What happens when your favorite musician is... you?

This week on The New Dad Rock, Keith reveals a startling discovery: he's become the world's biggest fan of an artist who doesn't actually exist. Thanks to AI music generators, he's been creating songs tailored precisely to his own tastes—and then listening to them. A lot.

Steve, naturally, finds this deeply troubling.

The conversation begins with "The Ohio Afterglow Incident," where Steve's daughter mistakes one of Keith's AI-generated songs for Ed Sheeran, then mistakes a real artist for one of Keith's AI songs. Suddenly nobody knows which direction influence is flowing anymore.

From there, Steve and Keith wrestle with increasingly uncomfortable questions: If someone made the perfect song just for you, would you ever need another artist? If discovery disappears, does music become less meaningful? Is curation more valuable than creation? And at what point does Keith have to start paying himself royalties?

Along the way they explore the future of music, the Netflix-ification of culture, personalized nostalgia manufacturing, and whether infinite customization ultimately leaves us more isolated than connected. They also share the correct way to pronounce the band Hooveriii

For decades technology helped us find our tribe. AI might help us become a tribe of one.

Plus: CocoRosie, Ed Sheeran, monthly listener counts of exactly one, and the debut of a brand-new genre: Self-Rock.

Listen now before Keith releases another album and immediately becomes its biggest fan.

Let us know what’s up.

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On this episode of The New Dad Rock Podcast, we ask the question every aging music fan eventually faces: when is a band too old to keep going — and are we too old to care? Using the 2026 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a jumping-off point, we dig into the strange, emotional lifecycle of legacy artists, reunion tours, and rock immortality. From the long-overdue induction of Iron Maiden and New Order/Joy Division in the same Hall class, we unpack what “classic rock” even means anymore.

We also talk retirement — or the apparent impossibility of it — through the lens of Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue and Slayer, while checking in on enduring cult heroes like Mercury Rev, Afghan Whigs, led by the intrepid Greg Dulli. Along the way, we revisit unforgettable tours from Pavement, and Modest Mouse, say goodbye to late-night TV as we know (featuring Tom Waits and David Byrne), and ask whether bands like LCD Soundsystem and Hawkwind have discovered the secret to aging gracefully — or just loudly.

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Did you know that The New Dad Rock has swag? Coffee mugs, pillow and t-shirts in a multitude of colors and arm lengths.

Episode 111 finds Steve and Keith riding the chairlift straight into the soul of music discovery. Inspired by that eternal mountain question — what is the liftie listening to right now? — the dads talk skiing, snow culture, and the strange magic of hearing life-changing music while dangling above the trees.

Along the way, they dig into a mix of new discoveries and familiar names seen from a fresh altitude: The Grateful Dead, John Mayer, Wet Leg, Lily Allen, Amaarae, ROSALÍA (LUX), Fomies, and Hooveriii. Some of it’s warm, some of it’s icy, some of it hits like fresh powder, and some of it feels like the weird playlist blasting from a shack at the top of the mountain.

It’s a little less talk, a little more glide — music first, banter second — as The New Dad Rock continues its long, strange trip in episode 111. Strap in, lower the bar, and enjoy the ride. 🎿

Let us know what’s up.

Support the show

Did you know that The New Dad Rock has swag? Coffee mugs, pillow and t-shirts in a multitude of colors and arm lengths.