WICB Presents: The Deconstruct Podcast

About WICB Presents: The Deconstruct Podcast

WICB presents The Deconstruct Podcast, hosted by Ben Macarell. This biweekly cast goes as in-depth as possible in its dissections of the musical stylings and techniques used by its chosen artists. Each show deconstructs one song down to its core elements.

Publisher

The Deconstruct Podcast

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Jan 2021

Latest episode

22 Sept 2021

Latest episodes

13 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Sept 2021

   Episode 02.02: "Love, Love, Love" by The Mountain Goats

   In this episode, we're expanding on the concepts put out in the first episode and applying them to "Love, Love, Love" by the Mountain Goats, talking about forming melodies, putting harmony to work, and creating a soundscape with instruments. LINKS: Listen and follow along to the music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoO0AHwM010) Ben's new album, Tramway (https://bmacs001.bandcamp.com/album/tramway), is out now on Bandcamp. You can stream the lead single, See You In Harlem, on all your favorite streaming platforms.

2. 

   7 Sept 2021

   Episode 02.01: Math, Physics, and Music

   For someone not already knee-deep in playing music, it can be challenging to have a framework with which to understand it. In the first episode of this season, Ben gets down to bare-bones and talks about what sound and music actually are, and how to take the basic elements and construct works out of them. LINKS: An explanation of the Harmonic Series (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_series_(music)) Ben's new album, Tramway (https://bmacs001.bandcamp.com/album/tramway), is out now on Bandcamp. You can stream the lead single, See You In Harlem, on all your favorite services.

3. 

   26 May 2021

   Episode 11: On Racism in Music Education

   This week, we're doing something a bit different. LINKS You can email requests for tracks to deconstruct@wicb.org (mailto:deconstruct@wicb.org) Ben is on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BMACS001), Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeBYQXrAK7UY5SE4wmjq_w), and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@bmacs001?lang=en) as BMACS001 BIBLIOGRAPHY Clauhs, M., Beard, J., and Chadwick, A. (2017, December). Increasing Access to School Music through Modern Band. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321873901_Increasing_Access_to_School_Music_through_Modern_Band (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321873901_Increasing_Access_to_School_Music_through_Modern_Band) Clendenning, J. P., & Marvin, E. W. (2016). The Musician’s Guide to Theory and Analysis (3rd ed.). W. W. Norton and Company. Elpus, K., & Abril, C. (2011). High School Music Ensemble Students in the United States: A Demographic Profile. Journal of Research in Music Education, 59(2), 128-145. Retrieved May 24, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23019481 (http://www.jstor.org/stable/23019481) Ewell, P. A. (2020). Music Theory and the White Racial Frame. Music Theory Online, 26(2). https://doi.org/10.30535/mto.26.2.4 (https://doi.org/10.30535/mto.26.2.4) Falconer, L. (2013, August). A Comparison of the Perceptions of Music Educators and School Administrators Regarding Trends in Secondary Curricular Offerings and Implications on Student Body Participation. Penn State University. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.862.3718&rep=rep1&type=pdf (https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.862.3718&rep=rep1&type=pdf) Marshall, W. (2008). Stuff! Good Guitar Players Should Know: An A-Z Guide to Getting Better. Hal Leonard. Powell, B. (2019). Modern Bands Impact on Student Enrollment in Traditional Music Ensembles. School Music News- New York State School Music Association. Published. https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/cali-facpubs/42/ (https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/cali-facpubs/42/) Simon, K. A. (2013, March). Music Education in Urban America: A Demographic Report of Music Teachers in High-Poverty Urban Schools. Florida State University. http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-7605 (http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-7605) Society for Music Theory. (2019, October). Annual Report on Membership Demographics. https://societymusictheory.org/sites/default/files/demographics/smt-demographics-report-2019.pdf (https://societymusictheory.org/sites/default/files/demographics/smt-demographics-report-2019.pdf)

4. 

   18 May 2021

   Episode 10: Medley of "The Record Player Song", "The Wellerman", and "My Mother Told Me"

   TikTok's Duet feature has a habit of creating wild collaborations between musicians overlaying their talents on each other, creating art greater than the sum of its parts. Ben is taking a few minutes today to talk about one of these videos, an a capella medley of "The Record Player Song" by Daisy the Great, the whaling song "The Wellerman", and the verse "My Mother Told Me" from Egil's Saga as set in the History Channel series "Vikings", and discusses the basics of why something like this would work, analyzes each melody, and goes on a tangent about why learning music theory in school is soulless and lifeless. LINKS: The video in question (https://www.tiktok.com/@mcrebecky/video/6961117300531531014) (and no, you don't need the app to view it, this isn't Snapchat) You can email requests for tracks to deconstruct@wicb.org (mailto:deconstruct@wicb.org) Ben is on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BMACS001), Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeBYQXrAK7UY5SE4wmjq_w), and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@bmacs001?lang=en) as BMACS001

5. 

   4 May 2021

   Episode 9: "Somebody's Baby" by Jackson Browne

   In this episode, Ben takes a look at the 80's nostalgia trip that is Somebody's Baby by Jackson Browne, and looks into how music can both be anthemic and catchy as heck, covering topics like slap bass, crafting a guitar's sound, and how to shape vocal lines around lyrics. LINKS: Listen and follow along with the music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMeQ3LxA30k) You can email requests for tracks to deconstruct@wicb.org (mailto:deconstruct@wicb.org) Ben is on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BMACS001), Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeBYQXrAK7UY5SE4wmjq_w), and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@bmacs001?lang=en) as BMACS001

6. 

