60 Songs That Explain the '90s

We’re going back to our roots this week—back to our Toyota Corollas and Chrysler LeBarons or whatever other shitty cars we drove back in the ’90s—to blast some Bush. Rob ponders whether frontman Gavin Rossdale is a good lyricist and extends some empathy in the age of Nirvana, when no alt-rock band could compare, especially those singing about their “willies.” Finally, Rob is joined by national treasure and Rob’s daughter Yasi Salek, who comes to defend the lyricism of cheekbone himbo Gavin Rossdale.

Host: Rob Harvilla

Producers: Julianna Ress, Olivia Crerie, Chris Sutton, and Justin Sayles

Additional Video Editing: Kevin Pooler

Guest: Yasi Salek

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This episode is for the ladies up in here tonight! Before her hips became internationally renowned, Shakira was making Spanish rock music from the age of 14. Today, Rob looks back at her crossover album 'Laundry Service,' which was released as other Latin American artists were also starting to make music in English. Later, he is joined by music journalist Suzy Exposito, who talks about why Shakira deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, her initial disappointment when Shakira dyed her hair blonde and started singing in English, and what it was like getting to interview her.

Host: Rob Harvilla

Producers: Julianna Ress, Olivia Crerie, Chris Sutton, and Justin Sayles

Additional Video Editing: Kevin Pooler

Guest: Suzy Exposito
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Imagine, you’re on the road with an indie sleaze band making sock puppets sing obscenities when Sesame Street gives you a call. Leslie Feist’s career can most similarly be compared to the life of Benjamin Button with her most successful and youthful song, “1234,” coming later in her colorful and previously raucous music career. Rob breaks down Feist’s magical ability to bring new perspectives to covers and sing emotion into numbers before he is joined by Canadian filmmaker Chandler Levack. They discuss the role Feist’s music played in soundtracking Chandler’s college years and how this affected her most recent film, Mile End Kicks, which follows a young music journalist becoming increasingly more involved in the music scene she’s documenting.

Listen to the songs from the episode: '00s #44 Feist "1234"

Host: Rob Harvilla

Producers: Olivia Crerie, Julianna Ress, Chris Sutton, and Justin Sayles

Additional Video Editing: Kevin Pooler

Guest: Chandler Levack

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This episode is for all of the people who don’t know the difference between a meteor, meteoroid, and meteorite. Rob finally opens up about his hipster phase of life that nearly got him killed (his words, not ours). He recounts all of the “freak folk” music he discovered in the Bay Area, all of which led him to the harp virtuoso and wordsmith Joanna Newsom. He tries his best not to describe her unique singing voice while dissecting her ability to bend words and seamlessly expand her listener’s vocabulary. Finally, he is joined by music journalist and ex-h*pst*r Garrett Kamps, who recounts what it was like watching one of Joanna Newsom’s first shows and contemplates why fans may have felt protective over her.

Host: Rob Harvilla

Producers: Olivia Crerie, Julianna Ress, Chris Sutton, and Justin Sayles

Additional Video Editing: Kevin Pooler

Guest: Garrett Kamps

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Will you come to my cottage this summer and blast Canadian rock music? Rob is asking … for a friend! This week, we analyze the dramatic comeback of the Wolf Parade song “I’ll Believe in Anything” after its use in the hit gay hockey show ‘Heated Rivalry.’ He explains how his focus on the ferocity of Wolf Parade’s music distracted him from the meaning of the lyrics and how they surprised him years later during the song's resurgence. Later, he is joined by Canadian Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the differences in the Montreal and Toronto rock scenes, remind Rob of forgotten Canadian bands, and explain what a “reheat” is.

Listen to the songs from the episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3jGtG2AAHCdpazCzuSlHrP?si=c5055ad6583f45e6&pt=21d76d95c5a8429ca2ed00ab7a01c09a

Host: Rob Harvilla

Producers: Olivia Crerie, Julianna Ress, Chris Sutton, and Justin Sayles

Additional Video Editing: Kevin Pooler

Guest: Elamin Abdelmahmoud

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