How It's Related

Adam Merino Mike Merino
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  • MUSIC COMMENTARY

2 cousins talk music and how it relates to them and why it should relate to you

  1. 13 JAN

    Episode 54 - ASAP Rocky Weird Good Song?

    Episode 54 starts with a quick, important debate (yes—shampoo is better) before swerving into one of the weirdest and most interesting music conversations we’ve had in a while. A new ASAP Rocky song and video lands in Adam’s inbox—and it’s completely unexpected: Directed by Tim Burton Featuring Danny Elfman Starring Winona Ryder Rocky singing instead of rapping A surreal, uncomfortable, oddly compelling vibe The big question:Is this a one-off art experiment—or a bigger shift? The episode digs into: When music videos felt like events Why Rocky works better as a feature than a lyric-first artist Whether vibe and beat selection matter more than bars Songs that succeed despite the rapper, not because of them Adam puts Rocky up against Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, and the difference is clear:You remember the beat—but not the lyrics. With Don’t Be Dumb dropping soon, the weird single suddenly feels like smart marketing—even if the rest of the album plays it safer. Final verdict:The weird song? Good.The normal stuff? Fine.The strategy? Smart. 🎧 New episodes of How It’s Related drop every Tuesday. #HowItsRelated #ASAPRocky #MusicPodcast #TimBurton #DannyElfman #WinonaRyder #HipHopDebate #MusicDiscussion #AlbumRollout #Sampling #RapVsVibes #Cousins #Podcast #MusicCulture

    19 min
  2. Episode 53 - New Year, Old Cassette Tapes

    6 JAN

    Episode 53 - New Year, Old Cassette Tapes

    Adam and Mike kick off 2026 from a brand-new location: Mike’s home music studio, now officially the podcast studio. What started as an idea quickly became reality. They talk about the weirdness of writing a new year, why New Year’s resolutions rarely stick, and why starting when it feels right beats waiting for January. The conversation drifts into music nostalgia—Tuesdays as release days, cassette tapes, CDs, record stores, and how discovering music has changed in the streaming era. They wrap things up with thoughts on finding new music, seeing more live shows, and which bands are still worth getting off the couch for. Watch on YouTube:https://youtube.com/@howitsrelated Follow on Instagram:https://instagram.com/howitsrelated Follow on Facebook:https://facebook.com/howitsrelated #HowItsRelated #NewYearOldCassetteTapes #MusicPodcast #PodcastStudio #MusicNostalgia #CassetteTapes #CDs #VinylCulture #LiveMusic #Cousins

    15 min

  3. 31/12/2025

    Episode 52 - Spotify Wrapped 2025

    This one was chaos in the best way — starting with Wakanda Forever, somehow detouring through Seinfeld reenactments, and then landing right into the nostalgia of record stores, new-music Tuesdays, and the absolute disaster that is our Spotify Wrapped. Adam and Mike compare their 2025 listening stats and uncover some truly questionable trends—like Adam accidentally sleep-streaming The Wallflowers 180 times and Mike openly admitting he listens only to music he manually chooses because he “doesn’t trust the algorithm.” We dive into lost traditions like scanning CDs at Blockbuster Music, waiting for Tuesday releases, and discovering new bands before Spotify spoiled us with instant singles and album leaks. From age predictions (which were uncomfortably accurate), to top genres that sound like they were born in the same strip mall, to the artists we’re apparently “top 0.00% fans” of… this episode turns into a hilarious breakdown of who we are musically — and who Spotify thinks we are. Plus: upcoming changes to the show, a preview of the brand-new 2026 studio, and why new episodes will now drop on Tuesdays. If Spotify wrapped can reveal our souls… maybe it shouldn’t. 👇 Follow us, subscribe everywhere, and send your own Spotify Wrapped disasters#HowItsRelated #Podcast #MusicPodcast #SpotifyWrapped #RecordStoreDay #Nostalgia #CDs #TowerRecords #BlockbusterMusic #FooFighters #CollectiveSoul #QueensOfTheStoneAge #Cousins

    19 min

  4. 24/12/2025

    Episode 51 - Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?

