My Weekly Mixtape: Music Discovery & Nostalgia

For a generation of kids who grew up with Transformers, G.I. Joe, Star Wars and He-Man, these weren't simply toys and cartoons. They were part of growing up. And for Gus Rios, they were even more than that.
This week, Gus Rios of Knights of Unicron and Cold Slither joins me (and guest host Jay Sweet) to talk about the making of the new reimagined soundtrack to 1986's Transformers: The Movie.
Gus takes us back to his childhood connection to Transformers, the emotional impact of Optimus Prime, and why Vince DiCola's music and Stan Bush's "The Touch" became so deeply embedded in his life. He also tells the story of how a longtime friendship with RPM Records' Gerardo Martinez eventually led to Cold Slither, a relationship with Hasbro, and ultimately an invitation to help reimagine one of the most beloved soundtracks in '80s pop culture.
From there, we get into the music. Gus explains how Knights of Unicron approached the original recordings, and how the band found room to put its own stamp on songs like "The Touch," "Dare," "Death of Optimus Prime" and "Dare to Be Stupid."
We also talk about the guest vocalists Sebastian Bach, Francesco Cavalieri, Brittney Slayes and Torch, working alongside Stan Bush and Vince DiCola, the pressure of reinterpreting music that means so much to so many people, and the backlash from some corners of the Transformers fandom.
But underneath all of that is a much more personal story: what happens when the things that helped you survive childhood eventually become part of your adult life. For Gus, recording The Transformers: The Movie soundtrack became a way of saying thank you to the characters, music and people that shaped him.
Til all are one.

🎙️ 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

This week, Dr. Josh Bald of Primus Tracks joins me to step deep into the wonderfully warped world of Primus — a band that never really fit into a category because they spent their entire career bending, twisting, and outright ignoring them.
From the early slap-heavy chaos of Frizzle Fry to the conceptual storytelling of The Desaturating Seven, we’re building a 10-song playlist designed to trace the full arc of Primus: the funk-metal experimenters, the surreal storytellers, the prog-adjacent architects of groove, and the band that somehow made “weird” feel like a cohesive musical language.
This isn’t a “greatest hits” exercise. It’s about mapping the different eras, textures, and philosophies that define the band — one track at a time. By the end, you don’t just hear Primus — you hear how consistent experimentation can become its own kind of identity. Love them, question them, or just try to keep up… there’s really nothing else that sounds like this run of records.

🎙️ 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 plenty of publications that rank the biggest-selling albums in music history… but now comes the hard part: can you actually guess them?
This week, two friends of the show, Jay Sweet and DT Carel of Dopamine Sunrise, join me for a special My Weekly Mixtape challenge as they try to name the top 20 best-selling albums of all time. They’ll have to rely on their music knowledge, memory, and a little bit of luck as they attempt to avoid three strikes and keep their streak alive.
The list features legendary artists like Michael Jackson, AC/DC, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, and more — albums that didn’t just sell millions of copies, but became worldwide cultural moments. That said, it might not always be the album you immediately think of!
How many of these best-selling albums would you be able to name? Grab a pen, play along, and see how you fare!

P.S. - This episode has a video component, so you can see the board and watch the answers unfold in real time. If it's not available on where you listening, you can view the video on the episode page: https://myweeklymixtape.com/?p=10246

“Weird Al” Yankovic has spent more than four decades doing something almost nobody else has ever managed to pull off: building a lasting career out of parody, satire, and an undeniable love of music itself. He's sold millions of albums, influenced generations of artists, survived every major shift in the music industry, and somehow remained as relevant today as he was in the MTV era.
So why isn't he in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
This week, I'm joined by returning guests Jay Sweet and Patreon Mixtaper Philip Bergman to once again make the case for one of music's most unique and enduring artists. Together, we look beyond the Hawaiian shirts and accordion to examine Weird Al's impact on popular culture, his remarkable longevity, his musicianship, and whether the Hall's traditional definition of "rock and roll" may be overlooking one of the most well-known entertainers of the modern era.
Along the way, you'll also hear a clip from my conversation with Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, longtime drummer for Weird Al, who shared his own thoughts on the Hall of Fame debate when he joined the show.
Whether you're already convinced or remain skeptical, this episode asks a simple question: if influence, longevity, cultural impact, and musical achievement matter, what exactly is keeping Weird Al Yankovic out of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
Let's discuss.

🎙️ 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/

After 200+ episodes of My Weekly Mixtape, I’m doing something a little different. First and foremost: MWM is not ending!
In this special mini-episode, I’m introducing The Room We Wanted, the new podcast I’m launching with my friend Jay Sweet on October 4th.
The new show explores who we were before we became who we are, using the things we loved growing up (albums, movies, TV shows, toys, video games, books, food, and more) as the starting point for deeper conversations about childhood, memories, obsessions, and the things that stay with us.
I’ll also talk about what the new show means for My Weekly Mixtape, including the new every-other-Monday schedule and how MWM Patreon supporters will get The Room We Wanted as part of their existing support.
And then I’ll give you a taste of the new show with the official trailer for The Room We Wanted.
10/4? I mean, 10/4.

🚪 SUBSCRIBE TO THE ROOM WE WANTED
🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-room-we-wanted/id6808018673
🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/29B3p5LJdCSxzFoxGyEgui?si=eb61c6c90c714d17
🔗 LinkTree (All Other Platforms): https://linktr.ee/theroomwewanted

🚪 LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ROOM WE WANTED
🎵 Browse the Catalog: https://theroomwewanted.com
💬 Join The Roommate Community: https://www.patreon.com/theroomwewanted
🌐 Connect on Social:https://theroomwewanted.com/social
📧 Contact Brian & Jay: https://theroomwewanted.com/contact