My Weekly Mixtape: Music Discovery & Nostalgia

<p>Is there such a thing as a <strong>Rush deep cut</strong>? To the diehards, <strong>absolutely not </strong>— but that shouldn’t stop us from trying! As the band gears up for their long-anticipated <strong>Fifty Something</strong> anniversary tour, I am throwing back to an episode where I was the <strong><em>guest</em></strong>, and joined <strong>Steve </strong>&amp; <strong>Gerry</strong> on the <strong>Something For Nothing: A Rush Fancast</strong>. </p><p>In this discussion, we set out to <strong>celebrate the overlooked corners</strong> of one of the most<strong> iconic catalogs in rock history</strong>, and <strong>wrack our brains</strong> to come up with <strong>five not-so-popular-but-definitely-should-be Rush songs </strong>each — tracks that <strong>may not dominate classic rock radio</strong> but reveal the band’s <strong>depth</strong>, <strong>ambition</strong>, and <strong>evolution</strong>.</p><p><strong>No hits</strong>.<strong> No concert staples.</strong> From <strong>early prog explorations</strong> to <strong>later-era experimentation</strong>, this episode dives into <strong>underrated Rush songs</strong>, <strong>forgotten fan favorites</strong>, and <strong>deep album cuts </strong>that<strong> showcase the brilliance</strong> of <strong>Geddy Lee</strong>, <strong>Alex Lifeson</strong>, and <strong>Neil Peart</strong>. Whether it’s <strong>intricate musicianship</strong>, <strong>storytelling</strong>, or <strong>emotional weight hiding beneath the surface</strong>, these songs remind us why <strong>Rush’s legacy continues to grow fifty years on</strong>.</p><p>Whether you’re a <strong>lifelong Rush obsessive</strong>,<strong> gearing up to see them on this tour</strong>, or a newer listener curious about <strong>what lies beyond the hits</strong>, this episode is a<strong> love letter</strong> to Rush <strong>deep cuts </strong>— the<strong> riffs</strong>, the <strong>risks</strong>, and the <strong>moments that still reward close listening</strong> decades later.</p><p></p><p>🎙️ <strong>LEARN MORE</strong></p><p>🎵 <strong>Hear the Playlists / Browse the Catalog:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠</a></p><p>💬 <strong>Join the Mixtaper Community (Patreon):</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠">https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠</a></p><p>🌐 <strong>Connect on Social:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠</a></p><p>📧 <strong>Email the Show / Contact:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠</a></p>

<p>Few artists <strong>soundtrack the open road</strong> quite like <strong>Tom Petty. </strong>From <strong>radio-dominant anthems</strong> to <strong>overlooked gems</strong> hiding deeper in the catalog, his songs feel engineered for <strong>long stretches of highway</strong>, <strong>glowing dashboards</strong>, and <strong>miles that slip by unnoticed</strong>.</p><p>This 10-song Tom Petty road trip playlist brings together the <strong>familiar hits you instinctively reach for</strong> <em>and</em> the <strong>lesser-known tracks</strong> that hit just as hard. It’s the natural extension of the idea I first teased in my <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/2026/02/01/moonlit-miles-10-after-hours-songs-to-fuel-that-solo-late-night-drive/"><strong>“Moonlit Miles: 10 After-Hours Songs to Fuel That Solo Late-Night Drive”</strong></a> episode — trading <strong>isolation for motion</strong>, and <strong>reflection for momentum</strong>.</p><p>Whether you’re <strong>driving solo after dark</strong>, <strong>chasing daylight across state lines</strong>, or just craving music that <strong>understands the pull of freedom and restlessness</strong>, this mix is <strong>built for the journey</strong>. Press play, settle in, and<strong> let Mr. Petty handle the miles</strong>.</p><p></p><p>🎙️ <strong>LEARN MORE</strong></p><p>🎵 <strong>Hear the Playlists / Browse the Catalog:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠</a></p><p>💬 <strong>Join the Mixtaper Community (Patreon):</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠">https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠</a></p><p>🌐 <strong>Connect on Social:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠</a></p><p>📧 <strong>Email the Show / Contact:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠</a></p>

<p><strong>Thirty years</strong> after <strong><em>Ledbetter Heights</em></strong> first introduced <strong>Kenny Wayne Shepherd </strong>to the world, we <strong>circle back</strong> — <strong>not just to revisit the songs</strong>, but to <strong>understand what happens</strong> when you’ve <strong>lived with them for decades</strong>. From the <strong>raw instinct </strong>of a 17-year-old <strong>finding his voice</strong> to the <strong>perspective</strong> that only <strong>time</strong>, <strong>touring</strong>, and <strong>life</strong> can bring, this conversation digs into <strong>how those early recordings hold up</strong> — and <strong>where they’ve evolved.</strong></p><p>We get into the <strong>musicians behind the music </strong>— both <strong>then</strong> and <strong>now </strong>— and the <strong>subtle ways</strong> one can <strong>reshape something familiar</strong> without breaking what <strong>made it connect</strong> in the first place. </p><p>There’s a closer look at how certain songs have <strong>grown onstage</strong>, why <strong>some moments are better left live</strong>, and what it means to <strong>revisit</strong> that <strong>youthful energy</strong> all these years later.</p><p>And for anyone who found their way in through <strong>“Deja Voodoo,” “Born With A Broken Heart” </strong>or<strong> “Why We Cry,”</strong> or has spent years with the entire album <strong>in rotation</strong>, this discussion is about <strong>more than just a milestone</strong> — it’s about <strong>how music lives within us</strong>, and <strong>why some records never really leave us</strong>.</p><p>Photo Credit: Jim Arbogast</p><p> </p><p>🎙️ <strong>LEARN MORE</strong></p><p>🎵 <strong>Hear the Playlists / Browse the Catalog:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠</a></p><p>💬 <strong>Join the Mixtaper Community (Patreon):</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠">https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠</a></p><p>🌐 <strong>Connect on Social:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠</a></p><p>📧 <strong>Email the Show / Contact:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠</a></p>

