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.

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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.

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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

Episode 4! That's a whole month's worth of podcasts! Thanks for being here. We are celebrating with a true delight of an episode. In fact, Jana monologues about delight, since the songs this week offer that in spades both lyrically and musically (and her turtle, Leo, has been taking turtle spa days lately, which is also delightful). Alex survived another NYC winter and Spring has arrived.

Want to follow along with this week's playlist? Right here: https://www.tunemymusic.com/share/vK4qbVL3b1

This week, Alex concocted a truly delightful drink inspired by Bruce Hornsby's "Memory Palace". It's a play on a Last Word, with a lot of swapped ingredients. Alex used buckwheat honey, and Jana could only find Neem honey, which turned out to be...guess what? Delightful.

This week's drink:

MEMORY PALACE

1oz Dolin Genepy le Chamois

1oz Lemon

1oz Amaro Montenegro

1oz Buckwheat honey syrup

Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

Honey simple syrup recipe: https://againstallgrain.com/2020/06/29/honey-simple-syrup

(Alex makes simple syrup by microwaving the correct amount of water and other ingredients; for one cocktail here you’ll need roughly 1oz of water and 1oz of honey accounting for evaporation. Heat it for 30sec - 1min and let cool).

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Holly Humberstone gives us "Make It All Better" off her new album Cruel World. It's got sweet, earnest lyrics we love that don't sway into sap thanks to Holly's delivery and production choices. We are digging the "gross but sweet" vibes and the power of sung pop lyrics, and it's delivered well here. Production-wise, we love how the repetitive synth keeps a motor going throughout, and the breakbeat outro taking us to a new moment in the production (shout out Grace Ives) makes the track a winner.

RAGEFLOWER is a Sydney-based indie rock artist whose new single, "Control," brings a huge sound inspired by the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, MUNA, and Japanese House. Written from the perspective of her "inner male narcissist," it's a dynamic track with lyrical wins like, "I want the feeling of the world in between my knees / I want an erection, a marble statue of me." Alex hears some Courtney Barnett influence, and Jana detects some early 2000's Americana/indie-rock inspiration, too. The production is huge and lush, and we can't wait to hear more.

Bruce Hornsby and Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend) bring us home with "Memory Palace" from Bruce's new record Indigo Park. Lyrically dense, it's a song about trying to literally hold on to your faculties as you get older, in true poetic Bruce fashion. And yet...still a catchy jam. We discuss the place Hornsby holds in pop culture, and Jana waxes poetic about how he is a quiet icon who holds a core place in pop history but is also maybe not quite as recognized as he should be. We loved the low harmonies in the track provided by Ezra Koenig, Alex appreciates the "softest guitar solo" ever, and Jana notes the classic Bruce "doot doot" vocalized percussion. Overall, cheers to Bruce.

If you like the podcast, please give us a 5 star review in your podcast app! Thanks!

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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

Episode 3 feels like an arrival of sorts, or maybe a settling in. To celebrate, Alex makes us a gin based Shunning Away, based on Naomi Scott's song from this week. Alex's monologue discusses our week's theme of songs that evoke senses that aren't just hearing...using production, lyricism, what have you. The songs this week ask you to use your other senses really well! We talk a little politics, just because we have to decompress a little after a threat of nuclear war on a Tuesday, Jana geeks out over Artemis II and The Moon, and we reaffirm the importance of SD card and file management. Always label your SD cards, kids.

Alex MADE his own aquavit...we celebrate that with an Ina Garten cheers.

Follow along with this week's playlist: https://www.tunemymusic.com/share/E0xRlCK2PN

This week's drink:

SHUNNING AWAY

1 oz. dry gin

1 oz. elderflower liqueur

1 oz. aquavit

2 dashes orange bitters

Stir over ice and pour over a large ice cube into an old fashioned glass

Top with soda water

Garnish with an orange peel

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Robber Robber's "New Year's Eve" takes us on a crunchy guitar existential crisis that we love lyrically..."grind me down blood computer," we felt that. While it's harder than what Jana goes for, it's softer than Alex's norm, so we met happily in the middle. We loved the discussion of apathy and again, towing the line of distortion and confusion, and again, the lyricism shines here.

Arlo Parks' "Senses" ft. Sampha is up next. We luxuriate in the production of this song and the whole project (Ambiguous Desire). Arlo takes us on a series on nights out clubbing in NYC, and as Alex says, it's all "Dope. Dope dope dope." Silky and smooth. This was made for a late night driving through a city playlist. We talk production choices morphing from synth instruments to more organic as the song evolves, and the Arlo and Sampha discussion in the lyrics. Frank Ocean is a very overt influence here in the best way.

Last but certainly not least, Naomi Scott gives us "Gracie," a Mary Mary / Janet + Michael inspired and overall 80's funky pop inspired track and record that really respects the era is comes from. We are HERE FOR IT. There's ear candy, there's a Norwegian producer on deck, there's true joy throughout the whole record and we can't sing Naomi's praises enough.

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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