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Matt and Sam are back with new music for the month of April! We start in bright, timeless territory with Bruno Mars and a throwback pop approach that feels built for wedding dance floors, then slam the door into heavier energy with Muse leaning into hard rock and metal textures. From there, we dig into Fantastic Cat’s sharp songwriting, where a simple hook hides surprisingly dark, observant lines about how we package history and tragedy. Moby shows up with a dance track that’s louder than an old mall store and stickier than it first appears, and Jack White reminds us why great guitar tone and fearless rhythm still matter in modern rock. A big takeaway comes from The Temper Trap: playlist sequencing changes your experience. Put a lower-energy track in the wrong spot and it can feel like a full brake, even when it’s a great song. We also geek out over Raye’s musical-style album storytelling, the dark EDM chemistry of Boys Noize teaming with Nine Inch Nails, and Snoop Dogg’s effortless “strut mix” confidence. Then there’s Lana Del Rey delivering a Bond-worthy theme for a new James Bond video game, plus an EDM closer from Afrojack, Sia, and David Guetta that feels like a momentum switch flipping on. We wrap with Rosalia and the reminder that translating lyrics can reveal a whole second song hiding inside the beat.  Dance with Me - Bruno Mars Unraveling - MuseElevator - Fantastic Cat Everytime You Touch Me - Moby and BOOO!G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs - Jack WhiteSungazer - The Temper TrapThe WhatsApp Shakespeare - RAYECame Back Haunted - Nine Inch Nails & Boys NoiszStep - Snoop Dogg featuring Swizz BeatzFirst Light - Lana Del ReyAwake Tonight - AFROJACK, Sia & David GuettaFocu ‘Ranni - RosaliaGo to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

Prepare to immerse yourself in the 1980s rock scene as we explore the electrifying world of Van Halen. Matt and Samer take you on a fascinating journey through the band's evolution, sharing personal insights and experiences that bring the music to life. Learn why the band's famous concert rider demanded no brown M&Ms and how this quirky detail ensured the safety of their elaborate stage setups.    As we reminisce about our favorite Van Halen tracks, you'll discover the stories behind unforgettable hits like "Beautiful Girls" and "Everybody Wants Some!!". Feel the energy of Eddie Van Halen's iconic guitar riffs and Alex Van Halen's masterful drumming that turned their live shows into legendary rock experiences. Whether you're a lifelong fan or new to their sound, Samer's fresh perspective will make you appreciate the band's legacy in a whole new way.    Witness the dramatic shift in Van Halen's musical style as we discuss the transition from David Lee Roth to Sammy Hagar. We delve into the band's search for their new frontman, exploring their surprising approaches before landing on Hagar, and how this change influenced their sound from edgy rock anthems to synth-driven, relationship-focused tracks. We also examine the band's later years, including the impact of albums like "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and "Balance," culminating in a tribute to Eddie Van Halen's lasting legacy in rock history.    https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/intro-to-van-halen/pl.u-ygAVHbq4xE   1. Eruption 2. You Really Got Me 3. Dance the Night Away 4. Beautiful Girls 5. Everybody Wants Some!! 6. Panama 7. Hot for Teacher 8. Why Can’t This Be Love 9. Dreams 10. Finish What Ya Started 11. Right Now 12. Top of the World 13. Can’t Stop Lovin’ You Go to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

Matt just turned 49, and instead of doing a normal birthday playlist, we turned it into a rule: only songs from the years he hit perfect-square ages. That one idea creates a timeline you can actually hear, jumping from 1978 to 1981 to 1986, then into 1993, 2002, and 2013, with two tracks per year and a lot of life packed in between. We talk through why each pick makes the cut and what it carries with it. Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” becomes a family story about risk, immigration, and gratitude. The Who’s “Who Are You” turns into a birthday question that never stops being useful, while Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” bring the pure classic rock adrenaline. Later, Paul Simon and Van Halen hit the sweet spot of memory and ambition, then Tony! Toni! Tone! and Prince add sharp lessons about money, attention, and the weirdly perfect connections you only notice looking backward. The mix gets heavier and more honest too. We get into Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising” and its 9/11-era weight, and Matt shares the personal story behind Eminem’s “Without Me” and how a song can show up at the exact moment you need it. We close with Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us” tied to a daughter’s dance solo, and Fun.’s “Carry On” as a message for anyone in a long season of parenting, grief, or rebuilding. https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/matt-2026-birthday-mix/pl.u-MzBDtNqbr8 1. The Gambler - Kenny Rogers 2. Who Are You? - The Who 3. Tom Sawyer - Rush 4. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey 5. You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon 6. Dreams - Van Halen 7. If I Had No Loot - Toni! Tony! Tone! 8. 7 - Prince & The New Power Generation 9. The Rising - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 10. Without Me - Eminem 11. Can't Hold Us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 12. Carry On - fun Go to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

