CrossFade: The Dueling Album Review Show

With special guest Matt Kato (formerly of Game Informer), Matt Helgeson takes a look at two women-led albums: Girl Ray’s shimmery debut “Earl Grey” and Lydia Loveless’s “Real”. With songwriting sensibilities well beyond their years, both acts seem somewhat out of time – “Earl Grey” is a 2017 record that could’ve come out fifty years earlier, while Loveless’s full country twang is tragically suited to the real-life heartbreak she recounts on “Real” (which she recorded with her then-husband, 20 years her senior, while their marriage was falling apart. Ouch.). Kato sticks around for some dynamite community questions, like chiptune vs. orchestral game music, video game references in popular music, and covers that sold us on the original song.

To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below…

6:05 - “Just Like That”

9:35 - “Cutting Shapes”

13:35 - “A Few Months”

26:15 - “Earl Grey (Stuck in a Groove)”

29:15 - “Earl Grey (Stuck in a Groove)” (cont’d)

35:30 - “Waiting Ages”

36:55 - “Stupid Things”

41:50 - “Preacher”

52:50 - “Frownland” (Captain Beefheart)

54:50 - “Longer”

58:15 - “Clumps”

1:02:35 - “Midwestern Guys”

1:08:07 - “European”

1:10:45 - “More Than Ever”

1:12:50 - “Same To You”

1:16:05 - “Out On Love”

1:24:50 - Community questions

1:47:40 - Community song (“Pedestrian at Best” by Courtney Barnett, suggested by MinnMax supporter Tim Lorow)

Follow Matt Kato on Twitter at @MattKato

Support MinnMax on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/minnmax/

MinnTrax Episode Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2vgqfvK

MinnTrax Community Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3aRRgox (edited)

Mortality, humanity, and mental health struggles loom large over this episode’s MinnTrax albums: “By the Throat” from Minneapolis hip-hop duo Eyedea & Abilities and “Dark Side of the Moon” by classic English psych rockers Pink Floyd. They’re both really well-constructed albums that are fun to listen to in very different ways and for very different moods. Just how different is part of our discussion with Justice Harrison (Skybound Entertainment)! Our community-led segment is full of fun talk about bands we pigeonholed for some reason, favorite video game soundtracks, and if Kanye was better “before he became a genius.” Thanks to MinnMax supporter CalebMurray for suggesting this episode’s outro song!

To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below…

11:45 - “Hay Fever”

18:25 - “Spin Cycle”

23:50 - “Sky Diver”

31:45 - Eyedea vs. Brother Ali rap battle

33:40 - “Factory”

40:05 - “Junk”

43:35 - “Time Flies When You Have a Gun”

49:55 - “This Story”

58:20 - “Speak to Me”/”Breathe”

1:05:25 - “Brain Damage”

1:10:40 - “Money”

1:17:00 - “On the Run”/”Time”

1:30:20 - “The Great Gig in the Sky”

1:34:25 - “Us and Them”

1:41:55 - “Eclipse”

1:45:17 - Community questions

2:10:20 - Community song (“Crows” by The Delta Saints, suggested by MinnMax supporter CalebMurray)

Follow Justice on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lofijustice

Listen to Justice’s music on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/wirelessthetireless

Learn more about Skybound and the upcoming Skybound Xpo at https://www.skybound.com/

Support MinnMax on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/minnmax/

MinnTrax Episode Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2vgqfvK

MinnTrax Community Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3aRRgox

Already a smash hit, Hamilton: An American Musical is about to explode again as it becomes widely available for the first time on Disney+ today, finding a completely new audience – including our own Matt Helgeson! Our host dives into the Broadway bash for the first time with help from Ben “Hamilton is the Greatest Work of Art of All Time” Hanson and special guest, Broadway performer/producer Alex Boniello (Spring Awakening, Dear Evan Hansen, Hadestown). We dig into the musical’s best tunes as well as what makes the whole package special, and field questions from the MinnMax community about underseen musicals, Kingdom Hearts, and whether or not Hamilton was hot IRL. (He wasn’t. Thanks, Kyle.)

