These (Music) Podcasts Could be Your Life

 

I have always been drawn to audio over visual presentations, in part because I prefer the mental imagery generated by the voices, music, and sounds in my head. 

I was asked to provide some podcast favorites around music criticism in two recent social discussions.  This list does not focus on podcasts that play music or streaming shows I tend to be a bit fanatical about (i.e., Bagel Radio, Rock n’ Roll Manifesto, Tommy Unit Live!, Hair Metal Mix Tape)

What are your favorite podcasts on Music?

Pazz & Jop (with a nod to the ole' Village Voice annual music roundup)

Sound Opinions

• Two legendary music critics discuss new releases &  interview musicians from all shades of genres. 

Strong Songs 

• host breaks down new and classic songs & discusses techniques and tools of songwriting.

Broken Record 

• Started by Rick Rubin and Malcolm Gladwell, the show has insightful interviews. 

Hit Parade 

• Somewhat like a Decoder Ring (another fave of mine), the show combines elements to deconstruct and laud songs that have topped the charts and our brains. 

Switched on Pop

• Hosted by a Musicologist and a Songwriter, the show is Similar to Hit Parade with a heavier interview element. 

Introspection and Tunes

A Deeper Listen 

• From the fabulous Seattle-based, listener-sponsored KEXP, this podcast explores the meaning and stories behind songs from multiple genres. 

Bizarre Albums (& singles)

• Tony Thaxton, drummer for Motion City Soundtrack & Don’t Stop or We’ll Die explores the strange, odd, and outright weird albums that make us simultaneously laugh and take inspiration. 

My Favorite Album-with Jeremy Dylan

• Interviews with musicians, songwriters, and producers about what inspires them, the craft, and what keeps them passionate. 

James Aster’s Perfect Sounds 

• Actor, Comedian, and genuine music lover James Aster shares his guest music perspectives and spends each episode trying to convince them that 2016 was the most significant year in music ever. 

Three Track Podcast 

• Comedian and all-around renaissance man Gabriel Ebulue has guests pick any three tracks and dig deep into their cultural significance and why they are so emotionally tied to them. 

History of Rock Music in 500 Songs

• It is a remarkable breakdown of where rock has come from, how it evolved/ branched, and whether it will continue to influence the future. 

A to Z of Psychedelia ( on BBC Radio 6)

• BBC Radio 6 is doing what it does best: exploring a genre with music, interviews, and backstories that put you right ‘on-stage’ with the movement. 

 

Down the Rabbit Hole (Tech, Technology, and Culture of Recording Music)

Recording Rockstars 

• An award-winning recording engineer dives deep into the magic of making music in the studio. The show is full of brilliant discussions and brimming with advice, tips, and tricks. 

Working Class Audio

• After losing a studio during tough times, Matt Boudreau started the podcast to work through his feelings and reconnect to the art. His interviews are incisive, intriguing, and intelligent, giving us a window into many top engineers' personalities, work ethic, and inspiration.

TapeOp

Hosted by the Editor of TapeOp magazine, it combines the storytelling essentials and technology that produce beautiful music across genres. 

Hanging Out With Audiophiles 

• HOWA delves into the songs & the technology, techniques, and inspirations required to make “...make things sound right.”

 Cleaning A Speaker Suggestions For Maintaining Solid Sound

Speakers make up the final component of an audio system. The combination of cabinets and drivers brings music and movies to life, filling a room and enveloping the listener. As such, keeping your speakers clean both inside and out ensures years of high-fidelity performance.

Exterior Cabinets

The cabinets provide more than a structure to hold electronics; the shape, size, and materials help to reinforce low-end resonance and propel the sound forward. 

Whether constructed from fine, rare woods or specially designed composites, keeping them clean prevents the accumulation of dust that can fall into the drivers and maintains the visual appeal. Unless the wood requires special care and oils, using a damp cloth (preferably microfiber) to wipe the surface should be sufficient. If desired, an occasional manufacturer-approved wood polish can be used to protect the surface.

Speaker Grills, the fabric cover that protects the drivers from bumps, pokes, and other environmental dangers, can be cleaned with a soapy sponge. After drying, lift off any remaining debris with a vacuum and a brush attachment.

