Ongoing History of New Music

Every once in a while, something extraordinary happens in rock’n’roll…I hate the use of the cliché of “a perfect storm,” but that’s precisely what I’m talking about…a bunch of things involving culture, politics, demographics, economics and technology all collide and mix in just the right way for something totally new and unexpected to be created… Lemme give you some examples…Elvis came along in the 1950s just as millions of post-war kids—these new constructs that were now called “teenagers”—began gravitating to new radio stations that played music derived from a mix of the blues, country and R&B… This music greatly annoyed their parents, something that made it dangerous and forbidden… In 1964, the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show with a fresh, new sound that helped drag America out of the funk that followed the assassination of JFK…as far as rock is concerned, the 60s really began that February night in 1964… Let’s try something more current…you might remember the appearance of the music video in the early 80s transformed the industry…. or the time you heard “smells like teen spirit” for the first time and immediately you somehow knew that whatever came next in the 90s would be very, very different… And hip hop? don’t get me started…there are people—academics! —who will argue that the appearance of hip hop in popular culture was an even bigger deal that the Beatles… There’s one other event that we need to include on this list: the rise of punk rock in the mid-70s…as it was happening, it was no big deal…it was an aberration, a niche thing that indulged weirdos and misfits… “It’s just noise,” said the rock purists. “Ignore it and it’ll go away.” But it didn’t…in fact, we’re still talking about punk…and punk became more than just a form of music… it became a way of thinking and acting and creating and presenting…it’s music, film, visual art, literature, dance, politics… it altered much of western thought…the punk aesthetic—that “screw you, I’m gonna do it anyway” ethos—can be found virtually everywhere in society today… But what led to this? What were the factors that led to the rise of this music? And how did it appear worldwide at virtually the same time in an era long, long before the internet? Great questions…. let’s see if we can find the answer to the question: “Why did punk happen at all?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the things that makes rock great is the energy and the power that comes with the music..and depending where you go, that energy and power varies from place to place... If you’re looking to exorcise a little aggression and anger and frustration, you have several choices...there are various flavours of metal that can serve your purpose, ranging from the melodic (Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” for example) along with Sabbath and Ozzy to the straight-from-hell insanity of black and death metal... Industrial music is another option...guitars, synthesizers, and driving beats from acts like Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, and Ministry... A third option is punk rock...it comes in many flavours, so there’s almost something for everyone... But if you really want pure adrenalin, something aggressive, something super-physical, something primal, and something that can be dangerous and violent, there’s one particular part of the punk world that you’ll find very attractive... It’s a space where things can’t be too hard, too fast, or too angry... And for many people, it’s become a lifestyle and even a lifesaver...it isn’t for everyone, but as we’ll see, its influence has extended far, far beyond just a bunch of guys yelling over loud guitars...misunderstood?...maybe...important?...definitely...this is the history of hardcore... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes people get so pissed off or so inspired by something that they just have to sing about it…this is the protest song and it’s been with us for centuries… It’s music that encourages political and social change… and if done right—and if circumstances are correct—the song can mobilize people to take action, lift spirits and annoy (or even scare) authorities of the establishment… Protest music comes in all forms: classical, folk, reggae, pop, hip hop and, of course, rock…it can rail against war, demand social justice, call out politicians and petition for greater rights for women, minorities, labour and the marginalized… The singers and musicians behind this music may be regarded as thought leaders, social influencers and even prophets—and least for a time… What i’d like to go is go through the history of protest in song from the world of alt-rock, those times when a loud guitar becomes tool for making things better—for everyone… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you for fun?...hobbies, pastimes—things that you do just for you, away from your job and all your other responsibilities?... I’ve got my dogs…my wife and I like to travel…and I’ve always had this thing about the JFK assassination…I’ve read all the books, seen all the documentaries…I’ve even been to Dallas and the grassy knoll, and the book depository…I can’t explain it, but I just find it interesting… Maybe you’re