🦷 Best Bands to Listen to in the Dentist’s Chair (Shoutout to Kristen @ Smile Source North 🤘)

by Ian Primmer — CommonX Podcast

Let’s be honest — most of us would rather be anywhere else than reclined under a bright light while someone scrapes away at our molars. But sometimes, the right music and the right person behind the mask can change everything.

This morning I found myself back in the dental chair, mouth numb, AirPods in, bracing for the worst. But my hygienist Kristen changed the game. She was calm, patient, and so gentle I barely realized the cleaning had started. For once, I wasn’t white-knuckling the armrests. I was vibing.

🎧 The CommonX Chair Playlist

If you’re lucky enough to have a hygienist who lets you plug in, here’s the ultimate Gen X-approved soundtrack for your next appointment — equal parts chill, nostalgic, and dentist-chair zen:

1. Nirvana – “All Apologies”
   A soft-grunge lullaby for your nerves. Kurt’s voice somehow makes even the sound of scraping feel poetic.

2. The Smashing Pumpkins – “1979”
   A hypnotic hum that turns the whir of the polisher into background ambience.

3. The Cranberries – “Dreams”
   The gentle rhythm and Dolores O’Riordan’s vocals make the chair feel like a daydream.

4. Foo Fighters – “Learn to Fly”
   Because even in a dentist’s chair, there’s a strange freedom in just letting go and floating through the moment.

5. Men Without Hats – “I Love the ’80s”
   The perfect closer — CommonX had the world debut of this track, and it’s impossible not to smile while it plays.

😁 Shout-Out

Huge thanks to Kristen and the crew at Smile Source North for restoring my faith in dentistry. I walked out feeling cleaner, lighter, and weirdly… happy? Never thought I’d say that. Additionally, April is also amazing she was just out today.. just sayin 😎🤘

Turns out, sometimes it’s not about avoiding the dentist — it’s about finding the right playlist and the right person behind the mask.

🎬 “KC from Kings of Tupelo: The Untold Story Behind the Documentary”

By CommonX Staff | The X-Files | CommonXPodcast.com

Every once in a while, an interview comes along that doesn’t just fill time — it stops time. That’s what happened when CommonX sat down with KC from Kings of Tupelo, the man behind one of the most talked-about underground documentaries in modern music storytelling.

Our conversation with KC lasted nearly four hours — and it became our most-watched CommonX episode to date. We went in expecting a glimpse behind the curtain of the Kings of Tupelo film, but what we found was something deeper: a man unafraid to tell the truth about what it costs to stay authentic in a world built on artifice.

KC spoke with the same conviction and raw tone that made his performance in the Kings of Tupelo documentary unforgettable. Every word felt like it was coming straight from the soul of someone who has lived it, lost it, and found a way to put it back into song.

What struck us most was how much of his story never made it to film — the behind-the-scenes grit, the quiet moments of reflection, and the human cost of chasing something pure in a world that too often rewards the opposite. Off camera, KC was everything you’d hope for in a real artist: honest, humble, and unfiltered.

Sitting with him wasn’t just another interview — it was a reminder of why we do what we do. CommonX was built for conversations like this — raw, reflective, and rooted in real experience. And for us, that four-hour marathon felt more like a privilege than a production.

🎥 KC — Kings of Tupelo | CommonX Podcast (Full Interview)

🎸 Spaceman and the Riffs That Never Fade

Remembering Ace Frehley (1951 – 2025)

There are guitarists who play notes, and then there are those who bend the universe. Ace Frehley was the latter — the interstellar architect of tone, swagger, and showmanship who helped build one of the loudest legacies in rock history.

As the original lead guitarist and co-founder of KISS, Frehley didn’t just shred — he launched. In full Spaceman regalia, silver makeup glinting under the stage lights, he turned every solo into liftoff. His riffs didn’t just ring through arenas; they became anthems of escape for every kid who ever felt like they didn’t belong on this planet.

When you strip away the pyrotechnics and the smoke, what remains is pure electricity — the sound of a man channeling energy through six strings and a Les Paul that glowed as bright as the stars he sang about. Ace wasn’t just a character; he was a cosmic outlaw with a grin and a tone that could melt steel.

The Man Behind the Mask

Beneath the paint, Ace was human — beautifully flawed, wildly creative, and unflinchingly real. His solo career proved that his identity was never limited to KISS. Songs like “New York Groove” still pulse with that city-street confidence — gritty, rhythmic, unpretentious. It’s a track that could only come from someone who’d lived every high and low of rock’s roller coaster and still found his groove on the other side.

In interviews, he was funny, raw, and occasionally unpredictable — a true reflection of the era he helped define. Ace was never afraid to say what he felt, even if it rattled the establishment. Maybe that’s why his fans loved him so fiercely. He was real, and in rock ’n’ roll, real is rare.

A Legacy Written in Light and Feedback

From his iconic smoking guitar solos to his unspoken influence on generations of rock and metal players, Ace Frehley’s DNA runs through modern music. You can hear it in the swagger of Slash, the tone of Joe Perry, the showmanship of countless arena bands that followed.

For Gen-Xers, Ace wasn’t just part of KISS — he was the reason kids picked up guitars in the first place. He represented possibility: that someone a little weird, a little wild, and completely themselves could take over the world armed with nothing more than a dream and a distortion pedal. And now, as the amps go quiet, the echo of that dream remains.

The Spaceman Lives On

It’s easy to say rock stars never die — but in Ace’s case, it feels true. His riffs are still orbiting. His laughter still hums in interviews and backstage stories. His fingerprints are on every pick-slide and power chord that ever made a crowd lose its mind.

He once said he wasn’t sure where the Spaceman came from — maybe outer space, maybe the Bronx, maybe a little of both. Wherever it was, the energy he brought to this world was bigger than any stage could hold.

Rest easy, Ace. You took us higher than we ever thought we could go.

The Spaceman has returned to the stars — but his riffs will never fade.