CD Burners

This week on CD Burners, we’re joined by Kami Kehoe to dive into Cage the Elephant’s Tell Me I’m Pretty, the Grammy-winning album that has followed her through different chapters of her life. Kami explains why songs like “Trouble” connected with her from a young age, how the record became something she returns to whenever she’s going through it, and why its lyrics and sound still give her a rare sense of peace. We also get into Dan Auerbach’s production, Matt Shultz’s undeniable weirdness, and what makes Tell Me I’m Pretty stand out in Cage the Elephant’s catalog. Plus, Kami talks about growing up playing drums in a band with her sisters, going viral overnight, making the return to rock music, and the new album and arena tour that are taking her career to another level.

This week on CD Burners, we’re diving into Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster with special guest DeathbyRomy, who calls it one of the most influential records on her life and career, and the first CD she ever owned. Romy shares how seeing Gaga’s Monster Ball as a kid, briefly meeting her backstage, and watching her turn pop music into a complete visual world helped shape the artist she would eventually become. We break down “Bad Romance,” “Telephone,” and “Alejandro,” Gaga’s fearless approach to art and controversy, the tour that never happened, and why The Fame Monster still feels like a moment when a pop star could genuinely shock and change culture. Plus, Romy talks about building her own visual universe on independent-artist budgets, betting on herself, touring with Limp Bizkit, and the Gaga philosophy she still carries with her today: sometimes you have to lie to yourself until the dream becomes real.

Live from Vans Warped Tour Long Beach, CD Burners sits down with Bonnie Fraser of Stand Atlantic to talk about the band's next era and why they're deliberately pushing against what's trendy in alternative music. Bonnie gets into live tracking their new album, wanting music to feel human in an increasingly AI-driven world, and why Stand Atlantic would rather flip trends on their head than sound like everyone else. She also opens up about finally embracing writing love songs after avoiding them for over a decade, how “Velcro” became one of her favorite songs they've ever written, and what success looks like after years of making music for a living. Plus, we get into Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Australian horror movies, her least favorite Stand Atlantic song to play live, and the important question of whether Australia is actually the furthest place on Earth.

Live from Vans Warped Tour Long Beach, CD Burners sits down with Derek Sanders of Mayday Parade to look back on 20 years of the band and their long history with Warped Tour. Derek takes us back to the days of following the tour in a van and selling CDs to kids in the crowd, talks about the awkward early shows that helped shape Mayday Parade, and reveals what it's like returning to Warped Tour two decades later. We also get into the band's massive Sweet, Sad, Sugar trilogy, the challenge of writing a Warped Tour setlist after 20 years of music, the heavier bands Derek wishes Mayday Parade could tour with, his hilariously named first bands, and whether making music still feels the same after all these years. Plus, the Warped Tour crowd gets to ask Derek a few questions of their own.

before Three Cheers and The Black Parade, there was I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love—the chaotic, emotional debut that introduced the world to My Chemical Romance. this week on CD Burners, we're joined by Sydney Roten of Diva Bleach to dive into the raw production, Gerard Way's storytelling, the band's New Jersey roots, recording the album in just a week, and why Bullets remains one of the most important emo records ever made. we also talk about how MCR became Sydney's gateway into heavier music, the influence the band still has on artists today, and plenty of wild tangents along the way. listen now!

This week on CD Burners, we're joined by Doug Robb of Hoobastank to break down Deftones' Around the Fur and the stories behind one of the most influential heavy records ever made. Doug shares what it was like seeing Deftones play to almost nobody, getting an advance copy of the album months before its release, and how it completely changed the way he thought about songwriting and drumming. We also dive into the band's rise, why they never fit the nu metal mold, and how Around the Fur helped shape an entire generation of heavy music.

this week on CD Burners, we’re joined by Eric Dangerfield from The Paradox to break down The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night, from its legendary opening chord and groundbreaking songwriting to Beatles lore, conspiracy theories, and why Ringo might secretly be the GOAT. Hear how The Beatles inspired The Paradox and their wild journey from playing to five people in an Atlanta parking lot to opening for Green Day and Jack White just weeks later.

over a decade later, Frank Ocean's Channel Orange still feels like nothing else. this week on CD Burners, Royal & The Serpent joins us to unpack the album that reshaped modern R&B, blurred genre lines, and became the soundtrack to some of the most defining moments of our lives. from Frank's groundbreaking storytelling to the memories this record holds, we dive into why Channel Orange continues to inspire artists and fans alike. what's your favorite song from Channel Orange?