This page includes all of the money and music content that’s been featured in my newsletter and Spotify playlist The Monthly Jam. The newsletter highlights my favorite financial resources and top songs, and it goes out on the last Wednesday of every month.

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You can also catch up on my commentary below in case you missed a month.

January 2022

Money Music Culture: I’m Recession Proof | Who is Brandon Copeland (45:27)

In their new podcast, Former NFL Linebacker and college professor Brandon Copeland and musician Ro$$ Mac team up to promote financial literacy and wealth building, particularly in the Black Community. I loved this first episode where they discuss how to make yourself “recession proof” by having an emergency fund, a budget, and multiple income streams. This episode also had a really cool “behind the scenes” vibe as the hosts incorporated their own stories from professional sports and the music industry.

The Doug Show: Retired at 27, Real Estate Empire & Online Courses (1:17:31)

Doug Cunnington interviews Money Honey Rachel who retired at age 27 and currently earns $15k a month through real estate, online courses, and book sales. Rachel’s story is super inspiring and a great reminder to just try things out and not hold yourself back. She also discusses fame and how Tim Ferris’s blog post 11 Reasons Not to Become Famous helped her deal with haters.

The College Investor: Standard Deduction or Itemizing Your Tax Return? (6:33)

I’m in the middle of doing my taxes right now, and this episode really helped me understand the difference between the Standard Tax Deduction and Itemizing. I learned about how major purchases factor into which option is better, and I’ve saved this episode because I know I’ll need it in the future!

My God Has A Telephone by Aaron Frazer

I heard this gem while listening to a Blues Kitchen Radio episode last week and it’s been in my head ever since. Aaron Frazer is the drummer of a band called Durand Jones & The Indications, but he also has an amazing falsetto voice that he features on his solo stuff.

Birds of a Feather (Live) by Vulfpeck, Antwaun Stanley

Listening to Aaron Frazer reminded me of another great soul/funk band called Vulfpeck. This live recording featuring Antwaun Stanley gives me chills every time, especially when the band kicks in around the 2 minute mark.

Cheap Queen by King Princess

I could listen to this song for an entire day on repeat and not get tired of it. King Princess plays multiple instruments including bass, drums, guitar, and piano, and they play all of the parts on all of their songs.

Merry Go ‘Round by Kacey Musgraves

Shout out to Kacey Musgraves who played in Cleveland this past Sunday! My girlfriend and I had tickets to the show, but we weren’t able to go due to bad weather. This is my favorite Kacey Musgraves song, and I just love how funny and relatable her lyrics are.

December 2021

Money, Explained (Netflix): Retirement

During my annual Netflix holiday binge I stumbled on this episode. Middle class Americans need to save at least 1 million dollars to retire comfortably, but one third of the workforce doesn’t have any retirement savings. Check this one out for an insider’s look at the American retirement system, the psychology of saving for our future selves, and what you can do to get ahead like Open a Roth IRA.

Planet Money: A locked door, a secret meeting, and the birth of the Fed

The Federal Reserve was created on December 23rd, 1913. In honor of the Fed’s birthday, the Planet Money team dives into the fascinating history of how the Federal Reserve came to be, including details about Nelson Aldrich’s secret meetings with bankers dressed as duck hunters.

How to Money: Putting Money in its Proper Place

This episode came at the perfect time for me because I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about my goals and priorities heading into the New Year. Joel and Matt remind everyone that getting your money in order is just one component of a happy life, and family, friends, and physical health actually rank higher than money on happiness indicator studies.

Stacking Benjamins: Your 2021 Year-End Tax Planning Guide (+Crypto talk)

The show kicks off discussing potential regulation of crypto and the debate about how to classify digital tokens. The team then discusses important year-end tax implications and Guest Ed Slott reminds everyone that a Traditional IRA is a joint account with the government. As taxes go up (like they will in 2025), your cut of your IRA money goes down. Ed encourages listeners to pay taxes up front with a Roth IRA or Roth conversion so that you always pay taxes at the lowest rates.

When I Come Around by Green Day

My girlfriend gave me the book Sellout by Dan Ozzi for Christmas (would recommend!), and the first chapter is dedicated to Green Day. I already loved their upbeat songs with whiny lyrics, but that Chapter gave me a new appreciation for their musical and business genius.

Turn Up Ye Merry Gentleman by Gent & Jawns

If you’re not familiar with Christmas Trap music yet, you’ve gotta check out this song. It’s impossible not to dance to (while laughing), and it now makes an appearance on all of my holiday playlists.