To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below…

28:15 - “My Shot”

44:10 - “Guns and Ships”

46:20 - “Work Work” (by clipping.)

1:00:55 - “What Comes Next?”

1:05:10 - “Satisfied”

1:09:40 - “Quiet Uptown”

1:13:45 - “Ten Duel Commandments”

1:19:50 - “Wait for It”

1:31:25 - “Cabinet Battle #2”

1:40:30 - Community questions

2:10:20 - Community song (“Atrévete-Te-Te” by Calle 13, suggested by Jason Wojnar)

Follow Alex on Twitter and Instagram at @alexboniello

Listen to Alex’s original music on Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3gnxtjk), Apple Music (https://apple.co/2VFdvJk), or wherever you get music

Support MinnMax on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/minnmax/

MinnTrax Episode Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2vgqfvK

MinnTrax Community Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3aRRgox (edited)

Angry sophomore records take the stage in today’s episode! Guest Alex Navarro (Giant Bomb, None Above All) finds out what Matt thinks of Deftones’s “Around the Fur” – Alex’s favorite album by his favorite band – and Matt reintroduces Alex to Public Enemy’s incendiary “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back”. They’re both albums fueled by intense emotion (largely anger) though each uses it in different ways. In our community questions segment, Alex and Matt tackle the best licensed songs we discovered through TV and movies, what affect streaming has had on how we value music we love, kicking ourselves for missing live performances, and whether or not growing up helps solidify your music tastes. Then it’s on to a funky, chill outro courtesy of our community-selected song!

To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below…

7:50 - None Above All – “Make It”

15:20 - “My Own Summer”

19:40 - “Dai the Flu”

23:40 - “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)”

30:00 - “Mascara”

34:30 - “Headup”

38:45 - “Lhabia”

50:10 - “911 is a Joke” (from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet)

52:15 - “Bring the Noise”

57:10 - “Don’t Believe the Hype”

1:00:20 - “She Watch Channel Zero?!”

1:01:20 - “Rebel Without a Pause”

1:05:50 - “Security of the First World”/Madonna’s “Justify My Love”

1:13:10 - “Cold Lampin’ With Flavor”

1:15:25 - “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos”

1:26:05 - “Prophets of Rage”

1:29:45 - Community questions

2:05:25 - Community song (“Cómo Me Quieres” by Khruangbin, suggested by Steven Vella)

Links

Follow Alex on Twitter at @alex_navarro and listen to the Giant Bombcast wherever you get podcasts

Listen to None Above All at https://noneaboveall.bandcamp.com/

Craig Jenkins’s review of the Nation of Millions reissue for Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/19997-public-enemy-it-takes-a-nation-of-millions-to-hold-us-backfear-of-a-black-planet/

Support MinnMax on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/minnmax/

MinnTrax Episode Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2vgqfvK

MinnTrax Community Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3aRRgox

With today’s episode, we wanted to express our sympathy for the family of George Floyd, repeat our solidarity with everyone speaking out against the system that murdered him, and share a song from another time that feels relevant to our own.

Donate to the Help Rebuild Minneapolis GoFundMe to support North Minneapolis here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/minnmax-rebuilding-minneapolis

Song: John Coltrane – Alabama (from Live at Birdland, 1963)

In a slight tweak of the MinnTrax format this week, we’ve enlisted Jeff Green (1up.com, CGW, Min/Max Consulting) to commemorate the passing of Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider by taking a look at two of their most iconic albums: 1974’s Autobahn and 1981’s Computer World. We discuss what Kraftwerk’s breakout must’ve sounded like to an audience conditioned on slow jams, folk, and pop hits; the group’s surprisingly organic origins; how you even begin to track Kraftwerk’s influence on modern music; and what kept them from being just a novelty act. Then we turn to community questions to talk music movies, what’s the difference between repetitive and annoying music, and which artists our host and guest just can’t stand as people!

