This episode of Rock For Initiative brings in David from Dear Cincinnati, and we cover EVERYTHING: emo, Sonic, Overwatch, Warframe, Fortnite, you name it.

We start with the emo origin story and talk about bands like Taking Back Sunday and The Wonder Years and how they’ve influenced David’s sound and songwriting. Then we get to the important stuff: Warframe, Overwatch, Fortnite, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Everything’s on the table, and I think we cover it all before coming to the most important part: David’s take on world events, and a plea to the bands out there to take a stand and use their platform. In case you were wondering, that means F*CK ICE, free Palestine, protect trans youth.

We also talk about how deeply personal the new Dear Cincinnati record in the works is, and cover their upcoming tour dates with Adjust the Sails, TRSH, and Dear Maryanne.

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Rock For Initiative is a podcast where we get to listen to our favorite musicians talk about whatever nerdy thing they’re passionate about and geek out for an hour. From Wrestling to D&D to Video Games to Magic The Gathering to Basketball to Internet Horror, there’s something for everyone and always something new and entertaining to get into!

Follow us on other platforms:

• TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rock4initiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out other episodes and links at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rockforinitiative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Rock For Initiative is part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Never A Phase Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out other podcasts, news, articles, reviews, and join is on our community on Discord!

Intro song is Once Upon a Time by Jamurai Sack
Check them out on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠Tiktok ⁠⁠⁠and listen to their music anywhere you stream!

Topics covered: Dear Cincinnati, Taking Back Sunday, The Wonder Years, Warframe, Overwatch, Sonic the Hedgehog, Fortnite, emo scene podcast.

This episode of Rock For Initiative brings in JT and Nikhil from Moving Boxes for a conversation about Dungeons & Dragons, geography, nature apps, and fantasy novels.

We kick off with the story behind the song "Hot Brennan Lee Mulligan" from Moving Boxes' new album, then dive into D&D, including JT's life as a forever DM and why clerics are his favorite. From there, Nikhil explains how a childhood love of map games turned into a lifelong passion for geography, linguistics, and GeoGuessr, and JT geeks out about iNaturalist, Pokémon, and a one-handed Mediterranean house gecko. We also talk fantasy books, including The Priory of the Orange Tree, Brandon Sanderson, and Dungeon Crawler Carl.

JT and Nikhil trace their very different paths into emo, from indie and shoegaze to Bollywood and electropop, and Nikhil and I bond over Weezer. Then we get into Moving Boxes' new album "Nothing So Certain" (which rocks).

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Rock For Initiative is a podcast where we get to listen to our favorite musicians talk about whatever nerdy thing they're passionate about and geek out for an hour. From Wrestling to D&D to Video Games to Magic The Gathering to Basketball to Internet Horror, there's something for everyone and always something new and entertaining to get into!

Follow us on other platforms:

• TikTok: @rockforinitiative
• Instagram: @rockforinitiative
• Twitter: @rock4initiative

• 
  

Check out other episodes and links at https://www.rockforinitiative.com

Rock For Initiative is part of Never A Phase Network. Check out other podcasts, news, articles, reviews, and join us on our community on Discord!

Intro song is Once Upon a Time by Jamurai Sack
Check them out on Instagram and TikTok and listen to their music anywhere you stream!

Topics covered: Moving Boxes, Nothing So Certain, Hot Brennan Lee Mulligan, Dungeons & Dragons, Baldur's Gate 3, geography, GeoGuessr, iNaturalist, The Priory of the Orange Tree, Brandon Sanderson, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Weezer, emo scene podcast.

This episode of Rock For Initiative brings in Chris from Millington for a wide-ranging dive into tabletop gaming, anime, and fantasy novels.

We start with Chris's entry into Dungeons & Dragons, his journey from Critical Role fan to forever DM, and a dive into class preferences, homebrew philosophy, and the collaborative magic of good campaign storytelling. From there we cover video games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Fields of Mistria, then head into anime, including FLCL, Ghost in the Shell, Hajime no Ippo, Satoshi Kon films, and Serial Experiments Lain. We also talk touring Japan, a stop at Akihabara, and Chris's growing fantasy reading list, including a shared obsession with Dungeon Crawler Carl, Brandon Sanderson, and the long, ongoing wait for Patrick Rothfuss to finish The Kingkiller Chronicle.

One-shots mentioned in this episode:

⁠⁠⁠Horror at Havel's Cross⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠The Wild Sheep Chase⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠The Haunting⁠⁠⁠

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Rock For Initiative is a podcast where we get to listen to our favorite musicians talk about whatever nerdy thing they're passionate about and geek out for an hour. From Wrestling to D&D to Video Games to Magic The Gathering to Basketball to Internet Horror, there's something for everyone and always something new and entertaining to get into!