All Day Long by Chance the Rapper, John Legend

Chance the Rapper is one of my favorite artists. He’s a lyrical genius, and his songs have an uplifting, positive undercurrent that make them my go-to whenever I’m happy, or want to be happy. I love this one in particular because of it’s celebration of success and emphasis on gratitude.

Strangers by Mt. Joy

This is by far my favorite song on Mt. Joy’s 2020 Album Rearrange Us. I love the funky guitar riffs and piano melody that permeate the song and compliment the lyrics about being ok after a breakup.

November 2021

Vanessa Lowe: FIRE Movement Conference

Vanessa Lowe is an economic development advocate and financial consultant, and I am so grateful that she said “yes” when I asked if I could sit with her at lunch during the EconoMe conference last week. Every Thursday and Saturday at 1pm EST she hosts a radio show called Vanessa’s Money Hour on GTown Radio where you can tune in live, and she also posts some of her shows to her personal website, which is where you can find this episode. It’s a great listen for anyone interested in the FIRE movement and also the yearly EconoMe conference. In this episode, Vanessa interviews Diania Merriam who is the founder and Chief Economeist of EconoMe, as well as Naseema McElroy who runs the Financially Intentional personal finance platform. They discuss the diversity and inclusion aspect of FIRE and how important representation is in this movement, and they address some of the criticisms of FIRE head on. Vanessa isn’t on Spotify so check out this episode here.

Stacking Benjamins: What Life Lessons Would You Share With a Younger You?

This episode is a great reminder to focus on figuring out what sparks joy for you right now, and prioritize those things as you fine tune your money management strategy. Joe makes the point that “money is a fuel,” and roundtable guest Calleb Guilliam gives the advice to “spend money on the things that you value, and don’t judge yourself.” The roundtable discusses the importance of mini retirements, or as Paula says, “retire early and often.” I’m gearing up for my own mini-retirement next spring as I leave my job for 6 months to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. This has been a goal of mine for years and I’m super excited to embark on this hike with my girlfriend and two close friends. Listening to this discussion gave me even more confidence in my decision to quit my job and take off on this adventure because life is short and prioritizing your personal goals is just as important as achieving your money goals.

The Struggle is Real with Justin Peters: Why You Should Consider Having a Health Savings Account (HSA)

Justin’s podcast is a 20 something’s dream for advice that will set you up for success, and this episode is no different. He interviews Sean Mullaney from FITaxGuy.com about the ins and outs of HSA accounts. Prior to this episode I knew that having an HSA was a good idea, and I’d heard that it could be used as an investment account, but that was the extent of my knowledge. After listening to this episode, I not only understood HSA’s better, I also promptly maxed out my annual contribution for the year and reviewed my investments. If you have an HSA (or are eligible for one), but don’t know about the awesome investment potential and tax savings, definitely check this out.

How to Money: Think Twice Before Investing

If this title made you do a double take, don’t worry, I did the same thing. But I’m so glad I listened to it because Joel and Matt dive into some really important topics that you need to consider before you start investing and as you invest over your lifetime. Some great reminders include don’t invest in something you don’t understand, keep in mind how time factors into your investment strategy, and write things down so you actually remember them. They also discuss how you should tackle high-interest debt (like credit card debt) even before investing. I echo their sentiment and I’d add that you should at least start your Roth IRA account asap, even if you don’t put a lot of money in it while you’re paying off high-interest debt. The start year of your account matters in case you need to access your Roth IRA money early

What’s My Age Again? by blink-182

Blink 182 is already one of my favorite bands, and I was reminded about how much I love this song when my girlfriend and I discovered the podcast 60 songs that explain the 90s last week on our road trip. The podcast is great, and this particular episode dives into blink-182’s backstory, so I learned a lot about the band that I didn’t previously know. As soon as the guitar riff in this song starts I feel like sprinting around, randomly leaping into the air, and then cannonballing into a pool. I’m not actually a kid of the 90s, more so the 2000s, but just like any good younger sister, I was obsessed with everything my older brother liked, so I have him to thank for my formative music interests.

Lost It To Trying by Son Lux

One of my favorite driving activities is to play my “Liked Songs” from Spotify on shuffle. I have 901 liked songs, so the shuffle ensures I’m reminded of favorites that I’d forgotten about. This is exactly what I was doing on my drive to the EconoMe conference when “Lost It To Trying” came on. It’s a great driving song, but beware that the beat will make you want to immediately drive faster. I love the percussion sounds mixed with electronic melodies and bass, and Son Lux does a great job of still featuring the vocals despite how big and powerful this song is.

I Like Dat by T-Pain, Kehlani

This 2021 release is a remake of T-Pain’s famous song “Buy You A Drink” from 2007. I was in Seventh grade when the original came out, and I was a fan, but this version is even better. T-Pain and Kehlani remake the song from a female perspective, and some standout lines are “she don’t even need me to buy her nothin’” and “she don’t want the drink she want the rent paid.”

