Holmberg’s Morning Sickness (98KUPD)

Episode: 08-19-25 – Hot Releases
Date: August 19, 2025
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo

Overview

This episode of “Holmberg’s Morning Sickness” centers on the team’s trademark review segment: Hot Releases. John Holmberg and company dig into the latest in music, TV, streaming, and pop culture—dissecting, lampooning, and sometimes praising new arrivals with their signature irreverence and banter. The hot topics span metal bands (like Burning Witches and Deftones), mainstream releases (Bruno Mars, Three Days Grace), oddball AI mashups, buzzworthy show premieres, and documentaries—peppered with off-the-cuff commentary, jabs at each other, and the now-infamous “N Word or F Word” game.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Music Hot Takes and Roasts

Burning Witches, Deftones, Jack the Joker, Three Days Grace, The Hives, Bruno Mars, and AI absurdities all get the panel’s treatment.

Burning Witches – “Inquisition”

• The all-female metal band gets immediate commentary on both their looks and sound. Visuals are critiqued as much as the music.
• Memorable Commentary:
  • “It’s a good look Burning Witches has so far. Oh, not that one—God damn. Bass players. Stay off the bass player.” (03:10, John)
  • “This isn’t the band. I accidentally have the microphone up against Brady’s back. This is his kidney.” (03:35, John)
  • “They’re not hot enough to suck that bad musically.” (04:00, John)

Deftones – “My Mind is a Mountain”

• Reception is overtly skeptical; the crew satirizes Deftones’ vibe as a stoner staple.
• “Does this have a hook? ‘Cause no other Deftones songs do. Get the bong out.” (04:30, John)

Jack the Joker – “Misery”

• Production quality is mercilessly criticized; compared negatively to Avenged Sevenfold.
• “Who produced this? That sounds awful…Like a bad version of Avenged Sevenfold’s last album.” (05:30, John)

Three Days Grace

• Discussion about lineup changes: band has two lead singers now after a reunion with the previous frontman.
• “It’s like having two second basemen.” (06:30, John)
• Mildly positive response: “That’s actually not bad. Pretty good.” (07:15, Bret)

The Hives – New Single

• Ongoing affection for The Hives’ self-awareness. Anticipation for their upcoming album drops.
• “These Swedish bastards have my heart. They’re like the Foo Fighters—they just make fun of themselves. They don’t care, they’re having a good time.” (08:00, John)

Bruno Mars – “Smoke”

• Hosts initially skeptical, then quickly win over to the laid-back, Silk Sonic-style groove.
• “Ladies, get your moist palettes ready to dab off.” (08:45, John)
• “He’s the modern day Sammy Davis.” (09:30, John)

2. AI Takes Over Music

• Featured a bizarre AI video: “We Are the World” performed by impersonated global leaders (Trump, Kim Jong Un, Ayatollah, etc.).
• Hilarious speculation about the scene: “There is so much cocaine when they were recording… That’s Waylon Jennings’ fault.” (10:30, John)
• Other AI creations surface, including an explicit “Dirty Needles Presents” track—mocking the absurdly unhinged lyrics.
• “I suck like I've got rent to pay…Grip your thighs and sl—” (12:00, John quoting the AI song)
• Consensus: “AI wins again! ‘We Are the World’—that’s the one I’d go after.” (18:45, John)

3. Game Segment: “N Word or F Word” (Ice Cube, Friday)

• Classic HMS game—listeners guess which slur/curse will be dropped first in a movie clip.
• Nobody wins this round, but the banter around Ice Cube’s “Friday” keeps spirits high.
• “It’s a race to the word, though!” (13:55, John)

4. Streaming & TV Releases

The panel moves on to what’s new across Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Prime Video:

Amanda Knox (Hulu)

• A dramatized take on the infamous murder case. The group tries to unpack the facts.
• “Did she do it? I didn’t pay attention much to the AM…She’s on, she’s off—but did she actually do it?” (15:10, John)

Peacemaker Season 2 (HBO Max)

• Mixed takes: John calls it “a little too heavy-handed,” but acknowledges the humor.
• “How many more of these do we have today? You were talking about your butt and stuff.” (16:10, group banter)

Devo Documentary (Netflix)

• Brady’s pick. Panel is less enthused, lampooning Devo’s early years and costumes.
• “Devo early work is everybody’s first day with an instrument… Terribly stupid.” (16:45, John)

Juicy Smollett (Jussie Smollett) Documentary

• Strong reactions to the true-crime hype. John is blunt: “We already know the answer to this.” (17:10)

America’s Team: Jerry Jones & the Dallas Cowboys (Netflix)

• The legacy and soap-opera drama of the Cowboys are picked apart, with jabs at owner Jerry Jones.
• “He retells this story over and over… It’s embarrassing after a while. Troy Aikman should know better.” (18:00, John)

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf (Prime Video)

• Spin-off/prequel discussed, confusion over cast and continuity.
• ”Chris Pratt the actor, or? …So Chris Pratt’s show is now another guy’s show. Okay, gotcha.” (18:30)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Burning Witches:
  “They’re not hot enough to suck that bad musically.” (04:00, John)

• On The Hives:
  “These Swedish bastards have my heart. They’re like the Foo Fighters—they just make fun of themselves.” (08:00, John)

• On AI Music:
  “AI wins again. ‘We Are the World’—that’s the one I’d go after.” (18:45, John)

• On Peacemaker:
  “You were talking about your butt and stuff. I better not do it.” (16:10)

• On Jerry Jones & Cowboys:
  “How long is this dude going to milk his 30-year-old championship? …At this point it’s embarrassing. It never gets old for them to tell it. Sure it does.” (18:00, John)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:00 – Burning Witches reviewed/roasted
• 04:30 – Deftones “My Mind is a Mountain” critique
• 05:30 – Jack the Joker gets panned
• 06:30 – Three Days Grace discussion (multiple singers)
• 08:00 – The Hives new single & love for the band
• 08:45 – Bruno Mars/Silk Sonic new music
• 10:30 – AI “We Are The World” (World Leaders)
• 12:00 – Dirty Needles AI song (explicit, comedic review)
• 13:55 – “N Word or F Word” game round
• 15:10 – Amanda Knox on Hulu
• 16:10 – Peacemaker Season 2 on HBO Max
• 16:45 – Devo documentary riffing
• 17:10 – Jussie Smollett doc
• 18:00 – America’s Team: Cowboys doc
• 18:30 – Terminal List: Dark Wolf spin-off discussion
• 18:45 – Favorite pick: AI “We Are The World”

Summary Tone & Flow

The episode balances sharp-edged wit, musical snobbery, and pop-culture enthusiasm—typical of Holmberg’s crew. The ongoing in-jokes, jabs at band image and sound, and a cavalcade of pop-culture references keep the pace fast and punchy. Highlights include the unsparing music reviews, delight in increasingly bizarre AI-generated music, and the casual, sometimes R-rated, group dynamic. Even non-fans will appreciate the panel's irreverence and pop-culture savvy.

Bottom Line:
If you want irreverent and brutally honest pop-culture commentary—with plenty of laughs, inside jokes, and surprising music/TV updates—this “Hot Releases” edition is classic HMS.