Spelade

  • In this Patreon-funded special episode, Kirk sits down with his former high school band director Janis Stockhouse to talk about her life as a music educator.

    Janis started teaching at North high school in Bloomington, Indiana, in the early 1980s. It was a time when "jazz education" as a concept was still a relatively new thing. She retired 38 years later, having grown the North band program into a well-known Midwest institution, winning countless awards at festivals around the world and regularly turning out graduates who would go on to become professional musicians, as well as many others who would simply have a lifelong love of music.

    On this episode she tells the story of starting out at North and developing the program, along with her thoughts on how to get students to practice, which composers she prefers for student groups, women in jazz, funding for the arts, and some good old-fashioned album recommendations.

    REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE:

    Janis's 2004 book Jazzwomen: Conversations With Twenty-One Musicians, which she co-wrote with Wayne Enstice - there are used copies on Amazon, and you should really track down a copy and read it

    The late great jazz legend David Baker, whose NYT obituary captured at least some of his legacy: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/arts/music/david-baker-who-helped-bring-jazz-studies-into-the-academy-dies-at-84.html

    MUSIC ON THIS EPISODE:

    "IU Swing Machine" by David Baker as played by the 2016 IU Celebration Big Band "Don't Get Sassy" by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis big band "Hang Gliding" by Maria Schneider from Alegresse "Bright Eyes" as played by the Bill Holman big band "Take the 'A' Train" by Billy Strayhorn as performed by the Duke Ellington orchestra "Vol. 6: All 'Bird' - Now's The Time" Play-A-Long by Jamey Aebersold (featuring Kenny Barron and Ron Carter(!!)) "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" by Abbey Lincoln from Abbey Is Blue, 1959 "Song Patrol" by Jane Ira Bloom from Early Americans, 2016 "Lingala" by the SF Jazz Collective from their 2005 self-titled album "So What" and "Flamenco Sketches" by Miles Davis from Kind of Blue, 1959 "My Favorite Things" as performed by John Coltrane on My Favorite Things, 1966 "Mercy Mercy Mercy" by Josef Zawinul as performed by the Cannonball Adderley quintet on Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, 1966

    OUTRO SOLOIST: BJ CORD

    This episode's outro soloist is BJ Cord, a fellow Bloomington North graduate and fantastic trumpet player based in Portland. BJ works at Monette trumpets making some of the most beautiful horns in the world, and is a regular presence on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monettetrumpets

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

    Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

    STRONG PLAYLISTS

    You can find playlists containing every Strong Song as well as all of Kirk's weekly music picks from his other podcast, Kotaku Splitscreen, on both Spotify and Apple Music.

    SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

    This episode was made possible entirely because of the show's Patreon patrons, so a huge thank you to all of them! The show is nearing its next goal, which will mean another bonus episode like this one, so if you want to support the show, here's the link: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

    SEPTEMBER 2019 WHOLE NOTE PATRONS

    andrew walters CALEB ROTACH Chad Barnard Dan Apczynski Dave Florey Glenn Jared Norris Mark Schechter Sara Walsh

    SEPTEMBER 2019 HALF NOTE PATRONS

    Alexander Polson Andre Bremer Andrew Lee Arjun Sharma Bill Thornton Brett Douville Brian Amoebas Chas Lednicky Chris Brown Cyrus N. White Dominik Schmitt Earl Lozada Eero Wahlstedt Elliot Jay O'Neill Emily Williams FlSHBONES Forrest Chang Jaehoon Jeong James Johnson Jasmine Fellows Jeffrey Olson John and Sharon Stenglein Jon O'Keefe joujou Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua Jules Bailey Justin Liew Justin McElroy Kate Albury Kevin Morrell Kevin Pennyfeather Kyle Simons Matt Gaskell Max Schechter Melanie Stivers Michael Blackwell Miriam Juskowicz Mueller Nate from Kalamazoo Nicholas Schechter Richard Toller samuel gardner Shane DeLeon Shaun Wiese Tim Tom Clewer Tom Lauer

  • Let's go back, let's go back, let's go way on back to that time Aretha Franklin recorded one of her best songs.

