Redux: A Podcast About Music

On the fourth edition of Albums You Have to Hear, Vann talks about one of his all time favorite indie-rock/dream pop albums with Warpaint's self-titled sophomore album, Warpaint. A brooding journey through darkness with lyrics that convey quite the opposite, this album is immaculate from start to finish. Listen as Vann breaks it down song by song in this week's episode of Redux.

In a year that was far better musically than 2020, plenty of major artists released huge, long awaited album. But even beyond that, several lesser known artists released incredible albums that you may have missed. In this episode, Vann goes through and ranks all of the albums he listened to from worst to best. Which album did he hate? Where did Donda rank? And what's the deal with Hobo Johnson? Listen for answers to all of those questions and more on this week's episode of Redux.

I was asked a seemingly simple question: Is The Weeknd the Michael Jackson of this generation? There are many layers in that comparison. Listen along as Vann looks at the musical prowess, overarching legacy, behind the numbers, and other comparisons to truly answer the question on this week's episode of Redux.

Launching into the mainstream around the turn of the 2010s, former Degrassi star Aubrey Graham, better known as Drake, hit the ground running following the release of Thank Me Later. What followed was a decade of intrigue, beef, diss tracks, possibly illegitimate children, and incredible albums. Three years after his last major release and a few months after delaying due to an ACL tear, Drake released Certified Lover Boy on September 3rd, 2021. But how does the album speak about his son? What kind of disses are on the album? And what happened in the decade since his debut? Vann answers all those questions and more on this week's episode of Redux.

After working on it for three years and posting several ultimately incorrect release dates, the polarizing enigma that is Kanye West has finally released his tenth studio album, Donda. At nearly two hours and boasting 27 tracks, this beast of a project was previewed at three listening parties, and even had an altered tracklist just hours after release. But what controversy surrounded the album? Why is it so long? And who approved the release? Hear the answers to all those questions and more as Vann spends this week reviewing the powerhouse that is Donda.

In a guest spot, Alex from Excuse the Intermission submits his bid for the next edition of Albums You Must Hear. With an R&B backing, incredible production, and a sultry voice you would die to have, Majid Jordan deliver a compelling, telling, and resonating story. With songs about breakups via complacency, balling out as a recording-artist, and, well, the space between, this album tugs at your heartstrings while simultaneously getting you ready for your next SO. This is Majid Jordan's 2017 release, The Space Between.

With so much new music coming out in the last month and a half and still no Donda, Vann takes a look at some recent albums that he couldn't get around to doing full episodes for, including releases by Isaiah Rashad, Nas, Hobo Johnson, and more. Hear a review from some of the summer's biggest releases on this week's episode of Redux.

Shaking the music industry to its core with the release of When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Billie Eilish continued to move and remaster every industry standard. She rejected the notion of body image, kept being her weird self, and did whatever she wanted, including winning five Grammys. But what would become of her sophomore album? How did her tone and lyrics change? And what does she think of the music industry? Vann answers all those and more on this week's episode of Redux.

This week Vann navigates through a mountain of questions from you, the listener!

In the second edition of "Albums You Have to Hear", Vann looks at his all time favorite Modest Mouse album in The Moon & Antarctica. Discussing the melancholy lyrics, the uplifting music behind them, and how it all relates to existentialism, this extension of last week's episode dives deep into the most calm album that the band has released to date.

With a career spanning more than a quarter century, the discography of Modest Mouse has undergone a significant amount of change, shifts, and newness. Going from drug-fueled chaos on their early albums, to songs about growing up and getting out of town and family in their more recent albums, the band has matured quite a bit. But longtime fans are still holding on for that return to form we saw glimpses of on Strangers to Ourselves. Did we get that from the band's first release in six years with The Golden Casket? Find out as Vann dives into one of his all-time favorite bands on these week's episode of Redux.

If you thought the shift over eight years between Goblin and Igor was dramatic, wait until you hear the difference two years makes for Tyler, the Creator with his newest album, CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. Harkening back to the days of Tyler old, this new album flips our interpretations of Tyler on their heads. Hear what Vann has to say about this tonal shift in this week's episode of Redux.

Along with special guest host Alex Macaulay from Excuse the Intermission, Vann dives deep into what makes him tick in music. From specific artists, frustrating trends, and mentalities of producers, this episode runs the gamut of pet peeves.

Releasing Culture, Culture II, and Culture III over the course of five years, Migos has intentionally and progressively updated their sound from project to project. With the release of Culture III in June of 2021, it was time to go back and see where the boys from the north got their roots, and how it compares to their latest release. Find out what we think on this week's episode of Redux.

In a new segment of "Albums You Must Hear" Vann explores one of his longtime favorites in Sigur Ros' Takk..., a post-rock powerhouse album entirely in Icelandic. Hear me dive deep deep into the melodies, the tones, the emotional shifts, the crescendos, and everything in between on this passion project for this week's episode of Redux.

Gaining prominence as yet another Disney Channel star, Olivia Rodrigo made a seamless transition to the microphone releasing the smash hits “driver's license” and “deja vu” in the wake of dramatic heartbreak. But what was the background of that heartbreak? How involved was Joshua Bassett? And how does this compare to similar debuts? We'll tackle all of that and more on this weeks episode of Redux.

With five stellar albums already under his belt, J Cole took a creative sidestep with May's release of The Off-Season, his first album with features since 2013's Born Sinner. With mixed listener reviews but being mostly regarded as successful by critic's, listen in as Vann takes the album track by track and compares it to Cole's freshman album, Cole World, on this week's episode of Redux.

