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Description
Sometime in the year 2000, seven-year-old Dov Brenner’s parents attended some random conference. Upon returning, they came back with a ruler that had the order of all the US Presidents. So Dov stared at the ruler most days, and quickly he became able to recite all the Presidents in order. It was at that moment, Dov realized that he had a gift. He realized he had an incredible memory and with that, great potential. So, did he use that ability to memorize advanced physics formulas? Nah. Did he use that ability to study and memorize key details of the French Revolution and ascertain its significance? Nope. Did he use that ability to memorize maps of the various cities he lived in? Negative. He used that god-given talent to memorize, well, random music facts from the songs and artists he grew up on. And with that, he is proud to bring you ”Hot Cakes from a 90s Stan,” a music history podcast focusing on the 90s where he gives unsolicited historical analysis, highly detailed lists, random facts, and staunch opinions about artists most people over 30 haven’t thought about in decades, and people under thirty have never really thought about, like ever.
The show is comprised of Signature Song and Random Topic episodes, which 9 times out of 10 have to do with the 1990s. Artists he’s dedicated entire episodes to so far include Nirvana, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, Alanis Morisette, and Blink-182 among others. Random Topics he has addressed include the Mount Rushmore of Butt Rock, the best year for music in somewhat recent memory, and the greatest 90s albums by artists you probably never thought of as ”90s artists.”
So if you’re a 90s kid or a Gen Xer who never threw out the flannel shirt they wore to their first Pearl Jam concert, next time you’ve got a 3-hour flight and are burned out from watching reruns of Love is Blind, find an episode to check out and get ready for peak nostalgia.
The show is comprised of Signature Song and Random Topic episodes, which 9 times out of 10 have to do with the 1990s. Artists he’s dedicated entire episodes to so far include Nirvana, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, Alanis Morisette, and Blink-182 among others. Random Topics he has addressed include the Mount Rushmore of Butt Rock, the best year for music in somewhat recent memory, and the greatest 90s albums by artists you probably never thought of as ”90s artists.”
So if you’re a 90s kid or a Gen Xer who never threw out the flannel shirt they wore to their first Pearl Jam concert, next time you’ve got a 3-hour flight and are burned out from watching reruns of Love is Blind, find an episode to check out and get ready for peak nostalgia.
25 Episodes
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After another decently sized break, Dov returns to Hot Cakes from a 90s Stan to share Bo Burnham’s role in the healing process of his pandemic mental health issues. He then discusses what it means to be a sad boy singer-songwriter before a fairly deep dive into three tremendous 90s albums by three sad boy singer-songwriters; Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel, Elliott Smith, and Jeff Buckley. After his spiel, Dov gives random categories awards to the singer-songwriters, mainly for his own amusement. Following the monologue, Dov is joined by his friend Zach who previously was a guest on the Cranberries episode. The two of them pay tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne and then subsequently fawn over Elliott Smith and Jeff Buckley, but not really Jeff Mangum though. Rude.
Timestamps:
Ad read: (00:00)
Introduction: (00:28)
Dov’s definition of sad boy music: (04:26)
In The Aeroplane Over the Sea: (06:50)
Either/Or: (15:59)
Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk: (28:12)
Sad boy Awards: (40:21)
Zach and Dov pay tribute to Ozzy: (43:04)
Zach gives his definition of sad boy music: (48:32)
Zach and Dov talk In The Aeroplane Over the Sea: (54:01)
Zach and Dov talk Either/Or: (01:05:49)
Zach and Dov talk Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk: (01:17:19)
Outro: (01:31:56)
On Hot Cakes’ eighth signature song episode, Dov proves why the inclusion of the term “Stan” belongs in his podcast’s title as he repeatedly glazes the Alt Rock icons, Pearl Jam. Before establishing the heart of the band’s sound, he shares the history of the band and contextualizes Pearl Jam’s placement in the 90s zeitgeist. After choosing a signature song some might find questionable but all will agree is a banger, he is joined by his co-host, the now-internet-famous Ryan Gilman. Ryan once again gets nostalgic talking about his goated high school bus driver and the butt-rock radio station he always had on. Ryan then almost basically forces Dov to reveal the true meaning of the second verse of the song, “Alive.”
