Pony League: The Final List

For our third annual March Madness music bracket, we put a (buck)cherry on top of Season 3 and its mid-90's theme, going double-wide with 64 artists from Alternative's brief reign. As always, the first round matchups are based on nothing more than a connection between the bands' names themselves. Will a band with a number, an animal, or a food in its name take the crown? And how much more bootlicking could it possibly take to get the guys from Superdrag to visit the pod?//Theme song: "Shinki Water" by ML Wah

Taped in April 2025 and heretofore lost to the vaults, we are happy to present this recently unearthed Season 3 bonus episode: the Buzz Clips Draft! For this draft You Oughta Know we each picked 20 classic MTV Buzz Clips released during our Season 3 timeframe: August 1994 - June 1997. Which song/video will be the Natural #One draft pick? What'll be Song 2? Who'll be undrafted and left High and Dry? And which One of Us will make the best playlist from this stacked class? This pod may not Live Forever, but In the Meantime I Know I'll Stick Around to tell you What I Got...Follow along with our draft picks via our YouTube playlist!https://tinyurl.com/3aafefe7Matt's Buzz Clips: https://tinyurl.com/36czynu5Adam's Buzz Clips: https://tinyurl.com/3pbhazhtChris's Buzz Clips: https://tinyurl.com/nhky4nk6

Season 3 finale! Matt's near-veto pushes a friendship to the limit, Adam refuses to let a Season 1 feud with Chris die, and two more artists join the Active Listing two-time club in a final top ten that we all declare impeccable.☯︎Listen to our Season 3 playlist here!https://bit.ly/4izC7ei✇︎Theme song: "Garden Green" by Matt LaJoie

For this year's March Madness, we line up a bracket of 32 indie-rock/pop/folk artists for head-to-head battles predicated on nothing more than the band's name itself. Which group with an animal in its name will advance farthest? Who will earn ultimate bragging rights as indie's top dog? And will Will Oldham ever answer our DM's?//Opening theme: "Last Words" by HerbcraftClosing theme: "Invitation" by ML Wah

We definitely maybe daydream under the bushes at marcy playground, counting crows and throwing jagged little pills in the garbage, sharing our hardcore reasonable doubts about the infamous and sublime mystic styles of some not-so-tiny music that didn't quite crack our individual top 10 lists. Grab some refreshments: this pod's a live one!☯︎Pony League Honorable Mentions playlist: https://bit.ly/41wWmmc✇︎Theme song: "Garden Green" by Matt LaJoie

Chris joins the Columbia House music club and places his first CD order, making his picks for the top ten albums released while we were in middle school (August 1994 - June 1997).☯︎Listen to our Season 3 playlist here!https://bit.ly/4izC7ei✇︎Theme song: "Garden Green" by Matt LaJoie

Adam shares a hot take on Christmas albums before presenting his top 10 list of albums released during our time in middle school (August 1994 - June 1997). Meanwhile, Chris goes deep down the Wu-Tang rabbit hole and Matt offers a Wii Golf soundtrack recommendation.☯︎Listen to our Season 3 playlist here!https://bit.ly/4izC7ei✇︎Theme song: "Garden Green" by Matt LaJoie

For Season 3 of Active Listing, we turn the dial back three decades to talk about the best albums released while we were in middle school (August 1994 - June 1997). On the premiere episode, Matt goes on a CD-length discussion of his personal top 10 albums of this era, while Chris reminisces about junior high dances and Adam drops a Grohl bomb.☯︎Listen to our Season 3 playlist here!https://bit.ly/4izC7ei✇︎Theme song: "Garden Green" by Matt LaJoie

In the wake of the Grammys, Adam finally learns who Shaboozey is, Matt waxes nostalgic about 90's Memphis underground rap tapes, and Chris presents his very un-dorky folk coordinate plane as we discuss our favorite music of 2024.Adam's top albums of 2024 playlist: https://bit.ly/42Pa0DoMatt's 90's Memphis underground rap mixtape: https://bit.ly/3Qhw6a1Matt's 100-track 2024 rap playlist: http://bit.ly/4gF4oiqMatt's top tracks and albums of 2024 playlist: https://bit.ly/4hX413sChris's 2024 Folk Album Coordinate Plane: https://bit.ly/411xbaSChris's Best of Folk (That I Listened To) 2024 playlist: https://bit.ly/4hWYTwnChris's top albums of 2024 playlist: http://bit.ly/3QeXENr

Chris laments his audio woes, Adam reconsiders his veto, and Matt wishes he’d bent the rules as the guys voice their regrets about Season 2. Plus: a preview of Season 3’s topic and parameters, a discussion about 21st Century rock anthems, and if you could listen to only one artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?