Pop Rocks Radio

We're back and we brought snacks.

This week: Paul Collins covers Bob Dylan. The Muffs cover Kim Wilde. Julez and the Rollerz just dropped their debut album and it's fantastic. Plus The Tubs, The Dahlmanns, Guided By Voices, Sparks, Gigolo Aunts, and a whole lot more.

Movie of the Week: Reckless (1984). Aidan Quinn. Daryl Hannah. A motorcycle. Very little regard for consequences.

Featured Artist: The Muffs. Because obviously.

Check out most of these artists on Bandcamp and show some love (i.e., $$$$)

And if you're able, consider...

Welcome back to Pop Rocks Radio! As we bask in the glow of what madness this summer promises to bring us, we're also bringing you new tracks from The Stems, Gary Klebe, Bruce Moody, and our featured artist this week, The Greenberry Woods.

Our Movie of the Week is Last Days Here from 2011. You just gotta see it to believe it (and you'll love it).

Check out most of these artists on Bandcamp and show some love (i.e., $$$$)

Available on your favorite podcast platform. Unless Spotify is your favorite.

Thanks...

We're back! Sort of. We never really left. It's complicated.

Pop Rocks Radio is relaunching the podcast this week, and we're not easing into it — new tracks from The Gnomes, The Get Alongs, Julez and the Rollerz, SOFTJAW, Taxi Girls, and a whole lot more.

Plus our Movie of the Week: Night of the Comet. 1984. Post-apocalyptic. Valley Girl energy. A rock and roll movie, not about rock and roll.

Check out most of these artists on Bandcamp and show some love (i.e., $$$$)

Available on your favorite podcast platform. Unless Spotify is...

On this week’s episode of Pop Rocks Radio, we’ll dive into the solo work of our favorite mad genius, The Nerves’ frontman, Jack Lee. Plus, when she wasn’t documenting the decline of our Western civilization (oh, how I long for the days when they actually thought MUSIC was going to be our downfall), Penelope Spheeris gave us a punk rock western with Flea, Duckie, and an Elvis impersonator who saves the day. Follow us out West with this week’s tracks!

Thanks for listening!

🎥 Movie of the Week:

Dudes (1987)

You can pic...

There was a moment not that long ago when rock ’n’ roll didn’t just soundtrack reality. It tried to change it.

This week’s Movie of the Week is Rock & Rule (1983), the strange, ambitious animated rock opera that emerged from a time when music still felt mythic, dangerous, and world-altering.

We’re also kicking off a new featured-artist arc focused on the members of The Nerves — beginning with Paul Collins. From power pop urgency to post-punk polish, Collins helped define a sound that still echoes through indie rock today.

Plus a clip from the leg...

Welcome to this week's episode of Pop Rocks Radio! We’re shining a spotlight on artists who came from, played with, or were caught in the orbit of The Quick and their wild little corner of L.A.’s scene.

And since it’s Halloween month at Pop Rocks Radio, we’re kicking things off with our Movie of the Week — Elvira, Mistress of the Dark 👁️‍🗨️

Crank it up, grab your tassels, and let the weird times roll.

🔗 Links:

https://bompstore.com

https://bigstirrecords.com

Tracks:

The Welling...

This week, we dive into the 1990 cult classic Pump Up the Volume — Allan Moyle’s pirate-radio rallying cry for every kid who ever felt like an outsider.

Our featured artist is The Lemonheads — slacker-poet pop-punk darlings whose hooks and heartache made them icons of the ’90s underground.

🎧 Turn it up. Talk hard. Steal the air.

Links:

https://bompstore.com

Today's Tracks

Melvic Centre- Thin

Jim Basnight with The Rockinghams- Need a Car

Camp Trash- Friendship America

The chrisVandal...

This week, Pop Rocks Radio takes it to Times Square — our Movie of the Week. Allan Moyle’s 1980 cult classic follows two girls who find their voices in the grit and chaos of New York. It’s messy, uneven, and unforgettable — just the way we like it!

