Crash Chords Podcast

Beck returns (or did he really ever leave) with his newest album Colors, although the guys had to stop themselves from putting a 'u' in there. Unlike previous releases, Beck goes for dance with new pop producer Greg Kurstin, which may have wound up being a strange tribute to the 80's. But Beck never really cares for labels, does he? ...Should he? Continue reading

A Critical Look at Criticism: It's our FIFTH anniversary! That's five seasons at fifty episodes a piece, covering nearly that many albums, topics, as well as debates over what many would consider a trifling corner of cultural discourse. Five years has taught us that music truly is a boundless medium. And so, in our album discussions---incorporating everything from literary analogies to politics, psychology, sociology, life, love, pain, sorrow, and ever more complex conditions---we strive to honor artists' hard labor by (at the very least) participating in combined acts of analysis, brainstorming, ruthless criticism, and garrulous adulation. It's a mixed bag, but we hope, a fruitful one. In this episode, we will be: • Reflecting on the project; • Discussing the barriers between criticism and analysis; • Championing the merits of fact-checking; • Discussing logical fallacies, laws, and rhetorical gibberish; • Citing examples of specific critics and critical works, from Glenn Gould, to Pitchfork, to Yahtzee, and RedLetterMedia, where language, rhetoric, and satire have all aided the work, for good and for ill; • Coming to terms with our own fallacies, clichés, and internet nonsense. Continue reading

Day 4! It's our last episode of the season, before our anniversary episode, and the project is Migration by Bonobo, the one-man project of British DJ Simon Green. Green describes Migration as "a study of people and spaces"; we'll briefly touch on that, but we're also interested in the artist's crafty use of texture and soundscapes. Let's have some analysis, some debate, and finally take a look at the idea of a cathartic experience vs. an antidotal experience. Continue reading

(More like summersault, am I right?) Known as Beach Fossils, the unassuming Brooklyn-based low-fi indie rock band's latest release is a head-scratcher alright --- enjoyable, catchy, yet difficult to explain apart from our, admittedly, singularly-minded compulsion to conform it to the summer season. Let's kick off the episode with a discussion on the ambiguous "summer album" before diving into Somersault itself by the Beach Fossils. Continue reading

Day 2! While it might seem that the word "folk" gets applied to just about everything these days, English songwriter Richard Dawson has the apparent distinction of existing both at the primeval and pioneering fronts of that genre. With his unusual cracked vocals crooning over a broken (yes, literally broken) guitar, Dawson gives us Peasant, transplanting us to a Britain of very long ago, where not everything is as it appears and where coarseness and beauty are one and the same. Let's unpack this project together and share its most attractive (and its most contentious) qualities. Also, what warped or broken instrument would you care to play? We've got ours, let's hear yours! Continue reading

And we're back! It's time to play catch-up as we post some episodes from lost weeks and proceed to count down to our 250th episode, our 5th anniversary spectacular! Expect an episode of the Crash Chords each day 'til Saturday 7/22 --- that's five episodes for five years. Today's episode gets a bit on the 'trippy' side as we explore All Them Witches' 2015 release, Dying Surfer Meets His Maker, a work of neo-psychedelic proportions with a blues heart. You know the drill: let's break it down, build it up, tear it down again, and have some fun. Continue reading

After a six-year hiatus, the Celtic Rock staple of many-a merry pub crawler, Flogging Molly, has returned with a new album called Life is Good. (Isn't it though?) Let's spend an inordinate amount of time answering that particular question without answering it at all. Also, let's talk about the music. Then, after all the 'weighing ins' and 'reflecting upons', let's ponder the question of musical self-honesty. Continue reading

Funneled through the gates of Footwork and IDM are the sounds of Black Origami, a confluence of rhythmic theses, footnotes, and diatribes produced by composer/DJ Jerrilynn Patton (Jlin). Though only her second album, Black Origami is born of a collaboration with Indian dance & movement artist Avril Stormy Unger, and of a kind of artistic freedom she has long been seeking. Let's explore the album together and then return to a fond old subject: objectifying the subjective---or vice-a-versa! Continue reading

