Unoriginal Soundtracks #42: Civilization 5 Gods and Kings

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

Religion adds a surprising new incentive for war in Civilization 5. Newly founded religions grant the civilization of its origin perks worth defending from gentiles, heretics, and infidels. And espionage adds nuance to diplomacy with other leaders, with big risks and rewards for spying on them. All of that allows for a playlist of sneering post-punk, pious funk, and more great music.

Laura Jane Grace Isn't Going to Ruin Against Me, She's Going to Reinvigorate Them

My day job is that of a lowly bumper buffer in a factory located in my small, midwest town. Sometimes my (entirely male) coworkers and I will kill the monotony with unbelievably childish antics and games of "Would You Rather" or "What Would You Do?". One of the scenarios I presented once went as such: "You've been with your wife for 20+ years; Everything is perfect; You love her immensely and couldn't be happier. Then she admits she wants to become a man. Do you stay with her?"

For some reason I was kind of taken aback by the amount of coworkers who adamantly said no. That is, all of them. I was the only one who said I'd stay. And while I was pretty sure I meant my answer in the hypothetical situation I'd made up, I couldn't really be sure what I'd do unless it actually happened. Little did I know that at the same time I was justifying myself to my sexually insecure coworkers, the lead singer of one of my absolute favorite bands was making some changes that would become the closest I might ever get to a real-life test of my reaction to such a prospect.

Unbeknownst to me, Tom Gabel of Against Me had come out as transgender via a Rolling Stone interview and was beginning her journey toward becoming how she'd always felt. Tom was now Laura Jane Grace, and that revelation messed with my head a little bit more than I'd ever expected from something like that.

Shuffled #36: A Random Playlist

Every other Wednesday either Matt or Alex C-Y share their love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as their tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy.

Maybe you're wondering what lies in my music library. Maybe you stumbled here unknowingly and just want to hear some tunes. Maybe you could give a damn. Well, in any case, welcome to this random playlist on the Shuffled Podcast! Short and sweet this week with a wide range of tunes to enjoy. And if you hate them, well, thanks for listening anyway!

Sophist Radio #60: Moist, Juicy, Wet, and Sloppy

This will either be the final or second-to-last time Harold, Aaron, and James are in the same room to talk about video games. Luckily for you, the listener, and our host there is plenty to talk about. The guys first do their best to tackle E3. If there was a big announcement that peaked the Sophist crews’ interest, it gets a mention. Once the guys close the book on video gaming’s Super Bowl, the chat shifts to Final Fantasy 6, Lollipop Chainsaw, and so much more. Also, stay tuned for a bonus Prometheus rant!

Watch: Hilary Hahn and Hauschka's new music video for 'Draw a Map'

We've written about Hauschka a couple of times here on Cerebral Pop. The german pianist/composer with a penchant for stretching the limit to the sounds his piano can make by laying an assortment of items on the strings recently teamed up with violinist Hilary Hahn. Hahn has played with renowned orchestras around the world, and bands like ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead.

Together Hahn and Hauschka released Silfra, a journey through a beautiful soundscape that frequently touches on something resembling classical, but isn't afraid to veer wildly off in other directions. Now the pair has put out a music video for the song 'Draw a Map', off of their album.

In a day and age where music videos are usually sidenotes to album promotion, this one deserves a watch. Hit the jump to check it out, and find a link to purchase the album.

Unoriginal Soundtracks #41: Braid

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

Braid is welcoming and hard to approach at the same time. On the one hand, its rewind mechanic and bypassable puzzles remove most of the frustration associated with puzzle-platformer games -- but on the other, its message is obfuscated by verbose writing. For those willing to read its text a couple of times, and devote some thought to it, Braid talks about the ideas that inspire a moodier playlist than usual, full of blues-rock, soul, and new wave.

News: Morning Glory announce solid release date for their first proper full-length, track listing, and tour dates

It's been a long road for fans of Ezra Kire's (guitarist for Leftover Crack) side-project-turned-main-focus Morning Glory. The band's last release was an EP in 2003, and since then fans have had nothing but rough demos and promises of a real full length to go on. Mostly due to Kire's long battle with heroin addiction, the group never could get their feet on the ground proper.

Now, however, Kire has kicked the drugs and is putting his full effort into re-birthing what I've called "The Future of Crack Rock Steady", the sort-of genre that M-Glory and other associated bands created. Granted, several tentative release dates for Poets Were My Heroes (their first full-length as an actual band) have been announced and subsequently passed by, but we might have finally gotten a real one this time. With Fat Wreck Chords at their back, the band has slated the album for an August 28th release.

On top of that they'll be hitting the road all summer long. While they've promised a tour of the west coast of America in September, and the United Kingdom and Europe in October, the midwest states have dates to anticipate right now. Hit the jump for all currently booked shows, as well as a tracklisting for the album (which includes an old favorite). Oh, and the first song from Poets, if you haven't heard it yet.

Shuffled #35: Gone Phishing

Every other Wednesday either Matt or Alex C-Y share their love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as their tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy.

Just a simple playlist this week folks! You'll have to pardon me while I go about this lazy beginning to summer as we all need to get away from the busy skyscrapers and get out while the weather is nice. Who knows, maybe there will be be-bop too?

I dig what Vermont has going for it. After spending a nice couple of days up in Burlington last weekend, I decided to look into a bit more of what the Green Mountain State has to offer. Enjoy these songs from artists who are tied to the state.