EarWax: An Amoeba Podcast EarWax

Come on now, you know we got geared up for this one. One of the heaviest hitters in the world music conversation, Buena Vista Social Club's self-titled debut is this week's focus on EarWax!

Let's head to Cuba (by way of Mexico, if you're Ry Cooder), find some legendary Cuban musicians, get them in the studio and see what magic unfolds. After their initial idea broke down, this is how Nick Gold and Ry Cooder pivoted, and man did it work out.

These are songs that have been around Cuba for decades, nearly intrinsic to the country. The folks on this album love this music, they love to perform, and the result is a record that flows effortlessly. Truly beautiful in its scope and execution, Buena Vista Social Club is a reminder that music is bigger than politics, and that a great song will find a home in any era.
Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:
Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley 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

We love our shiny, glossy pop albums here on EarWax, and this week we've got one that is among the shiniest and poppiest - Carly Rae Jepsen's "E•MO•TION."

After rocketing to the top of the charts with the monster single "Call Me Maybe," Carly Rae Jepsen needed to take some time to figure out where she fit in the pop landscape, and more importantly, how to fit in a way that was comfortable for her.

The time "away" included a stint on Broadway, a scrapped album, and taking control of her creative direction. The result is an album that embraces her influences, but is resoundingly Carly Rae Jepsen. "E•MO•TION" is more than just incredible hooks and infectious grooves, it is a reintroduction to an artist ready to step back into the limelight on her own terms.
Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below:
Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley 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

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: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley 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

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: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley 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

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: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley 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

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: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley 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