    On this episode, Kirk dives into two different versions of Franklin's classic tune "Think." First it's the laid back groove and roomy mix of the 1968 original, then it's time to fast-forward 12 years for the juiced-up arrangement she recorded with the Blues Brothers band in 1980.

    It's a story of how different production techniques, arrangements, and tempos can lead to two very different—but equally excellent—versions of the same song. We've done Dancing Queen, we've covered the band Queen, so it feels like it's past time for the Queen of Soul.

    NOTE: This episode is best enjoyed along with four fried chickens and a Coke.

    Band/Artist: Aretha Franklin

    Album: Aretha Now, 1968 and The Blues Brothers: Original Soundtrack, 1980

    Composed by: Aretha Franklin and Teddy White

    Listen/Buy (Original): Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    Listen/Buy (Blues Brothers): Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    ALSO FEATURED/DISCUSSED:

    "Respect" by Otis Redding, performed by Aretha Franklin on I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, 1967 "She Didn't Cut Me Loose" by Curtis Selgado from Soul Shot, 2012 Wesley Morris's excellent 2018 NYT obituary: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/arts/music/respect-aretha-franklin-death.html Franklin's scene from The Blues Brothers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLbPv6yIvBU (you should really just watch the whole movie)

    OUTRO SOLOIST: Galen Clark

    This episode's outro soloist is the one and only Galen Clark. Galen plays keyboard and organ and acts as bandleader for the soul jazz group Trio Subtonic; you can find playing regularly around Portland, Oregon and occasionally on tour. Find more information at their website, https://www.triosubtonic.net.

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

    Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

    STRONG PLAYLISTS

    You can find playlists containing every Strong Song as well as all of Kirk's weekly music picks from his other podcast, Kotaku Splitscreen, on both Spotify and Apple Music.

    SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

    Many, many thanks to all of Strong Songs's patrons! A patron-funded bonus episode should be finished for next week, so look forward to that.

    If you want to support the show, check out the Strong Songs Patreon. Here's the link: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

    SEPTEMBER 2019 WHOLE NOTE PATRONS

    andrew walters CALEB ROTACH Chad Barnard Dan Apczynski Dave Florey Glenn Jared Norris Mark Schechter Sara Walsh

    SEPTEMBER 2019 HALF NOTE PATRONS

    Alexander Polson Andre Bremer Andrew Lee Arjun Sharma Bill Thornton Brett Douville Brian Amoebas Chas Lednicky Chris Brown Cyrus N. White Dominik Schmitt Earl Lozada Eero Wahlstedt Elliot Jay O'Neill Emily Williams FlSHBONES Forrest Chang Jaehoon Jeong James Johnson Jasmine Fellows Jeffrey Olson John and Sharon Stenglein Jon O'Keefe joujou Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua Jules Bailey Justin Liew Justin McElroy Kate Albury Kevin Morrell Kevin Pennyfeather Kyle Simons Matt Gaskell Max Schechter Melanie Stivers Michael Blackwell Miriam Juskowicz Mueller Nate from Kalamazoo Nicholas Schechter Richard Toller samuel gardner Shane DeLeon Shaun Wiese Tim Tom Clewer Tom Lauer

  • It's time for the first Strong Songs listener Q&A of 2020, so let's get into it!

    Kirk answers listener questions on topics like Zeppelin and Cake counting, the decline (and rise) of the saxophone, Muse's approach to vocal processing, whether piano is an "easy" instrument, Bruno Mars's musical magpieism, and in a first, a listener's request that Strong Songs help him solve a mystery.

    Update 2/25/20: Mystery solved! Fabian's mystery song is "Me, Myself, I" by Joan Armatrading. Thanks to everyone who wrote in with the answer, and thanks as well to Fabian, who did a pretty great job re-creating it from memory.

    REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE:

    “The Ocean” by Led Zeppelin from Houses of the Holy, 1973 “Closer (feat. Halsey)” from Collage - EP by The Chainsmokers, 2016 “What’s Up Danger” by Blackway and Black Caviar from the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Soundtrack, 2018 “Overture” by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori from the Halo: Reach soundtrack, 2010 “Married Life” by Michael Giacchino from the Up soundtrack, 2009 “Song For My Father” by Horace Silver from Song for My Father, 1964 “So What” and “Freddie Freeloader” by Miles Davis from Kind of Blue, 1959 “Shake, Rattle and Roll” by Big Joe Turner from Shake, Rattle & Rock, 1958 “Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty from City to City, 1978 “Run Away” by SunStroke Project & Olia Tira, 2010 “One Shining Soul” by Joshua Redman from Freedom in the Groove, 1996 “Muscle Museum” by Muse from Showbiz, 1999 “Nugget” by Cake from Fashion Nugget, 1996 “Ain’t That Easy” by D’Angelo and the Vanguard from Black Messiah, 2014 “Locked out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars from Unorthodox Jukebox, 2012 “Finesse” by Bruno Mars from 24k Magic, 2016 “Can’t Stand Losing You” by Sting and the Police from Outlandos D'Amor, 1978 “Poison” by Bell Biv DeVoe from Poison, 1990 “On Our Own” by Bobby Brown from the Ghostbusters II soundtrack, 1989

    OUTRO SOLOIST: Galen Clark

    Galen Clark plays keyboard and organ and acts as bandleader for the soul jazz group Trio Subtonic; you can find playing regularly around Portland, Oregon and occasionally on tour. Find more information at their website, https://www.triosubtonic.net.

    'GRAM BY 'GRAM

    If you're interested in occasional music and Portland-related photos and videos, follow Kirk on Instagram @kirk_hamilton. https://www.instagram.com/kirk_hamilton/

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

    Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

    STRONG PLAYLISTS

    You can find playlists containing every Strong Song as well as all of Kirk's weekly music picks from his other podcast, Kotaku Splitscreen, on both Spotify and Apple Music.

    SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

    A huge thank-you to all of Strong Songs's Patreon patrons! If you want to support Kirk making the show, do so here: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

    FEBRUARY 2020 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

    AccessViolation andrew walters CALEB ROTACH Chad Barnard Craig J Covell Dan Apczynski Dave Florey Glenn Jared Norris Mark Schechter Merlin Mann Ryan Torvik

    FEBRUARY 2020 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

    AJ Schuster Alex Singer Alexander Polson Amanda Furlotti Andre Bremer Andrew Baker Andrew Lee Arjun Sharma Bill Thornton Brett Douville Brian Amoebas Brooke Wilford Chas Lednicky Chris Brown Christer Lindqvist Cyrus N. White Darryl Stewart David Stroud Earl Lozada Eero Wahlstedt Elliot Jay O'Neill Emily Williams FlSHBONES Forrest Chang Gavin Doig Jacob Dye Jaehoon Jeong James Johnson Jeffrey Olson Jennifer Bush Jeremy Dawson John and Sharon Stenglein Jon O’Keefe joujou Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua Jules Bailey Justin Liew Justin McElroy Kate Albury Kevin Morrell Kevin Pennyfeather Mark Steen Markus Koester Matt Gaskell Max Schechter Melanie Stivers Michael Blackwell Miriam Juskowicz Mueller Nate from Kalamazoo Nicholas Schechter Richard Toller Robbie Ferrero Sam Fenn samuel gardner Shane DeLeon Shaun Wiese SP Tanner Morton Tom Clewer Tom Lauer Toni Isaacson

  • What's that you say? You'd like a bonus mini-episode all about the cheeseball fantasy earworm "Toss A Coin To Your Witcher"? Well, Kirk is happy to oblige.