Time stamps:
Introduction: (00:00)
History of Pearl Jam: (03:41)
Signature Sound of Pearl Jam: (36:47)
Signature Song Runners-up: (39:35)
Signature Song revealed: (49:27)
Dov and Ryan have a conversation about Pearl Jam: (52:39)
Outro: (01:39:22)
On the 22nd episode of Hot Cakes from a 90s Stan, Dov takes a close look at what he considers the last great album of the 1990s, Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. After giving a detailed history of the events leading up to the album’s completion as well as the writing/recording process, he discusses the success of the album, its significance to him as a fan, and its legacy as a personal triumph for the individual members of the band. After the monologue, Dov is joined once again by his buddy Alejandro Castillo. In addition to bantering back and forth regarding their many opinions of Californication, the two of them talk a stroll down memory lane as they reminisce on their decades-long tenure as super fans of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The second part of the interview includes Dov and Alejandro grading each song on the album as either Red Hot (really really great), Hot (solid), Lukewarm (meh), and Chilly (not good). While they agree on the grades for most songs, there are certainly moments of bitter contention.
Timestamps:
Introduction: (00:00)
Turbulence of 1997-1998 (03:38)
John Frusicante rejoins the band: (08:44)
Writing and recording of Californication (12:08)
Music and lyrics of the album: (16:33)
Commercial & critical reception: (26:40)
Legacy of Californication: (31:16)
Interview part 1 (shooting the breeze and talking all things Chili Peppers): (35:08)
Interview part 2 (grading each song from Californication): (01:12:45)
Outro: (01:46:36)
Y'all get a bonus episode! Free baseball! Hooray!
In this bonus endeavor, Dov and Ryan are joined by Alex Urbina who was the guest on episode #21. The boys team up to create a draft of the 10 greatest Pop-Punk songs of all time. So the episode functions like a fantasy draft but with choosing Pop-Punk songs instead of grown-ass adults that sweat a lot. The rules of the draft are as follows:
1. No songs can be repeated
2. Each participant can only reuse 1 artist. Therefore, each participant's list will consist of at least 9 different artists.
3. Every song has to be a banger.
At the conclusion of the draft, Dov, Ryan, and Alex sort through the list and come together to decide the winner of each round to ultimately compile Hot Cakes from a 90s Stan's official list of the 10 greatest Pop-Punk songs of all time.
Also, whoever of three dudes chose the most songs that ended up on the final list gets crowned winner and gets a mug or something.
Playlist from this Episode
After reluctantly taking a five month break, Dov is back to his rambling ways as he somewhat chronologically covers nearly 40 years of Pop-Punk history. After spending way too much time talking about 70s Punk, he discusses a few important underground bands with funny names before identifying and detailing the five most important years in the development of Pop-Punk as a mainstream subgenre. He then is joined by his good friend, Alex, who is disgusted by Dov’s omission of one very important Pop-Punk band in the monologue portion of the episode.
Side note, virtually every song mentioned in the episode is featured on the playlist linked above.
Time Stamps:
Intro-00:00
Origins of Pop-Punk: 03:06
Pop-Punk becomes mainstream: 25:08
Pop-Punk explodes in the 21st century: 36:50
Interview: 45:14
Outro: 01:23:35
On the podcast’s 20th episode, Dov shares his most vivid memories from his first time at a sleepaway camp before getting into the fascinating story of the legendary band, the Cranberries. He discusses their early days of listening to and emulating sad-boy British bands and then transitions into their early to mid 90s heyday. After Dov shares his take on the band’s signature song, he is joined by his good friend Zach Natale, who came prepared with an almost PhD level knowledge of the Cranberries. But of course he used his time to try to get Dov to rant about Fleetwood Mac’s antics.
Timestamps:
Intro: (00:00)
History of the Cranberries: (05:21)
The Band’s Signature Sound: (24:39)
Signature Song Runners Up: (27:53)
Signature Song Revealed: (36:06)
Interview: (40:30)
Zach’s Pick for Signature Song: (01:25:20)
Outro: (01:32:10)
What do Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, and U2 being distastefully kind have in common? They are all discussed on the 19th episode of Hot Cakes from a 90s Stan. In this one, Dov brings back his good friend, Ella Hyder, to discuss the top five “Where Were You Moments” for 90s kids like them. Throughout the episode they discuss music events between the years 2004 and 2014 that are forever etched into their memories, for better or for worse.
Time Stamps:
Introduction: (00:00)
Conversation with Ella: (06:18)
Outro: (01:32:53)
On this signature song episode, Dov discusses the history of Green Day and the development of their career during the 90s. He highlights the unique trajectory of their success, but not without throwing in some ridiculous stories highlighting the band’s endearingly reckless behavior.
He of course finishes his monologue by coming up with a detailed description of Green Day's 90s sound, before crowning their “signature” song for that decade. He then is joined by his co-host Ryan Gilman to talk all-things Green Day as well as Ryan’s cat’s recent UTI, for some reason.
