Geekly Tunes: March 2026

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. Today, our writers share what they’ve been listening to over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been listening to in the comments. We’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get things rolling with what I’ve been listening to during the month of March.

Kyra’s Tunes

I’ve been listening to Childish Gambino’s “Lithonia” on repeat. The soulful voice. The vocal harmonies. The fusion between Gospel, Rock, and R&B. Ah! I love it. If you haven’t yet listened to “Lithonia” (named after an Atlanta suburb), do your ears a favor and give the Official Audio Video a play on YouTube. “Lithonia’s” Official Music Video is also great, but you don’t get the full song. I also recommend watching the Music Video after the Audio Video. And after watching “Lithonia’s” Music Video, you’ll learn why there are so many reaction videos to that music video. Yowza!

Bando Stone & the New World (the album in which “Lithonia” originates) is a return to form for Childish Gambino. Some of his more recent albums (Altavista) didn’t hit the same as Awaken, My Love!, which includes the amazing “Redbone.” Brando Stone & the New World shows Childish Gambino (soon to go by Donald Glover as a music artist) at the peak of his powers. And I love how this album serves to set up Glover’s upcoming movie of the same name, Brando Stone & the New World. I can’t wait to watch the film. Until then, I’ll listen to Brando Stone & the New World on repeat.

I’ve also been kicking it old school with Nirvana’s In Utero. This album deserves all the praise it receives. Sure, there are the singles “Heart-Shaped Box,” “All Apologies,” and “Pennyroyal Tea,” but the deep cuts set In Utero apart. It may be blasphemous, but I’d say In Utero is slightly better than Nevermind. “Serve the Servants” opens with a bang. The opening lyrics, “Teenage angst has paid off well, now I’m bored and old” let the audience know this is a different Nirvana. “Serve the Servants” does a great job of melding autobiographical lyrics with working-class anthem ones. The track even sounds vaguely like surf rock.

“Serve the Servants” is an excellent opening track, but “Scentless Apprentice” marks the direction Nirvana may have taken had Cobain stuck around for a few more years. “Scentless Apprentice” was Nirvana’s biggest sonic departure on the album. Not bad for a track with an original name of “Chuck Chuck Fo Fuck.” The nickname is a reference to how the rhythm guitar line sounds.

Frances Bean Cobain (Kurt’s daughter) has cited “Dumb” as her favorite Nirvana song. According to Frances Bean, she sees “Dumb” as her father showing his vulnerability. And “Rape Me” was an attempt by Cobain to speak his mind against violence toward women. His previous work in Nevermind fell on deaf ears. Despite dropping all pretenses, “Rape Me” may be one of Cobain’s most misunderstood songs.

All of this and the singles folks know so well make In Utero a fantastic album.

I went from Nirvana to the other band that dominated the early Nineties, R.E.M.. Ironically, R.E.M. was struggling to finish their eighth studio album, Automatic for the People, so lead singer Michael Stipe, who suffered from writer’s block, reached out to Kurt Cobain. Cobain joked with Stipe that people thought Nirvana used too many yeahs in their songs. And Cobain did have a habit of finishing a line with a yeah. Cobain challenged Stipe to write a song with a lot of yeahs. Stipe accepted the challenge and wrote the classic, “Man on the Moon.”

Mott the Hoople and the Game of Life
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Andy Kaufman and the wrestling match
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Monopoly, Twenty-One, Checkers, and Chess
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mister Fred Blassie in a breakfast mess
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Let’s play Twister, let’s play Risk
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I’ll see you in heaven if you make the list
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

The number of “yeahs” in “Man on the Moon” dwarfed the ones Cobain sang with Nirvana, and it went on to become Automatic for the People’s second single. I would say something similar for Automatic for the People as I did with In Utero, that obviously the singles were fantastic, but the deep cuts elevate this album to iconic status. But half of Automatic for the People’s tracks would get released as singles. That’s a lot of singles: “Drive,” “Man on the Moon,” “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite,” “Everybody Hurts,” “Nightswimming,” and “Find the River.” Yes. Any two or three of these singles could anchor an album. Automatic for the People had six. Woah!

Despite half of this album being released as singles, I still have at least a couple of deep cuts. “Try Not to Breathe” is haunting. Honestly, I thought it had been released as a single; it’s that good. “Sweetness Follows” is one of my favorite tracks on Automatic for the People. The strings on this track are arranged by none other than John Paul Jones, Led Zeppelin’s bassist. Throw in the awesome instrumental and “Monty Got a Raw Deal,” and you get one of those few albums that don’t have a single skip track. You’ll want to listen to them all. I need to pick up Automatic for the People on vinyl.