We’re also featuring the brilliant Tamar Berk, tracing her journey from the Starball days through her solo work, and closing with a brand-new track from her latest album, OCD. Tamar’s music is equal parts jagged poetry and irresistible hooks.

🔗 Links:

https://tamarberkmusic.com/

https://tamar...

This week we dive into Ladies & Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains—teen fury, image vs. message, and why "well-behaved" women watch while "misbehaving" women lead. Straight from the film, we have our featured artist, The Professionals (Steve Jones & Paul Cook): post-Pistols bite, big hooks, zero nostalgia naps.

Thanks for listening!

🔗 Links:

https://bompstore.com

Dom Mariani: Never Done

Today's Tracks:

This week on Pop Rocks Radio, Bijan sits down with Dom Mariani—the Australian songwriter behind The Stems, DM3, Datura4, and a string of acclaimed solo releases. For nearly four decades, Dom has been delivering some of the most infectious power pop and garage rock hooks ever put to tape.

From the jangly brilliance of The Stems to the cult following of DM3, the heavy grooves of Datura4, and his melodic solo work, Dom shares stories from his journey, reflects on what keeps him writing, and talks about why he’s far from done.

🔗 Explore more:<...

Lace up your Beatle boots and follow the fuzzed-out trail back to one of music’s strangest, most beautiful dead ends...

This week we slip sideways into The Paisley Underground — the dreamlike LA scene where ’60s psychedelia collided with ’80s attitude, creating some of the most shimmering, jangled, and criminally overlooked sounds in underground rock.

Movie of the Week: The ‘Burbs (1989)

Dim the lights. Some neighborhoods were never meant to feel safe...

Links:

Bomp! Records

Girls Rock Camp Alliance

The Numbers by Mathew Street

Todays T...

We’re back with Episode 51!

Season 2 kicks off with a full tank of fuzzed-out guitars, melodic hooks, and cult movie mayhem.

This week’s featured artist is Dom Mariani—power pop icon and garage-rock lifer behind The Stems, DM3, Datura4, and more. We trace his musical trail from Perth, spinning tracks across decades and projects.

Our Movie of the Week is Garage Days (2002)—a messy, heartfelt ode to underdog bands chasing the dream one grimy gig at a time.

Plus: brand-new jams from Sharkeologist, Beta Trip, and Hotel Saturn, classic cuts from The...

We made it to Episode 50 — so of course we blew up the school. For our season finale, we’re celebrating Rock ’n’ Roll High School — the 1979 cult classic where teenage rebellion comes with blow-up dolls, exploding mice, and the Ramones..

We also have tracks from The Coolies, Sharkeologist, HAIM, and so much more. Plus: a shoutout to Kim Shattuck, a track from Joey Ramone’s solo album, a nod to the Paley Brothers, and one final burst of noise before we close the book on Season One.

Blow off your homework and join us. Gabba Gabba Hey. 🎓...

Love in the food court. Heartbreak on the Sunset Strip. This week, we honor Valley Girl (1983)—the film, the myth, the neon-drenched fever dream—and the bands that made it shimmer.

We’ve got Josie Cotton, The Plimsouls, Sparks, Bonnie Hayes, and some present-day weirdos keeping the eyeliner spirit alive.

Come for the mall music. Stay for the dive bar dreams. And maybe cry a little in the parking lot.

🔗. Links:

Bomp! Records

Big Stir Records

S.W. Lauden on Substack

Austin Pets Alive!

World C...

This week, we’re going full VHS cult chaos with a tribute to the 1988 film Tapeheads—a weird, wonderful satire about two misfit video-makers on a mission to resurrect their favorite forgotten soul duo, the Swanky Modes. If you’ve ever fallen in love with a band no one else seems to remember, this movie (and this episode) is for you.

Also featuring music from Bacci Pouch, Tamar Berk, Geoff Palmer, Yee Loi, our featured artist, Stiv Bators, and more—and of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20.

