Even the most obsessive music nerds have a few secrets they’re not eager to file under cool. In Guilty as Charged: Our Musical Guilty Pleasures, the four hosts of The Sonic Collective step into the confessional and own up to the songs and artists we love — even though critics, tastemakers, and sometimes our younger selves say we shouldn’t. From unexpected pop hits to unfashionable classics and deeply personal favorites, these are the tracks that refuse to leave our playlists, no matter how much side-eye they get. It’s a funny, honest, and surprisingly thoughtful conversation about taste, nostalgia, and why the music that moves us doesn’t always need critical approval. Listener discretion advised… your own guilty pleasures may not survive this episode unchallenged.

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After more than a decade of digging into the albums that shaped modern music, The Sonic Collective returns with a thrilling reassessment of a record that deserves far more love. For our December 2025 episode, podcast member Scott Gregory throws down a bold pick: the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ electrifying 2009 release It’s Blitz!—an album that pushed the band beyond garage-rock swagger into sleek, pulse-driven art-pop. Some of the panel came in as newcomers, unsure of what to expect, but the verdict was overwhelmingly enthusiastic as the record revealed itself to be daring, emotional, and remarkably ahead of its time. Along the way, we unpack fascinating stories behind the album, explore why the Yeah Yeah Yeahs never quite received the same cultural coronation as peers like The White Stripes, LCD Soundsystem, or The Strokes, and argue passionately for It’s Blitz! as a modern classic that still hits hard today. If you’ve overlooked this album—or haven’t revisited it in years—this episode makes a compelling case for turning it up loud and giving it the attention it’s always deserved.

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On this episode of The Sonic Collective, Alain brings us on a journey with Recoil's album, Liquid, released in 2000. Recoil is the passion project of former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder, and his album Liquid offers a unique glimpse into a dark side of his psyche, partially inspired by a near-death experience he had. Liquid is unconventional, well crafted, and had us questioning our own senses this month. A truly dark, hauntingly enigmatic and downright spooky soundtrack, fit for an October review.

As usual, we each explore the album from our own perspectives over the course of the month, and join up for a conversation about how we felt about it, concluding with our scores based on our overall enjoyment of the album, whether or not we'd recommend it, and whether or not it influenced our tastes. Don't miss this one!