In Episode 2 of Season 6 Mike welcomes his mate from Sheffield (England), Mark Charlton, for a scholarly discussion of the music of BritPop, redefining the genre in the process.

Follow the podcast on BLUESKY: @friendsofmiked

Email the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.com

Key moments from the pod:

0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S6E2 featuring Mark Charlton and a deep dive on all things BritPop

2:10: Mike updates the listeners on what’s been going on with him, including a trip to the Balkans (specifically Belgrade) for a mix of history, and going to see a phenomenal new film Sinners

12:20: Mike welcomes Mark Charlton to the podcast and he tells his life story having grown up in Sheffield, England and how it reminds him a bit of Detroit

16:00: The guys then trace the origins of their friendship via the Ann Arbor Mug Club including the last time they saw each other as well as a discussion of some amazing music artwork/infographics (wearedorothy.com) in Mark’s basement

20:40: Mike lays out the premise of the episode and discuss what BritPop means to them, including the music itself and the movement around it (and of course the rivalries!)

27:30: The guys discuss their 14 favorite BritPop songs of all time, starting with a song about a type of gold from one of Manchester's most decorated bands

40:30: A song for all people and one that involves a biting take down of class tourism that is also a propulsive jam

53:00: One of all time best Deborahs gets referenced in this romantic jam from one of Sheffield’s all time greatest bands

1:02:00: A song about going on holiday in Greece and letting you freak flag fly

1:12:00: A song from a massive BritPop band that’s both fun and a bit a surprising

1:21:20: A song about being alone on a motorcycle

1:30:30: An epic, atmospheric heightening song in every note

1:41:20: A B-side from a pioneer BritPop band about a glorious river

1:48:15: An amazing cover that completely reinvents the original song around a BritPop beat for the ages

1:57:25: An underrated song from band with instructions to sit (not stand)

2:05:40: A song from a UK band from the West Midlands who actually know a lot

2:13:00: A (largely) romantic upbeat song from the vision of one man

2:19:20: The swagger-inducing and enhancing song from a band with a flower in its name that’s also about love

2:28:15: The last song of the episode is a fitting end that focuses on looking forward (not backward)

In Episode 1 of Season 6 Mike welcomes two good buddies onto the podcast to kick off the season for a free flowing conversation about the friendship ties that bind and a yearly tradition that has become legendary from coast to coast.

Follow the podcast on BLUESKY: @friendsofmiked

Email the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.com

Key moments from the pod:

0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S6E1 featuring Mark Sgriccia and Zach Drennen!

1:45: Mike sets the table for Season 6 of the podcast

2:28: MIke then talks about what’s been going on with him since Season 5 of the pod ended and it involves A LOT of amazing traveling including trips to:

3:20: Cancun!

4:00: Glasgow! (where Mike tried to play the bagpipes and failed miserably)

6:00: London! (where Mike scaled monuments, watched football (soccer), and learned some rock and roll history).

8:00: Canada (specifically Alberta) to see the Red Wings take down the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames along with soaking in some Canadian culture and fresh brews.

11:00: Italy (specifically Rome, Florence and Milan) for history, food, art, architecture, sport and friendship building!

14:15: Mike plays a smidge of an Italian song that he was listening to while traversing Italia on the trip.

18:00: Mike brings on two true blue Wolverines who have skyrocketed up his personal FQR (friendship quality rankings).

21:00: Mike lays out the plan for the rest of the episode, including introducing a long-standing friendship tradition

22:45: The guys get into the last time they saw each other, including an epic March Madness gathering at Zach’s as well as at the beginning of the Dusty May era.

28:00: Zach and Mark give their respective histories about becoming Michigan fans.

33:15: Zach then talks about how he’s become the wizard of recaps.

34:15: The guys talk about how they first crossed paths at the Michigan/Penn State game in State College in 2023.

42:30: Zach and Mark reflect on what the 2023 Michigan football season means to them.

47:15: The guys then talk about the 2024 season and how it compared to 2023 as well as noting how Ohio State’s 2024 “championship” season will forever be less than.

55:00: Mark and Zach then give the history of their road game weekend tradition.

1:02:00: The guys then go over the most recent iteration of this epic tradition: the Michigan/Washington game in Seattle in 2024.

1:09:00: Mark then talks through how the specific road game for the RGWT (road game weekend tradition) gets chosen which involves a west coast BBQ, a powerpoint/Google slides presentation and data-informed decision making.

1:15:00: The guys then discuss the plans for the 2025 Michigan/USC road game in LA (which is NOT necessarily the official RGWT choice for the 2025 season.

1:19:00: The guys then talk about the vibes for the 2025 Michigan football team as of the spring of 2025.

1:24:45: The episode comes to an end with the guys sharing what makes the RGWT special and where it might go.

In Episode 17 of Season 5 Mike and the usual college football preview crew (Tim Horvath and Chad Massey) pick back up for their fourth annual college football preview podcast episode, this time focused on the 2024 season with a slight focus on the Michigan Wolverines (reigning national champions of the whole nation).

Follow the podcast on Twitter/X: @friendsofmiked

Email the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.com

Key moments from the pod:

0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S5E17 featuring Tim Horvath and Chad Massey

3:00: Mike talks about the plans for the podcast offseason and Season 6 and then corrects some huge errors from prior episodes, including an inaccurate description of Great Britain and her component nations as well as a misallocated sack in the Rose Bowl (apologies to Josiah Stewart)

5:30: Mike then recaps his trip to CDMX aka Mexico City (and how much he loved it).

6:45: Finally, Mike features a small bit of a new Eddie Vedder cover track that speaks to the current state of the Michigan Wolverine football team.

13:30: Mike welcomes Tim Horvath and Chad Massey into the podcast studio and the guys give comprehensive life updates, including Tim’s son spurning Purdue to become a Wolverine.

20:30: The guys touch on their thoughts on college football conference realignment.

24:15: Next up is a discussion of the revamped Michigan coaching staff led by Sherrone Moore, including new Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale.

31:00: The guys then talk about the evolution of Michigan’s approach to name, image and likeness (NIL) rights, including how critical using NIL to retain players has been for the Wolverines.

37:15: The Big 10 has brought in several new head coaches and the guys discuss who they are most intrigued by coming into 2024.

41:15: The guys then go through their reasons for optimism for Michigan football in 2024. The future is bright!

45:40: Next up are reasons for concern for the 2024 Michigan Wolverines.

49:20: The guys then talk about their key players for Michigan’s season.

56:00: Key Michigan football position groups for the season.

58:45: The guys then go game by game through Michigan’s season starting with Fresno St

1:00:15: Texas

1:03:15: Arkansas St

1:04:05: Southern California

1:06:00: The Battle for the Brown Jug (Minnesota)

1:07:40: Washington

1:11:30: Illinois

1:14:30: Michigan State

1:20:00: Oregon

1:23:15: Indiana

1:25:00: Northwestern

1:27:15: Ohio State

1:34:45: The guys predict the Big 10 Champion

1:36:30: The guys then predict the 12 Team playoff and national champions

1:41:45: The episode wraps up with an emotional sign off