Episode Recaps

In Episode 94 of Songs That Don’t Suck, Mark Bradbourne recaps a mind-blowing night with the Cleveland Orchestra, debunks a vinyl sales myth, and drops four must-hear tracks—from Lars Ulrich’s kids to a genre-bending jazz-fusion trio. Plus, Flycatcher delivers an Everclear-meets-grunge anthem that’ll stick with you. 🎼🎧🔥

In Episode 93 of Songs That Don’t Suck, Mark Bradbourne reflects on the legacy of Iron Maiden’s original frontman Paul Di'Anno, confronts college students' apathy toward live music, and spins five fresh tracks—from gritty rock to folky punk. Plus, honorable mentions for High Fade and JOHNNYSWIM. 🤘🧑‍🎤📻

In this heartfelt episode of Songs That Don’t Suck, Mark Bradbourne takes us to church—literally—at The Ark in Ann Arbor, then pivots into vinyl industry woes and three standout tracks featuring Andrew Bird, Cake, and The Wombats. Come for the commentary, stay for the tunes.

In Episode 91 of Songs That Don’t Suck, Mark Bradbourne explores music’s power to unlock memory and bring joy to dementia patients, then shifts gears into five killer tracks—from indie pop and Cleveland riot grrrl to prog-rock titans Dream Theater. Emotional, hilarious, and sonically diverse. 🎶🧠🔥

This week on Songs That Don’t Suck, Mark Bradbourne gets nostalgic for '90s culture—and frustrated with our algorithmic era. From lamenting empty local shows to discovering modern artists channeling Queen, Ice-T, and The Beatles, this episode is a genre-hopping trip through the past, present, and future of real music. 🎸📼

In this episode of Songs That Don’t Suck, Mark Bradbourne reflects on the creative collapse of the band Jellyfish and what it reveals about the struggles of band life. He then dives into four genre-crossing tracks, from atmospheric indie and bluesy funk to modern baroque-pop perfection. 🎶

On this episode of Songs That Don’t Suck, Mark Bradbourne explores the science and soul of “frisson” — that goosebump-raising, music-fueled skin orgasm — and serves up five killer tracks that might just trigger it. From folk-rock harmonies to grunge-heavy grooves and jazz flute solos, this lineup has spine-tingles written all over it.

This week on Songs That Don’t Suck, Mark Bradbourne tackles the provocative question: will AI kill music—and more importantly, do we care? Featuring fiery commentary, a guest voice from Rock and Roll Autopsy, and five killer tracks spanning folk, funk, and heavy alt-rock, this is one episode you don’t want to skip.

This week on Songs That Don’t Suck, Mark Bradbourne recounts a memorable (and maddening) Crash Test Dummies concert, explores how music resurfaces through cultural memory, and features four standout tracks—from lo-fi chill to prog-metal shredding. Strap in for insight, emotion, and musical rediscovery.

In this week’s Songs That Don’t Suck, Mark Bradbourne unearths musical gems from past podcast favorites after a slow new release week. He also dives into Spotify’s AI-generated song scam, sparking an important conversation about streaming ethics. Expect funk, pop, rock—and fire-hot opinions. 🎤🔥