Vann takes a look at some artists that you should listen to that you probably aren't, and a few artists that you absolutely have to stop listening to right now. Come listen in as he explores how he came to these conclusions, whether you have these artists on your playlists, and take in a recommendation or two.

Taylor Swift has been embattled in a legal dispute over her own master recordings of her first six albums for the better part of three years. Locked into a contractual issue combined with her masters being owned by an equity group, TSwift took the issue into her own hands by re-recording the album that gained her critical and mainstream success. On today's episode of Redux, Vann looks at the original release of Fearless in 2008, Taylor's Version of Fearless from April of 2021, and how we got to where we are.

It's that time of year. Your windows are rolled down, the shades are going on, you remembered you have a sunroof, we're getting into the warmer months. Time for Alki Beach, biking the city park paths, and backing the experience with the perfect summer playlist. What's on my summer playlist? What did I have on my summer playlists in year's past? Listen along as Vann dives into his summer playlist this year as well as taking a look back on prior summer jamz. Let's take a Redux.

In 2020, Princess Nokia released two full studio albums on the same day: Everything Sucks and Everything is Beautiful. The dichotomy between the albums is clear, both visually and in tone. But in what ways were they really trying to achieve the same goal? Why are the outros so similar yet so different? And why is Vann so stoked on the outro of Everything is Beautiful? Find out on this deep dive into Princess Nokia's most ambitious release(s) to date, here on Redux.

On this special guest hosted episode of Redux. ETI's Alex MacAulay examines the incredible career of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross from Nine Inch Nails, to the Oscar winning score of The Social Network, to their most recent work on the films Mank and Soul. 

With 2021 already a quarter of the way complete, Vann takes a look back on his top five albums of the year so far with a review for each. In addition, he looks forward at the albums announced or teased for a 2021 release and which ones he's the most excited for. Quarter one is done, let's take a redux.

The career of Lana Del Rey spans nine years and countless reinventions while still maintaining her niche style of brooding Americana in a pop-centric world. With the release of the stripped down and raw Chemtrails over the Country Club, how does this new sound compare to her debut release of Born to Die? In this week's episode, Vann takes a deep dive into one of the most strangely universal female artists of our time.

Adult Swim bumps are a microgeneration of music, visuals, and feel. Launching the careers of the likes of Flying Lotus, Clams Casino, and gaining further popularity for the likes of MF Doom and Odd Future, the bumps were seemingly a small part of a greater whole. But what do I think of them and their role in our culture? Come listen as special guest Alex from Excuse the Intermission offers his perspective and we discuss nostalgia. Let's take a Redux,

Mental health and music go together like peanut butter and jelly, cookies and milk, Michael and Dwight. In a very special edition of Redux, Vann and a very special guest discuss how music is used in mental health occupations, with each naming their top four albums on their mental health journey, and how people explore and find music.

Daft Punk were one of the most talented, recognizable, and universally loved musical acts of all time. With countless international hits and enough Grammys and other awards to fill a room, their impact and legacy can't be overstated. With the recent announcement of their breaking up, it was high time that Vann did a deep dive into how their music has progressed over the last 20+ years. It's time for a Redux.

In a recent fit of nostalgia, Vann looked back on his old musical influences, and  how they shaped him today. From the hay-day of the boy bands of the 90s, to the hard rock influences of the 2000s, to the indie rock darlings of the 2010s, to the solidified and reformed musical loves of the current decade, go on a journey with Vann as he looks back at old loves, who shared their music with him and how it all comes full circle on this episode of Redux.

Going through one of the most transformative tonal shifts in recent memory, Tyler, the Creator went from raw horrorcore to love-infused neo-soul in the span of just eight years. Where Goblin rocked the internet and politicians alike in 2011, IGOR garnered critical accclaim including a Grammy award for Best Rap Album. But what happened in between? And where did this shift come from? Vann checks it out on this episode of Redux.

Between working at a radio station, pouring over Spotify for 6+ years and dealing with 14 year olds constantly recommending music, Vann has amassed a huge amount of music. Often asked what his top albums are, he finally put them into a list. Using the efforts of Topster, here is Vann's top 50 albums of all time, ranked all the way from 50 to 1, and reasons for each. Sit back, and enjoy.

Malcolm McCormick, better known as Mac Miller, wowed audiences for nearly 10 years with his ability to create hype songs, emotional songs, and relaxed songs, all under the hip-hop label. Unfortunately passing in 2018, he left a legacy of representing the underrepresented and being universally loved. In honor of what would have been his 29th birthday and a year after its release, Vann takes a look at Circles, his posthumous release in this episode of Redux.

Video games and music are a marriage that started when AAA studios decided to step their full-experience game up, and indie developers of the mid-2010s perfected it with some game soundtracks bringing the games from a 4 to 10 out of 10 on auditory experience alone. A soundtrack can make or break a game, but which ones are the best? Hear Vann give his insight into the top ten video game soundtracks of all time.

In September of 2020 the Fleet Foxes released Shore, their first album in four years and their fourth since releasing their self-titled album in 2008. But how can we compare these two albums, and what happened between their releases? Break-ups? Father John Misty? An undergrad degree? Oh my! Listen in as Vann takes a peek into the history of the band and what brought them to prominence and the present in episode three of Redux.

With a lot of albums coming out in 2020, how did Vann rank them? Hear him rank every one of them in this recap of 2020 in music. You're really going to be upset with 26.

A pop powerhouse of the 2010s, Lianne La Havas finally released her long awaited self-titled album to critical acclaim. With a new motivation and a new sound, Lianne absolutely kills it. But how does it compare to her first album? Listen to Vann break it down.

Redux: A Podcast about Music hosted by Vann Berryman