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WorkTape episodes

  • #54 - Melismas Revisited

    What is the proper way to execute a melisma? Have singers butchered "The National Anthem"?

    Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

    • What are some tips for singing a melisma properly?
    • Why are Africans (the) best at singing melismas?

    15 min
  • #53 - Unplugged, Not Drugs (Playing It Forward Pt. 2)

    Do musicians need to do drugs to make good music? Has drug use only been limited to rock and rap artists?

    Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

    • Why do artists feel the need to take substances?
    • Is Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" an anti-drug song?
    • Is "Wonderwall" a good song?
    • Is "OK Computer" really all that great?

    26 min
  • #52 - Juxtapositional (Playing It Forward Pt. 1)

    Are The 1975 art rock? Was Elliott Smith's go-to tuning D Standard?

    Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

    • Who are The Sugarcubes?
    • How old is Neil Young's "Harvest" LP?
    • Can punk bassists use a Fender Jazz?
    • Did grunge end up eclipsing most alternative music?

    25 min
  • #51 - Scatchat

    What are vocables? Why is Debussy considered the "jazz guy" of the classical world?

    This is the main topic that we go over in this episode:

    • Is there any correlation between scat and melismas?

    13 min
  • #50 - Melismatic Origins

    Is the Halo chant one giant melisma? What is a coloratura soprano?

    This is the main topic that we go over in this episode:

    • Where in popular culture are some melismas found?

    12 min
  • #49 - Messianic Music (More on Melismas)

    What is Messianic Music? Who is Ofra Haza?

    Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

    • How did Messianic Music come about within Jewish culture?
    • Is Messianic Music a fairly recent conception?
    • Who are Marty Goetz and Paul Wilbur?

    20 min
  • #48 - Running Up That Chart (I Think Ur A Contra)

    How did Kate Bush's 1985 song get such a big push 37 years later? Did mainstream music get too safe toward the end of the 90s?

    Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

    • Was Kate Bush "her own" era's "Billie Eilish"?
    • Is Billie Eilish's popularity comparable to that of Nirvana's?
    • Did trip hop experience a proper resurgence in the 2010s?
    • What makes MGMT's "Electric Feel" such a timeless track?

    29 min
  • #47 - Nay for Ye

    Was Kanye's Stem Player a fair marketing move to/for fans? How do the cult followings of Kanye and Tom Cruise's compare with each other?

    Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

    • Is underproduction excusable for big artists, and can they get away with it?

    13 min
  • #46 - I'm Your Biggest Fanatic

    How loyal can the fans of cult followings be? Are there some artists who just "can't do wrong"?

    Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

    • Why did Taylor re-record "Red"?
    • Why wasn't "Donda 2" eligible for Billboard Charts?

    16 min

About WorkTape

From the publisher's feed

Brutally honest, hilarious, and not afraid to keep it real, WorkTape is THE ULTIMATE music podcast for artists and nerds (made BY artists AND nerds)! Produced by Isaac Grover and co-hosted by Mitchell…