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Brainwaves always dips back into the pop 70s for a couple of songs at the top of the second hour of the show. This week, the entire episode will take us back to the 70s – but in covers. Music you loved by bands you may not have heard of (and some you have). Cheap Trick covering Big Star, Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs covering Rod Stewart, AM and Shawn Lee covering the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Def Leppard covering ELO, Kevin Gilbert covering Led Zeppelin, Jesse Malin covering Jim Croce, Pacifika covering Chicago, and more surprises. Tune in and let’s go back in time…by way of the future.

This week it’s Yom Kippur across the Jewish world. The holiday of forgiveness, of grace, mercy and saying you’re sorry. So on today’s shows, songs of saying you’re “sorry,” feeling “mercy,” showing “grace” and asking to be “forgiven.” Music from Greg Kihn, the Three O’Clock, The Innocence Mission, Cosigner, Matthew Sweet, Bob Mould, Collective Soul, Nine Tayeb, Idle Wilds, Brian Wilson, Mojave 3, Yes, Ride, the Engineers and much more. Tune in this week – you won’t be “sorry.”

Brainwaves this week mixes driving songs with yellow – Of Monsters and Men’s “Yellow Light” seems most appropriate. Also on the show: Pearl Harbor and the Explosions, Madness, R.E.M., Arco and Neil Halstead on the “driving” side; Christie, Elton John, Cribabi, Cranberries, 20/20 and Coldplay on the “yellow” side. No red lights on this week’s show – so buckle up, we’re going for a ride, Brainwaves style.

No spoilers here at Brainwaves – if we’d played this episode last week, then you’d all know it was Brian’s birthday on Friday. Now it can be told & you can celebrate with your Brainwaves host with birthday music from Altered Images, Kings of Leon, Ex Cops, String Theory and the Beatles. And since Brian’s actual birthday was over the weekend, some “weekend” songs from Neon Trees, the Vapors and Super Furry Animals. Finally, in honor of Brian’s wife becoming a non-vegan (say what???) we finish up with the Hermit Crabs and their song, “Vegan Vows.” It’s coming up – meat, milk and everything in between – on this special birthday episode of Brainwaves.

It’s not Saturday night, but Brainwaves is featuring “Saturday” songs on this week’s show, from the Jam, Blitzen Trapper, America and Sparklehorse. Radio songs from Wall of Voodoo, Elvis Costello and the Buggles. The Abrams invite you to spend your life with them. The Passion Pit get carried away. And Mouth and MacNeil ask – in fully Joey Tribbiani mode – “How do you do?” It’s all on this week’s Brainwaves. 

Brian’s grandson can’t say “S” yet. Which is an important letter because in Hebrew, Grandpa is “Saba.” So he calls Brian “Baba.” Which got your host for Brainwaves thinking about songs with “ba-ba” in them. But not just ba-ba’s but na-na’s, da-da’s, doo-doo’s and ma-ma’s. It sounds silly but you’ll be amazed how much great music has repeating consonants like this. Ba-ba’s from Teenage Fanclub, R.E.M., Pink Floyd and the Partridge Family. Na-na’s from J. Geils, Counting Crows, Steam, Blink 182 and the Beatles. Ma-ma’s from ELO, The Who and the Crash Test Dummies. Da-da’s and doo-doo’s from Elastica, Lou Reed and the Police. Plus some Lady Gaga (ra-ra), Carpenters (sha-la-la) and Hebrew rock from HaTikva 6 (pam-pam). 

Brainwaves is chilling this summer, taking things day by day with lots of great music to keep us company. Day-themed music from U2, the Alan Parsons Project, Barenaked Ladies, Snow Patrol, ELO, R.E.M. and Godspell. Plus a double play from the Tubes’ classic first album. And Q-Feel will have us dancing in heaven (with their orbital be-bop). It’s all coming up on this week’s Brainwaves.

California – the ultimate summer vacation destination. So let’s go. Summer songs from California on this week’s Brainwaves. You’ll hear Phantom Planet, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Novi Split, Tripsitter, Gin Blossoms, Led Zeppelin, Beach Boys, R.E.M. Mat Kearney, even Katy Perry. Plus some “freeway” songs from America, Jerry Jeff Walker, the Mountain Goats, Aimee Mann and Todd Rundgren. Soak up some rays (but don’t forget the sunscreen!) this week on Brainwaves.

More summer music for a hot summer on this week’s Brainwaves. Blotto wants to be a lifeguard, while Rosi Golan just wants to shine. Telephone tunes from 10cc, Kraftwerk and ELO. Queen takes us on a seaside rendezvous, Splinter sprints us to Costafinetown. And the Bangles are walking like an Egyptian. Get out the sunscreen. It’s summer fun at Brainwaves.

From Mike Cavanaugh to Phillip Glass, it’s a truly eclectic alternative episode of Brainwaves.  Plus music from Blind Pilot, Pete Shelley, Modest Mouse, the National, a double play from Procul Harem and the full “Close to the Edge” suite by Yes. It’s all in this week’s Brainwaves. Tune in!