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.
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https://radiogagapodcast.com/
"The Suburbs" is about a place and time that can now only exist in our memories - our childhood. As Win Butler says, the album "is neither a love letter to, nor an indictment of, the suburbs – it's a letter from the suburbs." It's a punch to the feels, a reflection on friendship, the escape route to individuality, and a mirror held up to the dark side of suburbia. We'll talk about what defines a concept album, how Arcade Fire got its name, and memories that come up for me when I listen to "The Suburbs."
The theremin is one of the most unique instruments in the world, and the only one that is played without touching it. In today's episode, we'll talk about Russian inventor Leon Theremin, and how he pulled this new sound out of thin air, literally. We'll also talk about the theremin's use in modern music like The Beach Boys and Led Zeppelin, how the instrument works, and Theremin's secret identity. This episode features music by thereminists Clara Rockmore, Carolina Eyck, Peter Pringle, and Gregoire Blanc.
In Part II of our "Pet Sounds" series, we finish out the tracks on Side 2, discuss how the cover photo with the goats came to be, and how they came up with "Pet Sounds" for the title of such a sophisticated record. We'll also get into what happens after Brian Wilson's masterwork is released, his decade-long period under a sadistic psychiatrist, and what's happening now for Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys.
After years of constantly touring with The Beach Boys, massive anxiety and stress, and a lifetime of abuse, Brian Wilson finally attempted to put into music the hopelessness, pain, and confusion he could never organize in his own mind. And the result, "Pet Sounds," was a compositional and emotional masterpiece. This album is incredibly special and one of my all-time favorites. In this episode, we'll talk about the band's beginnings in California all the way up through the 7 songs on Side 1 of "Pet Sounds."
The earliest years of Taking Back Sunday marked the end of a friendship between two former best friends - John Nolan from Taking Back Sunday, and Jesse Lacey from Brand New. And "Tell All Your Friends" was the bitter, vengeful lighter fluid on the fire. In this episode, we'll go through each track to highlight the lyrics and vocal work that made the album so effective. I'll also discuss the emo-pop genre, and why I still love "Tell All Your Friends" even 15 years removed from my high school emo phase.
For the better half of the 70s, Swedish band ABBA was one of the most popular acts in the entire world. ABBA created a library of hits that still live on today, soaked in the sparkle of a decade long since gone. Though things quickly went downhill in the early 80s, ABBA saw a huge revival with the release of ABBA Gold in 1992. We'll discuss the band's long-lasting impact, the meanings behind their most famous songs, and why on earth a podcast that worships the full album format would select a Greatest Hits.
In this episode, we discuss the black and white Parental Advisory label that is still today printed on the cover of albums containing explicit content. We'll discuss why & how the label was introduced in the '80s, the major backlash it received, and the musicians that stood up in front of Congress defending themselves and their peers' rights to free speech. I also discuss what power the label has anymore, if any, based on how the music industry – and the devices we use to listen to music – have changed.
Hootie & the Blowfish came on to the scene just as grunge's mainstream moment was ending. And the timing couldn't have been better. After years of angst saturating the airwaves, four nice guys from South Carolina brought the uplifting sound we didn't know we needed. In this episode: Why Darius Rucker isn't actually "Hootie" (and who is), why nostalgia is becoming increasingly sellable, and the gears that turned at the exact right moment to make "Cracked Rear View" one of the best-selling albums of all time.
"Continuum" is the album that changed John Mayer's trajectory in the best way. I'm covering a lot of ground in this episode, including which song on "Continuum" single-handedly turned me into a fan of his (and why I wasn't for the longest time), how "Back to the Future" inspired Mayer to play the guitar, and the medical condition that made him think he might never sing again. We'll talk Dead & Co., all of Mayer's relationships and the songs they inspired, and what's on the horizon for him in 2019.
Ariana Grande's success right now is, in a word, dominant. In this episode, we'll talk all about the specific experiences that provided inspiration for "thank u, next," including her relationship with the late Mac Miller and her called-off engagement to SNL's Pete Davidson. And there's refreshingly a lot more substance to Ariana as a musician and person than it may seem to the casual listener, including her active role in the recording studio, philanthropic efforts, and genuine soul. Don't miss this one.
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