09-02-25 - Hot Releases - Wednesday S2 Pt2 - The Paper - The Runarounds - Highest To Lowest - Glen Hughes - David Byrne - Testament - Soulfly

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – "Hot Releases" (09-02-25)

Podcast: Holmberg’s Morning Sickness on 98KUPD
Date: September 2, 2025
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo
Episode Theme:
A rollicking, irreverent breakdown of the week’s hottest new entertainment releases, including movies, TV, rock and metal albums, plus the crew’s signature banter, comic takes, and a round of the now classic “N Word or F Word” game.

---

Episode Overview

This episode of HMS is all about the latest "hot releases" in streaming TV, film, and rock/metal music, featuring humorous reviews, skeptical takes on sequels/spinoffs, and plenty of the hosts' signature sarcasm. The group runs through upcoming shows and albums, sharing honest opinions, mining for comic moments, and closing with the ever-popular "N Word or F Word" music-guessing game.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Streaming TV and Movie Releases (02:55–09:51)

"Wednesday" Season 2, Part 2 (Netflix, 02:55)

• Brady: Highlights the much-anticipated return, outlining Wednesday’s struggle to avert a prophecy and save Enid.
• Holmberg: Wonders why Jenna Ortega hasn’t “started some sort of hot girl weirdo dark goth thing. I am your new spirit guide.” (03:24)
• Brady: Suggests there may have been too much gap between seasons for a real “goth” trend to take off.

"The Paper" – Office Spinoff (Peacock, 04:16)

• Brady: Introduces the show as an "offshoot of The Office," starring only Oscar.
• Holmberg: Jokes, “It’s like the least interesting person in the Office.” (04:23) and “I feel like I’m being punched in the face with a DEI program.” (04:56)

"The Runarounds" (Prime Video, 04:56)

• Brady: Describes it as a coming-of-age band series from the creator of Outer Banks.
• Holmberg: Lampoons the premise, “It’s Josie Pussycat,” joking about teen dramas. (05:14)

"Highest to Lowest" – Spike Lee/Denzel Joint (Apple TV & Theaters, 06:01)

• Brady: Announces the film as Denzel Washington’s fifth collaboration with Spike Lee, noting it features A$AP Rocky as the antagonist.
• Holmberg: Says, “Denzel gets my attention no matter what.” (06:37)

"Friendship" (07:00)

• Brady: Calls attention to the offbeat feel, starring Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson.
• Holmberg: “It was like a couple hours of just watching him [Robinson] be weird. Which is what he is. Dude’s a strange man.” (07:23)

"Ruby and Jody: The Cult of Sin and Influence" (Discovery ID, 07:37)

• Brady: Notes the documentary covers the notorious Ruby Frankie story.
• Holmberg: Cautions listeners, saying, “I don’t know if I’m gonna sit through that again, because I felt horrible when I saw that little emaciated kid escape to the neighbor’s house.” (08:06)

"Task and Mercy" (HBO, 08:29)

• Brady: New crime drama starring Mark Ruffalo.
• Holmberg: Jokes about Martha Plimpton’s age—“Wasn’t she in Goonies?... Even Brady, who just had part of his body sucked out, looks better than Martha Plimpton. My goodness.” (09:13)

---

2. New Rock & Metal Album Drops (10:52–17:43)

Glenn Hughes (10:52)

• Holmberg: “There’s a reason why you’re 60 and you’re still putting out albums. Singing for the first... the reason Deep Purple said, ‘Why don’t you just play the bass and sh…’” (11:23)

David Byrne – "Everybody Laughs" (11:45)

• Holmberg: “He looks like Martha Plimpton now. Looks better. Yeah, he does. I’d bang David first.” (11:46)
• Lyrics Parody: Mocks the universal themes — “It’s a menopause song for everybody. Even men. David must be going through some hot flashes.” (12:33)

Testament – (12:53)

• Holmberg: “You kind of know what you’re expecting with Testament.” (13:01)
• Brady: “Testament fans are gonna Love that.” (13:25)

Soulfly – "Storm the Gates" (14:03)

• Holmberg: Checks if Max Cavalera is still in the band: “As long as Max is there, sure.” (15:05)

AI Song "Lick It Till I’m Done" by Moonbeam Muffin (15:28)

• Holmberg: Notes she “looks like what I was talking about with Wednesday Adams.” Reads out lyrics with mock-seriousness: “Lick it till down real slow / Put those lips where the warm winds blow… I might lick my computer.” (15:29)

