Crash Chords Podcast

Two-thirds of the Wall Street Playaz---the hottest "financial rap" trio you'll likely ever hear about (not to mention distinguished first-ever guests of the Crash Chords Podcast)---are back for their third appearance! Together with Future Money and the Profit Prophet, we hold an interview discussing the group's music & comic influences along with a detailed origin of their concept. (Also keep an ear open for some track previews/throwbacks.) Soak 'em up!… because at [00:41:51] we tackle the guests' pick of the week: Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels (a collaboration between rapper-producer El-P and Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike). Enjoy! Continue reading

The April 1st comeback of the 2007 supergroup The Last Shadow Puppets (formed by Alex Turner and Miles Kane) has unveiled Everything You've Come to Expect, an album brought to us courtesy of listener José (Nokjaw). Let's all dive into the album together before confronting our topic [at 1:41:15], which explores the physical limitations of musicians and how certain artists have managed to overcome them. Continue reading

Ever hear of BABYMETAL? Well, you have now. A Japanese "idol metal" band fronted by three pop singers -- and supported by a killer metal ensemble (Kami Band) -- BABYMETAL's unique blend of heavy metal and J-Pop continues to rock out their fans, and perhaps confuse others, in their latest album Metal Resistance. Let's meander through the album together, and then tackle our topic of the week: the function of the "death metal growl." The pinnacle of catharsis? A blight on your music? Let's bat around some thoughts. Continue reading

Let's see what Iggy Pop is up to! In his new album called Post Pop Depression, Iggy is joined by collaborators Joshua Homme and Dean Fertita (both of Queens of the Stone Age fame), as well as drummer Matt Helders of the Arctic Monkeys. Join us in a discussion of how the album fares and feel free to comment at leisure. And don't forget about our topic… Retirement: or When to Call it Quits & Why. Enjoy! Continue reading

Today, Crash Chords is pleased to welcome guest Kati Delaney (visual artist, voice-over artist, and former Way Station bartender extraordinaire)! She joins us to discuss her voice-over work, the development of her drawing style, and--segueing into the album of the week--her many MISadventures experiencing music as a bartender. Finally we come to her album of choice: the 2016 reissue of Everybody Wants by the glam rock insurgents from the U.K., The Struts. Help us break down the album, and let us know your thoughts below! Continue reading

Today we're exploring the latest release by indi/folk singer-songwriter Aoife O'Donovan called In the Magic Hour. Bear with us as we slowly peel back the onion that is In the Magic Hour and discover it for ourselves, right before your very ears. Contribute to the discussion in the comments below! What was your experience with the album? Plenty to mull over, indeed, especially in our topic, at [1:42:04], on the nature of obscurity in music. Is obscurity a true literary/musical device? Is it a fault? Or do we invent it when our comprehension fails us? Questions, theories, questions, theories... Hop in the circle! Continue reading

Come and join us on an excursion through the debut, self-titled release, Heron Oblivion by, you guessed it, Heron Oblivion. Composed of seasoned musicians Charlie Saufley, Meg Baird, and former Comets on Fire members Ethan Miller and Noel Von Harmonson, Heron Oblivion lies on the fringes of psychedelic rock… and we want to see what makes it tick! Bear with us for this full album analysis and let us know your feelings below. Also, stick around 'till [1:19:50] for an interesting conversation on the concept of mood music (sometimes derisively called "musak"). Is society guilty of isolating, partitioning, and oversimplifying moods in music, or rather of condemning the confidently one-dimensional? These questions -- and some scary predictions -- on this week's Crash Chords Podcast! Continue reading

This week we take on the latest release by pop rock mainstays Panic! at the Disco: their 2016 album Death of a Bachelor. We dissect the album top to bottom and, as always, invite some active contributions in the comment board. After that, you'll DEFINITELY want to tune in for our topic at 1:36:03 to hear us discuss the concept of "newness". That's right... new, novel, fresh, creative... whatever you call it, "newness" seems to be at the heart of what we're after when our "comfort art" is all but spent. But is this always the case? After all, what makes something NEW anyway? Can anything be truly new? Or, are all things new, and we're just scraping to recognize patterns? Come and join us in this timeless critics' crisis! We'd love to hear from you. Continue reading

At last we've snagged the veteran Burlesque artist, producer, and all-around conceptualizer, Nasty Canasta. To kick off the episode, we talk about all things Nasty; we hear about the esteemed performer's turbulent journey toward her chosen art form and how it coincides with her love of theater, script writing, and production work. Nasty also brings us our album of the week! Join us in a discussion of Donker Mag by Die Antwoord, a rap-rave duo out of South Africa... a "Nasty" analysis, indeed. And of course, don't forget to check out the curiously named 2 DESKS show at the Way Station, Thursday March 10th. Continue reading

This week we're diving deep into the world of Lord RAJA (the solo project of New York-based producer Chester Raj Anand) and his latest release, PARA. Join us as we dissect the trials and triumphs of this eclectic album and stick around for our topic (at 1:28:48): an honest discussion of the two-headed monster called "Feedback". What do we want out of it? Should we want anything? And can it can make the world a better place? Press play to find out! Continue reading

