Mixomusicology

Mixomusicology
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Music Commentary

Mixomusicology is a podcast hosted by Alexander Daoust and Jana Pochop. In each episode, Alex walks Jana (and the listeners!) through making a delicious cocktail based on a batch of new songs the duo have chosen for the week. They'll review and break down recently released songs and chat about production, lyricism, and where the work fits into the larger pop culture zeitgeist. They'll bring along a few tangents, and you BYOB.

  1. 3d ago

    Drive Around the Bend: Tinashe, deBasement, Taylor Swift

    Welcome to episode 12...a whole dozen of these things exist! Jana opens with a monologue referencing MUNA's new cover of "King of Wishful Thinking" and waxes poetic about how change is inevitable but it's not always good or kind in the moment. The king of wishful thinking is just getting through something by sheer will. Sometimes this is enough. Since we definitely need a drink after that monologue, Alex walks us through our first milk punch recipe! It's a reference to a Sidecar, with a new twist. Follow along with this week's playlist! ---------- This week's drink: DRIVE AROUND THE BEND Makes two servings as written, scales VERY well Ingredients: 3oz cognac3oz rum3oz curaçao2oz lemon juice (reserve the zest for garnish)4oz milk, infused with Raisin BranLemon demerara sugar (for rimming the glass) Steps: 1. Infuse milk by packing in Raisin Bran (we used about a cup) and letting steep for an hour. Alternatively, heat mug in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Let cool. 2. To make the lemon demerara sugar, mix lemon zest into a cup of demerara. Let sit. 3. Mix all ingredients except for milk in a large measuring glass. 4. Stream milk into measuring glass, and stir. 5. Let the mixture sit for an hour. It will form curds. The curds will look gross. 6. Using a mesh strainer and some cheesecloth, filter the drink into a clean container. 7. Without disturbing the curds, filter the liquid again. Do this until it’s transparent. 8. Refrigerate until chilled. 9. Coat one side of the glass with lemon demerara sugar. Serve up. ---------- The first song up is Tinashe's "Too Easy." A filthy club song that's less than 2 minutes long. We both agree that it's too short because we wanna dance. Best lyric, "If you're mad then go to therapy." It's got great forward motion with the kick and bass, but the vocal arrangements shine with some modal harmony that is just hinted at, along with maybe even some K-Pop influences with the "la la" refrain. Inspirations hearken to Janet Jackson and Britney Spears. We agree maybe most good things reference Janet (which sends us down a reminiscence of the Janet and J*st*n incident). Also, Alex reveals he has a very secret "Sexy Getting Ready Playlist." One day, we will share it. deBasement brings us "STAY IN UR LANE," to which we ask, "Is you even gay?" This track has a giant sound and we love finding up-and-coming artists that we think should have way more listeners than they do. Alex hears Cobrah references, and overall, we just encourage you all to "stay in ur lane, bitch." On to Jana's favorite kind of moment, a new Taylor Swift song. "I Knew It, I Knew You" is featured on the Toy Story 5 soundtrack. A collab between Taylor and Jack Antonoff, we are taken to a breezy 70s folk rock + almost bluesy vibe, with some R&B Braxton-melody lines thrown in. It all works, and it's a fun departure from the Showgirl era Taylor has been in for a while. We even hear some Faith Hill "Love the Way You Love Me." We talk Taylor's odds of getting an EGOT (high), and go on a little diversion about the Cats remake. Overall, this is a simple and solid Taylor Swift song and we love it for the Toy Story nostalgia. The lyrics are vague enough to apply to anyone. Well-written, well produced, goes down like the smooth soundtrack song it is. (Just like a smooth cocktail called Drive Around the Bend). Then we go off on great soundtracks from our younger years. Jana brings up something that's not even in print anymore, Mr. Wrong. Alex talks about Magnolia with the fabulous Aimee Mann. Taylor makes us want to reminisce, apparently. -------- Alex's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerboying TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flowerboying Alex's Substack: https://alexanderdaoust.substack.com Jana's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janapochop Website: http://www.janapochop.com Jana's Substack: https://janapochop.substack.com

