Podcast
Stereothematica
Hosted by Christina & Christine · EN
Welcome to Stereothematica, a podcast where two women geek out over music.
When Christina moved from LA to Texas, Christine suggested a weekly challenge to stay in touch: pick a song that fits a chosen theme. This game opened them to new perspectives on each other while deepening their own understanding of the music that shapes their lives. Each week Christina and Christine recreate the magic of their song exchange on a broader scale, deconstructing their thematic picks, providing personal anecdotes and historical insights, and sharing transformative tracks rarely spotlighted on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Episodes
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RE-RELEASE: Genre Bending
6d ago00:32:55Tap to summarizeWe're taking a little break to do some birding, cloud spotting, and maybe even some trippin'! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this re-release of “Genre Bending" with some bonus giddiness at the top. And we'll be back on July 28, commemorating the completion of the World Cup with an episode dedicated to sports songs. ---What happens when music refuses to stay in its lane? It gets some major Stereothematica love. This week we talk about the artists who blur boundaries, break molds, and bend genres in ways that feel both surprising and inevitable. These are sounds shaped by curiosity, contradiction, and a refusal to be easily defined.Videos:Arthur Russell: This is How We Walk on the Moon (1994)Yellow Magic Orchestra: Simoon (1979)Extras:Psycho Killer feat. Arthur Russell playing celloWild Combination documentary"My favorite song" by Ramesh Srivastava“‘I Want to See All My Friends At Once’: Arthur Russell and the Queering of Gay Disco” Journal of Popular Music StudiesLive Version of SimoonThe Music That Shaped Haruomi HosonoCrafting the Sound of the FutureMichale Jackson cover of Behind the MaskDe La Soul Sampling YMO in Big Brother Beat Reddit - Let’s Talk Music: YMO The Amazing History of YMOYMO on Soul Train - Tighten Up cover Archie Bell and the Drells: Tighten Up YMO on Soul Train - Firecracker Firecracker Samples:Afrika Bambaataa: Death Mix IIMariah Carey: LoverboyJennifer Lopez (Featuring Ja Rule): I’m RealDe La Soul: Funky Towel2 Live Crew: Mega Mixx IIConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!
Transcribe →Futuristic
2w ago00:24:44Tap to summarizeThe future is now, or maybe a second from now. THE FUTURE is also a vibe, and we’ve got music to match it or maybe even set the stage for it. No transhumanistic fantasies here, just some transcendent tunes to cope with the downfall of humanity perpetrated by tech billionaires. SONGS:Jantra: Gedima (2023)Javelin: Estevez (2011)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Jantra on Bandcamp (Ostinato Records)The Making of Synthesized Sudan (Short)Trailer for the Synthesized Sudan AlbumAll About Jantra’s Synthesized Sudan (PAM)Electronic Jaglara: The Cosmic Dance Music Rocking Rural Sudan (Middle East Eye)Jantra: the Sudanese Synth Wizard Waging Raves Against War (Far Out Magazine)Synthesized Sudan Review (KLOF)Interview with Jantra (The Guardian)Background on the Civil War in Sudan (Council on Foreign Relations)Amnesty International - Emergency 2X Match for SudanExample of Sera RhythmSudanese Electronic Music (Refuge Worldwide with Cosmos and Tabidee)Interview with Vik Sohonie on Jazziz Podcast (Not related to Jantra’s album, but a great interview and you can learn more about Ostinato’s other records)Synthesizing the Silk Roads / Sounds from 1980s Soviet Central AsiaRecording Special: Javelin (American Songwriter)Canyon Candy: Javelin (Luaka Bop)Riding Into Canyon Candy: Q&A with Javelin (Kickstarter) Javelin and Mike Anderson Dream Westward (Interview) UNSOLICITED ADVICE:Memorize By Heart Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!
