HOT TAKES is coming back at you! Are you prepared to hear such bravery???

My good friend Quinn from Lowspot was kind enough to make a second appearance on the pod. This time around she was willing to risk desecrating her music-loving reputation for the sake of entertaining the masses. After all, taking on a classic, highly-influential band like The Who is considered, by some, blasphemy. In that sense, this episode is rather unholy.

"Tommy" is considered by many to be the first "grand" rock opera, a timeless classic that inspired countless concept albums to follow. If you search "top rock operas of all time", then you can expect to see Tommy on nearly every list. Well....Quinn argues otherwise: not only does she call into question the trail of influence left in Tommy's wake, but she also argues that Tommy really isn't that enjoyable of a listen. You might hear the words "tedious", "self-important", and "wow this album is way too long" throughout the episode.

Do you agree? Is Tommy overrated and standing on the overall legacy of The Who's otherwise rock-solid discography? Or are we way off on this one and simply missed the point of an early rock opera classic? Send me a message and let me know!

Check out Quinn's band Lowspot and their recent run of singles:

https://lowspot-cle.bandcamp.com/album/out-of-shame

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We're back with another band baby!

This time I got to hang with Sam and Matt to talk about their most recent album "Moon Paint for Black Winter". Here's my selling line for it: imagine feeling like you are listening to an art piece but you are fully engaged and not bored out of your mind. Seriously though, it is a difficult task to push ahead into new territory without drifting too far into the inaccessible ether of musicianship, and this duo absolutely nailed it on their latest album. Oh, you're starting to grow tired of the ambient, noisy stuff? Time to hit 'em with a break beat!

Everyone in the room was a rock fan so, of course, some familiar names appeared for us to fawn over. If you have not listened to the collaborative works of Brian Eno with David Bowie and David Byrne (respectively, unfortunately we were never gifted an album with all three...), then I suggest checking out "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" as a sort of primer. It is incredible how some works of art never seem to age, offering just as much relevancy today as 40 years in the past.

You can listen to Regas-Mcdonald and "Moon Paint for Black Winter" on all streaming platforms!

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3uyY39nmzSmM3tzpzekn20?si=-Gd-HruKRr-5fifAodumSg

If you have any comments, questions, or critiques, feel free to shoot me an email or DM!

musicianstakenote@gmail.com

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patreon.com/Musicians_Take_Note

@joe_h_guitar

We're back! I'm bringing back the weekly episodes with a BANGER of an episode.

Podcast alum The Chewy Center are BACK to talk about their excellent new album Janet Flight. This LP is a lean, mean album-oriented rock machine filled with twinges of prog, metal, pop, and even...a barbershop quartet? Seriously, at 40 minutes Janet Flight wastes absolutely no time and hits you with catchy hook after catchy hook until your ears feel like they just had an all-expenses-paid trip to the ear candy shop.

One of my rules for this podcast is that I will only talk to artists whose music I genuinely enjoy and find exciting. Few Cleveland releases have had me as excited as Janet Flight does! Thanks again to Dave, Mike, and Ben for your time in discussing this excellent album with me.

By the way, these guys have a terrific website. Check it out - this is a great example of how to set up a band website!

https://thechewycenter.com/

https://thechewycenter.bandcamp.com/album/janet-flight

If you have any comments, questions, or critiques, feel free to shoot me an email or DM!

musicianstakenote@gmail.com

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@joe_h_guitar

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Seriously...sometimes we all need a break. And that's what I'm doing this week. Mental health comes before a passion project or hobby, and I recognize that I am pushing my limits a bit too far.

More Hot Takes and guest episodes are on the way! I want to give my guests proper time, editing, and promotion, so I am going to release those episodes when I can actually do them properly. And don't worry - we're talking weeks, not years.

If you have any comments, questions, or critiques, feel free to shoot me an email or DM!

musicianstakenote@gmail.com

musicianstakenote.blog

patreon.com/Musicians_Take_Note

@joe_h_guitar

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Hello faithful listeners! Today I am quite excited. Why? Because I finally got Quiet Zoo on the pod!

These guys came on my radar about a year ago through some sort of Cleveland connection. We were actually on a bill together to play what ended up being the most cursed gig that I have ever experienced in my life. That whole saga should be an episode on its own. Now Quiet Zoo has Alex on vocals and guitar and, honestly, has never sounded better. After sharing the stage with these guys in January I knew we had to sit down and pick each other's brains.

We got into the history of the band, but, as is expected for the Musicians: Take Note! podcast, we went on a myriad of tangents regarding the money side of making music, the realities of dealing with musicians' egos and other personality issues, the unreliability of streaming metrics when determining the size of your fanbase...and so much more. It was truly a pleasure to share the mic with such creative, energetic, and positive music-makers.

