Heat Rocks

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Bonus Beats: Discovering Music Through Samples with Joseph Schloss Nov 24, 2020

Show notes

Oliver sits down with ethnomusicologist Dr. Joseph Schloss to discuss the origins of sampling in hip-hop and a few of their favorite music discoveries through samples.

Pick up Joseph's books!

If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

VanJess on Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black" (2006) Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

When Amy Winehouse released her debut studio album Frank back in 2003, it made waves in her native UK, but it didn't quite make it across the pond. Those who heard it, loved her contralto vocals, relatable lyrics, and blending of musical genres. A few years later, she would go on to release her second and final album, Back to Black, to both critical and commercial success, earning the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album and selling over 16 million copies worldwide. Unfortunately, the success was short-lived; Winehouse struggled with substance abuse and mental illness and died of alcohol poisoning in 2011, at just 27 years old.

R&B sister duo VanJess sits down with us to discuss Amy's influence on artists today, blue-eyed soul, and what direction her next album would have gone if she were still here with us.

More on VanJess

Check out VanJess' new single Slow Down
VanJess Are The Sister Two-Piece Cultivating Their Own Strand Of R&B (Vogue)
Twitter | Instagram

More on Back to Black

Salaam Remi on producing the album
‘Back To Black’: How Amy Winehouse Crossed The Atlantic (uDiscoverMusic)
‘Back to Black’: 10 Things You Didn’t Know (Rolling Stone)

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Back to Black unless otherwise indicated):

Rehab
VanJess: Touch the Floor
Addicted
Jazmine Sullivan: Round Midnight
Amy Winehouse: In My Bed
Tears Dry on Their Own
Back to Black
Tears Dry on Their Own
Waking Up Alone
Love Is A Losing Game
Rehab
Amy Winehouse: Valerie
He Can Only Hold Her
The Icemen: (My Girl) She's A Fox
Love Is A Losing Game
Just Friends
Back To Black
Amy Winehouse: Mr. Magic (Through the Smoke)
Me and Mr. Jones
Back to Black
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: Let Them Knock
Amy Winehouse: Amy, Amy, Amy
Corinne Bailey Rae: Till It Happens to You
Sade: Tar Baby
Snoh Aalegra: Fool For You

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.
If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

Bonus Beats: Favorite Breaks with Loren Kajikawa Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

Oliver sits down with musicologist Loren Kajikawa to discuss why instrumental breaks hit us in such a specific way, the different ways musicians have approached breaks, and their personal favorite moments in music.

If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

Anjimile on Oliver Mtukudzi's "Vhunze Moto" (2002) Nov 16, 2020

Show notes

Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi is perhaps Zimbabwe's most renowned and iconic musician. His thoughtful songwriting and exceptional guitar playing spoke truth to power and gave him a loyal fanbase. He went on to become a star in his home country and pioneered a whole new genre of music, Tuku music. His wisdom and messages of affirmation resonated with millions and his music continues to inspire to this day.

Singer/songwriter Anjimile sits down with us (remotely) to discuss Tuku's 41st album (!!!) Vhunze Moto. We discuss the impact of Tuku's music in Zimbabwe, the characteristics of Tuku music, and the rules of playlists on long road trips.

More on Anjimile

Check out Anjimie's new LP Giver Taker
Anjimile Just Can't Wait To Be King (NPR)
Twitter | Instagram

More on Oliver Mtukudzi

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Vhunze Moto unless otherwise indicated):

Kusekana Kwanakamba
Anjimile: In Your Eyes
Yave Mbodza
Wongororo
Gondo
Ndakuvara
Kusekana Kwanakamba
Gondo
Lauryn Hill: To Zion
Wongororo
Ziva Nguva
Moto Moto
Tapera
Kucheneka
Ndakuvara
Moto Moto
Leonard Dembo: Chitekete
Thomas Mapfumo: Wauraiwa
Oliver Mtukudzi: Mai Varamba

