Gina Gershon Survives The San Fernando Valley

Gina Gershon Survives The San Fernando Valley

Author: Dave Sloan and Holly Cantos - 80s Music Podcast May 1, 2026 Duration: 38:33
Growing up in the San Fernando Valley meant something very different depending on who you ask. For Holly and Dave, it's a place of warm memories and deep roots. For Gina Gershon? It was somewhere she couldn't wait to leave, and leaving turned out to be the best thing she ever did.Gina joins us to talk about her memoir, AlphaPussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs, a candid and wildly entertaining look at coming of age in the '80s, finding her voice, and building a career on her own terms. We get into standing up for yourself, the art of the strategic fib when auditioning, and the moment her real story began; the moment she escaped.And yes, there are rock and roll stories. Bob Dylan. Lou Reed. Prince. You'll want to hear these.We sit down with Gina Gershon for a conversation that's equal parts nostalgia, survival story, and Hollywood memoir gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For anyone who lived through it, or for those who just love the sounds that defined it, the 1980s were a musical lightning strike. The (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make? is a deep, personal excavation of that era, hosted by Dave Sloan and Holly Cantos. This isn't a simple nostalgia trip or a countdown of chart-toppers. Instead, Dave and Holly use their genuine expertise and passion to guide conversations with the very people who created the decade's soundtrack. You'll hear directly from the artists, producers, engineers, and label insiders, getting the stories behind the songs that you won't find in a standard biography. Each episode feels like an intimate backstage pass, uncovering the creative decisions, the industry shifts, and the personal anecdotes that explain why this music still resonates so powerfully today. The podcast thrives on specificity-maybe one week features a synth-pop pioneer explaining the gear behind their iconic sound, while another sits down with a session musician who played on a dozen classic albums. It’s a celebration of craft and context, asking and answering the question embedded in its title: what difference did these people and their work truly make? Listening feels like joining a detailed, enthusiastic conversation between friends who just happen to have incredible guests. The result is a richly layered portrait of a decade, built one fascinating story at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

A (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make?
Podcast Episodes
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Andy Greene: Rolling Stone Magazine's Secret Weapon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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1989 KROQ Countdown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:53
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Pop Culture In 1989 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:29
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80s Rock Star Commercials [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:52
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Duration: 51:57
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New Year's 80s Music Favorites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:02
Another holiday classic filled with some great 80s music! We celebrate our new year's traditions, new year's resolutions, the history behind toasts and of course, all our favorite music we play to usher in the new year.…
Christmas Music Favorites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:56
What Difference Does It Make, the 80s music podcast, celebrates our favorite 80s Christmas songs. Holly tells us how she wooed her future husband with some skiing lessons and we also do a wrap on a couple old school hip-…
Happy Holidays 80s Music Favorites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:05
It's the holiday season once again so Holly and I present to you this timeless classic episode...now with actual music! Dave's favorite holiday song is "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues. Holly goes all in on Chanukah…
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Duration: 51:17
As we look back at our 34 new podcast episodes from 2025, we realize each one is uniquely special. We've talked with artists, music industry insiders, authors, filmmakers, and friends. Now, we present this best-of episod…