The Arrival Of Ethel Cain And The Disappearance Of Chance The Rapper, Plus: It's Our 5th Anniversary!
The Arrival Of Ethel Cain And The Disappearance Of Chance The Rapper, Plus: It's Our 5th Anniversary!Digest
This IndieCast episode celebrates its 5th anniversary, reflecting on the challenges of podcasting during the pandemic. The hosts delve into Taylor Swift's prolific album releases, comparing her output to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's saturation and questioning the current state of pop music, specifically the absence of "dangerous" artists like Eminem or Black Sabbath in the modern landscape. A detailed review of Ethel Cain's new album follows, highlighting its blend of pop bangers and lengthy instrumentals, along with discussions of her online persona and a potential feud with Lana Del Rey. The episode also analyzes Chance the Rapper's decline in popularity, attributing it to various factors including his later work and shifting musical tastes. A "Yay or Nay" segment debates My Chemical Romance's impact and lasting appeal, concluding with music recommendations: Teeth's "Magic of the Sail" and Cass McCombs' "Interior Live Oak."
Outlines
IndieCast Intro & Anniversary Reflection
The episode begins with a sponsor mention and then celebrates IndieCast's 5th anniversary, discussing the challenges of launching a podcast during the pandemic's initial lockdowns.
Taylor Swift Saturation & Pop Music Discussion
The hosts discuss Taylor Swift's frequent album releases, comparing her output to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's saturation. They debate the current state of pop music and the lack of "dangerous" artists.
Eminem, Black Sabbath, and the "Dangerous" Canon
The discussion shifts to Eminem's enduring appeal to younger generations, comparing his impact to Black Sabbath's in previous decades. They ponder the absence of similarly "dangerous" artists in contemporary music.
Ethel Cain Album Review
A detailed review of Ethel Cain's new album is presented, contrasting the hosts' perspectives on its blend of pop bangers and lengthy instrumentals. A discussion of her online persona and a potential feud with Lana Del Rey ensues.
Chance the Rapper's Forgotten Legacy
The hosts discuss Chance the Rapper's surprising disappearance from the cultural conversation, analyzing the factors that contributed to his decline in popularity.
Yay or Nay: My Chemical Romance
A "Yay or Nay" segment debates the merits of My Chemical Romance, exploring their impact and lasting appeal.
Recommendation Corner
The hosts share their music recommendations for the week: Teeth's "Magic of the Sail" and Cass McCombs' "Interior Live Oak."
Keywords
Ethel Cain
Art Goth Pop artist whose new album is reviewed in the podcast.
Taylor Swift
Pop artist whose prolific album releases are discussed in relation to album saturation.
Chance the Rapper
Hip-hop artist whose decline in popularity is analyzed.
Eminem
Hip-hop artist used as an example of a "dangerous" artist with lasting appeal.
Black Sabbath
Classic rock band used as an example of a "dangerous" artist with lasting appeal.
My Chemical Romance
Rock band whose merits are debated in a "Yay or Nay" segment.
Album Saturation
The overabundance of releases from a single artist.
Cultural Memory Holing
The phenomenon where a cultural figure or work is largely forgotten.
Transgressive Artist
An artist who pushes boundaries and challenges societal norms.
Art Goth Pop
A subgenre of pop music characterized by dark, evocative themes.
Q&A
What factors contributed to Chance the Rapper's decline in popularity?
A combination of factors, including the perceived "corny" nature of his later work, a lack of a release valve for building resentment, and a shift in musical tastes.
How does Ethel Cain's new album compare to her previous work?
While showcasing her talent for creating evocative worlds and dark themes, the album is criticized for its excessive length and overreliance on lengthy instrumentals.
What is the significance of the "dangerous" element in music?
The hosts argue that a sense of danger or transgression in music is crucial for its lasting impact and appeal to younger generations.
Show Notes
Steven and Ian open with an acknowledgement of the show's fifth anniversary, which actually occurred a few weeks ago (0:30 ). From there, they note the announcement of yet another new Taylor Swift album and liken her to the MCU (3:43 ). They also talk about Steven's son recently getting into Eminem, and the scarcity of "danger-coded" music now (11:45 ). After that, they talk about the new Ethel Cain album and disagree slightly on its strengths and weaknesses (24:13 ). They also note the arrival of a new Chance The Rapper album, and how such news would have been a much bigger deal 10 years ago (33:43 ). Then they do a "yay or nay" on My Chemical Romance (46:00 ).
In Recommendation Corner, Ian talks about the slow-core band Teethe and Steven goes for veteran indie rocker Cass McCombs (49:52 ).
New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 252 here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Table of contents
United States