    This mini-sode started as a segment in next week's mailbag episode, but it became involved enough that Kirk decided to spin it out into its own little thing. Hopefully it gives all you Witcher fans out there a better appreciation for why you can't get this song out of your head, and if it gets the song BACK in your head in the process... well, sorry. Or maybe you're welcome?

    Band/Artist: Joey Batey, aka Jaskier, aka The Bard Dandelion

    Album: The Witcher: Music from the Netflix Original Series

    Written by: Sonya Belousova & Giona Ostinelli

    Lyrics by: Jenny Klein

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    -----

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

    Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

    SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

    The biggest of thank-yous to all of Strong Songs's Patreon patrons! If you want to support Kirk making the show, do so here: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

    FEBRUARY 2020 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

    AccessViolation andrew walters CALEB ROTACH Chad Barnard Craig J Covell Dan Apczynski Dave Florey Glenn Jared Norris Mark Schechter Merlin Mann Ryan Torvik

    FEBRUARY 2020 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

    AJ Schuster Alex Singer Alexander Polson Amanda Furlotti Andre Bremer Andrew Baker Andrew Lee Arjun Sharma Bill Thornton Brett Douville Brian Amoebas Brooke Wilford Chas Lednicky Chris Brown Christer Lindqvist Cyrus N. White Darryl Stewart David Stroud Earl Lozada Eero Wahlstedt Elliot Jay O'Neill Emily Williams FlSHBONES Forrest Chang Gavin Doig Jacob Dye Jaehoon Jeong James Johnson Jeffrey Olson Jennifer Bush Jeremy Dawson John and Sharon Stenglein Jon O’Keefe joujou Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua Jules Bailey Justin Liew Justin McElroy Kate Albury Kevin Morrell Kevin Pennyfeather Mark Steen Markus Koester Matt Gaskell Max Schechter Melanie Stivers Michael Blackwell Miriam Juskowicz Mueller Nate from Kalamazoo Nicholas Schechter Richard Toller Robbie Ferrero Sam Fenn samuel gardner Shane DeLeon Shaun Wiese SP Tanner Morton Tom Clewer Tom Lauer Toni Isaacson

  • A modern day warrior's mean, mean stride; today's Strong Song has mean, mean pride!

    Yes, it's time for Kirk to tackle a song by the legendary Canadian rock trio Rush, and what better song than "Tom Sawyer"? Of course, what starts with Tom doesn't end there, as Kirk takes a broader look at Rush's musical legacy, with extra attention for the band's legendary drummer Neil Peart, who tragically died last month.

    It's a longer-than-usual episode covering a variety of topics, from odd meter counting; to "kite and anchor" solos; to drum snobs; to just what kind of person spends 30 years conquering the world of rock drumming, only to seek out a new teacher and reinvent himself.

    Band/Artist: Rush

    Album: Moving Pictures (1981)

    Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart

    Lyrics by: Neil Peart and Pye Dubois

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    Note: This episode has been updated to correct the pronunciation of Neil Peart's last name, which, as it turns out, is pronounced "Peert" and not "Pert."

    ------

    ALSO FEATURED:

    "La Villa Strangiato" by Rush from Hemispheres, 1978 "Jump" by Van Halen from 1984, 1984 "Come Sail Away" by Styx from The Grand Illusion, 1977 The free (!) VST plugin OBXD Synthesizer "Autumn Leaves" by the Keith Jarrett Trio from After The Fall, recorded 1998/released 2018 "Whippersnapper" by the Wayne Krantz Trio from Two Drink Minimum, 1995 "YYZ" by Rush from Moving Pictures, 1981 "Spirit of the Radio" by Rush from Permanent Waves, 1980 "The Monster" by Buddy Rich from Krupa and Rich, 1956 (1994 CD re-release) Clips from various episodes of Freaks and Geeks Excerpts from the excellent 2002 documentary Neil Peart: A Work In Progress