Where were you in September 2012? We were fumbling through the Flobots' last album, The Circle in the Square. And now, after many moons, we're tackling them again, hopefully with steadier hands and heads. Jonny 5, Brer Rabbit, KennyO, and company are back at it, releasing their first album in that timespan, Noenemies. We'll discuss the current state of Flobots, the new album and its content, while touching briefly on "having your back against the wall" so to speak---confronting the 'thens' and 'nows' of critical consideration. Continue reading

Make way for K.Flay, the indie pop & rap artist whose introspective approach to songwriting and blend of singing styles warrant some proper dissection. Tackling her most recent LP, Every Where Is Some Where, we invite you to join us as we inspect the highlights and mull over a variety of details. With plenty of praise and plenty of debate, where do you stand in the track-by-track? Also stick around for a discussion on the fine line between comfort and propaganda. Continue reading

It's time for everyone's favorite (and perhaps only) virtual band! Although we've inspected the work of Damon Albarn before, this is our first chance to take on the Gorillaz, an unrelated ensemble of animated musicians --- 2-D, Mudoc, Noodle, and Russel --- who, as far as we're concerned, are behind the music we're hearing. On their latest album, Humanz, the Gorillaz introduce a bevy of artists, both old and new, to help with the project and take on its variety of subjects. Let's follow along! And save room for a brief discussion on the subjectivity and flexibility of rating criteria where art is concerned. Continue reading

Today we're surveying the front lines of musical sensibilities. Avant garde singer, pianist, composer, and painter Diamanda Galás isn't your everyday rom-com soprano. With a voice that's been known to induce fear in a single note, bolstered by a three-and-a-half octave range, Diamanda's followers range from fringe jazz cats to left field metalheads. Let's let the work speak for itself; in this case, the work consists of peculiar re-workings of traditional jazz tunes… with a couple of surprises as well. The album is called All the Way, borrowed from its titular track, a cover of the familiar Frank Sinatra tune. Follow the originals with the provided playlist! We'll explain them as we go. Also stick around for a discussion on the necessity of surveying all sides of the spectrum---good/bad, ugly/beautiful, moral/immoral---for only then do we have sufficient context for passing judgement. Continue reading

Let's traverse the cosmos to check in on our oft-mentioned composer of all things 'space', the one and only Vangelis. Although marrying electronic music to space-oriented themes is fairly intuitive, Vangelis, who cornered the market on it, also happens to have a penchant for paying homage to specific space missions. This time around, that homage is Rosetta, the musical play-by-play of the eponymous ESA probe's voyage to Churyumov–Gerasimenko [comet 67P]. From the origins of the comet to Rosetta's decade-long journey, to its dramatic end-of-mission impact---and let's not forget about our brave little lander Philae---Vangelis has more than enough fodder for some juicy composition, as do we for some juicy discussion! Oh and our topic, you ask? Totally unrelated… SPACE. Continue reading

At the behest of listener (and former guest Devin Jackson Mullen of Anxious Kids Make Good People), today we're taking on Drunk, the latest project by Thundercat, the stage name of grammy-award winning bassist Stephen Bruner. Composed by Bruner, but with the help of long-time collaborator Flying Lotus and a myriad of guest artists, Drunk is a 23-track wormhole that explores the inventive and demented mind of the talented bassist --- under any and all of life's circumstances. Let's explore the album together before broadcasting a monster monologue [@2:19:21 - @2:40:24] covering the ethics of criticism, a response to an artist, and some changes to the format of the series. Continue reading

Put on your speedos and roll, yes, roll down your windows. Today we're surfing through some retrowave, a genre that's all about those bygone times... but who's kidding who: those times are the 1980s. With a debut album called Atlas, FM-84 (the mostly one-man project of Col Bennett) introduces vocalists Josh Dally, Ollie Wride, and Clive Farrington to help him with his first LP. The idea certainly caught our attention, as did its striking album cover, but ultimately, does it pass the album test? We'll hash out a few discussions along those lines while for our topic we wrestle with the question of whether nostalgia is a prerequisite for just about everything we enjoy in some fashion. Continue reading