🔗 Links:

This week on Pop Rocks Radio, we’re celebrating Scott McCaughey with music from Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5, plus we've got tracks from R.E.M., SEXFACES, Mustard Service, and more — delivering a sonic ride from indie rock to punk to pure pop. 🌟

Our Movie of the Week is the 1987 classic Back to the Beach 🎬 . Pee-Wee Herman and Stevie Ray Vaughan in the same movie? Where do I sign???

Thanks for listening!

🔗 Links:

Bomp Records

Big Stir Records

Live on KEXP

Today's Track...

Buckle up for Pop Rocks Radio Episode 46, where power pop, punk, and indie collide in a glorious mix of unapologetic weirdness. We’re also diving into The Spirit of '76, a film about the beautiful, chaotic, colorful mess that was the 1970s.

Our featured artist this week is Redd Kross – a band as whimsical as it is genre-defying, consistently delivering offbeat, timeless rock that never fails to surprise and delight.

This episode has it all: ghosts, vampires, Pop Rocks (the non-radio one), and the metric system—because why not?

🎥 Movie of the Week: The Spiri...

Episode 45 is live and packed with bubblegum grit, garage snarl, and power pop perfection with new tracks from The Grogans, Davey Lane, The Minus 5, and more. And, of course, no episode would be complete without a song from my favorite band, 20/20.

Our featured artist is the one and only Nikki Corvette, whose sugar-rush punk still echoes through speakers 45 years later. And our movie this week is the cult chaos of Desperate Teenage Lovedolls — a punk rock cautionary tale with a body count.

Movie of the Week: Desperate Teenage Lovedolls

🔗 Links:

Bomp! Recor...

What do Rodney Bingenheimer, Circle Jerks, and an alien-powered Chevy have in common? Repo Man (1984), of course — our Tuesday Movie of the Week (on Wednesday). Episode 44 is your favorite weirdo mixtape with tracks from Iggy Pop, The Spongetones, The Tearaways, and more. And no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20.

Enjoy the show? Consider supporting us on Ko-fi!

Thanks for listening!

🎥 Movie of the Week:

Repo Man (1984)

🔗 Links:

Bomp! Records

Big Stir Records

ARealLulu on TikTok

MusiCare...

Welcome to another episode of Pop Rocks Radio! I'm your host, Bijan. Hard to believe we can fit so much goodness into just over an hour — but we did it! This week, we've got killer tracks from The Beths, The Muffs, Hoodoo Gurus, Linkwells, and more.

Our featured artist is L.A. music scene mainstay Morley Bartnoff, and we’re spinning songs from his work with Cosmo Topper, Burning Sensations, and Dramarama. And yes — no episode is complete without a track from my favorite band, 20/20.

If you are able, please consider supporting Women Who Rock and th...

Welcome and thanks for joining us here on Pop Rocks Radio!  As always, I am your host, Bijan.  As I hope you've come to expect, we have some great music for you today with tracks from The Alarm, Taxi Girls, The Minus 5, The Bangles, The Stems, and so much more!  And of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20.

Thanks for listening and supporting the show!  And check out our YouTube channel, as well!

Movie of the Week:

The Alarm - Spirit of '86

Lin...

Welcome back to Pop Rocks Radio!  Today we have an embarrassment of riches for you with music from Hollow Horse, The Briefs, Matthew Sweet, Hot Nun, and so much more.  And, of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20!

Thanks for listening and supporting the show!  And check out our YouTube channel, as well!

Movie of the Week:

Boom: A Film About The Sonics

Links:

Bomp! Records

Big Stir Records

Today's Tracks:

The Briefs – Mary Ann

20...

My friends and neighbors, welcome back to Pop Rocks Radio!  Hope you enjoyed our first bonus episode with my interview with Ainsley Costello!  We are back to business as usual today with awesome music from The Stems, Sugar Bones, Nikki & The Corvettes, The Wigs, Ainsley Costello, and so much more.  And, of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20!

Thanks for listening and supporting the show!  And check out our YouTube channel, as well!

Movie of the Week:

Stiv: No Compromise, No Regrets

Links:

Bo...