    OUTRO SOLOIST: BJ CORD

    This episode's outro soloist is BJ Cord, a fantastic trumpet player based in Portland who recorded this, the first-ever Strong Songs outro solo. BJ works at Monette trumpets making some of the most beautiful horns in the world, and is a regular presence on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monettetrumpets

    'GRAM BY 'GRAM

    If you're interested in occasional music and Portland-related photos and videos, follow Kirk on Instagram @kirk_hamilton. https://www.instagram.com/kirk_hamilton/

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

    Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

    STRONG PLAYLISTS

    You can find playlists containing every Strong Song as well as all of Kirk's weekly music picks from his other podcast, Kotaku Splitscreen, on both Spotify and Apple Music.

    SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

    The biggest of thank-yous to all of Strong Songs's Patreon patrons! If you want to support Kirk making the show, do so here: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

    FEBRUARY 2020 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

    AccessViolation andrew walters CALEB ROTACH Chad Barnard Craig J Covell Dan Apczynski Dave Florey Glenn Jared Norris Mark Schechter Merlin Mann Ryan Torvik

    FEBRUARY 2020 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

    AJ Schuster Alex Singer Alexander Polson Amanda Furlotti Andre Bremer Andrew Baker Andrew Lee Arjun Sharma Bill Thornton Brett Douville Brian Amoebas Brooke Wilford Chas Lednicky Chris Brown Christer Lindqvist Cyrus N. White Darryl Stewart David Stroud Earl Lozada Eero Wahlstedt Elliot Jay O'Neill Emily Williams FlSHBONES Forrest Chang Gavin Doig Jacob Dye Jaehoon Jeong James Johnson Jeffrey Olson Jennifer Bush Jeremy Dawson John and Sharon Stenglein Jon O’Keefe joujou Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua Jules Bailey Justin Liew Justin McElroy Kate Albury Kevin Morrell Kevin Pennyfeather Mark Steen Markus Koester Matt Gaskell Max Schechter Melanie Stivers Michael Blackwell Miriam Juskowicz Mueller Nate from Kalamazoo Nicholas Schechter Richard Toller Robbie Ferrero Sam Fenn samuel gardner Shane DeLeon Shaun Wiese SP Tanner Morton Tom Clewer Tom Lauer Toni Isaacson

  • Kirk breaks down the two most fundamental aspects of music: rhythm and harmony.

    There's the Y-axis, harmony, which tells us which frequencies we're hearing in which combinations. And there's the X-axis, rhythm, which tells us how those frequencies are playing out over time. Much like most music, it's a mix of math and magic that takes many moons to master.

    REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE:

    "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton, performed by Whitney Houston"Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin from Led Zeppelin IV, 1971The Pentatonix cover of "Havana" from Top Pop, Vol. 1"Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, 1977"Countdown" by John Coltrane from Giant Steps, 1960"The Waltz of the Flowers" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky from The Nutcracker, 1892"You Really Got Me" by The Kinks from The Kinks, 1964"Use It" by the New Pornographers from Twin Cinema, 2005"Take Five" by Paul Desmond and "Blue Rondo a la Turk" by Dave Brubeck from Time Out, 1959"Cory Wong teaches audience to count 25/8" posted by Arlington Hayne to YouTube"Weni" by Timnit Welday via YouTube"Janie Runaway" by Steely Day from Two Against Nature, 2000

    'GRAM BY 'GRAM

    If you're interested in occasional music and Portland-related photos and videos, follow Kirk on Instagram @kirk_hamilton. https://www.instagram.com/kirk_hamilton/

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

    Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

    STRONG PLAYLISTS

    You can find playlists containing every Strong Song as well as all of Kirk's weekly music picks from his other podcast, Kotaku Splitscreen, on both Spotify and Apple Music.

    SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

    This episode was made possible by Patreon, so, the biggest of thank-yous to all of Strong Songs's Patreon backers! The next one of these bonus episodes will focus on individual instruments, so if you want to help reach the goal to make that episode happen, head over here: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

    JANUARY 2020 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

    AccessViolation andrew walters CALEB ROTACH Chad Barnard Dan Apczynski Dave Florey Glenn Jared Norris Mark Schechter Merlin Mann Ryan Torvik

    JANUARY 2020 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

    Adam Georgandis Alex Singer Alexander Polson Amanda Furlotti Andre Bremer Andrew Baker Andrew Lee Arjun Sharma Bill Thornton Brett Douville Brian Amoebas Brooke Wilford Chas Lednicky Chris Brown Cyrus N. White David Stroud Earl Lozada Eero Wahlstedt Elliot Jay O'Neill Emily Williams FlSHBONES Forrest Chang Gavin Doig Jacob Dye Jaehoon Jeong James Johnson Jasmine Fellows Jeffrey Olson Jennifer Bush Jeremy Dawson John and Sharon Stenglein Jon O’Keefe joujou Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua Jules Bailey Justin Liew Justin McElroy Kate Albury Kevin Morrell Kevin Pennyfeather Mark Steen Matt Gaskell Max Schechter Melanie Stivers Michael Blackwell Miriam Juskowicz Mueller Nate from Kalamazoo Nicholas Schechter Richard Toller Robbie Ferrero samuel gardner Shane DeLeon Shaun Wiese SP Tanner Morton Tom Clewer Tom Lauer

  • You don't have to cry, pray, or beg - Kirk is happy to break down one of the 90s' most iconic pop hits without any further encouragement.

    Yes, it's time to take apart The Cardigans' 1996 hit "Lovefool," a song that sounds one way when it's that Romeo + Juliet song that's on the radio all the time, and another way when it's the centerpiece of First Band on the Moon. Kirk zooms out a bit more than usual to place this song in the context of its (fantastic) corresponding album, and to hopefully help everyone better appreciate the meticulous mastery of The Cardigans.

    Band/Artist: The Cardigans

    Album: First Band on the Moon (1996)

    Written by: Nina Persson and Peter Svensson

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    ALSO FEATURED:

    Many other tracks from First Band on the Moon

    ------

    OUTRO SOLOIST: Kyle Molitor

    Kyle is a Portland-based trombonist who plays in all sorts of bands, and the dude can really get it done. Find him on Instagram @tbonemolitor and find his upcoming shows on his website: https://klmolitor.wixsite.com/tbone

    'GRAM BY 'GRAM

    If you're interested in occasional music and Portland-related photos and videos, follow Kirk on Instagram @kirk_hamilton. https://www.instagram.com/kirk_hamilton/

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

    Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

    STRONG PLAYLISTS

    You can find playlists containing every Strong Song as well as all of Kirk's weekly music picks from his other podcast, Kotaku Splitscreen, on both Spotify and Apple Music.

    SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

    The biggest of thank-yous to all of Strong Songs's Patreon patrons! If you want to support Kirk making the show, do so here: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

    JANUARY 2020 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

    AccessViolation andrew walters CALEB ROTACH Chad Barnard Dan Apczynski Dave Florey Glenn Jared Norris Mark Schechter Merlin Mann Ryan Torvik

    JANUARY 2020 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

    Adam Georgandis Alex Singer Alexander Polson Amanda Furlotti Andre Bremer Andrew Baker Andrew Lee Arjun Sharma Bill Thornton Brett Douville Brian Amoebas Brooke Wilford Chas Lednicky Chris Brown Cyrus N. White David Stroud Earl Lozada Eero Wahlstedt Elliot Jay O'Neill Emily Williams FlSHBONES Forrest Chang Gavin Doig Jacob Dye Jaehoon Jeong James Johnson Jasmine Fellows Jeffrey Olson Jennifer Bush Jeremy Dawson John and Sharon Stenglein Jon O’Keefe joujou Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua Jules Bailey Justin Liew Justin McElroy Kate Albury Kevin Morrell Kevin Pennyfeather Mark Steen Matt Gaskell Max Schechter Melanie Stivers Michael Blackwell Miriam Juskowicz Mueller Nate from Kalamazoo Nicholas Schechter Richard Toller Robbie Ferrero samuel gardner Shane DeLeon Shaun Wiese SP Tanner Morton Tom Clewer Tom Lauer

  • As sure as there are stars above you, Strong Songs will be here to deliver musical deep-dives straight into your eardrums. This week is no different, as Kirk picks apart Brian Wilson's chamber-pop masterpiece "God Only Knows."

