By Amoeba Music
5
2222 ratings
The podcast currently has 62 episodes available.
A legend among legends, a performer among performers, or you might just know him as...His Neilness!
Hilary and Cody travel the Neilverse, going through the concert and album that made him the pop god that he is known as. "Hot August Night" was recorded at the amazing Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, and everything you want from Neil Diamond is on display.
A brilliant songwriter with a grounded sense of self-awareness, Neil Diamond's biggest charm is his willingness to go for it - vocals, spectacle, banter, songs about pretzels, etc.
"Hot August Night" is the quintessential Neil Diamond record for many reasons; it's loaded with hits, and bursts at the seams with personality...Also his immaculate hair!
Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:
Credits:
Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley
All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden
"EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
Punk royalty is the topic of conversation this week on EarWax!
X were (and are) punk legends, but their album "Los Angeles" is so much more than just punk. With rockabilly guitar and some psych harmonies, this record flip-turned the rules every which way.
Produced by the always-been-cool Ray Manzarek of the Doors, "Los Angeles" recalibrated the city's music scene, putting punk and X squarely at the forefront.
Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:
Credits:
Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley
All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden
"EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
Put the headphones on and plan to keep your head nodding for the whole time, this week we have J Dilla's "Donuts!"
Christian Dueñas - host of the podcast Primer - drops by to chop it up about a record whose full story took a long time to be told. "Donuts" was made as Dilla was in between and during hospital stays. While the popular account is the stuff of legend, there is another, more grounded story that is as beautiful in its humanity.
It's impossible to see "Donuts" outside the context of J Dilla's death; his passing three days after its release is forever tied to this album. The result is what many see as a meditation on mortality, and a producer whose musical identity was continuing to evolve even as his body was failing him.
Thank you to Christian for sitting in!
Check out Primer!
@primerpod
Follow Christian!
@buttsonabutt
Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:
Credits:
Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley
All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden
"EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
What's reggae without a little (a lot) of soul? We wouldn't know, because this week's episode has soul to spare!
Toots and the Maytals were the people's champs of Jamaica; a sound whose roots represent the common man. Toots won a national song contest three separate times!
Funky Kingston is a strange mish-mash of two previous albums, with a single thrown in for good measure. It's got a tried and true rock cover, some Americana adapted for Jamaica, and plenty of fantastic vibes.
This record is a brilliant snapshot of a country in transition. Toots was able to dictate some of that cultural movement by churning out an album that continues to inspire today.
Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:
Credits:
Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley
All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden
"EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
Pressure can make diamonds, but too much pressure and you get an explosion. And this week, we have both!
Massive Attack's "Mezzanine" is a standard-setter in electronic music. While the band was consistently at odds during its making, the resulting record crackles with energy.
Cody and Hilary talk about near death, a major embarrassment involving a pop icon, and how the band worked through (or around) the tumult to create a brilliant album.
"Mezzanine" is dark, tense, and cool. The story behind it, maybe even more so!
Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:
Credits:
Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley
All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden
"EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
Make sure you do your neck stretches, because you will be nodding along with us this week.
The EarWax squad took a trip to the Hollywood Bowl to see this week's episode performed live by the OGs who played on it.
By 1973, Herbie Hancock had hits, chops, and a resume that elevated him into rarified air. Searching for that next thing, he took inspiration from James Brown, Sly Stone, and of course Miles Davis.
The result: "Head Hunters," a disgustingly groove-laced record whose track list may be short, but whose legacy casts a huge shadow.
Herbie Hancock is one of the coolest dudes in music, and we were absolutely honored to have seen him perform one of the coolest-sounding records of all time.
Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:
Credits:
Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley
All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden
"EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
As we cruise through the tail end of #bratsummer, EarWax takes a look at one of the records that helped Charli XCX dominate the conversation this year.
"Charli" comes on the heels of her rise to fame, at a time when she was about to break even bigger than she already was. Dealing with pop stardom, ravenous fans, and a devastating hack that leaked her work had all taken their toll.
"Charli" is the response to all that, defiant in its glitch and trap influence while still maintaining more than enough pop identity to serve as a stepping stone on a career whose trajectory we continue to measure as an incline!
Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:
Credits:
Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley
All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden
"EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
We're getting cultured af this week. EarWax goes French!
Françoise Hardy's "La question" is a gorgeous statement made by an artist intentionally transitioning into a new phase in her career. In partnership with guitarist and songwriter Luca, Hardy made a record drenched in yearning, love, and poetry.
"La question" took Françoise Hardy away from pop icon and into new territory - a place where she had control of the direction of her career. The result is a magnum opus.
Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:
Credits:
Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley
All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden
"EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
Pack your bags and get ready to take a trip to a world of wonderful weirdness!
Hilary and Cody immerse themselves into the universe of the Pharcyde. Filled with in-jokes, yo mama jokes, and jokes just because, this record occupies a very specific, very important part of West Coast hip-hop.
Rarely does an album feel so lived-in, so loved, and so unabashedly fun. The Pharcyde don't take themselves too seriously, but are without a doubt serious musicians with ideas and charisma to spare.
Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde is clever, funny, and crisp. An absolute classic, and many goofy crews that followed owe them a substantial debt.
Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:
Credits:
Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley
All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden
"EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
Bolt down anything that might shift due to the crushing weight of the heaviness, EarWax is going sludge!
Hilary and Cody discuss Melvins' legacy through the lens of arguably their most famous record. The story behind Houdini is a little sad, but ultimately this record serves as a fantastic gateway into a band that casts an extremely large shadow.
A great mix of heavy and slow with a few speedier tracks for balance, Houdini has just a hint of Kurt Cobain's presence throughout.
Turn up your speakers all the way and prepare yourself for the glory that is Melvins, and for the ass-kickery on Houdini.
Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:
Credits:
Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley
All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden
"EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
The podcast currently has 62 episodes available.
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