Critical Listening

Episode 7: October 2025 Headlines

We’re back with another headlines ep, where Liz and Max each bring one story from across the music-tech biz press to summarize and contextualize. On this ep we are unpacking the imminent major label deals with gen-AI companies. At the time we recorded, those reportedly landmark deals were thought to be signed within weeks, and since recording we’ve already started to see more details emerge. We discussed some implications of Spotify being included on the list of companies major rightsholders are working out gen-AI deals with, and more details of that collaboration have already dropped, too. Lastly, we of course also spoke about what it means that Daniel Ek is stepping back from his role as CEO of Spotify. Thanks for tuning in, remember to support the show by joining our Patreon & head over to the Discord if you want to chat about anything mentioned on the show!

Episode 6: Why Sound Matters w/ Damon Krukowski

We're back from a month of touring and we missed you! We are thrilled to have musician and author Damon Krukowski on the show to discuss his upcoming book "Why Sound Matters", available everywhere on October 21st from Yale University Press. We discuss Galaxie 500, Damon & Naomi, the acoustic ecology writings of Bernie Krause, the Boston independent music scene in the 1980s compared to today, and how much of the material aspects of music relate directly to the labor issues in sound as a whole. Support the show and listen to exclusive bonus content from this episode at patreon.com/criticallistening.

Episode 5: August 2025 Headlines

Max & Liz return for another installment of their series diving into some intriguing headlines from across the music, tech and business hellscape. What does it mean for organizations representing independent record labels to be inking deals with gen-AI companies? How are AI-driven tech platforms impacting the realm of music education? Never fear, we’ve got a bloomscroll in there too. Check it out and support the Patreon to join the convo on Discord!
 

Episode 4: QUITTING STREAMING w/ Andy Cush of Hearing Things

We're back with another esteemed guest! With us today we have writer, musician, and co-founder of the worker owned music publication Hearing Things, Andy Cush. We discuss with Andy his articles on the various artists and labels who have not only decided to leave streaming, but are reimagining their relationship with digital music as a whole off these major platforms. We also dive into the detrimental effects streaming has made on the listening habits of both casual and diehard music lovers, and how one might decide to find different alternatives themselves.
Music for the episode is from Andy's solo project, Domestic Drafts, whose full length LP entitled Only The Singer was released earlier this year.

Episode 3: July 2025 Headlines

We’re back with the first installment of what we’re calling “Headlines,” diving into a few stories from across the music and tech biz press this month. For July, there were some headlines that just seemed impossible to ignore. You guessed it: Ek’s recent investment into AI weapons company Helsing, and that gen-AI classic rock band with millions of streams. We end by searching the internet far and wide for a glimmer of hope — a “bloomscroll” — so it’s not all gloom and doom. Our goal here is to offer critical context on these stories so hoping you all find it helpful! Max also curated some choice needle drops from friends, listener submissions and his own recently released record too.
On this episode you’re hearing “Last Night I Woke Up In The Dark” by Peretsky, “&pull” by Bas Relief, “A Pilcate Leaf” by Greening, and “Drawing Of Me” by U.e.
 
Support the show by signing up for the Patreon, where you'll get early access to episodes as well as our Discord. Thanks for listening!
 

Episode 2: Intro to UMAW

How are musicians building collective power in a freelance economy that still worships the grind? In recent years the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers have made headlines for its work around streaming, through both the Justice at Spotify campaign and the Living Wage for Musicians Act, which the group co-authored with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. Since these are likely to be recurring topics of conversation on Critical Listening, we wanted to go broader for this early chat. We spoke with steering committee members Joey La Neve Defrancesco and Spencer Peppet for a bit of UMAW 101: What is UMAW? Why does it exist? What are effective strategies for organizing musicians? Also covered: building power, escalation tactics, boycotts, and winning.
Tracklist:
Downtown Boys - Wave of History
The Ophelias - Open Sky
The Ophelias - Spring Grove
Downtown Boys - L'Internationale 
 
Support the show and get early access to episodes, bonus episodes, and our community Discord by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/criticallistening

Episode 1: Greg Saunier from Deerhoof

Welcome to episode one of CRITICAL LISTENING, a new podcast about music and technology hosted by Liz Pelly and Max Alper. 
How does a band survive 30 years of industry hostility to art? For our first episode, we’re chatting with Greg Saunier, the drummer of Deerhoof, who just released Noble and Godlike in Ruin, their 20th record across 30 years as a band. We talk about the political themes of the group’s recent material, resisting the AI slop machine, and whether recorded music itself is an aberration. Plus, we picked up a conversation on protecting the musical commons from tech extraction that Liz and Greg started at a Mood Machine event in LA earlier this year.
Deerhoof’s new record thematically grapples with some big questions of art-making amidst societal collapse. In turn, our first episode serves as a reminder that when we talk about technologies, we’re never just talking about technologies, but the social, political and economic forces influencing them. Thanks for listening, supporting, and also bearing with us as we work through DIY recording and editing!
Songs in this episode:Theme song: “Talk to Me” by Eraser“Disobedience” by Deerhoof“Overrated Species Anyhow” by Deerhoof“Kingtoe” by by Deerhoof“Ha Ha Ha Ha Haaaa” by Deerhoof
Support the show, hear more from this interview with a bonus segment, and get an invite to join the conversation on the Discord server at patreon.com/criticallistening.

Introducing Critical Listening (Episode 0)

Critical Listening is a new podcast from journalist Liz Pelly and musician/educator Max Alper exploring music, technology, and culture.
This is episode zero, a short introduction where Liz and Max discuss how the show came to be and what they plan to cover in future episodes. What has Liz been learning on the road promoting her book Mood Machine? What's the deal with Max's online alter ego La Meme Young, and why is he backing away from it? What does it means to cover music and technology through a labor lens, and what would a neo-Luddite movement in music look like?
Support the show, get early access to episodes, AMA sessions with the hosts and an invite to join the conversation on the Discord server at patreon.com/criticallistening.
Full episodes coming soon!
Logo: Aaron Taylor-WaldmanMusic: "Talk to Me" by Eraser