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.
If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

Bonus Beats: Nas & Unused Samples Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

On this week's edition of Bonus Beats, Oliver takes a couple of questions from the mailbag about overlooked samples and Nas' best LP (besides Illmatic)

If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

Kevin Smokler & Christopher Boone on B.T. Express' "Non-Stop" (1975) Nov 05, 2020

Show notes

The disco funk group B.T. Express hit the ground running with their debut studio album Do It ('Til You're Satisfied), which reached the top spot in the US R&B albums chart and went gold. The title track went on to become a staple in club playlists and the band started work on their next project. Just a year later, their sophomore album Non-Stop was released and it once again reached the top of the R&B chart, but did not enjoy the same amount of commercial success. Nonetheless, the album's funky vibes and distinct sound stood out, and it's kept us grooving ever since.

Oliver is flying solo with Kevin Smokler and Christopher Boone, the filmmakers behind the documentary, Vinyl Nation. They discuss what set B.T. Express apart from the disco acts of the day, the resurgence of vinyl records in 2020, and one of the weirdest Carpenters covers we've heard in a minute.

More on Kevin and Christopher

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Non-Stop unless otherwise indicated):

Discotizer
B.T. Express: If It Don't Turn You On (You Oughta Leave It Alone)
EPMD: So Wat Cha Sayin'
Happiness
Devil's Workshop
Kool & The Gang: Celebration
Peace Pipe
Give It What You Got
Close To You
Janet Jackson: I Want You
Close To You
You Got It — I Want It
Still Good, Still Like It
Devil's Workshop
Whatcha Think About That?
Discotizer
B.T. Express: Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)
The Freedom Affair: Rise Up
TV On The Radio: Happy Idiot

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.
If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

Take Two #4: Jay-Z's "The Black Album" (2003) Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

We finish our Jay-Z Take Two series with what was supposed to be Hova's swan song, The Black Album. We discuss the hype surrounding this album, the ridiculous amount of remixes we got out of this, and Just Blaze's extraordinary production.

More on The Black Album

Ranking the Beats: Jay-Z's The Black Album (Vibe)
Revisiting The Black Album (Albumism)
The Making of The Black Album

Show tracklisting (all songs from The Black Album unless otherwise indicated)

Dirt Off Your Shoulder
December 4
Moment of Clarity
Interlude
99 Problems
Encore
Public Service Announcement
December 4
Notorious B.I.G: Sky's The Limit
Lucifer
Jay-Z: Moment of Clarity (Remix)
J Treds: Praise Due
Faith Evans: Burnin' Up
Faith Evans: Burnin' Up (Remix)
Jay-Z: Public Service Announcement (Remix)
What More Can I Say
Jay-Z: Pump It Up Freestyle
Public Service Announcement A Capella

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.
If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

Take Two #3: Jay-Z's "Reasonable Doubt" (1996) Oct 22, 2020

Show notes

We continue our Take Two miniseries and looking at two albums from an iconic artist. This time, it's Jay-Z and his debut studio album Reasonable Doubt. This marks the first time we're talking about a Hova album in depth and we discuss why that may be, Jay's features before this album dropped, and what the future of New York rap and Jigga's career might have looked like if Biggie was still with us.

More on Reasonable Doubt

Show tracklisting (all songs from Reasonable Doubt unless otherwise indicated):

Bring It On
Ain't No N****
The Jaz: It's That Simple
Jay-Z: In My Lifetime (Remix)
Can I Live II
Feelin' It
Ain't No N****
The Whole Darn Family: Seven Minutes of Funk
Ain't No N****
The Ohio Platers: Ecstasy
Brooklyn's Finest
D'Evils
Allen Toussaint: Go Back Home
D'Evils
Junior M.A.F.I.A: Player's Anthem (Remix)
Can't Knock the Hustle
Brooklyn's Finest
Coming of Age
Dead Presidents II
Politics As Usual
Brooklyn's Finest
De La Soul: Dog Eat Dog
Foxy Brown: Ill Na Na

