Are you ever glad you *didn’t* go to a show? This week, we don’t regret listening to the 2013 jam “If I Could Change Your Mind” by the sisters of HAIM. Nichole gets into the reasons our mind feels major fear of missing out, while Mark gets into how this song’s melody and harmony interact to create some expert pacing.

Other music heard in this episode: HAIM - “The Wire”, HAIM - “Now I’m In It”, Savage Garden - “I Want You”, HAIM - “Little of Your Love”, Fleetwood Mac - “Everywhere”, HAIM - “You Never Knew”, HAIM - “Don’t Save Me”, Sheryl Crow - “Soak Up the Sun”, HAIM - “I’ve Been Down”, Annie Lennox - “Walking on Broken Glass”, HAIM - “Found it in Silence”, HAIM - “Cry”, “Seasons of Love” from Rent

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Which songs will make the cut? This week we welcome Chris Fafalios from the band Punchline and the One Hit Thunder Podcast (among others!) to talk us through how a band chooses which of their songs to put on an album. Chris gets into the tough decisions and nuanced band dynamics that have been a part of Punchline’s ten-album run. How many songs is enough? When to rerecord an old favorite? Who gets to sing lead vocals? This and more in a fun conversation that would just barely fit on a CD. Check us out next week for more!

Music heard in this episode: Punchline - “I Don’t Wanna Live in This World Anymore”, Punchline - “Another One”, Punchline - “Focus on Yourself”, Maggie Rogers - “Alaska”, Punchline - “Green Hills”, Punchline - “Darkest Dark”

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Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com

When can a bit of nursery rhyme cost you six figures of royalties? In this episode, the hosts deep dive on Men at Work’s 1981 international hit “Down Under” and the crazy story of its authorship and accusations of plagiarism. Mark goes on walkabout through the basics of copyright law, and Nichole gets to feast on a few famous cases of plagiarism, spread on a vegemite sandwich! Tune in for an epic continent-spanning episode.

Other music heard in this episode: “Spicks and Specks Theme”, Bee Gees - “Spicks and Specks”, Men at Work - “Who Can It Be Now?”, Men at Work - “Overkill”, Larry Groce - “Kookaburra”, Colin Hay - “Waiting For My Real Life to Begin”, The Beach Boys - “Surfin’ U.S.A.”, Chuck Berry - “Sweet Little Sixteen”, Led Zeppelin - “Stairway to Heaven,” Spirit - “Taurus”, Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell - “Blurred Lines”, Marvin Gaye - “Got to Give it Up”

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Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com

Which critically-acclaimed albums this year do Mark and Nichole actually kind of hate? In this week’s Sidetrack, we come back once again to discuss the eight nominees for “Album of the Year” at the 2026 Grammys. Tune in to hear our hosts deep-dive on the high and low points of this year’s crop of nominees. As a bonus: our thoughts on the “Song of the Year” and “Record of the Year” categories! Check us out next week for a normal episode!

Music heard in this episode: Tyler, The Creator - “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”, Tyler, The Creator - “Sugar on My Tongue”, Tyler, The Creator - “Noid”, Tyler, The Creator - “Darling, I (feat. Teezo Touchdown)”, Lady Gaga - “Abracadabra”, Lady Gaga - “Can’t Stop the High”, Justin Timberlake - “Like I Love You (feat. Clipse)”, Clipse - “Chains & Whips (feat. Kendrick Lamar)”, Clipse - “Ace Trumpets”, Kendrick Lamar & SZA - “Luther”, Kendrick Lamar - “Reincarnation”, Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber - “10,000 Hours”, Justin Bieber - “Daisies”, Justin Bieber - “Yukon”, Sabrina Carpenter - “Tears”, Bad Bunny - “Moscow Mule”, Bad Bunny - “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”, SZA - “Snooze”, Leon Thomas - “Snooze”, Leon Thomas - “MUTT”, Leon Thomas - “HOW FAST”, Doechii - “Anxiety”, Rosé and Bruno Mars - “APT.”, Huntrix - “Golden”, Bad Bunny - “DtMF”, Chappell Roan - “The Subway”

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Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com

If you get caught, what should you say? “It wasn’t me!” In this episode, we are lied to by the fun 2000 hit “It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy and Rikrok. Nichole walks us through the ways people can use denial as a coping mechanism, while Mark paces through how rhythms can be used to help tell an engaging story…. butt naked.

Other music heard in this episode: Shaggy - “Boombastic”, Shaggy - “Angel”, Sting and Shaggy - “Shape of My Heart”, War - “Smile Happy”, Pras - “Ghetto Supastar (That is What You Are)”, Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers - “Islands in the Stream”, Bee Gees - “Islands in the Stream”, Nelly - “Ride Wit Me”, Papa Roach - “Last Resort”, Christina Aguilera - “Genie in a Bottle”

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Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com

Who’s ready for a feeding frenzy? This week we are joined by podcast super-host Matt Kelly from the Geekscape network to talk about the mid-90s! For a wild few years, it seemed like the record labels were signing every quirky band they could to try to recreate the magic of Nirvana. We talk trend-chasing corporations, confusing genre labels, Mark’s deep regrets, and more in this wide-ranging conversation. Check us out next week for a regular episode!

Music heard in this episode: Butthole Surfers - “Pepper”, Fastball - “The Way”, U2 - “Bullet the Blue Sky”, U2 - “Staring at the Sun”, Foo Fighters - “Alone and Easy Target”, Local H - “Bound for the Floor”

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Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com

Have you ever actually tried to sleep with one eye open? In this week’s episode, we rock out to Metallica’s 1991 metal powerhouse “Enter Sandman.” Mark shows us some key changes that he finds dreamy. Meanwhile, Nichole makes a dark song event darker, looking at its meaning through the lens of childhood trauma. Off to Never-Neverland, indeed.

Other Music heard in this episode: Boyz II Men - “Under Pressure”, Metallica - “Dirty Window”, Metallica - “Master of Puppets”, Metallica - “Nothing Else Matters”, Metallica - “One”, Excel - “Tapping Into the Emotional Void”, Whitney Houston - “I Will Always Love You”, Bon Jovi - “Livin’ on a Prayer”, Boyz II Men - “On Bended Knee”, Michael Jackson - “Baby Be Mine”, The Beatles - “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”, Weezer - “Undone (The Sweater Song)”, Jessica Darrow - “Surface Pressure”

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Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com

Is it flutist or flautist? Would you want to know the setlist before you see the concert? What’s going to be our hosts next side-hustle? It’s Season 2 and time for listener questions! See you next week for our next regular episode!

Music heard in this episode: Fiona Apple - “Paper Bag”, Less Than Jake - “Hows My Driving, Doug Hastings?”, Taylor Swift - “Wood”, Taylor Swift - “Wi$h Li$t”, Taylor Swift - “Fifteen”, Drive Shaft - “You All Everybody”, Bob Welch - “Ebony Eyes”, The Clash - “White Riot”, The Clash - “Train in Vain”, Seal - “Colours”, Seal - “Still Love Remains”, Bruno Mars - “When I Was Your Man”

Send us your thoughts at NeverMusicPod@gmail.com

Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com