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.
28episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Resistance is NOT Futile
Mar 300:23:31Tap to summarizeAs we established back in March of last year, all protest songs are love songs! If you're confused, check out the episode. And if you're intrigued, join us for this week's sweeping statement: Resistance is NOT futile. The world might seem like it's imploding. You might be mad as hell (we are). So join us, and the resistance. We need you. SONGS:Nina Simone: Mississippi Goddam (Live at Carnegie Hall, 1964)Le Tigre: Hot Topic (1999) RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Nina Simone’s LIVE Performance of Mississippi Goddam at the Antibes Jazz Festival (1965) The Story Behind Nina Simone’s Protest Song Mississippi GoddamThe Story Behind the AnthemRev Left Radio Podcast - Nina Simone: The Revolutionary High Priestess of Soul (2019)Riot Grrrl United Feminism and Punk. Here’s an Essential Listening Guide (NYT)“Hot Topic”: The Complete Annotated LyricsWhen Racism And Sexism Are No Longer Fashionable, How Much Will Your Art Collection Be Worth?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 →Nepo Babies
Feb 2400:34:22Tap to summarize"Nepo babies." Pejorative term or celebration of creative lineage? We don't care, as long as the outcome is good! And the outcome from our nepo baby musicians is, indeed, good. Whether your parents are indie folk legends or you're part of Hollywood royalty.... it doesn't really matter to us. Keep making the hits! SONGS:Going to a Town: Rufus Wainwright (2007) Coconut Records (Jason Schwartzman): Any Fun (2009)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Billie Eilish's Mom Maggie Baird Claps Back at "Nepo Baby" LabelLouden Wainwright III - Dead Skunk (1972)Folk Singer Kate McGarrigle Dies At 63 Rufus Wainwright interview in the Sunday TimesBetween My Legs: Rufus Wainwright's Phantom NodGoing to a Town Wikipedia pageBored to Death Opening Credits (HBO)Phantom Planet: California (2001)Jason Schwartzman on The Treat with Elvis Mitchell (KCRW- 2025)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 →To Another Place
Feb 1700:34:17Tap to summarizeOne of the things we love most about music is its power to transport. It can carry us somewhere locational, philosophical, psychological, even quantal (as we explored more overtly in our Time Machine episode). A single song can shift the room, unlock memories, or reveal a door we didn’t even know was there. Music is the vessel that cracks open our hearts and minds, taking us on a long and winding road to anywhere.SONGS:Tinariwen: Amassakoul 'N' 'Ténéré (2004)The Balfa Brothers: Le Danse de Mardi Gras (1967)RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:Tinariwen Webpage Electric Blues Desert Refugees by Nate Seltenrich (Pop Matters)Rebel Blues in the Sahara: A Desert Guitar Primer by Joe Tangari (Pitchfork)Songs of Exile and Resistance by Andy Morgan (Al Jazeera)A Review of Psychological and Neuroscientific Research on Musical Groove (Science Direct)Justin Adams:Fantastical Deaths and Spectacular Rebirths by Farhad Mirza (Guernica)Tinariwen: Chet Boghassa (another fave)Tinariwen: Sastanàqqàm (another fave)Rebellion and Fragmentation in Northern MaliRebel Music: The Tuareg Uprising in 12 Songs by Tinariwen by Rollo Romig History of Cajun Mardi GrasWhat is Courir de Mardi Gras? The Cajun Country celebration is rooted in Medieval FranceFestival Acadiens Official WebsiteHistory of Cajun Music'La Danse de Mardi Gras' Song Lyrics and MeaningPODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS:I Said No GiftsOff MenuAnna and Isabella Do Improv (Pronounced Ahnna, sorry!)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 →Chills
Feb 1000:34:38Tap to summarizeBrr. Did someone just open a window? Or did I catch a crazy vibe from this funky ass song? Ok enough silliness. This week we deep dive into the songs that give us the literal chills. You know, the type of song that makes the hairs on your arm stand up. A song that makes you sit up a little straighter... makes you "lock in" as the youth say. And no, we DIDN'T just explore this theme with "Visceral." That's different. We insist. SONGS:Herbie Hancock: Watermelon Man (1973)Rosalía: Berghain (2025)RESOURCE AND REFERENCES:Watermelon Man - 1962 versionHindewhu flute performanceThe Ethan Hein Blog - Watermelon ManHerbie Hancock on Watermelon ManWatermelon Sacrifice at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage FestivalPygmy POP. A Genealogy of Schizophonic MimesisRosalia Explains Lux: 13 Languages! Heartbreak! Betrayal! Björk! (& ‘Euphoria’) - PopcastWhat Do Rosalia’s Lyrics Actually Mean By Michelle Santiago CortesRosalía's Berghain is a thunderous goth-pop hit -- but is it opera? By Laura Snapes (The Guardian)Rosalia’s Lux is Operatic, but is it Opera? By Joshua Barone (NYT)Another article by Snapes wherein Rosalía is quoted as being “hot for God” (The Guardian)Decoding the Language and Saints of Rosalías Lux (The Glottal Stop)Lux: An exploration of divine femininity NOT centered around ability to reproduce (Reddit)Spirituality and song: What Rosalía’s ‘Lux’ says about sainthood by Hannah Rich (Theos)Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Winter)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 →Visceral