This week's Mixtape Rewind takes us back to Season 1 when Instagram picked our summer soundtrack, and we just tried to keep up. We asked listeners to send their best summer songs, then built a real mixtape out of the chaos: 12 tracks that feel like heat haze, long evenings, and that first day when summer finally clicks into place. Along the way, we shout out the people who submitted picks and admit where we couldn’t resist sneaking in a few of our own. The fun part is how quickly “summer music” stops being simple. We get nostalgic with LFO’s “Summer Girls” and the oddly unforgettable lyrics that still scream 1999, then jump to Sylvan Esso’s “Rooftop Dancing” and talk about why rooftops are basically the city version of a pool. Weezer’s “Feels Like Summer” brings that bittersweet edge, and from there we keep pulling on the thread of sunny songs that hide something darker underneath. Lorde’s “Solar Power” nails the new-release summer vibe, The Kinks’ “Sunny Afternoon” turns out to be way more cynical than it sounds, and Childish Gambino’s “Feels Like Summer” smuggles climate change anxiety into a laid-back groove. We round it out with true summer essentials like DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s “Summertime,” a pure-pop hit from Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen, a “Constructive Summer” pep talk from The Hold Steady, and a cover-song detour with The Ataris and “Kokomo” before Poison closes the night with “Nothing But A Good Time.” One more tease: there’s no Bruce Springsteen on the main mix, and yes, we noticed. Hit play, share this with a friend who hoards playlists, and leave a review if you want more listener-built mixes. What’s the one song you swear belongs on every summer playlist? You can find the mix here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2xecia1iK9SH9fpDGGyElY?si=60cde1613e264ad0 1. Summer Girls - LFO 2. Rooftop Dancing - Sylvan Esso 3. Feels Like Summer - Weezer 4. Solar Power - Lorde 5. Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks 6. Feels Like Summer - Childish Gambino 7. Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince 8. Good Time - Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen 9. Constructive Summer - The Hold Steady 10. The Boys of Summer - The Ataris 11. Kokomo - Lily Wood and the Prick 12. Nothing but a Good Time - Poison Go to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

Spring shows up and suddenly the release calendar explodes, so Matt and Sam do what we always do on Super Awesome Mix: sift through the chaos and hand you a March new music playlist that’s actually worth your time. We start with U2’s “Yours Eternally,” a collaboration that pulls in Ed Sheeran and Ukrainian artist Taras Topolia and frames a protest minded moment with an unexpectedly hopeful finish. From there we jump into Death Cab for Cutie’s “Riptides,” a track that captures modern burnout in one chorus, then test the line between country and pop with Megan Moroney and Sheeran. The mix keeps pivoting: Charlotte Sands brings a hard rock jolt, King Tuff turns time into a hook you’ll quote all week, and Blackpink proves again how effortlessly K-pop can play as mainstream pop and hip hop. On the rap and rock side, we dig into Killer Mike’s soundtrack cut and the idea that honesty beats a friendly facade, then crank up The Pretty Reckless, Freddie Gibbs with DJ Paul (adult ears only), and Sevendust’s “Unbreakable” for anyone who needs a little volume to get through the day. We close with Bleachers pushing back against outside noise and a Mumford and Sons collaboration with Chris Stapleton that somehow feels both simple and huge. https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/sam-march-2026-new-music/pl.u-z2pvuGxoYJ 1. Yours Eternally - U2 featuring Ed Sheeran & Taras Topolia 2. Riptides - Death Cab for Cutie 3. I Only Miss You - Megan Moroney & Ed Sheeran 4. One Eye Open - Charlotte Sands 5. Invisible Ink - King Tuff 6. Me and my - Blackpink 7. Spying Eyes (Smiling Faces) - Killer Mike featuring Lena Byrd Miles 8. When I Wake Up - The Pretty Reckless 9. Find Out - Freddie Gibbs & DJ Paul 10. Unbreakable - Sevendust 11. dirty wedding dress - Bleachers 12. Here - Mumford & Sons & Chris Stapleton Go to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

