Tell Me All Your Thoughts On Pod: Recent Episodes
thoughtsonpod
Al, Trav, and Quillen talk about every song that reached #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in the 90s, beginning with Kurt Cobain’s death in April 1994.
Mellowing middle-aged men, peeping toms, and tripping billies: your hosts reflect earnestly on whether Dave Matthews "works" for three guys who have always valued efficiency and discipline in their rock music.
The boys address the craft of an underrated rock band and the marketing and demographic obstacles that made it feel like it was “not for us” as teenagers. Also: infinity gauntlets and the great Derek v. Cuckoo Cuckoo debate of 2026.
Sometimes they come back ("they" being the hosts of the podcast). Please toggle your pickups for a hiatus episode on the only good rap rock band, Rage Against The Machine.
Let's jump right back into our 1998 special with our top 3 albums of 1998, plus an announcement of what may be our final hiatus episodes.
0:00-50:10 Reflections on the 1998 Iraq disarmament crisis.
50:11-1:00:59 Discussion of the year in alternative rock.
In this episode, we dive into the song "Never There" by the band Cake, exploring its catchy blend of alternative rock, dry wit, and introspective lyrics. We discuss the song’s themes of emotional distance and disillusionment, along with its unique mix of trumpet, guitar, and minimalist production. We also reflect on how "Never There" became a standout track in Cake's discography, capturing the band's signature sound while resonating with listeners on a personal level. Tune in for a deep dive into the song's meaning and its place in the broader context of 90s alternative music.
Somehow we go 90 minutes - one minute for every song on Lenny Kravitz’ interminable 5th album 5. We do a deep dive on the Kravitz discography, Quillen does a dramatic lyric reading, and then it's scarves, Lars Ulrich, and a review of a certain Stall that may or may not be relevant to this week's song.
The Flood Rats return to talk Dizzy Up The Girl, Robby v. Jonny, and how the nostalgia cycle is catching up with the late 90s. Chart talk includes Lauryn Hill, Oasis, and Soul Coughing.
It's not an episode about James L. Brooks, but this is just about As Good As It Gets for alternative rock in 1998. The boys talk about the hits and misses of Hole's third album, and then they move on to the misses and misses of the modern rock chart.
Suffer suffer, it don't get no rougher; we're talking Steven Rock, Ed Rap, and Steve Tyler today.
Note: In this episode, we incorrectly refer to the Barenaked Ladies live album as Rock Spectacular. It is in fact called Rock Spectacle.
This is not the open road song, this is the heart in a blender song! Joining the boys this week is special guest and #1 Eve 6 fan of all time, Nick Bertsos! On the charts this week, it may not be the holiday season, but we'll check in with neoclassical new age juggernaut Mainsteam Reimholer.
The Goo Goo Boys are back! This time, with leather and telescopes! Travel with us to the City of Angels where a literal city of angels gather together to sing in unison to this classic hit.
Some great bands made it through the 90s without a single Modern Rock #1, including Thoughts On Pod favorite Stone Temple Pilots. In this epic special, the sour boys devour STP's entire 90s catalog and spit out the Core. This is a rerun of an episode from August 2020.
Don't put that cloak of elvenkind away just yet, there's a round of DND to be had with Semisonic. Explore the boys' strange, fine feelings about these sophisticated industry plants, then stick around to find out how many Nicolas Cage movies there are!
New listener contest: Tell us if there's anything to say about "The Way" by Fastball! Please! Anyway, if you wanna skip to the charts, we understand; the podcast vaunteth not itself.
1998, baybee! The boys start the year with a Cloak Encounter of the Elvenkind. Join St. Joe on the bus and ride to the Marcy Playground, where there are bogbeans for all.
This week on the pod, it's Beck II: Revenge of the Beckmen! Grab a hot dog and pop a NoDoz as the boys look back on a wildly silly album. Then, stick around for a rare and extended look beyond the usual purview of the pod and into the forbidden world of Spring 2000 featuring an unforgettable tale of romance and some tasty nu metal.
