This Is Encore (Episode 100)

Jason Tate Oct 15, 2015

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.

Interview: Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack

Jonathan Bautts Oct 2, 2015

Frontman Justin Pierre discusses Motion City Soundtrack’s latest album Panic Stations, writing from a more instinctual place, how his relationship with music has changed over the years, struggling with writer’s block, and not planning the future too far in advance.

Interview: Vince Staples

Jonathan Bautts Sep 23, 2015

Vince Staples discusses his debut full-length Summertime ’06, giving people an understanding of where he’s coming from, telling both sides of the story, and wanting to have a legacy in music.

Interview: Keith Jeffery of Atlas Genius

Jonathan Bautts Sep 16, 2015

Frontman Keith Jeffery chats about aiming for a bigger sound on Atlas Genius’ sophomore effort Inanimate Objects, being overwhelmed by the whirlwind touring and success of the first album, and writing songs that always contain a glimmer of hope.

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The Myth of Objectivity: Music Journalism in 2015

Anna Acosta Sep 15, 2015

(ICYMI: This is a follow up to ‘Witch Hunts & Straw Men: Internet Discourse in 2015)

I want to start by saying that this is not about any particular incident, but instead is addressing a larger issue that is prevalent in our scene – misogyny and the underlying theme that overall treatment of women is a footnote of little to no consequence. We are starting to know who the culprits are, but each time there is an accusation, the same general outcry goes up regardless of evidence provided, or even our own common sense in regards to how society works. In reality, we all know bad behavior is treated as though it were acceptable from young men. We wouldn’t cling so tightly to the law to provide our moral compass if that wasn’t the case. The issue isn’t that we don’t think these dudes might be treating women badly. The issue is that we have decided, somewhere along the way, that unless their treatment of women is illegal, it isn’t an issue.

Jonathan Bautts Sep 14, 2015

Vampire Weekend bassist Chris Baio talks about his debut solo album The Names, life in London, the challenges of singing for the first time, and not getting bogged down in expectations.

Witch Hunts and Straw Men: Internet Discourse in 2015

Anna Acosta Sep 8, 2015

Lately, there has been a lot of discourse on the Internet regarding how we talk about sexual abuse allegations. In those conversations, the real issue – which is the epidemic of abuse going on in our communities – often gets lost in the shuffle as skeptics and proponents of the status quo throw distraction after distraction into the ring.

Let me be clear: I am not talking about the rare occasion where an allegation is unfounded and/or proven to be merely attention seeking (which is reprehensible and inexcusable). I am talking about the vast majority of incidents where that is not the case – and I am also speaking on behalf of victims whose abuse is not acknowledged by the law at all (see: most psychological abuse or continual domestic mistreatment).

So without further ado – I’m going to address some of the more common responses to allegations and start to explore why they are a problem:

Jonathan Bautts Sep 4, 2015

Lead singer Paul Meany details the four-year process behind Mutemath’s upcoming fourth album Vitals, continually chasing the euphoric feeling of finishing a record, why the band has come full circle creatively after 10 years yet still pushes forward, and how writing songs that embody a spirit of life has helped him navigate as he’s grown older.

Interview: Robert DeLong

Jonathan Bautts Sep 3, 2015

Robert DeLong chats about being more intentional on his second album In the Cards, approaching dance from an indie/singer-songwriter perspective, his unique musical background, and predicts the future of electronic music.

Interview: Noah Gundersen

Craig Manning Aug 11, 2015

Last week, I got the chance to spend a half hour chatting with Seattle-based folk singer/songwriter, Noah Gundersen. Fresh off the release of his 2014 debut album, Ledges, and already gearing up for the release of the follow-up, Carry the Ghost, Gundersen spoke candidly about the collaborative nature of his new album, about keeping the intimacy of his earlier music alive whilst moving into full-band territory, about exploring difficult subjects like religion and existentialism in his lyrics, and about why we’ll probably be hearing yet another new album from him sooner rather than later.

Interview: Daniel Armbruster of Joywave

Jonathan Bautts Jul 23, 2015

Lead singer Daniel Armbruster dives into the transformative experience of making Joywave’s debut album How Do You Feel Now?, going No. 1 with “Dangerous,” sampling Disney animated classics, growing up in Rochester, and dealing with the bumps in life.

Interview: Jim Adkins

Jonathan Bautts Jul 13, 2015

Jim Adkins discusses taking a breather from Jimmy Eat World by going solo for the first time, exploring and reinterpreting ‘50s and ‘60s pop music, and why he’s releasing his songs individually instead of as an album.

Interview: Mike Shinoda of Fort Minor

Jonathan Bautts Jul 9, 2015

Mike Shinoda explains why he is bringing Fort Minor back, details his new song “Welcome” and its 360 video, describes his evolution as a musician and lyricist, talks about collaborating with Harvard, and reflects upon the past and future of Linkin Park.

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Interview: Ellie Rowsell and Joel Amey of Wolf Alice

Jonathan Bautts Jul 7, 2015

Frontwoman Ellie Rowsell and drummer Joel Amey talk about the inspirations behind Wolf Alice’s debut album My Love Is Cool, what some of the different reactions they’ve come across thus far have been like, and why learning to follow your gut is important.