To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below…

4:35 - Comparing Kraftwerk to 1974’s radio hits

6:40 - “Autobahn”

9:50 - The Beach Boys connection

17:30 - “Ruckzuck”

26:50 - “Kometenmelodie 2”

30:50 - “Morgenspaziergang”

33:20 - “Mitternacht”

38:15 - “Computer World”

44:00 - “Pocket Calculator”

48:00 - “Computer Love”

54:20 - “Home Computer”

56:30 - “It’s More Fun to Compute”

1:12:20 - Community questions

1:31:55 - Community song (“Last Ones on the Dance Floor” by 3d Blast feat Maggie.wav & Father Glamor, suggested by RAWPARTEE)

Links

Follow Jeff on Twitter and twitch at @Greenspeak and find Min/Max Consulting at https://min-max.net/

Support MinnMax on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/minnmax/

MinnTrax Episode Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2vgqfvK

MinnTrax Community Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3aRRgox (edited)

It’s hard to overestimate the influence of Jeff Buckley on popular music, which is part of why guest Kirk Hamilton chose his 1994 album “Grace” for this episode of MinnTrax. Opting for a more recent challenge, Matt assigned Kirk to listen to “Two Hands,” the OTHER 2019 album from indie rock group Big Thief. With Kirk’s music theory knowledge and Matt’s indie rock experience, this episode’s for the close listeners. Just what is Jeff Buckley doing with his song structures? What does trust sound like? What do musicians gain – and lose – from polished production? And that’s all before we get to our community-driven portion, where we discuss great samples in great songs, our “desert island” albums, whether or not Kenny G. deserves the hate, and underrated one-hit wonders!

To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below…

4:35 - Jeff Buckley’s Grace

7:05 - Why Kirk picked Grace

9:45 - “Last Goodbye”

15:00 - “Grace”

19:10 - “Mojo Pin”

24:45 - “Hallelujah”

35:10 - “Eternal Life”

40:00 - “So Real”

42:00 - “Dream Brother”

45:15 - “Corpus Christi Carol”

53:15 - Big Thief’s “Two Hands”

58:15 - “Forgotten Eyes”

1:11:00 - “Not”

1:19:35 - “Wolf”

1:29:05 - “Shoulders”

1:34:30 - Community questions

1:38:30 - “Daytona 500” by Ghostface Killah feat. Raekwon & Cappadonna

1:39:30 - “Get By” by Talib Kweli

1:42:15 - “Runnin’ (Dying To Live)” by 2Pac feat. Notorious BIG

2:02:15 - Community song (“A Grave Inversed” by Ihsahn, suggested by SwankyOrc)

Links

Follow Kirk on Twitter at @kirkhamilton, listen to his podcast, Strong Songs, and support the show at patreon.com/strongsongs; listen to Triple Click and follow them at @tripleclickpod

Support MinnMax on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/minnmax/

MinnTrax Episode Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2vgqfvK

MinnTrax Community Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3aRRgox

Antônio Carlos Jobim’s Águas de Março (Waters of March) performed by Elis Regina and Tom Jobim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBEesrdaRog

Thanks to the following Patreon supporters for their generous support of MinnMax at the $50 tier! Get your name on the list right here - https://www.patreon.com/minnmax

Captainstubs1

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Rob Hudak

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Mark Seliga

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Jesse Vitelli

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Michael Jacques

Adam Walker

Ludwig Roque

Andrew Sanford

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David Lacolucci

It’s [adjective + male name] versus [adjective + male name] on this episode of MinnTrax! Mike Drucker (Nintendo, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Saturday Night Live, Bill Nye Saves the World) brings the first cassette he ever bought, Weird Al Yankovic’s “Bad Hair Day,” to Matt’s door. Matt returns the favor with Steely Dan’s “The Royal Scam,” which Matt calls “the most ‘Steely Dan’ Steely Dan record.” Both artists are hugely influential in their fields, and their skills go far beyond schtick – but what do our host and guest think of their assignments? Then we address some great questions from our community on songs that used to annoy us that we now love, if “Amish Paradise” is inappropriate, and whether or not Weird Al should be in the hall of fame. Stick around for our community song pick, which turned Mike into an instant fan!

