Low-Noise

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of British funk band Cymande in under thirty minutes.

Cymande was formed in London, in 1971. All were members of an Afro-Caribbean community in Balham, originating from nations such as Guyana, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent. Cymande were discovered by British producer John Schroeder while they played in a club in Soho in 1971. Schroeder recorded some demos and convinced Janus Records to sign the group. Their first single 'The Message' reached the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B charts in the United States. Their debut album was released in 1972 and also reached the Billboard pop and R&B albums charts in the United States. In 1973 they made history as the first British band to headline the Apollo Theatre in New York, and they also performed on Soul Train. However, they achieved little recognition in their home country. The lack of support from the British music industry caused the group to disband in 1974.

After a period of obscurity, Cymande's music was rediscovered in the 1980s and 1990s. Some of their songs were deconstructed and used as breakbeats by early hip-hop DJs. Their song 'Bra' is the most sampled track, having been used approximately 27 times in various hip-hop and other music tracks.

A new album Renascence was released in 2025, The also group announced 2025 US and European shows to support the release, continuing with their post-pandemic increase in short tours and festival appearances.

In this episode I am in discussion with Bhoke.

Mathew Woodall

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https://buymeacoffee.com/lownoise

Why buy me a coffee?

Low Noise is proudly ad-free. If you would like to to say thank you for any of the content you have enjoyed (and help support the continuation of creating more), the above link provides a way to make a small donation of your choice (I also function on coffee!).

Feel free to leave a note with your donation to let me know what you enjoy about the podcast or any topics you would like me to discuss in the future.

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of Canadian folk band The Weather Station in (just under) fifteen minutes. 

Formed in 2006, The Weather Station is fronted by Tamara Lindeman.Their debut album The Line was released in 2009 and their seventh album, Humanhood, was released in 2025.

In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber.

Mathew Woodall

https://www.facebook.com/share/1F15mx4ea3/

https://buymeacoffee.com/lownoise

Why buy me a coffee?

Low Noise is proudly ad-free. If you would like to to say thank you for any of the content you have enjoyed (and help support the continuation of creating more), the above link provides a way to make a small donation of your choice (I also function on coffee!).

Feel free to leave a note with your donation to let me know what you enjoy about the podcast or any topics you would like me to discuss in the future.

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of London-based jazz/afrobeat/hiphop fusion band Kokoroko in under thirty minutes. Their track Abusey Junction, from their first eponymous EP boasts 59 million views on YouTube. They released their debut album 'Could We Be More' in 2022 and their second album ‘Tuff Times Never Last’ was released in 2025 on the Brownswood label.

In this episode I am in discussion with Bhoke.

Mathew Woodall

https://www.facebook.com/share/1F15mx4ea3/

https://buymeacoffee.com/lownoise

Why buy me a coffee?

Low Noise is proudly ad-free. If you would like to to say thank you for any of the content you have enjoyed (and help support the continuation of creating more), the above link provides a way to make a small donation of your choice (I also function on coffee!).

Feel free to leave a note with your donation to let me know what you enjoy about the podcast or any topics you would like me to discuss in the future.

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of English post-punk band Gang of Four in under thirty minutes.

Gang of Four played a stripped-down mix of punk rock, funk and dub, with a lyrics addressing societal/political issues. Their acclaimed debut album, Entertainment!, was released in 1979. Their early 80s albums (Songs of the Free and Hard) found them softening some of their abrasive qualities, progressing towards dance-punk and disco. They are widely considered one of the leading bands of the late 1970s/early 1980s post-punk movement, inspiring everyone from Kurt Cobain to Frank Ocean.

In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber.

Mathew Woodall

https://www.facebook.com/share/1F15mx4ea3/

https://buymeacoffee.com/lownoise

Why buy me a coffee?

Low Noise is proudly ad-free. If you would like to to say thank you for any of the content you have enjoyed (and help support the continuation of creating more), the above link provides a way to make a small donation of your choice (I also function on coffee!).

Feel free to leave a note with your donation to let me know what you enjoy about the podcast or any topics you would like me to discuss in the future.

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of English rock band Soft Machine in under thirty minutes.

Soft Machine's music can be categorised into various genres and subgenres, including progressive rock, experimental rock, jazz rock, jazz, proto-prog, psychedelic rock and art rock. The band are part of the Canterbury scene of progressive rock

Although they achieved little commercial success, critics consider Soft Machine to have been influential in rock music. The band's name originates from William S. Burroughs's novel The Soft Machine.

As of 2025, the current lineup consists of John Etheridge, Theo Travis, Fred Thelonious Baker and Asaf Sirkis.Co-founding member Mike Ratledge died in February 2025. In March 2025 Soft Machine embarked on a 8-date UK tour which concluded at The Vortex Jazz Club, London. The current incarnation of the band also toured throughout Europe in May 2025.

In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber.

Mathew Woodall

https://www.facebook.com/share/1F15mx4ea3/

https://buymeacoffee.com/lownoise

Why buy me a coffee?

Low Noise is proudly ad-free. If you would like to to say thank you for any of the content you have enjoyed (and help support the continuation of creating more), the above link provides a way to make a small donation of your choice (I also function on coffee!).

Feel free to leave a note with your donation to let me know what you enjoy about the podcast or any topics you would like me to discuss in the future.