We are actually, extremely, keenly, and especially excited for today's album. (Really.) You'll want to stick it out to the end for this one as we've got a lot of material lined up for discussion courtesy of math rock band Snooze and their debut album Actually, Extremely. If you're unfamiliar with math rock, take a chance on the genre, take a chance on Snooze, and take a chance on us! Let's kick it off with some album art silliness and dive deep into some hardscrabble analysis. We also have out some pre-monologue monologues concerning---hoo boy---police brutality and how it is discussed. Continue reading

Another dip into the wide world of electronica, this week we're tackling an industrial techno album called Performance by Age Coin. Formerly of the band Lower, the duo behind Age Coin are Kristian Emdal and Simon Formann who, according to their label Posh Isolation, have (in Performance) divined "a cracked bump & flex from the condensation of a joyride." Well! Cryptic orders aside, we hope your ears are as prepped as ours for a full analysis of Performance as well as a discussion on the inevitability of comparison and the mono-directionality of taste. Feel differently? Comment! Continue reading

Once again, we're reaching deep into the grab bag... a mysterious album brought to us by a mysterious listener: The Mysterious Mark H. Past harbinger of Black Messiah and FFS, Mysterious's latest recommendation came with precious few clues, apart from it being dubbed "a curveball", thus distinguishing it from his previous picks. Without letting on too much, the album is called Headspace by the band Issues. (And do bear with us, as, in all great mysteries, the "big reveal" is nothing without its share of red herrings.) Also stick around for a light discussion on personal thresholds for musical components. Continue reading

You might know him from Something Corporate, or even from Jack's Mannequin; well now, know him from his official solo project, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. As the artist appears to have settled on the new stage name (for now), today we'll be looking at the second solo album released under that moniker, Zombies on Broadway. Afterwards, stick around for a discussion on how experiencing a live show or a studio album first can affect one another. Continue reading

Oczy Mlody? ...Otshee Mwodee? ...Oxycodone? ...Whatever it is, it's the latest creation by alt rock veterans, The Flaming Lips. Inspired by phrases from a Polish translation of Erkine Caldwell's novel 'Close to Home', Oczy Mlody is certainly a head scratcher, easing us into a dreamlike haze, surprising us in moments, and challenging our rating system like never before. Stick around after the analysis [@2:12:34] for a discussion on evolving perspectives, multiple mindsets, and the effort to avoid our own echo chambers. Continue reading

You may have some catching up to do (or some skipping to do) if the following doesn't tickle your fancy... Video game music! Today, we're looking at a smattering of the old and the new (mostly old). But no, this isn't a fit of nostalgia, nor a "best-of" playlist; it's a collection of remixes, specifically of select projects by the popular YouTuber Smooth McGroove whose multi-layered 'a cappella' game theme covers seemed all-too-ripe for the not-so-tender techno touch. Released through GameChops, the album Smooth McGroove Remixed features the work of ten different producers who've worked tirelessly to bring these themes from your childhood, and from YouTube fandom, to, of all places, the dance floor! In the course of our analysis, we'll be expressing our individual experiences with each iteration of the evolving theme-work before tackling a hefty post-album discussion on the mounting importance of Creative Commons. Continue reading

Today we're exploring the junction point of indi artistry, hip hop, comedy, and candidness... namely the self-described "Rhyme Minister" from Bromsgrove, Mr. Dan Bull. Having cultivated a devoted online following, in part owed to file sharing culture, Dan Bull is known for penning delightful odes to games and other media, for his comedic twists on familiar subjects, and for his intimate manner of encapsulating his own life experiences. On his latest album, Hip Hop Hooray, Dan Bull tackles subjects cheerful, silly, grim, and dire, offering fodder for celebration and analysis alike. Join us as we peer into the mouth of this "vicious beast", and as we briefly address the topics of file sharing and fan art at the top of the show. Continue reading

The groundhog has seen its shadow... and in that shadow... lurks CORIMA. If you've never heard of the 'Zeuhl' genre, then---just for the moment---spare yourself from culling through the 11-album discography of Magma (the genre's progenitor), and instead dive into Amaterasu, the third album by a vibrant and imaginative group based out of L.A. Taking after the jazz/prog leanings of its Zeuhl predecessors and the fully-enabled "anything goes" attitude of the RIO (Rock in Opposition) movement, Corima is all about fusion, yet also free of inhibition. The result: a two-piece, multi-movement concept work called Amaterasu. In this episode, we begin with an overview of Zeuhl before taking off on a roller coaster of an album analysis. Continue reading

