Long Live the Music

Recently, Buzzfeed asked Carly Rae Jepsen to fill out a bracket to choose her best song. We thought this was funny, cool and interesting, so Kiel invited Carly Rae superfan Richard Clark to join the podcast and break down every matchup on the bracket. While dissecting some of Carly Rae's best tracks, the two discuss what has made her such a compelling pop artist, how her music has rapidly evolved...

Crossover episode! Kiel Hauck and Brock Benefiel recently launched a new show called Decade Rewind, and in the latest episode, the two discuss which rapper took home the hip hop title belt in 2009. We look back on the year that gave us Drake, Kid Cudi and Gucci Mane's breakout albums, a flurry of mixtapes, comeback attempts by Jay-Z and Eminem, and much, much more! Follow the podcast on Twitter @D...

There is new music from Taylor Swift and it is in the form of a song called "Me". Kiel Hauck and Kyle Schultz dive in to unpack the new single and talk about the career trajectories of Swift and Brendon Urie. They also break down the gorgeous music video for the track and speculate wildly on what Swift's upcoming album might bring. Listen in!

Recently, heralded indie rock act Copeland released their sixth full-length album, Blushing. On our latest podcast episode, Kiel Hauck is joined by Kyle Schultz and Nadia Paiva to discuss the band's fantastic new record and the 16-year journey that brought them here. The trio also rank each Copeland album, break down their favorite songs from the band's discography, and discuss the legacy of a ban...

With another year in the books, Brock Benefiel drops by the It's All Dead podcast studio to chat with Kiel Hauck about which rapper took the Hip Hop Title Belt in 2018. The two discuss some of hip hop's hottest storylines of the year, break down 2018's best hip hop tracks, and look ahead to what might come in 2019. So who won the belt? The conversation includes candidates such as Cardi B, Drake, T...

Renowned music journalist Evan Sawdey joins Kiel Hauck to discuss a recent feature for Yardbarker in which he named the best debut albums of the past 50 years, by year. During the conversation, Kiel and Evan debate the merits of Britney Spears' ...Baby One More Time, Arcade Fire's Funeral, Kanye West's The College Dropout and many more. Evan also discusses the power of a debut album and how it can...

But wait, there's more! On this podcast, Kiel Hauck is joined by It's All Dead senior editor Kyle Schultz to talk further about the year in music. The two discuss the merits of Fall Out Boy's return with MANIA and how Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco ascended to new heights with Pray for the Wicked. They also break down releases from Architects, Justin Courney Pierre, Pusha T, and As It Is. Lis...

As 2018 comes to a close, the team at It's All Dead have crunched the numbers and compiled their lists of the best albums and best songs of the year. On this podcast, Kiel Hauck is joined by Nadia Paiva to break down some of the year's best music, including releases from Pianos Become the Teeth, The 1975, The Wonder Years, mewithoutYou, and much more. They also discuss what made music great in 201...

On October 12, Canberra, Australia, rock band Hands Like Houses released their fourth full length album, Anon. As the band hits the road for their headlining U.S. tour, Kiel Hauck caught up with lead singer Trenton Woodley to discuss the new album and the band's sonic journey. Woodley also shares details about the band's songwriting progression over the years and how to evolve as an artist while b...

As The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill turns 20, Cole Cuchna has launched a new mini-series on the classic album for his massively successful Dissect podcast. Cuchna joins Kiel Hauck to reflect on the album and its influence before delving into the work of Frank Ocean, as covered in season 3 of Dissect. Cuchna also shares details about his process when examining music and discusses how empathy continu...

On our latest podcast, Kiel Hauck talks with Lindsay Zoladz, music and pop culture critic with The Ringer. During the conversation, Zoladz talks about the evolution she's seen take place in music journalism during her time with The Ringer, Pitchfork, and more. Zoladz also shares about the obstacles still facing women in the music industry and what changes are long overdue. Listen in!

Five years ago, we had a crazy idea to launch a website and podcast called It's All Dead. On our latest podcast, Kiel and Kyle reflect on the past five years, sharing their favorite stories, reflecting on the albums that defined the half-decade, and determining which bands made the biggest impact. Thanks to all of our listeners and followers! Please leave us a review :)

Later this month, New Surrender turns 10 years old. Kiel Hauck and Nadia Paiva took the anniversary as an opportunity to discuss Anberlin's legacy and the impact of their major label debut. They break down Anberlin's discography, rank their favorite songs, and share some of their favorite memories of one of the most influential and underrated bands in the history of the scene. Listen in!

