Podcast of the Week: Man Caves, The Study, and Identity

On their latest episode, Taylor Marshall and Jared Zimmerer challenge the prevalent notion of the man cave as the retreat for the modern neanderthal and argue for the necessity of the study in the live of the paternal philosopher-king. Beyond just stressing the importance of its incorporation in a man's abode, the duo propose several tips for how to go about acquiring and implementing the essential articles for this locale, even if one happens to be a bachelor with a roommate.

Listen to "Man Caves, The Study, and Identity"

Visit Maccabee Society

Be the Maccabee,

Kelvin

P.S. - The Song Exploder episode with CHVRCHES that was recorded while I was at SXSW is finally up.

Song of the Week: Irresistible

I probably came across the shoegaze band Whirr from the noise rockers Nothing, but in any case I tuned in to the former artist's radio station on Spotify and up came this song from post-metal act Deafheaven. This short instrumental comes in the front end of their 2013 sophomore release Sunbather and serves as a testament to the band's eclectic approach to songwriting and their unwillingness to be pigeon-holed into one musical genre, even as broad an umbrella term as "hard rock".

"Irresistible" by Deafheaven

Simply irresistible,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: The Heart Versus The Head & Other Random Musings

Only one son of thunder, Daniel Cornell, is present this week as the other, Kevin Kramer, is exercising paternal duties for his newborn child. Though flying solo, Dan covers a lot of ground in this 80-minute show as he touches on a variety of Catholic topics ranging from old to new: women deacons, the evangelization of Jews, participation in the Mass, the removal of verses from the Holy Thursday and Corpus Christi readings, ad orientem, attending the Latin Mass for the first time and the balance to be struck between the head and the heart.

Listen to "The Heart Versus The Head & Other Random Musings"

Visit Sons of Thunder Podcast

A hodge-podge of stuff,
Kelvin

Song of the Week: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity

This week's pick is not from the 2010's but the 1910's! After hearing the hymn "O God Beyond All Praising" at Mass some time back, my girlfriend pointed out that the melody is actually borrowed from a movement in the middle of an orchestral suite. The Planets, Op. 32 was composed by Englishman Gustav Holst and has seven movements, one for each of the planets other than Earth in our Solar System (Pluto was not considered a planet at the time... nor now). The mood of each movement matches Holst's interpretation of the astrological / mythological character of the planet's namesake, and "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" makes me jolly every time I hear it.

"Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" by Gustav Holst

For we can only wonder,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: Finding God in the Devil of Hell's Kitchen

The Greeks have done it again! Just like in their previous episode, where the Steven and Christian of PCCH successfully steered me away from ever desiring to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, my media viewing was influenced when they promised spoilers and I went ahead and finished the second season of Daredevil. Their discussion was a good one, touching on the strength of the storywriting in both seasons, the lessons we can pull from Matt Murdok's struggle with identity and purpose and the present state of the superhero genre and movies and TV as a whole. They then shift gears to talk about the hero in art as an archetype for the Savior, would one be a superhero or supervillain if given the power and what superpowers are the most desirable.

Oh, and there's definitely spoilers ;)

Listen to "Finding God in the Devil of Hell's Kitchen"

Visit Pop Culture Coffee Hour

I'm all ears,
Kelvin

Song of the Week: Hollow Body

My Spotify "Discover Weekly" playlist, where every Monday the site curates a selection of songs I'd enjoy based on my listening history, is slowly becoming an All Songs Considered playlist (it's as if my podcast history is recorded also...). One song from there that stuck with me was "Hollow Body" by Many Rooms off of their 2015 debut Hollow Body. This song was used at the beginning of a November episode of All Songs and though I didn't think much of it the first time around this time I was captivated by the slow build in this hauntingly beautiful and bittersweet folk single.

"Hollow Body" by Many Rooms

You put your breath in me,
Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: Love/Pride

FINALLY!!! After 15 months of waiting, Fr. John Nepil has rounded out the trilogy of discussions on the theological virtues and their corresponding vices. Adapting the topic from the series of essays by the late and great Josef Pieper, it should be no surprise that it is pride and not hate which is the opposite of love. Pride it is also that the CSYSK duo in Rome spend the majority of their time tackling in this important episode.