Feb 300:39:29Tap to summarizeMusic has the power to soothe, excite, stir emotions, or make you get up and dance! And sometimes it elicits a visceral reaction that you weren't expecting... even after the umpteenth time you've heard the song. That's right, this week, we're talking about songs that wreak havoc on your nervous system.SONGS:David Bowie: Blackstar (2015) Bjork: hyperballad (1996)REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:Tony Visconti Talks About How Blackstar Was MadeJay Mills’ Drum Cover of BlackstarThe Guardian Review of Blackstar Video (2015)David Bowie: Lazarus (2016)A thank you letter to David Bowie from a palliative care doctorJohan Renck on directing Bowie’s final videosKendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)On David Bowie’s Blackstar, Turning to Jazz for Inspiration by Nate Chinen (2016)Bjork’s Interview in Record Collector Magazine (2002)"Hyperballad" stands the test of time... and honestly, we've yet to reach its time (The Unfortified Castle)The XFM Top 1,000 Songs of All TimeBjork's theory about paparazzi cultureConnect 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 →Made Up Words
Jan 2700:35:10Tap to summarizeFa La La. Shoo ba doo bee. MmmmBOP! Did you read those out loud just now? Congratulations. You can scat! All jokes aside, this week we’re focused on made up words in music! Some of the greatest hits of all time have a nonsensical word (or two!) in their lyrics, and we’re deep diving into some of our favorites in this episode! SONGS: Ooh Poo Pah Doo: Jessie Hill Serge Gainsbourg: Shu Ba Du Ba Loo Ba (1966)EXTRAS:Non-lexical vocables in musicKim Cattrall ScattingTwin Peaks Leland Palmers "Mairzy Doats"Just Judy: Judy Hill, I Wanna Tell You About Ooh Poo Pah Doo Trombone Shorty on Treme - “Ooh Poo Pah Doo”Jessie Hill article in GambitFrance Gall - Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son - Eurovision Winner 1965Gainsbourg and Birkin: Je t’aime…moi non plus (1969) Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life - Trailer (2011)Juliette Greco: La Javanaise (1963)Gainsbourg: La Javanaise (1968)Gainsbourg's 20 Most Scandalous Moments Gainsbourg & Greco Clip for Biopic (2011)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 →Let's Be Honest AKA Unpopular Music Opinions
Jan 2000:37:09Tap to summarizeWe’re not making any friends with this episode. But hopefully we don’t lose any either. We’re just being honest…and mildly obnoxious. Please listen until the end (unless you’re a Swiftie!).SONGS:Tom Waits: All the World is Green (2002) Beyonce: 7/11 (2014)EXTRAS:Live Circus Live at Jacksonville (2008)Tom Waits Library Tom Waits - IMDbCinematic Appearances of Tom Waits and His MusicTom Waits Glitter and Doom Press Conference (2008)Tom Waits: Grapefruit Moon (1973)Night on Earth Soundtrack (1991) Interview with Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan (1981)Tom Waits: Way Down in the Hole (1987)The Wire: Season 1 Opening Credits - Way Down in the Hole (The Blind Boys of Alabama)The Wire: Season 2 Opening Credits - Way Down in the Hole (Tom Waits)The Wire: Season 3 Opening Credits - Way Down in the Hole (The Neville Brothers)The Wire: Season 4 Opening Credits - Way Down in the Hole (DoMaJe)The Wire: Season 5 Opening Credits - Way Down in the Hole (Steve Earle)Story behind David Simon Choosing Way Down in the Hole for The WireDestiny's Child - Say My Name (1999)Beyonce's 2018 Coachella performanceThe Politics Behind Beyonce’s 2018 Coachella PerformanceCultural impact of Beyoncé Wikipedia Solange Has Built a Creative Empire. Now She’s Bringing Her Work HomeSolange's speech during Eldorado Ballroom performance in Houston, TX, in June 2025Connect 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 →Cautionary Tales
Aug 5, 2025Tap to summarizeSongs can teach you things! Who knew? Our artists knew, obviously. And we've learned a few cautionary tales in addition to our picks this week. Like... don't drink and gamble. Don't be a bad dad! Guns? Not our favorite. But if you're gonna have them, don't take them to town! And above all, if you're a jerk husband like Earl, well, watch out!Our cautionary tale to you, dear listeners, is to stay in touch lest you want to make us sad. And we will be back September 2 with Season Two of Stereothematica! VIDEOSSlick Rick: Children’s Story (1989)Bob Dylan: The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest (1967)EXTRASThe Making of Children’s Story Complex 50 Best Storytelling Rap SongsStax Reacts! First time hearing Children's Story (so fun!)Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick: The ShowDoug E. Fresh and Slick Rick: La Di Da DiQuestlove's Top 50 Hip Hop Songs of All Time (2012)Nautilus Samples How Dylan Created a Minimal New Sound on John Wesley HardingBob Dylan's Most Inscrutable LyricsConnect 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!
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