🎶 Episode 123: Dopamine, Endorphins & Songs That Still Rock
🎤 Standout Moment:
Mark dives into how live music triggers your brain’s pleasure centers—and why it might just be your spiritual home 🧠🎸.
A Website Meltdown and a Rebirth
Before diving into the sonic goodness, Mark shares the tale of a digital catastrophe: the podcast’s website went down hard. But like any good comeback album, it’s back—with a fresh design and new perks for newsletter subscribers, including access to a Live Music Archive 📀.
👉 Call to Action: If you were subscribed, you’ll need to sign up again. And if you weren’t, now’s the perfect time to get exclusive perks.
🎵 Why Live Music Hits Harder Than Your Playlist
Mark geeks out (in the best way possible) over how endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin react to live shows.
A few takeaways:
- Live shows stimulate your amygdala—more than studio tracks do.
- The sacculus, an inner ear organ, links sound frequencies directly to pleasure centers in your brain. Wild, right?
- Emotional triggers are stronger live due to unpredictability and immersion.
- Concerts—even when you go solo—build community and trigger bonding chemicals.
This entire rabbit hole was inspired by Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, which Mark is reading for grad school.
🧬 Music + neuroscience = the ultimate brain high.
🔥 The Songs That Don’t Suck This Week
1. 🎤 “Isn’t It Great?” – Ethan Bortnick
This track is pure brain candy—bubblegum pop meets Foo Fighters grunge. It’s sweet, sludgy, and vocal magic.
🧠 Brain triggers: dopamine, nostalgia, pure joy.
For fans of: Jellyfish, early Foo Fighters.
🎧 Lyric Highlight: “Stripping away till the colors are gray…”
2. 🎸 “Believer” – Big Wreck
Ian Thornley’s vocals bring Chris Cornell to mind—and that’s no small praise. Gritty guitars, halftime shifts, and a chorus that hits hard.
🎤 Mark’s Hot Take: Big Wreck is one of the most underrated post-grunge bands still killing it.
For fans of: Soundgarden, Alter Bridge.
3. 💔 “Wishful Thinking” – Paige Fish
Less snarky, more soulful. Paige Fish returns with a track that’s raw, emotionally rich, and ready for a live singalong.
🎶 Backing vocals shift from echo to harmony—cool production details.
For fans of: Olivia Rodrigo, Brandi Carlile.
🎧 Lyric Highlight: “Three cheers for wishful thinking, a silent raise my glass…”
4. 🌌 “Going Nowhere” – Kanadia
Imagine if U2’s Joshua Tree era collided with Travis’s Brit-rock moodiness. Sensitive vocals over chunky guitars = a late but essential add to the episode.
🎧 First single from an upcoming third album.
For fans of: U2, Travis, Radiohead.
🧠 Rocking While Rewiring Your Brain
Mark wraps up the episode with a reminder that music is more than entertainment—it’s a chemical experience. Whether you’re a Gen Xer digging for new riffs or a solo concert-goer, the science is clear: good music can literally change your brain.
📌 Don’t Forget
- 🎶 Check out the Spotify playlists for all seasons
- 💌 Re-subscribe to the newsletter for exclusive content
- 🧢 Grab some fresh merch
- 💬 Send feedback and song recs via the rebuilt website
And as always:
Keep listening to songs that don’t suck.