To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below…

2:40 - Weird Al’s “Bad Hair Day”

4:00 - Why Mike connected with Weird Al as a kid

9:15 - How Weird Al’s parodies have aged

14:15 - How Weird Al’s understanding of music affects his songwriting

19:40 - Discussing Weird Al’s original music

25:10 - Weird Al and polka

28:30 - Discovering mainstream music through Weird Al parodies

31:30 - Looking for the “funny” in non-comedy music

35:25 - Steely Dan’s “The Royal Scam”

37:45 - What doesn’t work for Mike about Steely Dan

38:30 - What’s the funniest song on “The Royal Scam”?

46:40 - Weird Al and Steely Dan’s shared musicianship

55:45 - Community questions

1:09:55 - Community song (“Back Pocket” by Vulfpeck, suggested by Joe Robert)

Links

Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeDrucker

Support MinnMax on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/minnmax/

MinnTrax Episode Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2vgqfvK

MinnTrax Community Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3aRRgox (edited)

On this episode, we welcome guest Kyle Hilliard (MinnMax and the Gaming Ride Home podcast) and one of his favorite albums, Blink-182’s breakout Enema of the State, to go head-to-head with Van Morrison’s cult hit Astral Weeks. Kyle’s love for Blink-182’s immature, do-what-we-want 1999 pop-punk smash contrasts sharply with the freeform folk-jazz storytelling that brought Matt to Van Morrison – and yet, somewhere in the mix, they find common ground in their tastes for a well-realized sound. Then in the community portion, we discuss the most important music videos, covers versus live versions, what musicals we listen to outside of the stage show, and more before heading to an old-fashioned bluegrass hoedown with a song suggested by the MinnTrax community!

To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below...

3:20 - Kyle’s history with Blink-182

6:40 - Enema of the State

7:10 - How Blink-182 influenced Kyle as a drummer

11:35 - Travis Barker’s drumming

21:10 - Why What’s My Age Again? is better than All the Small Things

29:30 - Bands that take themselves too seriously

37:20 - Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks

41:40 - Astral Weeks’ jazz roots

59:20 - Two dads talking about music

1:05:00 - Community questions

1:19:30 - Community song (‘Big Country’ by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones)

Links

Listen to Gaming Ride Home wherever you get podcasts and follow the show on Twitter @GamingRideHome

Follow Kyle on Twitter at @kylemhilliard

Support MinnMax on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/minnmax/

MinnTrax Episode Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2vgqfvK

MinnTrax Community Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3aRRgox

Dire Straits - Money for Nothing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAD6Obi7Cag

Karate - Sever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOKhm98kjKQ

Guest Bianca Ryckert of the Panning the Stream podcast joins Matt Helgeson to talk about heavy music through the lens of one of Matt’s favorite albums, Travels With Myself and Another by Future of the Left, while Matt tackles an album by one of Bianca’s favorite bands: Orchid, the 1995 debut album Swedish band Opeth! Along the way, they talk about how first impressions can mean a lot for how you remember your favorite bands, how much doom is too much doom, the first music they found by themselves and loved, the new genres they’re into and what hooked them, and Bianca’s brother’s band (check out Thank You Scientist wherever you get music).

To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below...

1:59- Bianca’s work in games

3:46 - Bianca’s podcast, Panning the Stream

4:48 - Bianca’s brother’s band, Thank You Scientist

10:53 - Why it’s hard to call Orchid “metal”

17:37 - An abridged history of Swedish metal

31:28 - The excess of Orchid vs. the leanness of Future of the Left

53:30 - Matt and Bianca’s favorite eras of music

57:54 - Community questions - 00:57:54

Links

Support Panning the Stream on Patreon, listen wherever you get podcasts, and follow them on Twitter at @PanTheStream

Follow Bianca on Twitter at @weirdbonk

Support MinnMax on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/minnmax/

MinnTrax Episode Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2vgqfvK

MinnTrax Community Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3aRRgox

Skatt Bros. - Life At the Outpost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g81HoQ6PuR0