Time to put on your computer & electronic music caps. Fusing the instincts of two overseas composers, Beatrice Dillon & Rupert Clervaux, Two Changes (an album released through Paralaxe Editions) is a two-track experience like no other. From techno, to ambient, to industrial, to the jazz noir finishings of pocket trumpetist Eben Bull, Two Changes offers a little bit of everything with no shortage of spectacle, and occasionally, stupefaction. And so, after another pre-album preamble, concerning electronica and track length, @0:18:42 we explore and assess the inner-workings of Two Changes' only pieces, "The Same River Twice" and "A Different River Once." Join along! Continue reading

Feeling classy? We've got quite the episode in store for you today. First, we're switching things up by placing our topic---a multi-pronged preamble for today's album---before the analysis instead of after. As a grand introduction to Chambers by Chilly Gonzales, we properly thank Doug Ferguson of the Music A to Z Podcast for recommending it, we talk a bit about their podcast, a bit about Chilly himself, and for our topic we address our own experiences with classical music over the years and reflect on the nasty habit of classical "avoidance". At last, once we're all warmed up, starting approx. 20 mins. in we begin to tackle Chambers, an album of twelve bite-sized neo-Romantic works featuring Chilly at the piano accompanied by Hamberg's Kaiser Quartett. So sit back, dive in, check out the Music A to Z Podcast (as well as Doug's last request), and indulge in the vast multiverse that is music and those who love discussing it. Continue reading

Welcome to our "official" inaugural episode of 2017! To kick off the year, we're looking at a well-known pillar of the music industry: Sting and his twelfth solo album since departing The Police (and first solo rock album in more than a decade), 57th & 9th. In an outward and inward-looking album where Sting takes a hard look backwards and a hard look at his surroundings at the same time, how does 57th & 9th fare as a work of art? Press play and contribute! Also, @1:57:35, we turn in our New Year's "homework", assigned to us back in ep. #222. In a frenzied search for weird and wild forms of art, we discuss six music genres that appeal to us---or repel us---in style or concept, all in an attempt to stump our colleagues. What niche genres do you find appealing? Continue reading

Well, it's been one hell of a year, and one hell of a week! Today we bring you the last episode of our 5-day series, our annual broad look at a year's worth of albums analyzed. These 'year in review' episodes represent our most cherished opportunity to shower additional praise, to re-analyze, to reiterate, and occasionally to rectify our past weekly instincts. Though we try our damnedest, it's impossible to fully digest albums on a week-to-week basis, so we're constantly re-examining. We'll start off with our rating changes, head over to our category prizes, take on the ever-so-maligned booby prizes, and then of course share with you our top picks. We have high hopes for 2017, high hopes for music, and high hopes for all of you! Thank you for another great year and we hope to see you next week. Continue reading

It's time for that silly annual tradition of ours. See, although we do our very best to publish the tightest episodes we can muster, make no mistake: the magic wand of editing has had a generous hand in that. That being the case, for just one episode a year, let's take a peek behind the curtain and gawk at the flubs, the blunders, the oversights, and the outright insanity. To thee we bare ourselves! Enjoy. Continue reading

It's day three of our five-day event series with today's episode marking the last entry in our 2016 review season. We thought we'd end the year nice and light, dabbling into some comedy, some satire, and of course, some obnoxious pop music. Join us as we follow the rise and fall---and rise again---of protagonist Conner4Real in the summer comedy flick, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. With the film and its original soundtrack both written by members of the The Lonely Island (who also star in the film), we're keeping to our goal of incorporating more cross-media material... and by gum it doesn't get more cross-media than that! Join us as we stroll through the film, wade through its myriad of cast members, and address the successes and pitfalls of both film & soundtrack as works of comedy. Enjoy! Continue reading

