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Curiouscast

Ongoing History of New Music looks at things from the alt-rock universe to hip hop, from artist profiles to various thematic explorations. It is Canada’s most well known music documentary hosted by the legendary Alan Cross. Whatever the episode, you’re definitely going to learn something that you might not find anywhere else. Trust us on this.

Ongoing History of New Music

This is the second half at a look at the stories behind some of the most iconic album covers of all time…on part one, we looked at the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, Depeche Mode, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beastie Boys, Alice In Chains, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Smashing Pumpkins, all in chronological order, ending in 1993.

 Now we’re going to pick things up in 1994.

This is part two of a show that looks at some of the most iconic-looking albums in history, along with some secret stories they contain.
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The Stories Behind Iconic Album Covers Part 2

This is going to be a very visual program, which may be a bit of a challenge because you’re either listening to this as a radio show or podcast…so i need to work with me on this…

 Vinyl is back in a way that no one could have ever predicted…in countries like Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, and beyond, vinyl is once again outselling CDs…and a surprising number of people are buying vinyl even if they don’t have a turntable… 

What’s the point of that? ...simple…vinyl is a tangible and physical manifestation and representation of the music…it is something you own, something that resides with you, and no matter what happens, it is yours… 

Many fans stream the music while holding the vinyl in their hands…that’s the best of both worlds…the vinyl never gets damaged, but you get to hear the music just the same…

And the attraction is the same as it ever was…liner notes, lyric sheets—and the artwork…

For a while, we were in real danger of seeing the glories of album artwork disappear…first, it was shrunk down to cd-sized…then with sometime like iTunes, you got a little postage-same image…and with streaming, you get almost nothing when it comes to something that visually embodies all the blood, sweat, tears, talent, and inspiration that went into making that album… 

So here on the radio (or the podcast), I’m going to ask you to conjure up images of these album covers in your mind…then you can go back to your vinyl library and take a look…

We’re revisiting album artwork on this episode of “The Ongoing History of New Music” with a look at the stories behind some iconic covers…and after this, you may not look at some of your albums the same way again…
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The Stories Behind Iconic Album Covers Part 1

I’ve always been fascinated with recording studios…the atmosphere, the equipment, the musical gear, the slight scent of ozone from all the electricity running through the circuits.

 Yeah, you can make very good records at home, but there’s
something special about recording a song or making an album in a professional recording studio…

This time, I’ve compiled a list of some of the best-known Oasis songs, and we’re about to go deep into how they were created.

When we’re done, you won’t listen to any of them the same way again.

This is "In the Studio with Oasis"
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In the Studio with Oasis

This program begins with an advisory…no, no—not that kind…there’s nothing dirty or obscene or controversially political coming up…it’s just that, well—what you’re about to hear is different…very different…and I mean really different.

There are thousands of music genres out there…but on this program, we’re going to look at something special…it’s a genre known as “outsider music” 

You know the kid at school who seemed to live a little beyond the status quo?... He or she wasn’t quite normal…and i do not mean that in any judgmental or pejorative way…they just marched to their own beat…whatever was going on inside their head may have been a little hard to grasp.

Some of these people may have felt a need to express themselves artistically…and the art that came out didn’t exactly fit anywhere…if it was music, it wasn’t the sort of music other people were making.

Outsider musicians are often self-taught…they’re perhaps a little naïve when it comes to the conventions of music and how it is performed…traditions, music theory, and experience mean nothing to them…they don’t care what other people think because they believe in themselves so much…for them, it’s all about the sheer joy of music.

No two outsider musicians sound alike…some have intellectual disabilities or suffer from some kind of mental illness (like schizophrenia, for example), while others are just a little left-of-centre when it comes to their outlook on reality, something that comes through in their music.

But all outsider musicians have something in common…there’s often a child-like quality to what they create…and they are motivated by the sheer joy of making music—and damn what other people may think.

If we look at them through that lens, their spirit is to be admired—even if the music is a little, uh, challenging.

Now that you’ve been warned and I’ve explained myself, let’s dive deeper into the fascinating world of outsider music…prepare yourself.
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Still More Outsider Music

This episode is directed at people who need to understand how their favourite bands got their names. 

I will present you 60 band names over the course of this program…the first 20 will be a study of current popular groups…then we’ll move to some retro names, followed by some random labels.

 And we’ll conclude with groups filed under “what were they thinking?,” “terrible original names,” “offensive names” (I’ll have to be careful about that)…and we’ll end with names that are just plain dumb—dumb on purpose, of course. 

Ready? Let us begin.

