Playing By Ear
Every episode of this podcast breaks an album down, track by track, to cover why it's not only worth playing, but replaying.
Displaying items 1-10 of 31 in total of Playing By Ear with the tag "music".
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The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (Chappel Roan)
November 3rd, 2026 | 2 hrs 54 mins
femininomenon, hot to go, music, pink pony club, pop, pop music, songwriting
Um, can you play a song with a fucking beat? Chappel Roan burst onto the scene with the musically ambitious, lyrically delicious "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess". The album literally pulses with youthful exuberance, exploring themes of sexual experimentation and alienation, all set to Roan's powerful vocals and theatrical performance. We're joined by guest Matt Storm aka Stormageddon ("Fun and Games, Reignite podcasts) to soak up this album's party atmosphere, and ponder the questions that come the morning after too.
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Mini-Sode: The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning (Smashing Pumpkins)
October 27th, 2026 | 17 mins 55 secs
Alternative, DC, DC comics, adore, batman, batman & robin, comics, music, smashing pumpkins, songwriting, watchmen
Originally written as "The End Is The Beginning Is The End" for the film "Batman & Robin", it was reworked into this newer, darker, and hypnotic new version by Billy Corgan and company. Lost on various b-sides and rarities compilations, it resurfaced for the trailer of a different DC comics film, "Watchmen". The song remains powerful and entrancing, and like that film, a seeming harbinger of apocalyptic doom.
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Dead Man's Party (Oingo Boingo)
October 20th, 2026 | 1 hr 31 mins
1980s, 80s, Halloween, danny elfman, horror, music, new wave, nightmare before christmas, rock, songwriting, the nightmare before christmas
For Halloween we're bringing out the Pumpkin King himself, Danny Elfman, for a look back at Oingo Boingo's signature album "Dead Man's Party". The band worked some new wave weird science that fills this record with spooky melodic fun that will rattle your bones from beginning to end.
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Mini-Sode: Since You've Been Gone (Rainbow)
October 13th, 2026 | 13 mins 28 secs
classic rock, music, rainbow, rock, rock and roll, rock music, songwriting
Classic rock is a spectrum, and Rainbow's late 1970s banger "Since You've Been Gone" is bright, colorful, and fits in among good-time party records of the era. We're glad Kyle shined a light on this forgotten classic that absolutely belongs in everyone's backyard BBQ playlist.
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Appetite For Destruction (Guns N' Roses)
October 6th, 2026 | 1 hr 49 mins
1980s, 80s, axl rose, guitar, metal, music, paradise city, rock, rock and roll, slash, songwriting, sweet child o mine, welcome to the jungle
Welcome to the jungle! On their monster debut Guns N' Roses exploded out of the paradise city of Los Angeles serpentining their way up record charts, delivering one of the greatest albums of the 1980s, perhaps of all time. Axl Rose, Slash, and company set a rock and metal standard that perhaps no band has equaled since. I mean, where do we go, where do we go now?
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Yourself Or Someone Like You (Matchbox Twenty)
September 22nd, 2026 | 2 hrs 14 mins
1990s, 3am, 90s, long day, music, push, real world, rob thomas, rock, rock and roll, songwriting
Powered by radio-friendly megahits like 3 AM and Push, Matchbox Twenty's debut album demolished charts and set the stage for a career that would continue to generate megahits one after the other. This first album remains one of their strongest, and one we had an easy time revisiting.
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Mini-Sode: My Generation (The Who)
September 15th, 2026 | 16 mins 8 secs
1960s, 60s, classic rock, john entwhistle, keith moon, music, pete townshend, rock, rock and roll, roger daltrey, songwriting, the who
On this mini-episode we're t-t-talking about My Generation. A clarion call not just for the 60s but for all time, My Generation showcases all the raw power and youthful rebellion The Who could muster. From Roger Daltrey's screaming vocals, Pete Townshend's feedback-laden guitar, John Entwhistle's driving base, and Keith Moon's unbridled and unmatched drumming, no one can try to put this down.
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Big Red Letter Day (Buffalo Tom)
August 11th, 2026 | 2 hrs 7 mins
college rock, grunge, indie, indie music, indie rock, music, my so-called life, rock, rock and roll, songwriters, songwriting
Buffalo Tom's "Big Red Letter Day" may not have commercially been the big red letter day the band was looking for, but it exemplifies the feelings and soundscapes of grunge-era college rock. We're joined by musician and comedian Dylan Ris (www.lostmoonradio.com and www.themoonunits.com) to throw on some flannel and think about our so-called lives in the early 90s.
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Sounds Like This (Eric Hutchinson)
July 28th, 2026 | 1 hr 37 mins
music, rock, rock and roll, songwriters, songwriting
Heartfelt and full of swinging, bright melodies "Sounds Like This" sounds like Eric Hutchinson finding his musical footing. The album exhibits a confidence of an artist taking command of his style and audience, as darker subjects are slipped into catchy upbeat melodies. If Eric Hutchinson wants to rock, he rocks, and if he wants to roll, he rolls. We're right there rolling along with him.
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Automatic For The People (R.E.M.)
July 14th, 2026 | 1 hr 57 mins
1990s, 90s, Alternative, bill berry, everybody hurts, man on the moon, michael stipe, mike mills, music, nightswimming, peter buck, rock, songwriting
R.E.M.'s eighth album lived up to the band's name, as it featured a far more dream-like sound than what they had done before. With deeper lyrical subjects about death, aging, and legacy, R.E.M. challenged themselves, their audience, and created an album that received critical and audience acclaim, often appearing on the lists of greatest albums ever made. The jangly pop guitar sound the band was known for gave way to strings (with an assist from Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones), dulcimers, bozoukis, and piano for a softer contemplative album that stands among R.E.M.'s best work. Featuring huge hits "Everybody Hurts" and "Man on the Moon", Automatic For The People firmly cemented the band as, perhaps, the greatest alternative act of all time, marrying indie depth and mainstream appeal. This album deserves a quiet night.