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PODCAST

Strong Songs

Music: it"s good. On each episode of Strong Songs, host Kirk Hamilton takes listeners inside a piece of music, breaking it down and figuring out what makes it work.

music music commentary

All Episodes

00:33:03

Super Mario Bros: Koji Kondo's 8-Bit Masterpiece...

Strong Songs ·

2025/10/31

This episode of Twenty Thousand Hertz originally ran in August 2025.Kirk's 2020 episode of Strong Songs about the music of Super MarioTWENTY THOUSAND HERTZ SHOW NOTES:This episode was written & produced by Casey Emmerling.From the springy jump sound to the iconic Overworld Theme, the sound of Super Mario Bros. is instantly recognizable. With just five lo-fi audio channels and 40 kilobytes of space, composer Koji Kondo created a soundscape full of unforgettable melodies. In this episode, we explore

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01:18:05

Our Favorite TV Themes, with Leigh Sales

Strong Songs ·

2025/10/17

It's fun to talk about TV theme songs, so that's what Kirk and special guest Leigh Sales did. Does this episode need any more introduction than that? Probably not.Check out Leigh's wonderful podcast Chat 10 Looks 3A YouTube Playlist of many of the themes discussed (and some they didn't get to)DISCUSSED/REFERENCED:The Office Theme - “Handbags and Gladrags” - 1967 by Mike D’Abo, perf. Big George Webley -US theme 2005 by Jay FergusonParks & Recreation - 2009, by Gaby Moreno and Vincent JonesWelcome

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01:08:44

Strong TV Songs: HBO Edition [Recast]

Strong Songs ·

2025/10/03

Originally Aired October 20, 2020The Wildlings are south of the wall, the robots are rising up, Seventh Kavalry's on the move, and two percent of the world's population has vanished. Time for another edition of Strong TV Songs!This time around the focus is on HBO, a network that has defined much of the broader TV landscape over the past couple of decades. So let's dig into a bunch of great music from a bunch of good shows, with themes for Dothraki raiders, Alethiometers, robot farmgirls, nuns with

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01:54:17

A Bob Dylan Beginner's Guide, with Matt Sitman and...

Strong Songs ·

2025/09/19

With so many dozens of albums over so many wildly disparate eras, it can take a lifetime to truly get your arms around Bob Dylan. On this episode, Kirk is joined by two guests who have spent their lifetimes doing exactly that. Matt Sitman and Sam Adler-Bell, in addition to co-hosting the terrific political history podcast Know Your Enemy, are both lifelong Dylan fans. This spring, they came on the show to give listeners a tour of Dylan's many eras, and to give newcomers a place, or places, they

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01:11:03

Singing and Songwriting, with The Wailin' Jennys

Strong Songs ·

2025/09/05

The Wailin' Jennys have been singing together for more than two decades - recording albums, touring the world, and filling venues large and small. After all these years, the trio—Ruth Moody, Heather Masse, and Nicky Mehta—have reached both a plateau and an inflection point. What's it like for a musical group that's been together for that long; for singers who've found such perfect vocal harmony for one another? How do they each think of songwriting, and of creative work in general? On their recent

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01:12:30

Talkin' Tower of Power, with Adam Maness and Peter...

Strong Songs ·

2025/08/22

Back in May, Kirk joined pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin of the You'll Hear It podcast to talk about what makes Tower of Power great. It was a very fun conversation, so he asked if he could run their episode in the Strong Songs feed. And here we are!Listen to You'll Hear It anywhere you find podcasts, and find both Adam and Peter (and many others) teaching jazz lessons at OpenStudio.com.ORIGINAL SHOW NOTESMay 19, 2025We hand the mic to Kirk Hamilton from the Strong Songs podcast to help us

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00:39:33

A Song For My Father

Strong Songs ·

2025/08/08

THE APOCALYPSE WERE:Tony Capuano - Guitar, Lead VocalsJohn Shorb - Alto SaxGene Meros - Tenor SaxGreg Novik - Bass, Backing Vocals (guitar on Stormy Monday)Oggie Hamilton - Drums, Backing VocalsFeaturing The Apocalypse playing:“Good Good Lovin’” and “Try Me” by James Brown“Hi-Heel Sneakers" by Tommy Tucker“The Shadow of Your Smile” by Mandel & Webster"I Don't Want To Cry" by Dixon/Jackson“Sack of Woe” by Cannonball Adderley“Think” by Lowman Pauling"The Midnight Hour" by Steve Cropper & Wilson

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00:58:45

"Lean On Me" by Bill Withers

Strong Songs ·

2025/07/11

For the Season Seven finale, Kirk takes a look at Bill Withers' enduring hit "Lean On Me." In the process, he takes a broader look at a bunch of Withers' other most famous songs to better understand how this plainspoken, seemingly ordinary guy managed to write so many extraordinary songs.Written by: Bill WithersAlbum: Still Bill, 1972Listen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:“Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Grandma’s Hands” by Bill Withers from Just As I Am, 1971“Lonely Town, Lonely Street,” “Let

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01:02:07

Bluegrass, Blue Prince, and the Blues

Strong Songs ·

2025/06/27

Kirk answers a bunch of listener questions on topics like bluegrass guitar, the music of Blue Prince, good apps for training theory skills, Robert Fripp's "Frippertronics," a mysterious sound on a Gene Clark song, different types of music notation, and the legacy of the blues. All that, and a trio of terrific singer/songwriters stops by the studio to help answer a question about lyrics.Come see Triple Click Live! Friday, July 11 at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland, OR. Tickets HereKirk has new

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01:00:16

"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police

Strong Songs ·

2025/06/13

In 1981, Sting brought a demo of a song he'd been working on down to AIR Studios in Montserrat to see what his bandmates thought of it... and they wound up keeping the demo and just recording their parts on top. The result was "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," an unusual Police song, but an enduring hit. On this episode, Kirk goes deep on every aspect of Sting's exuberant yet frustrated love song, unearthing the magic that lives in each piece of the music. This episode's subject was chosen by

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00:59:47

"All The Things You Are" by Jerome Kern & Oscar...

