Crash Chords Podcast

To kick off "Season 4", we look at a fairly big name from across the pond: Florence + The Machine. Joining our recent lineup of dynamic female singer/songwriters, Florence Welch (with her expansive melodies and enchanting lyrics) appears to bring it home once more with the vastly-titled How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. (Just how big and how beautiful remains to be seen.) So go ahead, join in the analysis, and field your opinions in the comment board! Afterwards, stick around for a hefty discussion on the fairness of lyrical criticism. Have you ever seen a gem of a lyric fly under the radar? Or an overrated lyric reach Pulitzer acclaim? We'll be exploring the possibility of a double standard in the critical approaches to lyrical verse vs. standalone prose today on the Crash Chords Podcast! Continue reading

Welcome to our 150th Episode Special and THIRD-year anniversary! In the vein of our previous anniversaries, this themed episode takes a short leave from our album analyses to discuss something just as pertinent: the nature of our own medium---music podcasts. We take a careful look at a hand-picked group of music-focused podcast series, from the high-traffic behemoths to some ambitious go-getters. We describe their mission, praise their contributions, and address their challenges. The selections before the panel are: Song Exploder, TAP to Music, Music A to Z, Jonah Raydio, Classical Performance Podcast, Sound Opinions---and for kicks, Compleatly Beatles. [Cue Beatles debate.] In short, this unaffiliated crew of dedicated podcasters care deeply about music... much like yours' truly. And how could we care about our product if we didn't care about our peers? So check them out, check us out, and dole out your fanship; we certainly all value it. Continue reading

Nearing our 3-yr. anniversary, the inkwell is far from dry -- especially in the presence of cartoonists Ed Reynolds (of Fermented Zen) and Chuck Collins (of Bounce)! Shuffling up the format this week, we kick off the episode with an interview to explore the Zen/Bounce style and philosophy, and then (from 0:30:00 on) we dive straight into Ed & Chuck's album of choice. Director John Carpenter, known for scoring most of his early films, has never released a studio album... that is, not until Lost Themes! Steeped in hazy imagery, Lost Themes is a fanciful excursion through your mind's own creations. Join us for this in-depth analysis! Then, starting at 1:45:38, we begin a round table discussion on the use of music in cartoons. Ever since the golden age of American animation, have cartoons been less musical? Continue reading

Tackling the subjects of frayed connections, dysphoria, and do-overs, Jeff Rosenstock's second solo project We Cool? is a spirited look into a wild and sullied past. To what end, you'll have to listen in. (Thanks to Star F for this upbeat, if harrowing fan pick.) Also stick around for the discussion of the millenium! Seriously, what changed in 2000? Undeniably, all decades carry their own cultural identity—and so, finally with some distance between us and the 90s / 20-aughts, let's start objectively measuring those obvious and not-so-obvious developments. Continue reading

The electronic/abstract hip hop community must be delighted by the release of Scott Herren's latest album, Rivington Não Rio, released under his long-time alias, Prefuse 73. After several other projects, Herren's Prefuse 73 label once again incurs an eclectic array of collaborators and featured artists, while Rivington Não Rio also aims to take us down a much darker path. After we break the album down to its core, stick around for a followup discussion on 'music description' and the pallete of words we implement—or strain to implement—when summing up our favorite sections. Continue reading

The one and only proprietor of our affiliate bar & venue, The Way Station (haven for some Brooklyn musicians, launchpad for others), Andy Heidel is today's special guest and co-panelist! Also a published science fiction/fantasy writer, Andy's unique perspective as a successful artist–businessman could well inspire the likes of any myopic upstart who feels snared by the metaphysical and perturbed by entrepreneurship. Speaking of the metaphysical, his acclaimed story collection Desperate Moon is ripe to snare your curiosity (and your currency). For the full interview, skip to 1:40:58. For today's album, brave the innards! Andy brings us Belle and Sebastian's Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance. Well-experienced at mellowing out their fans, this time Belle & Sebastian take us dancing! Sort of... Listen to the album, listen to us, and listen to Andy Heidel to find out! Continue reading

Today's artist, the incomparable They Might Be Giants, represent a welcomed throwback in the course of this series. For those interested in our analysis of their 2013 album, Nanobots, be sure to check out CCP Ep. #38. For their latest project, Glean, you're just a play-button away! Their seventeenth studio release, They Might Be Giants seem to have no shortage of ideas as they use Glean to unload all of their rants, musings, wordplay, and involuntary spasms. As for our topic, stick around for a lighthearted chat on the un-'soundly' world of "music trash-talking". Continue reading

Blur's evolution as a brit-pop/alt-rock band from their formation in 1988 to their 2003 album Think Tank cannot be understated. But after a twelve-year hiatus, and the return of core member Damon Albarn (now of Gorillaz and solo fame), how will Blur's long-awaited LP, The Magic Whip, fare? After peering deep into the full album, we take some time to discuss the "many-hat musician"! What are the long-term effects of an artist who dabbles in multiple projects? Continue reading

In revisiting the pop community, much hype has been bestowed to a 16-year-old Canadian artist who broke the record for youngest artist to debut in the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100. Brought to the world's attention through his successful Vine covers, Shawn Mendes and his debut album Handwritten promises to bolster his 6.5-second skills with a full-length production. Let's hop in and see how those skills translate! Afterwards, some general thoughts on the impact of 'age' in music. From child prodigies to latent talents, can we quantify the effects that passing years have on artists' abilities? Continue reading

