Movies That Matter / 07-31-26

(Movies That Matter Intro)

Welcome to Movies That Matter, where we look at three movies worth knowing about this weekend.

Spider-Man is swinging back into theaters, Christopher Nolan is still ruling the box office, and Woody and Buzz just joined the billion-dollar club.

(Countdown Video)

What’s new?

The first standalone Spider-Man movie since 2021’s No Way Home opens this weekend: Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

(Spider-Man clip)

Tom Holland returns as Spider-Man alongside Zendaya and a cast that includes Sadie Sink.

Holland might be wearing the suit again for the first time in nearly five years – but this weekend, he could also be competing… against himself.

(The Odyssey clip with Tom Holland – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox_O4QGQ82k)

That’s Tom Holland again. Hope you like him this weekend.

There’s also Matt Damon.

(The Odyssey clip with Matt Damon)

Let’s talk about director Christopher Nolan, because The Odyssey remained number one during its second weekend, earning approximately $87 million domestically.

So now, it has already earned nearly $290 million domestically and approximately $640 million worldwide.

That’s a lot of money – and speaking of which…

(Toy Story 5 clip)

Even after more than a month in theaters, Toy Story 5 remained third at the domestic box office last weekend.

It has now passed $1 billion worldwide.

Woody and Buzz have been around for more than 30 years – and their newest movie just became the biggest movie of 2026.

(Toy Story 5 clip)

That’s this weekend’s Movies That Matter – there should be something waiting for you at the movie theatresr. Now, let’s get the extra butter popcorn going.

(Movies That Matter Still)

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut #1 – song’s intro)

Back in 1990…
this song arrived in January…
but by July 30th, that summer, its power was everywhere.
Snap! with “The Power.”

(Music Cut #2 – “I’m the lyrical Jesse James”)

“The Power” is a dance-floor anthem

built around one of the most recognizable

vocal hooks of the early ’90s.

(Music Cut #3 – “I’ve got the power”)

That famous “I’ve got the power” vocal came from Jocelyn Brown.

The rap was from Chill Rob G.

The beat pulled from Mantronix.

behind the scenes though, it was basically a sample custody battle.

But somehow – Snap! turned all of that into one of the biggest dance songs of 1990.

(Music Cut #4)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Bang the bass, turn up the treble
Radical mind, day and night all the time.” – SNAP!

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut #1)

By July 29th of 1994…

the Beastie Boys gave us not just a song

but also music video that you couldn’t get away from that summer

“Sabotage.”

(Music Cut #2)

“Sabotage” sounds like pure betrayal.

Like someone is plotting

against the Beastie Boys

from some dark room with a red phone

and a bad mustache.

(Music Cut #3)

But the song was actually inspired

by their producer – Mario C,

who was pushing them to just finish the album.

So, one of the angriest songs of the ’90s was basically about

the Beastie Boys being told to finish their homework.

(Music Cut #4)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“‘Cause what you see, you might not get.” – Beastie Boys

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut #1)

By July 28th of 1997…

few people had heard of Sister Hazel.

Then this song came along –

“All for You.”

(Music Cut #2)

Ken Block wrote it before Sister Hazel even existed.

And then the band had already recorded an earlier version

before the hit version took off.

But after the success of “All for You,”

Sister Hazel didn’t just become a ’90s radio memory

(Music Cut #3)

Instead, they helped launch The Rock Boat —

a floating music festival that brought together bands

like Better Than Ezra, Tonic, Collective Soul, Vertical Horizon,

and Zac Brown Band.

And later, they even crossed into country –

with Hootie or I should say, Darius Rucker

on a song literally called “Karaoke Song.”

(Music Cut #4)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Rain comes pouring down, falling from blue skies
Words without a sound, coming from your eyes.” – Sister Hazel

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut #1)

By the summer of 1998…

Everclear turned a really painful memory

into one of the band’s biggest songs.

“Father of Mine.”

(Music Cut #2)

Lead singer Art Alexakis was writing from the real pain

of growing up after his father left.

And the kid carrying that story in the music video?

(Music Cut #3)

That was Steven Anthony Lawrence…

Years later would become Beans on Even Stevens.

(Quick slide of Beans)

Before the Disney Channel made him

that weird neighbor kid,

he was in one of the heaviest videos

of the late ’90s.

(Music Cut #4)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Tell me, what do you see
When you look back at your wasted life
And you don’t see me?” – Everclear

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3,2,1 – New Music Monday / 07-27-26

(3,2,1 New Music Monday Intro)

Welcome to Music That Matters with 3, 2, 1 New Music Monday.

This week, we’ve got Charli xcx turning the page on BRAT, The Strokes returning with their first album in six years, and Shania Twain bringing back country-pop royalty.