    Christmas entertainment is weird. Some of it feels warm and nostalgic, and some of it feels like John Lennon yelling at you during the holidays. This week, Adam and Mike talk depressing Christmas songs, why Paul McCartney is clearly having a better December than everyone else, and why Home Alone remains untouchable. Theater memories, plot holes, New York vs. Chicago, and the case for Home Alone 2 being better all make an appearance. Then it’s time for the annual argument: Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Analogies are made, Wham gets pulled into the discussion, Bruce Willis has the final word, and the debate may finally be settled. The episode wraps with a deep dive into the forgotten Home Alone sequels, questionable reboots, and the realization that there are way too many of these movies. All that, plus holiday nostalgia and a proper sendoff as the guys gear up for the final show of 2025. 🎄🎬 Listen, subscribe, and tell us where you stand. #HowItsRelated #ChristmasMovies #HomeAlone #DieHard #HolidayNostalgia

    16 min

  5. 17/12/2025

    Episode 50 - Christmas Memories

    With Christmas right around the corner, we end up digging into the holiday memories that somehow feel crystal clear and completely jumbled at the same time. From handmade puff paint sweatshirts and post-dinner returns from The Old Spaghetti Factory, to one-piece pajamas, questionable toys, and houses that feel frozen in time, this episode is pure childhood nostalgia. We talk about why certain moments stick, how music can (or can’t) anchor memories, and why every Christmas from that era feels like it happened in the same year. It’s less about what we got and more about who was there—and why those small moments still matter decades later. 🎄 What’s your earliest Christmas memory?🎶 Is there a song tied to it?🎁 And yes… Die Hard may or may not be part of next week’s conversation. Follow How It’s Related and get ready for Christmas week. #HowItsRelated #ChristmasMemories #HolidayNostalgia #CoreMemories #Cousins

    16 min

  6. 03/12/2025

    Episode 48 - Albums That Should Have Exploded

    Welcome back to another warm-and-toasty Wednesday inside Studio Two — aka the only studio we’ve got until further notice. Adam and Mike power through the heat, the shadows, and Mike’s missing hat to break down a fun topic:Albums that should’ve been absolutely massive… but weren’t.🎧 What We CoveredStudio One is down for the count until January, so the guys are officially “cooped.”Adam calls out Make Yourself by Incubus — an album caught between genres, ahead of its time, and overshadowed by the new-metal wave of ’99.Why “Drive,” “Pardon Me,” and “I Miss You” didn’t translate into a monster album despite radio dominance and grocery-store rotation.How branding, timing, and early-era scene politics stunted what could’ve been an all-timer.Mike goes deep on Silence by Blindside — a record with massive hooks, proggy ideas, pristine production, and the perfect 2002 moment… that somehow still flew under the radar.Linkin Park tours, POD cosigns, Elektra Records backing — they had every advantage. So what happened?Revisiting standout tracks like “Caught a Glimpse,” “Sleepwalking,” and “The Endings” that hold up shockingly well today.A full nostalgia dive into Madden soundtracks, 5-disc CD changers, and the rotation of Linkin Park, Puff Daddy, Korn, 311, Better Than Ezra, Collective Soul, and Incubus classics.The guys wrap with one album that secretly shaped a generation and one album that never got its flowers.All this and more on Episode 48 of How It’s Related.Want more deep dives, nostalgia trips, and questionable opinions from two cousins who should probably be supervised?Subscribe on YouTube, drop a comment with the album you think deserved more love, and share the episode with a friend who still owns a five-disc changer.New episodes every Wednesday.#MusicPodcast #HowItsRelated #AlbumTalk #Incubus #Blindside #90sRock #2000sRock #UnderratedAlbums #Podcast #Cousins

    19 min

  7. 26/11/2025

    Episode 47 - The Grey Album (Part4)

