Crash Chords Podcast

Thanks to the suggestion of listener & "Scoop Cruise" traveler Jessica Votaw, this week we had a nice long sit with Static, the latest album by the metal band Huntress. A revealing work, skirting some personal challenges, Static certainly tests our "mettle" as we analyze it top to bottom (music, structure, lyrics, & all) and express our feelings along the way. Opinions of your own? Comment below! Finally, to close out the episode, at 1:31:56 we step over to our topic: HYPE. Can't get enough of that sweet marketing goodness? Or, are you feeling sorely overpumped -- just to be deflated in an instant? Let's cover the pros & cons together, all on the Crash Chords Podcast! Continue reading

Prepare yourself for the music & antics of special guest Killy Dwyer, comic musician and singer-songwriter of Kill the Band. (You'll be hearing some of their work throughout the episode, so ears open!) And after a hefty interview with Killy herself -- covering themes in her songwriting, her background, her studio work, her live act, and the state of the arts in NYC -- we finally "lighten" the load at 1:01:44 with a discussion on Killy's album choice, a short and cheery EP called Songs for Your Future by The Dreamstalks. (And of course, by "lighten" we mean "weigh it down" again with subjects of a fancifully child-scarring nature.) Enjoy! Continue reading

Today we're tackling No No No by Beirut. Negative much? With an album called No No No, that might be a required state of mind going in. Then again, the music seems to conflict with that idea. Confused yet? Don't be. I'm just the show notes, what do I know? Press play already! As for the topic, head to 1:15:11 for a discussion on the foreground/background nature of lyrics. Do they slap you in the face or fade into the instrumentation? Does the music steer the message or does the message steer the music? We even grapple with the nature of the subliminal, and much, much more in today's episode of the Crash Chords Podcast. Continue reading

Today's album, Blurryface by Twenty One Pilots, explores the many ugly heads of 'insecurity'. Fun times! But there's a catch... The artist (the author and musician) is very much a part of the tale, which leads to a rather -- wait for it -- "meta" plot-structure. Yes, that label, "meta" (as groan-worthy as it has become in pseudo-academic culture), adds a strong dimension to Blurryface. That being the case, starting at 1:34:55 we take some time to explore the use of "meta" elements in other pieces of music, as well as some common fallacies that have erupted from the word itself. Continue reading

This week we seek something HIGHER! Perhaps we'll find it in Chris Cornell's solo album, Higher Truth? Won't know until we dive in. Climb aboard won'tchya? Afterwards, stay on board for a giant discussion on the concept and usage of the 'Extended Play', i.e., the EP. Not too big and not too small... why is this thing still around?! How did it start? How was it used? How IS it used? How SHOULD it be used?! Enjoy! Continue reading

Remember Afterbirth Monkey's visit back in Episode #95? No? Well, luckily your memory only has to be half that good to welcome back our guest, Rachel Schenk: a.k.a. actress extraordinaire, burlesque artist, & 1/2 of Afterbirth Monkey. So, with all of THAT to deal with, we immediately launch into all the inns, the outs, and the split-ends of her exciting career(s), including her current role in The Restaurant, directed by Eric T. Ford. Finally, for the featured discussion, tune in at 21:10 as we dive straight into Rachel's album pick of the week: California Nights by Best Coast. Join us for the long haul! We won't bite. Continue reading

This week, we thank listener Jessica Ferraro for her submission: Nothing More... by the band, Nothing More! Released last year, the San Antonio / New Orleans-based band's self-titled "major label" debut, Nothing More (with Eleven Seven Music) builds upon their earlier albums and is an eclectic mix of surprises. Join us as we tackle this 17-track monster and see what it offers from start to finish. Finally, at 1:32:48, we hash out the subject of 'track count' and its impact on how we experience albums. Continue reading

Come witness what many would call the junction point of two repelling magnets (Hip-Hop and Classical) with the newest album by Black Violin, called Stereotypes. Its core members (violinist Kev Marcus and violist Wil B) might argue this point however, as they approach their unique brand of genre fusion as a marriage made in... Florida. Give the album a listen (the duo's first LP under the Universal Classics label) and then come give us a listen! Or, skip to 1:31:26 for a roundtable discussion on whether Hip-Hip can claim the title of "most versatile." We've got our opinions, let's hear yours! Continue reading

Try to keep pace as we have some fun with Run, the latest release by the electronic rock band Awolnation (fronted by Aaron Bruno). Poke around the album yourself first and then join us in the analysis! Or, go ahead and fast forward to 1:36:05 for a great conversation on the impact of 'vagueness' in music. (We'll try to keep this as specific as possible.) Enjoy! Continue reading

This week we wrestle with the latest project by Ben Folds, this time a solo work (as a follow-up to our much earlier review of the same artist, then with the re-formed Ben Folds Five). In his latest album, So There, the famed pianist is working in two new arenas: the chamber ensemble and the orchestra. Join us in an analysis of the first eight tracks, where he supplements his pop stylings with the incredible talents of yMusic---a New York-based ensemble known for their intensive composer collaborations---and then for the final three tracks, each one a movement from Ben Folds' much-awaited piano concerto (recorded with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra). Afterwards, stick around for a recap of the vinyl resurgence, as discussed in CC: Autographs Ep. #28.... but this time with Jon! Continue reading