<p>Working in <strong>network radio in the early 2000s</strong> was a <strong>nonstop rollercoaster</strong>—<strong>long</strong>, <strong>unpredictable hours</strong>, the <strong>constant pressure</strong> of a <strong>24/7 operation</strong>, and a <strong>news cycle</strong> that could <strong>reshape your entire life</strong> in an<strong> instant</strong>. But on the <strong>flip side</strong>, it also meant <strong>crossing paths</strong> with the <strong>biggest names</strong> in <strong>music, movies, and television</strong> as they <strong>moved through studios</strong> to <strong>appear</strong> on <strong>stations across the country</strong>.</p><p>This is one of those moments.</p><p>It’s the story of <strong>my brush with greatness</strong>—the time I almost backed into <strong>B.B. King</strong>, who happened to be moving between studios holding his guitar, <strong>Lucille</strong>. What happened next was a <strong>split second interaction that I’ll never forget</strong>, and a reminder that <strong>legends don’t just exist on stage</strong>—they <strong>carry themselves that way in real life, too</strong>.</p><p><strong>B.B. King </strong>has always been a <strong>musical icon</strong> to me, but on this day in <strong>2000</strong>, he became something more: <strong>a living legend</strong>, <strong>right in front of me</strong>.</p><p>And <strong>Lucille </strong>was<strong> every bit as glorious</strong> in person as you could <strong>ever imagine</strong>.</p><p></p><p>🎙️ <strong>LEARN MORE</strong></p><p>🎵 <strong>Hear the Playlists / Browse the Catalog:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠</a></p><p>💬 <strong>Join the Mixtaper Community (Patreon):</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠">https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠</a></p><p>🌐 <strong>Connect on Social:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠</a></p><p>📧 <strong>Email the Show / Contact:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠</a></p>

<p>It’s been a few years since <strong>Amanda Lyberg</strong> of <strong>Eva Under Fire</strong> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/2023/02/26/ep-7-hard-rock-cover-songs/"><strong>last stopped by</strong></a> — and this time, <strong>the stakes feel different</strong>.</p><p>This week, we dig into <strong><em>Villinous</em>, </strong>a record that <strong>doesn’t just evolve the band’s sound</strong>, but<strong> reframes it </strong>— leaning hard into <strong>identity</strong>, <strong>perception</strong>, and <strong>what it really means</strong> to <strong>take back labels</strong> <strong>that were never meant to empower</strong>.</p><p>A big part of that conversation centers around the <strong>title track</strong>, featuring <strong>Maria Brink</strong> of <strong>In This Moment </strong>— and how her presence <strong>doesn’t just elevate the song</strong>, but adds a <strong>whole new layer of intensity</strong> and<strong> perspective</strong> to its <strong>message</strong>.</p><p>Across the album, you can hear the <strong>tension between individuality and expectation</strong> — how <strong>personal reflection</strong> collides with <strong>social media</strong>, <strong>pressure</strong>, and <strong>a world that rarely lets you slow down long enough</strong> to <strong>process</strong> any of it.</p><p>We also get into the band’s <strong>sonic shift</strong> — <strong>what changed</strong>, <strong>what didn’t</strong>, and how those choices <strong>show up in the music</strong> — along with a <strong>really honest look</strong> at<strong> balancing life</strong> as both an<strong> artist</strong> and a <strong>therapist</strong>, and how that<strong> dual perspective shapes the songs</strong> in a way <strong>you might not expect</strong>.</p><p>There’s <strong>a lot </strong>packed into this one —<strong> introspection</strong>,<strong> real-world perspective</strong>, and the kind of <strong>behind-the-scenes insight </strong>that gives these songs much more <strong>weight</strong> once you hear them.</p><p></p><p>🎙️ <strong>LEARN MORE</strong></p><p>🎵 <strong>Hear the Playlists / Browse the Catalog:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com⁠</a></p><p>💬 <strong>Join the Mixtaper Community (Patreon):</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠">https://patreon.com/myweeklymixtape⁠</a></p><p>🌐 <strong>Connect on Social:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com/social-media⁠</a></p><p>📧 <strong>Email the Show / Contact:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact">⁠ </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠">https://myweeklymixtape.com/contact⁠</a></p>