The three Beckmen take on their first of two Beck albums. Is this bong load his Kid A or his Amnesiac? Godrich only knows.
We Know What You Watched on the CW Last Summer, so join us on a Canadian carnival ride with lots of drum talk, kazoo breakdowns, and distant Chicago transit noise.
The boys do two full hours on the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack First a 1997 fantasy draft results in the creation of fine bands such as Bullet with Buffalo Wings. Then we talk annual podcast stats and our top 5 albums of the year. It's real long, so if you wanna cheat: :00 Fantasy album game, 28:40 Memories of 97, 33:17 97 season statistics, 45:23 Top 5 album lists, and finally 1:55:50 announcement of hiatus episodes
(Duh duh duh duh duh duh) Yeah! The boys close out 1997 with ear candy, drum fills, and confessional lyrics from Art Alexakis & co. Chart talk gets very spirited with Ben Folds, The Cure, G Love, and more OK Computer talk.
This episode is a rerun, but you probably forgot all about it anyway!
The boys humbly request that you sanction their buffoonery as they discuss this unique, non-album U2 single. Download the episode, listen to it, kiss it, kill it.
This week on Tub Me All Your Thumps on Pod, we check out the 1997 hit from Chumbawumba, “Tubthumping” from the album Tubthumper. On the charts, we head back to middle earth where Al narrates an orc-estration of his own bittersweet symphony.
For this special Good Friday episode, join us as tour guide Quillen leads us through some of the most influential Christian rock albums of the 90s. The boys reflect sincerely on the role of Christianity in their childhoods, get a little political but hopefully not too much, and laugh heartily. Why you wanna censor us?
Bleached hair, spiky tattoos, a lot of swears… this is the dangerous world of Robert Christgau’s favorite band of all time, Sugar Ray. If you’re gonna make a bad album, make it as interesting as this one!
I wonder what it's like to be the podcaster... I wonder what it's like to know that I made the podcast. Join us as we discuss Rob Thomas & co with nuanced insights such as "I wanna fight him." Let's get smooth!
It's SKA SZN, dear listeners. Join us on a journey of reflection and appreciation as we look back on the soaring, ripping ska craze of the summer of '97.
Get ready for a soaring, ripping special as we majestically soar to the Tragic Kingdom. We discuss its monster singles and, as it turns out, divisive album tracks. With guests Gwen Stefani, Meryl Streep, and Art Alexakis.
Check in with Pawn Carelli, dodge that Ominous Man and bring your shoes full of rice to fellowship with the freshboys. This week all the bases will be covered regarding Villains. Will you be as surprised as 2/3 of the gang was by the album? Beware what lies ahead in the charts as the (Matchbox) 40 Horsemen of the Apocalypse are upon us.
After predicting our shortest episode ever, we find surprising enthusiasm for our U2 Top 5's. This one's all about the clips! Plus chart talk about Matthew Sweet, Ben Folds Five, and Squirrel Nut Zippers.
Our foray into middlebrow 1997 pop/rock continues with Jakob Dylan and an array of guest stars. Al reflects on yet another sentimental favorite, while Trav and Quillen tutor him on which Offspring song is strictly taboo. Chart talk includes Aerosmith and The Spice Girls.
The boys drink some Lakini's Juice, but when it comes to the rest of Live's album Secret Samadhi, Trav and Quillen taste seeds of Creed. Al does his best to defend a childhood favorite that was generally seen as a letdown in 1997. On the charts we visit Prodigy, Big Head Todd, Space, and White Town.
This - must - be: Pop! This week on the pod, the boys are talkin' U2 to you. Is their new evolution a hit? Listen to learn the actual correct pronunciation of the song title, then head into the Flood again, and finally, check the charts for Garbage.
This episode was released earlier this morning with only Trav's audio. This is the corrected version.