    43 min

  2. Jun 4

    Three Wishes: Cara Delevingne, Bella Kay, CARI

    Welcome to Episode 11! Happy Pride, everyone! Follow along on our playlist: https://www.tunemymusic.com/share/bIlbUfUrbL Alex's beautiful and personal monologue talks about Doris Day's song "Secret Love," part of the soundtrack to the movie Calamity Jane. Love so big it can no longer be hidden...sounds like a theme to us. Secret loves and Calamity Janes...many of us know this combination well. We also talk rom-coms and Julia Roberts supremacy. ---------- The drink this week: THREE WISHES 2oz dry vermouth.5oz sweet vermouth.5oz lychee syrupBarspoon of elderflower liqueurdrop of rosewater Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. This drink is based on a pre-Prohibition drink called a Richmond. Very vermouth forward, "east meets west" with some gorgeous flavors mixing together. ----------- Cara Delevingne is quite the...quintuple threat? The actor / model / director / artist is releasing an album! The first few songs are out and we are listening to "I Forgot." We want to issue a headphone / levels warning on this...it varies quite a bit, to an interesting effect. This song has some of the hardest sound we've covered thus far due to the distorted synth and the weird mixing. The back and forth from soft piano to hard synth is overwhelming in a purposeful creative way. We like the vocoder on the vocals (hi Imogen Heap), and the switch from traditional pop vocals to a more theaterical approach which is cool. This song is a whole journey that we think sets the sonic palate for the project, and we are on the ride with Cara. There's also a short film! Bella Kay gives us a solid ethereal pop-songwriter track full of yearning with "Promise?" Bella is having a career surge this year at the ripe age of 20, putting out some critically acclaimed singles and opening for Gracie Abrams. The melodic hooks are excellent, Jana digs the acoustic vibes. We talk vocal production techniques (parallel compression, good or bad?). Mic proximity, stylistic choices, indie versus polished pop...all choices. We are excited to see where Bella goes (check out her breakout single The Sick, too). CARI takes us home with a gorgeously produced and sung track "Crashing Out!" It's half R&B and half industrial beats and distortion, which is a fascinating mix from this West London based artist. The song is about intense chemistry and pushing into passion instead of shying away. "You got me acting all 4-legged lately," is a the line for that vibe. The use of panning in the production is a stand out note, listen on headphones. CARI seems to be on the rise in her career, which we will absolutely gloat about when she is a household name. Bonus lesson on Brauer Motion! -------------- Alex's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerboying TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flowerboying Alex's Substack: https://alexanderdaoust.substack.com Jana's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janapochop Website: http://www.janapochop.com Jana's Substack: https://janapochop.substack.com

