My Weekly Mixtape: Music Discovery & Nostalgia

Think narrowing twenty-five years of dance music down to ten songs was difficult the first time? So did a lot of you!
After our first dive into 10 of the biggest dance tracks of the last quarter century, the messages started rolling in. Some of your favorites were missing. Some songs sparked spirited debates. And more than a few people reminded us just how impossible it is to squeeze twenty-five years of dance-floor history into a single list of ten tracks.
So we're back for Volume 2.
This week, Jay Sweet joins me once again to spotlight ten more songs that helped define the sound of parties, clubs, weddings, road trips, and playlists from the early 2000s through today. These aren't leftovers—they're ten more essential tracks that left a lasting mark on pop culture and kept people moving for years as well as decades.
We'll revisit the artists, moments, and musical shifts that helped shape modern dance music while making the case for why these songs deserve a place in the conversation.
Whether you agreed with our first list, disagreed with every pick, or just came ready for another excuse to turn the volume up, this episode proves there's no such thing as a definitive list when it comes to twenty-five years of dance music.
Get ready for ten more songs, plenty of debate, and two guys who still couldn't dance if our lives depended on it!

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🎵 Hear the Playlists / Browse the Catalog:⁠ https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠
💬 Join the Mixtaper Community (Patreon):⁠ https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠
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This week, I’m skanking my way through 10 ska punk cover songs for you to sink your checkerboard Vans into. From ska punk bands reinventing pop hits, to up-and-coming acts taking swings at ska and punk classics — it’s all stitched together by that unmistakable upstroke rhythm and pure “pick it up” energy.
From basement-show singalongs to Warped Tour staples, ska bands have been flipping familiar songs on their heads for decades — and somehow making us love tracks we already knew even more. Sometimes the covers land with a tongue firmly planted in cheek. Sometimes they’re heartfelt love letters. And sometimes… they flat-out replace the original version in our brains.
So stretch your calves and lace up tight — it’s time to skank through a full-tilt celebration of ska punk cover songs. The pit awaits!
Thank you to mixtaper Joe for emailing in this weeks’ suggestion!
Photo Credit: Jens Thekkeveettil

🎙️ 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/

There’s a story behind the name Parker Barrow — and it’s not just a nod to Bonnie and Clyde.
This week, Megan Kane and Dylan Turner join me to unpack how that outlaw-inspired identity connects to a very real journey — one built less on romance and more on survival. From living in an RV and scraping by, to finding clarity and momentum as a band, this is a conversation about what it actually takes to build something that lasts.
We get into Hold the Mash, a record that balances grit, humor, and some surprisingly heavy themes — and why that contrast matters. Megan and Dylan also open up about the pressure of modern validation culture, the push-and-pull of social media, and how songs like “Blinded” challenge the very system artists are expected to succeed in.
Along the way, we talk about growth since Jukebox Gypsies, the band’s extended studio take on the Black Crowes’ “My Morning Song,” what’s changed on the road, and the moment things started to feel real — not just hopeful.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens between the struggle and the spotlight — this is that story.

🎙️ 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 digging into 10 songs that all run 10+ minutes — and somehow never feel like it. These are the tracks that keep unfolding, shifting, and pulling you forward just enough that the clock stops mattering. No meandering. No “this could’ve been trimmed” moments. Just long songs that know exactly what they’re doing.
Spanning the rock spectrum — classic rock, metal, punk, prog, and alternative — this episode moves from slow-burn epics to full-on journeys that reward patience without testing it. Whether it’s a riff that refuses to wear out, a story that keeps adding new chapters, or a structure that constantly reinvents itself, these songs make a strong case that length isn’t a problem — it’s whether the music earns every minute.
If you’ve ever looked down at a track timer and thought, wait, that song was how long? — this episode’s for you.
Thank you to mixtaper Jenn for emailing in this weeks’ suggestion!

🎙️ 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/

There are moments in life that feel too strange to be real — the kind you replay just to make sure they actually happened. This is one of those stories.
On Saturday, June 17, 2000, during Poison’s Power to the People tour at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ, I went from the crowd… to on stage with Poison.
One minute I’m watching a rock concert. The next, I’ve got Bret Michaels’ microphone in my hand, singing KISS’ “Rock and Roll All Nite” in front of thousands of people.
It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t staged. It wasn’t something I ever thought I’d experience at a Poison concert.
Since this was before everyone had a camera in their pocket—I have no footage, no photos, and no proof in the modern sense of proof. Just an unused Rikki Rockett drumstick… and one witness who was there with me.
In this episode, I’m telling the full story of what it was like to end up on stage with Poison, how it happened, and why moments like this don’t quite fit inside normal memory — especially when it comes to live rock concert stories.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like when the line between fan and performer disappears at a rock show… this one’s for you.

🎙️ 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/