Transcribe →Unexpected Jams
3w ago00:32:34Tap to summarizeHave you ever been on hold and all of a sudden you find yourself dancing to the sweet, sweet hold music? Or maybe a friend sends you a song saying, "Hey, I think you might like this!" And even though you don't think you will... you do? Well, welcome to the unexpected jams episode! We're going to dive into some weird places where the music is unexpected and yet still hits.SONGS:Tim Carleton: Opus No. 1 (1989)Foxygen: Shuggie (2013)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:SaxBoyBilly18 on InstagramThundercloud Subs jingleThis American Life: Stuck In The Middle (2014)The Most Overused Piece of On-Hold Music in History?Tim Carlton’s Spotify pageBud Light (Ft. Miles and Keleigh Teller) | Super Bowl 2023 LVII (57) Commercial (YouTube)‘Everyone knows the Centrelink song’: how we learned to love – and remix – hold musicTikTok creator Lyanna Kea dances to Centrelink's call waiting trackLaLaMilan on TikTokr/synthrecipes: Tim Carleton’s Opus No. 1 r/obscuremedia: Tim Carleton and Darrick Deel- "Opus Number 1" (1989)How to Dress Well: Precious LovePuppet Regime: Trump in holding pattern -- and not mad at itPitchfork Review: Take the Kids off Broadway (2011/12)Pitchfork Review: We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic (2013)Pitchfork Interview with Foxygen (2013)Foxygen Full Set - Pitchfork Music Festival Paris (2014)Foxygen Full Set - KEXP (2014)A Breath of Foxygen (Interview)Foxygen: We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic (Video)Foxygen: No DestructionFoxygen: Avalon (2017)Shuggie Otis: Bootie Cooler (1970)The Rise and Fall of the ‘Hipster Music’ Era, 2000-2014: VICE’s Definitive TimelineUNSOLICITED ADVICE:Poets.orgConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!
Transcribe →Kids
4w ago00:28:45Tap to summarizeThey're not all creepy! And sometimes they actually make a great song greater, or a bad song better. Biases aside, in this episode we celebrate the contributions of children to music history. SONGS:Joubert Singers: Stand on the Word (1982)Human Skab: Screamin' Demon (1986)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:PS 22 Chorus’s YouTube pageThe Tangled History of the Joubert Singers’ “Stand on the Word” (Aaron Gonsher for Red Bull Music Academy)Tony Humphries Remix of Stand on the WordIndustry Season 2 Has the Best Soundtrack of the Year (GQ)David Byrne’s Desert Island Discs (BBC) - Even David Byrne refers to Larry Levan's remixDimitri from Paris Remix of Stand on the Word (2016)L’Imperatrice Cover of Stand of the Word (2018)Keedz Version of Stand on the Word (2008 - Used for the opening of Le Grand Journal) Larry Levan Set at Paradise Garage (1979)Discogs - Somebody Prayed for ThisBest of Tony Humphries at Zanzibar (1988)The Divine Sounds of Gospel Disco (Bandcamp)Stand on the Word (Official Video, Elias)Paradise Garage, A Gay Club That Forever Changed Nightlife (NYT)Soundtrack of My Life: Elijah Wood (NME)The Human Skab: A Documentary FilmTape Findings: Human SkabFamily Vineyard Records: Human SkabThe Independent Critic: Human SkabMurderland bookExtra: Tape Findings: Kids Making MusicUNSOLICITED ADVICE:Legs Up the Wall (Yoga With Adriene)Impact of Yoga-based Interventions on Cognitive and Autonomic Functions in Major Depressive Disorder Population (JFMPC)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!
Transcribe →Pity Party
Jun 1600:42:49Tap to summarizeWhat started as another theme turned into a real life pity party when Christine and Christina recorded in person for the first time EVER. And we had a rich conversation about one of music's most self-pitying artists—Harry Nilsson. We hope you join our pity party this week and learn more about Nilsson's legend status and stick around for some truly despicable imitations.SONGS:Harry Nilsson: I Said Goodbye to Me (1968) Harry Nilsson: Gotta Get Up (1971)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Christina’s “Music to Cry To” Spotify playlistMoviesTHE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD | Official TrailerPractical Magic - 'Midnight Margaritas'He Needs Me (Popeye)He Needs Me (Scene from Punch Drunk Love)How About You (The Fisher King)Miss Butter’s Lament (Frances Ha)Midnight Cowboy (Everybody’s Talkin’)Goodfellas (Jump Into the Fire)Nilsson Sings the Closing Credits of SkidooMisc.Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)? (Full Documentary) | Amplified (YouTube)Harry Nilsson’s 10 Best Songs (according to Farout Magazine)"Russian Doll": The Story behing the song that's probably stuck in your head right now (IndieWire)The Trouble with Harry Nilsson (Frieze) The "Russian Doll" Soundtrack Feels Like Trying to Take Control in a Chaotic New York (Pitchfork)Pitchfork’s 9.4 Review of Nilsson SchmilssonHarry Nilsson: The Point (1971 - Ringo Starr Narration)Harry Nilsson: You’re Breaking My Heart (1972)Harry Nilsson: Si No Estas Tu (Without You - Self Cover) Harry Nilsson: I’d Rather Be Dead (1972)Fuck You, Harry Nilsson - Funeral Singalong Started by George HarrisonRussian Doll Season 1 PlaylistRussian Doll Season 2 Playlist The Tragic Story of How Mama Cass and Keith Moon Died in the Same ApartmentConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!