I am EXTRA excited because Mud Whale will be sharing the stage with Quiet Zoo on June 30th at the Foundry Concert Club in Lakewood, OH! We will both be opening for heavy dreamy giants Dreamwell and Heavenly Blue in what will be Mud Whale's heaviest show yet. I am not sure how you can get heavier than Quiet Zoo, but...we're gonna try! As a warmup to that stacked lineup catch Quiet Zoo at Buzzbin in Akron on June 18th.

Check out Quiet Zoo at the links below:

https://quietzoo.bandcamp.com/track/a-balanced-scale

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2qXwLL1HMX5FoQnDXirxmW?si=IaT7hsrJSceDX-224gjHeg

@quietzooband

Shoot me a message with your thoughts on this episode!

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Ayyy get your hot takes right here! We're back for episode 4 baby. Alex came by to share his music opinions after doing a full regular episode, and boy were his takes STEAMING hot.

We will start off with a simple one: after years of constant inundation by the fine people of New Jersey, Alex has had enough of Bruce Springsteen. Equating him to a JAG (just a guy) who managed to impress enough of his bar-patron entourage to kickstart a music career, Bruce is now one of the biggest names in music....and Alex argues that his success is unearned.

On a slightly more provocative note: Alex also argues that Kanye, one of the most controversial figures in popular music, actually has important messages to share with the world. Without denying that Kanye has also gone off the rails on several occasions, Alex argues that these missteps are not reason enough to ignore the hip hop sensation, claiming that Kanye often speaks inconvenient truths that no one else is willing to share in fear of backlash.

Do you agree with Alex? Is Kanye a voice for the people who, for all of his faults, is on a mission to speak the truth? Or is he simply a troubled soul who really needs less social media interaction and more time with a psychiatrist? As a side note: I do take mental health quite seriously, and I do not want to make light of someone's situation as it relates to mental illness. When I suggest that he should seek professional health I am not joking.

Alex is currently working on new music, but we are keeping the details a bit secretive at this time. For now, check out his Instagram @condi543 where he has a plethora of guitar-related videos.

Shoot me a message with your thoughts on this episode!

musicianstakenote@gmail.com

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@joe_h_guitar

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Happy Memorial Day to my American friends! Marc from Orion's Sword was kind enough to come by and help me kick off the Hot Takes series with his hatred of Dopesmoker. It was truly a valiant effort, as Dopesmoker slander can trigger quite a number of Internet metal nerds.

Here's our full conversation, pretty much unedited and meandering between topics. If you already heard the Dopesmoker conversation, then feel free to skip ahead about 30 minutes in this episode. Yeah, I get it, some people don't want to hear the TRUTH.

Check out Orion's Sword's latest EP "TMA-006":

https://orionssword.bandcamp.com/album/tma-006

Orion's Sword also has a split in the works with Pale Fallen Dead. Check out the lead single and trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k_SeBViMS4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woEAUvNrXN0

musicianstakenote@gmail.com

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@joe_h_guitar

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HOT TAKES is back for a THIRD episode, and boy do I have a doozy for ya. Zach from Holographic Throne decided to hold no punches and go for a take that will officially make me lose any "cool music guy" cred that I may have achieved. Are you ready?

Zach argues that The Clash are not only overrated in terms of their influence on late 70's and early 80's punk but that the music itself just is not that interesting. Yeah, this absolute madlad is currently freely walking the streets right now. Somebody needs to put a stop to the lunacy. Jacob keeps himself at arm's length, probably to ensure that he has time to hit the "eject" button if need be. I will admit that I took a more open approach to the debate than I would have predicted before recording.

What do you guys think? Do The Clash indeed take a little too much credit for their genre-blending contributions to the formative years of the genre, or is Zach way off-base and should possibly be sent to punk jail, where he will be subjected to a punk re-education course led by Joe Strummer's ghost?

Find Holographic Throne on Bandcamp and Instagram:

https://holographicthrone.bandcamp.com/album/without-it

@holographicthrone

Zach's solo project:

https://elementarynotes.bandcamp.com/album/saturnine-fluctuation

@elementarynotes

Jacob's solo project (new album June 6th):

https://daddyswaglegs.bandcamp.com/album/mantis-to-live-by

@daddyswaglegs

Support Jacob's DIY-friendly, scene-building organization Ship to Shore! Brick-and-mortar location coming soon:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-fund-ship-to-shores-starting-inventory

@shiptoshorelorain

Send me your thoughts on the episode!

musicianstakenote@gmail.com

musicianstakenote.blog

patreon.com/Musicians_Take_Note

@joe_h_guitar