Listen to "Love/Pride"

Listen to "Hope/Despair"

Listen to "Faith/Doubt"

Visit Catholic Stuff You Should Know

{Duolingo trumpet sound},
Kelvin

Song of the Week: Fired Up

I recently came across "Fired Up" and was reminded of the KEXP Song of the Day feed and how this song was my introduction to this podcast nine months ago, making Titus Andronicus my introduction to the newest wave in modern punk. In keeping with the theme of their Shakespearian namesake, last year's The Most Lamentable Tragedy is a 90-minute and 29-song rock opera that melds the brashness of The Clash with the heart of Pulp to convey an image of the modern anarchist burning all the bridges of his past, making sure the baptismal font gets evaporated along the way.

"Fired Up" by Titus Andronicus

I call it an emerging scene,
Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: The 5 Big Questions Everyone Asks in Life

On last week's WOF Show, Bishop Robert Barron tackles quite literally the biggest questions about life and our place in it. He gives a very concise one-sentence answer to each at the end that I think represents well the height, breath and depth one can expect in listening to this discussion:

• Does God exist?
• Yes, because the world does not explain itself.
• Who am I?
• I am a hybrid of both body and soul.
• What is the meaning of life?
• The meaning of life is to return to God, from whom we came.
• What is right and wrong?
• What is right is what is in line with the teleology of my humanity.
• What happens after death?
• We are raised to a higher pitch of transfigured existence that Paul would call the "spiritual body".

All this before masterfully handling a listener question on where the omnipotence and providence of God ends and our free will begins, citing Luis de Molina and St. Thomas Aquinas in his response.

Listen to "The 5 Big Questions Everyone Asks in Life"

Visit Word on Fire Show

We've given you the easiest questions today,
Kelvin

Song of the Week: Cleveland Rocks

I spent this past Memorial Day weekend with friends riding the world-famous roller coasters at Cedar Point and Kings Island during an amusement park run in Ohio. Though I enjoyed my time at the parks, I can't say the same for the endless wheat fields that was the view for our commutes. I'm not bad-mouthing the whole state, however, because I was aware of one of it's great exports: "Cleveland Rocks". Originally written by glam rocker Ian Hunter for his 1979 album You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, the song is better known among younger audiences (like myself) for being covered by the alternative act TPOTUSOA and used as the theme song to The Drew Carey Show from 1997 onwards.

"Cleveland Rocks (Ian Hunter Cover)" by The Presidents of the United States of America

Listen to the original here

Rent is due,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: Orchestral Music From Latin America

Another week, another Alt.Latino pick. This time Felix Contreras sits down with Tom Huizenga as they embark on a journey following the influence and evolution of classical music in Latin America. Part music lesson and part history lesson, this podcast offers a great introduction to a genre that is as diverse as the countries that produce it.

Listen to "Alt.Latino Goes Classical: Orchestral Music From Latin America"

Visit Alt.Latino

Why not a mariachi opera, right?
Kelvin

Song of the Week: A Thousand Years

I'm not one to listen to pop ballads in my spare time, but some songs stand out when they're added to a playlist my girlfriend shares with me and when they are the sole slow dance at the reception of a wedding at the end of that same week. "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri is one such song, a beautifully composed ode to faithfulness. It's so good that I can (almost) ignore the fact that it's featured on the soundtrack for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.

"A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri

Heart beats fast,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: It Takes Guts to Be Alive

The latest guest DJ session presented by Alt.Latino is actually a re-run from 2012 and features Dominican author Junot Diaz. Diaz brings with him an eclectic setlist with bachata, merengue and pop-punk, all sounds that reminded me deeply of my formative years (being half-Dominican myself). The trio of Diaz with Felix Contreras and Jasmine Garst also discuss the evolution of musical styles and influences in Latin America, specifically in the Caribbean, and the role music plays in asserting the identity of those with a stake in the name latino.

Listen to "Guest DJ Junot Diaz: 'It Takes Guts To Be Alive'"

Visit Alt.Latino

Breaking the omertà,

Kelvin

Song of the Week: Far From Any Road

Some time ago I spotted that Spotify had added a new playlist called "Southern Gothic" and I got around to listening to it today. I enjoyed this walk down the darker side of Americana and was elated to hear a song I recognized. "Far From Any Road", off of the 2003 album Singing Bones by The Handsome Family, served as the theme for the first season of True Detective which starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. The song creates a tension between the sultry and the sorrowful that reflects the mood of the show, set in a land of temptation and dissatisfaction where the justice exacted by the legal and moral law never seems enough to undo the evil pervading the living hell, exterior and interior, in which each of the characters exist.

