This week we look at two defining albums from singer songwriter, Ben Gibbard. Death Cab for Cutie has been a long lasting staple as indie music darlings, where the Postal Service was a one off project that has been beloved ever since. Where Death Cab is more typical singer songwriter indie music, Postal service is painfully earnest electro pop.

Beck broke tradition from his dirtbag oddities, releasing Sea Change in 2002 - an earnest yet lush record of ballads. It was very unexpected at the time, but appreciated none-the-less. In 2005, Beck returned to form with Guero, featuring weird white boy raps, ripping guitars, features from Jack White and more. Tyler and Greg discuss what works about these records over a decade later, and ponder on the process.

This week, we examine the deadpan, semi-ironic, nerd rock band of the late 90s and 2000s, CAKE. Coming off the hit track The Distance, Cake releases the album Comfort Eagle in 2001. This album was a solid follow up with a defining track, Short Skirt/Long Jacket. Three years later, they release Pressure Chief, moving towards more dynamic songs, featuring synthesizers galore and abundant sincerity. Let's discuss.

This week we are looking at Kanye West's 808s and Heartbreaks and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. 808s was a pivot for Kanye into rap balladry, where MBDTF was a belabored project of vulnerability and collaboration after a fraught period for Kanye. Both of these albums are important in their time and in the history of Kanye West and rap music.

This week we examine three Coldplay albums, starting with the breakout hit A Rush of Blood To The Head, taking a swift look through X&Y, and finishing with the reinvention album, Viva La Vida, or Death and All His Friends. Coldplay started as a coffee shop ballad band, moving their way to stadium champions. It was a quite a journey from humbling beginnings to their reinvention.

This week we examine two Bright Eyes albums that released simultaneously, with markedly different songs and production -- 2005's I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn.

In this episode, we take a look at the Yeah Yeah Yeahs albums, Fever to Tell and Show Your Bones.