MODERN MUSICOLOGY

#156 - Holiday 2025!

It's our final episode of 2025! It's also our Holiday episode, AND it's our 3rd Anniversary!
This week we celebrate the musical traditions of the season! What makes a great Christmas song? What are some of our favorites? What are some of the best music-related Christmas gifts we've received in the past? We also impart some advice on gift-giving for the music lovers in our lives!
And finally, we take a look back at our past year and talk about some of our favorite shows we did in 2025.
First, though, we check the mailbag for some listener messages from our last two episodes!
We'll see you in January 2026!
We love hearing from our listeners! Drop us a line at modernmusicology1@gmail.com or just leave a comment on our socials or whatever podcast platform you're listening to us. 
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernMusicology 
Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmusicologypodcast/ 
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModrnMusicology 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-MlcGy5u3fK1j4bVty1Kw 
Modern Musicology is part of the ESO Podcast Network. https://esonetwork.com/ 
Find more about us:
Rob Levy: https://kdhx.org/shows/show/juxtaposition Stephanie Seymour: www.therearebirds.com  R. Alan Siler: www.kozmiccreative.com  Anthony Williams: https://watchers4d.podbean.com/

#155 - 80s Movie Soundtracks

Everybody loves 80s movies, right? This week we are joined by author and film historiian John Malahy, whose new book Rewinding the 80s: Cinema Under the Influence of Music Videos, Action Stars, and a Cold War was released October 2025, to talk about the great soundtracks of the decade, from Top Gun, Flashdance, Lost Boys and Gorgio Moroder's weird new version of Metropolis, to the rise of pop stars Prince, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and Danny Elfman as movie stars and film scorers. John talks about the influence of MTV on film (and vice versa) and what made the 80s a special time for film music. 
John's book makes a great holiday gift for any film buff! Pick up a copy HERE or at your local bookstore! 
We love hearing from our listeners! Drop us a line at modernmusicology1@gmail.com or just leave a comment on our socials or whatever podcast platform you're listening to us. 
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernMusicology 
Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmusicologypodcast/ 
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModrnMusicology 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-MlcGy5u3fK1j4bVty1Kw 
Modern Musicology is part of the ESO Podcast Network. https://esonetwork.com/ 
Find more about us:
Rob Levy: https://kdhx.org/shows/show/juxtaposition Stephanie Seymour: www.therearebirds.com  R. Alan Siler: www.kozmiccreative.com  Anthony Williams: https://watchers4d.podbean.com/

#154 - TV Theme Songs!

We've got a fun one for you this week! Stephanie leads the Modern Musicology gang in a discussion of our favorite TV Theme Songs! We each select five of our favorite themes, give a little story behind it, and say why we love it. Our discussion covers everything from sci-fi, police and medical dramas to game shows and kids shows, encompassing funk, rock, jazz, soul, orchestral, kitsch, and the absolutely absurd. 
What do you think of our picks? What's something that you love that didn't get a mention in our show? Drop us a line at modernmusicology1@gmail.com or just leave a comment on our socials or whatever podcast platform you're listening to us. 
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernMusicology 
Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmusicologypodcast/ 
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModrnMusicology 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-MlcGy5u3fK1j4bVty1Kw 
Modern Musicology is part of the ESO Podcast Network. https://esonetwork.com/ 
Find more about us:
Rob Levy: https://kdhx.org/shows/show/juxtaposition Stephanie Seymour: www.therearebirds.com  R. Alan Siler: www.kozmiccreative.com  Anthony Williams: https://watchers4d.podbean.com/

#153 - 2025 Rock Hall Inductions!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame held their 2025 induction ceremony was held on November 8, and Rob and Alan are here to review it all! The 2025 class of inductees are:
Performer Category:
Bad Company
Chubby Checker
Joe Cocker
Cyndi Lauper
Outkast
Soundgarden
The White Stripes
Musical Influence Award:
Salt-N-Pepa
Warren Zevon
Musical Excellence Award:
Thom Bell
Nicky Hopkins
Carol Kaye
Ahmet Ertegun Award:
Lenny Waronker
We review all of the key moments, including all the performances, plus acceptance speeches, the video packages, the In Memorium, and more! If you've not seen the program yet, it's available on Disney+.
Let us know what your favorite moments from the Rock Hall Induction were! Drop us a line at modernmusicology1@gmail.com or just leave a comment on our socials or whatever podcast platform you're listening to us. 
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernMusicology 
Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmusicologypodcast/ 
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModrnMusicology 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-MlcGy5u3fK1j4bVty1Kw 
Modern Musicology is part of the ESO Podcast Network. https://esonetwork.com/ 
Find more about us:
Rob Levy: https://kdhx.org/shows/show/juxtaposition Stephanie Seymour: www.therearebirds.com  R. Alan Siler: www.kozmiccreative.com  Anthony Williams: https://watchers4d.podbean.com/

#152 - Anthony's Birthday Extravaganza!

