I thought briefly about writing a blog about yesterday's Super Bowl half-time show. But I feel like it's been all over social media enough that maybe you don't need one more opinion blog on it. I will briefly say that I enjoyed it and thought J-Lo especially brought the kind of energy you want for a Superbowl half-time show. I did think what lacked was more elaborate staging and maybe a more relatable song catalogue. But anyway, if these current-event-type-blogs are what you are looking for, just let me know! I am a man of the people, and a blogger without readers is just some loser with an online diary. I ain't about that life.
And now for something completely different.
Just to put it out there. I'm not really a podcast guy. I try, but mostly I find them too long and I don't often have the appropriate time to allot for a full podcast (I also prefer listening to music 9/10 times). So when looking for podcasts to bond over with my podcast-loving wife, it took me quite a while. Not only does the subject have to be of interest to me, but the hosts must also be entertaining enough to listen to, and it also has to be quite short. After this lengthy process, I came across Song Exploder. A podcast that interviews prominent artists and journeys along with them as they break down music that they've written. AND ITS UNDER 20 MINUTES LONG!
The first thing I appreciate about this podcast is that it comes across exactly as advertised. The hosts are straight forward, asking simple, poignant questions, and the artists can answer however they feel. Everyone is different and approaches their craft different ways. Guests often talk about their process, or what the songs mean, or where they came from. As a musician myself, I appreciate when artists pull back the curtain and reveal their thought process on this sort of thing. There's also wide variety of guests on the podcast. From indie artists like Sea Wolf, to superstars like U2, and even film score composers like Alexander Desplat, you get a spectrum of musicians from all walks of the business and from all types of genres.
My favourite episode that gets in-depth about the meaning of the song is Mumford & Sons "Beloved." Marcus talks about his inspiration behind the highly emotional ballad, and it definitely sheds some light for me on why they're so successful. On the "Get Low" episode, James Vincent McMorrow talks about his musical process and how the song took shape over the course of recording it and working with his producers. On another episode, Hozier talks a lot about his writing process and how he escaped back home to isolate himself and write "Nina Cries Power."
Just having finished their fifth season, there's something for every music lover on this podcast. I would encourage you to listen to one or two episodes about songs or artists you like, and a couple on songs or artists you're unfamiliar with.
Other than the ones already mentioned before, here are some more episodes that I really enjoyed: The Killers, Alt-J, and Ramin Djawadi.
Take a listen! Let me know what you think! If you have a favourite episode, let me know! I'm always looking for similar podcasts to feed my music knowledge, so if you have any post them in the comments!
If you're like me and always looking to discover more new music, check out my hot tracks playlist on the main page (desktop only) for a weekly update of new music!
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