Strong Songs ·

2025/05/30

The jazz standard "All The Things You Are" has been performed countless times by master jazz vocalists, 30s big bands, bebop small groups, hard-bop combos, modern deconstructionists, and even soon-to-be Kings of Pop. On this episode, Kirk takes listeners through the history of the now-famous tune, from its humble Broadway origins all the way to his recording studio in Portland, where he and some friends recorded an all-new arrangement just for Strong Songs.Music/Lyrics: Jerome Kern & Oscar

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01:00:19

"Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Jim Steinman and...

Strong Songs ·

2025/05/16

Turn around... every now and then I get a little lonely and the snare is sounding smallTurn around... every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of sleigh bellsTurn around... every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the cannons will not fireTurn around......every now and then Kirk decides to take on a classic 80s power ballad, and winds up learning a thing or two about when to use castanets and how to pull off an elegant key change. (Are you still singing along

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01:08:00

Bluey, Background Jazz, and the 'Best' Metal Guitar Solo

Strong Songs ·

2025/05/02

How should you count The Police's "Bed's Too Big Without You?" Why do so many people revere Marty Friedman's solo on Megadeth's "Tornado of Souls"? What's going on with those pauses during the Bluey theme? And what the heck is that sound on Sly and the Family Stone's "Sex Machine"? Those questions and many more on the first mailbag episode of Season Seven. Thanks to Nevada Jones (voice) and Scott Pemberton (guitar) for their expert contributions!REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:"Bed's Too Big Without You" by

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01:03:43

The Music of the Muppets

Strong Songs ·

2025/04/18

Kirk pays a visit the musical world of The Muppets, from their Sesame Street origins in the 60s to the globe-hopping, cinematic heights of the 70s and 80s, with plenty of detours along the way.FEATURING:"Sesame Street Theme" by Joe Raposo, Jon Stone, and Bruce Hart"Mah Na Mah Na" by Piero Umilliani from Sweden: Heaven and Hell"Pinball Number Count" by Walt Kraemer and Ed Bogas, feat. The Pointer Sisters"Rainbow Connection" by Paul Williams (Lyrics) and William Ascher (Music), sung by Jim Henson as

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00:59:07

"Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" by The Mars Volta

Strong Songs ·

2025/04/04

Kirk digs into one of the most dense and challenging records in his collection, with an analysis of "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" from The Mars Volta's 2003 progressive rock opus De-Loused in the Comatorium.Written by: Omar Rodríguez-López, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and Jeremy WardProduced by: Omar Rodríguez-López & Rick RubinAlbum: De-Loused in the Comatorium, 2003Listen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:Excerpts from Omar and Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird (2023, dir. Nicolas Jack

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00:52:41

"Fast As You Can" by Fiona Apple

Strong Songs ·

2025/03/21

Kirk digs into Fiona Apple's breakneck 1999 single "Fast As You Can," a cornerstone in her late 90s collaborations with Jon Brion, as well as her work with drummer Matt Chamberlain.Written by: Fiona AppleProduced by: Jon BrionAlbum: When The Pawn..., 1999Listen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:Jon Brion in Performing Songwriter Magazine, 2000"Criminal" by Fiona Apple from Tidal, 1996"Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song) by Fiona Apple from Extraordinary Machine, 2005"Monday" by Jon Brion

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00:59:24

"Where The Streets Have No Name" and "With Or Without...

Strong Songs ·

2025/03/07

Strong Songs Season Seven kicks off with two of the most famous songs ever recorded, from one of the biggest bands in the world. U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "With or Without You" make up two-thirds of the three-song "suite" of hit singles that kicked off their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. As it turns out, the two songs have a lot to say to one another! They also have a lot to say about how U2 wrote music, and about the beautiful, messy human process of collaborative creativity.Written

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00:05:25

Season Seven Announcement!

Strong Songs ·

2025/02/21

Strong Songs Season Seven is now underway! You can listen to the season premiere right now on Patreon, or here in the main feed in two weeks, on March 7.For those next two weeks, sign up to become a patron of the show and use the code "STRONG" and you'll get 80% off your first month. So basically, you can listen to the premiere right now for one dollar. Or just wait, that's fine too. The promo ends on March 7.----LINKS-----MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: "Up From A Dream" by HAIM from Women in Music, Pt

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00:36:07

A Bunch of Great Music Recommendations

Strong Songs ·

2025/01/31

In between seasons, Kirk re-ran a bunch of old episodes and prefaced each one with a new music recommendation. He's taking those down recasts in preparation for season seven, but it seemed like a good idea to put all the music recommendations in one place. So that's what this episode is!DISCUSSED AND RECOMMENDED:"The Meadow" by Nickel Creek from Celebrants, 2023"Chip Monkey" by Kick the Cat from Weirdo, 2002"Fade to Black" by Howard Levy and Chris Siebold from Art + Adrenaline, 2018"Disco Snails"

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00:56:39

Remembering Janis Stockhouse, The Great Band Director

Strong Songs ·

2025/01/03

In light of Janis Stockhouse's unexpected death at the tail end of 2024, we're re-posting Kirk's 2019 interview with her for anyone who might want to listen to it.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

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