Woofers and Tweeters (Drivers)

Nearly all speakers will have at least one Woofer (mid- to low-frequency) and one Tweeter (high-frequency) driver; higher-end models include additional units dedicated to specific sound ranges. Over time, dust build-up in the drivers adversely affects the quality of reproduction, making it muddier and less distinct.

Tweeters are made of very delicate materials applied as a thin sheet over a framework; as such, great care must be taken when cleaning. In most cases, using canned or compressed air will remove any dust. Take caution and keep the nozzle an inch or more away to avoid poking the surface physically or from the air pressure.

While the cones (low and mid-frequency drivers) are constructed of more durable material, they should still be handled with care. If applying compressed air does not complete the job, use a small soft brush or microfiber cloth to remove stubborn dirt manually. Again, proceed with care to avoid pushing the cone in or puncturing the skin (The sound Link Ray created by punching holes in his guitar amp may have inspired a generation of rock musicians, but it is a disaster when listening at home.

Connectors

The connectors are the most durable component on any speaker and do not often need cleaning to improve or maintain performance quality. Still, these connection points are made of metals that can deteriorate or corrode over time, including the overhyped use of gold.  

Use a soft cloth to remove dirt or foreign particles from a connection point. If you are experiencing crackling, intermittent connectivity, or hum,  a light application of contact cleaner can help. 

A Little Care Goes A Long Way

While audiophiles can spend hours in isolation tweaking tweeters or adjusting coverage and sweet spots, a few simple actions will keep your system (of any size or quality) sounding great for longer. 

The Sadness of Sound

The Sadness of Sound

A meditation on the state of sound in our lives and ruminations on fixing it.

Let there be no noise made, my gentle friends, unless some dull and favorable hand will whisper music to my weary spirit. - Henry V, Act 4, Scene 3.

Alright, this may come off as a bit of ‘much ado about nothing’ to some, but the state of sound all around us is frustratingly bad and only getting worse. We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded by a cacophony of noise that distracts and dulls the senses; like the ever-present background radiation of the universe, we have come to accept, however begrudgingly, its intrusive presence. 

An international parasite seems to have wormed its way into our heads, hearts, and souls, dragging down our expectations like Jacob Marley’s chains. In 1991, Karlheinz Brandenburg opened Pandora’s box by successfully converting Suzanne Vegas’ Tom’s Diner into the digital domain(as an MP3), bringing us the blessed curse of quantity over quality.

The Meh! Of Mediocrity 

The remarkable achievement of digitizing music has fulfilled its promise to ‘democratize’ access to songs from around the world, breaking new bands and saving niche artists from obscurity. The technology requires balancing file size and sound quality, compressing data where possible while providing good enough delivery. The palpable joy of carrying hundreds of complete discographies in a pocket comes at the cost of losing many rich elements that add depth and lushness.  

The overwhelming ubiquity of MP3, originally seen as a tool to level the playing field, dulls our senses with mediocre audio and takes the soul out of sound. The MP3 foundation agrees, officially killing off professional licensing in 2017, stating: “The codecs of the AAC family, for example, are included in billions of devices today and provide excellent sound quality at low bit rates.”

Cut Throat Communication 

 So, here we are, conditioned to accept that ‘just good enough’ is more than adequate. Live events folks like to throw around the phrase ‘good enough for rock n’ roll,’ but this is a great misnomer. From symphonic metal to lo-fi grindcore and punk, the sound generated is carefully crafted. Why do we accept the sub-par sound in our daily lives, especially in business communications?

 

During the pandemic years of remote work, universal distance learning, and streaming presentations, audio quality was clearly an afterthought, even when we realized that the situation was to be a marathon. It is possible that many saw investment in upgraded hardware as a temporary hiccup and not as a wise use of company money. Yet, the situation was terrible for years prior. 

I am an avid listener to Bloomberg radio, not that I have any real money to invest, but the socio-economic ramifications of market changes fascinate me. As such, I get to hear a ton of earnings calls from companies large and small, and boy, howdy are they terrible. The sound is akin to kids shrieking over tin cans connected by a fishing line; in reality, two guys are shouting into a speakerphone.