A "prog" band named Progger --- oy, now we've heard everything! Indeed, after hearing the Austin-based band's latest project Scattering (an album that sprung from a collaboration with the band's newest New York-based members) our horizons have been markedly broadened. Incorporating elements of jazz, prog, funk, and a hefty dose of name-your-poison, Scattering is no aperitif; it's the full meal. So join us for an in-depth analysis of this gripping work and also for a brief preview on some New Year's homework: the ultimate mystery genre game. Let's dig deep and ring in 2017 with shock & awe. Continue reading

Happy New Year from Crash Chords! Due in part to the holidays, but mostly to flu season, we took a short break and now it's time to play catch up! It's the race to Ep. #225 as we kick off the year with FIVE consecutive days of the Crash Chords Podcast. Today we commence with the first in the lineup by following through with our December guest's own listener pick. Many thanks to Mike Rugnetta for spurring us to tackle the third signed album by Childish Gambino---that is, the stage name and alias for actor and comedian Donald Glover---euphorically titled "Awaken, My Love!" Come join us for an analysis of the album and also for a discussion on music suggestions that always seem to come with warnings and caveats. Continue reading

Here's a proposition: a three-hour long Mike Rugnetta extravaganza! In the wake of his appearance on 'Crash Chords: Autographs', in CCA Ep. #43, we're pleased to re-introduce the one, the only, Mike Rugnetta for the full Crash Chords experience. Famed for hosting the PBS Idea Channel, a popular internet series that examines "the connections between pop culture, technology, and art", Mike sits in for a 30 min. follow-up interview, during which we prod into some new features on the Idea Channel, Mike's long-held interest in critical theory, the re-launch of his Reasonably Sound podcast, and fittingly, his own compositions. Finally, @ 0:29:20, we commence with the big tamale: quality time spent in a succulent critical analysis of Mike's album of choice, Without My Enemy What Would I Do by Made in Heights. With Mike fully in his element (and the rest of us seated & caffeinated), all that's missing is a dutiful audience! To join in, just chew on the album a bit, strap in, ponder, and play. Continue reading

Let's have a look at an album called Monument Builders by Loscil, a project by composer Scott Morgan. An ambient/electronica work at its core, Monument Builders was inspired by the Philip Glass score to the experimental film Koyaanisqatsi. The album spurs us to tackle a rare form of composition---the Vancouver native's unique brand of structured ambient minimalism---before entering our follow-up discussion on the importance of volume in music. (Hint: it's pretty important.) Continue reading

We just wanna tell you how we're feeling; gotta make you understand…. the power of analysis. As the title suggests, Rick Astley is 50! After taking an extended hiatus in order to raise a family, he's finally back to celebrate his age and other fortunes in his new album, aptly titled 50. Join us for a breakdown of 50, and also for a hefty discussion [@ 1:36:40] on the 'memification' of music, comedy, and social media art. So please, don't give us up, and don't let us down... because we know the game, and yes, we're gonna play it. Continue reading

We've got an exciting project lined up for you today: the Austrian rock band Second Relation and their third album Eno. Peppered with the perks of pop music and the soul-satisfying rewards of art rock, Eno is a must-experience for progressive rock fans and music lovers in general. You know the drill; listen to the album yourself first, then join us in a track-by-track analysis of Eno and Second Relation's fascinating attempt at musical portraiture. Afterwards, stick around for some brief theorizing on whether we, as people, have personal "themes"---simple narratives that the media we consume could easily, or not so easily, portray. Continue reading

Clear your day for Leonard Cohen. (Well, a least a portion of it.) With his soft vocals and poetic flair, Leonard Cohen has been speaking to a generation of poets as well as musicians ever since the 1960s. Today we'll be speaking to both camps as we take on Cohen's latest album You Want It Darker. Also, stick around for a brief compare & contrast discussion on universality and general appeal vs. the personal effect and specificity. *** [Edit: This episode was released three days before Leonard Cohen's unfortunate passing. We are deeply saddened by his loss and we hope this episode is taken as a celebration of his work, despite its ill-timed release. The following interpretations of his final album and life's work are opinion-based and, we hope, considerate of his legacy.] Continue reading