   20 Apr 2021

   Episode 8: "Mariposa" by the Peach Tree Rascals

   This week, Ben sits down with Ellen Chapman to discuss a song that made the rounds on TikTok last year, where even though the melodies are quickly forgotten, the dreamy vibes only get more intense with each listen. LINKS: Listen and follow along with the music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy1sELbxMVc) Ellen wished to plug kindness here You can email requests for tracks to deconstruct@wicb.org (mailto:deconstruct@wicb.org) Ben is also on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BMACS001), Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeBYQXrAK7UY5SE4wmjq_w), and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@bmacs001?lang=en) as BMACS001

7. 

   6 Apr 2021

   Episode 7: "Boys Don't Cry" by The Cure

   In which Ben is joined by Cam Narimanian again to discuss an early punk track. Even though the song is quite a simple one (and I may have picked that deliberately), we find that there's always meat to dive into, no matter the track. LINKS: Listen and follow along with the music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSAqXEcgoZ4) Cam’s a member of the band Soul From Body (https://cameronnarimanian.weebly.com/soul-from-body.html) You can email requests for tracks to deconstruct@wicb.org (mailto:deconstruct@wicb.org) Ben is also on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BMACS001), Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeBYQXrAK7UY5SE4wmjq_w), and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@bmacs001?lang=en) as BMACS001

8. 

   23 Mar 2021

   Episode 6: "Layla" by Derek and the Dominoes

   In which Ben reminisces about the past, goes on a tangent about Automated Dialogue Replacement, and finishes the episode only halfway through talking about Derek and the Dominoes' "Layla" LINKS: Listen and follow along with the music: We talk about Eric Clapton's Unplugged version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVd4WY_Y9Dc) before the proper Derek and the Dominoes version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TngViNw2pOo) You can email requests for tracks to deconstruct@wicb.org Ben is on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BMACS001), Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeBYQXrAK7UY5SE4wmjq_w), and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@bmacs001?lang=en) as BMACS001

9. 

   23 Feb 2021

   Episode 5: "Rasputin" by Boney M

   For the first time, Ben's on his own! This week, he's talking Boney M's Rasputin, discussing a melding of folk and 70's Europop, building of suspense, and how EDM is basically just electronic disco LINKS: Listen and follow along to the music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ansULlipQJI) Ben is trying to raise funds (//gf.me/u/zj4pzs) to make an album Ben’s on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BMACS001), Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeBYQXrAK7UY5SE4wmjq_w), and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@bmacs001?lang=en) as BMACS001

10. 

    9 Feb 2021

    Episode 4: "A Moorside Suite: III. March" by Gustav Holst

    Finally, an episode where the writer is sufficiently dead that we can use their music without infringing on copyright! This week, Ben is joined by Peter Oselador to talk Gustav Holst, brass bands, non-functional harmony, and ask what the heck a Moorside Suite is. LINKS: Listen to the music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HejXZHZPMY0) I've made a reduced score (https://musescore.com/user/1751136/scores/6597108) for you to follow along with. If a full score is more your cup of tea, the full score is on IMSLP (https://imslp.org/wiki/A_Moorside_Suite%2C_H.173_(Holst%2C_Gustav)) Peter has appeared on Breaking the Third Wall in Music (https://open.spotify.com/show/5Zf4WdlP5WmUxDn9Jq8ZwQ?si=_hXlSS2CTAOkE-3Sm-DqOg) by Tara Allen Ben’s on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BMACS001), Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeBYQXrAK7UY5SE4wmjq_w), and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@bmacs001?lang=en) as BMACS001

11. 

    19 Jan 2021

    Episode 3: "In the Aeroplane Over The Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel

    Ben is joined by WICB DJ Laura Koch to discuss the intertwining of melody and lyric, intentionally shoddy production, and use a term meant for literature with surprisingly metaphorically resonant results. LINKS: Listen along to the music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FeD16vu_qQ) Laura's co-hosts the A-Side B-Side Podcast (https://open.spotify.com/show/32jId4ANLrQPoAzqR3XHYG) Ben’s on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BMACS001), Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeBYQXrAK7UY5SE4wmjq_w), and now TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@bmacs001?lang=en) as BMACS001

12. 

    5 Jan 2021

    Episode 2: "S.O.S." by ABBA

    Ben is joined today by Sarah Borsari from WICB's Eve Out Loud to talk about one of the catchiest pop songs of all time, ABBA's "S.O.S.", and why the key to an excellent pop song is emotional frustration LINKS: Listen and follow along with the music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvChjHcABPA) SOS is in fact the fifth most catchy song from Billboards biggest hits of all time, according to a survey of 12,000 people (https://qz.com/290202/science-this-is-the-catchiest-song-of-all-time/) by the Manchester Museum of Science Industry (https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/) Royal Philharmonic plays ABBA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJPgRAzSsIg) Sarah is DJ on WICB’s Eve Out Loud (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0zWhvmM3nFlDlHADJmzdHE?si=0JO5kRN0Tg6jDbqOx0u8zg) and contributes to Buzzsaw Magazine (http://www.buzzsawmag.org/) Ben’s on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BMACS001) and Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeBYQXrAK7UY5SE4wmjq_w) as BMACS001

13. 

    5 Jan 2021

    Episode 1: "Dreams" by The Cranberries (But for real this time)

    This week, Ben is joined by Cam Narimanian to dissect “Dreams” by the Cranberries, discussing the early 90’s alt rock sound, the vocal stylings of Dolores O’Riordan, a funky middle eight, and more. And this time around we've included timestamps in the music so you know what we're going on about! LINKS: Listen and follow along with the music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yam5uK6e-bQ) Cam’s band, Soul From Body (https://cameronnarimanian.weebly.com/soul-from-body.html) Ben’s on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BMACS001) and Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeBYQXrAK7UY5SE4wmjq_w) as BMACS001

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.