Episode 91

Welcome to Songs That Don’t Suck, with your host, Mark Bradbourne.

What’s up, friends? Welcome to yet another episode of Songs That Don’t Suck. I am Mark, and every week I am here sharing with you the songs that I find out of the hundreds and hundreds that I listen to that I personally don’t believe suck. I think these songs are pretty good, and I think you should check them out. And that’s why I’m here, and that’s why you’re here. And if it is your first time here or your 91st time here, thank you so much for taking the time to check out the podcast. Before we get into the new music, I’m forecasting forward a bit and having a bit of a laugh at what might be.

Now, I have talked in the past about music and how it affects emotions and moods, and how it can be used to enhance performance, whether you’re studying or working out or whatever. But what about music for memory? I was visiting my parents recently, and they live in a senior living community, and the hallways always have music piped in. And it’s mainly oldies, of course, because my parents are silent generation, and there’s boomers in there, of course. So the music is music from their youth. You can hear anything from, like Louis Armstrong, a lot of the big band stuff. Every now and then you get some Motown, very rarely, though. A lot of jazz standards, things like that, stuff that it came from their youth, right? And one visit, in particular, I was kind of singing along, and we were walking back to their apartment after having dinner. And my mom asked what I was singing, and I mentioned to her that the music playing in the hallway, I knew the song, and she was like, really? Because let’s face it, she’s deaf as a post, and she refuses to wear her hearing aids. So she honestly had no idea there was music in the hallways, and they’ve lived there almost three years now.

But anyway, it’s beside the point. For those that can hear the music, there is specific evidence of the benefits of this, especially those who may be prone to dementia or Alzheimer’s. There is a lot of studies that have been done around how music can activate memories and regulate emotions, which are two key functions that dementia affects. Now, I don’t think the residents are aware of the reasoning behind it or the science behind it. They probably just see it as something nice that the community does. And there are times, honestly, where they hear it, and they seem kind of bothered by it. And I don’t know if that’s just a generational thing or what. But recently, one of the ladies that was sitting with us, she commented that she hears music, and she was like, where is it coming from? Questioning it, is it just in her head or was it playing? And I confirmed, yes, it was indeed playing in the cafe where we were seated. And it made me wonder if anyone in that community wears their hearing aids with any sort of regularity. But I digress.

Now, you’ll often find music playing in memory care communities because these songs and rhythms help residents with those diseases, relax, exercise, and potentially sleep better. Experts suggest playing songs with personal meaning to spark happy memories, like choosing soothing music and reduce agitation. It encourages interaction, like singing and dancing. And it increases socialization, which is good. The actual science behind why music therapy works for people with dementia is complex. One study from 2023 suggested that the neural networks that store music memory, like melodies, beats, and song lyrics, are usually spared until the later stages of dementia. Other studies document how music activities work the brain’s limbic system, which regulates emotion. So when we hear a moving piece of music, our limbic system lights up, causing us to feel awe or sadness or inspiration. Because two of the most common symptoms for dementia patients are loss of memory and emotional imbalance, music can help by directly influencing the parts of the brain that control both of those things. The really interesting thing is that this is probably something I would think is only a recent discovery, as music has only become more prevalent in our society, probably since the late ’40s and ’50s, when we see Elvis. And when music really started to hit the mainstream. And let’s face it, music is a universal language, and it touches us all. It moves our bodies, it moves our minds, and it connects us to other people. So it makes sense that it imprints so deeply on our subconscious and our conscious minds.

Now, on a personal note, I currently have two family members who are battling dementia and Alzheimer’s. And if you are along for the ride on this battle, I empathize in the deepest ways. Hopefully one day we will have a cure for that.

But as it would, because this is my personality, the whole thing kind of sent me down a very humorous path. Because it’s how I deal with things through humor a lot of times. So I was thinking about what would Gen X living communities look like, senior living communities?