Don’t take that poison just yet, Romeo! We’re not dead, we’ve just been sleeping. Here we are with Garbage, Baz Luhrman, and some mild audio issues. It’s 1997.
The boys go all in on The Breeders, including detours for Channel One and Ewoks. Then a rare glimpse into 1993's Modern Rock charts, including Radiohead, Pumpkins, Cracker, Buffalo Tom, Ocean Blue and more.
Hey, what do you want Travis to say??? It's not like he volunteered to do a podcast about 90s alternative radio. It's time to go deep on TOP fave "Stay" by Lisa Loeb. Plus some talk about Ida, Loeb's album Tails, and showing goodbye.
Things get dumber and dumberer as we return with a random episode about "New Age Girl" by Deadeye Dick, a band whose recordings have largely vanished from the internet. Stick around for 90s comedy soundtracks and the return of grinchy Quillen.
There are some mild, brief audio issues about 25 minutes in.
It's time for our annual year-end special, which this year comes in the same form it does every year: the Pod Star game. Please pardon the mild audio irregularities; we recorded in the same room (!) for the first time.
:00 Pod Star Intro
6:38 What was your favorite song in 1996?
10:30 Stats time!
19:14 Billboard Stats
21:41 Top 5 Albums for 1995
1:19:40 Announcement of Hiatus Episodes
Grab your Razorblade Suitcase and take a trip with the boys to discuss the Gavin Grunge Gang! Did Bush get good? Or just good enough? Or are they still Bonedrivel? Also on this ep, Quillen talks about drums, Alec gets angry(!), and Trav is mostly quietly thinking about Gavin's fantastic shirt.
The boys go full hipster snob on this piece of himbo beach bum, tribal tattoo garbage. Psych! What Sublime has got here is a masterful hybrid of genres that we don’t have the willpower to resist. Van Halen, Blackstreet, and Tonic are on the charts. No cats were harmed in the making of this episode.
This week we head to California for a fertile moment when producer Jon Brion is working with Eels, Elliott Smith, Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann, Rufus Wainwright, and P.T. Anderson. On the charts, Trav does NOT want to talk about Weezer, but The Lemonheads, Counting Crows, and Tool are fair game. A bad episode for people who hate good episodes.
It's time for another seminal artist that never hit Modern Rock #1: Alice in Chains. Heat up a spoon and dig into some cold ice cream; we're about to share some decadent misery.
0:00 Theme song
2:10 Intro Talk
18:50 Facelift (1990)
28:10 Sap EP (1992)
34:39 Dirt (1992)
54:00 Jar of Flies EP (1994)
1:08:15 Alice in Chains (1995)
1:25:20 Unplugged (1996)
1:35:07 Aftermath and Legacy
1:42:15 Hall of Fame, Stall of Blame, etc.
Come take a trip ‘pon de islands mon to enjoy de exotic reggae sounds of 311! This week the boys are joined by special guest and friend of the pod, “Mr. 311” himself, Eric G. to discuss the first number one hit of the greatest reggae influenced ska-punk mainstream rock band (non-Rancid, non-Sublime category) of the era.
This week on the pod, the boys rediscover how it feels to fall in love again as they evaluate an overlooked classic by one of the great American rock bands, then list their top five Pearl Jam songs. In addition to “Who You’re,” chart songs this week include “Whoever You’re” by Geggy Tah, “If It Makes You’re Happy” by Sheryl Crow and “Who Will Save You’re Soul” by Jewel.
Time for a song that songmeanings.com user Dark Apathy says is about "being sort of sad about life." Movies discussed include Cable Guy, The Crow: City of Angels, and National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation. Chart talk includes Donna Lewis, Hole, Blues Traveler, and Republica.
The boys hop on the Rembrandt Pussyhorse and head over to Electric Larryland, where there's always plenty of noise to eat and the funny album titles flow like water. Along the way, they listen to some older Surfers stuff and debate whether there's a spoken word trend on 90s radio. Chart talk includes 2Pac, Nada Surf and Superdrag.
