Songs That Don’t Suck: Wrapped Lies, Song Truths & a Vaping Divorcee in Vegas
Hello friends, it’s your Gen X music scout Mark Bradbourne, back with a killer lineup of tracks for the 99th episode of Songs That Don’t Suck. But before we hit play, Mark’s digging into Spotify’s most viral annual stunt—and why Spotify Wrapped may not be as honest as it seems.
📉 Spotify Wrapped: The Numbers Don’t Add Up
This year’s Wrapped felt… off. According to Spotify, Mark’s top five artists were:
- The Struts
- Barnes-Courtney
- Dream Theater
- Taylor Swift
- Fish and a Birdcage
But after pulling his actual listening data (yes, you can request it via your Spotify account’s privacy settings), Mark discovered two glaring omissions:
- The Wild Feathers and The Bites were in his top 5 based on real data
- Both bands have fewer than 100k monthly listeners
- All Wrapped-listed artists had over 1 million listeners
“I think Spotify’s algorithm may be favoring bigger artists for better shareability and engagement. That’s not honest—and it’s kind of gross.”
Meanwhile, Wrapped’s AI podcast? Cringe. And stats like top genres, albums, and Soundtowns are MIA this year. Cool marketing moment? Sure. But the integrity? Questionable at best.
🎧 Six Songs That Absolutely Don’t Suck
Despite the data drama, Mark’s still here doing the work—and this week’s playlist slaps. From alt-country to indie grunge and comedy yacht rock, this one’s got it all.
1. Low Coast – “Universal Truths”
🎸 Soulful Pop Rock | Third Eye Blind Vibes | Alt-Country Hints
Think Gin Blossoms meets Tom Petty with killer harmonies and a refreshingly smart song structure. Mark also hears a possible Paul Simon “Late in the Evening” bass nod—see if you catch it too.
🎧 Standout moment: That post-solo bass lick. Groovy déjà vu.
2. Donovan Woods – “Back for the Funeral”
💔 Acoustic Folk | Grief & Nostalgia | Pure Storytelling
Coincidentally timed with a memorial Mark couldn’t attend, this one hit deep. Sparse orchestration lets the raw vocal take center stage—aching and gorgeous.
🎧 Lyric feels: “You can ride a rocket to the moon… and still wake up in your old bedroom.”
3. Trophy Wife – “Keep It”
🎤 Grunge Revival | Lo-Fi Production | Honest and Raw
This trio brings late-90s angst with minimal polish and maximum emotion. No double-tracked vocals, no slick studio tricks—just grit and guts.
🎧 Vibe: The exact opposite of an algorithmic pop song. Real and loud.
4. The Exhailes – “Kick the Chair”
🧠 Dark Indie Rock | Mental Health Theme | Reflective & Brave
A heavy song about suicide and survival that walks the line between despair and hope. Mark offers a sincere PSA: if you need help, please ask for it.
🎧 Mark says: “Songs that make you reflect? Rare these days. This one does.”
5. Wolves of Glendale – “Vapin in Vegas”
🤣 Comedy Rock | Yacht Vibes | Divorcee Chaos
Equal parts Weird Al, Barenaked Ladies, and unhinged dad energy, this track tells the tale of a recently divorced guy absolutely spiraling in Sin City. It’s ridiculous, bouncy, and totally necessary after such a heavy episode.
🎧 Fun line: “I’ll go to a strip club, get a boner with a bunch of other guys.”
BONUS: Trophy Wife’s Full Album
🔁 Deep Dive Worthy | No Skips | Feminine Grit
After “Keep It,” Mark checked out the full Trophy Wife album—and loved it. If you like what you hear, hit play on the whole thing.
🧠 Mark’s Final Word
“I want my Wrapped to be accurate. And I want my music to be human.”
With Spotify’s questionable calls and AI creeping into more playlists, now’s the time to double down on supporting real artists. Buy the shirt. See the show. Share their songs. The fight for authenticity continues.
📸 …and I quote…
❝ My number one song was actually number five. What the f***? This is not hard. ❞
— Mark Bradbourne, Songs That Don’t Suck 📊🎧
