New Song vs. Song! We welcome @nikostratis.com into the pod to discuss her new book "The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman" and discuss what is more dad rock, "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers or "The Way" by Fastball! open.spotify.com/episode/0OeY... - ThreadSky

shadowtodd.bsky.social • 9 days ago

New Song vs. Song! We welcome @nikostratis.com into the pod to discuss her new book "The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman" and discuss what is more dad rock, "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers or "The Way" by Fastball!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0OeY7xaTmCKpToKkm67oKx?si=a95c4dbf75524bac

Comments

ramiromoreno.bsky.social•8 days ago

But if I have to choose which one sounds the "Dad-Rockest", the one that sounds just like Bésame Mucho has to be the one, right?

shadowtodd.bsky.social•8 days ago

wow, i think we have REALLY different definitions of dad rock

ramiromoreno.bsky.social•8 days ago

hahahaha it's been a while since I last was briefed on what is considered dad rock! I'm sure the passage of time is constantly morphing the parameters

shadowtodd.bsky.social•8 days ago

like, dad rock is anything masculine, earnest and informed by painful life experiences, played on rock guitars, i don't know any other definition

ramiromoreno.bsky.social•8 days ago

I'm very surprised by the decision of putting these two up against each other. I find them to be fundamentally very different tracks, and I would've never thought of either of them as "dad rock". Maybe the parameters of what makes a song dad rock has radically changed.

shadowtodd.bsky.social•8 days ago

we go into this into the show, i tried to argue that these songs are very different and maybe shouldn't have matched up against each other, but my cohost and guest made decent cases and might have convinced me

ramiromoreno.bsky.social•8 days ago

I'll give it a listen! 😁

shadowtodd.bsky.social•8 days ago

and at the very least, "One Headlight" is dad rock by any definition

ramiromoreno.bsky.social•8 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/ramiromoreno.bsky.social/post/3lnligyvn3c2i I beg to differ, maybe once I'm finished listening to the episode I'll be on your side!

beatmodnrocker.bsky.social•9 days ago

Damn the mid-late 90s were rough, M.O.R post grunge sorta indie is not a genre to revisit. Bad times (see also UK post Smiths split, goddamn we listened to some dreck). Northern Soul kids, just head there. Never fail ya.

paulsaar.bsky.social•9 days ago

It’s wild hearing you say what you hear on radio and growing up Todd, saying One Headlight was both everywhere and never heard other wallflowers on radio. I’m born in 1995 and pretty aware of music of all ages: I hear 6th Avenue Heartache all the time and only heard Headlight for 1st time last year

shadowtodd.bsky.social•9 days ago

I think you will find that this is an incredibly rare experience

pyrorufus.bsky.social•8 days ago

Yeah, 6th Avenue Heartache is the only other Wallflowers song of any note that I can think of, and even that is fairly obscure.

lucythevegan.bsky.social•9 days ago

Niko and the SvS duo on one podcast? As good as it gets

themacattack54.bsky.social•8 days ago

I’ve always interpreted “The Way” as a really dark mom rock or “minivan rock” sound while “One Headlight” was pure dad rock (or “divorced dad rock” as kids call it now). Interesting to see what you two think!

jazzyspf.bsky.social•8 days ago

I recently read a list of 'most mediocre rock songs of all time' that included both these songs. I was afraid for a second that you were going to do a best of mediocrity episode. Glad you all had enough taste to recognize that these songs are good actually.

shadowtodd.bsky.social•8 days ago

Who was that moron

jazzyspf.bsky.social•8 days ago

I swear I tried making a playlist of the most mediocre hits of all time a while back and found both bands on one or two online lists somewhere. I can't find any lists right now though. Either the writers scrapped the lists or I'm just having a moment (probably the latter).

kdnjr.bsky.social•8 days ago

Damn right!
Groundbreaking? Hell no!
But sometimes a well made song from its era soothes the soul when nothing else can. 🙂

gramathy.bsky.social•9 days ago

Fastball’s entire catalog is songs about being disaffected or let down by reality in one way or another.

If that’s dad rock are dads ok?

greyduck.bsky.social•9 days ago

Am a dad. Can confirm: Not ok.

shadowtodd.bsky.social•9 days ago

That's like the definition of dad rock (we go into this in the episode)

gramathy.bsky.social•9 days ago

I always interpreted dad rock as generically rock-like music without much actually going on, like if someone was told to make elevator music more interesting and gave up after one attempt

shadowtodd.bsky.social•9 days ago

i don't think that's how people generally understand it

pyrorufus.bsky.social•8 days ago

I've maintained for years that "One Headlight" might be the best song of the 90s. I think there's a compelling argument to be made for "Smooth," as well.

undeednu.bsky.social•8 days ago

Technical issue: Both the Patreon podcast feed and the Nebula ad-free podcast feed are each missing the latest episode. Have you changed something?

torak49.bsky.social•9 days ago

I don't smoke or own a car but I will always dream of driving down a dark highway while smoking when One Headlight comes on

theactualcathal.bsky.social•9 days ago

Oh God, The Way is so much better what are you doing.

wandererriha.bsky.social•8 days ago

In my mind “Dad Rock” does not extend past 1980.
Perhaps because my dad is 1) a Boomer and 2) a massive Country nerd

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