"Far From Any Road" by The Handsome Family

The wind will be my hands,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: How LSD Works

Talk about a random topic. Stuff You Should Know is known for covering subjects that span across all forms of study and experience, and this past week Josh and Chuck decided to expound on the history and effects of the psychedelic drug LSD (a.k.a., acid). Though I did appreciate their debunking of several myths surrounding the drug, I had less regard for their advocacy of therapeutic use of acid and the considerable amount of time they allotted for the whole discussion (nearly 90 minutes, when most shows are under 45).

The episode's saving grace, however, came in a dialogue the pair had with John Hodgman (from The Daily Show) at the end. A pseudo-feud had arisen between the two parties after SYSK released their "Nostalgia" episode at the end of March in direct retaliation of Hodgman's notion that "nostalgia is the most toxic impulse". In this engrossing 20-minute conversation, the three hash out the clarifications of their own stances (in which much common ground was found) and Hodgman adeptly argues how the notion of longing for the "good ol' days" can be destructive when abused by an individual for the purpose of escaping reality or when mechanized by a political entity for the purpose of marginalizing sectors of their own and other societies. Following this, I felt a responsibility to vet his podcast, Judge John Hodgman, and another he suggested, The Dana Gould Hour (at least the episode "Happysad!"), as possible additions to my subscription list.

Listen to "How LSD Works"

Visit Stuff You Should Know

I was not expecting jihad, Donald Trump or Darth Maul to make an appearance,
Kelvin

Song of the Week: You Said It

I first encountered Beverly (not to be confused with The Beverleys) on this year's Austin 100 and was instantly enchanted by "Victoria", a powerpop revival gem that served as the lead single for their upcoming album. Last Friday, the band released their sophomore record, The Blue Swell, and my favorite from the collection of jangle-dreampop tracks was "You Said It" which perfectly unites Beach Boys surf cred, Pixies fuzz and Metric crooning to form an indie masterpiece of B-side proportions.

"You Said It" by Beverly

You can't unsay it,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: Reservation Missionary

One podcast that stood out from all the downloads last week came from Catching Foxes where the duo of Luke and Gomer conversed with Kenn Cramer about his work with a unique class of poor America. This was a very enlightening discussion as it brought to mind the continued existence of Native American reservations and the particular challenges the inhabitants of these face in terms of poverty, discrimination, identity, purpose and religion.

Listen to "Reservation Missionary Kenn Cramer"

Visit Catching Foxes

You can wear a cassock and be a nice guy,

Kelvin

Song of the Week: I Was Home

One of the songs featured on last week's KEXP Song of the Day podcast was "I Was Home" by Sunflower Bean. Starting out seemingly harmless, the call-and-response indie punk gave way to an intense garage-psychedelia and then back again. I replayed the song again before I checked out their debut album which was released this February, Human Ceremony, and then realized that I had heard one of their songs, "Space Exploration Disaster", a couple of weeks back on an All Songs episode. All I have to say is, eat your heart out Black Keys.

"I Was Home" by Sunflower Bean

I was home and then I wasn't,

Kelvin

Song of the Week: Body on the Tracks

Feeling some SXSW nostalgia, I went in search of performances of artists I admired who I wasn't able to catch during that week. In the process, I stumbled upon the video below of a Mississippi show by Deep Sea Diver, the solo project of Jessica Dobson who had worked with the likes of Spoon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Shins. This track comes from their sophomore album Secrets, released earlier this year, whose songs brush the fringes of synthpop, shoegaze, progressive rock and post-punk revival in a way that doesn't delve headlong into any one of these genres but instead uses them as cardinal directions for a musical compass with its center in indie rock.

"Body on the Tracks" by Deep Sea Diver

I carry you from one day to the next,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: Remembering Prince

In the wake of the death of Prince this past Thursday, two of my pop culture podcasts released separate 15-minute reflections on the legacy of the artist. At All Songs Considered, Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton and Ann Powers conversed about the impact Prince had in their personal lives, especially during critical turning points and coming-of-ages. At Pop Culture Happy Hour, Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson painted the portrait of the enigmatic figure that Prince embodied and how he shook convention in multiple aspects of culture.

It is this latter podcast especially and this topic of non-conformity in particular that resonated with me because I see that with the passing of other great innovative pop musicians in recent years, like David Bowie and Michael Jackson, the mainstream culture is quick to aggrandize their influence and attribute to their stature social implications that could legitimately be out of their reach. It may just be that the boilerplate eulogy lends itself to canonization, thus making media personalities patronages of the societal progress, but time will tell what super-man may or may not arise from the image of the man that was Prince.

