🎙️ Songs That Don’t Suck: The Jellyfish Effect and Songs Built to Last
Welcome to another beautifully bittersweet episode of Songs That Don’t Suck with your host, Mark Bradbourne. This week’s journey begins not with a song, but with a story—one about artistic ambition, broken band dynamics, and the fleeting magic of musical chemistry.
🪩 Remembering Jellyfish: The Band That Shined Too Briefly
Mark opens the episode with a reflection on the out-of-print book Brighter Day: A Jellyfish Story by Craig Dorfman. If you’re new to Jellyfish, here’s the TL;DR:
🧠Two musical masterminds: Andy Sturmer & Roger Manning Jr.
đź’” Power struggles, creative gatekeeping, and personality clashes
💿 Two albums: Bellybutton and Spilt Milk—both cult classics
🎤 Incredible potential, undone by ego and friction
“Being in a band is hard. Lightning has to strike where you’re standing—and it rarely does.”
Mark relates Jellyfish’s arc to his own musical history, walking us through band breakups, creative tensions, and the emotional cost of trying to make music in a collaborative environment. The conclusion? It’s hard. It’s exhausting. And for many artists, it no longer feels worth the fight.
So instead, Mark pours his energy into this podcast—a love letter to the music still being made by bands that haven’t fallen apart… yet.
🎶 This Week’s Songs That Don’t Suck
This week, we get four rich and varied tracks—each offering something different but equally delicious. Let’s dive in.
1. Terry Cloth Mother – “Figure It Out”
🌀 Experimental Indie Rock | Atmospheric | Smart Wordplay
Mark’s former bandmate James Pequinaw fronts this band, and the respect runs deep. With lyrical dexterity and moody textures reminiscent of Pink Floyd, this track showcases how bass and ambience can carry the emotional weight of a song.
🎧 Vibe: If Radiohead went to art school with Built to Spill.
2. Hi-Fade – “Taking Care of Business”
🎷 Slow Funk | Live-Tracked Blues | Groove-Heavy Coolness
Usually known for lightning-fast funk, Hi-Fade slows things down on this track. Recorded live with zero overdubs, it’s bluesy, funky, and dripping with attitude. Think Vulfpeck meets vintage D’Angelo.
🎧 Mark’s take: “Not much more to say—just listen to it.”
3. Certainly So – “Panic Attack”
🎸 Garage Rock | Black Keys DNA | Anthemic Hook
This one hits like a gritty, stripped-down garage jam. Echoes of The Black Keys and maybe even a hint of Gary Glitter (just musically, not morally). Fantastic guitar hooks, layered keys, and the right vocalist to sell it.
🎧 Frisson trigger: That rhythm and tone combo is nasty—in the best way.
4. Fish and a Birdcage – “Rule 39, Lore”
🎻 Baroque Pop | Cinematic Strings | Lyrically Lush
Mark admits he’s obsessed—and honestly, who can blame him? This one feels tailor-made for a scene in Bridgerton (and yes, he’s seen all three seasons). It’s delicate, poetic, and different from anything else in your playlist.
🎧 For fans of: The Vitamin String Quartet, Sufjan Stevens, Cirque du Soleil soundtracks
đź’ Final Reflection: Would You Start a Band Today?
“At this point, I don’t know if I have the fight in me to try and make it happen.”
This episode is about more than music—it’s about the creative process, about compromise, about what happens when collaboration breaks down. And yet, the music persists. These artists are still pushing forward, and that in itself is worth celebrating.
📸 …and I quote…
❝ It’s hard to get lightning to strike in the place you’re standing. ❞
— Mark Bradbourne, Songs That Don’t Suck ⚡