    40 min

  3. May 28

    Blood Flower: Marmozets, Maisie Peters, The Mountain Goats

    Episode 10! We are in double digits! Wow. Alex says he saw a stat that most podcasts don't make it to Episode 10, so congrats us, and mostly thanks to all you listeners. Jana monologues about the performance art demanded of being online, versus the existentialist detangling from it all..."nothing matters lol." Alex adds some great points about how queer musicians learn to mask and perform from a very young age, and it ends up in our art. There's also a very important update about Leo the Turtle learning new things at an advanced age. Follow along with this week's playlist: https://www.tunemymusic.com/share/CVvVc1QHdW -------- Alex sent some magic beans to Jana in the mail this week for the drink ingredient...Tonka Beans. They are used in a super delicious drink! Listen to Alex's very informative note about how these beans might be illegal in the U.S...but here we are making a drink with them anyway. BLOOD FLOWER 1.5oz aged rum .75oz cherry liqueur (ginja rossio) .75oz lemon .5oz cinnamon and tonka syrup 2 dashes angostura luxardo cherry Shake all the ingredients over ice and strain into a glass over a big ice cube Cinnamon and Tonka Syrup Recipe * 1 cup white sugar * 1 cup water * 2 tonka beans * 6 cinnamon sticks, broken into shards Toss everything in a saucepan, and whisk until sugar is saturated. Bring to a boil, let sugar dissolve, then let sit until cool. -------- This week's song batch is another interesting grouping. We start with "Cut Back" by Marmozets, a British-based four-piece rock band. We love the aggressive synth melodic line...maximalism is back, Alex exclaims. We hear some Paramore and Metric here. A song about hating small talk is close to both our hearts. "Keep it on the sunny weather," is a smart hook and they dig into the mindlessness of surface level interactions. The angle of the song's narrator criticizing herself for engaging this way keeps it from being a preachy song and more of a smart commentary. Maisie Peters and Julia Michaels give us "Kingmaker," an almost perfect folk-pop musing on being used and left behind. It's about a relationship, it's about the music business, it's about all the things. Maisie excels at a Swiftian confessional songwriting style, and pairing with Julia Michaels is a one-two punch of smart, witty lyricism. We love that it's a full-on duet, not just a guest spot with wimpy background vocals. We discuss whether the post-chorus is passé or coming back...or just needs to be executed really well. The Mountain Goats give us "Charlie Sheen Reaches Out to the Feds," already winning for best song title on the pod ever. It's referring to some interesting lore concerning Charlie believing that a Japanese horror film (Guinea Pig 2) was so violently realistic that it had to be a real snuff film. The FBI was called in (there was no real murder, it's just a movie). John Darnielle's songwriting is smart, charming, and another interesting take on being so deep into the screen that reality becomes fuzzy. Charlie is placed as the hero of the moment, which is another excellent use of a POV/angle in a song. It's a straightforward folk-rock song, which aids in getting the storytelling across. Will someone please think of the Charlie Sheen of it all? We did. -------------- Alex's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerboying TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flowerboying Alex's Substack: https://alexanderdaoust.substack.com Jana's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janapochop Website: http://www.janapochop.com Jana's Substack: https://janapochop.substack.com