Listen to "Remembering Prince: The Utopian"

Visit All Songs Considered

Listen to "Remembering Prince"

Visit Pop Culture Happy Hour

℣ Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine.
℟ Et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Fidelium animae, per misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pace.
Amen.

SXSW 2016: So Long, Farewell

Being over a month separated from all the events in Austin, I feel now's as good a time as ever to finish my story (see, I said I'd be detailed...).

Read Part 1

Read Part 2

Thursday 3/17

I woke up with three plans for the day: to check out Flatstock, the annual poster convention hosted by SXSW, catch a couple of international acts and get my face melted at a punk show. So I donned the backpack I acquired the night before and headed to downtown. As I was wandering the streets in the early afternoon, I was handed a flyer by a representative of Café Bustelo with directions to a site serving free Cuban coffee to festival attendees! I was simultaneously excited and dismayed at the prospect, as I was foregoing coffee (specifically espresso) for Lent. My temperance was quickly rewarded, however, as I turned a few corners and found myself at a booth giving away free Chick-fil-A sandwiches! God is good! After downing a pair of lightly breaded deliciousness, I would later visit the cafecito just to have a peek. I may not have been able to enjoy any at the time, but at least I could bring back some souvenirs for the other members of the office coffee break crew.

Outside the cafecito

Podcast of the Week: Head Fake

Last week's bro-talk between the seminarians and priest of Three Dogs North was chock full of culture and meaning. From sizing up the inspiring cinematic masterpiece of Rocky against the insufficiently identifiable plot of God's Not Dead, to relating the great works of...

• Graham Greene - "The End of the Affair" and "The Heart of the Matter"
• Erik Larson - "Devil in the White City"
• Anthony Doerr - "All the Light We Cannot See" (also discussed in Fountains of Carrots), 
• Georges Bernarnos - "The Diary of a Country Priest"
• René Girard - mimetic desire
• Evelyn Waugh - "Brideshead Revisited"
• and Matthew Quick - "The Silver Linings Playbook" (and film starring Jennifer Lawrence)

...it's difficult not to sing this podcast's praises.

Listen to "Head Fake"

Visit Three Dogs North

You can make a long road trip at nighttime just by seeing what the headlights show you,

Kelvin

P.S. - I finally got to hear my long-awaited shout-out request on this week's episode of CSYSK!

Song of the Week: Easy Lover

Last Friday my favorite 1985 album, No Jacket Required by Phil Collins, was reissued with remastered tracks and bonus material including live recordings. One hit which was played live but not included in the original album was "Easy Lover", which Collins sang alongside Philip Bailey from Earth, Wind & Fire on the studio release. Encountering this was a most enjoyable listening experience, and though I can't find the right live version I figured I'd just link the original music video in all its 80's glory.

"Easy Lover" by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins

She's the kind of girl you dream of,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: Real Talk about Conversion

Fountains of Carrots has been on a good run lately with regular updates and awesome guests, and this past week the pair of Catholic moms have a friendly conversation with Ginny Sheller and her journey to the faith. The show also delves into frank discussion on what living on twelve acres is like, how to tell your parents you're pregnant with your eighth child and the incongruousness of the setup in a cry room. I know, this all sounds like homeschooling parent central, but I enjoyed the flow of the conversation and it was interesting to catch a glimpse into parenting styles that are not too common in everyday life.

Listen to "Real Talk about Conversion with Ginny Sheller"

Visit Fountains of Carrots

If you think I'm going to help you glue-stick this, you've got another thing coming,
Kelvin

7QT: An Extended Respite

I recently turned in my final assignment of the semester and so I get to enjoy a bit of a longer break than normal before my coursework resumes in the summer. Thankful for the opportunity to catch a deep breath, I celebrated in my own little way by replaying some new songs (new to me, at least) that I've grown fond of in the past couple of months. Below is a snapshot of my trip down memory lane.

1. School of Seven Bells

I first heard of School of Seven Bells on the All Songs Considered show following the Paris bombings of last November. I enjoyed their style of atmospheric dream pop but kept them shelved until their latest album, SVIIB, dropped this February. When I heard their opening cut, whose music video was released just a week ago, I was instantly hooked and simultaneously disheartened at the fact that this would be their last release given the loss of instrumentalist Benjamin Curtis to cancer in 2013.

