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 11-20 of 24 in total of Playing By Ear with the tag "songwriting".
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The Innocents (Erasure)
March 31st, 2026 | 1 hr 39 mins
1980s, 80s, erasure, music, new wave, pop, pop music, songwriters, songwriting, synth, vince clark
We give a little respect to Erasure's "The Innocents". The album features classic 80s new wave synth sounds that perfectly suit Vince Clarke's smooth voice. Vivacious, danceable, and sometimes moving, "The Innocents" perfectly encapsulates everything that makes Erasure what it is, a pop confection with more depth than you might expect at first glance.
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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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I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) (Teddy Swims)
March 3rd, 2026 | 1 hr 29 mins
music, r&b, sam cooke, singer, songwriter, songwriting, soul
Did we lose control over Teddy Swims' debut album, or did we show it the door? The true answer is that it is problematic, an album with some high highs, but the second, slower half loses some steam along the way, something partially corrected by the addition of four new electric tracks in the Part 1.5 re-release of the album. What is undeniable, however, are Swims' pitch-perfect powerful vocals which, when paired with the rght song, call to mind classi R&B greats like Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, and more.
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Goths (The Mountain Goats)
February 17th, 2026 | 2 hrs 27 mins
goth, indie, indie rock, john darnielle, music, singer, songwriter, songwriting
Moody, beautiful, deep, dark, all words that describe goth music. And yet, while The Mountain Goats' "Goths" explores all the themes of goth music, the bands that played it, and the subculture that embraced it in the 1980s, the album occupies a woodwind-heavy guitarless soundscape wholly unlike its black-draped synth-heavy subject matter. We're joined by guest Rick Firestone of the Pixel Project Radio podcast to explore this album's sundrenched wistful look back at a gloomy subject.
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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.
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Bad (Michael Jackson)
January 6th, 2026 | 1 hr 42 mins
1980s, 80s, michael jackson, mtv, music, pop, pop music, r and b, r&b, songwriting
By the time of 1987's "Bad" Michael Jackson was an unstoppable cultural phenomenon, perhaps the most singularly famous person in the entire world, and all off of the strength of its predecessor, "Thriller" which remains the best-selling album of all time. Could the King of Pop continue his reign, or would this album live up to its title? Nearly 40 years on, "Bad" remains an incredible collection of infectious grooves that cements the Gloved One's place in music history.
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Revolver (The Beatles)
December 23rd, 2025 | 2 hrs 34 mins
1960s, 60s, beatles, british invasion, classic rock, george harrison, john lennon, lennon, mccartney, music, paul mccartney, psychedelia, psychedelic, ringo starr, rock, rock and roll, rock music, songwriting, the beatles
This is the end of the beginning... How do you break down one of the best albums by one of the best (if not perhaps THE best) band of all time? Kyle presents The Beatles' masterpiece, "Revolver", to Ami, Doug, and returning guest musician Sophie Gonzalez (www.themoonunits.com) for a music review that's here, there, and everywhere.
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The American Egypt (Mike Viola)
December 9th, 2025 | 2 hrs 35 mins
indie, indie rock, music, rock, rock music, songwriter, songwriting, that thing you do
Wistul, emotional, cheeky, and melodic, Mike Viola's "An American Egypt" uses inventive stream-of-consciousness lyrics to paint a dreamy picture of life as a middle-aged parent in Los Angeles. Sometimes silly, sometimes sad, and often both, Doug, Ami, and Kyle had a blast unpacking this album along with guest musician Sophie Gonzalez (www.themoonunits.com) to discuss an album she loves so much she wants to be buried with it lik a true American Egyptian.
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Songs For You, Truths For Me (James Morrison)
November 25th, 2025 | 1 hr 58 mins
gospel, independent, indie, james morrison, music, rock, rock and roll, songwriting, soul
Soulful, heartfelt, and powered by James Morrison's unique raspy vocals, "Songs For You, Truths For Me" strings together one spectacular song after another, but is it too much of a good thing? Ami, Kyle, and Doug talk about which songs light our fire and break on through, and which ones feel like they could be the end.