Episode 37 Recap

🎧 Songs That Don’t Suck – Episode 37: Thrashgrass, Aussie Waves & Concert Industry Chaos
Hosted by Mark Bradbourne

Welcome to Episode 37 of Songs That Don’t Suck, where we talk tunes, take down Ticketmaster, and deliver songs that deserve your ears. 🎶 This week, host Mark Bradbourne unpacks how the concert industry has shifted post-COVID—and let’s just say… it ain’t all sunshine and encore bows.

🎟 The Concert Industry: Broken Strings & Broken Systems

Let’s get something straight—live music is back, and that’s something to celebrate. Tours are rolling across continents again, and fans are packing venues. But under the surface? The industry is struggling to tune up.

Here’s the rundown:

• 🎚 Tour buses sat idle too long during COVID. Now? Many are busted or unreliable.
• 🧑‍🔧 Road crews disappeared during the shutdown and haven’t returned.
• 💸 Ticketing greed from Live Nation and Ticketmaster is next-level disgusting (seriously, how is a $25 ticket turning into $50?!).
• 🥤 Bar sales at smaller venues are down—because Gen Z isn’t drinking much (smart, but painful for the venues).
• 🛍 Venues taking a cut of merch? Yeah, that’s happening. And it’s screwing over the bands.

“The only person consistently getting fleeced is the fan—the one who loves music most.” 🎤

The bottom line? Artists are being forced to raise prices just to survive, and the fans are footing the bill. It’s time for another Pearl Jam-style reckoning, folks.

🎸 Brain-Bending Cover of the Week

🎵 “Harvester of Constant Sorrow” – The Native Howl

Genre: Thrashgrass (yes, that’s real and yes, it rules)
Mashup:

• “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” (from O Brother, Where Art Thou?)
• “Harvester of Sorrow” (Metallica, …And Justice for All)

🪕 Bluegrass meets Metallica? You bet your banjo it works. What starts as a harmonized gospel folk tune spirals into banjo-thrashing prog-metal glory—all with acoustic instrumentation. This is the kind of genre collision we live for.

🎧 “If you distort it, it’s metal. If you play it clean, it’s folk. Either way—it slaps.”

🌏 New Music: Three Aussie Bands, One Genre-Blender, and Buffett’s Posthumous Single

If you’re new here—welcome! Each week, Mark listens to hundreds of songs to bring you 5 that don’t suck. Here’s what made the cut this week:

🇦🇺 1. “Hey” – Old Mervs

Repeat offenders from Episode 26

Old Mervs return with another breezy, indie rock gem. The straight-ahead instrumentation lets the vocal rhythm and melody shine. Catchy, clean, and ideal for a chilled-out playlist.

🎶 “A hooky chorus with verses that dance just enough to keep it interesting.”

🇦🇺 2. “Highlands” – Middle Kids

If you haven’t heard Hannah Joy’s voice yet, fix that. Her dynamic control from low tones to soaring falsetto makes “Highlands” a standout, even if the music isn’t groundbreaking.

🎧 “She’s in full command—just effortless.”

Catch it on Sirius XM’s Advanced Placement or your next road trip.

🇦🇺 3. “Salt” – Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers (feat. The Grogans)

Riot Grrrl vibes meet modern alt-rock. Starts serene, then slowly builds tension into a delicious second chorus drop. The shared vocals add a nice texture, and Aussie collaboration is alive and well.

🧨 “That second verse? Straight-up chef’s kiss build-up.”

🌿 4. “The Place That Makes Me Happy” – The Moss

Third feature on the show

This band keeps evolving—“Blink” was quirky indie, “Chaparral” was alt-folk, and now this track goes introspective anthem. The Moss might just be one of the most interesting young rock bands out right now.

🎤 “Three songs. Three different vibes. All awesome. That’s range.”

🐶 5. “Like My Dog” – Jimmy Buffett

From his upcoming posthumous album

This cheeky single is a love letter to unconditional affection, Jimmy-style. With classic Buffett humor and a warm groove, this is the kind of tune you’ll nod and smile to if you’ve ever muttered, “Why can’t you just be happy when I walk into a room like the dog is?”

📝 “Once again, Jimmy takes something simple and turns it into songwriting gold.”

🎙 And until next week…

🎵 Keep searching for—and listening to—songs that don’t suck.