"Ablaze" by School of Seven Bells

Song of the Week: Visions

This week I started checking out some of Spotify's public playlists and was pleasantly surprised by the expertly curated mixes in "Deep Dark Indie", "Epic Wall of Sound" and "Young Punks". From the latter I discovered the following song by The Beverleys off of their 2015 debut Brutal, which I have been replaying in my head since I first heard it.

"Visions" by The Beverleys

Saw my friends and my enemies,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: Ryan Adams and Bob Mould

A recording that's making its rounds on music news sites, Bob Mould was invited by Ryan Adams to his PAX-AM Studio and talks about paving the way for punk in America, among other things. The former is better known as the vocalist for the alternative bands Hüsker Dü and Sugar and his latest solo album, Patch the Sky, was released last Friday. The latter, another seminal rock musician and ex-husband of Mandy Moore, may have appeared on your social media feed in the last couple of months for his work in recording a cover album of Taylor Swift's 1989.

The pair have an extremely enlightening conversation that brings up Mould's history of playing alongside other underground acts and the way musicians and technology have an ebb and flow influence on the direction of the music industry. I definitely have my work cut out for me in checking out all the obscure 80's hardcore bands mentioned in this interview, alongside Mould's and Adams' respective discographies.

Notes I jotted while listening to this podcast

Listen to "Hear Ryan Adams and Bob Mould Play Music And Talk About Everything Under The Sun"

Visit All Songs Considered

Nipper,

Kelvin

SXSW 2016: Let the Music Play

Happy Easter (it's 50 days long, you know)! Here I continue describing the events that transpired in Austin.

Read Part 1

Tuesday 3/15

SXSW Music has finally begun! At the start of the day I had only two things on my agenda: attend a live podcast recording in the afternoon and catch a free music showcase in the evening. To kill time in the early afternoon, and since I had a hankering for some Tex-Mex, I headed to a food court that housed Burrito Factory. Feeling sufficiently carbed-up, I walked through the grounds of UT at Austin, which was on spring break that week. I had seen advertisements on banners and the sides of buses about a special 90's-themed exhibition at the school's art gallery and thought I'd take a look. I entered the Blanton Museum of Art and spent some time looking at pieces not only from the 90's but also from ancient Greek, medieval, Renaissance and modern periods. I could have spent all day surrounded by awesome paintings and crisp A/C, but I needed to get to the Lustre Pearl at 3:30pm and I was cutting it close with my departure time.

Chain of mail

Podcast of the Week: Show 319 | San Jose CA

I've been getting a little annoyed with the reruns From the Top would play to fill the space of its weekly broadcasts, though I do understand that it's a costly and time-consuming endeavor to get the programming that it currently does. Thankfully, this week's show was a premier and featured a vibrant mix of classical pieces for violin, clarinet, piano and more. My favorite was a Peruvian waltz, "Mi Lima Antaño", transcribed on classical guitar by the young composer Gianfranco Baltazar (featured in the promotional video below).

Listen to "Show 319 | San Jose CA"

Visit From the Top

♪ ♫,
Kelvin

Song of the Week: Like Moths to Flame

On this solemn day, when statues are covered and tabernacles are bare, my mind turns to a song from 2005's Vheissu, the fourth album by experimental / post-hardcore band Thrice. Frontman and songwriter Dustin Kensrue is no stranger to weaving Christian themes into his music (during the band's hiatus he even served as worship leader for Mars Hill Church) and this song recounting St. Peter's betrayal of his Master is a testament to that. Coupled with some of the most intense scenes from The Passion of the Christ, the fan-made video below offers a meditative springboard into contemplating the mystery of the Via Dolorosa.

"Like Moths to Flame" by Thrice

Top of the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu (Latin for "cock-crow")

The fire's gravity compels,
Kelvin

SXSW 2016: Intro to Austin

When I retell the story of a significant experience I typically lean more towards TMI than FYI because I see details as really important to setting the tale apart from others and to giving the listener more aspects to identify with. So what I'm going to try to do is recount my experiences from this year's SXSW (South by Southwest) with the dual goal of giving my circle of friends due respect in letting them know what I was up to for a week and of hopefully inspiring music lovers who happen to be reading to attempt a trek to Austin, Texas for a future SX.

Saturday 3/12

I'm glad I never felt the pull towards a profession in sales because as I was telling friends of my intent to go to this music festival in the months leading up to it I simply got a bunch of "I've heard of that" and "That sounds interesting". So knowing I would go about it solo I went ahead and booked a flight (~$500) and an Airbnb room (~$500) roughly two months before the event. Although things were getting pretty pricey pretty quick, I wasn't deathly concerned because I felt comfortable with the times and locations of the above reservations. Moreover, I had convinced myself by reading testimonies from people who had gone to previous SXSW festivals without the official wristband (~$200) or badge (~$800-1800) that I can still attain a memorable experience by foregoing the same.

