Concepts

Matt Warry-Smith and Nicholas Tristan have a new “concept” for a podcast -- it’s about concept albums! Did you get the subtle joke there? Every two weeks Nick and Matt will tackle a new concept album and dive into what makes a concept album so...conceptual. 


Concepts Episode 9: “Pinkerton” (1996)
The boys discuss the goods and good-nots (?) of Weezer’s sophomore album Pinkerton. Is it better than their self-titled first album? Does it deserve the amount of love it gets? Is Rivers Cuomo a chauvinist nerd? All of these questions and more are kind of touched on in this new episode! Matt re-lives a bit of his teen-angst days (again), Nick gives a brief lesson in opera history and the boys finally get a cease and desist letter from the Italian government!

Concepts Episode 8: "Random Access Memories" (2013)
The boys embark on a “discovery” of whether they’re “human after all”, but they may not have done the “homework” required. Daft Punk is the topic at hand, specifically Daft Punk’s gorgeous and ambitious 2013 record “Random Access Memories”. Nick talks about his fandom for Daft Punk’s least liked album, Matt recommends the controversial opinion that Tron is better enjoyed on drugs, and the boys can’t stop losing themselves to that dang ol’ dance!

Concepts Episode 7: "Blue" (1971)
The boys get so blue when they talk about Joni Mitchell’s seminal confessional, also called “Blue”. Nick and Matt spend much of the episode in awe of Joni’s brilliant songwriting prowess and reflecting on the album’s crushing sadness, but they do of course find time for some of their classic “goofs”, “japes”, and of course: “funnies”. Other topics include Nick’s grand unifying theory of the Joni Cinematic Universe, Joni Mitchell’s well-documented love for Pepsi Blue, and Matt’s pitch for Amelia Earheart returning as Captain America.

Concepts Episode 6: "The Mollusk" (1997)
The boys get weird and wild as they talk about “The Mollusk”, the inventive album by American alternative rock group Ween. As Ween is one of Matt’s favourite bands, much of the podcast is him forgetting to tell jokes and instead gushing about his favourite American alternative rock group. Other topics include numerous high-art comparison to Ween, Brazilian psychedelic rock, and Nick’s internal battle on whether he was going to turn the album off and refuse to record the episode.

Concepts Episode 5: "Speakerboxx" (2003)
The boys double back to the Outkast well that never runs dry, and talk the front half of their masterpiece, Speakerboxx. The episode marks a first in the Concepts canon by being an episode about an album that is almost certainly not a concept album, but that doesn’t stop Nick and Matt from wasting over fifty minutes of your time! Other topics include the legal troubles of Cee-Lo Green, the introduction of Big Boi’s father Bigsby Boyington Sr., and the ego-boost of having someone like the way you move.

Concepts Episode 4: "The Love Below" (2003)
The boys return to their awkward adolescence to talk about the back half of Outkast’s masterpiece, The Love Below. No need to have a glass of water today to chase the hate away: Nick and Matt can’t stop talking about how much they love this album! Other topics include how stupid kids are for not liking both rock and hip hop, the low-key cool of Norah Jones, and the genius of the phrase “Stank you smelly much”.

Concepts Episodes 3: “Lemonade” (2016)
The boys sit down and talk Beyonce’s zeitgeist-defining record “Lemonade”, because it’s about time that some white men had their opinions heard! Nick and Matt speculate wildly about Beyonce’s personal, professional, and musical lives, and attempt to answer the age old question: Stars...are they just like us? Other topics include Beyonce and Justin Bieber drag-racing their incredibly fast cars, how to pronounce Quvenzhané Wallis’ name, and a hauntingly beautiful parade of stepdads in tank tops.

Concepts Episode 2: "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" (1974)
The boys enter their prog-rock phase by talking Genesis, specifically their groundbreaking record The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Nick takes this opportunity to fondly reminisce about being a little prog-rock boy, and bores Matt terribly in the process. Other topics include forgetting bassist Mike Rutherford’s name, the challenge of making a great double album, and the amazing solo career of Peter Gabriel.

Concepts Episode 1: “American Idiot” (2004)
The boys discuss Green Day’s seminal album American Idiot, and reveal a number of embarrassing truths along the way. Did Matt make himself cry listening to this record as a lad? You’ll have to listen to find out, but yes, he did. Other topics include left-wing political theory, your Grandma’s Green Day record (feat. Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand), and proper pronunciation of “pop punk”.