Batten down the hatches… Tidal Wave, the seventh studio album by 17-year rock veterans Taking Back Sunday, is our task for the week. Despite some occasional changes in the band lineup, the group has retained enough stability to turn out albums with consistency and class. We hope you'll honor that consistency and join us for an analysis of the group's latest creation, Tidal Wave. Afterwards, stick around to [2:02:20] for a preview on a little experiment of ours: Does music stack up to the 7 Basic Plots of plot-writing (as are often found in literature)? Are the journeys equatable, or does music simply go rogue? Continue reading

Grab your passport. Today we're taking a trip through the island of Ushant --- that is, Eusa (in Breton) --- the inspiration for EUSA, the latest album by Ushant resident and French composer Yann Tiersen. As Crash Chords has never before had the opportunity to sit with a pure piano work, EUSA keeps us on our toes as we discuss Yann Tiersen's trademark style and the album's mysterious sequence of introductory "paths". We chat about imagery, minimalism, what is and isn't certainty/reality, and then let our hair down with a topic on good ol' fashioned boredom in a media-rich culture. Continue reading

Brace yourself for Love Streams... the "streams" being the conjurings of one Tim Hecker, a Canadian electronic artist who, with the help of his Icelandic colleagues, has turned out a record that focuses more on the indistinct (and occasionally indistinguishable) textures/soundscapes than on more well-defined figures. Sporting a whirlwind of choir, woodwinds, static, and plenty of food for discourse, we'll be analyzing Love Streams from top to bottom before indulging ourselves in a topic on music listening habits. From time and place to ambiance and mood, how do we slice up our daily routine to accommodate the wide world of music? When a specific mood is on the docket, who should accommodate whom? Continue reading

Take a risk on FISK! Overdue for some band bonding, today's "evening with" presents the NYC-based punk garage band called FISK, consisting of guitarist/vocalist Freddie Heinemann, drummer Brandon Jacobs, and the latest addition, CiCi Young (a punk rock bassist from China who makes a late appearance in today's episode --- so stick around for her abridged, yet fascinating life story). On topics such as "making it" in the music business, the pitfalls of perfectionism, vexing venues, and the trials & rewards of playing in NYC, we're glad to feature FISK in the limelight of their new EP Stun to Kill, and, as always, to feature their music: two studio tracks and a live & local performance at the Crash Chords studio. Continue reading

Schmilco-time! Whether you know Wilco, or don't know Wilco, then try getting to know Schmilco, as we'll be doing in today's episode. Though a bit of a left turn for a band that has practically earned a council seat in the hearts of a generation, Schmilco is a dreamlike saunter that dazzles in moments and reflects in others. Speaking of reflection, our topic [@ 1:41:41] takes to heart your hosts' prior experience of today's band and reflects on the notion of "second-hand bands", i.e., you know 'em… you like 'em… but do you *know* them? It's a common experience, one that can twist our perceptions of an artist for better or worse. So let's separate the bull from the malarky and have a podcast about it, shall we? Continue reading

This week, Crash Chords takes a gander at Message to Bears, the one-man project of multi-instrumentalist Jerome Alexander, and his latest album Carved From Tides. Though replete with talented session musicians, this one-man show tugs at our heart-strings and challenges us with a few head-scratches before spurring a scintillating topic on lyrical expression at [1:28:50]. Continue reading

This week, Crash Chords undertook a slightly heavier project. We've rejoined the wondrous world of soundtracks---our first in over three years. This time, it's to discuss the sparse yet pointed soundtrack to the video game 'Life is Strange' by DONTNOD Entertainment. Chronicling the story of an 18 year-old girl named Max who discovers her ability to control time while attending the Blackwell Academy, 'Life is Strange' is a story about friendship, right & wrong, and most of all, about consequences. Today we'll be strolling through the game, dissecting its myriad of outcomes, and finally attempting to "get a feel for it" from the songs that were chosen to adorn some of the game's key scenes. So either pick up, rent, or watch the game (via this 5-episode no-commentary Let's Play of 'Life is Strange' by Xenonz Kenway), and help us wrestle with the implications of Max's time-shattering actions together. We highly suggest it, as, you see... THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS! Continue reading