Packed and ready for adventure, I was chauffered to the airport by a generous friend and made it to Austin in the midafternoon without a hitch. I then took a half-hour Uber ride from AUS to the Airbnb residence, and since I had a promo code for $20 off my first ride it came out to be an incredible $0.35 charge! The homeowner Sam greeted me at the door and as he showed me my private room and other amenities he also informed me that he was slow-cooking pulled pork outside that would be ready that evening! Content with the bed-and-BBQ I had landed upon, I retired for a 2-hour nap followed by dinner and socializing by the backyard firepit with the other guests followed by a 8.5-hour dormition.

Podcast of the Week: Breaking Bad and Dealing with Darkness

Now that I live life outside of the realm of academia proper, I find myself with not only more time to watch television but also with more maturity of perspective in approaching this media. But as Uncle Ben says with every Spider-Man reboot, "With great power comes great responsibility." So although I can watch movies like Taxi Driver and series like Peaky Blinders and not feel the urge to beat up random people on the street (or vice versa, fear random people on the street beating me up), it is important to be aware of the sensibilities and temperaments of others when discussing or suggesting things to watch. This podcast was very helpful in reminding me that it's OK for everyone to not be into every show I enjoy and that even if a work of art cannot be commended because of its content (be it the graphic violence in Breaking Bad, the psycho-emotional manipulation in Jessica Jones or the stark sensuality of Game of Thrones) it can be lauded for the creativity of the writers and producers, which ultimately reveal an aspect of the Beauty of the Creator.

Listen to "Breaking Bad and Dealing with Darkness"

Visit Pop Culture Coffee Hour

Logos, yo,
Kelvin

Song of the Week: Car Radio

I was quick to brush off Twenty One Pilots after hearing their hit single "Tear in My Heart" everywhere I went. I'm very suspicious of any song with a catchy hook that the general public enjoys and plays constantly, so I tend to disregard artists who write these songs as pandering to masses and having little creative value. Well, I was proven only half right.

After reading enough blogs (here, here and here) and having enough friends vouch for them I gave them a try and as I started listening I was struck not only by the seriousness with which the Columbus duo crafted the music and lyrics of their non-single tracks but also by the way they subtly layer these same themes into the songs that people mindlessly sing to. Through an aggressive and masterful melding of rap, rock, reggae and pop, TØP tackle topics as grave as suicide, maturation, identity and existential affirmation. In trying so hard "to make people think" and get their message out to as many individuals as possible, they become the most reluctant pop act I've ever known.

I've listened to three albums by Twenty One Pilots and connected very much to 2013's Vessel. Below is one of my favorite cuts from this record.

"Car Radio" by Twenty One Pilots

Sometimes quiet is violent,
Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: The Science of Cheating

No, this is not a tutorial on how to cheat on your significant other. Instead, this podcast has the exact opposite purpose, namely describing the circumstances that would lead a reasonable and caring person into infidelity and what all parties involved can do to prevent this from happening (in the best case) and make amends to reconcile the relationship if it does happen (in the worst case).

I personally found the release of this episode very timely because it came shortly after a deep discussion I had with a close friend about how we would each react to being cheated on during a dating relationship or a marriage. Like anything in love, the will is the driving force and though one's conscience and intellect may be strong this does not equate to immunity from committing the most heinous offenses to those we care about most. However, there are definitive habits that those in relationships can cultivate, such as openness and transparency, in order for the probability of performing these acts to be at their lowest.

Listen to "The Science of Cheating — How to Prevent and Deal With Infidelity"

Visit The Art of Manliness

To love is to will the good of another,
Kelvin

SXSW x 100 x 5

In just 8 days I'll be hopping onto a plane heading to Texas with the goal of encountering as many new sounds as my ears can handle at SXSW! I've heard the name of this music festival thrown around for a couple of years but it wasn't until I listened to the NPR Music coverage last March that I was sold on the experience. Apart from the updates during the week of the event, one of the most helpful tools that NPR provided listeners for discovering new artists was a playlist titled the Austin 100, where 100 of the best promotional recordings are hand-picked for the downloading pleasure of eager fans.

