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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Kids
4d 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
2w ago00:42:49Tap 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
3w ago00:35:08Tap 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
4w ago00:29:23Tap 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 →Next Chapter
May 500:31:56Tap to summarizeEver feel like skipping ahead to see what's in store for the next chapter?Understandable, but it's probably best to let your next chapter unfold naturally. That's what we're doing this week--embracing next chapters and the music we listen to as we mentally settle into a new path. Welcome to Season 3, friends!SONGS:Broadcast: Before We Begin (2003)Canned Head: Going Up the Country (1968 / 1970 Performance)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Broadcast Wants You to Stay Inside (Medium)Untold Stories (Part 1) - The History of the Birmingham Music Scene in the 1960s (YouTube)Broadcast Singer Trish Keenan Dies (Rolling Stone)A true artist: The legacy of Broadcast’s Trish Keenan (Far Out Magazine)Distant Call - Collected Demos 2000-2006 (Bandcamp)Spell Blanket - Collected Demos 2006-2009 (Bandcamp)Henry Thomas: Bull Doze Blues (1928)Henry Thomas: Honey, Won’t You Allow Me One More Chance (1927)Bob Dylan: Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance (1963)Henry Thomas: Fishing Blues (1928)Lovin’ Spoonful: Fishing Blues (1965)Henry Thomas: Don’t Ease Me In (1927)Grateful Dead: Don’t Ease Me In (1966)Tommy Jones: Canned Heat Blues (1928)Son House: Father of Folk Blues Album (1965)Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson Website Alan Wilson: The Bridge Between Woodstock and the Delta BluesFive Reasons Alan Wilson Remains a Guitar LegendHAPPENINGS:Devo: The First 50 Years! (Until June 20 at MutMuz Gallery)ADVICE:Download the Merlin Bird ID 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 →Singalong Showtunes
Apr 2800:34:13Tap to summarizeMemorable melodies. A theatrical flair. A note only a Broadway star could hold. It's showtime, baby! This week we're puttin' on the ritz and singing along to our favorite showtunes. Join us in the chorus line, won't you?SONGS:Big Spender from Sweet Charity (Original, Broadway cast 1966) Cats Memory Reprise (Original Broadway cast 1983) RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Big Spender Scene from Sweet Charity Movie (1969)The Rich Man’s Frug from Sweet Charity Movie Beverly D’Angelo performing Big Spender in National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985)Shirley Bassey: Big Spender (1967 - Live Performance: 1971)Peggy Lee: Big Spender (1966)Queen: Big Spender Live (Night at the Odeon - Encore - 1975)Cy Coleman talking about Collaboration with Dorothy Fields on NPR (1999)The Fosse Woman: Analysis of Femininity, Aesthetics, and Corporeality by Dara Milovanovic (2018) Missy Elliott: Big Spender (2002)Freeway Ft. Jay-Z: Roc-A-Fella Billionaires (2007)'Memory' Elaine Paige | Cats The Musical (1999)Echoes Phantom of the Opera ComparisonCATS: The Jellicle Ball Broadway MontageParis is Burning (1990)Chasity Moore Ballroom Wiki NYT: I Was Broadway’s First Grizabella. I Couldn’t Have Imagined the New ‘Cats.’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 →I Didn't Know That Was...
Apr 2100:24:42Tap to summarize"Not knowing is the most intimate." We might not be Buddhists, but we can definitely get behind this logic. Join us as we lay bare our ignorance and learn some really cool stuff along the way (to enlightenment???).SONGS:Flying Burrito Brothers: If You Gotta Go (1970) Minnie Riperton: Lovin’ You (1974)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Bob Dylan - If You Gotta Go, Go Now (Or Else You Got to Stay All Night) (Studio Outtake - 1965) Manfred Mann: If You Gotta Go, Go Now (1965)Si tu dois partir - Fairport Convention (1969)If You Gotta Go, Go Now. Dylan being light-hearted and spooky (Untold Dylan)The many cover versions of If You Gotta Go + Bob’s rarest single! (Untold Dylan)Hermit Who Lives In Literal Cave Learns About Pandemic, Gets Vaccinated Lovin’ You Live Performance on Burt Sugarman’s The Midnight Special Live (1975)South Park - Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride Minnie Riperton: Les FleursMaya Rudolph on Questlove SupremeMinnie Riperton’s Lovin’ You Gives a Voice to the Whistle Register Amazing Moments in TimbreMagic Flute, Queen of the Night Aria Best Singers of All Time: Which Singers Have the Best Vocal RangeConnect 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 →