This week's Mixtape Rewind take us back to the end of 2022 as we countdown our final 12 songs of the year.  We argue, laugh and occasionally get a little existential about the songs that earned repeat plays, the lyrics that won’t let go, and the artists who made the whole internet stop and listen. We start in motion with a driving track that brings back the pre-smartphone road trip era and the simple thrill of turning everything off and just going. Then we jump straight into pop gravity: Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” why one perfectly timed line can become an earworm, and how that hook can even mess with your morning self-talk. From there, we bring the party back with a feel-good Calvin Harris collaboration that somehow feels underrated, plus Wet Leg’s sharp, funny lyrical detours that reject the constant stream of judgment and noise. The second half widens the sound on purpose: Zach Bryan surprises us with real emotion and a reminder that memory isn’t linear, Rosalia delivers genre-bending Latin music that hits even harder when you translate the words, and Run The Jewels combine protest bars with a remix approach that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. We also hit Regina Spektor’s “sugar vs love” warning, The Mountain Goats as the perfect workout song, Phoenix with Ezra Koenig for pure nostalgia, and Kendrick Lamar closing the door with grief, trauma, and the strange way we can be united even when everyone mourns differently. Empty Stomachs and Bloodshot Eyes by Jake Swamp and the PineAnti-Hero by Taylor SwiftStay With Me by Calvin Harris, Justin Timberlake, Halsey, Pharrel WilliamsAngelica by Wet LegThe Greatest Day Of My Life by Zach BryanBULERIAS by ROSALIAJU$T [Toy Selectah Version] by Run the Jewels, EL-P, Killer MikeSugarMan by Regina SpektorTraining Montage by The Mountain GoatsTonight (feat. Ezra Koenig) by PhoenixThe Last Dance by St. Paul & The Broken BonesUnited In Grief by Kendrick LamarGo to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

A steel town becomes a stage, a chorus becomes a dare, and a new record asks what we’ll do when the comfort runs out. We sit down with XBYRDX (aka Bird), a southern Indiana singer‑songwriter, to trace six formative tracks—Springsteen’s Youngstown, The Jesus and Mary Chain’s Just Like Honey, The Clash’s White Riot, The Replacements’ Unsatisfied, The Cure’s Plainsong, and Hüsker Dü’s Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely—and hear how noise, melody, and place turned him toward cinematic songwriting. Then we dive into Anthems for the End Times, where XBYRDX threads big themes through tight hooks. “Ayn Rand’s On Welfare” challenges a polished indifference that calls itself self‑reliance and reminds us that posting isn’t voting. “MAGA Girl” wears a pop sheen while charting a romance split by worldview. “Shrine” confronts flags and monuments, arguing for context over erasure and the courage to tell full history. “Prize Fighter” is the bell‑ring: get off the ropes, organize, and claim agency. The title track sounds apocalyptic but hides a stubborn optimism—no savior is coming, so we move now, together. “White Noise” closes on our algorithmic silos, urging listeners to step past the echo and find signal. Across the conversation, XBYRDX talks craft—layered synths, texture over solos, melodies that carry weight—and the artists who taught him to let songs feel like weather. If you’re drawn to protest music with heart, indie rock with teeth, and storytelling that sees people before positions, this one’s for you.  Stream 'Anthems for the End Times' on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you get your invisible music, and let us know which track hit you first.  Go to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