Technically, there is a stipulation that the ZIP file of songs can only be downloaded within a month of distribution, but things on the Internet have a tendency to linger for a while. So with some intense Googling and crafty URL text swaps I was able to find links to several Austin 100's from yesteryear. So below I've shared links to these locations and showcased some songs that stood out to me while listening to the mix.

2016 Austin 100
Song List
Download ZIP [832MB]

I'm beyond eager for the opportunity of seeing at SXSW bands that I've gotten to know over the past couple of months like Beach Slang ("Bad Art and Weirdo Ideas") and the past couple of days like Wagakki Band ("Akatsukino Ito"), but most of all I'm excited for the chance at seeing firsthand the performances of international musicians like Ninet Tayeb from Tel Aviv whose fifth album is slated to be released this year.

"Child" by Ninet Tayeb

Podcast of the Week: Peeping Thomist

The hosts of the podcasts I've subscribed to have the nasty habit of referencing or suggesting other podcasts they enjoy and it leads me to accumulate more subscriptions than is reasonable for an average 8-to-5er. As such, I've gotten to the habit of listening to these shows at 2x speed (also a weird and not altogether advisable practice) in order to get through my weekly downloads.

All of this is to say that I encounter a lot of podcasts with good content worth highlighting for those unaware that such information exists. So I'd like to tack on another weekly segment, "Podcasts of the Week", that would help this blog become more than just an avenue for entertainment.

The first episode I'd like to promote comes from Catching Foxes and is titled "Interview with Peeping Thomist Brian Jones". This was one that I had to listen to twice at 1x speed because of all of the heady and philosophical content: St. Thomas Aquinas and Thomism, the Regensburg Lecture, positive psychology and medieval views on Islam. It felt like a fun graduate lecture replete with movie references to the Hail, Caeser!, The Royal Tenenbaums, Groundhog Day and Ghostbusters II.

Link to "Interview with Peeping Thomist Brian Jones".

Link to Catching Foxes.

Houston's best-kept Catholic secret,

Kelvin

P.S. - I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the recent Art of Manliness episode, "C.S. Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien, and the Inklings Mastermind Group", since it was the first spark of inspiration for starting this new segment.

Song of the Week: Caricias

I first heard of Carrie Rodriguez a couple of weeks back from Alt.Latino showcasing a song from her upcoming album, Lola. Said album dropped two Fridays ago and it is a very heart-on-the-sleeve portrayal of the struggles of love, family, identity and acculturation that comes with being a Hispanic immigrant to the US communicated through a poignant melding of Texan americana and Mexican ranchera.

"Caricias" by Carrie Rodriguez

Las quiero más que tus palabras,

Kelvin

Song of the Week: Tibetan Pop Stars

I was so enamored by last week's discovery of Basement that I wanted to hear more of artists like them and discovered Hop Along. With a very eclectic and idiosyncratic approach to freak folk, the band's 2012's Get Disowned delivers an unparalleled listening experience that melds the pronounced hard-and-soft dynamics of the Pixes ("Gigantic"), the layered sonicality of Dinosaur Jr. ("Feel the Pain") and the accentuated vocal intonations of Fall Out Boy ("The (After) Life of the Party").

"Tibetan Pop Stars" by Hop Along

My love is average / I obey an average law,
Kelvin

7QT: New Year Discoveries

I've heard so much good music in just the past day that I couldn't boil it down to one song for the week. So I'm upgrading to a "7 Quick Takes" this week to showcase the awesome bands and albums that I've come across since the start of the year. A good chuck of this list are 2016 releases, but a few are simply albums from the past year that have flown under my radar.

1. Audrey Assad - Inheritance [12 February 2016]

It is with great joy that I announce today's (Friday's) official release of the fruit of Audrey Assad's hymns project, Inheritance! Since I helped support her through PledgeMusic way back when, I was able to get an advance download of the songs two weeks ago. Because she is covering various hymns for different types of worship the album is not as thematic as her other independent releases, but that does not take any bit away from the beauty of the songs and the reverence with which they were approached.

"Even Unto Death" by Audrey Assad

Song of the Week: Un Si Y Un No

Ironically enough, I caught a nasty cold following the blessing of the throats for the Feast of St. Blaise. During the long hours of recovery I was able to listen to a CD loaned to me by a good friend of mine, 2011's Tu Es Christus which is a compilation of speeches by Pope St. John Paul II coupled with the backdrop of sacred chant and world music. It seemed a perfect and timely prayer companion at a point where I would have rather sulked in my own debility.

