Talking Like A Teen

Episode 65: If I Get Famous, Inflamed By Gravity

Here it is: The third and final part of our deep dive on Weezer’s 2001 self-titled “Green Album.” We take one final look at some background information (which includes some lawsuits…yikes!) before getting into a fun debate about the songs themselves. Oh, and did you know that one of the songs on this album was originally offered to another famous musician? Thanks for taking this strange journey with us on the last few episodes. We had an absolute blast celebrating an album that still maintains its relevance 25 years later.

Episode 64: Touched By Saints, Still Powerless

Part 2 of our 3-Part retrospective on Weezer’s 2001 comeback album arrives just days after its official 25th anniversary. Before we get into the album’s tracks proper, we dive deeper into frontman Rivers Cuomo’s state of mind during his songwriting process. This leads us to an examination of how the infamous “Catalog O’ Riffs” shapes each song and the somewhat scientific approach Rivers implements in constructing the perfect pop-rock song. But is this approach considered detrimental to creative endeavors? Does all art need to say something in order for it to be impactful? These are the questions we attempt to answer in this episode. We really hope you enjoy this one!

Episode 63: I'm Complicated, I Was Raised By Icons

Oh hai. I feel like I haven’t done a write-up in a minute. Um…how’s everyone doing? Oh me?--I’m Living The Dream–see how my joking tone and desperate chuckle convey the opposite? That’s comedy, baybeeee.  Quick, I don’t want to accidentally reveal anything Too Real™ l about myself–pivot to more questions. How was [your] weekend? Let’s engage in Obligatory Weather Conversation. Try to avoid mentioning climate change–it bums people out. Water Cooler Show? Oh, I haven’t seen it–too many streaming services, amirite? Internally workshop a joke about subscription services on necessary-to-live things, realize we’re probably six months from that, trash it. Awkward Silence. Eh, close enough. It’s been about 90 seconds. Sick, we did it. We have Officially Caught Up, Corporate Office Call Style. We Should Probably Get Started.  So…what is this?, you may be asking yourself. You guys talk about the list of episode topics being ever-expanding, and yet you’re treading back into Weezer discourse? First of all, that episode was released years ago, thank you Long Time Listener, but the answer is no, this is different. This mini-series is here to learn more about the folks behind what is arguably one of the most interesting and unique bands of that generation. “Interesting and unique?” you ask yourself, unable to hold back your skepticism. “The meme band where people rickroll that one guitar solo into social media videos?” Again, you’re asking the hard-hitting questions, I enjoy that about you, Listener. Thank you for coming to this meeting prepared unlike the rest of these simpletons. Yes, the meme band. Because behind the meme band is a Human** (**cannot actually confirm he is a human, he could be an alien or several small animals stacked comically in a trenchcoat, I would not be surprised) who approaches creative endeavors like they are a science experiment and mundane tasks like they are trapped in an opera. I don’t want to give too big of a peek behind the curtain, but this band’s history and discography are full of strange choices that have kept your hosts up at night (both figuratively and literally) and after having too many conversations about it over the years, we cannot continue to keep this to ourselves and must share the things we’ve learned with you, Listener. So. We hope you enjoy the first part of our presentation.  Anyway with that, the meeting's over, I’ll email out any takeaways or action items, unless I forget, in which case you weren’t going to read it anyway, let’s be so incredibly for real. Please review our presentation and come to the next meeting with any questions or notes. (or send ‘em to our social media, we can address them there.) Enjoy whatever time period feels appropriate to place here. Hang up call. Turn off face. Disassociate until the next one.

Episode 62: Heavy

Adrian here! The wait has been a long one, but here it is: Part 2 of our 2025 music playlists. As Ashley mentions in the episode proper, these picks for some of my favorite songs are probably the most "me" they've ever been and that's rad. We have some fun discussions on recontextualizing heavy music in the modern era, women & non-binary artists in music and we introduce Phase 1 of what we lovingly refer to as the Boygenius Cinematic Universe.

Episode 61: I'm Dragging You Down With Backflips

Ashley, here! So I’m getting ready to move (again) and moving is a few steps below Hell on Earth and the only thing keeping me from rejecting all of my earthly possessions for a life among the jellyfish has been the fact that it’s spring and I’m allergic to being outdoors when there are plants growing. (I am exaggerating, but like…barely.) I’ve been consuming too many YouTube video essays while searching for tape and sharpies. Did you know Ringo Starr recorded a disco album? That there’s a group of people doing competitive birdwatching? There’s that four hour video about the Star Wars Hotel. DashCon expose. The YouTube Plagiarism/James Somerton expose, that’s a banger in this house. That ANTM documentary just dropped, so I keep getting suggested thinkpieces on Tyra Banks and such. I don’t really have a point, other than video essays are neat and I enjoy learning about random things, even if it’s the fact that Nickelback recorded a song with Flo Rida. (It’s just as awful as it sounds, look it up.) Anyway. We’re doing our 2025 music wrap up episodes and these episodes always end up being a good time. So, please enjoy. I gotta finish shoving books in boxes while consuming a four hour video about Animorphs. Be jealous.