Plus, KATSEYE goes wild, Martin Garrix teams up with U2, and David Bowie’s Blackstar is back on vinyl.

(Countdown Video)

3 major album drops.

First up – After the lime-green world of BRAT, Charli xcx easily could have tried to do the same thing again, but in another color.

(“Rock Music” clip)

Instead, this album – Music, Fashion, Film – leans into something more rock-influenced.

It’s 11 songs in just over 30 minutes, and it very much sounds like Charli being very Charli

(“Wink Wink” clip)

Next, The Strokes are back with their 7th album, Reality Awaits.

Once again, they brought in Rick Rubin to produce.

(“Going Shopping” clip)

The Strokes are still sounding like they’re slightly annoyed you showed up.

And then we have Shania Twain with her new album: Little Miss Twain.

(“Little Miss Twain” clip)

The title track goes all the way back before she was Shania – back when she was young Eilleen Twain, singing in bars as a kid while her mother dreamed she might become the next Tanya Tucker.

And now, Tanya Tucker is actually on the song.

(more “Little Miss Twain” clip)

2 new singles.

Let’s go with KATSEYE and their song “Animal.”

(“Animal” clip)

The global girl group gets a little wild on this one, and the music video even brings in Demi Moore for some extra star power.

(More “Animal” clip)

Also new this week: Martin Garrix and U2 are together with “Fireflies.”

(“Fireflies” clip)

This is not their first connection – Martin Garrix previously worked with Bono and The Edge on “We Are the People” for Euro 2020.

(Record Scratch video)

And finally, 1 vinyl pick.

Released in 2016 on Bowie’s birthday, Blackstar became David Bowie’s final studio album just two days before his death.

So yes, this is more than just a reissue.

(“Blackstar” clip)

That’s your 3 albums, 2 singles, and 1 vinyl for the week.

This has been 3, 2, 1 New Music Monday

Until next time.

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut #1)

Released back in May of 1996, by July 26th,

this was one of the coolest –

and strangest – songs of the decade.

Space with “Female of the Species.”

(Music Cut #2)

This song did NOT sound like most late-’90s alternative rock.

While everyone else was wearing the flannel or trying to be Oasis,

Space sounds like a spy movie trying to flirt with you.

(Music Cut #3)

Which makes sense…

because this song eventually found its perfect home in the Austin Powers universe.

A special “Fembot Mix” played on the soundtrack for Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

(Music Cut #4)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“The female of the species is more deadly than the male
Oh, she wants to conquer the world completely.” – Space

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut #1 – “Promise”)

Released on this day but in 2000…

Eve 6 had already gotten
“Inside Out” stuck in everybody’s head.

Then came their next album: Horrorscope…

(Music Cut #2 – “Promise” Hook)

By 2000, Eve 6 were trying to prove they were more than the band with the heart in a blender.

And Horrorscope gave them a few different options:

“Promise,” “On the Roof Again,” and and one song

that would get tied to everybody’s memories.

(Music Cut #3)

That song was “Here’s to the Night.”

Somehow, Eve 6 went from sarcastic, wordy pop-rock…

to being the soundtrack for graduations, proms, and all those early-2000s end-of-the-night goodbyes.

(Music Cut #4)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“All my time is froze in motion
Can’t I stay an hour or two or more
Don’t let me let you go.” – Eve 6

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut #1)

Released earlier this month in 1996…

this song might have been called “Down”…

but the band was on its way up

311

(Music Cut #2)

“Down” sounds like it was created in a California

but these dudes were not born at the beach.

They came out of Omaha, Nebraska…

(Music Cut #3)

And the song was actually a thank-you

to the old-school fans who were there from the beginning.

Quick sidenote:

before it became a No. 1 hit…

the riff apparently got approved by their weed dealer.

So thank you…whoever you are.

(Music Cut #4)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Have you ever made out in dark hallways
Displayed a kiss that made your day or say
Play a track from your record collection
It’s your mix, congratulations.” – 311

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MUSIC THAT MATTERS – “Lyric of the Day”

(Music Cut #1)

Back on June 23rd of 1996…

this was one of those songs
you knew before you knew who sang it.

The Nixons with “Sister.”

(Music Cut #2)

With a name like The Nixons, you might assume there was some big statement.

Nope.

They just liked that the name had an X in it. — which looked cool on shirts and stickers.

(Music Cut #3)

But the song “Sister” – much more personal.

Lead singer – Zac Maloy said the song was inspired by his own sister moving to the West Coast…

then it became something he never expected:

a song that other people connected to their own siblings.

(Music Cut #4)

LYRIC OF THE DAY:
“Here we are again saying goodbye
Still we’ll fall asleep underneath the same sky
You’re all I see, you’re all I knew you’d become.” – The Nixons

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