Looking at where my parents live, there are arts and crafts and bingo and card games and trips to the store and the occasional outing to a restaurant. But they’re probably back by six, because the shuttles don’t run after six. What will Gen X do? And I’m imagining it’s going to be afternoon games of cards against humanity, maybe magic the gathering for the more nerdy among us. I never played, but I know a lot of people did. I was more of a Dungeons and Dragons guy, so maybe there’s some Dungeons and Dragons campaigns happening. I hope that the theater room has some classic gaming consoles, maybe an old school Atari 2600 or an OG Nintendo, maybe something a little more modern like Xbox or PlayStation. And the shuttle’s going to have to run late, so it can take us to concerts and bring us back. The music in the hallways, it’s going to be hair, metal, and grunge, because that’s what we’re attached to. I can’t picture it being Louis Armstrong. I love what a wonderful world, but not the same way that I love smells like Teen Spirit. I want to be confused by Yellow Ledbetter’s lyrics in my golden years the same way that I am today. Sometimes at my parents place, they have live musicians come in and perform, and they play the standards on a Friday night. So we will probably need a small stage and a really good PA, maybe a back line so the bands don’t have to drag stuff in. But I’m going to need some life. After 7 PM, my parents’ community is a ghost town. I need some nighttime activity.

So whoever is planning those communities, if you need an advisor or a consultant, please hit me up because I will be happy to give you my two cents. And honestly, if it’s not like that, I don’t know if I want to live there. Good thing I’m years and years away from that decision. So for now, let’s just get into some new music, shall we?

The first song this week is Sex, Drugs, Whatever, from Vienna, Vienna. Let’s start this episode off with some poppy rock in the vein of the killers, neon trees, and the like. There are elements of really playful 80s synths here, some great vocals and harmonies, super catchy hook. Like, it’s just great. Like, it caught me right from the start. I really like the way this song mirrors itself. So the intro and the outro get very floaty. And it’s really satisfying the way that the song opens, comes to its climax, and then comes back down and mirrors the intro. Really, really just great composition here. So here is a quick taste of Sex, Drugs, Whatever, from Vienna.

The second song this week is “Evil” from Biitchseat. Biitchseat is a local Cleveland gem. And I’ve been a fan of them ever since I caught them live when I tagged along with some friends to go see them live at Mahalls. They have this really cool ’90s riot girl feel at times, so think Liz Faire. But it’s reworked and reimagined, and it’s a modern representation of those foundational bands that made that era so great. This song, some great layers musically. There’s some keys that give this really great atmospheric texture, and that’s juxtaposed against some really grungy guitar at time. It’s not an upbeat song, really, but it’s still– I don’t know, it’s got a great feel to it. Vocally, it’s beautiful. And I’m a huge fan of her voice, always have been. It’s very captivating. So let’s just give it a listen, right? Here is an introduction to, hopefully, your new favorite band, Biitchseat with Evil.

The third song this week is Renegade from The Rooks. The Rooks make their triumphant return to songs that don’t suck with their second release. The first time they were on was back in episode 70 with their debut single, Lay Me Down. And I remember getting a couple of notes from folks who listened that I really got that one right, and they really enjoyed that song in particular. So hopefully, they feel the same way about this one. I personally love these guys and their style of rock, right? I think it’s all of the right elements of rock, regardless of generation when it came out. It’s just got that attitude. It’s really easy to listen to. Like, I don’t have to bend a lot of brain cells to get around it. It’s really catchy. They can write great songs, great pre-chorus. It brings you into this great hook. The lead singer’s voice has just the right amount of gravel and has a great range, right? It really allows him to bring some really interesting movement to the vocal melody. Really great stuff. So here is Renegade from The Rooks.