Timestamps
Intro: (00:00)
History of Green Day: (04:18)
Signature Sound: (19:37)
Signature Song Runners-Up: (22:53)
Signature 90s Song Revealed: (32:18)
Interview: (35:56)
Outro: (01:15:55)
After yelling at him for over a year, finally Dov’s ride or die homie, Alejandro Castillo joins the podcast to discuss the greatest one-hit wonders of the 90s as they both unveil their Mount Rushmore of that category. Before the extended interview with Alejandro, Dov gives his shortest monologue yet where he briefly discusses the defining one-hit wonder of childhood, and what initially intrigued him about that song.
Make sure you check out the playlist on spotify, “Mount Rushmore of 90s One-Hit Wonders,” which includes all of the songs on both Dov & Alejandro’s respective Mount Rushmore as well as honorable mentions.
Timestamps:
Special Tribute (00:00)
Monologue (01:15)
Start of Interview (08:10)
Honorable Mentions (19:56)
Mount Rushmores (41:20)
Outro (1:58:27)
In Dov’s sweet sixteenth episode, he finally breaks away entirely from rock, and instead focuses his attention on perhaps the most lionized rapper ever, 2pac. With such an eventful yet short life, he concentrates on 2pac’s early life, as well as his career as a solo artist. Since lyricism is such a key component of hip-hop music, much of the episode centers on the development of 2pac as a writer. Before naming a signature song, he first shares how he would describe the rapper at his finest.
After the monologue, Dov is thrilled to be joined by his friend and coworker, Ashton Combs. Ashton is a music teacher, who has been involved in the music industry on the production side for years and has worked with famous names such as Lil Wayne, Sean Paul, and Trey Songz. Once Ashton stops laughing after hearing about Dov’s first memories of Hip-Hop, he shares his memories of 2pac’s death and speaks fondly of the impact of his life and music.
Timestamps:
Intro: (00:00)
2pac’s Life & Career: (05:54)
Signature Sound/Signature Song Runners-Up: (23:55)
Signature Song Reveal: (34:08)
Interview with Producer & Musician, Ashton Combs: (38:37)
Outro: (01:09:17)
On the third and final part of the “not exactly" 27 club episode, Ryan and Dov have a little fun and debate as to which 20th century male vocalists rank as the top 10 hard-rock singers. In the process, both Dov and Ryan inevitably imitate multiple singers on the list and Dov reveals which one is his doppelganger. Then the boys discuss the final member of the “not exactly" 27 club, Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, who naturally wound up on both Dov and Ryan’s list. Within their back-and-forth, Ryan tells a story of how Alice in Chains became involved in a running joke in his high school friend group, and Dov mentions which animal he deems the “most metal.”
On the second part of the “not exactly” 27 club episode, Dov is joined by unofficial co-host Ryan Gilman to update him on married life and tell him how Shannon Hoon played a key-role in his childhood back in Arizona. In addition, they each share the member that they feel most affected them as musicians. This discussion gives Dov the opportunity to tell Ryan a story about Jim Morrison that he’s probably told 16-thousand times. Dov also tells Ryan a few random 90s facts that somehow appear to have blown his mind. It really is wonderful they became friends. If not, Dov would just be sharing these useless facts to only his dog.
For the first of a three-part episode, Dov establishes a new group within popular musical lore, he calls the “Not Exactly” 27 Club. After relating an iconic blues trio from the 60s to the original member of the actual 27 club, Dov discusses the life and career of three tremendous rock frontmen that passed away far too young, but not exactly at the age of 27. Along with stories of each musician, Dov shares his own stories of how he became familiar with some of the members of this somber fraternity. Be sure to check out some of the songs mentioned on this episode by searching on spotify “Songs from the ‘Not Exactly’ 27 club.”
Timestamps:
Introduction: (00:00)
Andy Wood (Mother Love Bone): (08:07)
Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon): (16:54)
Layne Staley (Alice in Chains): (27:18)
Conclusion: (45:21)
Outro: (46:43)
In the second part of Alanis Morissette’s signature song episode, Dov brings on his sister, Rachel, to get a second opinion as to whether or not “Hand in my Pocket” can truly be considered Alanis Morissette’s signature song. They get to that discussion eventually, but not before reminiscing over the sly white lies told by their father as well as the rotation of depressing ballads their mother subjected them to. They also inevitably discuss Morissette's inadvertant contribution to the high school English class for millennial.
In the fourth signature song episode, Dov talks about legendary singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. He details her ascent from kid actress to Canadian dance-pop singer to international rock star.
After analyzing the qualities that make Morissette’s music unique, he challenges himself in choosing a signature song from her heyday. Despite the difficulty in finding just one song to represent Morissette’s finest moments, it came down to one tiny instrument that ultimately helped crown the winner.
