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PODCAST

EarWax

The EarWax Crew

EarWax is a deep-dive music podcast hosted by two longtime record store clerks, Hilary and Cody, who are steeped in music history.Each week, we unpack the story of a single album - how it was made, where it fits in the cultural moment that shaped it, and why it still matters. From iconic classics to cult gems, we explore the music that moves us and the stories that stick.You’ll also hear about the latest releases and what’s buzzing in our world of vinyl bins and liner notes. Think of it like your

music music history

All Episodes

72:43

Ep. 54: Françoise Hardy - La question

EarWax ·

2024/08/08

We're getting cultured af this week. EarWax goes French!Françoise Hardy's "La question" is a gorgeous statement made by an artist intentionally transitioning into a new phase in her career. In partnership with guitarist and songwriter Luca, Hardy made a record drenched in yearning, love, and poetry."La question" took Françoise Hardy away from pop icon and into new territory - a place where she had control of the direction of her career. The result is a magnum opus.Thanks for listening! Check ...

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81:38

Ep. 53: The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde

EarWax ·

2024/08/01

Pack your bags and get ready to take a trip to a world of wonderful weirdness!Hilary and Cody immerse themselves into the universe of the Pharcyde. Filled with in-jokes, yo mama jokes, and jokes just because, this record occupies a very specific, very important part of West Coast hip-hop.Rarely does an album feel so lived-in, so loved, and so unabashedly fun. The Pharcyde don't take themselves too seriously, but are without a doubt serious musicians with ideas and charisma to spare.Bizarre Ri...

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69:45

Ep. 52: Melvins - Houdini

EarWax ·

2024/07/25

Bolt down anything that might shift due to the crushing weight of the heaviness, EarWax is going sludge!Hilary and Cody discuss Melvins' legacy through the lens of arguably their most famous record. The story behind Houdini is a little sad, but ultimately this record serves as a fantastic gateway into a band that casts an extremely large shadow.A great mix of heavy and slow with a few speedier tracks for balance, Houdini has just a hint of Kurt Cobain's presence throughout.Turn up your speake...

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70:09

Ep. 51: Curtis Mayfield - Curtis

EarWax ·

2024/07/18

Let's get funky, smooth, and our heads in the game. Curtis Mayfield is coming in hot!Cody and Hilary discuss the scope of Curtis Mayfield's work, and how much his thumbprint is all over the Civil Rights movement. Mayfield's growing voice and subject matter was personal enough for him to step away from the Impressions, setting the stage for a solo career that would see him launched into even greater superstardom."Curtis" is one hell of a stepping stone. It simultaneously captures past and...

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75:01

Ep. 50: David Bowie - Station to Station

EarWax ·

2024/07/11

EarWax ushers in the 50th episode by pulling down a true heavy hitter off the shelf - David Bowie's "Station to Station."This record's story is full of unbelievable stories and adversity, both of which were largely self-imposed. Bowie's drive for reinvention is present throughout his discography, and Station to Station is arguably his most pivotal record.Leaving the spaceman firmly in his rearview and with his eyes on Berlin (whether or not he knew that), Bowie marked this transition point in...

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70:26

Ep. 49: The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo

EarWax ·

2024/07/04

Change out your granny glasses and paisley shirts for cowboy hats and bolo ties!Hilary and Cody talk bout The Byrds' 1968 "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." A different direction for a very different-looking Byrds, this record took the group to Nashville, where they received a...less than warm reception from the local media.Gram Parsons' influence on this album cannot be overstated, and the result is one of the templates from which country-rock developed.The reputation and influence of "Sweetheart of...

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92:13

Ep. 48: The Shining OST ft. Mia Lee Vicino

EarWax ·

2024/06/27

Classic film? Yup. Soundtrack with a weird backstory? Yup yup. Siiiiiick guest spot? Three times the yup!West Coast Editor for Letterboxd Mia Lee Vicino drops by the show to tackle the leviathan that is Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining."A score that is also a soundtrack, this film uses original music by electronic music pioneers Wendy Carlos and Rachael Elkind, along with a host of avant garde classical composers whose work was retrofitted throughout the movie.The amount of detail in the cues m...

