No Dogs in Space is back to feed your need for obsessive music history | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchLightSystemDarkTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.No Dogs in Space is back to feed your need for obsessive music historyNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...ReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentInterviewCloseInterviewPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All InterviewNo Dogs in Space is back to feed your need for obsessive music historyThe podcast is getting ‘back to basics’ with Punk 2.0by Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'BrienSep 20, 2026, 8:51 PM UTCLinkShareGift Image: No Dogs in SpaceReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentInterviewCloseInterviewPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All InterviewNo Dogs in Space is back to feed your need for obsessive music historyThe podcast is getting ‘back to basics’ with Punk 2.0by Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'BrienSep 20, 2026, 8:51 PM UTCLinkShareGiftPart OfWhat we’re listening to, watching, and reading right now.see all updates Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor. He’s covered the tech industry for over 18 years and knows a thing or two about synths.In August, I wrote about my love of the music history podcast No Dogs in Space, but mourned the fact that there hadn’t been a new episode in over two years. Little did I know that hosts Carolina Hidalgo and Marcus Parks were gearing up to announce the show’s return with season four, Punk 2.0. The first episode premiered this week, part one of a series on the New York Dolls, a band near and dear to my heart as a native Staten Islander, home of frontman David Johansen.For the new season, Hidalgo and Parks decided it was time to get back to basics. Part of that was that they felt punk rock was where their passion and expertise were strongest. Parks said that they “wanted to go all over. I wanted to do Beethoven at one point,” but that “we realize like what we do best is tell a punk story, right? Not the punk story, but a punk story.“ But also, they said, that’s just where the most interesting stories are. After spending enormous amounts of time translating German into English for their experimental rock series, they realized that, often, the story behind the bands boils down to ”art school kids fucking around.”There were a number of reasons why the new season took so long to come together. But one of the biggest is that the duo made a few false starts. Early on, the plan was to tackle the DC punk scene. Hidalgo told The Verge that “we worked on it for over six months” and that they planned to launch the series with Bad Brains. “And then we look into them,” Hidalgo said, “and they’re like, incredibly homophobic. Like, fire and brimstone … A lot of No Dogs bands like, they’re problematic, but that was like a really tough one to focus on.”The two then attempted to do a series that covered the DC as a whole — “never do that,” Hidalgo warned. Parks said that “it just kept swelling larger,” listing off a number of acts that may not have been part of the DC punk scene, but were important foundational elements, like Chuck Brown and go-go. The two even mused that Georgetown University’s WGTB radio might be worthy of a series all on its own. But ultimately, “when you try to put all of them together, you can’t. You just can’t put all of these stories together,” Parks said. “And after eight months of working on it … we eventually had to admit defeat.”The effort wasn’t a total waste, however. They did get a two-part series on Link Wray out of it that will premiere later this year.Obsession is their superpower. Image: Marcus Parks / Carolina HidalgoLike any season of No Dogs in Space, part of the fun is the weird sidequests and rabbit holes that Parks and Hidalgo go down. During the New York Dolls series, Hidalgo became obsessed with Mott the Hoople. The band is best known for their David Bowie-penned hit “All the Young Dudes,” but their story is a fascinating one. Hidalgo says lead singer Ian Hunter “was just a guy digging ditches. And then he got a call from a friend who said, ‘Hey, there’s a band, and like, they’re not very good, and they need a new lead singer,’ and so he just showed up.” Hunter also wrote “Cleveland Rocks,” which was covered by The Presidents of the United States of America and became the theme for The Drew Carey Show.Parks says he became obsessed with drag queen Jackie Curtis. “It could be argued that the punk style that is often credited to Richard Hell probably actually originated with Jackie Curtis,” he said. He also shared a story about how Curtis once “went out on to [their] windowsill… like Batman, inching like Batman” to get into the apartment of a recently deceased neighbor to steal her clothes before the coroner came.It’s these sorts of tangents that make No Dogs in Space so compelling. “We live our lives in like a state of obsession,” Parks said. “Obsession really is, it is kind of our superpower. And we were both recently diagnosed with autism and discovered that that’s just who we are. That’s the superpower that we get.