It's MACKO! (The Mack-isode!)
In this very special episode of the show that talks about stuff on purpose, we're taking a closer look at four albums suggested by listener (and current blog contributor) Archbishop Mack! We felt these four albums (Transformer by Lou Reed, The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, Big Science by Laurie Anderson, and Nina Hagen In Ekstasy by Nina Hagen) were all worthy of a greater discussion, and so that's exactly what we've gone and done. It's a double-sized, four-in-one jamboree, and we can't wait for you to give it a listen! Have these artists and their respective works earned their places in the TRAPPO Essentials Can(n)on? You'll have to tune in to find out! Listen below, or find us on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Anchor, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic or Spotify, so choose your own adventure and bask in the glory of this courageous quartet of musical marvels!
That's it for now, but we've got a few things in the works, including our upcoming episode covering the listener-curated B-52's mixtape, which is coming soon! In the meantime, we'd love you to join the conversation! Leave a comment below, find us on Instagram, or send us an email! What did you think of the latest episode? What did you think of Mack's picks? Tell us what you'd like to see join the TRAPPO Essentials Can(n)on! Your feedback could be featured on a future episode!
Thanks for listening!
The episode feels like it drags things out too long. You guys didn't seem to get to the point with each album very quickly, and one of you sounds like he'd rather be anywhere else for the most part, so there's no feeling of enthusiasm throughout most of the podcast. That really kills any sense of momentum, which makes listening kind of a slog. And that sucks because I think these artists are really worth talking about, but I would have preferred maybe separate episodes for each one, that way you could really focus in on each record and take it apart.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you're keen on doing solo episodes if one of you isn't in the mood (sorry, but I don't remember names and I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings), but you could maybe give that a shot, too. That miught be more like an audio essay, I guess, which could work if you try to keep it engaging. I listen to some podcasts that do that, and they do it pretty well, so it's possible. Just think about it, maybe.
I would like to see some love for Plasmatics out there, if you're still interested in taking any canon suggestions from me. Wendy O Williams is a punk/rock goddess who followed her own muse, so there are definitely some similarites to Nina Hagen there, although their musical styles were a bit different. Her work with Plasmatics was definitely badass, and it seems to have been mostly forgotten by modern audiences, which sucks shit through a tube. Here's hoping TRAPPO's got a couple Plasmatics fans for its hosts!
Never heard of Nina Hagen before, and I guess I'm curious enough to listen to more, even though I admit it may not be my thing. I do get that feeling of the right music coming along at the right time that broadens your horizons. I've also never heard of Laurie Anderson before, and that music sounds a bit too conceptual and avant-garde to really suit my tastes. I'm cool with Lou Reed, though, and his album "Rock & Roll" might be my favorite. MCR is fine. Not bad. Not great.
ReplyDeleteKind of off topic, but what do you guys think of Stanley Kubrick's movies? Maybe you wouldn't be too keen on handling any of them for a podcast, because I know they've all been dissected and scrutinized under a cinephile's microscope for decades, but a personal perspective on one of his movies might be interesting. My favorite is "The Shining", but I'm cool if you discuss any of his work. Maybe if a one film conversation is too heady, you could just talk about his stuff in general. I just really like his work and think he's a fascinating individual, but clearly I'm not alone in that regard. So maybe it's not the most original idea, but who cares?
That's my suggestion. Have a good one, and keep making the podcast.
Asking a podcast to review the films of Stanley Kubrick is like asking them to review the entire Beatles catalogue. The subject has already been exhausted, hasn't it? There are ten thousand video essays on YouTube that are tackling these subjects in excruciating detail for anybody that's interested. I'm really just busting your chops, but surely their time and effort would be better spent on discussing the work of obscure German musical weirdos and other assorted fringe talents like Tirza or that Lonesome Wyatt guy.
