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Ongoing History of New Music

Curiouscast
  • 4.9 (535)
  • MUSIC HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Ongoing History of New Music looks at things from the alt-rock universe to hip hop, from artist profiles to various thematic explorations. It is Canada’s most well known music documentary hosted by the legendary Alan Cross. Whatever the episode, you’re definitely going to learn something that you might not find anywhere else. Trust us on this.

  1. 4D AGO

    What's the Big Deal About Joy Division?

    Students of classical music know that Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the most important and influential composers of all time…his use of instruments, four-part harmonies, and use of innovative structures in his material were all brilliant… When he was alive, he commanded plenty of respect…but after he died in March 1685, he was almost forgotten…the only reason we talk about him today is that there was a Bach revival in the 19th century…he became a retro hero in the world of classical music… No one knew anything about Robert Johnson when he was alive other than some myths and legends among hardcore fans of Delta Blues…but when his records were reissued in 1961, 23 years after he died, did his reputation explode… Charles Mingus was revered by fellow jazz artists…it was only after he passed away in 1979 that his influence on jazz was celebrated… We can also talk about posthumous praise for Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, and Elliott Smith…and although Tupac and Biggie were big stars when they were shot, they became even bigger stars in death… I’m going to add another name to this list: Ian Curtis and Joy Division…when Ian took his own life in May 1980, he and the band were so skint that he had to give his dog away because he and his wife couldn’t afford to feed him… Today, though, Ian and Joy Division are acknowledged as one of the most important and most influential post-punk bands ever…why?...what was the big deal about Joy Division? And why do they continue to be a big deal?...let’s examine this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    39 min

  2. JAN 28

    What Exactly is Post Rock? Part 2

    In Part 2 of our deep dive into Post Rock, we explore the bands and ideas that have shaped this experimental and atmospheric approach to music. From Slint and Mogwai to Sigur Rós and Explosions in the Sky, we look at how these bands create something cinematic...emotional...and entirely unexpected. We also look at how post‑rock influences artists like Radiohead and Broken Social Scene, and why this musical philosophy continues to spread all across the globe. Prepare to discover new bands, new sounds, and a new way of thinking about what rock can be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 min

  3. JAN 21

    What Exactly is Post-Rock? Part 1

    What exactly is "Post‑Rock"? In this first installment of a two‑part deep dive, we unpack one of the most misunderstood labels in modern music. From its origins in the 1960s to its evolving relationship with rock, ambient, jazz, and experimental traditions...Post-Rock has come to mean different things to different listeners. In part 1, we focus on where the term came from and what it was originally trying to describe. We explore ideas like: The cultural and musical context that gave rise to post‑rock Why the genre resists simple definitions Early artists and scenes that shaped its sound and philosophy How “using rock instruments for non‑rock purposes” became both a manifesto and a limitation Rather than treating post‑rock as a fixed style, we look at it as an idea...one that reflects broader shifts in how music moved away from verse‑chorus structures and toward texture, atmosphere, and long‑form composition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    29 min

  4. JAN 14

    2025 In Memoriam

    I'll be honest and say that this is not a happy show…in fact, it’s probably the saddest episode of the year…then again, it’s an opportunity to pay tribute to the musicians we lost in 2025. They’re gone, but that’s the thing about being a musician…the songs they left behind will remain with us for many, many years.  I’m going to go through a list of deaths…this list isn’t comprehensive because we just don’t have the time to cover all the “RIP's” that happened...and because there are so many, I’ll probably miss a few, and for that, I apologize in advance. This is 2025 in memoriam, a tribute to rock stars who passed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    32 min

  5. JAN 14 • OHNM - UNLIMITED ONLY

    2025 In Memoriam

    I'll be honest and say that this is not a happy show…in fact, it’s probably the saddest episode of the year…then again, it’s an opportunity to pay tribute to the musicians we lost in 2025. They’re gone, but that’s the thing about being a musician…the songs they left behind will remain with us for many, many years.  I’m going to go through a list of deaths…this list isn’t comprehensive because we just don’t have the time to cover all the “RIP's” that happened...and because there are so many, I’ll probably miss a few, and for that, I apologize in advance. This is 2025 in memoriam, a tribute to rock stars who passed.

    28 min

  6. JAN 7

    Introducing "Uncharted": Sid Vicious and Questions About the Murder of Nancy Spungen

    On October 12, 1978, punk’s most infamous couple...Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols and Nancy Spungen...hit rock bottom at New York’s Chelsea Hotel. Nancy was found dead from a single stab wound in Room 100. Sid was charged with murder, but was he really the killer? Or was it someone else in their chaotic circle? This is “Uncharted: Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry”…and this time, it’s the wild story of the death of Nancy Spungen and the questions that still remain decades later…Was it a drug-fueled accident, a robbery gone wrong, or something darker? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    41 min
  7. Introducing "Uncharted": Sid Vicious and Questions About the Murder of Nancy Spungen

    JAN 7 • OHNM - UNLIMITED ONLY

    Introducing "Uncharted": Sid Vicious and Questions About the Murder of Nancy Spungen

    On October 12, 1978, punk’s most infamous couple...Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols and Nancy Spungen...hit rock bottom at New York’s Chelsea Hotel. Nancy was found dead from a single stab wound in Room 100. Sid was charged with murder, but was he really the killer? Or was it someone else in their chaotic circle? This is “Uncharted: Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry”…and this time, it’s the wild story of the death of Nancy Spungen and the questions that still remain decades later…Was it a drug-fueled accident, a robbery gone wrong, or something darker?

    38 min

  8. 12/31/2025

    History of the Modern Drum Kit

    We are going to talk about drummers on this show…i just want you to know right from the start just in case you wanna roll your eyes and go “really? Do we have to?”   Yes, we have to…there have been countless stories told about great guitarists and singers and keyboardists…drummers?... Not so much, unless your name is Dave Grohl. And we will get to him.   So this was going to a profile of my favourite drummers in alt-rock…but then I got to thinking: how much do we know what about drummers play?... How many histories of the electric guitar have been written?... Monographs, coffee table books, books on collectible guitars…   Now think about the books written about keyboards…there’s about three linear feet of bookshelf in my office taken up just by books on the history of synthesizers…   But what about the drums today’s drummers play?...    No, I think it’s time that we not only talked about drummers but also drums…think about it: how did the modern drumkit come into being?...there’s a pretty standard sort of set-up…how did that come about?...why do we play drums the way we do?... And who should we thank for making drums into what they are today?...cymbals and foot pedals and snare…where did all that come from?...   See?...you’re curious now, aren’t you?...well, stand by…the history of the modern drumkit is coming up…this is stuff even most drummers don’t know… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    32 min
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4.9
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Ongoing History of New Music looks at things from the alt-rock universe to hip hop, from artist profiles to various thematic explorations. It is Canada’s most well known music documentary hosted by the legendary Alan Cross. Whatever the episode, you’re definitely going to learn something that you might not find anywhere else. Trust us on this.

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