 While some put money behind comprehensive conference systems, why is there resistance to one-on-one or huddle rooms?

The Curse of Audiophiles

Various attempts have been made to inspire a popular uprising by consumers, playing off ingrained cultural desires for the latest and best and one-upping their friends. So far, the results have been lackluster. Star-backed platforms like Neil Young’s (now defunct) Pono and Jay-Z-fronted TIDAL have made inroads with a niche demographic—generally wealthy status-conscious men. Surveys and polls show that most music listeners put availability over audiophile aspirations, at least regarding the cost of file formats.   

There is an oft-told joke about modern vinyl fans: What attracts them to the format is its expense and difficulty in making it work right. Comedic simplifications aside, there is no better example of the overwrought and avarice of so-called audiophiles than the now-defunct Rocky Mountain Audio Show. This yearly gathering of self-important audio mystics chanting over meteorite-sourced metal tweeters and rare wood cabinets smoothed by exotic virgins from lost islands has killed the better audio aspirations of the masses. 

Seriously, why would anyone think they can join the League of Better Sound when comment boards are filled with claims that crystal-infused slate platforms and naturally damping volcanic cones dramatically improve audio from a CD player? Add to this ‘essential components such as $1000 Streaming DACs, $8000 tube amplifiers, $20k speakers, and $600 hokum accessories- oh my! 

Seriously, while looking at the hope diamond is lovely, anyone insisting that to be truly fashionable, you must wear jewelry of equal value and ostentation is socially deaf and damages perceptions. Are we, as an industry, guilty of the same?

Making Presence A Priority 

We want our voices to be heard when we speak with a group of friends, on a conference call, or during a Zoom meeting. Ensuring everyone on a conference call is distinct should be a priority for everyone, not just the geeky AV folks. When properly punctuated, a voice imparts presence, giving ideas and statements a sense of authority and gravitas.

In order to change the mindset of just good enough to solid solutions, we need to provide clients with practical implementation without the Tiffinay boxes. Sometimes, this happens on a grand scale, an epiphany with angelic choir music. In reality, it takes baby steps, integrating higher-quality files, better headphones, and home entertainment. When people make better sound part of their everyday lives, they begin to demand it everywhere. 

How do you convince clients or yourself to pursue better sound daily? Or have we already stepped too far over the precipice?

This article was originally posted on AVNation.tv Features on February 24, 2024

Thoughts on Rejecting Audiophilia in Pursuit of Better Sound

Can we reclaim the heart and soul of Audiophiles by abandoning the word and seeking better sound while rejecting the anxiety of chasing the next shiny claim of fidelity? 

Michael Andrew (aka Michael Perez), founder of Hive Marketing group and writer for StereoNet International, recently posted about declaring his independence from the term Audiophile. It is a very good read that I have long banged the drums about. 

Yes, yes, and yes, again and again! The pursuit of audiophilia is something I have long struggled with. As a trained audio engineer who designed and installed custom home theaters and media rooms, Mr Perez/ Anddrew's enthusiasm and concerns are right on point. 

Birds of a Feather, Leave the Flock Together

I adamantly (to the point of obsession) insist on being surrounded by quality sound, and none of us should have to settle for lousy file formats or subpar reproduction. Yet the audiophile community continues to ostracize anyone who first enters or strays from the cannon.

There is an oft-told joke about modern vinyl fans: What attracts them to the format is its expense and difficulty in making it work right. 

Comedic simplifications aside, there is no better example of the overwrought and avarice of so-called audiophiles than the now-defunct Rocky Mountain Audio Show. This yearly gathering of self-important audio mystics chanting over meteorite-sourced metal tweeters and rare wood cabinets smoothed by exotic virgins from lost islands has killed the better audio aspirations of the masses.

Balance Without Anxiety or Sacrifice

While my technical knowledge and skill sets allow me the freedom to make the most of any setup, I have found Andrew Robinson's (former Home Stereo Review editor) reviews and insights just the right mix. In my humble opinion, Andrew has the right blend of lofty audio aspirations and real-world considerations. 

I applaud Michael's declaration and look forward to hearing more about what discoveries he will make and how he finds a balance between the need for quality without the anxiety and avoiding the drive to continually make 'just one more tweak.'