    39 min

  4. May 21

    Train on the Island: Charli xcx, Tove Lo, Aldous Harding

    Episode 9 is here, and Alex is monologuing about how mystery is punk. Our online world doesn't allow for much of that mystery anymore. He admires sharing art while keeping some opacity to it, and our three artists this week lean into it really well. Media with good meta-commentary comes up, Josie and the Pussycats, Spice World, and Network pop up from the movie world. We ARE mad as hell and we don't wanna take it anymore, but we are going to talk about these awesome songs from Charli xcx, Tove Lo, and Aldous Harding. Also, Alex rescued a baby starling, so things are gonna be okay. Follow along with our playlist for this week: https://www.tunemymusic.com/share/w235LrEdWP First, though...Alex teaches us how to fat wash bourbon! -------------- This week's drink: TRAIN ON THE ISLAND 1.5oz sesame-washed bourbon .5oz rum .5oz banana liqueur pinch smoked sea salt 2 dashes angostura bitters garnish with Básī xiāngjiāo (caramelized bananas) 1. To fat wash the bourbon, add toasted sesame oil to bourbon in a 1:8 ratio. Steep for a few hours or overnight in a sealable container. Place container on its side in fridge for a few hours, until fat solidifies. Filter out bourbon. 2. Add ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until cold, then strain over a rocks glass with a large ice cube. 3. Garnish with caramelized bananas, (or a banana chip, or an orange peel, if you don’t feel like candying something while you’re making a drink.) -------------- Charli xcx dropped "Rock Music" out of nowhere and we are excited for whatever that means (new Charli music is what it means). We hear strains of Celebrity Skin, though Charli is not going with actual rock music here, it's classic Charli tongue-in-cheek fodder. We talk about the impact of brat on pop music and the culture as a whole, and now there's 1:55 of super processed guitars and live drums, but it's still a pop song. We agree she's priming us for a new sound palette, but this seems to be a transition track into her new world. More singles to come, and we will be listening. Plug for Alex's Substack where he writes about the PR behind music and how things are shifting weekly...well worth a read! Next up is Tove Lo, our Swedish pop icon who has been making bangers for a long time. Her lead single off her new project is "I'm your girl, right?" It's indie rock crossed with the house 90's vibe with a full on build to a drop. Take us to the club, Tove Lo. We love the opening lyric "I love your teeth, I could watch you eat for days." Phew. Lastly, Aldous Harding is a New Zealander who brings us a gorgeous track called "Train on the Island." as opposed to Charli and Tove Lo, there's a lot of lyrical mystery here. The repeating bass line, fuzzed out effected guitars, and the tasteful and restrained production really speak to the theme of mystery this week. We also love the blown out bass tone that sounds like it was run through a tiny practice amp. The lyrics seem to be bits and pieces of moments in time, but all wrapped up together by a gorgeous track. (Also, an amped flute...who needs anything more?) -------------- Alex's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerboying TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flowerboying Alex's Substack: https://alexanderdaoust.substack.com Jana's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janapochop Website: http://www.janapochop.com Jana's Substack: https://janapochop.substack.com