🎧 Episode Description: At just 21, Ainsley Costello is already crafting some of the most emotionally resonant and hook-laden songs in the indie scene. With a sound that blends confessional songwriting, polished pop rock, and power pop sparkle, she’s not just “one to watch” — she’s one you need to hear right now.

In this episode, Ainsley joins us for a candid and fun conversation about her creative process, how she balances vulnerability with songwriting craft, and why Exless — her upcoming album, dropping May 9 — is set to be a defining moment in her fast-rising career.

💥 If you love killer hook...

Happy Spring everyone, and welcome back to Pop Rocks Radio!  I'm hoping this finds you all well, and if not, I hope the glory that is what we have for you today will cheer you right up!  We've got tracks today from The Jellybricks, Julez and the Rollerz, Gary Kaluza, The Strokes, Ainsley Costello, and so much more.  And, of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20!

Thanks for listening and supporting the show!  And check out our YouTube channel, as well!

Movie of the Week:

The US F...

Hey everyone, and welcome back to Pop Rocks Radio!  Happy Spring to all who celebrate (or something like that...).  Up here in Seattle, Spring means rain...LOTS of rain.  If you're like me, staring out the window (like the kids in The Cat In the Hat), I humbly offer you a soundtrack to help pass the time till the sun peeks out.  We've got tracks today from The Spindles, Bow and Yarrow, The Stems, Chico Detour, and so much more.  And, of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20!

Thanks for liste...

Welcome back to Pop Rocks Radio!  Boy oh boy oh boy...we're on a roll with our second show of 2025!  As usual, we've got a ton of great music for you today with tracks from Sorrows, Thee Deception, The Peawees, and so much more.  And, of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20!

Thanks for listening and supporting the show!  And check out our YouTube channel, as well!

Movie of the Week

We Were Famous, You Don't Remember: The Embarrassment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8...

Hey everyone and welcome back to Pop Rocks Radio!  This is our first show since November, and since nothing in the world has changed whatsoever, we thought we'd sneak back in here like we never left!   We've got a ton of great music for you today with tracks from Gyasi, The Bobby Lees, Ainsley Costello, and so much more.  And, of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20!

Thanks for listening and supporting the show!  And check out our YouTube channel, as well!

Bomp! Records:

https://bompstore.com<...

Hey everyone and thanks for joining us back here on Pop Rocks Radio!  I hope you've been enjoying (I think) the best in power pop, alt, and indie rock your money can buy (and yes, please support these artists in any way that you can!).  We've got a ton of great music for you today with tracks from The Cle Elum, Nada Surf, The Briefs, The Rallies, Triptides, and so much more.  And of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20!

Thanks for listening and supporting the show!

Todays Tra...

Welcome back to another episode of Pop Rocks Radio!  As always, I am your host, Bijan.  We have tons of great new music for you today with tracks from The Linda Lindas, Deedra Patrick, The Farsiders, The Heats, and so much more!  And of course, no episode would be complete without a NEW song (yes!!!) by my favorite band, 20/20.

Click the links below to support your favorite artists!

Thanks for listening!

Today's Tracks:

Alex Lipinski – Wounds

20/20 – Back to California

The Heats – I Hope You’re Wrong

Eric Barl...

Welcome to a special edition of Pop Rocks Radio!  As always, I am your host, Bijan.  I've been wanting to do a punk episode for a while, and keeping somewhat with the theme of the show, I want to focus on melodic punk (bear with me here).  Did I succeed?  Well, maybe not.  But I think this is a great collection of punk tracks - new and classic!  This will be great for your workout or as the soundtrack for your next Sunday brunch!

And of course, punk or not, no episode would be complete without a song b...

Welcome to this week's episode of Pop Rocks Radio!  Sit back and enjoy as we play songs by Tony Marsico and The Ugly Thingz, Dear Misses, Cheap Trick, The Cynz, Love Tractor, and the one and only Josie Cotton.  And of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20!

This week's super cool background music comes to us from Toronto's own, The Surfrajettes!  Check out their new album, Easy As Pie, on Bandcamp!