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the single Rip It Up by Orange Juice (as well as some other general stuff) in just under thirty minutes.

After releasing a series of singles on the independent Postcard label, the debut album by Orange Juice 'You Can't Hide Your Love Forever', was realeased by Polydor in February 1982. The album received mixed reviews. Retrospectively, however, it is often regarded as a classic of the era and a key influence on the C86 generation. The group's second album 'Rip It Up', issued in November 1982 featured the single of the same name, which reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1983. Referencing both Chic and the Buzzcocks, the record galvanised Orange Juice's reputation as one of the brightest bands in the 'new pop' scene. 

In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber.

I do hope you enjoy this episode.

Mathew Woodall

https://buymeacoffee.com/lownoise

Why buy me a coffee?

Low Noise is proudly ad-free. If you would like to to say thank you for any of the content you have enjoyed (and help support the continuation of creating more), the above link provides a way to make a small donation of your choice (I also function on coffee!).

Feel free to leave a note with your donation to let me know what you enjoy about the podcast or any topics you would like me to discuss in the future.

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the rock classic (Don't Fear) The Reaper by Blue Öyster Cult (as well as some other stuff) in just under thirty minutes. The song, written and sung by lead guitarist Donald 'Buck Dharma' Roeser is taken from the 1976 album Agents of Fortune and explores the theme of eternal love and the inevitability of death.

The band name Blue Öyster Cult features an umlaut. The 'metal umlaut' (also known as röck döts) has also been used in the names of several rock or heavy metal bands such as Queensrÿche, Motörhead, the Accüsed, Mötley Crüe, Spın̈al Tap and Green Jellÿ.

The song has been featured extensively in film, TV and media: Stephen King named the song as one of the inspirations for his novel The Stand (the lyrics are quoted at the beginning of the novel). The song also appears as the opening theme for the 1994 TV serial based on the novel. The song can be heard playing in a car in the 1978 film Halloween and was used again in the 2022 sequel Halloween Ends, during the ending credits. It can be heard playing on a van radio during the 2022 horror film X and is played during the end credits of The Simpsons episode 'The Parent Rap'. The song has been featured in two series on Netflix: '1899' and 'Orange Is the New Black' and was even the subject of a Saturday Night Live comedy sketch in 2000.

In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber.

Mathew Woodall

https://www.facebook.com/share/1F15mx4ea3/

https://buymeacoffee.com/lownoise

Why buy me a coffee?

Low Noise is proudly ad-free. If you would like to to say thank you for any of the content you have enjoyed (and help support the continuation of creating more), the above link provides a way to make a small donation of your choice (I also function on coffee!).

Feel free to leave a note with your donation to let me know what you enjoy about the podcast or any topics you would like me to discuss in the future.

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the single Down in the Tube Station at Midnight by the Jam (as well as some other stuff) in just under thirty minutes.

Released in October 1978, Down in the Tube Station at Midnight was the second single from the Jam's third album, All Mod Cons. It reached No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart.

This episode is dedicated to Paul Richard Buckler (1955 – 2025) and I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber.

Mathew Woodall

https://buymeacoffee.com/lownoise

Why buy me a coffee?

Low Noise is proudly ad-free. If you would like to to say thank you for any of the content you have enjoyed (and help support the continuation of creating more), the above link provides a way to make a small donation of your choice (I also function on coffee!).

Feel free to leave a note with your donation to let me know what you enjoy about the podcast or any topics you would like me to discuss in the future.

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of English rock band Led Zeppelin in under thirty minutes.

Led Zeppelin are one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated record sales of between 200 and 300 million units worldwide. Their debut album, Led Zeppelin, was released in 1969.

In 2025, Becoming Led Zeppelin, a documentary which charts the formation and early years of the band was released. Directed by Bernard MacMahon, the film was made with the full co-operation of the group. When a work-in-progress version was screened at the Venice Film Festival in 2021, it received a 10-minute standing ovation.

In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber.

Mathew Woodall

https://buymeacoffee.com/lownoise

Why buy me a coffee?

Low Noise is proudly ad-free. If you would like to to say thank you for any of the content you have enjoyed (and help support the continuation of creating more), the above link provides a way to make a small donation of your choice (I also function on coffee!).

Feel free to leave a note with your donation to let me know what you enjoy about the podcast or any topics you would like me to discuss in the future.

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the critically aclaimed album Broken English by English singer-songwriter and actor Marianne Faithfull in under thirty minutes.

After a long absence, Faithfull made a musical comeback in 1979 with Broken English. The album was a commercial success and marked a resurgence of her musical career. The album earned Faithfull a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and is widely  regarded as her definitive recording.

Faithfull received the World Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Women's World Awards, and in 2011 she was made a Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the government of France. Faithfull died in London on 30 January 2025, at the age of 78.

In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber.

Mathew Woodall

https://buymeacoffee.com/lownoise

Why buy me a coffee?

Low Noise is proudly ad-free. If you would like to to say thank you for any of the content you have enjoyed (and help support the continuation of creating more), the above link provides a way to make a small donation of your choice (I also function on coffee!).

Feel free to leave a note with your donation to let me know what you enjoy about the podcast or any topics you would like me to discuss in the future.