Transcribe →Cover in Another Language
Jun 900:35:08Tap to summarizeEver hear a song and say, "Yeah, this is nice. But what would it sound like in French/Spanish/Greek/Swahili/Urdu?" Well, then, friends, you're in the right place. This week we take songs that are already good in English and some how get even better in a foreign language. And the best news? No one picked "Yesterday"!SONGS:Freedom Fry: Stayin’ Alive (Cover 2021) (Bee Gees 1977)Mikel Erentxun: Esta Luz Nunca Se Apagara (Cover 1992) (The Smiths 1986) RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Other Covers of Popular English Songs in Another LanguageRachid Taha (Arabic): Rock the Casbah (The Clash)Karel Gott (Yiddish): Paint it Black (The Rolling Stones)Eileen (French): These Boots Are Made for Walking (Nancy Sinatra)Selena (Spanish): Fotos y Recuerdos (The Pretenders)David Bowie (Italian): Space Oddity (David Bowie)Seu Jorge (Portuguese): The Life Aquatic (David Bowie Tribute)Marta Kubišová (Czech): Hey Jude (The Beatles)Albert Pla (Spanish): Walk on the Wildside (Lou Reed)Lena Lovich (Japanese): I Think We’re Alone Now (Tommy James and the Shondells)Nina Hagen (German): Sonntagmorgen (Velvet Underground)From PluribusMaro (Portuguese): Era de Aquário/Deixa o Sol Entrar (The 5th Dimension)Kit Sebastian (Turkish): People Are Strange (The Doors) Murat Evgeen (Turkish): Nobody Told Me (John Lennon)Vince Gilligan Talks Pluribus Soundtrack (Brooklyn Vegan)Learn MoreAbout Freedom FryAbout BlondfireDuet Between Two Nationalities: A Conversation with Freedom Fry (Atwood Magazine, 2016)Freedom Fry Covers (Spotify)610 Foreign Covers of Popular English Language Songs (Spotify User James Haardiing)Beach Boys’ Fans Talk Foreign Cover Versions (Endless Harmony)Readers Recommend Foreign Language Versions (The Guardian)Multimodal Refractions of Bob Dylan in French Covers (Jean-Charles Meunier, Ph.D. thesis)Pushing Aside Stayin’ Alive: New songs to keep the (heart)beat during CPRThe Office CPR SceneBee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” Drum Loop from “Night Fever”Mikel Erentxun (All Music)Duncan Dhu - En Algun Lugar (YouTube)Naufragios (1992), de Mikel Erentxun (Efe Eme)Todo es igual siempre (YouTube)Gotcha Covered: “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”Unsolicited AdviceRadio France: FIPFIP: Curious Radio and MoreConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!
Transcribe →Pride
Jun 200:29:23Tap to summarizeHappy Pride Month! Queer and LGBTQ music is incredible for ALL audiences, every day of the year (not just Pride month, of course!). This week we share some under the radar gay anthems and celebrate the queer musicians who made them.SONGS:Lavender Country: "Cryin' These Cocksucking Tears" (1973)Elton John: Philadelphia Freedom (1975)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Hundreds Turn Out for Wisconsin High Schoolers’ Performance of Banned LGBTQ Song (truthout)'Don't Sneak': Dad's Unexpected Advice To His Gay Son In The '50s (NPR)Sissy Podcast: Lavender Country 50 years of Lavender Country: the radical history of the first queer country albumPhiladelphia Freedom Isn't Just a Gay Anthem. It's a Pride Anthem (NYT - Allyson McCabe; Please note: Christine ACCIDENTALLY mispronounces Megan Rapinoe's last name when quoting from this essay.)Billie Jean King Talks About Philadelphia Freedom (EltonJohn.com) Billie Jean King was told not to come out 45 years ago. She did it anyway. (Outsports.com)Elton John performing Philadelphia Freedom on Soul Train (1975)Elton John Comes Out as Bisexual In Rolling Stones' 1976 Cover StoryElton John Aids FoundationBillie Jean King: “I don’t think people have any idea how hard it is for trans people” (Diva)Whip-poor-will (All About Birds)Best LGBTQ Anthems of All Time (Billboard)BBC Soul Music - Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!