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.
If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

Hanif Abdurraqib on The Beach Boys' "Surf's Up" (1971) Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

The Beach Boys are often regarded as one of the most prolific and influential American bands of all time. However, the group has has its fair share of missteps and controversies over the years. They found early commercial success with songs like "Surfin' USA" and "I Get Around" and critical success with the album Pet Sounds. As time went on and the musical landscape changed, the band struggled to find their voice. Their follow up albums flopped commercially and critically, inner turmoil created division in the band, and rumor was that they were on the brink of breaking up.

In 1971, The Beach Boys released Surf's Up , their most socially-aware and emotional album up to that point. Gone were the band's matching outfits and singing about girls and surfing, and in it's place were more downtempo tracks about the environment, protests, and taking good care of your feet.

Writer and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib sits down (remotely) with us to discuss one of the weirder entries in the Beach Boys' discography. We talk about the sudden shift in image for the band, The Beach Boys' place in American pop music, and why they struggled to keep up with music trends.

More on Hanif Abdurraqib

Preorder Hanif's new book A Little Devil In America
Hanif's incredible music project SixtyEight2OhFive
Twitter | Instagram

More on Surf's Up

That Time The Beach Boys Tried to Pull It Together for Surf's Up (Ultimate Classic Rock)
Surf's Up: The Socially Aware Album That Made The Beach Boy Cool Again (uDiscoverMusic)
Rolling Stone's original review for Surf's Up

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Surf's Up unless otherwise indicated):

Feel Flows
Don't Go Near The Water
The Beach Boys: I'll Be Home For Christmas
Long Promised Road
The Beach Boys: Good Vibrations
Surf's Up
Don't Go Near The Water
The Coasters: Riot in Cell Block No. 9
Student Demonstration Time
A Day In The Life of A Tree
Don't Go Near The Water
Feel Flows
Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
Disney Girls (1957)
Take A Load Off Your Feet
Feel Flows
A Day In The Life Of A Tree
Bullion: God Only Knows
Sly & The Family Stone: Just Like A Baby
Bill Withers: Hope She'll Be Happier

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.
If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

The Art of Sampling #3B with Dan Charnas on Slum Village's "Fantastic, Vol. 2" (2000) Oct 08, 2020

Show notes

This week, we're wrapping up the third edition of The Art of Sampling and talking about Slum Village's album Fantastic, Vol. 2 with music exec and writer, Dan Charnas. We discuss J Dilla's sampling techniques, the great lengths the label went through to keep this project under wraps, and the influence of Dilla on future beatmaking.

More on Dan Charnas

More on Fantastic, Vol 2

Fantastic, Vol 2 Turns 20 (Albumism)
Discover Samples On Slum Village's Fantastic Vol. 2 (Power 106)
Once Upon A Time: Fantastic Vol. 2 at 20 (Rock and Roll Globe)

Song Tracklisting (all songs from Fantastic Vol. 2 unless otherwise indicated):

Intro
Hustle
Prince: Lady Cab Driver
Little Beaver: A Tribute to Wes
Conant Gardens
The Singers Unlimited: Clair
The Sugarhill Gang: Rapper's Delight
The Singers Unlimited: Clair
Players
Untitled/Fantastic
Hold Tight
Climax
Forth and Back (Demo Version)
Get Dis Money
Herbie Hancock: Come Running to Me
Jealousy
Brand New Heavies: Sometimes (Remix)
Once Upon A Time
I Don't Know
Untitled/Fantastic
I Don't Know
Baden Powell: E Isso Ai
Fall In Love
Gap Mangione: Diana In The Autumn Wind
Fall In Love
CB4
Fall in Love
Slum Village: Keep It On
Hiatus Kaiyote: Fingerprints

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.
If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

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