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

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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

1. Go by The Black Keys
2. Go by blink-182
3. Would I Lie To You? By Charles & Eddie
4. Would I Lie To You? by Eurythmics, Annie Lennox,Dave Stewart
5. True Love by Angels & Airwaves
6. True Love by Coldplay
7. You Got It (The Right Stuff) by New Kids On The Block
8. You Got It by Roy Orbison
9. Growing Pains by Ludacris
10. Growing Pains by Alessia Cara
11. Holiday by Green Day
12. Holiday by Madonna
13. Take A Bow by Rihanna
14. Take a Bow by Muse
15. I Get Around by 2Pac
16. I Get Around by The Beach Boys
17. Run by Snow Patrol
18. Run by Foo Fighters
19. Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince
20. Summertime by Kenny Chesney
21. HAPPY by NF
22. Happy by Pharrell Williams
23. Get Back by Ludacris
24. Get Back by The Beatles

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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

1. Nemesis - Benjamin Clementine
2. SugarMan - Regina Spektor
3. Follow - Crystal Fighters
4. Grand Canyon - Puscifer
5. I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab for Cutie
6. Tonight, Tonight - Passion Pit
7. ‘Til It’s Over - Anderson Paak
8. How To Tame Lions - Meg Washington
9. El Corrido De Don Lulai - Del Castillo
10. A World Alone - Lorde
11. Get A Move On! - Mr. Scruff
12. Likufanele - Zero 7

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Visit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!