Owing its concept to the life and death of Joyce Carol Vincent, the fourth solo album by prog giant Steven Wilson, Hand. Cannot. Erase., is a poignant excursion through isolation's subtle yet crippling onset. Listen to the album yourself first, then—as always—let's explore and analyze its finer points in long-form discussion and weigh them against the whole. Also, be sure to stick around for a riveting followup discussion on the nature of genre fusion. We've got some theories; let's hear yours! Continue reading

Anxious Kids Make Good People (AKMGP): the acronym, the axiom, and the "-nym" are all coined by today's guest, Devin Jackson Mullen, who writes & performs under the namesake. Straight from his career in sound design and the release of his latest EP, Radio Fire Flies, Devin joins our team to unveil the 2012 album Nocturne by Wild Nothing (the brainchild of Virginia-based artist Jack Tatum.) After Devin helps us break apart the album, we go on to break apart Devin! Figuratively, that is. For those who can't wait, Devin's interview begins at 1:25:37. For his three groovy surprises however, you'll have to hunt. Continue reading

Prime your ears for the latest release by Death Cab for Cutie! A pop favorite for much of the millenium, Death Cab for Cutie has been known to their fans as the modern soul of Indi, and their frontman (singer/songwriter Ben Gibbard) as the purveyor of tear-jerkers. Let's walk through their most recent project, Kintsugi. Then stick around for a discussion on time, place, and acoustics. Where do you get your most comprehensive listening done? Continue reading

"April is the cruellest month," as T.S. Eliot put it. If rain and taxes weren't proof enough, let's tack on some death! Sufjan Stevens' latest release, Carrie & Lowell, is not so much an expansion on his existing work as it is a trip down the bleak rabbit hole of life's greatest mystery. With the untimely passing of his mother Carrie, Stevens drifts from the cutthroat realities of death's aftermath to despair and bittersweet nostalgia. Join us as we join him on this harrowing yet preparatory journey. Afterwards, we address other methods of dealing with death. Seriously, don't enjoy this episode too much! Continue reading

Courtesy of our fan, Kristin V., today we investigate American Beauty/American Psycho, the latest release by the reunited pop giants, Fall Out Boy. However we might have approached this band in the past, let's take our analysis one note at a time. Aftewards the review, stick around for... "The Great Cliché Debate"! Join us as we cite our darkest terrors in modern music and then duke it out! (Spoilers: we all lose.) Tell us about your most feared clichés! Continue reading

The year of hiatuses continues! If you remember Modest Mouse, then you might be wondering where they've been lately. Indeed, it's been eight years since their last release, but they have returned in a big way with their newest curiosity, Strangers to Ourselves. After we pick apart the album, stick around for a brief chat on the "anytime band." What elusive appeal keeps a band forever bumping around our comfort playlists? Continue reading

Today we welcome guitarist, clarinetist, and singer-songwriter Robare James Pruyn-Bush to the podcast as our guest panelist and dynamic performer. Kicking off the episode with a cover he performs with one of his many bands, The Waysties, we then lunge into our album analyis (courtesy of Robare himself). The former lead singer of My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way, is on a solo kick! But just how will his debut project, Hesitant Alien, fare in our roundtable discussion? Check out the album and find out for yourself! Also stick around for an exclusive interview with Robare and for some surprises from his other band, The Rose West. Continue reading

Once known as a controversial figure in music for his peculiar image, scathing lyrics, and perceived negative influence, Marilyn Manson's impact as a counter-culture figure in the 90s has undoubtedly bled into the present day. What's more, the band and their eponymous frontman are still at it! Let's dive into Manson's ninth studio album, The Pale Emperor, and see how it fares. Finally, join us for a brief chat on what it means to be a frontman or frontwoman in a brand-building enterprise. When is it more effective to market a single entity as opposed to a collective? Could this be considered an "afront" to its other members? What's your take? Continue reading

Described as indie folk, indie rock, and baroque pop, most genres fail to capture the plethora of avenues used by The Decemberists to spin fanciful yarns to their devoted fans. Often celebrating antediluvian themes with modern sensibilities, The Decemberists have become the paradigm for making the old-timey "à la mode". Let's take a trip through their latest work, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World for today's much-awaited analysis. Also stick around for a chat on what it means to employ research in the course of band-diving. Should the discography of a band be calling the shots? Continue reading

This week, our trip through "high" art involves clearing a high "arc". In Kangding Ray's ambitious electronica album Solens Arc, he aims to portray the simple physics of ballistics in musical arcs of three. But just how high can our arc's arc fly when our "arc" is hard to see? Challenge your ears with this inventive album and join us in a high-flying analysis. Also join us as we explore the line between music-infused visual art and visually-enhanced musical concepts. As our minds are constantly prone to superseding roles, when does the artist's goal become lost in translation? Continue reading

Well, it's happened. Crash Chords covers the topic of... DEPRESSION. But first, we look at the pain, the comedy, and the minor nuisances of the subject through the lens of today's album, Haven't Got the Blues (Yet) by stage veteran Loudon Wainwright III. This album is brought to you by our returning guest, Painless Parker. Practically a veteran in his own right, Painless helps us through the episode with some of his own aptly-focused tunes. So stick around for that and our post-album take on today's much-maligned, and oft-avoided subject. Continue reading