Episode 16 Recap

🎧 Songs That Don’t Suck – Episode 16 Recap: Music as Memory, CeeLo Covers Band of Horses, and 5 New Tracks You’ll Want to Replay

Welcome back to Songs That Don’t Suck, the podcast that helps you find meaningful music in a world of 100,000 new songs a day. 🎶 In Episode 16, host Mark Bradbourne celebrates the show’s 1,000-stream milestone, waxes poetic on music’s role in every stage of life, and introduces another Brain Bending Cover you didn’t know you needed—this time from CeeLo Green.

Let’s get into it 👇

🎯 Milestone Unlocked: 1,000 Streams!

Big shoutout to all of you listeners—Songs That Don’t Suck has crossed the 1,000 stream mark just 15 episodes in! Mark didn’t expect to hit that so quickly, and he’s sincerely grateful for the love, shares, and reviews. 💛

“I just wanna let you know that I appreciate you.”

🎼 Music Is Life’s Soundtrack—Literally

Mark takes a thoughtful detour this episode, reflecting on how music accompanies every stage of our lives:

👶 Lullabies as babies
🏫 Educational jingles for ABCs & state capitals
💘 Soundtracks to first loves & dances
💍 Wedding songs & first dances
⚰️ Even funerals have hymns to honor life

From Star Wars themes at age 3 to Spotify playlists during work hours, Mark makes it clear: “I cannot imagine a world without music.”

🔁 Brain Bending Cover: CeeLo Green – “No One’s Gonna Love You”

This week’s unexpected cover comes from none other than CeeLo Green, taking on Band of Horses’ haunting track “No One’s Gonna Love You.”

“I just wouldn’t picture CeeLo covering this—and that’s exactly what makes it so great.”

It’s surprisingly faithful to the original, but still unmistakably CeeLo. A cool twist on an indie classic.

🎧 Check it out on Spotify
🎯 Got a favorite weird-but-wonderful cover? Send it to songsthatdontsuck.net

🆕 This Week’s Five Songs That Don’t Suck

🌤️ 1. Aeros in Action – “Head in the Clouds”

📍 From: Gainesville, Florida
✨ Vibe: Optimistic pop-rock with authentic mood-lifting energy
🎸 Background: First release in 2017; each song has its own sound

Mark admits: Gen X was built on grunge, but sometimes… we just want a little sunshine. This track nails that emotional reset button.

🎸 2. Galaher’s Green – “Where Do I Begin?”

📍 From: Manchester, UK
🔊 Style: Unpretentious, straight-ahead rock
💿 DIY Roots: Fully independent and self-produced

Despite listing iconic influences like Oasis and Foo Fighters, Mark hears something more fresh and original here. Bonus points for surviving the start of the band in early 2020 and coming out stronger with a more polished second album.

🍦 3. Beauty – “Polar Bear Ice Cream”

📍 From: New Jersey
🎨 Vibe: Quirky, retro-modern indie pop
🎸 Influences: Cheap Trick—and yep, it checks out

This track is pure fun. From the title to the arrangement, it oozes charm and whimsy. With less than 2,000 monthly listeners, Beauty may be an underrated gem ready to pop.

“It’s a vibe. A mood. And I’m here for it.”

🌅 4. Teenage Wrist – “Sunshine”

📍 From: Los Angeles
🎧 Genre: Alternative rock with grunge undertones
🤘 Fun fact: They’re a two-piece band with a huge sound

Mark hears a repeating guitar line that reminds him of the First Order’s alarm from Star Wars… and he can’t un-hear it. Either way, it’s gritty, catchy, and different from your typical alt-rock radio filler.

🖤 5. The National (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) – “Your Mind Is Not Your Friend”

🏆 Featured Track of the Week
🧠 Vibe: Introspective, dark, and emotionally stirring
🎤 Guest star: Phoebe Bridgers (and it shows)

Mark confesses he never got The National—until now. Whether it’s Phoebe’s presence or just the right moment, this track clicked. He compares the epiphany to his Wilco moment, which started with one song (The Art of Almost) and led to total fandom.

“Maybe this is my gateway drug into The National. We’ll see.”

🧼 Housekeeping + How to Get Involved

✅ Don’t forget to like, follow, share, and review—your support is what fuels this thing!

Until next week…
Keep discovering. Keep listening. And keep finding songs that don’t suck. 🤘🎧