🎧 Songs That Don’t Suck – Episode 17 Recap: AI Drake, Haunted Covers, and a Rock Revival Featuring the Foo Fighters
Welcome back to Songs That Don’t Suck, the podcast keeping your playlist clean, curated, and fully human—for now. In Episode 17, Mark Bradbourne dives headfirst into a week that made the music industry sweat: from AI-faked Drake and Rihanna tracks to eerie “lost tapes” from dead rock stars. Yeah, it got weird.
But don’t worry—we’re still here to champion real music by real artists, with a lineup full of heartfelt rock, folk grit, and one absolutely stunning Foo Fighters release.
Let’s break it down. 👇
🤖 AI Drake & the Rise of Musical Deepfakes
This week, an AI-generated “Drake x The Weeknd” collab went mega-viral, racking up over 250,000 streams before the takedowns came flying in. Mark’s take? The music industry helped build this monster.
“You can literally create tracks on your phone and suddenly, everybody is Drake—making no one Drake.”
But the real gut-punch? AI-generated songs from artists in the 27 Club—Cobain, Hendrix, Amy Winehouse. The intent? Promote mental health awareness. The result? Deeply unsettling.
🎤 “The only true artistry left will be in small clubs…”
Support your local scenes, folks. The matrix is coming—and it sounds suspiciously like an autotuned apocalypse.
🎙 Brain Bending Cover of the Week: Cigarettes After Sex – “Neon Moon” (Brooks & Dunn)
Take a boot-scootin’ ‘90s country classic, slow it way down, coat it in dream pop haze, and you get this sad, sexy, and cinematic reimagining of Neon Moon.
“This version is just sad. The lyrics hit differently—dark and heavy, in the best way.”
Shoutout to the Boot Scootin’ Saloon in Cuyahoga Falls. 🤠 Beer-soaked Wednesdays live forever in our memories.
🎸 This Week’s 5 Songs That Don’t Suck (All Rock Edition)
🌊 1. Joy Oladokun – “Taking Things for Granted”
- 📍 From: Arizona/Nashville
- 📝 Mood: Submerged, introspective folk rock
- 🔁 Repeat-worthy lyricism + underwater vocal textures
This marks Joy’s third feature on the podcast—and somehow, each song tops the last. Between lyrical depth and clever vocal production (seriously, listen for the submerged harmonies), Joy continues to raise the bar. 🎧
🧊 2. Chambalix – “Never Gonna Change”
- 📍 From: Scotland
- 🔊 Vibe: Britpop with a Scottish twist
- 🎸 RIYL: Oasis, but less whiny
A Scottish rock band with just enough brogue to make it charming, not cliché. Mark hears hints of Oasis, but Chambalix’s EP You Serious Boy shows way more range than Gallagher mimicry.
🎷 3. Backroad Smokers Club – “Cleopatra”
- 📍 From: Ireland
- 🎶 Band Size: 5… sometimes 12
- 💃 Mood: Infectious, danceable, full of life
Big horns. Bigger fun. This track bounces with jazz-rock energy and rhythmic complexity—especially from the drummer, who Mark now openly stans. The kind of band you have to see live. 🎺
🎹 4. The Commoners – “Find a Better Way”
- 📍 From: Toronto
- 🎯 Vibe: Black Crowes meets Southern barroom
- 🧃 Sound: Whiskey-soaked Southern blues… from Canada
Yes, Toronto. But this feels like it was recorded inside a Mississippi roadhouse. As soon as that Hammond B3 organ kicked in, Mark was all in. A welcome reminder that real rock is still alive.
⚡️ 5. Foo Fighters – “Rescued”
- 📍 From: Earth (and probably another galaxy)
- 🥁 Drum alert: It’s absolutely Dave Grohl behind the kit
- 🖤 Tribute: First release since the loss of Taylor Hawkins
This one deserves its own genre: Cathartic Arena Rock of the Highest Order™.
“I damn near fell out of my chair. This song blew me away.”
Mark breaks it all down—from the emotional weight of the release to the subtle but unmistakable Grohl-isms in the drumming. This isn’t just a comeback—it’s a declaration.
🎶 New album coming. Expectations? Sky-high.
🧼 Housekeeping & Bonus Tracks
💡 Bonus: Mark’s on Goodpods—leave a review if you dig the show!
Until next time…
Stay real, support real music, and keep listening to songs that don’t suck. 🎧🔥
