiewicz (The Ellen Degeneres Show, Happy You're Here!) How does Jeannie currently rank the members of *NSYNC? What was the specific month/day window that Jeannie planned to marry JC Chasez? Whose t-shirt did she stand in line for at a Nordstrom? What amount of money would Jeannie pay for an *NSYNC ticket with zero hesitation? What does she think is the best Disney soundtrack? What two albums would Jeannie and her parents listen to nonstop on their 18 hour drive from Chicago to Disney World? What Nirvana lyric stuck out to Jeannie when she was little?
EPISODE PLAYLIST
1. With Or Without You - U2
2. Where The Streets Have No Name - U2
3. Mary Jane's Last Dance - Tom Petty
4. Piano Man - Billy Joel
5. Here We Go - *NSYNC
6. Zero to Hero - Hercules soundtrack
7. Go, Go, Go Joseph - Jospeh and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
8. Lithium - Nirvana