DeleteI'm serious, by the way. There aren't a lot of media outlets that actually talk about that stuff, and TRAPPO introduced me to all of these musicians, and I actually am enjoying what I'm finding, so keep up the good work. Let ROlling Stone review the fresh new tracks from Doja Cat or whatever the fuck else is tearing up the Billboard Hot 100. TRAPPO needs to stay weird. Maybe only ten people listen to this show, but I think those ten people actually give a damn about it, so that's fine with me. I'll keep listening, so keep throwing bizarre shit that I've never heard of at me, so I can keep devouring it with my big fucking spoon.
But if you do want to talk about any Stanley Kubrick movies, that's fine, too.
I'm pretty lukewarm on all of these records. I don't think any of them are bad, and I respect them all (except for that Nina Hagen stuff, because I have no familiarity with her music, but I respect the host's admiration for her), but none of them are favorites for me. There's just something about each of them that keeps me from loving them, but they have earned their places in history.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the episode itself, t feels like you spend too much time talking about each of these records while simultaneously not saying enough, if that makes sense. You take time discussing tracks that you really have nothing to say about, when you could have just skipped those tracks altogether and saved some precious moments. You seem to run out of steam at several points during the episode because you just don't have enough to say, when you could just not talk about these things. Am I making sense to you? Because I'm not trying to be an asshole, I'm just trying to offer constructive criticism. Most music related podcasts or reviews don't dwell on every song if they don't have a lot to say about them, so feel free to skip the songs that don't grab you on future episodes. Do yourselves a favor and save yourselves some time.
I do listen to your show and I generally enjoy it, so I just want you to understand where I'm coming from. TRAPPO is kind of a shaggy dog, and it could use a trim, but the show seems to be generally improving over time, so keep it up.
There's some new music I've been listening to that I'd like to share, if you're interested. I'm not saying this stuff is "cannon worthy", but it's pretty good stuff in my opinion. First up, there's an album from a band called Virginia Creepers that I'd never heard of before a friend of mine introduced me to them last week, and it's called "Little Bird In The Bosque". It's a very lively bluegrass/Americana hybrid, and I really enjoy it, but I'm already plugged into that genre and I'm a bit of a country boy, so it just sounds like home to me. The last one is called "Crease" by Kee Avil, and I don't know what to make of it. It's strange and challenging, but I think I kind of love it, but I can't get anybody else to listen and tell me whether I'm right or wrong. They all just check out almost immediately after the first track starts up, and I don't understand. "I don't really get it" is basically what I've been told, but most of my peers aren't exactly very musically adventurous, I guess I can say, to be polite. I don't think the music is THAT weird, so it just stumps me.
Anyway, thanks for making the show.
I think Ray of Light might be Madonna's best album. I've actually listened to a lot of her music, and I consider myself a big fan, and Ray of Light is the album of hers that I keep coming back to. The title track is like an explosion of positivity, a big bright sunrise, and Nothing Really Matters has a gorgeous melody that I think is one of her best overall. Frozen is haunting and sparse, a new and maybe startling direction for Madonna's music, a digital production that is different and wonderful, and it might be Ray of Light's strongest track. It's a killer work, and one that I think has gotten a little lost in the bulk of her catalogue as of late. Madonna's still pumping out consistently good work, a truly amazing track record for any creative party, and a real example of how pure talent, hard work and a knack for reinvention can keep an artist relevant for decades.
ReplyDeleteAnd Bad Hair Day from Weird Al is, if not one of his best albums, then at least solid upper-mid-tier work from a guy who has never made a bad record in his own long and varied career. A genuinely talented musical artist who is still viewed by most folks as just a "parody musician", Weird Al has been kicking ass and taking names since before I was born, and he's still making hilarious music! And not to mention the bizarre autobiography movie he's got in the works starring Daniel Radcliff, Harry Potter himself, as Weird Al. I can't wait for that madness to see the light of day.
Thanks for the mammaries, and keep trappin!
I always wondered if Frank Zappa and Weird Al knew each other. I never heard any stories about them crossing paths (or swords) but I think they probably would have gotten along. Zappa probably would have seen the craft and talent in Weird Al’s music and he’d also probably applaud the man’s prodigious accordion skills. Have you ever actually held an accordion and tried to manipulate it? That shit ain’t easy. There’s not much distance between “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow” and “That Boy Could Dance” when you think about it.
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