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A podcast centered on going beyond the music to dissect song lyrics and how they relate to philosophy, data, anecdotes, current events, and more. What do these songs have to say about the world and what does that mean for our lives? It's a music podcast for academics. It's a TEDx series for punk rockers. We focus primarily on lyric-driven artists of all genres.
Episodes
Monday Jun 13, 2022
Episode 20: The Joy of a Created Life (Former Ruins - Sparrow Eyes)
Monday Jun 13, 2022
Monday Jun 13, 2022
In western society, freedom has become an idol for all sides of the political spectrum. We are individualist. We are self-defined. But are we better off for it? Today, we explore how a worldview of being created beings gives us a unique predicament - to be fully known and fully loved means we must first be exposed. But this temporary discomfort is naught in light of greater joy by realizing our true purpose and design.
Monday Nov 01, 2021
Episode 19: Philosophy of Justice (New Language - Right Now)
Monday Nov 01, 2021
Monday Nov 01, 2021
Justice is a critical topic in our present moment, but how much justice can we actually accomplish? We explore the philosophical roots of what it takes to have an effective moral standard that actually allows us to facilitate change in some way that matters as well as pitfalls of relativism and materialistic worldviews.
Monday Sep 27, 2021
Episode 18: The Cult of Compromise (Adjy - The Idyll Opus (I-VI))
Monday Sep 27, 2021
Monday Sep 27, 2021
In all of our debates of society and even in-fighting with those of our own ideologies, we're inevitably locked into a shared culture behind it all. But is it possible to reform the system, or does real change happen by laying a new foundation? What should community look like in a world of convenience? We tackle all of this and more as we look at the new Adjy record.
Monday Jul 05, 2021
Episode 17: Peace and Perspective (J Lind - Letter to the Editor)
Monday Jul 05, 2021
Monday Jul 05, 2021
Inconveniences and trials of all sorts plague our lives; we are fixated on our myopic take on life, unaware or unconcerned for how these same circumstances might affect others. Today, we look at J Lind's "Letter to the Editor" and see how taking control of our thoughts can free us from complaint and comparison.
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Episode 16: Grief, Revisited (Sufjan Stevens - Fourth of July)
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Here's a bummer episode to kill your holiday vibe. Today, we look at grief from a different angle, one not necessarily of guilt or absence but one of trying to make sense of our own identities of the loss of our loved ones. After all, we're all gonna die.
Sunday Jun 06, 2021
Episode 15 (ft Wind Words) - Exploring the Minor Prophets (Minor Prophets)
Sunday Jun 06, 2021
Sunday Jun 06, 2021
Today's episode is a bit straightforward - we unpack the process and significance behind Wind Words' latest themed project, Minor Prophets. The project was envisioned in pre-pandemic 2020, but the circumstances of the year, augmented by political divisions and plenty of pain and frustration brought to light more clearly, gave these texts a particularly relevant tone. These 'tracks' are reflections of the songs and the result of wrestling with what these prophets had to say to a corrupt culture - as well as a reminder of God's pursuit for His Beloved all the same. Ultimately, we conclude that these lesser-read texts are still timely for us today.
Monday May 31, 2021
Episode 14: Hurt By The Church (Anberlin - (*Fin))
Monday May 31, 2021
Monday May 31, 2021
Today's episode covers a very emotional track about real stories of spiritual abuse, neglect, and manipulation. Some of it is charismatic. Some of it involves overt hypocrisy. Faith healers, false prophecies, and absent fathers. But in this song, we're reminded God meets us in pain and is not defined by those who represent Him falsely. More importantly, we're part of the problem, too. Join us as we explore this classic song!
Wednesday May 26, 2021
Episode 13: Dehumanization of Art (The Felix Culpa - An Instrument)
Wednesday May 26, 2021
Wednesday May 26, 2021
As art has become more corporate and commercial, we've lost some sense of humanity here. And while usually listeners are to blame for taking artists for granted, artists also feel the guilt of exploiting listeners. We look at this post-hardcore band's magnum opus album to investigate how the complexity of marketing, integrity, utility, and art.
Friday May 21, 2021
Episode 12: Grief and Guilt (Touché Amoré - Stage Four)
Friday May 21, 2021
Friday May 21, 2021
On our first conceptual album breakdown, we tackle this challenging and emotional classic released in 2016. It's an album about grief, but it's not merely one of playing the victim. Frontman Jeremy Bolm writes from an honest perspective of his own failures and misplaced priorities. It's an album of earnest wrestling that might not give us clear answers on how to overcome our own grief, but it definitely gives us a candid look at one account of grief that might at least help us frame our our thoughts.
Sunday May 16, 2021
Episode 11: Christian Cringe (Derek Webb - The Spirit Bears the Curse)
Sunday May 16, 2021
Sunday May 16, 2021
Contemporary Christian music - one of the topics that seems to be divisive in many church circles. But the dark underbelly is that Nashville songwriters behind pop and country favorites are the same people behind palatable, positive spiritual pop. Are artists like Lauren Daigle, Chris Tomlin, and TobyMac harmless and inspiring? Or is there compromise on the Gospel? Derek Webb is no stranger to the industry and presents us with a "parody" worship song - one that is eerily similar to what many artists churn out. Let's unpack some concerns surrounding this reality.