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 19 in total of Playing By Ear with the tag "rock".
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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.
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Pinkerton (Weezer)
June 30th, 2026 | 1 hr 47 mins
1990s, 90s, alternative, music, rivers cuomo, rock, rock music, songwriting, weezer
Weezer's second album looked nothing like Buddy Holly. While Rivers Cuomo and company returned with their signature memorable melodies, their sound was significantly harsher, full of screams and squeals. As a result, the album was less radio friendly, and even the band itself had a complex relationship with the material. But that material is very strong, and many cite Pinkerton as Weezer's best album. How cool is that?
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All The Pain Money Can Buy (Fastball)
May 19th, 2026 | 1 hr 39 mins
1990s, 90s, alternative, music, pop, rock, songwriter, songwriting
Fastball's winning album "All The Pain Money Can Buy" was best known for its huge hits, "The Way" and "Out Of My Head" but if you only stopped at those two, then you missed out on an album full of endearing and heartfelt songs. On this episode we confirm that Fastball hit this one out of the park.
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Great Divide (Semisonic)
May 5th, 2026 | 1 hr 52 mins
1990s, 90s, alternative, closing time, dan wilson, music, pop, rock, songwriter, songwriting
Dan Wilson is one of the most prolific and accomplished songwriters of the last thirty years. Before hitting it big with "Closing Time", his band Semisonic released its first album, "Great Divide" which showcases exactly why Wilson was destined for success. Full of lush, memorable melodies, this record is a perfect calling card of Wilson's legendary skill. Comedian Rich Baker joins us for a look back at this fantastic album.
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Ozzmosis (Ozzy Osbourne)
April 28th, 2026 | 1 hr 53 mins
1990s, 90s, black sabbath, crazy train, hard rock, metal, music, ozzy osbourne, rock, rock and roll, songwriting
The Prince of Darkness, the Ozzman, whatever you call him, Ozzy Osboune remains the undisputed master of heavy metal. No one did more to cement what metal was, and his unique vocals and showmanship were untouchable. This episode we look back at 1995's "Ozzmosis" with comedian Rch Baker, and analyze why Ozzy's reign remained, even while musical tastes around him completely shifted.
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Parallel Lines (Blondie)
April 14th, 2026 | 1 hr 43 mins
classic rock, debbie harry, music, punk, rock, rock and roll, songwriter, songwriters, songwriting
One way or another, "Parallel Lines" from Blondie is gonna get you. This 1978 album is innovative, and a convergence of genres on the rise, from punk rock, to new wave, and everything in between, anchored by Debbie Harry's limitless cool and swagger. Highly influential, this album is a gas that doesn't turn out to be a pain in the ass.
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Just Won't Burn (Susan Tedeschi)
March 17th, 2026 | 1 hr 40 mins
blues, blues rock, country, memphis, music, r and b, rock, rock and roll, songwriter, songwriting, tedeschi trucks, the blues, trucks
The Blues are the bedrock of all modern popular music. From rock, to R&B, country, hip-hop and more, it all owes a debt to one of America's greatest musical inventions. On this episode we explore a more modern and feminine take on this classic genre, Grammy nominee Susan Tedeschi's "Just Won't Burn". Her raspy, powerhouse vocals and forceful guitar work transport the listener with raw chords and even more raw emotion.
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Flesh & Blood (Poison)
February 3rd, 2026 | 1 hr 49 mins
1980s, 1990s, 80s, 90s, bobby dall, brett michaels, c.c. deville, guitar, hair metal, metal, music, rikki rockett, rock, rock and roll, rock music, songwriting
By 1990 hair metal was on the precipice of irrelevance, soon to be swept aside by grunge. Nevertheless, the genre's last big year was filled with big riffs, big beats, and big hair as Poison ripped some incredible bops (unskinny or otherwise) that we had a blast reviewing.
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Drive (Bic Runga)
January 20th, 2026 | 1 hr 45 mins
1990s, 90s, american pie, musician, new zealand, rock, rock music, singer, songwriter, songwriting, sway, vocalist
Bic Runga's debut album features beautiful, haunting vocals and equal parts soft singer/songwriter, and late 90s female-powered grunge. Does "Drive" drive, or does it just drive us crazy? We delve into this layered and complex work to peel back what makes it worth paying attention to.