The fourth song this week is Crop Circles by Liquid Mike. Some musical brothers and sisters from the north, northern Michigan to be exact. This is their second time on the podcast as well. Back in episode 55, they made their first appearance with Town Ease. And if you dug that one, you’re going to dig this one. It’s more great guitar-driven rock. There’s some really fun musical additions that you will find if you’re listening closely. I’m going to describe them as almost out-of-tune accents by the guitar. There’s a couple that happen. I’ll just point them out so you can listen for them. It’s around 26 seconds into the song and then 38 seconds into the song as the verse kind of ends, or at least the vocal line ends. If you aren’t paying attention, they’re going to float right by you and just– they add this really fun texture. So definitely, like, throw the headphones on for that. As I mentioned, back in episode 55, these guys, they channel all the great things about Fountains of Wayne, who I was a huge fan of, and just all the elements are there and it’s just fun to listen to. I’ve gotten to the point with Liquid Mic where I’m really hoping they pass through Cleveland at some point so that I can see them live. I feel like it’s something that I just need to experience in The Flesh. I think it’s going to be a great show. So here’s a little more, Liquid Mic with Crop Circles.

The fifth and final song this week should come as no surprise to anybody who knows me, and if you’re paying attention to music releases this week, it is Night Terror from Dream Theater. Finally, after all the speculation and anticipation of new music since Mike Portnoy’s return to Dream Theater, we have the first single. The tour starts very soon, and the first single is a ten-minute progressive epic, taking us through time signature changes to make any prog rocker happy. Night Terror feels like it is strongly setting the tone for their soon-to-be-released album, Parasomnia. Parasomnia is a collection of sleep disorders that involve abnormal movements, behaviors, emotions, perceptions, and dreams that occur while falling asleep, sleeping between sleep stages or during arousal from sleep, and judging from the track listing, it feels like this album is going to be somewhat thematic in those regards. Very, very excited. Now, Dream Theater is one of the three bands that I can easily remember when and where I heard them for the first time.

The first being Jellyfish. I was watching MTV in their first video for the King’s Half-Undress came on, and I was hooked. I was in my bedroom, and I was blown away. Iron Maiden is the second one. I was visiting my extended family, and my cousin Simon played me the album number of the Beast in his bedroom. Again, like, completely enamored with that. And then Dream Theater. I was on the town square in a car full of friends, and another friend ran across the street with a cassette in hand, dropped it in the tape deck. And it’s probably overstating it, but my life was musically changed forever.

So Night Terror in particular. This song caused me to experience Frisson in a big way, if you remember that being talked about a couple of episodes ago. And it brings back a lot of the early DNA of Dream Theater. Like, for me, like, there’s moments from the third album, Awake, that are really present in just the style of it. And on a side note, I recently received the limited edition vinyl box set, volume one, which includes Images and Words, Awake, Falling into Infinity and Metropolis Part II, Scenes From a Memory. So when this song dropped, I was totally primed for it. It didn’t know it was coming, and I had just been listening to these four vinyl albums, like, incessantly. The one thing that I always appreciate about Dream Theater is their combination of great groove during parts of the song, and that’s intermixed with this brain-bending musical interlude that happens. Mike Portnoy is full form, and he’s brought back the heart to Dream Theater that I miss so much.

All love and respect to Mike Mangini, but Mike Portnoy is the heart and soul of Dream Theater, and when he is on the throne of the drums for Dream Theater, it is a different band. James’ vocal sounds great. I feel like he’s found a comfort zone for his voice, understanding, you know, the struggles that he has had with vocal cord issues that he suffered a couple years back. Just a solid, solid, solid release, and knowing that the first single is usually the most quote-unquote “mainstream song” on the album, I cannot wait until this new album drops, because the nerdy prog rocker in me is gonna just be in heaven. So, how do I pick a 30-second teaser of a 10-minute song? I’m not sure, but here’s a tiny, tiny fraction of Night Terror.

And that, my friends, is it for episode 91 of Songs That Don’t Suck. As always, you can hit me up on social media. I’m on all the platforms, X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, whatever. I’m there. If you go to the website, SongsThatDontSuck.net, you will find all of these songs linked to all of the streaming platforms that you could possibly have, as well as the website allows you to send me feedback, as well as recommendations for music. I do appreciate getting those. So again, the website is SongsThatDontSuck.net. As always, thank you for listening, and as always, go out and support these artists. Thanks for listening, and until next week, keep searching for and listening to Songs That Don’t Suck.