Nevermind the Music

Sidetrack - In the 90s, the Record Labels Got Weird (with Matt Kelly)

Nevermind the Music

Show Notes

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”

Send us your thoughts at [email protected]

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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

More from Nevermind the Music

Oct 20, 2026

Is nepotism a key part of a good nineties pop anthem? This week we reach for Wilson Phillips’ inspirational 1990 hit “Hold On.” Nichole explains how some songs you love give you different doses of dopamine, at different times and different regions of the brain, as the song unfolds. Mark shows us how this song’s cool use of the bass creates a fun and impactful new type of chord.

Oct 13, 2026

Oh, no, another episode of Mark’s music? Sadly, yes! In this episode, Nichole listens to the eight new NTM mini-themes, and pitches which corporate sponsors each music bumper would best lead into. Is this a tongue-in-cheek bit or is Mark still trying to pay off these fancy microphones? Believe it or not, this conversation goes quite a bit off the rails!

Oct 6, 2026

What’s the sweet spot between challenge and comfort? This week we tackle Journey’s 1980 anthem “Any Way You Want It.” After knocking Mark down a notch because of his taste in early-oughts literary fiction, Nichole relates this song to the so-called arousal and flow theories of motivation. Mark explains the simple rhythmic trick that helps make this song have such a driving beat: pushing the downbeat. Come for the arena rock, stay for the Atari talk!

Sep 29, 2026

How long can the pop stars survive? In this episode, we debut our first ever NTM draft game! Welcoming back two all-star guests, Bree Thomas (“Mariah Carey Girl” from episode 60) and Chris Fafalios (from Punchline, One Hit Thunder, and episode 76), we each battle to build a team of former child music stars trapped on a deserted island! Who’s the responsible one? Who’s going to keep the morale high? Who might eat the rest of the team? Listen to find out, and then head to the Discord channel and vote for who had the best draft!

Sep 25, 2026

Here in season 3, we’re starting a new feature! Once per month, we’ll be turning back the clock and showcasing an episode from our back catalog! This month, we callback to one of our favorites from Season 1!

See all episodes →