“If you’re wondering where to start, the new series on the New York Dolls is as good as any. The Dolls were a protopunk and glam act that played an important role in building the NYC scene. But I also can’t recommend the series on the Replacements, Dead Kennedys, or Joy Division enough. You can listen to the new season of No Dogs in Space now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you find fine podcasts. Or, for the first time, the show will be posted on YouTube as full video episodes.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'BrienEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentInterviewCloseInterviewPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All InterviewMusicCloseMusicPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MusicReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportMore in: What we’re listening to, watching, and reading right now.The Units’ Digital Stimulation is synthpunk perfectionTerrence O'BrienSep 13Happy Bandcamp Friday.Terrence O'BrienSep 4Professor Murder Rides the Subway is a forgotten slice of dance punk perfectionTerrence O'BrienAug 30Most PopularMost PopularA24’s reputation is on the line with the SCP Foundation movieIt’s not just LG. Every TV company is spying on youGemini went rogue, hacked three companies, and Google hid itAll roads lead to cableOpenAI and Microsoft knew they were starting a ‘doom loop’ for the webThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adMore in ReportA24’s reputation is on the line with the SCP Foundation movieAnamanaguchi has ‘too goddamn many’ browser tabs open right nowThe AI regulation smackdown isn’t overFlash floods can strike without warning — this new technology could change thatYour robotaxi might be a narcThe streamers are fighting over HalloweenA24’s reputation is on the line with the SCP Foundation movieTerrence O'Brien12:45 PM UTCAnamanaguchi has ‘too goddamn many’ browser tabs open right nowAntonio G. Di BenedettoSep 19The AI regulation smackdown isn’t overHayden FieldSep 19Flash floods can strike without warning — this new technology could change thatMegan WollertonSep 18Your robotaxi might be a narcRani MollaSep 17The streamers are fighting over HalloweenAndrew WebsterSep 17Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adTop Stories12:00 PM UTCHumans, not rogue AI, are still the biggest cybersecurity risk to energy systems12:00 PM UTCAll roads lead to cable12:00 PM UTCThe hidden monopoly behind your TI graphing calculator12:45 PM UTCA24’s reputation is on the line with the SCP Foundation movieThe VergeThe Verge logo.FacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSContactTip UsCommunity GuidelinesArchivesAboutEthics StatementHow We Rate and Review ProductsCookie SettingsTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyYour California Privacy RightsYour Privacy ChoicesCookie NoticeAdChoicesLicensing FAQAccessibilityPlatform StatusPenske Media CorporationThe Verge is a part of PMX Global, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation.© 2026 VM Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.Our SitesThe American PavilionARTnewsArt in AmericaArtforumArt Week NYCBeauty IncBillboardDeadlineDick Clark ProductionsThe DodoEaterFlow SpaceFNGold DerbyGolden GlobesThe Hollywood ReporterIndieWireLife is BeautifulPopsugarPunchSJ DenimRobb ReportRolling StoneSB NationSHE MediaShe KnowsSourcing JournalSoapsSporticoStyleCasterSXSWThrillistVarietyThe VergeVibeWWDNotifications DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Sign in to see your notifications or create an account to join the conversation.Sign in

The podcast No Dogs in Space is returning with season four, Punk 2.0, which shifts focus toward the core of punk rock history, as discussed by hosts Carolina Hidalgo and Marcus Parks. This new iteration stems from the hosts' realization that punk rock represents the area where their expertise and passion are most concentrated. They detailed the challenging process behind the series development, noting that early attempts, such as focusing on the DC punk scene, involved extended planning and facing difficulties when attempting to encompass the entire spectrum of foundational acts, which ultimately led to a necessary acknowledgment of limits in managing such broad narratives. The process revealed that the stories behind musical movements often distill down to the experience of "art school kids fucking around," suggesting that the most compelling historical narratives reside in these less polished, often obsessive, tangents.

The podcast thrives on these tangential explorations, exemplified by their deep dives into specific bands. For instance, the series on the New York Dolls featured extensive obsessions, such as Hidalgo’s interest in Mott the Hoople and Parks’ fascination with drag queen Jackie Curtis, illustrating the compelling nature of associative thinking. The hosts frame this tendency toward obsessive exploration not as a hindrance but as a source of power, suggesting that obsession is a superpower that they and the other hosts have discovered, particularly in the context of their shared experience of autism. This thematic core emphasizes the importance of following deep, idiosyncratic connections rather than strictly linear historical accounts. Beyond the specific focus on punk progenitors, the hosts recommend other related content, underscoring the value of exploring interconnected musical histories, including the works of The Dolls, the Replacements, the Dead Kennedys, and Joy Division. Ultimately, the return of Punk 2.0 signals a renewed commitment to exploring the rich, often convoluted, and passionately held histories embedded within music.