 

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60 More Band Name Origins in 60 Minutes

Every once in a while, something extraordinary happens in rock’n’roll…I hate the use of the cliché of “a perfect storm,” but that’s precisely what I’m talking about…a bunch of things involving culture, politics, demographics, economics and technology all collide and mix in just the right way for something totally new and unexpected to be created…

Lemme give you some examples…Elvis came along in the 1950s just as millions of post-war kids—these new constructs that were now called “teenagers”—began gravitating to new radio stations that played music derived from a mix of the blues, country and R&B… This music greatly annoyed their parents, something that made it dangerous and forbidden…

In 1964, the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show with a fresh, new sound that helped drag America out of the funk that followed the assassination of JFK…as far as rock is concerned, the 60s really began that February night in 1964…

Let’s try something more current…you might remember the appearance of the music video in the early 80s transformed the industry…. or the time you heard “smells like teen spirit” for the first time and immediately you somehow knew that whatever came next in the 90s would be very, very different…

And hip hop? don’t get me started…there are people—academics! —who will argue that the appearance of hip hop in popular culture was an even bigger deal that the Beatles…

There’s one other event that we need to include on this list: the rise of punk rock in the mid-70s…as it was happening, it was no big deal…it was an aberration, a niche thing that indulged weirdos and misfits… “It’s just noise,” said the rock purists. “Ignore it and it’ll go away.”

But it didn’t…in fact, we’re still talking about punk…and punk became more than just a form of music… it became a way of thinking and acting and creating and presenting…it’s music, film, visual art, literature, dance, politics… it altered much of western thought…the punk aesthetic—that “screw you, I’m gonna do it anyway” ethos—can be found virtually everywhere in society today…

But what led to this? What were the factors that led to the rise of this music? And how did it appear worldwide at virtually the same time in an era long, long before the internet? Great questions…. let’s see if we can find the answer to the question: “Why did punk happen at all?”
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Why Punk Happened

One of the things that makes rock great is the energy and the power that comes with the music..and depending where you go, that energy and power varies from place to place...

If you’re looking to exorcise a little aggression and anger and frustration, you have several choices...there are various flavours of metal that can serve your purpose, ranging from the melodic (Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” for example) along with Sabbath and Ozzy to the straight-from-hell insanity of black and death metal...

Industrial music is another option...guitars, synthesizers, and driving beats from acts like Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, and Ministry...

A third option is punk rock...it comes in many flavours, so there’s almost something for everyone...

But if you really want pure adrenalin, something aggressive, something super-physical, something primal, and something that can be dangerous and violent, there’s one particular part of the punk world that you’ll find very attractive...

It’s a space where things can’t be too hard, too fast, or too angry... And for many people, it’s become a lifestyle and even a lifesaver...it isn’t for everyone, but as we’ll see, its influence has extended far, far beyond just a bunch of guys yelling over loud guitars...misunderstood?...maybe...important?...definitely...this is the history of hardcore...
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The History of Hardcore

Sometimes people get so pissed off or so inspired by something that they just have to sing about it…this is the protest song and it’s been with us for centuries…

It’s music that encourages political and social change… and if done right—and if circumstances are correct—the song can mobilize people to take action, lift spirits and annoy (or even scare) authorities of the establishment…

Protest music comes in all forms: classical, folk, reggae, pop, hip hop and, of course, rock…it can rail against war, demand social justice, call out politicians and petition for greater rights for women, minorities, labour and the marginalized…

The singers and musicians behind this music may be regarded as thought leaders, social influencers and even prophets—and least for a time…

What i’d like to go is go through the history of protest in song from the world of alt-rock, those times when a loud guitar becomes tool for making things better—for everyone…
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Songs of Protest

What do you for fun?...hobbies, pastimes—things that you do just for you, away from your job and all your other responsibilities?...

I’ve got my dogs…my wife and I like to travel…and I’ve always had this thing about the JFK assassination…I’ve read all the books, seen all the documentaries…I’ve even been to Dallas and the grassy knoll, and the book depository…I can’t explain it, but I just find it interesting…

Maybe you’re into sports…collecting hockey cards or wine or rare scotches…video games, Japanese anime, beanie babies, souvenir spoons…no need to justify anything…it’s just something you enjoy doing…it fulfills you somehow…

Now consider this….when we think of our favourite musicians, we probably imagine them being immersed in music all the time…I mean, 24 hours a day, seven days a week…all they do is think about music and make music…

But the truth is, you can’t do that…no one can…everyone needs a break from whatever it is they do…you gotta rest the brain, recharge, and go on a search for new inspiration…put down the instruments and see what else is out there…become a more rounded person…that’s one aspect…

Another is, “look…you’ve had some success in your career…you’ve made some money…enjoy it…indulge in those things that you’ve always dreamed of…you can’t take it with you, so spend some of that cash”…

All right, so like what?...I think you may be surprised…let’s take a look at the hobbies and non-musical passions of some very famous musicians…
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Hobbies of Musicians

We're going back into the Ongoing History archives to bring you a show a lot of people have asked about. 

And with over 300 OGH podcasts, sometimes episodes get buried in the feed.

This is the second part of our Oral History of Madchester as told by someone who was there to see it and make it happen.

Gaz Whelan of the Happy Monday's!

This really is something else...
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The Oral History of "Madchester" - Part 2

This is the fifth edition of an occasional series called “The Rock Explainer.” The idea is to explore the strange, unexplained, and traditional aspects of rock culture that don’t get enough attention and analysis…

In many cases, we just accept these things and don’t question them as much as we should…but if we stop for just a second and cock a quizzical eyebrow and actually ask the question, then it’s possible to review new things about music that you might never have imagined…

Where do accents go when people sing?...why do artists sing the melody lines when they perform live?... How come we hear lyrics wrong?...let’s answer those questions and more.
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The Rock Explainer 5

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