I’ll finish my segment by including the other song I’ve had on repeat this past month, “Move Your Feet.” This infectious 2003 dance-punk song by Danish pop duo Junior Senior will get anyone off their feet. While I like “Move Your Feet’s” official music video (with its pixel art pictured above), I’ve watched/listened more to one of Junior Senior’s live performances of the song. I didn’t think the band could pull off a great live performance of a song like this. It sounded too produced. But Junior Senior proves they don’t need a silly little thing like autotune.

The full band adds an extra layer of authenticity. The backup singers make “Move Your Feet” come alive. And I’m talking about the “Oh Yeah” woman singer, providing a Disco-like melody leading into the chorus, and the “From Downtown” man singer, harmonizing with Junior on the chorus. The drummer is mesmerizing whenever he clashes the cymbals. This live version of “Move Your Feet” is near-perfect. I prefer it to the studio version. With everything happening in the world right now, sometimes you just need to “Move your feet and feel united.”

That’s all I have for what I’ve been listening to this past month. Let’s see what tunes Skye picks.

Skye’s Tunes

I have succumbed to the K-Pop Demon Hunters hype. I did this a long time ago; I listened to the soundtrack on repeat for the past month. What can I say? K-Pop Demon Hunters is a good movie with a fun soundtrack that’s perfect for dancing. Considering how much I love to dance, you can see why the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack would appeal to me. I’ll keep this entry brief since I know Season has previously discussed this soundtrack, but if y’all would like me to do a breakdown of K-Pop Demon Hunters’ story, themes, and characters, let me know in the comments.

Sometimes you need something to keep you going. “and the day goes on” has been providing me with sufficient energy over the past month. For those who’re unfamiliar, “and the day goes on” is a song uploaded to the YouTube channel Bill Wurtz, which is well-known for the viral video “history of the entire world, i guess.” There isn’t much rhyme or reason to Bill Wurtz’s content, yet they still manage to capture an uplifting tone and a hummable melody while making no sense at all in “and the day goes on.” If you need a little pick-me-up, “and the day goes on” is very good for that. However, I must warn you that it’s gonna be stuck in your head forever.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those are the tunes our writers have been listening to over the past month. Let us know what you’ve been listening to in the comments, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly Tunes (Whatcha Listening To): June 2025

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with another Geekly Tunes post for June 2025. This post is where our writers share the music they’ve listened to over the past month. You’re part of the Geekly Gang, too, so feel free to share what music you’ve been listening to over the last month. I’ll kick off the tunes for this month.

Kyra’s Tunes

My tunes for this month are less focused than the previous month. Let’s begin with The B-52’s. Their early work is stellar. Of course, you have the track that put them on the map, “Rock Lobster.” This song defied categorization. Is it art pop? New Wave? Regardless, “Rock Lobster” (and a lot of the tracks from The B-52’s eponymous first album) took inspiration from 1950s and 1960s pop music, but The B-52’s took it even deeper. They added an element of kitsch and camp. “Rock Lobster’s” conceit is a Beach Movie with Schneider switching up gender roles and adding a flourish of comedy. Obviously, The B-52’s didn’t take themselves seriously.

The B-52’s had a run of great songs from their first three albums like “Planet Claire,” “Private Idaho,” and “Whammy Kiss.” The band took a lengthy hiatus after their lead guitarist, Ricky Wilson, passed away from complications of AIDS. But the band persevered and released Cosmic Thing in the late Eighties, and this album features The B-52’s second breakthrough hit, “Love Shack.” While “Love Shack” served as a massive exhale for the band, I also adore many of Cosmic Thing’s other tracks, where they openly mourn the loss of their bandmate. And “Roam” is another huge hit. You’ve gotta love “Roam.”

What better way to celebrate Pride Month than with a queer band like The B-52’s? Happy Pride!

I’m staying in Athens, Georgia, with this one. I grew up with R.E.M.. From “Radio Free Europe” to “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” to even their Nineties albums like Automatic for the People and Monster, I’ve listened to most of their catalogue. I don’t know which era of R.E.M. I like best. R.E.M. is one of those bands I can turn to during various musical itches.

Ironically, Kate Pierson (of the B-52’s) provided backing vocals for R.E.M.’s “Shiny Happy People.” Michael Stipe insisted that “Shiny Happy People” was about Chinese propaganda posters, to which Pierson replied, Okay then, “Love Shack” is really about the plight of tenant farmers in Georgia. Don’t get it twisted. The two bands loved each other. R.E.M. frequently thanked The B-52’s for paving the way for them. In fact, one of the songs I mentioned about The B-52’s and their fallen bandmate featured night swimming (or skinny dipping). R.E.M. has a fantastic track called “Nightswimming.” I’ve always wondered if the two bands sang about the same moment. Both bands are close. It’s possible.