Last month, pop punk legends MxPx returned with a surprise self-titled album that quickly became lauded as one of the band's best. On our latest podcast, Kiel Hauck is joined by Richard Clark of Christianity Today to discuss what makes the new album so much fun and how the band's reflections on growing up have resonated with their longtime fanbase. Listen in!

Summer is almost over! What better way to hold onto the season than to reminisce on our favorite summer soundtracks. Kyle Schultz and Nadia Paiva join Kiel Hauck to break down some of their favorite albums to spin during summer and discuss what makes for great summer music. The trio chat about great releases from bands like Paramore, Green Day, Underoath, and much more. Listen in!

On our latest podcast episode, Kiel Hauck catches up with Patty and Benjamin of As It Is at Warped Tour to discuss their upcoming album, The Great Depression. During the conversation, the two share their approach to discussing mental health and depression and how the subjectivity of art prevents it from offering firm answers. Instead, As It Is aims to have a more honest and open dialogue about the...

With Warped Tour making its final run, perhaps no band epitomizes the opportunity the tour has provided to up-and-coming bands as Mayday Parade. Kiel Hauck sat down backstage with lead vocalist Derek Sanders to discuss the band's start on the tour in 2006 and what it means to play on Warped's final run. Sanders also discusses the creation of the band's latest release, Sunnyland, and what he's lear...

Drake is back with another mammoth collection of songs, just in time for Summer 2018. On our latest podcast, Kiel Hauck talks with Drake fans Lowell Bieber and Chris Waflart about Drake's triumphs and misfires on list latest album, Scorpion. They also break down Drake's massive catalogue of songs, ranking some of the best (and worst) and dissect Drake's continuing cultural cache. Listen in!

Resident hip hop aficionado Brock Benefiel stops by It's All Dead to chat with Kiel Hauck about "Ye", the latest release from Kanye West. The two discuss their problems with the uneven album, the frustration that comes with Kanye fandom, and what to expect going forward. They also reflect on the five year anniversary of "Yeezus" and how the album has both held up and proven to be problematic. List...

Underoath is back on the road in support of their first album in eight years,  Erase Me . Kiel Hauck caught up with Chris Dudley, master of keyboards, electronics, and synthesizers for the band, to discuss Underoath's return. During the conversation, Dudley shares how the band rebounded from their break-up, rekindled their friendships, and the peace they've found in creating the music they want to...

On our latest podcast, Kiel Hauck and Kyle Schultz are joined by It's All Dead writer Nadia Paiva to discuss the latest release from The Wonder Years. During the discussion, the trio debate the merits of "Sister Cities" and dialogue about where the album lands among the band's best releases. They share their favorite songs from the album and talk about the band's knack for human stories and connec...

In 2017, Shea Serrano released his second New York Times Bestseller in "Basketball and Other Things", following up the smashing success of "The Rap Year Book". In our latest podcast, Shea joins Kiel Hauck to discuss rap rivalries and how competition impacts the genre. Serrano talks Kendrick Lamar, Nas, the political power of hip hop, and much more. Listen in!

March Madness is here, which means lots of buzzer beaters, upsets, and, of course, endless arguments about the best Kanye West songs. Wait, what? After Kanye Madness goes viral, Kiel Hauck and Brock Benefiel sit down to parse through the Kanye West bracket and break down the various match-ups in hopes of finding Kanye's best song. The two also share their thoughts on why the bracket blew up the in...

Nearly a decade after Dashboard Confessional took a break, Chris Carrabba has returned with a new album, "Crooked Shadows". Kiel Hauck and Kyle Schultz discuss the legacy of Dashboard Confessional, why the music still matters, and how the music of Dashboard has evolved through the years. Listen in!

With another year in the books, Brock Benefiel joins Kiel Hauck to discuss who won the hip hop title belt in 2017 (surprise, it's Kendrick). The duo also discuss other movers and shakers in the genre and predict what might come to pass in 2018, including new albums from Kanye West, Childish Gambino, A$AP Rocky and more. Listen in!