    Welcome back to the Weird Studio—still running on fried circuits and questionable wiring. Today we wrap up our four-part journey through Danger Mouse’s iconic mashup project, The Grey Album. Adam and Mike break down the final section, explore the strangest Beatles pairings, and dig into why this album is more of a creative flex than a definitive listen.We start with some of the more unusual choices, including the “Piggies” mashup and the tracks that rely heavily on repetition. From there, we dive into the wild collision of Jay-Z’s most aggressive verses with the Beatles’ most chaotic moments, especially the pairing with “Helter Skelter.” Some combinations land, some don’t—but the craftsmanship is undeniable.The episode also explores how Danger Mouse built the entire album using only sounds from the White Album: chopped drums, filtered guitars, mic bumps, tape clicks, and rebuilt loops. No drum machines. No outside samples. Just obsessive editing and experimentation over two intense weeks.We also revisit the legal explosion that followed the release. EMI issued takedowns, websites rebelled, and “Grey Tuesday” became an early-internet milestone as over 170 sites spread the album to more than 100,000 people in a single day. Despite the controversy, insiders say the Beatles themselves found the project surprisingly respectful.Twenty-one years later, The Grey Album remains a fascinating artistic artifact—part remix, part rebellion, part editing masterclass. Thanks for sticking with us through all four parts.#HowItsRelated #GreyAlbum #DangerMouse #Beatles #JayZ #MusicPodcast #Mashups #WhiteAlbum #BlackAlbum #Cousins #MusicNerds #Podcast

    19 min

  8. 19/11/2025

    Episode 46 - The Grey Album (Part3)

    Welcome to another Weird Wednesday — We are in the backup studio after the computer meltdown (and no, Adam didn’t break it… probably).Today we continue our deep dive into Danger Mouse’s legendary mashup project: The Grey Album — where Jay-Z’s Black Album meets The Beatles’ White Album and somehow becomes its own thing entirely. This is Part 3 of our four-part series, so if you skipped Episodes 1 and 2 thinking you’d be “cool”… go back.It’ll make way more sense. It’s been years since either of us listened all the way through, so the reactions in this episode are fresh, surprised, and full of “wait… I forgot how good this part is.” We break down how perfectly Jay-Z’s cadence sits on a Beatles sample — without obvious pitch-shifting.It shouldn’t blend this well… but somehow it does. Every sound you hear — kicks, snares, hi-hats, pads — was created strictly from White Album audio.We dig into how he: repurposed Clapton’s While My Guitar Gently Weeps riff into a soft pad built drum patterns from Savoy Truffle and Birthday looped imperfect phrases into smooth beats kept everything cohesive without modern plugins or sample packs We walk through: What More Can I Say Encore (one of the standout flips) December 4th Helter Skelter mashup—and more, calling out the clever cuts, sample skips, and unexpected transitions. One of the album’s strongest moments pairs Jay-Z’s most aggressive track with Helter Skelter — easily the Beatles’ most unhinged song.It’s loud, it’s messy, it’s intense… and it weirdly works. A few combinations feel like stretches — cool concepts, but not emotionally satisfying.We call out one in particular and why it doesn’t quite land. We talk about Jay-Z’s style of narrative writing, the criticisms he gets, and how certain lines hit differently when surrounded by psychedelic Beatles melodies. We discuss whether Danger Mouse had a clear plan…or whether this album is a brilliant collection of “let’s just try this and see what happens” experiments. We get into: Mother Nature’s Son Glass Onion Dear Prudence Julia the Across the Universe movie and the wild Evan Rachel Wood / Marilyn Manson story We wrap the episode with a track that feels straight out of Across the Universe and tease Part 4 — where we finish the album and get into the massive copyright explosion known as “Grey Tuesday.” #HowItsRelated #Podcast #MusicPodcast #DangerMouse #TheGreyAlbum #Beatles #JayZ #Mashups #MusicHistory #MusicNerd #Producers #StudioTalk #AlbumBreakdown #BehindTheMusic #WeirdWednesday #Cousins 🎧 What We Cover in Part 3• Hearing The Grey Album again for the first time• The Public Service Announcement intro• Danger Mouse’s editing wizardry• Track-by-track reactions• Jay-Z aggression meets Beatles chaos• When mashups don’t work• Storytelling in hip-hop• Creativity, chaos, and happy accidents• Music deep cuts & movie trivia• Closing Thoughts

    20 min
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About

2 cousins talk music and how it relates to them and why it should relate to you

Information

  • Creator
    Adam Merino Mike Merino
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Adam Merino Mike Merino
  • Show Website
    How It's Related