    44 min

  5. May 15

    It Gets So Hot: MUNA's Dancing On the Wall

    Episode 8 brings us two awesome things...our first full length album review and our special guest, Marin Wilts! We are thrilled about both! And of course, queue up MUNA's Dancing on the Wall. Follow along with our episode playlist here. A little about Marin: Marin Wilts is a singer/songwriter/producer based in Phoenix, AZ. She works with We Make Noise, supporting women and gender-expansive musicians through education, community-building, and professional development opportunities. Marin also teaches songwriting at Arizona State University. Jana's monologue waxes poetic about the ritual of listening to an album in-depth. Jana's got a system (or a ceremony)...a late night, a glass of something good, and a dedicated and focused first listen to projects by her favorite artists. Alex and Jana share a deep love of MUNA, so of course this episode was a much looked-forward-to episode for them. Marin was not familiar with MUNA at all, and as you listen, you'll hear the magic of introducing a pal to a band you love. But first, a drink. Alex made two this week! ------------- This week's cocktail: IT GETS SO HOT 2oz Diplomatico Mantuano Rum1oz St. Germain.75oz lime juice8 basil leavesTepache 1. Put liquid ingredients in shaker without ice. 2. Add in basil and using a muddler or fork, macerate the basil leaves into the liquid. 3. Add ice and shake. 4. Strain into a Collins over ice. 5. Top with Tepache and stir. 6. Garnish with more basil. Notes from Alex - Tepache is a fermented drink made from pineapple rind and spices like cinnamon. - It’s not often that I get to play around with ingredients like this, but so much of this album is a love letter to LA, and so much of LA’s history and culture is owed to Mexico. Tepache is a real tie back to pre-Columbian root and to modern Mexican traditions. To stay as adherent to traditional recipes as possible, I made my own. - If you don’t want to make it at home, that’s fine - you can find it canned. Or better yet, find someone selling it. - I find that pineapple pairs really well with a lot of different things. In this recipe, it’s balanced with citrusy elderflower liqueur and herbal basil. ------------- This week's mocktail: STUCK IN THE SUBLIME 4oz Tepache.75oz lime juice2oz ginger beer1.5oz blueberry juice2 dashes bitters If you’re sober, you should be aware that traditional Tepache, like a kombucha, will always have a little bit of alcohol in it as a byproduct of fermenting. Canned options, which are less traditional, often have less than .5% ABV, so that’s what we’re opting for here. We’re pairing the pineapple here with ginger, which is a classic combo, and then with blueberry, which offers a good complement to the other flavors here. ------------- This week we listen to the entirety of MUNA's Dancing On the Wall. MUNA is a Los Angeles based trio consisting of Katie Gavin, Naomi McPherson, and Josette Maskin. A few notes from each song: It Gets So Hot: a great start to this whole project, the synth, bass, and percussion work lets us know we've arrived, we are in a tension-filled hot L.A. summer, it's all happening.Dancing on the Wall: the lead single with good reason...we are so back. The 80's slap bass is sending us. Lots of great MUNA harmonies, one of the most overtly pop songs on the album. We also talk about how good the bridges are, and this one sets the tone with the musical spiral upwards. Katie Gavin vocal supremacy forever.Eastside Girls: one of our collective faves, with the Billy Joel bridge, the geography placing us in East L.A., as Alex says, "just a small town girl, living in a lonely world." Weird beats galore and it works so well. It's pop music in a time of war, "Making love in a chemical sunset." Marin brings up scansion and how you have to know the rules and them break them.Wannabeher: "Obsessed step on my neck yeah." We can't stop singing this. It's fun, period.On Call: Alex declares it a Celine Dion bop, and packs a whole bunch into 2:35, including a Diane Warren key change. Harmonic modulation keeps taking us higher and we love it, especially another monster bridge.So What: Full on banger, no tension release here either. We get a huge extended instrumental in the outro, and the mental breakdown is musical and not lyrical. More discussion on the excellence in sapphic yearning that Katie Gavin nails so well. It's not bravado in the first person POV, it's the last gasp of trying to not be bothered about not being loved by that One Person.Party's Over: a transition to...Big Stick: the new section of the record...MUNA gets political. "The Teddy Roosevelt core of it all." Katie sings from the perspective of Big Brother, and it's haunting lyrically while still going hard musically.Mary Jane: a song about addiction being the third in the room. We have Kate Bush, we have Gaga, we have the slap bass! We talk about how this album is really building a cohesive batch of sounds, bringing sounds and themes in and out without boring us.Girl's Girl: the queer issue of a small local incestuous dating pool...real. We LOVE the pre-chorus with Katie's "ha ha ha ha"'s as a vocal stim. It's got "Jessie's Girl" vibes, filtered guitar, a sing-along chorus, and hooks galore....Unless: another transition to...Why Do I Get A Good Feeling: The Imogen Heap of it all, and we are ready for it. Strings beneath another intense beat, Katie's diction is perfection and gets all her smart words out on this in perfect time.Buzzkiller: a last track that utterly destroys us. Some of our favorite lyricism on the album. Strings bringing a dissonance, with some acoustic guitar, along with the pulsing, gated synths. Hearts dropped. Tears swelled. The record is over. We loved it so much. Check out the videos for: Dancing On the Wall Wannabeher Eastside Girls Check out Katie Gavin's solo record, What A Relief - buy it on Bandcamp here. ------------- Marin's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinwilts Official Website: https://www.marinwilts.com We Make Noise: https://www.we-make-noise.org Alex's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerboying TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flowerboying Alex's Substack: https://alexanderdaoust.substack.com Jana's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janapochop Website: http://www.janapochop.com Jana's Substack: https://janapochop.substack.com

