The Essence of Cool

Bernard Frazer
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  • MUSIC INTERVIEWS
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The Essence of Cool is a podcast that connects with musicians, producers, radio presenters, and music enthusiasts to ask the burning question, "which artists do you call cool?" Is Kanye cool? How about Billie Eilish, Iggy Pop, or Lemmy? If so, what makes them cool?  Of course, everyone has their own definition. What we think is cool may be vastly different from our guests, which can spark some passionate discussion.  Join us in our ongoing discovery of The Essence of Cool

  1. S2 - Ep 28 - Tim Thorney Part 3

    04/15/2023

    S2 - Ep 28 - Tim Thorney Part 3

    On this final episode of Season 2, we finish our series on Canadian producer, singer/songwriter Tim Thorney by chatting with his long-time song writing partner, former Much Music VJ, Erica Ehm. Erica talks to us about how Tim's leap of faith helped transform her from a tv host to an award-winning songwriter and producer. She also describes how, after 10 years of writing together, Tim politely "broke up" with her to write with and produce Canadian music phenom, Alanis Morissette.

    52 min
  2. S2 - Ep 27 - Tim Thorney Part 2

    03/25/2023

    S2 - Ep 27 - Tim Thorney Part 2

    On Part 2 of our series celebrating the life and legacy of Canadian producer, singer, songwriter Tim Thorney, we catch up with drummer to the stars Randy Cooke (Ringo Starr, Dave Stewart, Alanis Morissette etc) who discusses his 20-plus year history with Tim, working on jingles, Alanis Morissette songs, albums by other artists, and Tim’s own solo releases. We also chat with Juno-award winning engineer, producer, songwriter, Hill Kourkoutis who Tim called “the future” of music.

    1h 2m
  3. S2 - Ep 26 - Tim Thorney Part 1

    03/11/2023

    S2 - Ep 26 - Tim Thorney Part 1

    Tim Thorney isn’t a household name, but perhaps he should be. The late singer/songwriter/producer worked with the likes of Alanis Morrisette, Lisa Dalbello, Burton Cummings, Jimmy Rankin and more. He also wrote some of the most memorable beer and car jingles, the type that got stuck in your heard for days. He won daytime Emmy, Gemini, and Juno awards, but it was his mentorship of and faith in the artists and musicians he worked with that truly defined him. During her induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Tim’s dear friend Alanis Morissette described him as the “ultimate port in the storm”, one of a very few individuals who would simply hold space for you. But he was also a musical genius. On this first of a 3-part series, we speak to Tim’s younger brother Tom about growing up in Winnipeg and watching him come to prominence as one of the most sought after music producers in the business, and his work with Alanis Morissette. Then we’ll talk to Adam Fair, Tim’s partner in Villa Sound, the studio where Tim would record his final album “Villa Freud”.

    1h 22m
  4. S2 - Ep 25 - Aaron Badgley

    02/25/2023

    S2 - Ep 25 - Aaron Badgley

    On this episode, we catch up with DJ, podcaster, and music journalist, Aaron Badgley. You might know Aaron from his radio shows The Wayback Music Machine and From Memphis to Merseyside along with my good friend Tony Stuart, or from The Backwards Traveller Radio Show on Perturb Radio and Here Today on CFRU FM . He also contributes album reviews and interviews to Canada’s Spill Magazine. On this show, he walks us through his Top Ten Cool artists of 2022. Some you know well, and some you may not, from Neil Arthur, Brian Eno, and Men Without Hats, to The Mary Wallopers, Sparks and Soundwalk Collective. He’ll also give us a peek at some artists to watch for in 2023, like the great pop experimentalist Selina Martin.

    1h 21m
  5. S2 - Ep 24 - Selina Martin

    02/11/2023

    S2 - Ep 24 - Selina Martin

    When journalists write about Selina Martin’s music, they use words like "masterful", "genius" , "profound" , and "superb", and I would agree with every single one, only venturing to add “breathtaking”. Such is the case for her latest album “Time Spent Swimming”, which explores the art of songwriting and production in ways most artists never imagine. She’s been compared to David Byrne, St. Vincent, Eno, and Bjork… and, in very David Bowie-esque fashion, she says art is about taking risks. In this episode, we explore those risks as we take a very deep dive into one of the most remarkable albums I’ve heard in decades.

    1h 12m
  6. S2 - Ep 23 - Jessica Lee Morgan

    01/28/2023

    S2 - Ep 23 - Jessica Lee Morgan

    Her father is iconic David Bowie/Marc Bolan producer Tony Visconti and her mother is famed Those Were The Days singer Mary Hopkin. But those facts have not given Jessica Lee Morgan a free ride to fame for her own music. In fact, she has found praise for her 5 delicious albums the old fashioned way, through a gruelling concert schedule and endless hard work. On this episode, Jessica tells us how her music career got started, about working with her dad on the Holy Holy tours, writing and producing a new album for her mother, and we examine her own gorgeous releases from her 2010 debut “I Am Not” through to her latest, the slick and beautifully produced/performed electropop album “Change the Record”. We also delve into her work as a practitioner of the Alexander Technique, and her essence of cool picks The Blow Monkeys and cult icon Robyn Hitchcock.

    1h 40m
  7. S2 - Ep 22 - Leslie Stanwyck

    01/14/2023

    S2 - Ep 22 - Leslie Stanwyck

    In the late 80s and early 90s, Leslie Stanwyck was known as a member of Canadian power pop band The Pursuit of Happiness. But in 1992, She and her partner Johnny Sinclair broke out on their own to form Universal Honey, who, 30 years later are on the cusp of releasing their 8th album, "Dandelion". Their music has been on the charts north and south of the border, been placed in movies and tv shows like Searching For Debra Winger and Degrassi The Next Generation, they've shared the stage with The Eurythmics, Googoo Dolls, and Duran Duran, and branched off into other genres with their projects Tucker Lane and The Bod. On this episode, we discuss all of that, their work with producer Todd Rundgren, songwriting on the road, and her essence of cool pick, the legend, Keith Records.

    1h 30m
  8. S2 - Ep 21 - Doug Hempstead

    12/31/2022

    S2 - Ep 21 - Doug Hempstead

    Listeners in Canada's Ottawa area will know Doug Hempstead as the CBC Traffic Reporter who also has a long history as a TV and print journalist around the Province of Ontario. But in the world of music, he is better known as the force behind Indie rock project, Area Resident. Since 2016, he has cranked out 7 albums, including 2022's Polycanard, a collection of unreleased demos dating back to 2003. In this episode, we discuss the real-life stories behind such Area Resident songs as 'Six Domestic Calls' and 'In Your Pepper', his new deal with Surkeus Records, Doug's longtime friendship and collaborations with Blinker The Star's Jordon Zadorozny, and his Essence of Cool picks: Chrissie Hynde and Wayne Coyne.

    1h 17m
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About

The Essence of Cool is a podcast that connects with musicians, producers, radio presenters, and music enthusiasts to ask the burning question, "which artists do you call cool?" Is Kanye cool? How about Billie Eilish, Iggy Pop, or Lemmy? If so, what makes them cool?  Of course, everyone has their own definition. What we think is cool may be vastly different from our guests, which can spark some passionate discussion.  Join us in our ongoing discovery of The Essence of Cool

Information

  • Creator
    Bernard Frazer
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2023
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Essence of Cool