Super Awesome Mix

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"I made you a mix tape" -- some of the best words to hear from someone you care about! Join Matt and Sam on a weekly mix tape adventure: each guest is asked to pick a theme and make a mix tape, which will be unveiled over the course of the episode. You're guaranteed to hear about good music, some new music, and even learn some trivia along the way. Come listen with us, and be sure to grab your copy of the mix made available in the Super Awesome App in each episode's show notes. IG/Threads: @superawesomemix

  1. 1D AGO

    Singer Songwriter XBYRDX talks about 'Anthem for the End Times'

    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!

    48 min

  2. MAR 5

    Mixtape Rewind: Jenn Tully's Desert Island Mix!

    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!

    45 min

  3. FEB 26

    February’s Best New Music Mix

    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!

    35 min

  4. FEB 19

    Mixtape Rewind: Same Title, Different Songs

    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!

    36 min

  5. FEB 12

    A Birthday Mix Of Misfit Tracks That Still Shine

    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!

    38 min

  6. FEB 5

    Mixtape Rewind: Second Albums That Soared

    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!

    39 min

  7. JAN 29

    We Built A January Mixtape So You Don’t Have To

    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!

    32 min

  8. JAN 22

    Mixtape Rewind: The Art of the Album Opener

    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!

    32 min
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About

"I made you a mix tape" -- some of the best words to hear from someone you care about! Join Matt and Sam on a weekly mix tape adventure: each guest is asked to pick a theme and make a mix tape, which will be unveiled over the course of the episode. You're guaranteed to hear about good music, some new music, and even learn some trivia along the way. Come listen with us, and be sure to grab your copy of the mix made available in the Super Awesome App in each episode's show notes. IG/Threads: @superawesomemix

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