    1h 12m

  6. May 7

    Vegas Wedding: The Beaches, Kacey Musgraves, Beth Orton

    Episode 7 and we can hardly believe it. Alex monologues about Nevada, and the beauty of the desert, the deep history there that goes back thousands of years, and the ugliness of Las Vegas, or as Alex puts it..."the worst city I have ever been to." Thankfully he turns it all into cocktail inspiration, with a drink that will make up for a hundred bad turns at the roulette table. As Alex notes, it is based on a coffee order from Gabi Bakery, who are not sponsors but are a lovely reprieve "from almost everything else in Vegas." Follow along with our playlist for this week: https://www.tunemymusic.com/share/IVOs452MM2 This week's drink: Vegas Wedding 1.5oz matcha-infused gin .75oz yuzu juice 1oz simple syrup 1 egg white Shake all ingredients dry. Shake all ingredients with ice. Serve up in a coupe glass. Substitutions: matcha as a flavor pair can handle almost any other floral, vegetal, or fruity note – this would be great with vanilla, lavender, fennel, mint, stone fruits, or citrus added in as a substitute for the simple syrup You can infuse the gin with a bunch of different kinds of tea, as well – something with rose hips or chamomile or even a strong oolong tea would work great here, too. ---- POPMERGENCY!!! When Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter put out a collab, we have to mention it. We agree, "Bring Your Love" is a dance hit, and Sabrina compliments Madonna like whoa. On to "Should Have Known Better" from The Beaches, a band we both really love. They deliver with a solid 90's full rock band sound with the classic harmonies and strong lead vocal from Jordan Miller. The Beaches excel at hooky melodies and there's no exception here. It's warranted for a song about the non-committal situationship that everyone should run from...but run from it with this earworm playing. Next up is "Dry Spell" from Kacey Musgraves' new album Middle of Nowhere. We really dig the direction Kacey has taken overall on this record, shining with her usual wit and candor while pulling in all kinds of influences from traditional Mexican and Tejano music (the true Texan musical history, as Kacey notes). We love the 6-ish different guitar layers, the cool doubled vocals, Kacey's vocals sitting so wide in the mix, and we insist you watch the video. Also, any song with the line, “Lonely with a capital H,” is a winner. Beth Orton's new track, "Waiting," from her forthcoming album The Ground Above, takes us through a heart-achingly gorgeous jazz inspired journey. One of the pioneers of folktronica in the UK, Beth's career has huge range and depth. It's a bit of a throwback to Earth Wind and Fire but make it lo-fi, which is so cool. Her voice is a main feature, pulling us into the heartbreak before, surprisingly, giving us a positive spin at the end. Deep breath here. ---- Alex's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerboying TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flowerboying Alex's Substack: https://alexanderdaoust.substack.com Jana's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janapochop Website: http://www.janapochop.com Jana's Substack: https://janapochop.substack.com

    42 min

  7. Apr 30

    Crush Forever: Metric, Lucy Dacus, Suki Waterhouse

    Episode 6 is a big one…our first special guest! Songwriter/musician/producer Noëlle Hampton joins us from Austin to talk about Metric, Lucy Dacus, and Suki Waterhouse. Check out Noëlle’s work with The Belle Sounds and XANIMAL to get you started (we included some on our weekly playlist!) Listen along: https://www.tunemymusic.com/share/Cnjrx0WyUf Jana monologues about the bittersweetness of being back in a place that played a big part in her young singer-songwriter days. Austin is an amazing town, and now she cruises through a few times a year with out of state plates. Metric and Lucy address these moments in our past and how we work with them in the present. But first, Alex walks us through his creative play on a Ranch Water, with strawberry infused mezcal and a tajín rim. This week's drink: Crush Forever 2oz mezcal joven (Del Maguey good, or even something less smoky like a salmiana) 1oz ruby grapefruit juice Twist of Grapefruit Topo Chico or other grapefruit sparkling water (to top) Rim collins glass with tajín. Add ingredients over ice, stir hard. ——- Metric starts us off with “Crush Forever,” a disco infused track off their new project Romanticize the Dive. We love Emily Haines’ sweet, monotone vocals that tell the story so well in the track. Writing to your younger self is a challenging feat, we all agree, but this track tells a story in small moments like “I've spilled outside the cup, mania is only grief spеd up.” Hits us in the feels...and with Metric's long-storied top notch production, this is a clear winner off a great album. Lucy Dacus brings us “Planting Tomatoes,” a sweet but grungy indie folk track about living in the present moment while remembering someone who has passed and now Lucy is older than they were when they left this plane. We loved the details in the lyrics, which Lucy excels at, like the saxophone down the street and the tomatoes not being good yet. (Jana loves a nerd writer, we all know that). We hear strains of The Weepies and Deb Talan in Lucy’s melody lines. Suki Waterhouse brings us home with a total banger of a track in “Tiny Raisin.” As everyone refrained upon listening…”it’s a JAM.” Suki takes us on a dangerous and edgy romp with this one…we hear tinges of The Pixies, Sheryl Crow, and some 60’s French pop with a retro vibe but modernized. “That’s my kid in his arms,” was not our favorite lyric juxtaposed with this sexy song, but hey. Suki can do what she wants. We all agree, all of the tracks this week involve some brilliantly executed mixing to make them come together, so take a listen with those ears on! ----- Noëlle’s links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebellesounds TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebellesounds Website: https://www.thebellesounds.com Alex's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerboying TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flowerboying Alex's Substack: https://alexanderdaoust.substack.com Jana's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janapochop Website: http://www.janapochop.com Jana's Substack: https://janapochop.substack.com