Perhaps one of the funkiest bands in Britain, The Heavy is on the workbench today along with their album Hurt & the Merciless, brought to us courtesy of listener Jos‎é (Nokjaw). We'll be looking at the inns and the outs of this raucous release before taking on the subject of music comparison -- that is, the long-held practice of comparing one artist to another. Is this tactic of any meaningful use to the music community, or does it hinder one's ability to perceive ingenuity? All of this and other things too, here, in this episode… today. Continue reading

Some have called him the greatest American songwriter --- a merit worth examining as Paul Simon's music continues to retain its luster from generation to generation. But should the acclaimed discography of Paul Simon tint our analysis of the musician's latest album, Stranger to Stranger? …Hardly! Let's feign ignorance together and investigate Paul Simon's 13th studio album for all it has to offer. And don't forget to stick around to the end as we launch into a fun and surprisingly multi-faceted discussion on cell phone audio, retracing its evolution, and predicting its future. Continue reading

This week, our project is an album called Stranger Things Have Happened by English singer/songwriter Clare Maguire---on the face of it, an album that's split in tone, and potentially in theme. Can we wrestle our hearts with an album like this? We hope you will, because the gems are without a doubt, a reward in themselves. Partially influenced by jazz, lounge, soul, and dreampop, we encourage you to experience this album with us and join us in pondering its many distinctive flavors. Afterwards: film soundtracks and the power to save the film in question. A pipe dream? Are soundtracks tethered at the hip, or fiercely independent? Continue reading

As a band, Radiohead has been known for a great many things... Well, as of today, let them be known as a certified Crash Chords feature! So go forth, and spread the word! And if you, perchance, harbor some opinions on this band, then you might enjoy our objective take on the band's much-anticipated album, A Moon Shaped Pool. Join us for another roundtable "excavation" as we peel back the layers of this multi-faceted work. Afterwards, stick around for some thoughts on the role that imagery plays in music, i.e., pitting the "pure feelers" against the more optically sensitive listeners. Continue reading

Today's guest, Johnny Caligula, was "born in the back of a traveling show"... his "momma did dance for the money they'd throw." At the age of 30, he decided to follow her example and took up the ancient, sexual art of burlesque. Fortunate to receive guidance from the likes of Lefty Lucy, Mary Cyn, and Sarah Tops, Johnny regales us with tales of his latest exploits in burlesque (along with some insights into the business), before presenting us with this week's album pick: Coloring Book by the prominent collaborator of Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, Chance the Rapper. After a lengthy group analysis, be sure to stick around to the bitter end for some quick plugs on Johnny's upcoming shows! Continue reading

How long have you waited for this? Five years? On top of another eight? Sure, Blink-182 may not be known for their timeliness as of late, but luckily fans' memories run long (as their latest album California and its chart-topping status would suggest). Leaping at the chance to imbibe another record of mockery and melody, we're taking on California this week with open minds and open hearts. Join us, will you? Then, [at 1:39:23], a hypothesis: Is there such a thing as 'too many hooks'? Steeped in that magical crowd-pleasing nectar, are a series of good hooks worth celebrating or shunning? Are you a cautious fish... or would you take the bait? Continue reading

Get ready to melt at the sound of MAGMA, the latest release by the Queens-based [France-uprooted] metal band called Gojira. We've just got one question: Is Magma as hot as they say? Well, at great risk to our personal safety, today we're dipping our toes in for a full-fledged analysis to tackle that question. Join us, brave listeners, and don't fear the heat. Also, stick around [at 1:29:28] for a broad discussion on metal itself. Is metal truly a genre, or is it simply a tool? What can be made of the plethora of sub-genres under the metal banner, and do these labels help or hurt curious metal fans? Continue reading

…And into the "200s" we go! To inaugurate "Season 5" of the Crash Chords Podcast, we're sitting down with a group favorite: the music world's funk-tastic, alt-rock failsafe for over 30 years running, the Red Hot Chili Peppers! Specifically, we're looking at their brand new release The Getaway (their 11th studio album!) And then, being that we're taking on such consistently funky veterans, our topic briefly examines the rarity of finding bands that are joined at the hip, and who withstand the test of time. Continue reading