Soul Version of "Back in Black" (16:23)

• Holmberg: “This is so good. I just want Stevie to sing it. This would have been a smash hit, too.” (16:56)
• Brady: “There you go. I’m back in black.” (17:31)

---

3. Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On TikTok Gothic Trends:
  John Holmberg (03:24): "I am your new spirit guide."
• On "The Paper" Spinoff:
  John Holmberg (04:56): "I feel like I’m being punched in the face with a DEI program."
• On the Band Show Trope:
  John Holmberg (05:14): “It’s Josie Pussycat.”
• On Martha Plimpton’s Age:
  John Holmberg (09:13): “Even Brady, who just had part of his body sucked out, looks better than Martha Plimpton. My goodness.”
• On Testament & Metal:
  Brady (13:25): “Testament fans are gonna Love that.”
• On AI Music Trends:
  Holmberg (15:29): “I might lick my computer.”

---

4. Closing Game: N Word or F Word? (17:43–19:05)

The crew wraps up with their comedic “N Word or F Word” challenge, analyzing a King T song from the early ‘90s:

• Holmberg: “Boy, that was really a strong time for the N word in songs. I’ll say.”
• Debate on Lyrics: Everyone guesses whether the next lyric will be the N-word (angry/friendly) or the F-word, poking fun at late ‘80s/early ‘90s rap.

---

Timestamps – Segment Guide

• 02:55: TV/Streaming hot releases begin
• 04:16: "The Paper" Office spinoff
• 04:56: "The Runarounds"
• 06:01: "Highest to Lowest" (Spike Lee/Denzel)
• 07:00: "Friendship"
• 07:37: Ruby and Jody documentary
• 08:29: "Task and Mercy" crime drama
• 10:52: New rock/metal albums
• 11:45: David Byrne discussion
• 12:53: Testament
• 14:03: Soulfly
• 15:28: AI music novelty
• 16:23: Soul version of "Back in Black"
• 17:43: "N Word or F Word" game and episode wrap

---

Episode Tone and Takeaway

Holmberg and the crew approach “Hot Releases” with their trademark irreverence, critiquing “diversity for diversity’s sake,” poking fun at aging rock stars, mining laughs from dubious AI musical novelties, and lampooning the ever-churning world of TV spinoffs. For listeners, the episode is a raucous, unfiltered view of pop culture as only HMS delivers—balancing informed takes, deep cuts, and comic irreverence.

Best For: Fans who want genuine banter, skeptical reviews, and plenty of laughs at the expense of this week’s hottest entertainment trends.
Notable Vibe: Equal parts cranky, hilarious, and surprisingly on-point about what’s worth skipping and what gets the HMS stamp of approval.

Transcript

[John Holmberg]

You're listening to the HMS podcast brought to you by MMP Guns.com, your most trusted online marketplace for firearms, ammunition and accessories.

[Brady]

The Labor Day event is going on now at your thirteen Valley Chevy dealer. Get exciting offers on head turning lineup including Silverado. From off road adventures to workday tasks, this truck has the strength to take on what's next. Or check out the Chevy Equinox. With excellent fuel efficiency and bold design, this SUV lets you take on the world in style. Then there's traverse or tracks. All ready for your next big road trip. Don't miss out. The Labor Day Valley Chevy sales event is going on now at all 13 Valley Chevy dealers. Visit your Valley Chevy dealer today.

[John Holmberg]

It's John Holmberg here seeing clear as a bell thanks to my friends at the Schwartz Laser Eye Center. Let the experts at the Schwartz Laser Eye center do that. Book your complimentary consultation with the gang at the Schwartz Laser Eye center and have Dr. Jay Schwartz talk to you about the best plan to make it so you don't need contacts or glasses ever again. Great eyesight is something you should not procrastinate getting. And all you have to do is go see the team at the Schwartz Laser Eye center today. Schwartz Laser Eye center the the official eye center of your Diamondbacks and sons. Limu and I always tell you to customize your car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. But now we want you to feel it. Cue the emu music. Limu. Save yourself money today.

[Brady]

Increase your wealth.

[John Holmberg]

Customize and save.

[Brady]

We save.

[John Holmberg]

That may have been too much feeling.

[Brady]

Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com.

[John Holmberg]

Liberty.

[Brady]

Liberty.

[John Holmberg]

Liberty. Liberty Savings Fairy Unwritten by Liberty Mutual.

[Brady]

Insurance Co. An affiliate excludes Massachusetts morning sickness.