"Un Si Y Un No" by Pope St. John Paul II

Es muy sencilla,
Kelvin

Song of the Week: Lost Weekend

While listening to PAWS radio I rediscovered this dance punk single from the very eclectic and very erratic 2013 record Blowout by the So So Glos. With a style reminiscent of Generation X, it serves as a perfect addition to a long head-nodding weekend playlist.

"Lost Weekend" by The So So Glos

When the work week's through,
Kelvin

Song of the Week: Lone Star

In honor of the 500,000+ individuals taking part in the March for Life (amidst the most intense blizzard in a while), the theme of the following song revolves around the consequences many would rather ignore from the ugly reality of abortion. With spare instrumentation and straight-forward, no-nonsense lyrics, The Front Bottoms depict a fictional account of a young couple coping with the aftermath of their decision in this track from their 2013 folk punk album, Talon of the Hawk.

"Lone Star" by The Front Bottoms

Not just preparing for nightmares,
Kelvin

Casting Pods

When I was younger, I thought that podcasts were just glorified radio shows that only old people listened to. Now that I'm older, I think that they are one of the greatest media avenues ever created! Though I don't claim to know the first thing about podcast broadcasting, it is suffice to say for the layman still living under a rock that a podcast is an audio / video channel where the channel's host can upload episodic content to the podcast client server (which I presume is maintained by Apple) which is downloaded by the subscribers as often as the channel is updated. Basically, it's like TV for your earbuds.

The genres of podcasts seem as varied and versitile as what you could find on your phone's app store: news, sports, music, food, history, religion, comedy, education, etc. And I've yet to find any podcast whose content isn't free! So whatever you're into, it's likely that there's a podcast about it and that it's being regularly updated.

Below I've listed the podcasts I'm currently subscribed to and the reasons why I keep listening. I know there's dozens more I should also check out (some of which I'll list at the end), but I've kinda got my hands full with the content I already get from these 20 podcasts. If you have any suggestions, though, don't hesitate to leave a message on the (very lonely) comment bar :)

1. Lanky Guys (Runtime: 45 mins) (Updated: once a week)

This list is structured in the order that I have my podcast app (Podcast Republic) check for new updates and it's no surprise that I have it check for Lanky Guys first. Every week, Scott Powell and Fr. Peter Mussett call in from Bolder, Colorado, to break open the Scriptures and try and find the themes and topics that tie together each of the Sunday Mass readings from the Catholic Lectionary. I can always trust on the duo to be well researched, but far from sounding like a graduate lecture they do a good job of interspersing light banter and offering concrete take-aways that are pertinent to the Christian of today.

2. Word on Fire Sermons (Runtime: 15 minutes) (Updated: once a week)

On Word on Fire Sermons, Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles, California, shares his homily on the upcoming Sunday's Mass readings which is regularly dense with theological, philosophical, sociological and historical discussion.

3. St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology (Runtime: 3 minutes) (Updated: once a week)

Every week Dr. Scott Hahn from Steubenville, Ohio, offers in his podcast a short reflection on the Sunday Mass readings and draws out the implications of not only where do the readings fit in Salvation History but also how we are called to participate in the same.

Song of the Week: Anchorage

I assume the rest of the music blogosphere is replete with coverage of the lives and influences of Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister (who passed away shortly after Christmas) and David Bowie (who passed away this past Sunday), especially with the latter's release of Blackstar the Friday prior which is thick with themes of death and life hereafter. So instead of adding more to what better minds have already tackled, I'll share a simple discover from one of my favorite bands. Australian post-punk powerhouse The Church released their 23rd album, Untitled #23, in 2009 which featured this song with simple, poignant poetry and somber, abrasive melody which was the closest I've ever heard the band getting to "mainstream" alternative.

"Anchorage" by The Church

Living here in the future,
Kelvin

Song of the Week: I'm Not Part of Me

It was suggested by Spotify that I listen to Ugly by Screaming Females (probably because of my interest in Titus Andronicus) and I was going to post something from that album (most likely the song that's featured in Rocksmith 2014) until I tuned in to the Screaming Females radio station and came across the following song by Cloud Nothings. When I heard this lead single from 2014's Here and Nowhere Else I was struck with a peculiar feeling of nostalgia, as if I was transported back to my teenage years and listening for the upteenth time to Taking Back Sunday, Green Day and other pop-punk heart-on-your-sleeve sing-alongs.

"I'm Not Part of Me" by Cloud Nothings

Leave it all to memory,
Kelvin