    47 min

  8. Apr 23

    Doublespeak: Sofia Isella, Alabama Shakes, Noah Kahan

    Episode 5 takes us through some really heavy topics and songs, and that's why we do this together, and why we have a cocktail while we do it. Alex's monologue addresses his thoughts on writing protest songs, and the three songs we are listening to this week excel at addressing large systemic issues in deeply personal ways. But first, Alex talks us through our first egg white cocktail on the pod! Want to follow along with this week's playlist? Right here: https://www.tunemymusic.com/share/8WLGKHqwtY This week's drink: DOUBLESPEAK 1.5oz cognac .75oz sweet vermouth .25oz lemon .5oz fig jam syrup .25oz hazelnut liqueur egg white Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and do a dry shake first. Add ice and then shake until it's cold. Pour into a glass, serve up in a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange peel if desired. ------- Sofia Isella starts us off with Numbers 31:17-18, her meditation and indictment of the Old Testament verse. Sofia brings an incredible vocal range to this track, and every part of the production helps to buoy the point. We hear shades of Dresden Dolls, Ethel Cain, and Tori Amos. Moreso, we are excited that younger artists are using their platforms to address deeper societal issues in pop music. As Alex says about the production, it's good mixing and good sound design, bringing a theatrical bent to it all that deepens the meaning. Listen with headphones. Onward to Alabama Shakes and their new single "American Dream." As with anything the Shakes do, this one is pure excellence, but also pure protest coming from the voice of the average American existing in the slog that is 2026. When presented with the skill that a band like Alabama Shakes provides, it's a home run of an affecting track. Brittany Howard sings us through the deeply pocketed groove, speaking to the drudgery of waking up every day in America, with lines like "Low-grade fever, lower-wage people, How many folks got shot this week? It's enough to make you wanna go back to sleep." Indeed. Lastly, Noah Kahan brings a more personal take on getting through while looking back with "The Great Divide." A more traditional indie folk pop track, Noah's rumination on a friendship that is long over but still bringing up regrets really gets us in the feels. His writing is vague in a way that allows the listener to feel it personally. While we veer into stomp-clap production, it's an evolution of such and suits the subject matter well. We hear some Jason Isbell influence in there along with the Lumineers. It's a bittersweet end to this trio that are all good answers to anyone who dares to ask, "Where are all the modern protest songs?" They're right here. Tune in next week when we have a special guest: Noëlle Hampton is joining us from Austin! Check out her band The Belle Sounds while you wait. ----- Alex's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerboying TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flowerboying Alex's Substack: https://alexanderdaoust.substack.com Jana's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janapochop Website: http://www.janapochop.com Jana's Substack: https://janapochop.substack.com

    39 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Mixomusicology is a podcast hosted by Alexander Daoust and Jana Pochop. In each episode, Alex walks Jana (and the listeners!) through making a delicious cocktail based on a batch of new songs the duo have chosen for the week. They'll review and break down recently released songs and chat about production, lyricism, and where the work fits into the larger pop culture zeitgeist. They'll bring along a few tangents, and you BYOB.

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  • Creator
    Mixomusicology
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Mixomusicology
  • Show Website
    Mixomusicology

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