[John Holmberg]

You've been deceived by an agent of Satan himself. He's evil sitting right here. Come on. No, no, he's not. He's not evil. He's just a bit rude. It's time now for the hot releases. That's all the new movies, music, tv, whatever we got games. I guess it's brought to you by our [e-mail]. if you got an AC unit that's on its last legs, boy, you got a month left of this. Everybody feels like okay, Labor Day, it's October. We all know the drill. Last you start hearing your air conditioner spit out air, it's October. You're still going to be running it here and there. But all through September, even though it's favorable, still going to need it. So let's get through it. Make sure you do it right. And if you've got one that's kind of barely made it through the summer, think about next year. Get ahead of the game. You can do it the best way possible. Follow the three easy steps [e-mail]. next thing you know, you got a professionally installed air conditioning unit that by the way, has a 100% guarantee. Nobody else does that. And they make sure all your warranties stay in place by doing it the right way and a lot cheaper than everybody else. A thousand Save time. Buy online new AC unit dot com. Who goes first? Whoever you want. Toledo. I'll let you go.

[Brady]

I believe this is out tomorrow. Wednesday Season two Part two on Netflix.

[John Holmberg]

Second half of season two.

[Brady]

Few weeks ago we debuted the start of season two. Now the second half of season two where desperate to avert her prophecy and save Enid's life, Wednesday reopens a dark chapter in her family's history with direct ties to Tyler. So if you're aware of the film or the the movie series, whatever. Yeah, the show, then that's how it's playing out.

[John Holmberg]

I'm shocked Jenna Ortega hasn't started some sort of hot girl weirdo dark goth thing. I am your new spirit guide.

[Brady]

It's not like it's not out there.

[John Holmberg]

But yeah, I thought it would be huge. Yeah, I thought it would become normal.

[Brady]

Might have been too much of a gap between season one and season.

[John Holmberg]

That could be. He has plans to kill both of us. I'm going to fix it. Cuz for some reason this is something that you'd think she's got a point would become like a no one. Maybe it'll be strong for Halloween again this year, but I'm talking about like just girls wandering around on Tick Tock without hair and being all dark like hot ones. Not weird.

[Brady]

Fred Armisen is professor.

[John Holmberg]

We don't solve anything in this family with words. We do it with deeds. All right, that's fine. I get it. What's some new ideas? Well, this thing evidently is kind of a new twist, but it is the atoms.

[Brady]

Yeah, funny you mentioned new ideas because the offshoot of of the office is finally here. The paper.

[John Holmberg]

And it's just Oscar. It's one guy from the office. They tried to tie it Everything needs and it's like the least interesting person in the office. Toilet tissue, toilet seat protectors and local newspapers. And that is in order of quality. Are they in England or are they in Toledo? Here is one of my articles. I already hate it. And yes, I hate it because it's too diverse on purpose. I feel like I'm being punched in the face with a DEI program.

[Brady]

This one seemed to come out of nowhere. The Runarounds on Prime Video. It's like some kind of high school punk band or something like that. The Runarounds, from the creator of the Auto Banks follows a group of recent high school graduates who form a band in the hopes of escaping the mundane futures that are laid out before them.

[John Holmberg]

Myself so seriously, all the time I'm not going to college. This band is do or Die. It's Josie. Pussycat.

[Brady]

Yep.

[John Holmberg]

I wish I went to more parties.

[Brady]

That's a dude band, so you can drop the cats.

[John Holmberg]

Is there a girl memory? We got a really cool bond going on. So it's dudes in a band and the chicks they bang through high school.

[Brady]

Yeah, apparently.

[John Holmberg]

Don't you want to see it through?

[Brady]

And of course, it's all dudes that are college age.

[John Holmberg]

See these guys over here? Look at them. They're not going to do anything with their lives.

[Brady]

All right, come back around.

[John Holmberg]

We need somebody to murder. Brady's right? I hope so. Brady saw teenagers. He's just wishing for one of them to die. And get those kidneys.

[Brady]

Spike Lee's latest joint debuts this week on Apple TV and in theaters. Highest to lowest. Denzel's fifth Spike Lee film, I think.

[John Holmberg]

Oh, is this direct to streaming?

[Brady]

It's on Apple and it's in theaters.

[John Holmberg]

I'm backstacking his records. It's a lot of money. There's more to life than just making money. It's integrity. That's what you stand for. What you think? I think you gotta be a little crazy sometimes in this world to get what you want. That might be great, King David. Now, ain't this something?

[Brady]

I got your full attention now, huh?

