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Song by Song — Music
Song by Song

Song by Song is a podcast celebrating the music of Tom Waits, hosted by podcaster-musician Martin Zaltz Austwick and actor-musician Sam Pay. Sam and Martin set themselves the goal of listening to Tom Waits’s back catalogue from beginning to end, and devoting an episode to discussing each track.

Song by Song is in no way officially linked to Tom Waits, or endorsed by Tom Waits, or associates. All excerpts are used for criticism purposes – please purchase your own copies of the music at your favourite shop, app, or platform to get the full experience and support musicians’ work.

Copyright: © All rights reserved

Latest Episodes:

Lost In The Harbour, Alice, Tom Waits [293] Jul 21, 2021

Show notes

Never lost for a conversation, Jo, Miranda, Martin and Sam take a look at the theatrical and political context of Waits's less-mannered song of longing. We return to some conversations from recent episodes, consider Kathleen Brennan's presence in these songs, and break SbS rules to revisit Lotte Lenya's presentation of the music of Kurt Weill.

website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Lost in the Harbour, Alice, Tom Waits (2002) Lost In The Stars, Lost In The Stars, Lotte Lenya / Kurt Weill (1943)

We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

Table Top Joe, Alice, Tom Waits [292] Jul 14, 2021

Show notes

Miranda returns alongside Jo (not currently available on table-tops) to talk about parody and joy in this Waits track as well as it's 1992 demo version. We dig into a discussion of the entertainment industry, images of American exceptionalism, and the presence/absence of women in music.

website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Table Top Joe, Alice, Tom Waits (2002) Table Top Joe, The Alice Demos, Tom Waits (1992 - unreleased) Wrote My Way Out, The Hamilton Mixtape, Lin-Manuel Miranda / Naz / Dave East / Aloe Blacc (2016)

We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

Poor Edward, Alice, Tom Waits [291] Jul 07, 2021

Show notes

As Waits takes a left-turn into a very different story from the 19th century, we're joined by Miranda Horvath and Jo Lewis to take a look at some of the gender politics in the tale of Edward Mordrake, and how nostalgia/fear/obsession are represented in this week's tracks.

website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Poor Edward, Alice, Tom Waits (2002) All Of My Mates Are Owls, from Imaginary Advice podcast 39 "I Heart 1984", Ross Sutherland (2017)

We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

Kommienezuspadt, Alice, Tom Waits [290] Jun 30, 2021

Show notes

Waits mangles both minds and the German language, as translation expert Justine Houyaux rejoins Sam and Martin for this call to punctuality. We explore linguistic alterations in other directions, as well as the image of madness and the ways that meaning is projected onto misheard or uncomprehended language.

website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Kommienezuspadt, Alice, Tom Waits (2002) Prisencolinensinainciusol, Super Best, Adriano Celentano (1992/1974)

We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

No One Knows I'm Gone, Alice, Tom Waits [289] Jun 23, 2021

Show notes

Our third week with Ashleyanne sees our hosts expressing some differing opinions on both the Waits and interval tracks. Portrait of bleak mortality or optimistic reach for freedom? Upbeat flirty plan for adventure or bloodless cover? All opinions are valid, except for the ones which are definitely wrong...

website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: No One Knows I'm Gone, Alice, Tom Waits (2002) Cups, Cold Water, Lulu & The Lampshades (2011)

We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

Flower's Grave, Alice, Tom Waits [288] Jun 16, 2021

Show notes

There's some examination of the value and impact of this song, as Ashleyanne discusses the prettiness and depth of music with Martin and Sam. We talk about the context of the play, as well as the presence of hope and optimism in music with a fatalistic attitude.

website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Flower's Grave, Alice, Tom Waits (2002) Flowers On My Grave, Aunt Ma Kwacha, Smokey Haangala (1976)

We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

Everything You Can Think, Alice, Tom Waits [287] Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

Producer and DJ Ashleyanne Krigbaum joins Sam & Martin for the worst lullaby in the world, as Waits aggressively welcomes us into the body of the album. We discuss the sonic tone of this track, the use of sound effects, and the meaning of Dreamlands for Waits, Carroll and others.

website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Everything You Can Think, Alice, Tom Waits (2002) Dreamland, Studio One Women, Della Humphrey (1972/2005)

We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

Alice, Alice, Tom Waits [286] Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

Carrollian scholar Justine Houyaux rejoins Sam & Martin to look at the eponymous opening track for our 19th season, Alice. We chat about the sorrow and violence in the song, the lyrical density and the overlap between the writing of Waits and Carroll, as well as other adaptations of the Alice stories.

website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Alice, Alice, Tom Waits (2002) Clips from Alice (Neco z Alenky), dir. Jan Svankmajer (1988)

We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

Alice background [285a] May 26, 2021

Show notes

Before embarking on our Alice season, we thought a little context on the books, the play, and the biography of the major players would be relevant (for us as well as you, dear listener). So we welcome Carrolian scholar Justine Houyaux to talk about the writing of Charles Dodgeson, his friendship with Alice Liddell, and the adaptation by Robert Wilson, Paul Schmidt, Kathleen Brennan and... who's the other guy?

Many thanks to Hannah McGregor and Amanda Lastoria for helping set up this episode.

website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: There's Only Alice, The Alice Demos, Tom Waits (1992 - unreleased) Untitled (Barcarolle), The Alice Demos, Tom Waits (1992 - unreleased)

We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

Mystery Men (film, dir. Usher, 1999) [F16] May 12, 2021

Show notes

It's the silly-fun one folks! For perhaps the biggest blockbuster movie in the Waits filmography, Sam & Martin welcome Desiree Burch to get nostalgic(ish) for the 90s in this gigantic neon superhero comedy mashup. With a few frustrations and no small amount of delight, we talk about juggling the ensemble cast, how it relates to the cast and superhero films... but basically, you should give this one a look, it's a lot of fun.

website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Clips from Mystery Men, dir. Kinka Usher (1999)

We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

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