Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

Bioshock, along with The Darkness, is one of this generation's stand-out examples of first-person storytelling. Apart from it's meta-commentary on how games manipulate you into acting in a certain way, it examined paranoia, addiction, and unchecked genetic modification. All of which makes for a playlist of ska-punk, rhythm and blues, soul, and more.

Track list

(Hit the links to download from Amazon)

Bathysphere -- Cat Power

Under The Sea -- Suburban Legends

(Don't You Mess Around With) My Little Sister -- Michelle Shocked

Ghost Town -- Meic Stevens

The Needle And The Damage Done -- Neil Young

You Don't Own Me -- Dusty Springfield

She Sells Stem Cells -- Cripple Creek Fairies

Propaganda -- The Slackers

The New Year -- Death Cab For Cutie

A big thanks to Paul Dronet for suggesting You Don't Own Me.

Support the podcast by sharing these trailers.

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

Portal is an example of what a world-class development studio can do with one great idea, a solid game engine, and some clever writing. It ended on a memorable song by Jonathan Coulton, but left plenty of room for this playlist of soul, spoken word, and scientific comedy music.

Track list

(Hit the links to download from Amazon)

We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place -- The Animals

Lab Rat -- Finland Station

Speed And Velocity -- They Might Be Giants and Marty Beller

The Sounds of Science -- Beastie Boys

She Blinded Me With Science -- William Shatner, Patrick Moraz, and Bootsy Collins

Cake -- The B-52's

We've Been Through Too Much Together -- Eddie Floyd

Laboratory Christmas Party -- Helen Arney

Support the podcast by sharing these trailers.

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

Assassin's Creed 2 (including its own sequels, Brotherhood and Revelations) is the pinnacle of musician-harassment simulators. It started with the ability to throw minstrels at cathedrals or into canals, and ended with Ezio infiltrating their ranks to commit crimes against music. Let this playlist of geographical, historical, and religious music compensate for those crimes.

Track list

(Hit the links to download from Amazon)

Anti-Pope -- The Damned

Machiavelli Me -- No Empathy

Istanbul -- They Might Be Giants

Henry Ford Was A Fascist -- David Rovics

Family History -- Tim O'Brien

Brotherhood Of Death -- Apollo Sunshine

Ruins Of Rome -- The Sound Of Arrows

St. Peter's Cathedral -- Death Cab For Cutie

A big thanks to Matt Giguere for suggesting Brotherhood of Death.

Support the podcast by sharing these trailers.

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

Mass Effect 3 finally delivers its threatened galaxy-wide extinction of spacefaring life when the reapers start their slaughter in London. In desperate attempt to stop it, Shepard meets oppressed robots, homeless aliens, and space zombies. All of this makes for a spoiler-filled playlist of punk, ska, and jazz.

Track list

London Calling -- The Clash -- (Buy the MP3)

Unstoppable -- The Planet Smashers -- (Buy the MP3)

Let's Work Together -- Canned Heat -- (Buy the MP3)

Go Down Moses (Let My People Go) -- Louis Armstrong -- (Buy the MP3)

Astro Zombies -- The Misfits -- (Buy the MP3)

Home -- Iggy Pop -- (Buy the MP3)

We're Only Gonna Die -- Bad Religion -- (Buy the MP3)

A Real Hero -- College and Electric Youth -- (Buy the MP3)

A big thanks to Alex Cronk-Young and Chris Ross for their song suggestions.

Help support the podcast by sharing these trailers.

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

Catherine is drenched in adult themes and alcohol. That makes for a varied playlist of fun blues, rock and roll, and funk about drink; and introspective post-punk and folk-rock about love and marriage.

Track list

Back In Black -- AC/DC -- (Buy the CD)

Raised In Hell -- Zombina And The Skeletones -- (Buy the MP3)

Nightcall -- Kavinsky -- (Buy the MP3) -- (Suggested by Chris Ross)

I See A Darkness -- Bonnie "Prince" Billy -- (Buy the MP3)

Round And Round Hitler's Grave -- The Almanac Singers -- (Buy the MP3)

Lunatic Asylum [Live] -- Chas And Dave -- (Buy the CD)

Climbing Up The Walls -- Radiohead -- (Buy the MP3) -- Suggested by Matt Giguere

Blue Angel -- Roy Orbison -- (Buy the MP3)

A big thanks to Chris Ross, and Matt Giguere for their song suggestions.

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

Catherine is drenched in adult themes and alcohol. That makes for a varied playlist of fun blues, rock and roll, and funk about drink; and introspective post-punk and folk-rock about love and marriage.

Track list

Bombshell -- Operation Ivy -- (Buy the MP3) -- (Suggested by Alex Cronk-Young)

If You Don't Start Drinkin' (I'm Gonna Leave) -- George Thorogood And The Destroyers -- (Buy the MP3)

Love Will Tear Us Apart -- Joy Division -- (Buy the MP3) -- (Suggested by Tom Heistuman)

Saké -- Jupiter -- (Buy the MP3)

Rum and Coca Cola -- Wanda Jackson -- (Buy the MP3)

Hey Bartender -- Floyd Dixon -- (Buy the MP3)

Whiskey Ballad -- Seasick Steve -- (Buy the MP3)

The Marriage -- Billy Bragg -- (Buy the MP3)

Closing Time -- Semisonic -- (Buy the MP3) -- (Suggested by Paul Dronet)

A big thanks to Alex Cronk-Young, Chris Ross, Paul Dronet, Tom Heistuman, and Tyler Rodriguez for their song suggestions.

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

This punk-heavy playlist is completely period- and genre-inappropriate; not a smooth saxophone or smoky-voiced dame within earshot. But don't let that stop you enjoying a selection of great music that covers the same subject matter as Team Bondi's unique, studio-killing LA Noire.

Track list

Interrogation Room -- Cyanide Pills -- (Buy the MP3)

Vice And Virtues -- Dropkick Murphys -- (Buy the MP3)

Homicide [John Peel Session] -- 999 -- (Buy the MP3)

Hollywood Homicide -- The Frantic -- (Buy the MP3)

Los Angeles, I'm Yours -- The Decemberists -- (Buy the MP3)

The Ballad Of Ira Hayes -- Johnny Cash -- (Buy the MP3)

Arson -- The Audio -- (Buy the MP3)

Black Dahlia -- Satan's Cheerleaders -- (Buy the MP3)

Corruption -- Iggy Pop -- (Buy the MP3)

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

The first in the series of third-person neck-stabbing games, Assassin's Creed mixes paranoid conspiracy theories, pseudo-science, and history to make one of the most interesting worlds of recent blockbuster games. Musicians share a fascination with some of those themes, so enjoy a playlist of spoken word, folk, soul, and more all about Assassin's Creed.

Track list

The Old Man Of The Mountain -- Bill Laswell -- (Buy the MP3)

Stab Your Back -- The Damned -- (Buy the MP3)

Assassin -- Dan Bull -- (Buy the MP3)

Back To Eden -- Black Sabbath -- (Buy the CD)

The Templar Knight -- Maddy Prior -- (Buy the MP3)

3rd Crusade -- Cowboy Junkies -- (Buy the MP3)

Running Away -- Roy Ayers -- (Buy the MP3)

Leap Of Faith -- Etta James -- (Buy the MP3)

Assassin -- Asian Dub Foundation -- (Buy the MP3)