My Weekly Mixtape: Music Discovery & Nostalgia

Most people remember their first concert. I’ve talked about mine more than a few times — David Lee Roth and Poison on the 1988 Skyscraper tour. But the second one hits differently for a lot of people.For me, it was Aerosmith and Skid Row on the Pump tour in 1990. I was 12, standing there completely wide-eyed, when Skid Row tore into “Piece of Me” and something just clicked — that bass line. That moment revealed how much attitude and power could live in the low end, and it played a big role in me picking up a bass.This week, I’m joined by Rachel Bolan of Skid Row to talk about his debut solo record Gargoyle of the Garden State. We get into the DNA of the album — how it leans into his punk influences while still reflecting decades of defining Skid Row’s sound — and what punk really means when you strip it down to attitude over genre. We also talk about creative freedom after years in a band with a defined identity, and what it means to step outside that without losing your voice.The conversation also covers collaboration, as Gargoyles features appearances from Corey Taylor, Nuno Bettencourt, Danko Jones, Steve Conte, Damon Johnson as well as contributions from fellow Skid Row bandmates — and how outside voices can either elevate a track or shift its intent. And, as a longtime obsession of mine, we dig into cover songs, ranging from Skid Row’s “Psycho Therapy” to Bolan’s take on Oasis’ “Rock & Roll Star,” and the balance between honoring an original and making it your own.A conversation about influence, identity, and the long arc of music that started with a bass line in 1990 that still echoes today.Photo Credit: Anabel DFlux🎙️ LEARN MORE🎵 Hear the Playlists / Browse the Catalog:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠💬 Join the Mixtaper Community (Patreon):⁠ https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠🌐 Connect on Social:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠📧 Email the Show / Contact:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠👕 Shop MWM Gear: https://myweeklymixtape-shop.fourthwall.com/

Ever judge an album by its cover? This week on My Weekly Mixtape, Jay Sweet joins me as we flip through some virtual record crates to curate a playlist inspired by the most iconic album covers of all time. From legendary imagery to unforgettable records, we’re turning that visual inspiration into a killer mix of songs — and exploring what makes album art just as timeless, meaningful, and memorable as the music inside.🎙️ LEARN MORE🎵 Hear the Playlists / Browse the Catalog:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠💬 Join the Mixtaper Community (Patreon):⁠ https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠🌐 Connect on Social:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠📧 Email the Show / Contact:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠👕 Shop MWM Gear: https://myweeklymixtape-shop.fourthwall.com/

This week, I’m sitting down with the legendary Warren Haynes to revisit Tales of Ordinary Madness — his debut solo album, now newly remixed and remastered more than thirty years after its original release. It’s a record that’s lived a long life with a lot of us, and hearing it again with fresh ears raises a bigger question: what happens when you return to deeply personal songs after decades of living, playing, and moving forward?We talk about how the album found a home on Megaforce Records — yes, that Megaforce — and what it was like for Warren to re-engage with these songs from a distance he simply didn’t have in the early ’90s. From co-producing the original sessions with Chuck Leavell to hearing Grammy-winning engineer Jim Scott remix the album and fully unlock its timeless status, this conversation becomes less about revision and more about rediscovery — about what time gives you, and what it doesn’t.There are stories between the songs, too. We dig into the long-lost “Tear Me Down,” finally restored to its rightful place in the album’s new sequence, and trace how “I’ll Be The One” quietly evolved from Tales of Ordinary Madness into Gov’t Mule’s Mo Voodoo rendition. Warren walks through what changed, what stayed the same, and why those distinctions still matter — musically and emotionally.Along the way, we widen the lens. We revisit his legendary early-morning acoustic performance at Bonnaroo in 2004, talk about the mechanics of collaborations — what makes it work, what makes it last — and touch on his musical chemistry with artists like Little Milton, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Grace Potter and Joe Bonamassa (just to scratch the surface). We also unpack the story behind that unforgettable slide guitar on Blues Traveler’s “The Mountains Win Again,” and how that moment unexpectedly helped shape the sound and direction of Gov’t Mule’s debut.🎙️ LEARN MORE🎵 Hear the Playlists / Browse the Catalog:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠💬 Join the Mixtaper Community (Patreon):⁠ https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠🌐 Connect on Social:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠📧 Email the Show / Contact:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠👕 Shop MWM Gear: https://myweeklymixtape-shop.fourthwall.com/

This week, we’re digging into one of the most important collision points in modern music history — the moment when rock and hip-hop first slammed into each other and changed the landscape forever. Using When Rock Met Hip-Hop as a guiding lens, I’m joined by legendary music journalist Stephen Blush to explore the artists, scenes, and cultural flashpoints that brought distorted guitars and breakbeats together long before genre lines disappeared.These collaborations were risky, raw, and often controversial. From early experiments that raised eyebrows to landmark moments that rewrote the rules, we unpack how rock and hip-hop didn’t just influence each other — they challenged ideas around race, authenticity, rebellion, and what popular music was even allowed to be.Along the way, we dig into the stories behind these crossover moments, the samples that became entwined in the sound’s musical DNA, the artists willing to take the risks, and why their impact still echoes today.If you’ve ever wondered how we got from Run-DMC and Aerosmith to today’s genre-fluid musical landscape — or if you just love a deep dive into music history — this episode connects the dots. Because some of the biggest shifts in music don’t come from trends or algorithms — they happen when two scenes collide and refuse to move out of each other’s way.🎙️ LEARN MORE🎵 Hear the Playlists / Browse the Catalog:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠💬 Join the Mixtaper Community (Patreon):⁠ https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠🌐 Connect on Social:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠📧 Email the Show / Contact:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠👕 Shop MWM Gear: https://myweeklymixtape-shop.fourthwall.com/

This week, we’re turning the headlights on & exploring 10 songs that provide the perfect soundtrack for a late night drive by yourself. Because let’s be honest: road trips in the sunlight and road trips under the glow of streetlights are two completely different experiences. One’s about destinations. The other’s about the space between them. Especially when it’s just you and the music.There’s something about driving at night that makes everything feel a little more cinematic — fewer cars, quieter thoughts, and songs that seem to hit harder when the rest of the world is asleep. These are tracks built for empty highways, dashboard lights, and moments where you don’t necessarily need to get anywhere fast… you just need to keep moving.This playlist leans into mood over momentum — songs that breathe, linger, and let your mind wander somewhere beyond the windshield.To add another layer to the episode, I pull a complete 180 and create a daytime alternative mix, featuring different songs from the same 10 artists — a sun-soaked playlist designed for a completely different musical atmosphere!Thanks to Patreon Mixtaper Sean Goff for sending in this week’s playlist concept.🎙️ LEARN MORE🎵 Hear the Playlists / Browse the Catalog:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠💬 Join the Mixtaper Community (Patreon):⁠ https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠🌐 Connect on Social:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠📧 Email the Show / Contact:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠👕 Shop MWM Gear: https://myweeklymixtape-shop.fourthwall.com/