This week's Mixtape Rewind has our friend and the host of the podcast What Are You Listening To?, Jenn Tully, joining Matt and Sam to present her Desert Island Mix.....which may have changed since we recorded this episode. From 80s powerhouses to modern indie storytellers, Jenn maps the songs that shaped her life and the moments they still soundtrack. We start in montage mode with John Waite’s Change and a spirited Vision Quest detour, then settle into anchor territory: the Eagles’ warm-road harmonies and Led Zeppelin’s tender Tangerine. Joy spikes with The Police’s Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, a steel-drum smile fit for any beach, while Taylor Swift’s Invisible String wraps pandemic-era time into something curious, mystical, and finally wondrous. Jenn’s love for storytelling shines through John Mayer’s Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, a cult-favorite narrative that sparks debate about reinvention, risk, and what it means to surface somewhere new. Modern textures pull the set forward. Glass Animals’ Life Itself examines belonging with kinetic honesty, Iron & Wine’s Call It Dreaming offers lyrical grace for anyone carrying old loves, and Young the Giant’s Superposition turns physics into romance—finding beauty in overlap, uncertainty, and dual truths. We celebrate Annie Lennox’s vocal fire on Eurythmics’ Would I Lie to You and the candid power of sister-trio Haim on Forever. And to close, Jenn lands on Madonna’s Borderline, a timeless 80s gem that still blooms on every listen. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7DVnKQUtnZyidjcaKrAQub?si=4bfe773548754bb7 You can find her mix on Apple Music here: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/jenn-tully-desert-island-mix/pl.u-11zBJogFNWpD5mB Be sure to follow her own super awesome mix show here: https://whatareyoulisteningto.buzzsprout.com  Change by John WaiteOl’ 55 by EaglesTangerine by Led ZeppelinLife Itself by Glass AnimalsEvery Little Thing She Does Is Magic by The Policeinvisible string by Taylor SwiftWould I Lie to You by Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave StewartCall It Dreaming by Iron & WineWalt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967 by John MayerForever by HAIMSuperposition by Young the GiantBorderline by MadonnaGo to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

Blizzard warnings outside, sonic weather systems inside. Matt and Sam pulled together twelve new tracks that cut through the February haze, from Bruce Springsteen’s lightning-fast protest release to Charli XCX’s orchestral, slow-burn elegance. The throughline is momentum—how artists old and new push ideas forward, whether by turning up the amps, sharpening the story, or stripping a feeling down to its essential parts. We start with the tradition of the protest song and how the modern pipeline lets Bruce write Friday, record Saturday, and shake feeds by Sunday. That urgency echoes across the mix: Moby and Jacob Lusk descend into winter stillness with a haunting piano rework, while Metric flips the phrase “victim of luck” into a catchy meditation on fortune’s fallout. Foo Fighters slam back to a vintage roar, asking heavy questions with a grin, and Joe Jackson proves legacy doesn’t mean nostalgic—his bright, narrative pop still lands clean. Midway, the energy pivots. Andrew Bird and Gavin Brivick give us a short, tender plea that lingers, then Young the Giant wrestle with belonging and the quiet art of not letting go. The Black Keys deliver a bluesy reminder that losses make the wins sweeter, and J. Cole sets 'Two Six' ablaze with tight imagery and shape-shifting flow. Charli XCX steps into cinematic mode for Wuthering Heights, weaving strings and restraint to let the emotion breathe. We close with memory and maintenance: Joyce Manor’s snapshot of the bar that shaped a moment, and The New Pornographers’ vow to keep the small flame alive—“my hands are cupped around a match.”  If you’re here for thoughtful lyrics, rock that punches, indie hooks, and a few gut-punch lines you’ll carry all week, queue this one up and ride the arc with us. https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/sam-february-2026-new-music/pl.u-0KJxH4oxbV 1. Streets of Minneapolis - Bruce Springsteen 2. When It's Cold I'd Like To Die - Moby & Jacob Lusk 3. Victim of Luck - Metric 4. Asking For A Friend - Foo Fighters 5. Fabulous People - Joe Jackson 6. Need Someone - Andrew Bird & Gavin  7. Different Kind of Love - Young the Giant 8. You Got to Lose - The Black Keys 9. Two Six - J Cole 10. Always Everywhere - Charli XCX 11. I Used To Go To This Bar - Joyce Manor 12. Votive - The New Pornographers Go to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

