Year of October is a Nashville-based trio with Kentucky roots and a heavy fuzz rock soul sound. Their 6th album, I've Given You Everything, was released in October and is a bloozey trip that sounds just as rewarding in your living room as it does at a kegger in the woods. Phlecia Sullivan's soulful vocals mingle well with her husband Josh Sullivan's thick but nimble guitar tone and James Varner's thunderous drums. The album's opening track, "Rabid Badger", was The Midlife Critics' #5 song of 2025, so Phlecia and Josh are in good company with your host Burke Wasson and Steve Strait. We talk about the band's creative process, their new album, new music recommendations, their label Watch It Burn Records, and personal likes and dislikes from their audience.

Bryan Mosby, Travis Boots, Steve Strait, Nathan Ferrell, Grant Wasson, and Claire Knight join your host Burke Wasson to count down #FreshCuts Vol. 94. What would a Mosby sandwich look like? And which of us would be the mayonnaise? Is Jello Biafra the punk version of Fred Schneider? What music video did Steve Strait thoroughly enjoy? What does Travis Boots think of high school reunions? What revelation made Nathan Ferrell go “ugh”? What song did Grant Wasson inspire, even though he forgot it? Whose head is on a spike in the music video for one of our songs? And what the hell is going on with Claire Knight’s algorithm? All of those questions and more are answered in our new podcast episode. ☮️

Wellington Davis, Nathan Ferrell, Steve Strait, and Bryan Mosby join your host Burke Wasson to dig into our songs of the week from #FreshCuts Vol. 93. Steve, Mosby, and Burke also discuss Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show at the start of the episode. Plus, find out which tribute albums in the '90s are worth seeking. Mosby and Burke get into social media pet peeves. And find out which home appliance Burke yelled at in the middle of this episode.

Listen to Nathan Ferrell, Steve Strait, Wellington Davis, Claire Knight, Bryan Mosby, and Grant Wasson join your host Burke Wasson for the most conversation we've ever had on this podcast, counting down the results of our group's songs of the year poll. The full list will be revealed in the Facebook group shortly . For now, find out what they are, which song is #1, and what we think of all of it. Plus, a celebrity drops by. And the panel hijacks the podcast when Burke loses his connection.

Special message from Burke Wasson:

Wellington Davis and Claire Knight join your host Burke Wasson to get into this week's songs - which will go into our big songs of the year poll on Friday, Dec. 12. We also reveal a specially themed future #FreshCuts volume, discuss how our kids integrate our music into their lives, and put some perspective on Travis Boots' efforts to infuse more hip-hop into the group.

If you enjoy this podcast, you can donate any amount, big or small, to keep it going through the following apps:

PayPal at wasson.burke@gmail.com

Venmo at @Burke-Wasson

CashApp at $BurkeWasson

Thank you for your support. It means a lot and helps cover monthly fees.

2025 LAST CHANCE #FRESHCUTS

1. My Morning Jacket - Half a Lifetime 13 + Garrett, Wes, Zach, JJJ 17

2. Portugal. The Man - Denali 12 + Burke, Steve, Wes, Grant 16

3. Year of October - Rabid Badger 11 + Wellington, Claire, Nathan, Scotty, Grant 16

4. Hayley Williams - True Believer 12 + Burke, Claire, Travis, Nathan 16

5. Jeff Tweedy - Caught Up In The Past 11 + Burke, Nathan, Grant 14

6. THEE OH SEES - Infected Chrome 10 + Claire, Steve, Zach, Mosby 14

7. Deftones - ecdysis 11 + Wes, Nathan 13

8. Tycho & Paul Banks - Boundary Rider 10 + Wellington, Travis, Jesse 13

9. RIO KOSTA - Unicorn 10 + Wellington, Steve, Jesse 13

10. Father of Peace - No Complaints 9 + Jen, Scotty, Zach, JJJ 13

11. Ty Segall - Shining 10 + Scotty, Grant 12

12. Big Thief - Los Angeles 10 + Scotty, Garrett 12

13. Aesop Rock - Poly Cotton Blend 10 + Burke 11

14. Turnstile - LIGHT DESIGN 10 + Garrett 11

15. Lifeguard - Under Your Reach 9 + Mosby 10

16. Vondré - Hola de Nuevo 8 + Claire, Mosby 10

17. billy woods - Corinthians (feat. Despot & El-P) 7 + Wellington, Steve, Wes 10

In this specially themed episode, Wellington Davis and Steve Strait join your host Burke Wasson to get into songs reconsidered. These songs didn't get enough votes the first time around, and now we've given them the respect that they're due. We now like a good number of songs that we originally rejected...but we still don't like others. More episode info will post by Friday, Dec. 5. Enjoy!