Remember the days when you would sit around with your friends and play records for each other? Well, that's what we do on this week's Modern Musicology! To celebrate Anthony's 38th birthday, he shares with us 20 songs that he loves and gets our reaction to them. Anthony's tastes range from pop to metal, from prog to rap, with some kitsch and silliness along the way. We'll hear songs by bands that you'd expect from Anthony, like Marillion, Porcupine Tree, and Marina, but there's also some unexpected things like White Lies, The Church of the Cosmic Skull, Sopor Aeternus, and even Public Enemy, plus a lot more. We definitely had a great time doing our deep dive into Anthony's collection!
To listen in full to the songs that Anthony has selected for us, you can follow along on this Spotify playlist. If you like any of these songs and want to hear more, there's a second playlist with some additional recommendations.  
Let us know if you enjoyed this episode! Drop us a line at modernmusicology1@gmail.com or just leave a comment on our socials or whatever podcast platform you're listening to us. 
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernMusicology 
Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmusicologypodcast/ 
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModrnMusicology 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-MlcGy5u3fK1j4bVty1Kw 
Modern Musicology is part of the ESO Podcast Network. https://esonetwork.com/ 
Find more about us:
Rob Levy: https://kdhx.org/shows/show/juxtaposition Stephanie Seymour: www.therearebirds.com  R. Alan Siler: www.kozmiccreative.com  Anthony Williams: https://watchers4d.podbean.com/
 

#151 - ACE!

ACE FREHLEY
On October 16, 2025 one of the most influential guitarists in the history of rock - ACE FREHLEY of KISS - passed away at the age of 74.  Court Lewis and Matt Alschbach of the Rock and Metal Profs Podcast join us to share memories of Ace and talk about his impact on the musical landscape. We share our favorite songs, favorite solos, favorite concert memories, and a few funny stories along the way.
If you're a fan of hard rock and metal, check out the Rock and Metal Profs podcast, 
We'd love to hear your memories of Ace Frehley! Drop us a line at modernmusicology1@gmail.com or just leave a comment on our socials or whatever podcast platform you're listening to us. 
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernMusicology 
Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmusicologypodcast/ 
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModrnMusicology 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-MlcGy5u3fK1j4bVty1Kw 
Modern Musicology is part of the ESO Podcast Network. https://esonetwork.com/ 
Find more about us:
Rob Levy: https://kdhx.org/shows/show/juxtaposition Stephanie Seymour: www.therearebirds.com  R. Alan Siler: www.kozmiccreative.com  Anthony Williams: https://watchers4d.podbean.com/

#150 - Ticket Prices

Rob, Alan, and Stephanie -- joined by our buddy JM Tuffley -- go on a bit of a passionate, cathartic rant about a topic that really gets under our skin: TICKET PRICES! Trust me, we have a lot to say on this topic! We rage against the machine on subjects like exorbitant prices, ridiculous handling fees, long wait times, server crashes, and we try to suss out the root cause of all of this. We feel so much better having gotten this off of our collective chest!
First, though, we get to some Listener Feedback and talk about Ace Frehley (KISS) and Dave Ball (Soft Cell). 
Have you had a frustrating experience with buying tickets? We wanna hear about it! Drop us a line and let us know at modernmusicology1@gmail.com or just leave a comment on our socials or whatever podcast platform you're listening to us. 
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernMusicology 
Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmusicologypodcast/ 
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModrnMusicology 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-MlcGy5u3fK1j4bVty1Kw 
Modern Musicology is part of the ESO Podcast Network. https://esonetwork.com/ 
Find more about us:
Rob Levy: https://kdhx.org/shows/show/juxtaposition Stephanie Seymour: www.therearebirds.com  R. Alan Siler: www.kozmiccreative.com  Anthony Williams: https://watchers4d.podbean.com/

#149 - In Our SHOWGIRL ERA

This week we're joined by two friends of the show, Daniel Pierce and Tillman Smoot, to talk all things Taylor Swift! We review Taylor's new album, The Life of a Showgirl, plus all the things around it -- the talk show appearances, the "Fate of Ophelia" music video, the cinema listening party, and more. How does this album rate amongst her previous ones? How does the "Ophelia" video rank against other albums' lead singles? Plus, we'll cover the announcement of the upcoming 6-part Disney+ Eras Tour documentary plus a new Eras Tour concert film. 
We'd love to hear your thoughts about this episode or about the Taylor Swift album! Drop us a line and let us know at modernmusicology1@gmail.com or just leave a comment on our socials or whatever podcast platform you're listening to us. 
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernMusicology 
Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmusicologypodcast/ 
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModrnMusicology 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-MlcGy5u3fK1j4bVty1Kw 
Modern Musicology is part of the ESO Podcast Network. https://esonetwork.com/ 
Find more about us:
Rob Levy: https://kdhx.org/shows/show/juxtaposition Stephanie Seymour: www.therearebirds.com  R. Alan Siler: www.kozmiccreative.com  Anthony Williams: https://watchers4d.podbean.com/