This week's Mixtape Rewind takes us back to Season 3 when we first thought of the idea that would become our podcast, The Battle. What happens when two totally different songs share the exact same title? We built a “battle mix” to find out—pairing heavyweights and outliers across genres and decades—then we argue, analyze, and crown winners. From Go to Get Back, each round reveals how a single word can split into protest anthems, breakup arias, dance‑floor bliss, or guitar‑driven chaos. We kick off with Blink‑182 and The Black Keys on Go, weighing a bold tonal shift against a signature groove. Eurythmics steamroll Charles & Eddie on Would I Lie To You with brass, bite, and Annie Lennox’s powerhouse vocal. True Love sparks a values debate: Angels & Airwaves deliver a soaring, cinematic build while Coldplay’s “lie if you must” line clashes with the title. Roy Orbison’s You Got It proves timeless compared to a New Kids on the Block time capsule. Then it’s Growing Pains, as Alessia Cara’s present‑tense anxiety meets Ludacris’s reflective narrative—two coming‑of‑age angles, one title. The center of the card gets fiery. Green Day’s Holiday channels mid‑2000s protest energy against Madonna’s disco‑pop celebration. Rihanna’s Take A Bow serves velvet‑gloved dismissal, while Muse opens an album with a synth‑rock chill that lingers. Tupac and The Beach Boys both claim I Get Around, one with effortless charisma and the other with historic chart significance. Foo Fighters’ Run slams with near‑metal intensity, outpacing Snow Patrol’s slow‑burn. Happy pits NF’s candid mental‑health lens against Pharrell’s pure joy machine—two roads to one feeling. And our main event, Get Back, throws Ludacris’s peak hit‑maker energy against The Beatles’ cultural gravity and complicated context.  https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/same-name-different-songs-mix/pl.u-JPAZEoJTLd7Y15j https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1sCtai2Hujfbv9kZD0qnU9?si=779125752f4c4f3f       Go by The Black KeysGo by blink-182Would I Lie To You? By Charles & EddieWould I Lie To You? by Eurythmics, Annie Lennox,Dave StewartTrue Love by Angels & AirwavesTrue Love by ColdplayYou Got It (The Right Stuff) by New Kids On The BlockYou Got It by Roy OrbisonGrowing Pains by LudacrisGrowing Pains by Alessia CaraHoliday by Green DayHoliday by MadonnaTake A Bow by RihannaTake a Bow by MuseI Get Around by 2PacI Get Around by The Beach BoysRun by Snow PatrolRun by Foo FightersSummertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh PrinceSummertime by Kenny ChesneyHAPPY by NFHappy by Pharrell WilliamsGet Back by LudacrisGet Back by The Beatles Go to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

What do you do with songs you adore but can’t file anywhere? That was the inspiration for Sam's 2026 birthday mix.  He shares with Matt everything from TV themes that outshine their shows, soundtrack deep cuts that became life markers, long builds that earn their intensity, and genre-bending grooves that defy labels. We start with Benjamin Clementine’s Nemesis and the power of a great intro to set tone and memory, then shift to Regina Spektor’s reminder not to confuse sugar with love. A Nike-era earworm from Crystal Fighters and Puscifer’s Grand Canyon showcase how movement and mood can make a song feel cinematic. Death Cab for Cutie’s I Will Possess Your Heart proves the four-minute intro isn’t excess—it’s obsession rendered in sound. Passion Pit reframes a Smashing Pumpkins classic into a floating, nerve-steadying cover, while Anderson .Paak’s Till It’s Over blooms from grayscale to neon like a perfect post-work reset. Meg Washington’s How to Tame Lions hooks by tone and clever wordplay even when meaning stays elusive. Del Castillo lights up the room with blistering Spanish guitar, conjuring old west horizons without a single frame of film. Lorde’s A World Alone lands a painfully true line about growing up online. Mr. Scruff’s Get a Move On becomes the exact soundtrack to your morning routine. And Zero 7’s Likufanele closes with a hypnotic chant that turns focus into flow. If you enjoyed the ride, share the episode with a friend, subscribe for more curated mixes, and leave a five-star review to help us climb to number one by episode 200. https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/sam-sam-birthday-2026-mix/pl.u-9DX3du7dDK4b Nemesis - Benjamin ClementineSugarMan - Regina SpektorFollow - Crystal FightersGrand Canyon - PusciferI Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab for CutieTonight, Tonight - Passion Pit ‘Til It’s Over - Anderson PaakHow To Tame Lions - Meg WashingtonEl Corrido De Don Lulai - Del CastilloA World Alone - Lorde Get A Move On! - Mr. ScruffLikufanele - Zero 7Go to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