You’re the One by Greta Van Fleet

This one gives me Sweet Home Alabama vibes. This band is a modern take on 70s and 80s rock, and their ballads are awesome. The lead singer does a perfect 80s rock scream, and their stage outfits even match the 80s style. If you like classic rock but want to add a new name to your mix, I recommend checking out this band. Their song “Black Smoke Rising” is also worth a listen.

Summer Girl by HAIM

It’s cold and gloomy here in western PA so any song with summer in the title automatically gets bonus points when I listen. I love this track from HAIM’s 2021 album because of how relaxed and bouncy it is. There’s a saxophone in the background throughout the song, and every time I hear it I imagine a busker playing in a city park on a beautiful day, and I just can’t help but smile.

SUPERBLOOM by MisterWives

I went to visit a friend last week, and when I walked into his house this song was playing. As soon as I heard it, I knew I had to feature it. The upbeat and gospel-like melody just makes you want to sway while the main line “SUPERBLOOM” inspires you to keep moving forward and celebrating yourself no matter what you’re going through.

Miss Atomic Bomb by The Killers

This is another song that came on during my drive back from EconoMe. The Killers are great storytellers in their songs, and this song is no different. The chorus “Miss Atomic Bomb” is so catchy that you’ll be singing it for days, and the energetic, big band sound will definitely keep you awake on a long drive. If you’re traveling for the holidays, I recommend adding this one to your driving playlist (or any Killers song).

October 2021

Earn and Invest: How to Simulate Stock Market Success feat. Myles Gage

You’ve gotta check out this discussion between Doc G and Myles about the exciting new app, Rapunzl. Myles created this app to help teach young people in underserved communities about investing by giving them access to a real-time stock market simulator. Rapunzl gives users a $10,000 fantasy stock portfolio to learn and invest with, which allows people to learn about the stock market and investing in a risk free way and even enter competitions for scholarship funds and other incredible prizes. Myles is an inspirational guy doing great work in his Chicago community, and I’m excited to follow his journey. I downloaded the app and am already trading and learning in my simulator account!

Mile High FI: Your Network is an Asset feat. Amberly Grant

Carl and Doug interviewed Amberly Grant who runs an online meetup called FinTalks for financially curious people every Tuesday night. Amberly is really active in the FI/FIRE community, she’s an avid traveler (solo traveler mostly!), and she’s also a real estate investor who never wants to pay her own mortgage. This conversation highlights the great work Amberly is doing to educate and bring people together in the financial community as she provides tips, tricks, and inspiration from her personal adventures that you can use in your own path to financial freedom.

So Money: The Financial Mindset Fix feat. Joyce Marter

This discussion between Farnoosh and Joyce dives into Joyce’s work as a psychotherapist and what she’s observed about the correlation between mental health and financial wellbeing. In her practice, Joyce noticed that when people started to make progress in therapy, they started to earn more money. This conversation dives into the connection between mental health and personal finance, and Joyce gives practical tips about how to evaluate your relationship with money. It’s a great listen to get you thinking about your own belief systems and how they may be impacting your financial situation.

What If I by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

This new jam is a great mix of rock and soul that just makes you want to move. I love the combination of Ratefliff’s voice and the big band sound that this group captures in all of their songs.

Call My Name by Smile feat. Robyn

Robyn’s voice combined with the simple melody and catchy rhythms of Smile make this a great jam for just hanging out or playing in the background while you try to get some work done.

Heaven is a Place In My Head by Bad Suns

Shout out to Len Penzo from Len Penzo dot com for reminding me how great the Bad Suns are. This song is a new release from June 2021 and every time I listen to it I’m transported to the middle of an outdoor music festival where the sun is shining and I don’t have a care in the world.

Silk Chiffon by MUNA feat. Phoebe Bridgers

I can’t get this collaboration between MUNA and Phoebe Bridgers out of my head. I actually got to see this one live in Pittsburgh when MUNA opened for Phoebe Bridgers, and it was the best song from the entire show (including Phoebe’s own set).

The Unforgiven by Cage the Elephant

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of their Black Album, Metallica released an album called The Blacklist which includes covers by 53 different artists. Cage the Elephant’s take on “The Unforgiven” stays true to the original song while incorporating cool sounds like steel guitar, tubular bells, and different keyboards.

U&Me by alt-J

I love this new release from alt-J, which is just as weird as all of their other songs. The lyrics keep you guessing and the music maintains a driving, percussive sound while incorporating unique melodies and background vocals.