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EarWax — Music
EarWax

EarWax is a deep-dive music podcast hosted by two longtime record store clerks, Hilary and Cody, who are steeped in music history.

Each week, we unpack the story of a single album – how it was made, where it fits in the cultural moment that shaped it, and why it still matters. From iconic classics to cult gems, we explore the music that moves us and the stories that stick.

You’ll also hear about the latest releases and what’s buzzing in our world of vinyl bins and liner notes. Think of it like your favorite record store hang, just in podcast form.

EarWax is for anyone who loves music with context, history, and heart.

Copyright: © 2024 EarWax: An Amoeba Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 38: Muddy Waters - At Newport 1960 Apr 18, 2024

Show notes

We are heading into familiar territory this week as EarWax revisits the Newport Jazz Festival!
Cody and Hilary pick up four years after we last left Newport to tell the tale behind Muddy Waters' incredible live album "At Newport 1960." This record is an absolutely scorching set of blues set against a weekend that was marred by capacity limits, Bermuda shorts-wearing hoodlums, riots, and a Mingus-led rival festival.
With tracks written by giants like Willie Dixon and Langston Hughes, "At Newport 1960" is a fascinating look at one of the luminaries of the blues in his prime. Muddy Waters and his band are on absolute fire, and this album beautifully captures what happens when you let the blues cook.

Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:

Instagram: @earwaxpod
TikTok: @earwaxpod
Amoeba on Instagram:
Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com

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

Ep. 37: Vince Staples - Summertime '06 Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Looking for a breezy jam to cruise into the summer season? Nah, we're hitting you with beats, bars, and Vince Staples' debut album.
Cody and Hilary talk about our responsibilities as fans, how to respectfully engage with weighty material, and how in the pocket Vince Staples is throughout this whole record.
Weaving together a tapestry of matter-of-fact stories with a seamless display of flows, Summertime '06 tells us about a loss of innocence. The ability to deliver such a weighty message in such an accessible way is a testament to his immense talent.
Vince Staples is one of the best in the game currently, and this record was an announcement of his arrival on the national stage.

Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:

Instagram: @earwaxpod
TikTok: @earwaxpod
Amoeba on Instagram:
Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com

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

Ep. 36: Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral Apr 04, 2024

Show notes

Are you having a wonderful day? Full of joy perhaps? Just really, fully, live/laugh/loving life? Welp, good luck!
Hilary and Cody careen through Nine Inch Nails' magnum opus, "The Downward Spiral." Trent Reznor was fully in his bag on this one, and it pushed him into places that would take a good long while to rebound from.
What does it say about us that a record of such pain and darkness not only found a foothold but is commonly referenced as one of - if not the most important - record of a generation?
An album that has brought so many people so much catharsis, The Downward Spiral is an uncomfortably unflinching look at the worst parts of our society. What Nine Inch Nails accomplished sonically is immensely impressive, but it somehow takes a backseat to the message being conveyed.
The result is an artistic statement of staggering profundity. There are few, if any, albums with this much edge, and its place in the legendary stratosphere it occupies is well-earned.

Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:

Instagram: @earwaxpod
TikTok: @earwaxpod
Amoeba on Instagram:
Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com

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

Ep. 35: Rilo Kiley - The Execution of All Things ft. Jeremy Bolm Mar 28, 2024

Show notes

Worlds and genres collide as the EarWax crew welcome our first guest onto the show!
Post-hardcore meets indie rock as Jeremy Bolm (Touché Amoré, The First Ever Podcast) joins Cody and Hilary to dive into Rilo Kiley's indie masterpiece "The Exection of All Things."
This album is where LA meets Omaha, where success meets sustainability, and where Rilo Kiley cemented themselves as the indie legends that they are.
Remarkably vulnerable, anthemic, and catchy, "The Execution of All Things" will find a place in your rotation and your heart, and it will stay there.
Check out Jeremy Bolm and his killer projects on Instagram!
@jeremyxbolm
@toucheamore
@thefirsteverpodcast

Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:

Instagram: @earwaxpod
TikTok: @earwaxpod
Amoeba on Instagram:
Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com

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

Ep. 34: The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go Mar 21, 2024

Show notes

Tease your beehive hairdo waaaaaaay up, and put on your most gorgeous flowing dress, the GOAT girl group makes their EarWax debut!
Our first 60s record is Motown perfection, although the Supremes' rise to the top was anything but perfect. Ultimately, they became standard bearers for both the label and the genre, and the hits from this record are absolute staples of the revolutionary culture of the 1960s.
Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and Diana Ross took the songwriting of Holland-Dozier-Holland, the musicianship of the Funk Brothers, and the rest of the Motown machine and put it all together to make a record with three #1 hits.
They're more than classic, they're more than legendary, they are the Supremes!

Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:

Instagram: @earwaxpod
TikTok: @earwaxpod
Amoeba on Instagram:
Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com

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

Ep. 33: Le Tigre - Le Tigre Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

Let's dismantle systemic oppression with post-riot grrrl!
Hilary and Cody dance and groove to the infectious, crackling first album by Le Tigre. Fronted by the legendary Kathleen Hanna, Le Tigre is a response to the implosion of a movement she championed.
Le Tigre talks about all of the stuff you're gonna hear in the riot grrrl scene, but it candy-coats them and makes them accessible for those not deeply affiliated. With endless energy and topics that range from Rudy Giuliani being a jerk to a statement from Rothko about art, this record is jam-packed with jams...and a message that you can't help but nod your head to.

Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:

Instagram: @earwaxpod
TikTok: @earwaxpod
Amoeba on Instagram:
Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com

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

Ep. 32: Shania Twain - Come On Over Mar 07, 2024

Show notes

Okay...so you need a 32nd episode. Well, let us impress upon you how much we loved covering Shania Twain's ridiculously influential album "Come On Over."
Cody and Hilary weave through the career path of the Queen of Country Pop, and all of the struggles and successes that culminated in the making of this album.
You want catchy? Got it. Songs built for live performance? Boom, got it. How about commercial numbers? Psh, got it 20x platinum.
A record rich in pop hooks, stadium rock, and Shania's pristine vocals, Come On Over is the template for contemporary country stars crossing over into the pop world. Shania Twain blazed a trail through Nashville into our ears, and we are forever indebted to her for giving us something as kickass as Man! I Feel Like a Woman! and every other monster single on this album.

Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:

Instagram: @earwaxpod
TikTok: @earwaxpod
Amoeba on Instagram:
Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com

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

Ep. 31: Alice Coltrane - Ptah, the El Daoud Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

What better way to usher in the Leap Year than to cover an artist who is arguably even more unique?
Alice Coltrane is one of the most dynamic names in jazz history. Cody and Hilary explore her journey to this record, and Ptah's journey from ancient Egypt to 1970.
This lineup is absolutely stacked with jazz legends, and they are all locked in and taking their cue from the person at the helm - Alice freakin' Coltrane.
Spiritual, ethereal, inquisitive, and intentional, Ptah the El Daoud is a transitional record for Alice Coltrane. We are lucky to have such a brilliant marker of her exploration of spirituality and universality.

Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:

Instagram: @earwaxpod
TikTok: @earwaxpod
Amoeba on Instagram:
Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com

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

Ep. 30: Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

Everyone get real serious...now throw that all away and gear up for a total vibe of an album - Flying Lotus' "Until The Quiet Comes."
Cody and Hilary talk about floating bathtubs, lucid dreaming, and Adult Swim. All of these are integral to Flying Lotus, a true master whose talents are on full display on this record.
A seamless blend of jazz, hip-hop, psych, and electro, "Until the Quiet Comes" knows exactly when to punch it up, and when to pull it back. This is an album that flirts with pop while thumbing its nose at both pop, and what initially put Flying Lotus on the mainstream's radar. It is deeply personal, remarkably ambitious, and endlessly listenable.

Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:

Instagram: @earwaxpod
TikTok: @earwaxpod
Amoeba on Instagram:
Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com

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

Ep. 29: D'Angelo - Voodoo Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

Light some candles, turn off the lights, and slip into something a bit more...comfortable. We've got a whole vibe this week.
Hilary and Cody break down the funk, the grooves, the voice, and the poetry that is D'Angelo and his second album - Voodoo. Chock full of absolute stars, this album's personnel is a who's who of 90s soul, with D'Angelo at the helm.
A bit of Sly, a bit of Hendrix, a bit of Dilla, and a whole lotta bits of Prince, Voodoo did exactly what it set out to do. D'Angelo was rocketed to fame, and along the way became a sex icon. But what does it mean when the image starts to supersede the music?
Voodoo is a masterpiece, an achievement of soul music, and a benchmark to chase for those who came after it. We had a blast covering this album, and are hyped to share it with you all!

Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:

Instagram: @earwaxpod
TikTok: @earwaxpod
Amoeba on Instagram:
Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com

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

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