CCP Ep. #80: The Wack Album by The Lonely Island

In the mood for some satirical gibberish? Who isn’t. That’s why we’re pushing forward with more reviews of comedy music albums. This week we chose The Wack Album by The Lonely Island (the comedy Hip-Hop troupe composed of former SNL staff & cast members, Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, and Jorma Taccone). Then stick around for a brief intro to the use of satire in art. Conversely, stay tuned for a future discussion on the use of music to a comedic end.

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CCP Ep. #79: Fool Metal Jack by Os Mutantes

This week we take a trip into… well, suffice it to say, we take a “trip”. After forty-eight years of burrowing down the rabbit hole, the Brazilian psychedelic rock band, Os Mutantes, has released their tenth studio album (their second since reuniting in 2006). The album is called Fool Metal Jack, and we’re putting it to the panel! Then, from artistry to controversy, we get into a broad discussion on the impacts of psychedelics and hallucinogens on music creation.

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CCP Ep. #78: Orca (Symphony No. 1) by Serj Tankian

You might know him from System of a Down. Or perhaps you know him from his solo work. Well now we’re all privileged to know him as… a classical composer? Yup. Serj Tankian wrote a symphony. It’s his first symphony, titled Orca, and you can bet we’re reviewing it! Then afterwards, be sure to catch our little discussion on the cross-pollination of various aesthetics. Can music directly influence our other tastes, like literature, art, décor, or even food?

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CCP Ep. #77: Vapor City by Machinedrum | Featuring Hops

Album art

Today we explore the layered worlds of Glitch-Hop and Chillwave with an album called Vapor City by Machinedrum. This album review is brought to us by today’s guest, the talented rapper, Hops. Afterwards, stick around for an interview and learn how Hops cultivated his knack for wordsmithing. In fact, stay a bit more and you may find a treat to close us out.

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CCP Ep. #76: New by Paul McCartney

We’re kicking off the year with a common thread by tackling the most influential Pop/Rock songwriter ever to bridge the Atlantic: Sir Paul McCartney. Join us in this review of his new album, New. And don’t go away! You’ve probably heard the phrase, “They don’t make ’em like that anymore!” We’ll be discussing just what fascinates people about music from bygone times. Is it just that pesky nostalgia at work, or something more fundamental? These and more unquenchable queries in a brand new year of Crash Chords!

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CCP Ep. #75: The 2013 Year in Review

Strap yourselves in! This episode is for all the completists out there. It’s our long-awaited 2013 Year in Review! We’ll be divvying up the year’s music into select categories, awarding trophies and booby prizes. It’s also our annual opportunity to express our outstanding hopes, surprises, corrections, and rationalizations. This is the final word, folks — for now.

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CCP Ep. #73: BEYONCÉ by Beyoncé

To close off the year, we thought we’d take a little stroll through the Billboard 200 and see what all the fuss is about. So when we heard that one of the world’s top-selling artists just released a “surprise” album slated to top the charts without any marketing or hype, our choice became apparent: Beyoncé’s self-titled, self-proclaimed “visual album”, BEYONCÉ. Then, in keeping with the artist’s decision to release a music video for each track on her album, we get into a little discussion on how other artists have applied the visual element in their work.

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CCP Ep. #72: MK III by Steam Powered Giraffe | Featuring Nelson Lugo

We’re returning to an old favorite this week with the cheerful theatrics of three musical robots: Steam Powered Giraffe. Incidentally, another old favorite (guest Nelson Lugo), is returning to us! For review, he delivers us Steam Powered Giraffe’s third studio release, MK III. (To hear our review of their second album, see Ep. #39!) And stick around, because after this fun-filled excursion through the band’s most daring product yet, we get to hear all about Nelson’s excursions through the world of magic and theater, namely his upcoming show, “Gathering the Magic.” Enjoy!

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