into sports…collecting hockey cards or wine or rare scotches…video games, Japanese anime, beanie babies, souvenir spoons…no need to justify anything…it’s just something you enjoy doing…it fulfills you somehow… Now consider this….when we think of our favourite musicians, we probably imagine them being immersed in music all the time…I mean, 24 hours a day, seven days a week…all they do is think about music and make music… But the truth is, you can’t do that…no one can…everyone needs a break from whatever it is they do…you gotta rest the brain, recharge, and go on a search for new inspiration…put down the instruments and see what else is out there…become a more rounded person…that’s one aspect… Another is, “look…you’ve had some success in your career…you’ve made some money…enjoy it…indulge in those things that you’ve always dreamed of…you can’t take it with you, so spend some of that cash”… All right, so like what?...I think you may be surprised…let’s take a look at the hobbies and non-musical passions of some very famous musicians… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going back into the Ongoing History archives to bring you a show a lot of people have asked about. And with over 300 OGH podcasts, sometimes episodes get buried in the feed. This is the second part of our Oral History of Madchester as told by someone who was there to see it and make it happen. Gaz Whelan of the Happy Monday's! This really is something else... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going back into the Ongoing History archives to bring you a show a lot of people have asked about. And with over 300 OGH podcasts, sometimes episodes get buried in the feed. This is the first of a two part series on the Oral History of Madchester as told by someone who was there to see it and make it happen. Gaz Whelan of the Happy Monday's! This really is something else... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week’s podcast, we’re going to revisit the Ongoing History of New Music vault for the second part of a two-part series on censorship in music. Why are certain songs, bands, or styles of music censored? Who makes these decisions? Why? And what can musicians do about it? Although this episode is from the earlier part of the ongoing history library, it remains highly relevant. We thought you’d enjoy listening… this is Censorship and Music… Part 2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week’s podcast, we’re going to revisit the Ongoing History of New Music vault for the first part of a two-part series on censorship in music. Why are certain songs, bands, or styles of music censored? Who makes these decisions? Why? And what can musicians do about it? Although this show is from the earlier part of the ongoing history library, it remains very relevant. We thought you’d enjoy listening… this is Censorship and Music… Part 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week’s episode, we’re going to go back into the ongoing history of new music vault and our “what’s the big deal” series.  This is where we try to figure out why we keep hearing and reading about these old names from the past. How are they connected to today's music? What did they do 20, 30 years ago and why should we care? And if they were so damn important, why didn't they ever sell a lot of records in the first place? Simple. We need to care because without these performers, today's new rock and alternative music wouldn't be possible.   And honestly, icons don't get much bigger than Iggy Pop, who is universally known as the godfather of punk. So, we thought you’d like to have a listen and find out “what’s the big deal about Iggy Pop” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Music is one of those things that can bring families together…and sometimes, that togetherness grows into a business… The BeeGees had the three Gibb brothers…baby brother Andy Gibb was also part of that universe for a while… Then there’s The Beach Boys…the original lineup included Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their cousin Mike Love…Murray Wilson—the father of Brian, Dennis, and Carl—was their manager…he was terrible at it (in fact, Murray was an all-around disaster for his sons), but at least they were all together…or something like that…three brothers, their father and a cousin… We have The Cowsills…this was a 60s pop group from Rhode island who had a series of hits…six siblings: Bob, Bill, Barry, John, Paul and Susan…they ranged from 8 to 18…and then there was mother Barbra…this arrangement was the inspiration for the TV show “the partridge family”…that’s seven people, which later became eight when Bob’s twin brother Richard joined up for a bit… And we have to talk about the Jackson 5: Michael, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon…when the group left Motown, Jermaine was replaced by Randy… So that’s six members of the Jackson 5… then we have Janet, LaToya and Rebbie…that’s nine, and everything was run by father Joe Jackson—another abusive disaster…so the count is up to 10… All this got me thinking: are there equivalents in the world of alt-rock?...What are the biggest family affairs the genre has ever seen?...Let’s take a look… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices