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Jason Tate
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Jason Tate
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Another Loser Anthem (Episode 103)

Encore 103
Jason Tate

Ever wonder about the first time I heard Good Charlotte? Probably not, but you can get the story in this week’s episode of Encore. This week we look at why pop-punk no longer seems capable of writing a hook and can be painfully un-catchy at times, if we like “deluxe” albums, what albums we play most on vinyl, following up the Victory vs Spotify kerfuffle, Good Charlotte is back, we may get new The Starting Line music next year, ESPN shut down Grantland, and Conde Nast buying Pitchfork. Also a huge thank you to everyone that bought Encore t-shirts! Please send us some photos once you get yours. You’ll find show notes, ways to subscribe, and links to stream and/or downloaded this episode in the replies.

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Pop-Punk Ladder (Episode 102)

Encore 102
Jason Tate

This week on Encore the pop-punk ladder explains to me what it means to be “posi.” I learn something new about all these youngins every day. This week’s topics include: Basketball is back, the Star Wars trailer was released and watched, some bands do “follow backs” on Twitter and that’s kinda weird, music being listening to exclusively on YouTube, advice for someone wanting to be a music producer, Spotify vs Victory Records vs Streetlight Manifesto, Adele, Google Play Podcasts, the new Apple TV, and favorite singles so far in 2015. Please note: This is the last week you can get a t-shirt if you want one! So pick one up. You’ll find show notes, ways to subscribe, and links to stream and/or downloaded this episode in the replies.

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Viking Wizard Eyes (Episode 101)

Encore 101
Jason Tate

I’m not sure I’m used to typing Encore yet when introducing the new podcast episodes. However, here we are with episode 101. Just a quick reminder that there are 12 days left to pick up our limited run of Encore t-shirts on teespring and thank you to everyone that has ordered one so far. I can’t wait to see pictures of people wearing the new logo. This week’s episode has us discussing some football, talking a little about other podcasts we like to listen to, the idea of “self-titled” albums and if they should have a certain “feel” to them or not. Then we discuss Thrice’s Vheissu turning 10 and how much that album in particular meant to me, Fall Out Boy’s re-release of “Irresistible,” some Panic! at the Disco stuff, and other random things spliced in there. Note: This episode features special guest Drew Beringer as Thomas had some family commitments this week. You’ll find show notes, ways to subscribe, and links to stream and/or downloaded this episode in the replies.

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This Is Encore (Episode 100)

Encore 100
Jason Tate

We made it to the 100th episode of our podcast — now it’s time to shake things up. Today we’d like to introduce you to the new podcast: Encore. We’ve undergone a name change, a little re-brand, and we’re coming at you with a brand new special episode this week. This week’s topics look at the reasons we decided to make this change, the process we went through in picking our new name and logo, the announcement of a special teespring campaign for limited edition Encore t-shirts, a special segment with guest Drew Beringer (where we talk about new music, what Drew’s been up to, technology, and all kinds of stuff), and then — of course — we end talking about Jesse Lacey’s emotional speech and the thoughts of Brand New calling it a day. We think it’s an episode worthy of this milestone.

I’d just like to take a moment to thank each and every one of our listeners for going on this journey with us. When we started the podcast I had no idea what it would be or become. I had no idea that I would end up looking forward to recording an episode each week. I had no idea we’d be able to grow it to the audience we have. It sounded fun to try and it has ended up being one of the highlights of my entire career here on the website. So, from Thomas, Drew, and I — truly thank you. I hope you enjoy this episode, and maybe the next 100, as much as I know I will recording them. We’re very excited about the new launch, logo, and t-shirts — they’re only available for about three weeks, so act fast. And if you like our show, we’d love it if you could help spread the word. Maybe tell a friend about the podcast, post about it on Twitter or Facebook, share our new logo, recommend it on Overcast or rate it in iTunes. Any of those things really would go a long way in helping us continue to grow the show and reach even more music fans. If everything goes to plan you won’t need to re-subscribe to the podcast (the new version should show up in your podcast player of choice). You’ll find show notes, ways to subscribe, and links to stream and/or downloaded this episode in the replies.

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NOW.HERE Stream ‘New Perspective’ EP

NOW.HERE
Jason Tate

I recently came across this Italian pop-punk band called NOW.HERE. Usually when I hit play on a band labeled “pop-punk” cynicism gets the best of me. My history with the genre is as old as my history online and most of the time I just sort of feel like I’ve heard it all before and that nothing can excite me in this space anymore. Then I stumbled onto the new EP by NOW.HERE. These four songs, crafted by 5 kids from Italy, hit me in a way that very little in the genre has in years. There’s an urgency and energy that reads as authentic and fresh to me. I went from “man, this would be my favorite find if I was in high-school” to “I keep coming back to this more than I expected” to “fuck, this is really good” to “see, I still do like pop-punk” to “yeah, this is one of my favorite finds in a while.” If you’re looking for a great pop-punk EP or maybe just looking for something to relight that air-guitaring jump-kicking part of your soul — start with NOW.HERE.

