Podcasts Archive by category "Crash Chords Podcast" (Page 11)

Category: Crash Chords Podcast

The Crash Chords Podcast is an eternal war for artistic scrutiny. Follow along with our intensive album analyses by diving into the album yourself first — using our Spotify play buttons, when available — and then join us in asking the hard questions. Expect guest panelists, broader topics concerning music as an art form, episode specials, and surprise performances.

Sift through this archive more efficiently by checking out our “At-a-Glance” sub-menu, complete with episode hyperlinks, albums, topics, and our final rating chart.

CCP Ep. #151: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful by Florence + The Machine

To kick off “Season 4”, we look at a fairly big name from across the pond: Florence + The Machine. Joining our recent lineup of dynamic female singer/songwriters, Florence Welch (with her expansive melodies and enchanting lyrics) appears to bring it home once more with the vastly-titled How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. (Just how big and how beautiful remains to be seen.) So go ahead, join in the analysis, and field your opinions in the comment board! Afterwards, stick around for a hefty discussion on the fairness of lyrical criticism. Have you ever seen a gem of a lyric fly under the radar? Or an overrated lyric reach Pulitzer acclaim? We’ll be exploring the possibility of a double standard in the critical approaches to lyrical verse vs. standalone prose today on the Crash Chords Podcast!

CCP Ep. #150: Music Podcasts | Analyzing our Peers

Welcome to our 150th Episode Special and THIRD-year anniversary! In the vein of our previous anniversaries, this themed episode takes a short leave from our album analyses to discuss something just as pertinent: the nature of our own medium—music podcasts. We take a careful look at a hand-picked group of music-focused podcast series, from the high-traffic behemoths to some ambitious go-getters. We describe their mission, praise their contributions, and address their challenges. The selections before the panel are: Song Exploder, TAP to Music, Music A to Z, Jonah Raydio, Classical Performance Podcast, Sound Opinions—and for kicks, Compleatly Beatles. [Cue Beatles debate.] In short, this unaffiliated crew of dedicated podcasters care deeply about music… much like yours’ truly. And how could we care about our product if we didn’t care about our peers? So check them out, check us out, and dole out your fanship; we certainly all value it.

CCP Ep. #149: Lost Themes by John Carpenter | Featuring Ed Reynolds and Chuck Collins

Nearing our 3-yr. anniversary, the inkwell is far from dry — especially in the presence of cartoonists Ed Reynolds (of Fermented Zen) and Chuck Collins (of Bounce)! Shuffling up the format this week, we kick off the episode with an interview to explore the Zen/Bounce style and philosophy, and then (from 0:30:00 on) we dive straight into Ed & Chuck’s album of choice. Director John Carpenter, known for scoring most of his early films, has never released a studio album… that is, not until Lost Themes! Steeped in hazy imagery, Lost Themes is a fanciful excursion through your mind’s own creations. Join us for this in-depth analysis! Then, starting at 1:45:38, we begin a round table discussion on the use of music in cartoons. Ever since the golden age of American animation, have cartoons been less musical?

CCP Ep. #148: We Cool? by Jeff Rosenstock

Tackling the subjects of frayed connections, dysphoria, and do-overs, Jeff Rosenstock’s second solo project We Cool? is a spirited look into a wild and sullied past. To what end, you’ll have to listen in. (Thanks to Star F for this upbeat, if harrowing fan pick.) Also stick around for the discussion of the millenium! Seriously, what changed in 2000? Undeniably, all decades carry their own cultural identity—and so, finally with some distance between us and the 90s / 20-aughts, let’s start objectively measuring those obvious and not-so-obvious developments.

CCP Ep. #147: Rivington Não Rio by Prefuse 73

The electronic/abstract hip hop community must be delighted by the release of Scott Herren’s latest album, Rivington Não Rio, released under his long-time alias, Prefuse 73. After several other projects, Herren’s Prefuse 73 label once again incurs an eclectic array of collaborators and featured artists, while Rivington Não Rio also aims to take us down a much darker path. After we break the album down to its core, stick around for a followup discussion on ‘music description’ and the pallete of words we implement—or strain to implement—when summing up our favorite sections.

CCP Ep. #146: Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian | Featuring Andy Heidel

The one and only proprietor of our affiliate bar & venue, The Way Station (haven for some Brooklyn musicians, launchpad for others), Andy Heidel is today’s special guest and co-panelist! Also a published science fiction/fantasy writer, Andy’s unique perspective as a successful artist–businessman could well inspire the likes of any myopic upstart who feels snared by the metaphysical and perturbed by entrepreneurship. Speaking of the metaphysical, his acclaimed story collection Desperate Moon is ripe to snare your curiosity (and your currency). For the full interview, skip to 1:40:58. For today’s album, brave the innards! Andy brings us Belle and Sebastian’s Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance. Well-experienced at mellowing out their fans, this time Belle & Sebastian take us dancing! Sort of… Listen to the album, listen to us, and listen to Andy Heidel to find out!

CCP Ep. #145: Glean by They Might Be Giants

Today’s artist, the incomparable They Might Be Giants, represent a welcomed throwback in the course of this series. For those interested in our analysis of their 2013 album, Nanobots, be sure to check out CCP Ep. #38. For their latest project, Glean, you’re just a play-button away! Their seventeenth studio release, They Might Be Giants seem to have no shortage of ideas as they use Glean to unload all of their rants, musings, wordplay, and involuntary spasms. As for our topic, stick around for a lighthearted chat on the un-‘soundly’ world of “music trash-talking”.

CCP Ep. #144: The Magic Whip by Blur

Blur’s evolution as a brit-pop/alt-rock band from their formation in 1988 to their 2003 album Think Tank cannot be understated. But after a twelve-year hiatus, and the return of core member Damon Albarn (now of Gorillaz and solo fame), how will Blur’s long-awaited LP, The Magic Whip, fare? After peering deep into the full album, we take some time to discuss the “many-hat musician”! What are the long-term effects of an artist who dabbles in multiple projects?

CCP Ep. #143: Handwritten by Shawn Mendes

In revisiting the pop community, much hype has been bestowed to a 16-year-old Canadian artist who broke the record for youngest artist to debut in the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100. Brought to the world’s attention through his successful Vine covers, Shawn Mendes and his debut album Handwritten promises to bolster his 6.5-second skills with a full-length production. Let’s hop in and see how those skills translate! Afterwards, some general thoughts on the impact of ‘age’ in music. From child prodigies to latent talents, can we quantify the effects that passing years have on artists’ abilities?

CCP Ep. #142: Hand. Cannot. Erase. by Steven Wilson

Owing its concept to the life and death of Joyce Carol Vincent, the fourth solo album by prog giant Steven Wilson, Hand. Cannot. Erase., is a poignant excursion through isolation’s subtle yet crippling onset. Listen to the album yourself first, then—as always—let’s explore and analyze its finer points in long-form discussion and weigh them against the whole. Also, be sure to stick around for a riveting followup discussion on the nature of genre fusion. We’ve got some theories; let’s hear yours!

Music is Life… and Life is Good!