Which critically-acclaimed albums this year do Mark and Nichole actually kind of hate? In this week’s Sidetrack, we come back once again to discuss the eight nominees for “Album of the Year” at the 2026 Grammys. Tune in to hear our hosts deep-dive on the high and low points of this year’s crop of nominees. As a bonus: our thoughts on the “Song of the Year” and “Record of the Year” categories! Check us out next week for a normal episode!

Music heard in this episode: Tyler, The Creator - “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”, Tyler, The Creator - “Sugar on My Tongue”, Tyler, The Creator - “Noid”, Tyler, The Creator - “Darling, I (feat. Teezo Touchdown)”, Lady Gaga - “Abracadabra”, Lady Gaga - “Can’t Stop the High”, Justin Timberlake - “Like I Love You (feat. Clipse)”, Clipse - “Chains & Whips (feat. Kendrick Lamar)”, Clipse - “Ace Trumpets”, Kendrick Lamar & SZA - “Luther”, Kendrick Lamar - “Reincarnation”, Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber - “10,000 Hours”, Justin Bieber - “Daisies”, Justin Bieber - “Yukon”, Sabrina Carpenter - “Tears”, Bad Bunny - “Moscow Mule”, Bad Bunny - “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”, SZA - “Snooze”, Leon Thomas - “Snooze”, Leon Thomas - “MUTT”, Leon Thomas - “HOW FAST”, Doechii - “Anxiety”, Rosé and Bruno Mars - “APT.”, Huntrix - “Golden”, Bad Bunny - “DtMF”, Chappell Roan - “The Subway”

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If you get caught, what should you say? “It wasn’t me!” In this episode, we are lied to by the fun 2000 hit “It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy and Rikrok. Nichole walks us through the ways people can use denial as a coping mechanism, while Mark paces through how rhythms can be used to help tell an engaging story…. butt naked.

Other music heard in this episode: Shaggy - “Boombastic”, Shaggy - “Angel”, Sting and Shaggy - “Shape of My Heart”, War - “Smile Happy”, Pras - “Ghetto Supastar (That is What You Are)”, Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers - “Islands in the Stream”, Bee Gees - “Islands in the Stream”, Nelly - “Ride Wit Me”, Papa Roach - “Last Resort”, Christina Aguilera - “Genie in a Bottle”

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Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com

Who’s ready for a feeding frenzy? This week we are joined by podcast super-host Matt Kelly from the Geekscape network to talk about the mid-90s! For a wild few years, it seemed like the record labels were signing every quirky band they could to try to recreate the magic of Nirvana. We talk trend-chasing corporations, confusing genre labels, Mark’s deep regrets, and more in this wide-ranging conversation. Check us out next week for a regular episode!

Music heard in this episode: Butthole Surfers - “Pepper”, Fastball - “The Way”, U2 - “Bullet the Blue Sky”, U2 - “Staring at the Sun”, Foo Fighters - “Alone and Easy Target”, Local H - “Bound for the Floor”

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Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com

Have you ever actually tried to sleep with one eye open? In this week’s episode, we rock out to Metallica’s 1991 metal powerhouse “Enter Sandman.” Mark shows us some key changes that he finds dreamy. Meanwhile, Nichole makes a dark song event darker, looking at its meaning through the lens of childhood trauma. Off to Never-Neverland, indeed.

Other Music heard in this episode: Boyz II Men - “Under Pressure”, Metallica - “Dirty Window”, Metallica - “Master of Puppets”, Metallica - “Nothing Else Matters”, Metallica - “One”, Excel - “Tapping Into the Emotional Void”, Whitney Houston - “I Will Always Love You”, Bon Jovi - “Livin’ on a Prayer”, Boyz II Men - “On Bended Knee”, Michael Jackson - “Baby Be Mine”, The Beatles - “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”, Weezer - “Undone (The Sweater Song)”, Jessica Darrow - “Surface Pressure”

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Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com

Is it flutist or flautist? Would you want to know the setlist before you see the concert? What’s going to be our hosts next side-hustle? It’s Season 2 and time for listener questions! See you next week for our next regular episode!

Music heard in this episode: Fiona Apple - “Paper Bag”, Less Than Jake - “Hows My Driving, Doug Hastings?”, Taylor Swift - “Wood”, Taylor Swift - “Wi$h Li$t”, Taylor Swift - “Fifteen”, Drive Shaft - “You All Everybody”, Bob Welch - “Ebony Eyes”, The Clash - “White Riot”, The Clash - “Train in Vain”, Seal - “Colours”, Seal - “Still Love Remains”, Bruno Mars - “When I Was Your Man”

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Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com

Are you a responsible eldest child? A spoiled youngest? This week, there are many things that we would like to say to you about Oasis’ 1995 sing-along classic “Wonderwall.” Nichole muses on a psychological theory that might explain some of the toxic family dynamics in the band, and Mark outlines the cool melodic patterns that help make this song so catchy. And, of course, Mark’s top five 90s guitar strums!

Other Music heard in this episode: Foo Fighters - “Big Me”, Blues Traveler - “Runaround”, Counting Crows - “Mr. Jones”, Soul Asylum - “Runaway Train”, Oasis - “Live Forever”, Blur - “There’s No Other Way”, Elastica - “Connection”, Oasis - “Roll With It”, The Beatles - “When I Get Home”, Oasis - “Don’t Look Back in Anger”, John Lennon - “Imagine”, Soundgarden - “Switch Opens”, Toto - “Rosanna”

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Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com

Can we predict the next musical revolution? We welcome Lorehounds co-host David as we unpack the Generational Music Theorem, which links major changes in popular music with the coming of age of each generation’s youth. The conversation is wide-ranging and, while we aren’t all totally sold on the theory, David brought charts so it must be true! Check us next week for a regular episode!

David’s charts are here

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Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com

Is it me you’re looking for? In this episode, we pine after “Hello,” Lionel Richie’s 1983 mega-hit. While Nichole falls hard for obsessive romantic delusions, Mark yearns for classic chord patterns used in interesting ways. Also, the co-hosts talk about what makes it cool to have that Jonathan Taylor Thomas poster on the wall, but not a poster of the cute boy from English class.

Other Music heard in this episode: Rihanna (feat. Calvin Harris) - “We Found Love”, Commodores - “Easy”, Faith No More - “Easy”, Lionel Richie - “All Night Long (All Night)”, U.S.A. for Africa - “We Are the World”, Gloria Gaynor - “I Will Survive”, Johann Pachelbel - “Canon in D,” P 37, Vitamin C - “Graduation (Friends Forever)”, Green Day - “Basket Case”, The Beatles - “You Never Give Me Your Money”, The Chordettes - “Mr. Sandman”, The Strokes - “15 Minutes”, Jonas Brothers - “Sucker”, Adele - “Million Years Ago”, Maroon 5 - “This Love”

Send us your thoughts at NeverMusicPod@gmail.com

Nevermind the Music is part of The Lorehounds Network. Join the Nevermind the Music Discord channel by visiting thelorehounds.com