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Recommendation: Logitech UE Mini-Boom

Logitech UE Mini-Boom
Jason Tate

For Christmas I got a few Amazon gift cards, and because these things apparently just burn a hole in my mind — I decided to buy myself a couple presents with them.

One of those was the Logitech UE Mini-Boom.

The problem I was trying to solve was how to give myself a very easy way to listen to podcasts while in the shower / getting ready in the bathroom. The rest of my place has speakers where I can be anywhere and hear them with clarity; however, the bathroom (especially with the shower running) drowns out almost all of the sound. So, I wanted something I could easily listen to while in the shower or shaving. And how’s this device solve that problem? With flying colors.

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AbsolutePunk.net’s Top Albums of 2014

AbsolutePunk.net
Jason Tate

This best of list was put together by the AbsolutePunk.net staff in 2014. It used an old system for ranking albums, but has been brought over to Chorus.fm for posterity.

One thing Jason has always said he enjoys about our staff here at AbsolutePunk is that we are willing to let our opinions and biases shine through. No one here is trying to be a robot, solely evaluating music in an objective manner – if there even exists such a way to listen to these albums, the ones that have made us feel more emotion than all the other music released in 2014. Subjective opinion and bias is present as much as ever on any given publication’s albums of the year list, and ours is no exception. The following 30 albums were hand-chosen by our 21 active AP.net staffers, voted upon in only the most scientific of voting fashions. The best thing about these types of lists, though, is not seeing what we rank, but why we rank it; so each album is accompanied by a blurb from a staff member who loved it. We believe that there is no greater impetus behind listening to music than hearing someone tell you why they love it, so we hope you find something new here, or revisit something you enjoyed all year. – Thomas Nassiff

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Recommended Podcasts

Podcast
Jason Tate

Podcasts have become one of my favorite ways to pass the time. I’ve compiled a list of my favorites and these span a variety of fields and interests. I’ll keep this list updated on a regular basis. I think there’s an argument to be made that I’ve received a better education from subscribing to podcasts than I did in school.

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Recommendation: Elevation Labs’ Anchor

Jason Tate

I wrote about Elevation Labs’ “Headphone Anchor” when they were doing their Kickstarter campaign. Last week my order showed up. Since my new computer came last week as well, I decided it was a good time to clean out my office and work on decluttering. I installed the new headphone anchor under my desk and so far it’s been brilliant. I love having my headphones at arms reach without them sitting out on the desk. The anchor’s adhesive feels strong and secure but I used two tiny screws to double down on security. If you’ve got a home office and are looking for a good, simple, solution to storing your headphones — I’d definitely recommend picking one up.

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Review: Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues

Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Jason Tate

About one minute into the lead track, front-woman Laura Jane Grace snarls, “you want them to notice the ragged ends of your summer dress, you want them to see you like they see every other girl, they just see a faggot, they’ll hold their breath not to catch the sick” … and the gauntlet is thrown down. What Against Me!’s new album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, offers is a mixture of attitude and bravado that pulls together an emotion, weight, and gravitas that I’ve felt missing from music for a while. The lyrics contain something actually worth saying and while the sing-a-long choruses may get stuck in your head, there’s an underlying message that expels itself in a way unique to music — one that travels from head to heart and leads to rumination long after the guitars and drums dissipate.

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Review: The Lawrence Arms – Metropole

The Lawrence Arms - Metropole
Jason Tate

In a recently aired episode of the AP.net podcast I go on a (way-to-long) rant about genres and the labels we put on bands. The heart of the argument is ‘fuck labels and fuck genres’ because it’s all a mess. We waste time sitting around saying, “Is this pop-punk, or pop-punk, or pop-punk?” The whole thing is a classification system that no one agrees on, no one abides by, and it becomes a cluster-fuck when trying to talk about bands or describe a sound to someone. In fact, sometimes I think we spend more time arguing about genres than the music itself. Some genres have turned into four-letter words and used as a means to demean and dismiss bands almost as a personal affront. I hate it and I’m unsure if there’s a bigger offender than “pop-punk.”

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Review: Copeland – Ixora

Copeland - Ixora
Jason Tate

I think my biggest draw to music is the emotion it pulls from me when listening to a great song. That feeling where you experience the song with the entirety of your being. Everything fades away and all that matters in that moment is the space between notes, ears, and heart. Copeland’s upcoming album, Ixora, embodies everything I search for in music.

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Jason Tate’s Top Albums of 2014

The Best of 2014
Jason Tate

2014 ended up being one of my favorite years for music in a long while. It just seemed like every few weeks there was a new album to dive into and experience. There were times where it felt overwhelming, as if there was so much to listen to I felt ashamed I couldn’t give each album the time it deserved. But, here we are at the end of the year, and here we are tasked with trying to put numbers to the madness. I’ve done my best to put my favorite albums of the year in some kind of order … I hope you find as much to enjoy here as I have.

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