Discologist Kevin Hill Discologist Kevin Hill

Bruce Springsteen's 'Western Stars'

On his nineteenth album (and first in five years) rock and roll legend / Broadway star Bruce Springsteen is turning his gaze to the “West,” and the results are a totally unique, if not polarizing, new entry into his lauded body of work. Western Stars utilizes the sounds of late 60’s Capitol Records (Glen Campbell, The Wrecking Crew, Phil Spector) to color the stories of men on the frontier, not just of America, but the edges of their lives.

Is Western Stars a fine return to form for the Boss or a stylistic bridge too far? Tune in to an all-new episode of Discologist as we tackle these questions and much, much more.

Read More
Discologist Kevin Hill Discologist Kevin Hill

Bruce Springsteen's 'Born In The U.S.A.' at 35

Whether you see Born In The U.S.A. as Springsteen’s most significant achievement as an artist or just a strange, 80’s sounding outlier in an otherwise muscular catalog, it remains to this day one of the most potent statements about the down-and-out in America ever made.

Despite its rock ‘n’ roll sheen, misunderstood rallying cries, and anthems to nostalgia, Born In The U.S.A. was a hopelessly bleak look at what it meant to be an American in the wake of the Vietnam War that, thirty-five years later, still resonates across generations, class, and race. A monument to the ‘everyman,’ it marked the end of an era for Springsteen that, despite its darkness, finally launched him into the pop stratosphere that he and the E Street Band had been chasing for more than a decade.

On an all-new Discologist, we’re dissecting this classic to get to the heart of its persistent relevance today, how it shapes the long-view of Springsteen’s career and a particularly “moist” song that also happens to be particularly great.

Read More
Discologist Kevin Hill Discologist Kevin Hill

Episode 339: Love Hz (A Valentine's Day Special)

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, we thought it was high time to explore the dumber side of love. Throughout history, men have been writing songs about love in a quest to continually pitch their woo, but sometimes - pretty much every time - it just comes out wrong.

Join Kevin, Carrie, Marcus, and Ian as they embark on a journey into the heart of derpness and laugh their way through some of the most egregiously awkward "love" songs that missed their mark, and then some. 

Read More
Discologist Kevin Hill Discologist Kevin Hill

Episode 278: PODJAM with Naseem Khuri (Kingsley Flood) and Sam McCormally (Fellow Creatures)

Stop me if you've heard this one before: A podcast host, production/songwriting wizard, and a socially-conscious Americana singer walk into a basement...

For our latest episode Sam McCormally (Fellow Creatures, Ugly Purple Sweater) and Naseem Khuri (Kingsley Flood) are joining Kevin in the basement to talk about the songs that hooked them on music for life and they're downing some whiskey in the process.

In other words: Strap in kids, cuz this is gonna be one amazing podjam.

Read More