Despite liking most of R.E.M.’s catalogue, Automatic for the People is the perfect moment. Stipe shows maturity in his lyrics, and the band is at the height of their power. Whenever I get on an R.E.M. kick, I’ll usually throw in Automatic for the People for good measure.

The Replacements were a band that could never get out of their own way. I love the music we got from this band, but they should’ve been bigger. They should’ve been huge. The Replacements have a sordid history with drugs and alcohol. The band’s name is a testament to their past. They could no longer get gigs with their original band name and couldn’t think of a good replacement name, so they called themselves The Replacements.

Sonically, The Replacements bridged the gap between punk and alternative rock. Many cite The Replacements as the first alternative rock band. “Can’t Hardly Wait” often gets stuck in my head. I love both versions, the electric guitar one from Tim and the second version from Pleased to Meet Me. Tim’s version of “Can’t Hardly Wait” follows someone bored in heaven, while Pleased to Meet Me’s version sounds more like someone trying to get sober. Except for one or two lines, the lyrics couldn’t be any more different.

When they weren’t embarrassing themselves on Saturday Night Live, The Replacements were dropping gems like Let It Be (which The Replacements deliberately named after The Beatles album to piss off their label) that included the hit “I Will Dare,” which also happens to feature a Peter Buck (R.E.M.) guitar solo. I didn’t plan that. I swear. Let It Be and the subsequent Tim are two albums that have gotten near-perfect scores on music review sites, and for good reason. They’re incredible. Pleased to Meet Me is a huge departure, but still great. With Pleased to Meet Me, The Replacements explored various music genres (some of which would influence future bands like Nirvana) right before the band dissolved.

Ah! The Replacements are at (or near) the top of those bands where you wonder what could’ve been. That’s all I have for music this month. Let’s see what Season and Skye have been listening to.

Season’s Tunes

I also went back in time this past month. I know Queen is a well-known band, but I’ve been on a kick of listening to some of my favorite tracks. Specifically, “Hammer to Fall,” “The Invisible Man,” and “Radio Ga Ga.” These tracks strike more of a chord with me than many of their other songs. I can listen to those songs on repeat for hours. Okay. I can listen to various songs on repeat for hours, which is normal for me. I’m trusting all of you with this secret, Geekly Gang. Eh-heh.

I had a friend in high school who had no idea who Queen is. I took it upon myself to rectify that. Don’t worry. She’s been saved. >:)

Okay. This is technically a movie, but I love the soundtrack. K-Pop Demon Hunters dropped on Netflix less than a week ago, and I’ve been listening to the soundtrack constantly. I don’t listen to a lot of K-pop, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the earworms and choreography in the music videos. I did the same thing when the soundtrack for Barbie (2023) dropped. The soundtrack for K-Pop Demon Hunters is available on Spotify. What have you been listening to, Skye?

Skye’s Tunes

I’ve been trying to expand my musical tastes lately. I’m not familiar with Rage Against the Machine from my youth (on account of it being my youth), but I recall hearing several good things about their music. Also, having caught a couple of their songs off and on in my adulthood convinced me to dive in. Now I see what I’ve been missing. Over time, I’ve learned the different ways music genres can express specific ideas. Rage Against the Machine’s debut album reflects my feelings toward global news at the moment. Maybe it won’t someday, but Rage Against the Machine remains relevant.

Y’all know I love the classics. I’ve collected a few rap albums over the years, but 2Pac: Greatest Hits was inevitable. My favorite thing about 2Pac: Greatest Hits is how comprehensive it is. When I first bought it, I thought it was a double LP (like most large albums). However, I was surprised to learn it was a quadruple LP. Not 2 records, but 4?! Now you’re speakin’ my language. Naturally, if you’re a fan of OG 90’s rap, this album should speak for itself. I imagine I’ll probably be collecting more Tupac records over time, but I’m happy with this start.

The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds has been comforting and depressing for me this past month. I’ve loved Pet Sounds since I received it as a Christmas gift. Being another album with zero tracks I dislike, my love has remained strong across several listens. I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling saddened by Brian Wilson’s passing. So, as a faithful tribute to him, I should only appreciate the art he gifted us with, arguably his best album. Rest in peace, Brian. We truly lost a legend.

Kyra Kyle here again. Agreed. Rest in peace, Brian Wilson. Let us know your favorite Brian Wilson song in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.