Follow us on other platforms:

• TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rock4initiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out other episodes and links at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rockforinitiative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Rock For Initiative is part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Never A Phase Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out other podcasts, news, articles, reviews, and join is on our community on Discord!

Intro song is Once Upon a Time by Jamurai SackCheck them out on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠Tiktok ⁠⁠⁠and listen to their music anywhere you stream!

Topics covered: Millington, Dungeons & Dragons, Critical Role, Baldur's Gate 3, anime, FLCL, Ghost in the Shell, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Brandon Sanderson, Japan tour, emo scene podcast.

This episode of Rock For Initiative brings in Berry from tenlung for a wide-ranging conversation on indie games and the Cartoon Network shows that helped to shape who we are today.

We start with Berry's journey into Twitch streaming, from an early faceless persona to a community built around discovering strange, beautiful indie games together. We cover a long list of favorites, including Arctic Eggs, Off, One Shot, Risk of Rain 2, Slay the Spire 2, UFO 50, Ultra Kill, Ape Out, Big Walk, and Hollow Knight, Silksong, Stardew Valley, and why indie developers are often doing the most creatively interesting work in gaming right now. We also talk Adventure Time, its evolving lore, favorite writers, and why some shows are better left to end on their own terms.

tenlung's new upcoming full length album I Follow Birds is out September 25th.

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Rock For Initiative is a podcast where we get to listen to our favorite musicians talk about whatever nerdy thing they're passionate about and geek out for an hour. From Wrestling to D&D to Video Games to Magic The Gathering to Basketball to Internet Horror, there's something for everyone and always something new and entertaining to get into!

Follow us on other platforms:

• TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rock4initiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out other episodes and links at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rockforinitiative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Rock For Initiative is part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Never A Phase Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out other podcasts, news, articles, reviews, and join is on our community on Discord!

Intro song is Once Upon a Time by Jamurai Sack

Check them out on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠Tiktok ⁠⁠⁠and listen to their music anywhere you stream!

Topics covered: tenlung, indie games, Twitch streaming, Risk of Rain 2, Slay the Spire 2, UFO 50, Ultra Kill, Hollow Knight, Adventure Time, Shed Song, I Follow Birds, emo scene podcast.

This episode of Rock For Initiative brings in Lucas from Carly Cosgrove for a deep, deep dive into the tabletop war game Warhammer 40,000.

We start with Lucas's history with the hobby, from painting miniatures as a kid to rediscovering his old models and getting into kit bashing, the art of combining and customizing model parts to make something wholly unique. We talk about the value of local game stores as modern-day third spaces, and then dive all the way into the lore: the Emperor of Mankind, the Primarchs, the Horus Heresy, the four Chaos Gods, and a dip into the game's factions, including Space Marines, Orks, Eldar, Necrons, and Tyranids. Along the way we cover space elves that ride dinosaurs, space elf clowns, nuns with guns, and Orks who use their own teeth as currency.

We also talk Eagles fandom, third spaces, and what it's like performing Carly Cosgrove plus the band's upcoming fall tour with Free Throw, Microwave, Flycatcher, Kerosene Heights, and Puddle Splasher.

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Rock For Initiative is a podcast where we get to listen to our favorite musicians talk about whatever nerdy thing they're passionate about and geek out for an hour. From Wrestling to D&D to Video Games to Magic The Gathering to Basketball to Internet Horror, there's something for everyone and always something new and entertaining to get into!

Follow us on other platforms:

TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rock4initiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out other episodes and links at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rockforinitiative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Rock For Initiative is part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Never A Phase Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out other podcasts, news, articles, reviews, and join is on our community on Discord!

Intro song is Once Upon a Time by Jamurai SackCheck them out on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠Tiktok ⁠⁠⁠and listen to their music anywhere you stream!

Topics covered: Carly Cosgrove, Warhammer 40,000, kit bashing, Space Marines, Orks, Eldar, Necrons, Tyranids, third spaces, Philadelphia Eagles, emo scene podcast.

This episode of Rock For Initiative features a completely unhinged interview with you have beautiful eyes, which turns into a wide-ranging nerd-out covering military history, anime, and tabletop gaming.

We start with the Russian Baltic Fleet's disastrous seven-month voyage to Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese War, one of the most chaotic true stories in naval history, complete with a commander who throws his binoculars overboard, a ship that sinks before it even leaves harbor, and a fleet that opens fire on fishing boats it mistakes for the enemy.