Time Stamps:
Intro: (00:00)
Morissette’s Childhood & Early Career: (04:22)
Morissette moves to LA: (07:05)
Jagged Little Pill & International Stardom: (10:21)
Morissette’s Signature Sound: (20:26)
Signature Song Runners-Up: (23:06)
Morissette’s Signature Song: (33:11)
Outro: (37:20)
On the second part of The Mount Rushmore of Butt Rock Episode, Dov welcomes back his good friend, Ryan Gillman, to make him laugh and forget that he just spent the past two months listening almost exclusively to Limp Bizkit and Creed. Initially they just shoot the breeze reminiscing about their dads thinking they were cool by listening to Nickelback. Then they compete against one another to come up with the better list of the all-time top 10 Butt Rock songs.
If y’all thought Dov couldn’t get any more insufferable, buckle your seatbelts, because in this episode, he praises Nickelback. Like a lot. The reason, this episode details the origins and heyday of the historically maligned, but now beloved, music categorization of Butt Rock. After pinpointing the first true Butt Rock album, Dov does that thing where he spends like a million years defining musical terms he could’ve just defined in a sentence or two. Then, he shares his Mount Rushmore of Butt Rock. Of course he compares each Butt Rock band to an actual president on the real Mount Rushmore, because why not be extra if you can be extra.
Be sure to check out the playlist that includes almost every song named on the episode. It’s titled “Mount Rushmore of Butt Rock Pt. 1” on Spotify.
Timestamps:
Introduction/History of Stone Temple Pilots: (00:00)
What is not Butt Rock: (06:48)
What is Butt Rock (13:37)
Mount Rushmore of Butt Rock band #1: (16:11)
Mount Rushmore of Butt Rock band #2: (22:06)
Mount Rushmore of Butt Rock band #3: (28:04)
Mount Rushmore of Butt Rock band #4: (36:05)
Wrapup (43:00)
Outro: (43:38)
Well folks, it has finally happened. Dov’s hipster past has caught up with him. Because in this episode, he discusses Radiohead’s signature 90s song. Before he is joined by his close friend, Dylan (also a hipster), he tells the origins of his Radiohead fandom as well as the history/vibes of the iconic English quintet, concluding with the crowning of Radiohead’s signature 90s song. Following the monologue, Dov conducts his first virtual interview. His buddy describes his evolution as a music listener from “classic-rock douchebag” to getting deep into the Oppenheimer soundtrack. He also showcases his Radiohead standom and explains to Dov what the hell mead is.
Timestamps:
Intro: (00:00)
History of Radiohead: (03:44)
Criteria for Radiohead’s Signature 90s Song: (24:32)
Radiohead's Signature 90s Song Runner-Ups: (26:44)
Unveiling of Radiohead's Signature 90s Song: (34:55)
Interview: (39:17)
Outro: (01:09:20)
For the second part of Dov’s second hot take/random topic episode, he rambles on extensively about three very distinct albums released in the 90s by artists who are better known for their work in other decades. The three artists he discusses are iconic in each of their respective genres; Country, Alternative Rock, and Latin Rock. Two of those artists are singular legends within the music world, so there are a lot of interesting stories that accompany them. Such stories include performing in front of inmates at a notorious prison, performing hours ahead of the original time while on intense hallucinogens, and shattering records set by Michael Jackson. After his insufferably long rant, on brand for him of course, he is rejoined again by his good friend, Ryan Gilman, to talk about the albums at hand and get a few laughs in during the process.
Timestamps:
Intro Music: (00:00)
Johnny Cash-American Recordings: (00:28)
Incubus-Make Yourself: (16:10)
Santana-Supernatural: (31:15)
Interview: (45:58)
Outro: (01:23:44)
For part 1 of Dov's second "Hot Take/Random Topic" episode, he gets insufferably random with the head-scratching topic of 90s albums by artists better known for their work in other decades. Dov shares stories and key events from each artist's career in the decade(s) for which they're best known, before discussing his favorite songs from each artist's awesome 90s album. Then, his buddy and bandmate, Ryan Gilman, rejoins the podcast to see how many times he can "go down the rabbit hole," before the two discuss moshing at their respective middle school dances. Somehow the topic of gnarly mosh pits leads to an Avril Lavigne shoutout.
Timestamps:
Intro: (00:00)
Criteria for albums discussed: (04:40)
Guns N' Roses-Use Your Illusion 1 & 2: (05:39)
John Prine-The Missing Years: (17:57)
System of a Down-System of a Down: (32:08)
Interview: (44:09)
Outro: (01:15:31)
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