🎧 Songs That Don’t Suck – Episode 22 Recap: Tina Turner Tribute, German Punk Invasion, and a Hidden Gem from Shad
Welcome back, friends. Songs That Don’t Suck is rolling into Episode 22, and host Mark Bradbourne isn’t holding back—from Tina Turner reverence to motorcycle-ready riffs, it’s a packed episode that honors the greats, celebrates the underground, and points you to music that won’t make you want to throw your speakers into a lake. 🎶🔥
Let’s ride. 🏍️
🌟 In Memoriam: Tina Turner’s Soulful Power Lives On
“She could sing the phone book and it would sound amazing.”
This week’s Brain-Bending Cover honors the late, great Tina Turner with her searingly soulful rendition of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”, taken from her Live in Europe album.
It’s faithful to the original—but her voice takes it to another level.
“Rest in power, Tina. We love you.”
🎧 Five Songs That Don’t Suck This Week
Mark continues his weekly ritual: diving into over 600 new songs, sifting through the lyrical equivalent of “check engine light” bars (yes, really 😅), and emerging with five tracks that are actually worth your time.
1. Selwyn Birchwood – “Florida Man”
🎸 Genre: Blues
📍 Origin: Orlando, FL
Forget the memes—this Florida Man brings the 🔥.
With greasy slide guitar, a Hammond B3, and legit blues pedigree, Selwyn reminds us that not everything from Florida is bananas.
“It’s not all fascism and bigotry—there’s real musical talent here.”
Blues fans: don’t sleep on this guy. He’s the real deal.
2. Royal Blood – “Mountains at Midnight”
🎧 Genre: Alt-Rock
🇬🇧 UK-based duo
💿 Big riffs. Big energy. No filler.
Royal Blood are back, and if you’ve got a bike, a highway, or a need for speed, this belongs in your summer soundtrack.
“Makes me wanna hop on my motorcycle—perfect riding music.”
3. Itchy – “Burn the Whole Thing Down”
🔥 Genre: Punk/Alt
🇩🇪 Germany
Criminally underrated in the U.S., Itchy has been grinding since 2000—and they’ve never sounded more urgent.
“Melodic choruses, aggressive verses… feels ready for a revolution.”
German bio? Yeah. English lyrics? Yep. Global vibes? 100%.
4. The Dead Notes – “Dog Ears”
🎶 Genre: Indie/Pop Punk/Alt
📍 Also from Germany
A genre blender with one hell of a solo section.
The vocals have that indefinable “it” factor—possibly due to accent, possibly just that magic tone that hooks you.
“Percussion flourishes + unexpected breakdown = chef’s kiss.”
Another German act worth deep diving.
5. 🎙️ Featured Track: Shad – “Sad But True (Unplugged)” ft. The Lickerish Quartet
🌿 Genre: Acoustic / Harmony-Rich Indie
💡 Hidden Gem Alert
Originally released in 2022, but recently rediscovered, this unplugged version hit Mark hard—and for good reason.
“The vocals here are what really grab me… rich, lush harmonies that gave me that Jellyfish feeling.”
Fans of Jellyfish, The Lickerish Quartet, or anyone who loves perfectly layered harmonies—this is your must-listen.
Shad has a new album coming this year. If this is any hint, it’s one to watch.
🎙️ Housekeeping + What’s Ahead
- 📢 Tell your friends! Word-of-mouth is still the best promo.
- 🗓️ Mondays = full episode w/ music (Spotify only)
Wednesdays = Cliff Notes version (everywhere) - 🌐 songsthatdontsuck.net: Recommendations, transcripts, merch, links
- 👕 Stickers + T-Shirts now available
- 📱 @SongsDontSuck on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
“It’s weird for a music podcast to have an episode with no music—but here we are.”
🔮 Coming Soon: Mid-Year Roundup + Special Guests
Mark teases some weird and wonderful episodes coming in June & July:
- 🎤 Concert reviews
- 👨👧 Guest appearance from daughter Jenna
- 🔁 First-half-of-the-year rewind
🎧 Your Weekly Reminder
You survived 600+ new songs this week because Mark did the dirty work.
All you have to do?
Hit play. Crank it up. Tell a friend.
Until next week… keep searching for and listening to songs that don’t suck. 🎶✌️