This week's Mixtape Rewind takes us back to season 2 where we started off looking at second albums from artists.  We pull from a wide spectrum—Bowie and Springsteen, Weezer and George Strait, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Kacey Musgraves, Childish Gambino and AJR, Vampire Weekend, All-American Rejects, Foo Fighters, and Kanye—to map the patterns behind sophomore success. The result is a guided, story-rich playlist that shows how voice, risk, and timing can turn “album two” into the real breakthrough. We start with liftoff—David Bowie’s Space Oddity—then punch into the live-wire storytelling of Springsteen’s Rosalita. From there, the conversation pivots to reinvention: Weezer’s Pinkerton, once dismissed, now revered for its raw edge; George Strait’s grounded homesickness that proves classic country doesn’t need novelty to resonate; and Macklemore’s Thrift Shop, which became a phenomenon by celebrating thrift finds instead of luxury culture. You’ll hear how Kacey Musgraves’ Biscuits distills social wisdom into wry, singable lines, and how Childish Gambino’s 3005 pairs melodic pull with a search for purpose that gives the hook real weight. We dig into narrative and craft, too. AJR’s Netflix Trip turns The Office into a memory map for growing up, while Vampire Weekend’s Horchata blends intricate arrangements with playful rhyme in a way that feels both brainy and breezy. Rock anchors the back half: All-American Rejects deliver a straight-shot hook with Dirty Little Secret, and Foo Fighters’ Everlong crystallizes the band’s identity as they evolve from a one-man debut to a full-force collective. We close on Kanye’s Gone, a late-album standout from Late Registration that proves the deepest cuts often hold the longest fuse.  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/78UWWKd8DuntJfsrnJRWEn?si=Jw_1rDNCQkGJFe1PONg-6A Space Oddity by David BowieRosalita by Bruce SpringsteenThe Good Life by WeezerI Can’t See Texas From Here by George StraitThrift Shop by Macklemore & Ryan LewisBiscuits by Kacey Musgraves3005 by Childish GambinoNetflix Trip by AJRHorchata by Vampire WeekendDirty Little Secret by The All-American RejectsEverlong by Foo FighteresGone by Kanye WestGo to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

New year, clean slate, and a mixtape that refuses to play it safe. We kick things off with ASAP Rocky’s Helicopter, a three‑minute charge from Don’t Be Dumb that sets a confident tone for a tightly curated run through surprise genres, sharp writing, and risky ideas. From there, we veer into Band of Heathens shifting into country textures, then drop into Iron and Wine’s porch‑warm melancholy and Anna of the North’s neon‑lit take on love bombing—two songs that hold the tension between wanting connection and protecting your heart. We swing the mood with Gorillaz and Sparks on The Happy Dictator, a sing‑along satire that skewers savior posturing across politics and boardrooms. Then Baz Luhrmann’s team reassembles Elvis “DNA” into Wearing That Nightlife Look, all horns, gospel lift, and prime‑era presence. For a different kind of high, Illenium teams with Ryan Tedder on With Your Love, an EDM‑pop crossover built on sturdy songwriting and cathartic drops. We keep it playful with Chinese American Bear’s No No Yeah Yeah, a bilingual indie pop hook that’s all sunshine and earworm, before turning the amps back up with Silversun Pickups and their familiar, satisfying alt‑rock grit on The Wreckage. Juliana Hatfield offers a gentle anthem for choosing yourself with Harmonizing With Myself—finding rhythm in solitude and reframing pain—then we take a bold detour into French rap with Ninho and Freeze Corleone, where flow and cadence carry the emotion beyond language. Finally, Logic bends format with The Ballad of Rooster Jenkins, a long‑form narrative that spends seven minutes building a world before the beat lands, proving story can still command attention in a skip‑happy era. Tap play, follow our Song of the Day for daily gems, and share this mix with a friend who needs a fresh soundtrack.  https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/sam-2026-january-new-music/pl.u-e2kEmIWl941Y 1. Helicopter - A$AP Rocky 2. High on our Supply - The Band of Heathens 3. In Your Ocean - Iron & Wine 4. Waiting for Love - Anna of the North 5. The Happy Dictator - Gorillaz featuring Sparks 6. Wearin That Night Life Look - Elvis Presley & Jamieson Shaw 7. With Your Love - Illenium & Ryan Tedder 8. No No Yeah Yeah - Chinese American Bear 9. The Wreckage - Silversun Pickups 10. Harmonizing with Myself - Juliana Hatfield 11. Dictionnaires - Ninho & Freeze Corleone 12. The Ballad of Rooster Jenkins - Logic Go to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