No, we're not Honkin' On Bobo (tm), we're Crowin' 'bout Sheryl! Join the Teenage Ninja Mutant Club as they celebrate Crow's three 90s albums and debate whether they are Adult Alternative classics or "Grammy fodder."
:01 Intro
16:15 Tuesday Night Music Club
47:52 Sheryl Crow (1996)
1:17:50 The Globe Sessions
1:33:08 Hall of Fame / Stall of Blame
On this episode of Tell Me All Your Thoughts On God, the boys talk songs that open doors, songmeanings.com user Undead Bard, and CVS Bangers. Plus some chart talk about Beck and Soundgarden.
The boys are pleased to find that Tracy Bonham's debut album is solid, dependable bumble grudge, and that there are worse things one could do than emulating Liz Phair. Other topics include the wrong guy from Dave Matthews Band, the album cover for Metallica's Load, and the continuation of a truly great streak on the Modern Rock charts.
This week the boys pay respects to the Faithful Departed and Alec reveals that he keeps his D.A.R.E. course completion certificate from junior high in his current desk drawer. Then we get down to brass tacks as we discuss the horn arrangements of producer Bruce Fairbairn, and take a deep dive on the charts.
Oi, mates! This week the gang takes a slow walk down the hall to examine “Champagne Supernova,” the sixth single from (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? Then, a survey of the mid 90s Britpop landscape, with a special look at albums by Blur and Pulp.
It's a bloody long 'un, so if you'd like to skip around:
00:00 We talk "Champagne Supernova"
27:25 General discussion of Britpop
35:18 Parklife and a lengthy discussion of Blur in general
1:00:08 Pulp's Different Class
1:17:48 When did Britpop end?
1:22:06 The Charts
1:31:51 Rating "Champagne Supernova"
Will Alanis escape her third and final episode without a visit from the Irony Police? Then join the boys for a dive into the Meredith Brookses, Fiona Apples, and other "bad girls" of post-Jagged Little Pill radio - To what degree was there an Alanis Effect?
It’s episode #1,979 as Quorgan and the Smashing Young Men of TMAYTOP head to Pumpkinland for an epic discussion about the band’s biggest hit and one of the most successful double albums of all time, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
The word is on the street that 1996 is gonna be one classic single after another. Starting with "Wonderwall," the boys gush over Oasis' album What's The Story (Morning Glory). On their way, Quill complains about hot rod drumsticks and Trav expresses gratitude for a recent downgrade of The Beatles' stock.
As a quick mid-hiatus snack, the boys engage in two quick spontaneous debates. Does a seminal indie rock band have more Spotify listeners than a 90s one hit wonder? Would Kurt Cobain like Vampire Weekend?
The format of this show came directly from the podcast The Great Debates, which is much funnier and more clever than what the boys did. The Great Debates is available everywhere.
It's the Annual Poddy Awards, remember? After an outstanding opening set from the MCs, the boys discuss stats from their second season and their top 5 albums of 1995.
It's a long one, so if you wanna jump around:
:00 Opening monologues (you don't wanna miss these, pal!)
7:02 When you were a kid, what was your favorite song of 1995?
12:00 1995 Stats
21:31 Billboard Year-End Airplay Lists
27:50 Beginning of Our Top 5 Album Lists
1:25:00 Our Number Albums of 1995
Gavin gets a second chance! Will the boys let their recent tastes go pie high, or curse the band's bad mood whine again? Then strap on your big black boots and bring along your old suitcase for an unexpected album review.
Scooch over just an RFB (Red Fishermen’s Beard) and hear tell of the Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, and for some reason, Fugazi. The boys hope “My Friends” will make them happy enough to avoid jail time.
PUSA's on the loose-ah! Strap on your guitbasses and bassitars, as you are cordially invited to the Presidents' inauguration onto the Billboard Modern Rock Chart.
By encouraging complacency, did “Hand in my Pocket” pave the way for Trump’s 2016 election win?
