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.
This week we take on the Industrial sounds of Nine Inch Nails (fronted by Trent Reznor) and review their recent post-hiatus release, Hesitation Marks. Then we move on to discuss the logistics of “one-man bands” — and we don’t mean the street performing kind. We’re pitting the solo-or-bust composer/performer/producers against the more collaboratively suited; i.e. the lone wolves vs. the team players. Any preference? Enjoy!
Those episode numbers just keep on climbin’, don’t they? Well, for our 60th, we thought we’d vacation to a quiet corner of the world, rife with geologic wonder, cool air, and the soothing textures of ambient Post-rock. The place is Iceland, and the band: Sigur Rós. How did our trip go? Find out in this week’s review of Kveikur, the band’s latest album. Then be sure to join us in an intense discussion on the public education system, the fostering of creativity, and where music stands in the midst of it all.
For this week’s review, we take on Blue October and their latest LP, Sway. Then, we try to leave all connotations at the doorstep for a serious discussion on sympathy vs. empathy, or how we relate to the artist.
We might announce, “All aboard the crazy train,” but that would be a misnomer; Ozzy’s back, true, but not alone! The original Black Sabbath lineup of Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Ozzy himself have released their first studio album since 1978. It’s called 13, and we’re ready to review it. But don’t go anywhere, because then we pursue last week’s introduction to “the roles we assign to musical instruments” by starting us off with some familiar favorites.
Get ready to whip out your jazz hands, because this week we’re making good on our foray into the world of Jazz by checking in on one of the masters of cool, Chick Corea, returning with a new supporting group: The Vigil. Join us in our review of their fresh collaborative release, duly titled, The Vigil. Also, be sure to stick around for our preface to an upcoming discussion on the roles we assign, or shouldn’t assign, to certain musical instruments.
This week we peek in on Jimmy Eat World to review their latest LP, Damage. Then we follow through with Episode #54‘s “Intro to Live Music” segment by immersing ourselves into the subject. We discuss the logistics of playing live, the perks, the pitfalls, types of venues, and our singular kinship with experiencing real-time music.
This week we’re diving back into movie soundtracks by reviewing the score to the latest summer blockbuster, Pacific Rim, composed by Ramin Djawadi. Then we go on to discuss the applications of soundtracks in certain films, especially those cases when music makes the difference between mediocrity and masterpiece.
Hope you have a chill pill on hand, because this week we’re diving deep into the droning depths of Ambient music (with a Techno twist) in our review of Tomorrow’s Harvest by the veteran Electronica duo, Boards of Canada. Then stick around for a quick listing of each of our best and worst concert experiences, as a brief precursor to an upcoming discussion on live music.
In this week’s episode, we tackle the latest Barenaked Ladies album, Grinning Streak, followed by a glance into society’s double standards when reacting to Pop music themes.
This week we explore the evolving sound of Queens of the Stone Age with their recent album, …Like Clockwork. Then we flip the coin to discuss the fine line of safety in music. Whether true to one’s own sound or to the sound of their peers, artists may encounter a capricious fanbase in the wake of their more comfortable releases. In this episode we address the implications of such choices on an artist’s popular reputation and critical standing.
