WorkTape

Did hip-hop truly start due to a city-wide electricity blackout? How has sampling both been and become problematic for artists? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Why was the Mellotron created? Have the communities of rock, jazz, and hip-hop held back their respective genres due to dated thinking? What was The New York City Blackout of 1977? How are major artists having p...

What things have made Gorillaz a successful virtual band? Will AI replace real artists and bands? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Were Oasis better-suited to songwriting than Blur? Was Crazy Frog a failed experiment? Does BTS' sound lack variety? Why was "Alvin and the Chipmunks" such an innovation?

What did Prince have to say about artists generated by hologram? What was the FN Meka controversy? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Why was there a mixed reception for the Tupac hologram? Was the Whitney Houston hologram in poor taste? Are documentaries trustworthy? Was Michael Jackson more deeply integrated into the industrial "machine" than Prince?

Will Chat GPT change the way that we make music? Has AI generation of deceased artists gotten too out of hand? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Is AI generation of deceased artists ethical? How are people using Chat GPT for music? Is Chat GPT a threat to songwriters and lyricists? Will future generations become too dependent on AI tools for music and song creation?

Has there been any time when a re-release wasn't lazy or a cash grab? Was the "Blurred Lines" lawsuit a justifiable one? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: How have re-releases for Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" been handled? Have posthumous releases for J Dilla been handled more respectfully than for most other artists? Are The Eagles best as a singles band, rather than...

Are posthumous releases always a cash grab? What have been some respectful and tasteful posthumous releases? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: What is Anderson .Paak's take on posthumous releases regarding himself? Is Lauryn Hill's feature on "Turn Your Lights Down Low" one of the more fitting posthumous releases in music? Are "greatest hits" releases the best way to gau...

What rock artists did we lose in 2022? What are some of accolades of Meatloaf? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: How important was Christine McVie to Fleetwood Mac's sound? How influential is Meatloaf's "Bat out of Hell"? Has Jerry Lee Lewis' legacy been tainted by controversy?

What rap artists did we lose in 2022? How important was Offset to Migos' sound? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Will Foo Fighters be moving forward as a band without Taylor Hawkins? What happened to Offset from Migos? Did Coolio have more hits than "Gangsta's Paradise"?

Is Ticketmaster on the verge of being replaced by another competitor? Have clout chasing and FOMO made live events out to become overrated? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: How has Top Dawg Entertainment made SZA's ? How have ticket resale and dynamic pricing turned purchasing tickets into a bidding war? Are concert tickets increasingly becoming overpriced? Are artist e...

Was "After Laughter" "authentic" to Paramore? Has mainstream rock gotten lazy? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Has mainstream modern rock become more female-fronted? Is Arctic Monkeys' "AM" overrated? Has mainstream hip-hop eclipsed mainstream rock in terms of originality and  innovation? Is the strongest song for an upcoming project always the lead single? Does t...

What are some striking parallels between the careers of Hayley Williams and Christina Aguilera? Can the quality of a band sometimes be determined by the solo careers of the frontmen and frontwomen? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Is Olivia Rodrigo's "Good for U" really all that similar to Paramore's "Misery Business"? How has The Weeknd managed to stay current while al...

What takeaways are there for Paramore's "This Is Why" and "The News"? Are Paramore returning to their roots? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: How important is Zac Farro to Paramore's sound? Do Paramore's songs have more substance than their mid/late 00s contemporaries' songs? Was Coldplay's "Ghost Stories" "overhated"? What sets Hayley Williams apart from comparable fro...

What albums turn 10 in 2022? What are some of 2012's best albums? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: How did Frank Ocean get his start in the music business? How was "Swimming Pools" countercultural? Was One Direction's career significantly shorter-lived than most other successful "boy bands"? Were American Authors simply an Imagine Dragons rip-off? Was Bastille the UK’s...

What albums turn 20 in 2022? What are some of 2002's best albums? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Does "Rated R" hold a candle to "Songs for the Deaf"? Was there more of a "return to form" for rock in the 00s? What made "One by One" such a unique album for Foo Fighters? What made Coldplay's "Rush of Blood" an ultimate classic? How did Carlos Dengler's departure affect...

What albums turn 30 in 2022? What are some of 1992's best albums? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Did anyone else from N.W.A. get the same success as Dre and Ice Cube? Did Arrested Development ever surpass "3 Years"? How did Sade end up setting the stage for artists like Drake and The Weeknd? What was hip-hop's effect on alternative music in the 90s? What made Alice In...

What albums turn 40 in 2022? What are some of 1982's best albums? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Did Paul McCartney "out-sing" Michael Jackson in "The Girl Is Mine"? Who did the final mix for Nirvana's "Nevermind"? What makes Daniel Fagan's "I.G.Y." ironically titled? How important was "Hello, I Must Be Going!" for Phil Collin's career? How did The Buggles' "Video Kil...

What albums turn 50 in 2022? What are some of 1972's best albums? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Was Stevie Wonder's "Music of My Mind" overshadowed by "Talking Book"? Did Steely Dan's "Can't Buy a Thrill" set the foundation for "yacht rock"? Was the "K. West" sign on the cover of "Ziggy Stardust" David Bowie's allusion to Kanye West? Did Toploader do "Dancing in the...

Can David Bowie pull off every style? Have Elton John's collaborations been the most strategic compared to his peers'? This is the main topic that we go over in this episode: How do "classic" artists manage to stay relevant in the present era?

At what point does music stop being authentic? Is "Christian" music less original than "non-Christian" music? How has Lecrae alienated his audience(s)? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Is "Christian" music less inventive than "secular" music? Is artist creation possible ex nihilo, or will ideas always need to be pulled from ones already pre-existing?

Is 70s disco superior to every other era of disco? Did disco become more of an element, and less of a genre over time? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Has country in the modern era maintained its blue roots? Do some people have the "it factor", while others may not? Has disco always been formulaic?

Did disco die completely? Is the synthwave aesthetic overdone? Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode: Has disco always been hit-focused? Does disco still exist today?

What's one of the Apple Airpod Pro 2's best features? What is the "Amen Break"? This is the main topic that we go over in this episode: Does Apple stretch out their product evolution too long?

Is 128kbps still more than sufficient for casual listening? Is bluetooth too limited? Here is the main topic that we go over in this episode: Is lossless audio all that it's hyped up to be?

Can PC producers set their RGB color to monitor their computers' temperature? What computer specs do producers need to prioritize for production? Here is the main topic that we go over in this episode: What is Kevin's computer of choice?

Are live sound and studio sound engineered the same way? Is ear training essential for sound engineers? Here is the main topic that we go over in this episode: How did Kevin get his start in live sound?