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81:24

Ep. 47: Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid

EarWax ·

2024/06/20

An R&B record whose scope is bigger than most prog rock epics, this week's episode covers Janelle Monáe's debut studio album "The ArchAndroid."Cody and Hilary talk about the influence of sci-fi in music before diving into this epic - in a very literal sense - of an album. The love and collaboration that went into this album is apparent not only from the gorgeous tracks on it, but from listening to the folks who made it speak about the process. The fandom for each other's talent, the...

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90:43

Ep. 46: Pet Shop Boys - Actually

EarWax ·

2024/06/13

Nothing like a healthy dose of synth pop and British government, and that's just what we have this week!Pet Shop Boys' "Actually" is 80s perfection, tackling big issues using outrageously smart songwriting and catchy hooks. The content of "Actually" is still extremely relevant, and this record has aged as well as the Boys themselves. Clever, earnest, and powerful, "Actually" is distilled talent with confidence to spare. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going o...

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84:14

Ep. 45: Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis

EarWax ·

2024/06/06

We've got the silky smooth Swingin' Sixties coming your way this week!Dusty Springfield was a staple of the era, with hits in both the US and the UK. A fixture on the charts and on TV, Dusty's pop vocal stylings ran perpendicular with the rock zeitgeist. But she had a finger on the pulse, and could sense the tide turning in the late 60s."Dusty in Springfield" is an album that, by many accounts, was tedious (at best) to make. A laundry list of factors played into the sessions in Memphis and Ne...

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85:18

Ep. 44: PJ Harvey - Rid of Me

EarWax ·

2024/05/30

Make sure your mouthguard is in, because we're trying to kick some teeth in this week!PJ Harvey had risen to fame rapidly, and that had taken its toll. Having taken some time away to get right, she charged back onto the scene with her second record.With Steve Albini behind the boards, Rid of Me packs all of the punch of peak 90s rock, with the added bonus of having PJ Harvey's songwriting to go along with it. PJ Harvey has a catalogue that is the envy of the vast majority of musicians, a...

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78:12

Ep. 43: Louis Prima - The Wildest!

EarWax ·

2024/05/23

Get prepped to jump, jive, and wail from start to finish, the EarWax crew is covering The Wildest, Louis Prima!With Keely Smith, Sam Butera, and the Witnesses alongside him, Louis Prima set Las Vegas on fire, five sets a night between 12 AM - 6 AM. The template that Vegas lounge acts would follow, Prima and his crew were going to give you a pro's show every time they hit the stage.This album is the closest they came to recapturing that energy in the studio. Proto-rock and roll, hot jazz, jump...

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74:57

Ep. 42: Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak

EarWax ·

2024/05/16

How many power chords do you have? Because this week we've got plenty to spare!Thin Lizzy had been more or less given one final shot to break big. Despite big creative differences, perhaps a little too much "hydration," and maybe not enough discipline early on, the crew behind Jailbreak all recognized the stakes.Packed with rock radio staples and incredible deep cuts, Jailbreak secured Thin Lizzy's future on the recording front. Driven by Phil Lynott's vision and supported by exquisite drummi...

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76:14

Ep. 41: Justice - †

EarWax ·

2024/05/09

Hunker down, because we've got a record full of absolute bangers this week.Part electronic, part disco, part hard rock and all teeth, this duo found their footing with a series of remixes, before heading into the basement of an old club and chapel to record what would be their first studio album.Justice's debut album † (Cross) brings the heat. With over 400 albums sampled (and micro-sampled), the influences are as present as the originality. Are you going to be able to catch all 400? Not a ch...

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63:28

Ep. 40: Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social...

EarWax ·

2024/05/02

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70:27

Ep. 39: Carly Rae Jepsen - E•MO•TION

EarWax ·

2024/04/25

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77:35

Ep. 38: Muddy Waters - At Newport 1960

EarWax ·

2024/04/18

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92:52

Ep. 37: Vince Staples - Summertime '06

EarWax ·

2024/04/11

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79:54

Ep. 36: Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

EarWax ·

2024/04/04

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63:32

Ep. 35: Rilo Kiley - The Execution of All Things ft....

EarWax ·

2024/03/28

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