CCP Ep. #103: Ghost Stories by Coldplay

Checking in on one of the mellowest pop rock bands of the last decade, we simmer down to discuss Coldplay’s latest LP, Ghost Stories. Afterwards, join us in a discussion on unconventional vocalists! More often than not, inflection and artistic flare will win over classical training. But in the world of rock, where a singer’s humanity is paramount, how much can an artist get away with? When does novelty fail in the face of effort?

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CCP Ep. #101: Lazaretto by Jack White | An Interview with Mawk (Mark Young) of (hed) p.e.

Welcome to Crash Chords: Season 3! We have plenty else in store for you this year, but of course our album reviews continue to be the meat and potatoes. Today’s review looks at Jack White, formerly of The White Stripes, and his burgeoning solo work. His latest, Lazaretto, is a medley of ideas inspired by his own writings when he was 19 years old. Join in the analysis! Then, as a taste of what’s to come, we feature a special phone interview that Matt had the pleasure of arranging with Mawk (Mark Young) of (hed) p.e. Visit directly at 2:14:54.

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CCP Ep. #97: Shrink Dust by Chad VanGaalen

Welcome to our favorite Calgarian’s special day! That’s right, the renaissance man of the Indi-Folk world, Chad VanGaalen, has released a new album, Shrink Dust, the subject of today’s analysis. We also take some time to discuss fans’ expectations of a given artist’s work based on prior conditions. Artists may often govern our tastes, but our tastes certainly don’t govern them! Ergo, some personal tales. Enjoy!

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CCP Ep. #90: II by Unknown Mortal Orchestra | Featuring Louis Logic

Our 90th episode’s review is brought to you by the world-travelling, rhyme-spitting, ivory-tickling Louis Logic! Not so incidentally, he is also our guest. As for the album of study, we look at II, the self-implied second LP by the curiously eclectic Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Afterwards, Louis walks us through the trials and fortuities that have landed him his one-of-a-kind solo career as a rapper/keyboardist. He even touches upon his own eclectic range of influences, culminating in his recent release, Look on the Blight Side. Listen for yourself in the sample he supplies to sign us off.

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CCP Ep. #68: Everything Is Debatable by Hellogoodbye

Let’s gear up for another fun-filled podcast! This time we’re reviewing the fresh new album, Everything Is Debatable, by the Indie Pop band, Hellogoodbye. Then be sure to stick around for a very ‘sole’-ful and singular topic: Singles! We’ll discuss just how the release of singles has changed over the past few decades and whether the practice stands to gain momentum, or downright vanish, in the modern age.

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CCP Ep. #66: AM by Arctic Monkeys

I’m afraid we’re one “6” short of making this episode truly frightening, but nonetheless, a Happy Halloween from Crash Chords! At long last, we return to deliver our review of AM by Arctic Monkeys. Then comes the really scary part: a long-winded reflection on why we have to be so darn long-winded all the time. Should critical analysis be an exercise in brevity or longevity? We’ll do the spitballing; you decide!

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CCP Ep. #62: The Chronicles of Marnia by Marnie Stern

This week we’re delving into the calculative and communicative characteristics of Math Rock! Join us in our review of The Chronicles of Marnia by the ever-imaginative Marnie Stern. Then we revisit our old Song Scales discussions by taking stock of our rating systems as they stand today. First impressions notwithstanding, tastes are malleable and adaptive. A good rating system boils down to a careful balance of subjectivity and objectivity

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CCP Ep. #43: The Invisible Way by Low

This week we mellow out to the crooners of the Great Lakes, Low, and review their tenth studio album, The Invisible Way. Don’t have the album? We got you covered — follow along with our new Spotify widget! Then stick around for a whopper of a debate on the influential power of art, exploring music’s sociopolitical relationship with prejudice, conscience, and choice.

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CCP Ep. #36: R.E.V.O. [EP] by Walk Off The Earth | Featuring Joe ‘Rude’

It’s finally time to tackle our first EP, an original work by Walk off the Earth called R.E.V.O., which we discuss alongside a selection of self-released covers. This rare combo-review comes courtesy of our guest, the enterprising thespian known as “Joe Rude” of The Kings of Karaoke and of The Society of American Fight Directors.  He tells us a bit about Karaoke as a business, and also as a haven for quelling inhibitions, one show at a time. Stick around at the end for a treat performance!

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