Brian, Blake, and Richard are back for Episode 635 of the Chasing Tone Podcast - Killer guitar songs, app overload, and the mixing trick that shouldn't work

The guys kick off with the hardest songs they've ever had to learn as Richard's wrestling with The Killers' "Mr. Brightside," a deceptively simple arpeggiated riff up at the 17th fret that turns out to be an absolute finger-twister at 150 BPM. He panics when his pro-guitarist mate describes the song using a four-letter word unfit for any broadcast medium. Brian reminisces about slinging down a Steve Vai song at a high-school band tryout and never going back.

Blake digs into some Bullet for My Valentine, and everyone marvels at Geddy Lee somehow playing wild Rush bass lines while singing a completely different melody on top. Then the guys look at this week's big debate: are apps ruining guitar gear? Richard makes the case that the moment an app sits between you and the pedal, it kills the experience - a pedal has five knobs, so why reach for your phone? Modelers, amps and power amps get a pass, but single pedals should just work under your feet. 

There's talk of younger players going more analog than the hosts - buying tapes, old cars and Boss pedals - and whether modern rock has tipped into full cosplay, from Greta Van Fleet to costumed acts like Castle Rat, Ghost and Sleep Token, where the image increasingly outweighs the music. Richard geeks out over a production trick he found via Matt Berry on That Pedal Show.

James Blunt, Flanders and Swann, The rest is a monopoly, the jet engine turning 100, and dancing widdershins round the maypole...it's all in this week's Chasing Tone!

Support the show