This week's album adventures are brought to you by listener Mark H. who has suggested we dive into the acronymic namesake of a curious collaboration: Glasgow-based Franz Ferdinand & Los Angeles-based Sparks. Together, they form the "supergroup" called FFS, sporting a sole self-titled debut (FFS). Join us in this intensive analysis and share your thoughts! (We even throw in the bonus tracks to honor the FFS deluxe version.) True to form, we also take a few moments at the end to expand on Ep. #179's "Bonus Tracks" discussion by adding some thoughts and theories on the thematic applications of bonus tracks. Continue reading

Today the Crash Chords Podcast welcomes the magician extraordinaire, sought-after special effects consultant, and delightfully entertaining Matt Holtzclaw! In an opening interview, Matt shares with us some tales from his long career, his stint on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and the essence of what magic means to him as an art form. But wait! For Matt's last trick, he conjures up an album for our weekly group analysis. That album---Paper Gods by the synth/pop darlings of the 1980s, Duran Duran. So go ahead and join us on this magical journey and don't forget to check out Matt's upcoming shows (posted on the magician's webpage). Continue reading

Remember our ancient Matchbox Twenty episode? Well, as you may or may not know, the band's frontman Rob Thomas has had a solo career for over a decade, and we just thought we'd check in to see what his latest solo excursion, The Great Unknown, is all about. Join us in today's unsparing analysis, listen to our afterthoughts, and then share yours below! Also, don't forget to check out our big discussion at 1:43:17 on the trials and tribulations of bonus tracks and exclusive media. Sick of it all yet? Can't get enough? We want to know! Continue reading

Yup... we're back to Steam Powered Giraffe. And it's a special double disc day! The Vice Quadrant, the fourth installment of the steampunk / "broadway"-esque act (chronicling the adventures of three antique malfunctioning musical robots) was released September 2015, and, as promised in their previous release MK III, they're in spaaaace! Although today marks a rare third visit to an artist for us (after episodes 39 & 72), the "space" sales pitch was simply too tempting to resist. We will, however, bite the hook on one count: being a double disc, an unstreamable album, and an extra long episode, this one's likely just for the SPG fans. If you count yourself in that crowd---but still have a critical ear---then join us in this hefty analysis and share your thoughts below! Hopefully our 'Disc Two' "bookmark" at 1:23:30 will help manage your time. Continue reading

Today we're taking on a long-awaited "listener pick" from Doug Ferguson of the Music A to Z Podcast (one of the subjects of our 150th Episode Special's "music podcast" overview). Thanks to Doug, we'll be diving into the album VEGA INTL. Night School by Neon Indian, a project of indie-electronic composer Alan Palomo. Neon Indian was also discussed in Music A to Z's episode, "N Is For Neon Indian", so give that a listen as well! Finally, we wrap up with a quick predictive experiment: The "thirty-year rule"... 2040s style! What elements of today's music could potentially make their way into cultural rotation for a thirty-year resurgence? Hopes? Fears? Let's hear 'em in the comments! And don't forget to give Music A to Z a follow! Continue reading

Welcome to the first episode of 2016! Join us as we kick off the new year with a new microphone and Björk's torrid divorce album, Vulnicura, released early last year. Afterwards, we dive into some more heavy material concerning music at large: how easy it is to grow "out of touch", internet marketing, and postcapitalism! Should be a fun year... Continue reading

At last, we've arrived at the 2015 Year in Review! Join us in our annual barrage of categories, prizes, and tears (of all varieties) as we "shock" each other with our personal picks from the year's analyses. If you're having trouble following along, try out the CCP Archive, starting with episode #126... or just wing it. There's always next year. In fact, hop on board with us next week (on our normal schedule) to be our 2016 companion! (Next year's "Year in Review" will make much more sense, we promise.) And as always, a Happy New Year from Crash Chords! Continue reading

What significance could number "174" possibly have in your life? Wait... don't answer that... There's no time! It's OUTTAKE TIME! Before the new year arrives -- or even our hefty "year in review" -- we ask that you imbibe our annual concoction of fumbles, foibles, follies, and foolishness. Abandon all hope, ye who download this podcast, for today we bestow unto you our refuse, our backwash, our inane impulses, and our ignominious blunders. (Sounds like a lark, right?) Happy Holidays! Continue reading

To close out this review season, we bring you the debut album by the most ambitious collaborators we've ever looked at... Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment. Although they began with a core of five members, the band's debut album Surf certainly lives up to their name, The Social Experiment, by introducing MANY more musical minds to the table. Offering the album up for free (exclusively on iTunes), the band appears to be as magnanimous as they are community-driven. Enjoy this thorough analysis along with, lastly, some quick thoughts on contemporary music trends -- verily on our minds as we fast approach the 2015 year in review. Continue reading

Need something to muse on? Muse on us! (...Musing on Muse.) That's right; since we're returning to a band we haven't touched since Ep. #16, we'll of course be counting on some growth from both fronts for our analysis of Muse's latest album, Drones. Finally, be sure to check out 1:27:48 for a special topic hosted by Jon & Steve---sans Matt due to travel plans---on the early stages of a Crash Chords "debate" series poised to begin in 2016. Suggestions? Reservations? Contentions? That's the idea! Let's hear 'em all in the comments section! Continue reading