#148 - Buckingham Nicks

After a 52-year absence, Buckingham Nicks,the debut album by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, has finally been reissued in a newly remastered form. We're joined by author Steven Cooper to talk about the album and Lindsey and Stevie's journey from obscurity to international superstardom in Fleetwood Mac, and Steven tells us his story of meeting Stevie. Plus we talk a little about the solo careers of some of the other Fleetwood Mac members. 
If you're interested in learning more about Steven and his books, you can find information at stevencooperbooks.com
We'd love to hear your thoughts about this episode or about the Buckingham Nicks album! Drop us a line and let us know at modernmusicology1@gmail.com or just leave a comment on our socials or whatever podcast platform you're listening to us. 
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernMusicology 
Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmusicologypodcast/ 
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModrnMusicology 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-MlcGy5u3fK1j4bVty1Kw 
Modern Musicology is part of the ESO Podcast Network. https://esonetwork.com/ 
Find more about us:
Rob Levy: https://kdhx.org/shows/show/juxtaposition Stephanie Seymour: www.therearebirds.com  R. Alan Siler: www.kozmiccreative.com  Anthony Williams: https://watchers4d.podbean.com/

#147 - The Music of 1995

We pay a visit to the year 1995 to talk about some of the music that was released that year. Anthony gives us the lowdown on the metal and prog scene at the time; Stephanie shares stories from her time at Virgin Records; Rob catches us up on the electronic scene, Alan fills us in on what a few legacy acts are getting up to at this point in their career; and the whole gang talks about the battle for radio supremacy between the two big BritPop bands. During the discussion we cover albums by Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Prince, Pink Floyd, Aimee Mann, Matthew Sweet, The Chemical Brothers, and Shaggy, debuts by Garbage, Natalie Merchant, Jill Sobule, and The Foo Fighters, and the juggernaut that was Jagged Little Pill. 
As always, follow along with this exploration of 1995 with our handy-dandy Spotify Playlist!
These are some of our faves -- what about yours? Is there an album from 1995 that you love that we didn't mention? Drop us a line and let us know at modernmusicology1@gmail.com or just leave a comment on our socials or whatever podcast platform you're listening to us. 
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernMusicology 
Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmusicologypodcast/ 
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModrnMusicology 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-MlcGy5u3fK1j4bVty1Kw 
Modern Musicology is part of the ESO Podcast Network. https://esonetwork.com/ 
Find more about us:
Rob Levy: https://kdhx.org/shows/show/juxtaposition Stephanie Seymour: www.therearebirds.com  R. Alan Siler: www.kozmiccreative.com  Anthony Williams: https://watchers4d.podbean.com/

#146 - All About That BASS!

All About That BASS! 
Anthony leads the Modern Musicology crew in a discussion about the masters of the bottom end, the foundation of the band, the bringers of the thunder -- BASS PLAYERS! We highlight some of the best players in rock, metal, soul, and funk by sharing our favorite songs that open with unaccompanied bass parts! We've got examples from Metallica, Prince, Motorhead, Porcupine Tree, Van Halen, and more. And of course, you can't have a discussion about bass players and not include Chris Squire of Yes and Geddy Lee of Rush!
If you want to hear the full songs that we reference in this show, you can find them all on a specially-made handy-dandy Spotify Playlist! 
These are some of our faves -- what about yours? Is there a song with an unaccompanied bass intro that we didn't mention? Drop us a line and let us know at modernmusicology1@gmail.com or just leave a comment on our socials or whatever podcast platform you're listening to us. 
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernMusicology 
Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmusicologypodcast/ 
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModrnMusicology 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-MlcGy5u3fK1j4bVty1Kw 
Modern Musicology is part of the ESO Podcast Network. https://esonetwork.com/ 
Find more about us:
Rob Levy: https://kdhx.org/shows/show/juxtaposition Stephanie Seymour: www.therearebirds.com  R. Alan Siler: www.kozmiccreative.com  Anthony Williams: https://watchers4d.podbean.com/

#145 - The Current State of BRITPOP

With Oasis in the midst of a major reunion tour, a fantastic new album from Pulp (their first in 25 years) and Suede (released on September 5), recent albums by Blur, James, and Kaiser Chiefs, the popularity of BritPop is at an all-time high. In this week's episode, Rob, Stephanie and Alan talk a little about where BritPop came from, being involved in the music biz when BritPop bands were making their first splashes in America, favorite bands, songs, and albums, and much more. 
We'd love to hear your thoughts about BritPop! Have you seen any of the Oasis shows? What do you think of the new Suede album? IDrop us a line at modernmusicology1@gmail.com or just leave a comment on our socials or whatever podcast platform you're listening to us. 
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModernMusicology 
Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmusicologypodcast/ 
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModrnMusicology 
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-MlcGy5u3fK1j4bVty1Kw 
Modern Musicology is part of the ESO Podcast Network. https://esonetwork.com/ 
Find more about us:
Rob Levy: https://kdhx.org/shows/show/juxtaposition Stephanie Seymour: www.therearebirds.com  R. Alan Siler: www.kozmiccreative.com  Anthony Williams: https://watchers4d.podbean.com/