Stay ConnectedThe Radio Ga Ga Podcast is a weekly album review podcast that explores why we like the music we like. Host Justine Piehowski dives into each album in depth, with artist backgrounds, song-by-song meanings, and notes from the recording studio. The goal of the Radio Ga Ga Podcast is to help you as the listener feel more knowledgeable and connected to the music you love, and maybe even music you didn’t know you would.
Available wherever you listen to podcasts.
https://radiogagapodcast.com/
We all know Jimi Hendrix, one of the most legendary and influential musicians to ever walk the planet. But there's a lot about his life we don't hear about. In this episode, we talk about Jimi's rough childhood and life before he had a guitar in his hands, his time in the Army's 101st Airborne Division, and rise to music fame in the late '60s. We'll end with a track analysis of "Axis" Side 1, including two of my all-time favorite Hendrix tracks: "Spanish Castle Magic" and "Little Wing." Episode I of II.
Hole's prophetically titled "Live Through This" would release just one week after the suicide of Courtney Love's husband, Kurt Cobain. The album is haunted, a bit psychic, and stands up against any of the big '90s grunge albums. If you're like me and only knew Courtney as a tabloid cover girl, listen to this episode. My guest, music writer Phoebe Reilly, has spent significant time interviewing Courtney Love. Phoebe helps us get to know the real Courtney - her brilliance, her messiness, and all.
In this episode, we dive into the world of Ivy League indie pop with Vampire Weekend's third studio album. Though much of the indie world fell in love with this band from the start, some music media pegged Vampire Weekend as privileged, waspy Columbia grads using cultural appropriation to their advantage. My guest Jerry Bell explains how the band rose to popularity, overcame assumptions to bring more international music to the forefront, and evolved both together as a band and as individuals.
In the summer of 1979 came one of the harbingers of disco's doom, Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park. In this episode, we talk about how that evening at the baseball field got increasingly out of control, and the many other reasons disco fever didn't last. We'll talk about what disco stars did in the 80s to stay relevant, how some of disco's best producers made their mark, and all the ways disco shows up in every decade up to now. In fact, I believe it's about to make a full comeback. Episode 3 of 3.
Get ready to dance! In the second installment of our series, we talk about the artists that brought disco to the mainstream including Donna Summer, the BeeGees, and Gloria Gaynor. There's also a number of other artists who created songs just to join the trend, including the Rolling Stones, Dolly Parton, and even the Grateful Dead. We'll talk about the elements of disco music, what it was like going to the disco, and of course, all the classic songs heard on the dance floor. Episode 2 of 3.
Disco is one of just a few music genres that can call itself a full-bodied cultural movement. The history of the discotheque begins as far back as World War II Europe, and by the 60s, begins blossoming in the American epicenter of disco, New York City. Disco music's true roots lie in American R&B, soul, and funk, so we'll talk about the impact of those genres and how they began to evolve by the early 70s. Also David Mancuso's loft parties, the disco as a safe space, and lots more. Episode 1 of 3.
It's easy to look at Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz and not take him seriously. It seems like 1990-era MTV created him in a lab. But there's more to him, and "August and Everything After," than it seems. In this episode, we're highlighting the Counting Crows biggest hits, the time the mayor of Omaha offered Duritz the key to the city, and the progressive metal band that named themselves after a song on this album.
In this episode, we're exploring why all the music we hear in the "James Bond" film franchise sounds so undeniably "Bond." Some of these songs were written nearly 40 years apart, yet musically, we immediately associate all of them with 007. I unpack the music theory behind the "Bond sound" and all the musical motifs and chord progressions that have been consistent since the early '60s up to today. Also - Adele gets cold feet, Marvin Hamlisch gets inspired by disco, and Tom Jones passes out.
"Dummy" is one of the defining records of the trip-hop genre, and one of the most unique albums we've covered here. We'll talk about all the elements that defined their otherworldly sound, the film Portishead made to "introduce" the band, and how the band got creative before there was such a thing as ProTools. I also talk to The Syndicate's Jon Landman about his work in music, how the pandemic is changing the industry, and what draws him in the most when he listens to Portishead.
Leon Bridges' music reflects a vintage quietness; an articulation of raw feelings of love and heartbreak that we've all felt, but rarely find the words for. On "Good Thing," he breaks away from the golden age soul comparisons to Sam Cooke to find a voice that's all his own. We also discuss the Grammys, Fort Worth, beauty in simplicity, and how a pair of jeans was the impetus for a conversation that would change Leon Bridges' life.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
