🎙️ Songs That Don’t Suck – Episode 58

Bootlegs, Bright Winter, and Bangers You Need to Hear

Welcome, song scouts! In Episode 58, Mark Bradbourne takes us on a nostalgic trip through the taper culture of the late ‘90s, shares stories from Cleveland’s sub-zero Brite Winter fest, and—as always—delivers five fresh tracks that absolutely don’t suck.

🎤 From MiniDiscs to Smartphones: A Bootlegging History

This week, Mark’s listening to The Ongoing History of New Music by Alan Cross—a fascinating episode about the rise of music bootlegging. Spoiler: bootleg culture used to be a lot cooler (and way more analog).

Mark’s Bootlegging Starter Pack (circa 1999):

🎧 Sharp 702 MiniDisc Recorder
🎤 10-foot mic stand
🔋 Battery-powered attenuator box
🎶 Bands recorded: Moxy Früvous, Great Big Sea, early John Mayer, Guster, Ben Folds Five (with a disastrous Train set Mark mercifully never shared)

These were days of sharing CDs, not racking up views. The vibe? Passion over clout.

📚 Hot tip:
Explore the Live Music Archive at archive.org. You can even find shows from Mark’s old band Lost in America.

❄️ Brite Winter 2025 Recap: Music, Fire Pits & Donuts

Cleveland’s Britt Winter is an annual cold-weather celebration of local music and art. This year, Mark braved the chill as a proud “Bride Backer” (read: he got access to the warming tent 🧣).

Highlights:

🎶 Cleveland School of Rock gave Mark hope for the future
🔥 Baker’s Basement (a reunion of sorts)
🎸 Top Acts:
Wynton Existing – genre-defying energy
Ray Flanagan & The Mean Machines – Cleveland songwriting at its finest

🚨 Bonus anecdote: Mark might have (accidentally) flattened a child in the dark, but he redeemed himself with free donuts and random acts of kindness. Balance restored. 🍩

🎧 This Week’s 5 Songs That Don’t Suck

1. Circles – The Snuts

🌀 Indie-rock with Britpop finesse

From their new album Millennials
Think The Bends-era Radiohead meets early Coldplay
Pre-chorus > pause > massive chorus = chef’s kiss
10-track album, under 30 minutes—no filler, all killer

🗣️ For fans of: Sam Fender, Arctic Monkeys, The 1975

2. Bernadette – Jason Scott

🎸 Alt-country with real soul

Total Tom Petty meets Wild Feathers energy
Pedal steel, layered guitars, real drums (no loops 🙌)
Strong storytelling—zero bro country clichés
Mark-approved for even the pickiest country fans

🐎 For fans of: Ryan Adams, Chris Stapleton, Americana with depth

3. Come Up for Air – We The Commas

🌊 Genre-blurring California groove

Three brothers blending Surf Alt R\&B
Think Stray Cats rhythm meets Beach Boys harmonies + R\&B smoothness
Follow-up track Custom Made leans heavy into surf soul
Pure genre alchemy 🔮

🏄 For fans of: Young the Giant, Bob Marley, John Mayer (on a beach)

4. Juicy Prevalence – Wynton Existing

⚡ Avant-garde rock with raw edge

Mark’s Bright Winter favorite—so good, he bought the CD (even without a CD player!)
Theatrical live show, genre-defying sound
Their track Sexual Death is an 11-minute jam odyssey
If The Doors were born in 2020 and raised on post-punk, it’d sound like this

🎭 For fans of: The Mars Volta, Queens of the Stone Age, experimental rock

5. Dying on the Vine – Ray Flanagan

📝 Cleveland’s finest in songwriting form

Prolific local legend
Released this and more during COVID shutdown
Full band version rocks, but stripped-down version hits deep
You can find him playing The Winchester almost every Monday 🎸

🌙 For fans of: Jason Isbell, Jeff Buckley, heartfelt Americana

💬 …and I quote…

“Back in the day, there was no money changing hands—just burn CDs and spreading music you love. It was magical.”
— Mark Bradbourne

That wraps up Episode 58! Thanks for tuning in, and remember:

Until next week—keep searching for and listening to songs that don’t suck. 🎶💥

Episode 58 Recap