Playing By Ear

Moody, beautiful, deep, dark, all words that describe goth music. And yet, while The Mountain Goats' "Goths" explores all the themes of goth music, the bands that played it, and the subculture that embraced it in the 1980s, the album occupies a woodwind-heavy guitarless soundscape wholly unlike its black-draped synth-heavy subject matter. We're joined by guest Rick Firestone of the Pixel Project R...

By 1990 hair metal was on the precipice of irrelevance, soon to be swept aside by grunge. Nevertheless, the genre's last big year was filled with big riffs, big beats, and big hair as Poison ripped some incredible bops (unskinny or otherwise) that we had a blast reviewing. Please listen along with us. Your homework for next time is "Goths" by The Mountain Goats. Be sure to check out out our other...

Bic Runga's debut album features beautiful, haunting vocals and equal parts soft singer/songwriter, and late 90s female-powered grunge. Does "Drive" drive, or does it just drive us crazy? We delve into this layered and complex work to peel back what makes it worth paying attention to. Please listen along with us. Your homework for next time is "Flesh & Blood" by Poison. Be sure to check out ou...

By the time of 1987's "Bad" Michael Jackson was an unstoppable cultural phenomenon, perhaps the most singularly famous person in the entire world, and all off of the strength of its predecessor, "Thriller" which remains the best-selling album of all time. Could the King of Pop continue his reign, or would this album live up to its title? Nearly 40 years on, "Bad" remains an incredible collection o...

This is the end of the beginning... How do you break down one of the best albums by one of the best (if not perhaps THE best) band of all time? Kyle presents The Beatles' masterpiece, "Revolver", to Ami, Doug, and returning guest musician Sophie Gonzalez ( www.themoonunits.com ) for a music review that's here, there, and everywhere. Please listen along with us. Your homework for next time is "Bad"...

Wistul, emotional, cheeky, and melodic, Mike Viola's "An American Egypt" uses inventive stream-of-consciousness lyrics to paint a dreamy picture of life as a middle-aged parent in Los Angeles. Sometimes silly, sometimes sad, and often both, Doug, Ami, and Kyle had a blast unpacking this album along with guest musician Sophie Gonzalez ( www.themoonunits.com ) to discuss an album she loves so much s...

Soulful, heartfelt, and powered by James Morrison's unique raspy vocals, "Songs For You, Truths For Me" strings together one spectacular song after another, but is it too much of a good thing? Ami, Kyle, and Doug talk about which songs light our fire and break on through, and which ones feel like they could be the end. Be sure to check out out our other podcast, Nostalgium Arcanum ( https://nostal...

It's been a long time since we rocked and rolled. Epic, thundering, mythic, Led Zeppelin's fourth untitled album achieved legendary status, buying the band a stairway to metal heaven. Between the crushing guitar licks, Tolkein references, and delicate mandolin, IV remains an influential classic that has not dulled since it first conquered the airwaves in 1971. This podcast is part of "Frodovember"...

After 13 albums and a massive hit with "Get A Grip" venerable rockers Aerosmith released their follow-up "Nine Lives". Though not as successful as its predecessor, 9 Lives still stands on the solid foundation of Steven Tyler's inimitable vocals and Joe Perry's face-melting guitaring. If this one passed you by in the 1990s, now's as good a time as any to check it out. Please listen along with us. Y...

This episode we're revisiting Ben Kweller's freshman album, Sha Sha, as he brings his Weezer-esque sincere and heartfelt music straight from his soul to your ears. In the early 2000s indie artists were trying to break through the pop music brick wall built by NSYNC, Brittney Spears, and others. Although this particular album did not break through, its thoughtful approach and lack of polished prouc...

After finding success with hits like "Hysteria" and "Time Is Running Out" Muse unleashed their biggest and boldest album to date. 2006's "Black Holes And Revelations" pushed boundaries by combining classic hard rock, Queen-like harmonies, baroque complexity, to showcase the band's impeccable skill. Whether this ambitious effort succeeds is a matter of taste, but what we found indisputable was that...

Kyle brings the Kinks' hidden gem "The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society". While the Kinks were known for big proto-punk hits like You Really Got Me, this 1968 concept album finds the group celebrating and satirizing the quiet English countryside with fifteen short but memorable songs. Please listen along with us. Your homework for next time is "Black Holes And Revelations" by Muse....

On our premier episode Ami brings Mr. A-Z for consideration. Is Jason Mraz's sophomore album the remedy, or is it serious? We break it down track by track to see if Mr. A-Z really is all about the wordplay. Please listen along with us. Your homework for next time is "The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society" by The Kinks. Find us on the socials here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/...