This week, we review OneRepublic’s third studio album, Native, followed by an overview of common lyrical formats, implementation, and lyrics’ capacity to strike a bigger chord than the chords that support them.

Next week’s album review:

Paramore by Paramore

This week we dive into last year’s LP, Swing Lo Magellan, by Dirty Projectors. Then we preface the topic of “interpretation” by hashing out the distinctions between artists’ music and their visual affectations.

Next week’s album review:

Native by OneRepublic

This week is full of throwbacks and smokestacks as we get down to the brassiest of tacks with the steampunk stylings of Steam Powered Giraffe, and their latest full-length, The 2¢ Show. Then we talk a little about music’s therapeutic capabilities, while gauging the polar extremes of musical receptivity.

This episode is fondly dedicated to Scott Levine.

Next week’s album review:

Swing Lo Magellan by Dirty Projectors

As the year presses on, we finally get around to reviewing our first 2013 release, the—wait for it—SIXTEENTH studio album by They Might Be Giants, called Nanobots.  Join us for a peek at what they’ve been up to.  From there, we begin to speculate on the next big “paradigm shift” for music (if indeed it’s coming or if it’s right around the bend).

Next week’s album review:

The 2¢ Show by Steam Powered Giraffe

This week we have quite the mixed bag.  For starters, we’re presenting our first-ever “NO pick” review, for Green Day’s third and final installment of their trilogy, ¡Tré! Then we talk a little about the staying power of music on things such as breakups, recoveries, and fond memories — followed by a fun tangent on hipsterism!

Next week’s album review:

Nanobots by They Might Be Giants

It’s finally time to tackle our first EP, an original work by Walk off the Earth called R.E.V.O., which we discuss alongside a selection of self-released covers. This rare combo-review comes courtesy of our guest, the enterprising thespian known as “Joe Rude” of The Kings of Karaoke and of The Society of American Fight Directors.  He tells us a bit about Karaoke as a business, and also as a haven for quelling inhibitions, one show at a time. Stick around at the end for a treat performance!

Next week’s album review:

¡Tré! by Green Day

Welcome, welcome… or should I say, “thank ya, thank ya,” because this week we’re traveling to the bygone days of Lawrence Welk with his 1960s compilation album, The Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk.  This review is brought to us by today’s guest, the lovely Hazel Honeysuckle, a talented NYC-based burlesque performer who enlightens us with her unique perspective on music as an on-stage tool, as well as a brief history of burlesque and its resurgence as a popular performance art.

www.hazelhoneysuckle.com

Next week’s review:

The R.E.V.O. EP and selected covers by Walk off the Earth

This week we dive into a review of Break It Yourself by Andrew Bird.  Then we talk a bit about our emotional connections with music, what we seek to gain, and the implications we ascribe to certain styles and genres.

Next week’s album review:

The Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk

This week, we review Sublime Currency by Abandoned Pools, and then we press on with last week’s discussion of intelligence vs. creativity.

Next week’s album review:

Break It Yourself by Andrew Bird

This week, our review is Take the Crown by Robbie Williams, followed by an intense discussion on intelligence vs. creativity.

Next week’s album review:

Sublime Currency

by Abandoned Pools