If you enjoy this podcast, you can donate any amount, big or small, to keep it going through the following apps:

PayPal at wasson.burke@gmail.com

Venmo at @Burke-Wasson

CashApp at $BurkeWasson

Thank you for your support. It means a lot and helps cover monthly fees.

In this special Thanksgiving episode, your host Burke Wasson gives thanks to The Midlife Critics and is joined by fellow critics Wellington Davis, Nathan Ferrell, and Steve Strait. We discuss everything from Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton, and the movie "Creepshow" to cross-genre bands, artists better to hear as an album than in #FreshCuts, "unc" rock hate gone too far. And Wellington perhaps performed surgery during recording. It's all part of the fun, and we have a great discussion on our songs of the week from #FreshCuts Vol. 87.

If you enjoy this podcast, you can donate any amount, big or small, to keep it going through the following apps:

PayPal at wasson.burke@gmail.com

Venmo at @Burke-Wasson

CashApp at $BurkeWasson

Thank you for your support. It means a lot and helps cover monthly fees.

1. Portugal. The Man - Angoon (2025) 13 + Wellington, Zach, Jenny, Grant 17

2. At The Drive-In - Starslight (1996) 12 + Wellington, Nathan, Travis, Jesse 16

3. This Is Lorelei - Dancing in the Club (MJ Lenderman Version) (2025) 10 + Steve, Zach, Scotty, Wes 14

4. Earl Sweatshirt - Hoarse (2013) 11 + Travis, JJJ 13

5. Dr. Dog - Where’d All the Time Go? (2010) 11 + Wellington, Grant 13

6. Urban Dance Squad - Good Grief (1994) 9 + Nate, Steve, Scotty 12

7. They Might Be Giants - Santa’s Beard (1988) 11 + Nathan 12

8. Alice Phoebe Lou - Old Shadows (2025) 10 + JJJ 11

9. Crumb - Ice Melt (2021) 8 + Wellington, Mosby, Jesse 11

10. Field Music - Measure (2010) 7 + Burke, Wes, Grant, Jesse 11

11. American Aquarium - Casualties (Live at Red Rocks) (2025) 8 + Zach, Scotty 10

12. Pinback - Loro (1999) 8 + Jenny, Jesse 10

13. Stephen Malkmus - China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider (2016) 9 + Wes 10

14. Stephen Wilson Jr. - Gary (2025) 7 + Steve, Wes 9

15. AVTT/PTTN - Received (2025) 9

16. Tuba Skinny - Kansas City Stomps (2024) 7 + Jenny, Mosby 9

17. Minutemen - #1 Hit Song (1984) 9

18. Cyril Ferguson - Ya Mar (1974) (YouTube exclusive) 8 + Burke 9

19. John Grant - Sigourney Weaver (2010) 5 + Burke, Nathan, Steve 8

20. Dead Air - Teeth Grinder (2022) 6 + Travis, JJJ 8

21. Super Furry Animals - Slow Life (2003) 8

22. Holger Czukay - Ode to Perfume (1982) 6 + Grant, Mosby 8

Listen to #FreshCuts Vol. 87 on:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6rV01tnvfyXlR1GTpOFqnR?si=SqFsaXuaQTmQbhY4N9iNVQ&pi=hd10Qw99TEOSc

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/freshcuts-vol-87/pl.u-06oxRgNTyNk0Z

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/1137299818c146a5afee82810f8724b2sune?ref=dm_sh_02WeNp4B8k13rWmni7en3Y0SP

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhGwwDGyNc-8X45XQ-5_eVFuwMwH-2C3-&si=6IjttQExyZ-mQzr0

And listen to Travis Boots’ Amazon Music playlist here on Amazon Music: Cedric Sucks

https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/f0ecab79f62a46bfa7d78c79476b6033sune?ref=dm_sh_CcARPi9bShhh7M4hnV3Itzf2s