Today we welcome special guest Anja Keister, a producer & performer at D20 Burlesque gifted with a rich musical background. More than prepared to discuss her album choice, Anja starts by sitting down for a warm-up interview. Join us as we discuss Anja's uniquely-conceived acts, her trials, and her inspirations. Then, join us once more as we dive into Anja's album pick of the week (20:37). Anja's choice: Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats. As The Mountain Goats' 15th studio release, Beat the Champ is actually a journey through songwriter John Darnielle's childhood love of dirt cheap, small circuit wrestling. For more details, you'll just have to experience it. Then visit us for the analysis, and thank Anja for the selection! Continue reading

The day has arrived! After 109 episodes, we are finally returning to the band that once delivered us the highest rated album of the podcast's history. Ever since Episode #51, when we saw Godsticks break the mold with The Envisage Conundrum, we've been waiting to put their third studio release, Emergence, to the test. Biases notwithstanding, today we're freezing the fanfare for an objective analysis of what this newly-released and highly acclaimed work has to offer. (Needless to say, if you haven't yet heard of Godsticks, we're determined to fix that.) And then, at last, for our topic, we address the elephant in the room: what's a critic to do when they're being watched? While many artists are resigned to the fact that all eyes are on their work, a critic's corner is more ancillary. Looking briefly at the publicist–critic relationship, how can critics keep their real opinions separate from the "business" of it all? More to the point, should they? Continue reading

This week, join us for an analysis of the latest work by an onomatopoeia Rocktronica favorite, the duo known as RATATAT (composed of Mike Stroud and Evan Mast). The album, Magnifique, is their fifth studio release. Also, stick around afterwards as we psycho-analyze the nightclub! Is there an impenetrable barrier or constant overlap between social mood-setters and works of substance? Is background music an art form of its own? Does a critic have any place in the debate?! These questions and not too many answers on today's episode of CCP! Continue reading

Many thanks to José (Nokjaw) for today's fan-pick, The Great Pretenders by Mini Mansions! The fans of two other bands will also be pleased as the Mini Mansions ensemble was forged out of the hiatus of Queens of the Stone Age (bringing over bassist Michael Shuman), while today's album, The Great Pretenders, has seen the addition of Alex Turner (from Arctic Monkeys). Influences aside, let's see how this latest project compares! Finally, stick around for a discussion on the importance of 'challenging music'---that is, music that confronts us head-on and forces us to do a little more work than we'd like to. What are the benefits of a challenging work, and how to quantify it? Continue reading

For the third and most ear-piercing occasion on the Crash Chords Podcast, it's NELSON LUGO! That's right, our resident magician and comrade-in-mic (from the EPIC PIEcast) joins us once again, this time with an album called Benjamin Booker, a debut LP by the artist of the same name. For the bulk of the show, we tear into the lauded work and see what makes it tick -- but not before discussing Nelson himself! Soak in the updates on his "Gathering the Magic" act (previewed in Ep. #72), and hear us commiserate with Nelson over his latest "YouTube blues" -- the artist's struggle with the deadening woes of the medium. Finally, we close out the episode with some thoughts on the application of music in performances and routines. Enjoy! Continue reading

This week we explore the latest work by the progressive rock & metal band, Between the Buried and Me. The album is called Coma Ecliptic. As the title might suggest, the album's central theme focuses on a man who is stuck in a coma, journeying throgh his past lives. With each song intended as its own Twilight Zone-esque "episode", Between the Buried and Me has certainly laid out a challenging structure for Coma Ecliptic. Question is, can it sustain itself? Let's begin the analysis and find out! Afterwards, listen on for a discussion that pits genre-rooted music against theme-rooted music---that is, types of songs that bind their genres together, while at the same time brazenly rising from their genre's Continue reading

Today we revisit a group that we skirted past (way back in CCP Ep. #36) called Walk Off The Earth. In that episode, we discussed a smattering of topics: the origins of the band, their history of covering pop hits, and their then-new EP, R.E.V.O. Well this time we're correcting the books by looking at their full album, Sing It All Away, to see what it has to say. Afterwards, stick around for a discussion on titles, names, designations -- literally, whatever you want to call it. How do song titles (or lack thereof) form preconceptions about the works they characterize? Continue reading

A special album and a special guest, today we welcome Joe Benjamin (from Joe Benjamin and a Mighty Handful). Steeped in the larger-than-life sounds of big band & swing, the 11-piece ensemble performs the work of the German-born singer, composer, and conductor Joe Benjamin. Listen for some samples of his work, an exclusive interview with the man himself, and finally for the album he brought to place under our microscope (starting at 37:22). That album is called Amour t'es là?, the 2013 release by another massive ensemble, Banda Magda (fronted by Greek native and French speaker Magda Giannikou). More samples from Joe and a Mighty Handful throughout, so listen through! Continue reading

Acid techno. Need clarification? Unfortunately, clarity is hardly the aim of today's artist: Squarepusher (the long-time alias of UK-based electronica artist, Tom Jenkinson). Although his music isn't always dowsed in acid, Squarepusher's penchant for spasmodic, lightning speed breakdowns has been a steady lure for the intellectually curious for up to 20 years. His work is hardly for everyone, but today we accept the challenge as we peer into his latest experiment, Damogen Furies. Then stick around for a discussion on how monetary transactions might actually impact our enjoyment of music. From concerts to streetside performances, do our endorphins jump ship the deeper we dig into our pockets? Continue reading

Feelin' jazzy? Today we look at the duo formed by Stuart Matthewman and Vanessa Bley, and their self-titled debut, Twin Danger. Also joined by an entourage of other prominant jazz figures, Twin Danger hearkens back to jazz's golden age, pursuing themes of desire, conflict, love... and, well, all that jazz! Afterwards, stick around for a discussion on aesthetic aversions and genre connotations, true or false. Continue reading