Transcribe →Shorties
May 2600:20:13Tap to summarizeShortest songs don't always yield the shortest episodes, but they do pack a punch! And while this isn't technically our shortest episode, it does come in second, after our SECOND episode Pump Up Songs. Enjoy the brevity and levity, and please share your favorite shorties on Instagram. SONGS:¡Ay, Paquita! (Performed by Rosalía) - Paquita Salas (2018)Dang Me - Roger Miller (1964) RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Paquita Salas Soundtrack Seasons 1-3Season One Opening Credits - Sung by Alberto Jiménez y Miss CaffeinaSeason Two Opening Credits - Sung by RosalíaSeason Three Opening Credits - Sung by Isabel PantojaRosalía Canta la Nueva Cabecera de Paquita SalasVanity Fair piece (en español) on the Season Three Theme Sung by Isabel PantojaRosalia’s acting debut in EuphoriaLa Bola Negra 20-Minute from Overjoyed Audience at Cannes (Deadline)Los Javis call Glen Close60 Years Ago: Roger Miller Revolutionizes Country with 1:42 SongRoger Miller: Country Music Hall of FameRoger Miller performing Dang Me on American Bandstand. July 11, 1964THEATER; Roger Miller: King of the Rhyme (NYT)UNSOLICITED ADVICE:Cloud Appreciation SocietyCloudSpotter AppConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!
Transcribe →Grunge
May 1900:28:16Tap to summarizeThe Seattle sound. Flannel shirts. Rejecting conformity. Embracing dirty hair. What is "grunge"? Join us this week as we dive into a couple of grunge songs (and make some interesting connections to musical influence on the grunge scene). SONGS:Silverchair: Tomorrow (Australian version, 1995)Nirvana: Turnaround (1990)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Hey Millennials, Grunge Was Never A Movement. It Was Never A Genre. Get Over Yourselves. (Thought.is)Silverchair - Tomorrow - Live on MTV Awards 1995 (YouTube)Why Nirvana’s label originally hated ‘In Utero’ (Far Out)Tomorrow music video - U.S. version (YouTube)Silverchair – Tomorrow: the song that blew open Australian rock (The Guardian)Devo: Turn Around (1980)Turnaround Live (1990)Flashback: Nirvana Cover Devo's 1980 Obscurity "Turn Around" (Rolling Stone)LiveNirvana (Everything you never cared to learn about Nirvana)The Lost Interview Guitar World (1993)Musique Plus Interview (1991)Devo: Clockout (1979)Nirvana: Stay Away (1992)We Are Legend: Devo (The Guardian)Pitchfork Review of Incesticide (2018)BBC Peel SessionsThe Folk Roots of Nirvana: Kurt Cobain's Love of Lead Belly and BeyondConnect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!
Transcribe →Introductions
May 1200:31:32Tap to summarizeForget “please allow me to introduce myself” or “my name is….” What if your introduction were a song, or a mesmerizing opening credit sequence, or maybe even a reference you can’t stop thinking about? This episode is about the art of introduction through music, because before a single word is spoken, music can tell us exactly who we’re meeting and what kind of world we're about to enter.SONGS:Terry Zwigoff’s Ghost World Opening Title Sequence (2001) The Adventures of Pete and Pete Intro (1993) RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Freaky Friday Title Sequence (1976)“Jaan Pehechan Ho” from Gumnaam (1965)Noir Meets Nawathe: Close-Up on "Gumnaam" (Bedatri D.Choudhury)Stereothematica Get Up and Dance PlaylistCosmopolitanism, Remediation, and the Ghost World of Bollywood (David Novak)Three Things You Never Knew About Ghost World (Dazed Digital) Why a Fake Band From a 1990s Kids' Show Decided to Tour This Year (Wired)Critic’s Notebook: Polaris rising: Mark Mulcahy’s ‘Pete and Pete’ band comes to town (LA Times) Catching Up with the Cast of The Adventures of Pete & Pete (Consequence of Sound)The Adventures of Danny and Mike (podcast)Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!
Transcribe →