And if you like this show and LOVE this music, please consider subscribing to the podcast so you...

Thanks for joining us back here for the 30th episode of Pop Rocks Radio!  Thank you for supporting the show and keeping us going.  We've got a great show for you today with new music from The chrisVandalay Project, Suburban Key Party, The Moonstones, Vinyl Kings, Carla Olson & Tall Poppy Syndrome, and so much more!  And of course, no episode would be complete without a song from my favorite band, 20/20.

And check out our interview with Chris Vandalay and Dave Franco of The chrisVandalay Project on YouTube!

Thanks for listening!

Today's Tracks:

T...

Thanks for joining us again here on Pop Rocks Radio!  Fall has fallen and with it comes this perfect soundtrack to jump in a pile of leaves with a giant sucker, or whatever one does to celebrate.  We've got a great mix of power pop, indie hits, and classic gems with Young Fresh Fellows, Nick Piunti & The Complicated Men, Riffindots, Dave Edmunds, The Grip Weeds, Michael Des Barres and so much more.  And no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20!

If you want to support these artists, many of these tracks can be...

How do you know you came to the right place?  'Cuz you're here!  Thanks for joining us again here on Pop Rocks Radio!  We have a ton of great music for you to close out your summer!  We have tracks from Nervous Eaters, The Bablers, The Rubinoos, The Half-Cubes, Paul Collins, The Peawees, Big Bam Boo, and so much more!  And, of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20!

Many of these artists are up on Bandcamp!  Click the links below to support your favorite artists!

Thanks for listening!

...

Get ready for another electrifying episode of Pop Rocks Radio! This week, we're bringing you killer tracks from Valley Lodge, Beechwood, Gyasi, Dany Laj and The Looks, and more. We'll mix in some indie power pop along with a few surprises that’ll keep you hooked. And of course, no episode of Pop Rocks Radio would be complete without a song from my favorite band, 20/20. Don't miss this high-energy blend of fresh sounds and timeless hits!

Other awesome music podcasts to check out!

The Music Authority

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-music-authority-live-stream-show/id...

Get ready for another exciting episode of Pop Rocks Radio! This time, we're rocking out with fresh new tracks from The Toms, Annie Minogue Band, and The Metal Byrds. Plus, we'll dive into some classic hits from The Knack and The Boomtown Rats. And of course, no episode of Pop Rocks Radio would be complete without a song from my favorite band, 20/20. Tune in for a high-energy mix of the old and the new!

My sincerest apologies to the band Broken Record - I misspoke in the episode and referred to them by the name of their...

Welcome back for Episode 25 of Pop Rocks Radio! We've got great new music from The Toms, Royal Scene, The Blackburns, Shotgun Waltz, The Linda Brady Revival, and so much more! And of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20.

Many of these artists can be found on bandcamp.com. On Bandcamp Fridays, Bandcamp waives their fees and all the money goes directly to the artist!

If you love and want to support independent music, check out Steve Schnee's great new video show, Schnee TeeVee, on YouTube: https://www.youtube.c...

Welcome back for Episode 24 of Pop Rocks Radio. As Velvet Crush once said, ahem...weird summer... To help with that, we've got great new music from Jr. Juggernaut, Joy Buzzer, The Armoires, The Cynz, Andy J. Palmer, and so much more! And of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20.

Many of these artists can be found on bandcamp.com. On Bandcamp Fridays, Bandcamp waives their fees and all the money goes directly to the artist!

If you're in the L.A. area, David Bash's International Pop Overthrow festival...

Welcome back for Episode 23 of Pop Rocks Radio. Summer is here and the time is right (yeah yeah...). We've got great new music from Kick. Snare, Crash., The Shang Hi Los, Mark Ward, Tamar Berk, Lizzy Ura, The Diff and so much more! And of course, no episode would be complete without a song by my favorite band, 20/20.

Many of these artists can be found on bandcamp.com. On Bandcamp Fridays, Bandcamp waives their fees and all the money goes directly to the artist!

And for more of what we're listening to and other bands...