WorkTape

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 exhibitions borderline creepy?

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 the success of an artist or band often come down to who’s producing their project?

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 also "throwing back"?
• How did most Paramore fans take Hayley's solo branching out into "poppier" projects?
• Was Coldplay's "Music of the Spheres" a flop?

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 frontmen/frontwomen?

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 answer to US' Imagine Dragons?
• Did Brandon Flowers' solo music turn out to become better than The Killers' regular releases?
• How did Muse fans first receive "The 2nd Law"?
• Was Metric's "Synthetica" a worthy successor to "Fantasies"?

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 Interpol's sound?
• Is "Songs About Jane" Maroon 5's magnum opus?

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 Chains' "Rooster" such a standout song?
• Is Billy Corgan more uniquely pretentious than frontmen from most other bands?

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 Killed the Radio Star" kill some artist's careers?
• What made "Cut the Crap" clash with Clash fans?

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 Moonlight" better than King Harvest?

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?