[John Holmberg]

You finally listening to me?

[Brady]

I think it's asap. Rocky playing the bad guy.

[John Holmberg]

This might be interesting. He's been Denzel gets my attention no matter what.

[Brady]

Oh, yeah. Friendship. Starring Paul Rudd and Tim what's his name? Robinson.

[John Holmberg]

Robinson. Hello. This dude is. Did you like this? Larry, good buddy. Oh, it's weird. Honey. Paul Ruds got my attention for a drink at 8 tonight. I said you'd go. You don't know my schedule. You sit there every night. Might be nice to have a. What's that girl? That's that Mara girl.

[Brady]

Yeah.

[John Holmberg]

No, it's the other one. It's Kate. He's the best. Why her head shaved? I was spiraling. I mean, I see the way the guys look at Her. I'm just. This is interesting. What's this called Friendship.

[Brady]

Called Friendship.

[John Holmberg]

You liked it? Larry McFeely saw it. I liked it. It was like a couple hours of just watching him be weird. Which one? Tim Robinson. No kidding. Which is what he is. Yeah. Dude's a strange man. All right.

[Brady]

Ruby and Jody, the Cult of Sin and Influence is out on Discovery id. It's about Ruby Frankie and the weirdness that she had going. Crazy kids in Utah.

[John Holmberg]

If you don't know that story, Ruby Janky's story is unreal. It is unreal. Ruby Frankie was one of the early Mormon mom influencers. It's what you think is wholesome content. So didn't they do it? They did the big documentary already.

[Brady]

Big documentary? Yeah. This one's out on Discovery id.

[John Holmberg]

What the hell? And then the older lady has the money, and this is probably who this is more about, about the lunatic that tried to help her through the trainer. Okay. Ruby and Jody, Cult of Sin and Influence. I don't know if I'm gonna sit through that again, because I felt horrible when I saw that little emaciated kid escape to the neighbor's house. I'm like, I don't know.

[Brady]

Last one I have is a new crime drama on hbo. It's called Task and Mercy.

[John Holmberg]

Hope it's not your loss. Who's in it?

[Brady]

Mark Ruffalo. There's been a spade of home invasions.

[John Holmberg]

They want me to put together a task force. No, it's not a great.

[Brady]

No. I don't have any choice.

[John Holmberg]

Wait, Martha Plimpton is 70 now? When did that happen? Oh, my God. She's ancient. All right. I don't want to watch that. It made me feel old. Wasn't she in Goonies? Yeah. Oh, my God. Like a kid. She's the other kid. Is she the same age as us? Yes, I think so. Maybe a little bit older. Even Brady, who just had part of his body sucked out, looks better than Martha Plimpton. My goodness. Just how old? Ratio. How old is Martha Plimpton? 57. 54.

[Brady]

Oh, she's like 74.

[John Holmberg]

Okay. She's a year older than me. That's my Josh.

[Brady]

Roland's older.

[John Holmberg]

I think. I think he's like, 60. Okay. He looks better, too. He looks great. There goes Brett's theory. That wine milk thing.

[Brady]

Holmberg's morning sickness podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Back to school. Workplace upheaval. Relationship stress. Deadline anxiety. We all go through these moments in our daily lives that leave our mental health and wellness on shaky ground. It's Dick Toluto from Holmberg's morning sickness for BetterHelp. I personally have felt the benefits of therapy to get through a rough patch and to give me a way to navigate that tough time and a strategy to recognize when I'm not handling situations my best. And with over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform. With BetterHelp, you can join a session with a therapist at the click of a button and switch therapists anytime to help you fit therapy into your life where it's best. As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a broad array of expertise. So give yourself a helping hand and talk it out with Better Help. Morning Sickness listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com Holmberg that's BetterHelp. H-E-L-P.com Holmberg Holmberg's Morning Sickness all right.

[John Holmberg]

Brett, what do you. She's expired by a lot. Oh, by ages. Roland's in his prime. All right, start off with new rock from Glenn Hughes, bass player extraordinaire. Played with Deep Purple, Black Sabbath. Everybody knows him. Does he sing? Yeah. Boom. He's in this. David Lee Roth. Can you spell? Let me tell you this. There's a reason why you're 60 and you're still putting out albums. Singing for the first. The reason deep Purple said, why don't you just play the bass and sh.

[Brady]

To.