This week's Mixtape Rewind takes you back to where Matt and Sam reviewed memorable first tracks from albums.  The first track can make you stay, skip, or fall in love. We dove into 12 album openers that don’t just start a record — they define it — and traced how a great intro sets the promise for everything that follows. From the sunlit optimism of the Beach Boys’ Wouldn’t It Be Nice to the neon stride of Taylor Swift’s Welcome to New York, we explore how artists use track one to signal a theme, a shift, or a dare. We share the moments that hooked us: Alanis Morissette cutting straight to the bone on All I Really Want, Pearl Jam’s Once roaring to life as a debut mission statement, and Chance the Rapper turning gospel joy into a full-album thesis on All We Got. We also talk about pivots and reinvention — Springsteen’s The E Street Shuffle breaking from his Dylan-leaning debut, and Swift’s leap from Nashville to skyscraper synth-pop — and why that boldness belongs right up front. Along the way, we celebrate high-voltage openers like Sleigh Bells’ Tell ’Em, the literate punch of Titus Andronicus’ A More Perfect Union, the tender sting of Dashboard Confessional’s Hands Down, the bittersweet charm of The Shins’ Kissing the Lipless, and Andrew Bird’s Fiery Crash turning an airline safety demo into a meditation on mortality. This is a love letter to sequencing, storytelling, and the lost art of letting an album guide your night.  Matt and Samer go through twelve songs that served as the opening tracks for some amazing albums. You can find the mix here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/04FSmhh5ejKJ5oDdPr1WED?si=060ea013ab8c4c76 1. A More Perfect Union - Titus Andronicus 2. Somebody's Baby - Jackson Browne 3. Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells 4. Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys 5. All We Got - Chance the Rapper 6. All I Really Want - Alanis Morrissette 7. Kissing the Lipless - The Shins 8. The E Street Shuffle - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 9. Hands Down - Dashboard Confessional 10. Once - Pearl Jam 11. Fiery Crash - Andrew Bird 12. Welcome to New York - Taylor Swift 13. Let Go - Frou Frou 14. Back on the Block - Quincy Jones 15. Marching Bands of Manhattan - Death Cab for Cutie 16. Where the Streets Have No Name - U2 Go to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!

What if the sixth album is where artists finally step into their truest selves? We kick off season six by chasing that idea across genres and decades, building a mix from Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Kendrick Lamar, Prince, Beyoncé, The Beatles, Jay-Z, John Mayer, The National, Michael Jackson, Foo Fighters, and A Tribe Called Quest. The pattern that emerges is hard to ignore: at album six, craft meets courage, and the results can be seismic. We start with contrasts—Radiohead’s brooding There, There and the stark intimacy of Springsteen’s Nebraska—spotlighting how restraint can be as bold as maximalism. Kendrick’s TV Off punches at the attention economy while delivering meme-worthy flair; Prince’s Purple Rain towers as a career-defining epic that still feels alive. We trace personal and cultural stakes in Beyoncé’s Formation, then pivot to The Beatles’ Michelle to show how Rubber Soul reshaped their sound with subtle, melodic confidence. The timeline gets playful when Jay-Z’s ’03 Bonnie & Clyde foreshadows what Lemonade would later complicate. We celebrate narrative craft in John Mayer’s Walt Grace, sit with The National’s vulnerable “45%er” admission, and marvel at Thriller’s near-greatest-hits density anchored by Billie Jean. Foo Fighters’ The Pretender turns sixth-album freedom into kinetic fuel, and A Tribe Called Quest’s We the People closes with legacy, politics, and gratitude—proof that a final statement can still move the culture forward. https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/sam-2026-6th-album-mix/pl.u-1LX0auZaGX7V 1. There, There - Radiohead 2. Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen 3. tv off - Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay 4. Purple Rain - Prince 5. Formation - Beyonce 6. Michelle - The Beatles 7. '03 Bonnie & Clyde - Jay-Z featuring Beyonce 8. Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967 - John Mayer 9. I Need My Girl - The National 10. Thriller - Michael Jackson 11. The Pretender - Foo Fighters 12. We The People.... - A Tribe Called Quest Go to My.SuperAwesomeMix.com and start using our new app on any device - mobile or laptop.  Copy and paste a link to your playlist then turn it into an old school mixtape in minutes!   Support the show Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!