Probably not, but it won’t stop the boys from exploring the evergreen pop sentiment “Everything’s gonna be fine” from “3 Little Birds” and “I Can See Clearly Now” to “Float On” and “The Middle.”
Then thank you, India, for sticking around for our discussion of Alanis’ 1998 album Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie.
It's Civil War as the boys and a special guest are torn into Team Johnny and Team Robby... JK everyone is Team Johnny and gushing over "Name" for an hour and change. Plus, a preview of the incoming Adult Album Alternative radio format and the Twister soundtrack. Respect the wind!
Spice Girls voice “If you wannabe Nirvana…” This week, you gotta get with your friends at TMAYTOP as we explore the formula for a bubble grunge pop radio hit. Head seven cubits past the mill in the shadow of the abbey dressed in your finest tunics for “Comedown” by Bush.
The boys at least have the compassion to share their own embarrassing high school tunes before tearing into Silverchair. Travis is the only one who can prevent a pure massacre of these Aussie 15-year-olds.
The fourth and final Green Day chart-topper of the 90s is a big winner for Trav and Quillen, and the Angus soundtrack turns out to be 100% beef.
An array of characters from different corners of the music world come together to assist Alanis Morissette in making a unique megahit album. The boys discuss what makes it tick as well as some of the critical backlash over "authenticity."
Some great bands made it through the 90s without a single Modern Rock #1, including Thoughts On Pod favorite Stone Temple Pilots. In this epic special, the sour boys devour STP's entire 90s catalog and spit out the Core.
The boys humbly request that you sanction their buffoonery as they discuss this unique, non-album U2 single. Download the episode, listen to it, kiss it, kill it.
The boys discuss the many jocks of the Minnesota underground before heading to the outhouse for a lengthy convo about The Blue Album... by Collective Soul.
This week it’s a TMAYTOP bloodbath as the devil stabs his wife with a sword and Quillen kills a mockingbird. Is this “Good?” Listen and find out!
An old mother dies; the confusion that was hers belongs now to you, the listener! Join the boys in the hacky sack circle at Woodstock ‘94 as they discuss the best, worst, and funniest performances of the festival.
The boys kick off 1995 by breezing through their final Dookie single to get to a discussion of Nimrod. Quillen says good riddance to his heart as Green Day steals it with a signature track - tune in to find out which one!
As the boys wait for the ball to drop, they reflect on their first "season" and step outside of the world of alternative radio to offer their top 5 albums of 1994.
The boys' sincere streak continues as they leave Monster behind to discuss their favorite R.E.M. songs of all time.
It's a long one as the boys finally get the chance to express their admiration for, and occasional frustration with, the podcast's centerpiece Kurt Cobain.
Two podcasts we'd like to direct you towards in place of ours:
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While Black: Ep. 86 "My Right to Rock w/ Floodgeight"
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Pod Save The People: "Keep the Fight"
The boys get their first solid piece of evidence for the Nirvanawannabe theory. The scenic route through Zombieland contains stops at the Mission: Impossible soundtrack, a statistical breakdown of female chart performance in the 90s, and the Blur discography.
The boys discuss the best rock song since "Do Not Stop" by Fleetwood Mac or "You Are My Best Friend" by Queen.
The boys quickly evaluate "Basket Case" before moving on to Insomniac and the Stone Temple Pilots' many #2s.
This less familiar song leads to a discussion of hidden gems like The Beatles' "Rain" and Weezer's "Jamie." Trav and Quill say "No no no no no no" to the Counting Crows' debut, but Al says "Yeeeaaah."
The boys' discussion of Offspring's Smash leads to molecular biology, Christian novelty songs, and naked knife fights.
Toad the Wet Sprocket introduces the boys to the joy of sitting down at rock shows, and "Fall Down" looks a bit wobbly when stacked against other Toad singles.
The boys are enlightened by Ed Kowalczyk's spiritual truths. Stick around to find out how many members of Live are named Chad.