Holmberg's Morning Sickness – Hot Releases Breakdown

October 14, 2025

Main Theme

This episode of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness on 98KUPD is the show’s popular “Hot Releases” segment, where John Holmberg, with co-host Rich (and absent Bret), provides quick, irreverent reviews and banter about the week’s new music, TV series, and documentaries – with a signature blend of sarcasm, pop culture references, and offbeat humor.

Segment 1: Pop Culture Banter & Hot Releases Introduction

• Playful Banter: The crew kicks off with a humorous conversation about email complaints and pop music controversies, blending references to Yosemite Sam ("I'm the rootingest tootinist complainer" – John Holmberg, 01:15) and satirizing reactions to artists like Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga.
• Notable Moment (02:34): Holmberg riffs: “This big, big chubby raindrop came falling into Houston's Reliant Stadium... Root for terrible things to happen. Don't get so mad that you have to cancel it. That's silly.”
  • Context: Critique of overblown outrage and internet culture around celebrity performances.

Segment 2: Hot Music Releases

1. Kylie Jenner x Terror Jr. – “Fourth Strike”

• Discussion [05:08]: Kylie Jenner’s debut with Terror Jr. sparks confusion (“Is that her singing? I don’t think so.” – John)
• Video Commentary [05:28]: John recommends the music video for its visuals: “She and the girls… in this video are unreal… the video for this thing is insane.”

2. Battle Beast

• Assessment [05:50]: The hosts react to the new Battle Beast track.
  • John: “Is it me, or does it sound like maybe if the Golden Girls released a rock song?”
  • Visual Roasting [07:05]: “She looks like Jewel spent three years at the Country Buffet. Jewel’s on some sort of weird prednisone diagnosis… puffed up.”

3. Military Gun – “God Owes Me Money”

• Quick Take [07:16]: Expecting heavy music, amused by the title.

4. Bon Iver – “Day One”

• Background Music? [08:06]: “Good pool music… background stuff. Like ambient noises.” – John

5. Dorothy feat. Slash – “Tombstone Town”

• Formulaic Country? [08:47]: John quips: “Gonna lay you in an early grave like formula country.”
• Rich comments on Dorothy's appeal and the Slash collaboration.

6. Boz Scaggs – “Angel Eyes”

• Age & Health Jokes [09:11]: “He sounds healthy, young, spry. Did he do Lido Shuffle? Yeah. He’s missing cocaine, and this is the only thing.” – John
• Boz Scaggs’s style gets compared to classic yacht rock.

7. Tame Impala – “Dracula”

• Dog Comparison [10:32]: John jokes: “My dog Gordon is the lead singer. The exact same voice.”
  • Imagines Tame Impala singing about dog life: “If he ever writes a song called Can I have a Cookie? Don’t you hate Frank? He’s always barking…”

Segment 3: Streaming Releases & Documentaries

1. The Diplomat Season 3 (Netflix) [11:16]

• Political Espionage: Kerry Russell stars as a Secretary of State being prepared for the Presidency.
  • Rich: “Decent show.” (12:11)
• Memorable Banter [12:03]: “You’ll be in the White House watching what she does all the time. Interesting. White House espionage.” – John

2. The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix) [12:10+]

• Real Crime Docu: One woman's 911 calls escalate into violence.
  • John pokes fun at the premise, referencing neighborhood disputes: “Several kids out there… all black kids. And this white lady’s mad about it.” [12:50]
  • “Maybe I’ll side with her till the murder.” [14:21]
• Memorable Exchange: “There doesn’t need to be a call. What happens, Rich? This is good stuff.” [12:58]

3. The Starting Five – Season 2 (Netflix) [14:22]

• NBA Recap Docu: Highlights key players and moments in NBA history.
  • John: “Alright. It’s just NBA talk. That’ll be fun.” [14:43]

4. Murdaugh: Death in the Family (Hulu) [14:51]

• Southern True Crime: Focuses on the famous, embattled Murdaugh legal family.
  • John: “Oh, yeah, they got like a bunch of murders under their belt.” [15:07]
  • Rich: “He kind of perjured himself.” [15:11]
• Curiosity about format: “How many episodes is this? Might only be one...” [15:19]

5. Devil in Disguise: The John Wayne Gacy Story (Peacock) [15:30]

• Gacy Retrospective: Holmberg offers perspective on true crime media saturation.
  • John: “I’ve seen this a million times… The John Wayne Gacy story is incredible.” [15:37]
  • Quote on serial killer fascination: “I’m doing it again. Like, I’m actually watching the horrible nature of this real thing that entertained me so many times…” [16:35-16:38]
  • Famous last words: “‘Kiss my ass.’ Right before they cooked him.” [17:11]

6. Scorsese Documentary Series (Apple TV+) [17:12]

• Director Retrospective: Five-part series on Martin Scorsese’s filmography.
  • “He’s got enough movies to make you wonder about it.” [17:39]
  • Brief rundown of iconic films: “Wolf of Wall Street, Raging Bull, the Departed, Gangs in New York…” [17:47]
  • Conversation closes with a nod to Scorsese’s “Last Temptation of Christ” [18:05].

Notable Quotes

• “Is it me, or does it sound like maybe if the Golden Girls released a rock song?” – John Holmberg (05:50)
• “She looks like Jewel spent three years at the Country Buffet.” – John Holmberg (07:05)
• On true crime docs: “I’m actually watching the horrible nature of this real thing that entertained me so many times… I’m doing it again now off the real one.” – John Holmberg (16:35)
• On overreacting to pop culture: “Root for terrible things to happen. Don’t get so mad that you have to cancel it. That’s silly.” – John Holmberg (02:34)
• On Murdaugh family: “Oh, yeah, they got like a bunch of murders under their belt.” – John Holmberg (15:07)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Hot Releases Banter: 01:15 – 04:55
• Music Releases
  • Kylie Jenner/Terror Jr.: 05:05 – 05:43
  • Battle Beast: 05:43 – 07:16
  • Military Gun, Bon Iver, Dorothy, Boz Scaggs: 07:16 – 09:52
  • Tame Impala: 10:26 – 11:09
• Streaming & Docs
  • The Diplomat S3: 11:16 – 12:09
  • The Perfect Neighbor: 12:10 – 14:21
  • NBA Starting Five S2: 14:22 – 14:43
  • Murdaugh: 14:51 – 15:22
  • John Wayne Gacy: 15:30 – 17:12
  • Scorsese: 17:12 – 18:21

Tone and Style

• Language/Tone: Sarcastic, playful, occasionally irreverent, using pop culture and personal quips to keep the segment lively and offbeat.
• Format: Fast-paced, with frequent tangents and inside jokes between co-hosts.

Summary Takeaway

Holmberg and Rich deliver a brisk, comedic rundown of the week’s hottest music and streaming releases, blending honest reactions with digressive jokes and cultural commentary. From viral pop collaborations (Kylie Jenner) to true crime docs (Murdaugh, Gacy), and from political dramas (“The Diplomat”) to music nostalgia (Boz Scaggs, Tame Impala), they provide both information and entertainment in a style unmistakably their own. The episode is a must-catch for listeners who want new releases delivered with wit and attitude.