    The sleigh bells ring, the french horn solos, and The Wrecking Crew lays down the foundation for an immaculate collection of chords and melodies, all placed over a bass line that's as Bach as it is Beach-y. Turns out there's a reason so many people call this the greatest song ever written.

    Artist: The Beach Boys

    Album: Pet Sounds (1966)

    Written by: Brian Wilson & Tony Asher

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    ALSO FEATURED:

    "And Your Dream Comes True" by The Beach Boys from Summer Days (And Summer Nights), 1965 Discussion of Danny Tedesco's excellent 2008 documentary The Wrecking Crew

    OUTRO SOLOIST: Luke Price

    This episode's outro soloist is the wonderful Portland fiddle player Luke Price. When he's not working as a side man in a variety of killer bands, Luke joins his wife Rachael to form the excellent songwriting duo DEAN!. They've got a new album coming soon and it's gonna be pretty great; in the meantime you can follow them on Instagram and listen to some of their stuff on their website, wearedean.com.

    'GRAM BY 'GRAM

    If you're interested in occasional music and Portland-related photos and videos, as well as teases for upcoming Strong Songs episodes, follow Kirk on Instagram @kirk_hamilton. https://www.instagram.com/kirk_hamilton/

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

    Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

    STRONG PLAYLISTS

    You can find playlists containing every Strong Song as well as all of Kirk's weekly music picks from his other podcast, Kotaku Splitscreen, on both Spotify and Apple Music.

    You can also find a new playlist Kirk specifically designed for listening while staying home and not spreading viruses on Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play (thanks Thomas for making that last one)

    SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

    A huge thank-you to all of Strong Songs's Patreon patrons, and to everyone who has recently signed up! If you want to support Kirk making the show, do so here: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

    MARCH 2020 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

    AccessViolation andrew walters CALEB ROTACH Chad Barnard Craig J Covell Dan Apczynski Dave Florey Glenn Jared Norris Mark Schechter Merlin Mann Ryan Torvik

    MARCH 2020 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

    AJ Schuster Alex Singer Alexander Polson Amanda Furlotti Andre Bremer Andrew Baker Andrew Lee Arjun Sharma Bill Thornton brant brantphillip Brett Douville Brian Amoebas Brooke Wilford Chas Lednicky Chris Brown Christer Lindqvist Cyrus N. White Darryl Stewart David Stroud Earl Lozada Eero Wahlstedt Elliot Jay O'Neill Emily Williams FlSHBONES Forrest Chang Gavin Doig Jacob Dye Jaehoon Jeong James Johnson Jeffrey Olson Jennifer Bush Jeremy Dawson John and Sharon Stenglein Jon O’Keefe joujou Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua Jules Bailey Justin Liew Justin McElroy Kate Albury Kevin Morrell Kevin Pennyfeather Leigh Sales Mark Steen Markus Koester Matt Gaskell Max Schechter Melanie Stivers Michael Blackwell Miriam Juskowicz Mueller Nate from Kalamazoo Nicholas Schechter Richard Toller Robbie Ferrero Sam Fenn samuel gardner Shane DeLeon SP Tanner Morton Tom Clewer Tom Lauer Toni Isaacson

  • On the first episode of Strong Songs, Kirk breaks down Toto's hit song "Africa," a single so good that it still lights up the Internet today.

    Band/Artist: Toto

    Album: Toto IV, 1982

    Composed by: David Paich and Jeff Porcaro

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    STRONG SONGS ON PATREON

    Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

    Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe

    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com