Discord and Rhyme: An Album Podcast Discord and Rhyme
-
- Music
-
A music podcast where we discuss our favorite albums, song by song.
-
141: The Band - Music from Big Pink (1968)
Get ready for some classic Americana, brought to you by four Canadians (and one American), discussed by four Americans (including one living in Canada). Because Neil Young and Joni Mitchell weren't enough, Ben goes back to the frozen north for the Band's 1968 debut album, Music From Big Pink. Ben discusses why he loves the Band and Music From Big Pink, joined by Amanda, Dan, and Mike.
-
140: R.E.M. - Automatic for the People (1992)
R.E.M. spent the decade after Murmur growing steadily more successful, their popularity cresting with the 1991 #1 album Out of Time and its inescapable hit single “Losing My Religion.” But instead of going on an exhausting world tour like most bands would, R.E.M. went right back into the studio and recorded Automatic for the People, an album that defies rock star excess at nearly every turn. You probably know “Everybody Hurts” and “Man on the Moon,” which are still radio standards to this day, and with good reason. But even those songs were much more downcast and introspective than one would expect from a band at the height of their popularity. Automatic for the People is the sound of R.E.M. entering their thirties and taking stock of their place in both music and the world, and though it may take some time to sink in, John, Phil, Rich, and special guest Jeff Blehar all consider it one of their best albums. So join us for part 2 of a band that cannot be contained by one episode, and calluswhenyoutrytowakeherup.
-
139: R.E.M. - Murmur (1983)
We’ve held off on R.E.M. for a while, because the Athens, Ga., quartet is just such a heavyweight in the rock canon. They’re so huge, in fact, that they merit two episodes: one for the mumbly, Byrdsy alt-rock troubadours of the ‘80s, and one for the slightly less mumbly arena rock titans of the ‘90s and onward. We’re starting off with their 1983 debut Murmur, which fueled the rise of college radio with songs that were strangely out of time (so to speak) with the trends of the ‘80s. The compositions on Murmur are so hazy and oblique that they almost resist analysis, and that’s before you even consider Michael Stipe’s lyrics. But John, Mike, Phil, and Ben are willing to give it their best shot, so join them as they embark on a long-delayed pilgrimage west of the fields to discuss one of this podcast’s favorite bands.
-
Six Thousand Million Questions (Listener Q&A #6)
Rich, Mike, and Amanda answer a bonanza of questions from listeners. Topics include retro prog, great live albums and not-so-great live shows, fantasy supergroups, synesthesia, our favorite recent releases, and no fewer than three questions about the Moody Blues. Listen through to the end for a special request to listeners!
-
138: Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (III) (1980)
Peter Gabriel is a favorite artist of many of us here at Discord & Rhyme, but we’ve saved him for our own 138th Episode Spectacular. Peter Gabriel III (aka Melt, so called because half of Gabriel’s face on the album cover looks like a melting candle) isn’t just John’s favorite Peter Gabriel album; it’s an album that made him reconsider (in a favorable light) the entirety of popular music in the 1980s and the concept of using the production studio to create entirely new sounds, and John leads a very enthusiastic discussion on an album that we love very much. Join John, Amanda, Rich, and Mike as we gush over an album that transformed solo Peter Gabriel into something greater than “the guy who used to sing for Genesis”; a dark noisy hellscape frontier of an album full of burglars, assassins, and not one cymbal anywhere.
-
137: Iron Maiden - Powerslave (1984)
Hear that? There goes the siren that warns of the air raid – or maybe that’s just Bruce Dickinson’s voice. This week, Mike continues his quest to make Discord & Rhyme more metal with the album Powerslave by Iron Maiden. In the popular consciousness, Maiden are known for their goofy album covers and hits like “Bring Your Daughter … to the Slaughter.” But if you dig just a little deeper, they were vanguards of the new wave of British heavy metal, with a seven-album run in the ‘80s that ranks among the greatest winning streaks of the album era, metal or otherwise. Powerslave is arguably their peak, boasting some of their greatest compositions and brainiest lyrics, with subjects running the gamut from The Prisoner to the military-industrial complex to the dawn of British Romanticism. But most importantly, it rocks, and Mike has invited Phil, John, and Rich to discuss eight amazing songs that will put you at a losfer words.
Customer Reviews
Absolutely Great
This is one of the greatest podcasts I listen to. The analysis of an album is deep, fun, and historic. While I love all of the people, my favorite is Amanda. However all have deep and unique knowledge. If I could select an album for analysis, I would suggest either Paul Kantner/Grace Slick Blows Against the Empire or their Baron von Toolbooth and the Chrome Nun. Thank you for the podcast that I can’t wait till the next one is released.
Pick the albums you like….
Decent podcast, occasionally lapsing into the realm of bad college radio music fan blather. At best, light hearted and fun, at worst provincial and trope dependent. At least give it a try……
Ignore the Haters
This is one of the best music podcasts I’ve heard, and my absolute favorite right now. Yes, they do discuss plenty of early Prog artists, but not disproportionate to the other episodes covering a huge range of genres. It’s also delightful how the Prog references become a standing joke, so they aren’t taking themselves deadly seriously. Speaking of jokes, the hosts are some of the wittiest folks I’ve had the pleasure to encounter. It’s not a comedy show, but it makes me laugh more than most that are. This is a charming group of friends who have great chemistry, are very knowledgeable, and seem to love what their doing. A thoroughly informative and entertaining hang-out kind of show.
If you hate music, humor, knowledge, and fun, stay away.