From there we get into anime, covering a marathon catch-up on One Piece, sub-vs-dub hot takes on Chainsaw Man and Sword Art Online, and a recommendation for Delicious in Dungeon. We talk D&D builds and character backstories, debate Ohio weather and geography, and close things out with the story of a 120-page Kingdom Hearts lore document.

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Rock For Initiative is a podcast where we get to listen to our favorite musicians talk about whatever nerdy thing they're passionate about and geek out for an hour. From Wrestling to D&D to Video Games to Magic The Gathering to Basketball to Internet Horror, there's something for everyone and always something new and entertaining to get into!

Follow us on other platforms:

• TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rock4initiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out other episodes and links at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rockforinitiative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rock For Initiative is part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Never A Phase Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out other podcasts, news, articles, reviews, and join us on our community on Discord!

Intro song is Once Upon a Time by Jamurai Sack.

Check them out on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Tiktok ⁠⁠⁠ and listen to their music anywhere you stream!

Topics covered: You Have Beautiful Eyes, Russian Baltic Fleet, Russo-Japanese War, Tsushima, One Piece, anime, Chainsaw Man, Sword Art Online, Delicious in Dungeon, D&D, Kingdom Hearts, emo scene podcast.

This episode of Rock For Initiative brings in Nish from tenmonthsummer for a wide-ranging nerd-out spanning generations of gaming and anime obsession.

As promised, here's Nish's YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thenishfishplays⁠⁠⁠⁠

We start with Pokemon, from Nish's Charizard-and-Gengar origin story to favorite generations, shiny hunting philosophy, Legends: Arceus and ZA, Palworld comparisons, and the upcoming Winds and Waves. From there we dive into Fire Emblem, covering the best entry points into the series, the GBA classics, and Three Houses before heading into Maple Story and what early online gaming taught Nish about friendship. We close out the video game talk with a thoughtful conversation on Fortnite, adversity, and what kids actually learn from competitive gaming, then shift into Naruto and how the show shaped Nish's worldview growing up. We wrap things up with a round of "what Pokemon best represents this emo band."

tenmonthsummer's acoustic EP Midwestern Haikus is out now!

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Rock For Initiative is a podcast where we get to listen to our favorite musicians talk about whatever nerdy thing they're passionate about and geek out for an hour. From Wrestling to D&D to Video Games to Magic The Gathering to Basketball to Internet Horror, there's something for everyone and always something new and entertaining to get into!

Follow us on other platforms:

TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rock4initiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out other episodes and links at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rockforinitiative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Rock For Initiative is part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Never A Phase Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out other podcasts, news, articles, reviews, and join is on our community on Discord!

Intro song is Once Upon a Time by Jamurai Sack
Check them out on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠Tiktok ⁠⁠⁠and listen to their music anywhere you stream!

Topics covered: tenmonthsummer, Pokemon, Fire Emblem, Maple Story, Palworld, Naruto, shiny hunting, emo scene podcast.

This episode of Rock For Initiative brings in Chris of Sweet Bike for one of the most delightfully all-over-the-place conversations yet, starting with a deep, unironic love for Puppy Monkey Baby and a debate over whether it could beat Seal on a seal's body in a fight.

From there we dig into Nirvana the Band the Show, the Toronto mockumentary about two best friends who don't know Nirvana is a real band, and it leads us into Matt Johnson's wider filmography, including the Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony and his upcoming Magic: The Gathering movie. We cover Chris's top three comfort movies (The Big Lebowski, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, and Kung Pao: Enter the Fist), and go deep on Magic: The Gathering, including a full round of "which emo band fits which Magic color."

Make sure to check out Sweet Bike, and listen to their latest album Get Off Your High Horses and Raise the Roof which is out 9/11/2026.

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Rock For Initiative is a podcast where we get to listen to our favorite musicians talk about whatever nerdy thing they're passionate about and geek out for an hour. From Wrestling to D&D to Video Games to Magic The Gathering to Basketball to Internet Horror, there's something for everyone and always something new and entertaining to get into!

Follow us on other platforms:

TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rockforinitiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rock4initiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out other episodes and links at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rockforinitiative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Rock For Initiative is part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Never A Phase Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out other podcasts, news, articles, reviews, and join is on our community on Discord!

Intro song is Once Upon a Time by Jamurai Sack
Check them out on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠Tiktok ⁠⁠⁠and listen to their music anywhere you stream!

Topics covered: Sweet Bike, Puppy Monkey Baby, Nirvana the Band the Show, Magic: The Gathering, Commander, comfort movies, The Big Lebowski, Walk Hard, Kung Pao Enter the Fist, Wes Anderson, emo scene podcast.