The Dark Stuff is an online music magazine and podcast that focuses primarily (though not exclusively) on independent artists that perform in Omaha, Nebraska and the Midwest.
Hey everyone, and welcome to the new video. Today is Wednesday, and this is the inaugural "What Am I Listening To, Wednesday?" I have four, fantastic new releases to discuss.
In this episode of Rock of Aging, Dave and Erika are going back to school! In a sense, anyway. We have both been given our homework assignments!
Erika has assigned Dave Richie Sambora's 'Stranger In This Town.' This 1991 album was the first solo LP from the Bon Jovi guitarist and songwriter.
Dave has assigned Erika Ace Frehley's 'Frehley's Comet.' The 1987 record was the first post-KISS release from the former guitar legend from Kiss.
For Dave's (not so) Deep Dive, he is talking about a new single from Def Leppard that features some decades old guitar tracks. And in Erika's Atmosphere Check, she offers up a contrast between the years of these two albums' release: 1987 and 1991.
Welcome to the second episode of the newest podcast from The Dark Stuff, Against The 90's. This is a show about 90s music from people who lived the decade—bought the records, watched the videos, went to the shows, and fell hard for the music. Each episode reexamines the music of the 90s by spotlighting the artists, albums, and movements that actually mattered—across alternative, rock, indie, and beyond.
For the new episode, Marq and Dave wrestle with the idea that much of that cool, cutting edge, underground music we loved in the 90s, is now...classic rock. Yes, that's right. Nineties artists are now legacy artists. Many are among the country's top touting attractions -- selling out festivals coast to coast. For others, their vinyl reissues and box sets are among the best sellers in record stores
We each chose five 90s artists that are still big sellers and/or big concert draws on the festival circuit. These are, by no means, all of them. But many of these will surprise you!
In this episode of Rock of Aging, Dave and Erika are talking live shows. Which 80's metal and hard rock bands have we seen the most times in concert? Club shows, theater shows, arena shows, stadium shows, festivals -- they all count!
We both have a lengthy history of seeing concerts, beginning in the early 1980s. But who have we seen the most times over the years? Specifically, which hard rock and metal bands have we seen the most amount of times?
Who have you seen the most? Leave it in the comments!
Also in this episode, we have Dave's (Not So) Deep Dive. This time around, he will be discussing the album "Turn-Ons" by the band, The Hotrats. Erika's Atmosphere Check will take us back to 1980s pre-concert prep -- locking down the right clothes & the right look. What about transportation? Who's driving? Are we even old enough to drive?
On this episode, I am interviewing an excellent, new band called Hair Person. The band has just released its debut album, Dorsia. Hair Person is an electronic duo consisting of Sara Bertuldo (vocals, synths) and Erin Feichtinger (drums). The band's sound is a potent mix of dark, 80s and 90s synth music with pop song sensibilities.
Folks mighty know Sara from her lengthy experience in the Omaha music scene - including being in the bands See Through Dresses and Millions of Boys. With this new project, Sara has moved to synths, and is the sole lead singer. Erin has been playing for a few years, but this is actually her first band.
In this episode of Rock of Aging, Dave and Erika discuss their favorite "lost" 80s hard rock/heavy metal albums. Our definition of a lost album is either one by an unknown band that seemed to have major potential, but was ultimately ignored, OR an album from a more established band that failed to live up to the commercial standards of past releases. We have some of both.
We'll be discussing lost albums from Lillian Axe, Bang Tango, Sea Hags, Blue Öyster Cult, Bad Company, and Richie Sambora.
On this episode, I am reviewing the brand new, 2 disc collection from former Replacements' guitarist, Bob "Slim" Dunlap, called 'Every Little Word.'
The set includes remastered versions of Slim's two solo album, The Old New Me and Times Like This, as well as 22 bonus tracks. The bonus material consist of studio outtakes from his solo album sessions, live recordings, and some of Slim's earliest known recordings ranging from 1978-1986.
This is as definitive a collection as one can get from Slim Dunlap.
In this episode of Rock of Aging, Dave and Erika rewind to the glory days of MTV, when music videos weren’t optional, they were everything. Before streaming, before algorithms, before phones in our pockets, MTV told us what mattered — what to wear, how bands looked, and which artists became legends.
We dig into how music videos transformed songs into visual events, turned musicians into larger-than-life icons, and reshaped rock culture forever. From late-night video marathons to world premieres that stopped time, MTV didn’t just play music — it created mythology.
This is a love letter to the era when image, attitude, fashion, and sound collided… and rock was never the same.
On this episode, I'm diving deep into Lightning Might Strike, the newest album from Juliana Hatfield — an artist whose voice, songwriting, and emotional directness have been a constant thread through alternative rock (and my record collection) for decades.
From moments of sharp power-pop punch to quieter, more vulnerable reflections, Lightning Might Strike feels both deeply personal and unmistakably current.
Juliana Hatfield has never chased trends—and that’s exactly why her music continues to matter. Lightning Might Strike proves that honesty, hooks, and emotional clarity don’t age out.
On this episode, I am reviewing my recent road trip to Madison, WI to see the Joey's Song Freezing Man Festival 2026. Joey's Song is a charity that raises money for juvenile epilepsy research and holds an annual music festival to raise money. Find out more: Joeyssong.org .
This was my second year in attendance. For 2026, the festival focused more on the "all-star jam" concept as opposed to having artists come up and play a dedicated set. Members of Garbage, The Bangles, Goo Goo Dolls, The Go-Go's, Belly, Big Star, Letters To Cleo, Soul Asylum, Silversun Pickups, Eve 6, Guns N Roses, Tears For Fears, and more were in attendance.
Matt Pinfield (former MTV VJ) was the emcee for the festival. Matt was on my return flight, and I was able to confirm with him that he plans to be at next year's festival, too.
Today's video is my interview with the excellent New York City rock band SNOWMEN.
After forming at the beginning of 2024, the band gained a fair amount of notoriety from a handful of viral clips of their debut single, "You Can't Relate." The clips increased the band's profile from that of a local band to one with a national audience. New singles were released throughout 2025.
The band's sound is potent mix of punk, post-punk, 80s new wave, prog rock, and 2000s indie rock. SNOWMEN has just released its debut album, A Kick to the Face, and has its debut US tour booked for Spring 2026.
Thanks for stopping by for the latest episode of The Dark Stuff. As always, I very much appreciate it. This week, I'm collaborating with Will from the channel VinylPotato, and we're talking 1995. Yeah, most people are posting their best of 2025 lists, we took it 30 years back for our video. This one includes numbers 10 - 6, and the rest is on Will's channel.
Help celebrate an 80's metal Festivus with Dave and Erika! Today's video is the 12th episode of Rock of Aging, and it's our first ever holiday show.
For this special episode, we decided to celebrate the "alternative" holiday of FESTIVUS, as celebrated on the TV show, Seinfeld. With an 80s metal vibe, we'll be airing our grievances, offering up Festivus miracles, and maybe even our feats of strength!
We hope you'll love this episode. Please leave your grievances in the comments!
This week, I am reviewing the brand new 'Let it Be Deluxe' box set from The Replacements.
This deluxe edition of The Replacements' classic 1984 album, Let it Be, comes just a little bit after the 40th anniversary of its initial release. Let it Be is considered by many fans to be the band's best. It was certainly a turning point in the their career.
The brand new set from Rhino Records is either a 4 LP or 3 CD collection. Both have an option to bundle in a t-shirt, but there is also an additional 10" EP that can only be bundled with the vinyl option.
I won't spoil the review by giving away too much here. However, I will say that long time viewers may be surprised this video.