[John Holmberg]

Get to it. Does this have an awesome bass solo? I didn't get that far. Well, no. The answer is no, because there is no such thing. All right, so there's that David Byrne putting out a solo track. This is Everybody Laughs. He looks like Martha Plimpton now. Looks better. Yeah, he does. I bang. I bang David first. He's been doing that Broadway show for a while of his songs. Everybody laughs and everybody cries Everybody lives and everybody that's called Everybody poops, Everybody eats and everybody loves Everybody knows what everybody does Everybody's going through the changes.

[Brady]

Whoa. Menopause.

[John Holmberg]

It's a menopause song for everybody. Even men. David must be going through some hot flashes. All right, here's new stuff from Testament. Here we go. Kind of know what you're expecting with Testament. John Gordon Erection. This isn't the beginning of the song. Yeah, it is. It just started in the middle. Well, I skipped a. Oh, first.

[Brady]

You didn't skip a bunch.

[John Holmberg]

No. Here we go. They're getting there. There's Testament. For you.

[Brady]

Feeling Testament fans are gonna Love that.

[John Holmberg]

Oh, yeah. Veteran country. How about scorpions? Oh, no. Mind like a tree.

[Brady]

Oh, God. Is that concert film that's going around about them real? Like their last performance? He looks ancient.

[John Holmberg]

Oh, he is ancient.

[Brady]

But I mean, like, he looks. My mom looked better.

[John Holmberg]

All right, fair enough. Yeah, he can say it. Folks, the gates have opened. Oh, yeah. So you're your mother's corpse.

[Brady]

Yes.

[John Holmberg]

Much more attractive than Klaus Mina. Yes. Wow. You'd rather see her on tour? Yes. Would Raleigh put Klaus out of his misery five years ago? Those of you just tuning in. Toledo's stepdad said he wanted to kill his mother years ago to put her out of her misery, because that's how it works in Montana. Here's a new track. It just got released four days ago. This video, Storm the Gates from Soul Fly. Okay, I'm doing the.

[Brady]

Everybody still in there?

[John Holmberg]

I think Max. I don't know if his brother's still in there or not. I don't. It is what it is. Yeah. All right. As long as Max is there, sure. I got some stuff I could save for next week, but there's some other stuff here, so let's do our AI song. Oh, this is Lick It Till I'm Done. All right. From Moonbeam Muffin. Very hot girl called. She looks like what I was talking about with Wednesday Adams.

[Brady]

Oh, yeah.

[John Holmberg]

Here we go. Lick it till down real slow Put those lips where the warm winds blow they do Hum me like a tune on your tongue I'll be singing sweet Till my craving's gone Uhoh. Lick it, lick it till I'm done this is hot, bro. Light honey dripping in morning sun Hey, I wrote this. Yeah, you got a book here for Country Thunder. It's from Moist Records. I might lick my computer. All right. And right before we get into NW or F Word, this one came up. This is Back in Black as a Soul version. I've heard this. This has been phenomenal. I loved it. This is so good. I just want Stevie to sing it. This would have been a smash hit, too. Long gone. Yeah. I'm glad to be back. So good. Yeah. Bruno Mars in the Boys. Oh, my God. Oh, yeah. Silk Sonic can do this. Was this AI? I believe so. Yeah. It's on Fake Music is what it's called. Yeah.

[Brady]

There you go. I'm back in black.

[John Holmberg]

That's great. I really like that. So, all right. So that brings us to the game. To sweep in the nation. N Word or F Word? Believe I was the champion going in. This is King T. Act a fool Never heard of King t, man. Early 90s act. Oh, okay. Early 90s, late 80s, early 90s, late 80s, late 80s, early-90s, pre N.W.A.

[Brady]

Same time, right?

[John Holmberg]

About the same time. Maybe a little bit, but not. Not much on the same time as ice tea and everything else. Boy, that was really a strong time for the N word in songs. I'll say. I'm gonna stick with my original thought. Angry F word.

[Brady]

All right, Brady.

[John Holmberg]

Angry N word. Okay, man.

[Brady]

Damn it. All right, I'll get the colloquial. Friendly N word.

[John Holmberg]

Friendly one. Okay, now I'm off the move. Got a grand in my pocket Reach for my phone Plugged it in the socket so I dialed up Aladdin he answered the phone and said, what's up? I said, what's up? I said, what's up? I said, I don't give a. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Late 80s Houdini. And then they started wanting to get a little meaner. You had the 2 Live crew. It didn't get crazy till T and Cube and all the boys got going. It's not weird.

[Brady]

It's pretty cool, actually. No membership fees.

[John Holmberg]

I have heard enough of this.