The eighties were a time of maximalism, so of course one of the biggest records was...a smooth jazzy pop affair? Sade's "Diamond Life" right in your earballs this week on EarWax.Sade is NOT a brand, but we are comfortable saying they are a whole mood. And it starts front and center. Elegant vocals that seem effortless, basslines that add more than a dash of funk, and a songwriting chemistry that brought us a record that stands out in its simplicity."Diamond Life" is the launching point of a c...

Make way for the Princess of Pop. Genuflect at the throne of 2000s bubblegum. Bow to Britney Spears.Oops!...I Did It Again cemented Britney as an icon. Her story is complicated, public, and influential. The tracks on this album show us the vision of Britney Spears perhaps at its most effective. A conquering hero who just so happened to make another #1 record. As if she fell backwards into superstardom.No, this album and its success were hard-won, the cost of which would come due further ...

Masks, mystery, and Mm...Food? EarWax dives into your favorite rapper's favorite rapper MF DOOM!!The story of DOOM is partially rooted in the story of Doom (the comic, not the video game). Reborn from a former group, MF DOOM established himself as one of the most iconic underground emcees.MF DOOM built an entire universe in which he could play, and this record is arguably at the zenith of his most prolific period. Mm..Food? is crafty in its wordplay, generous with its samples, and tasty with ...

Shine up your pompadours and put on your best spooky mask, this is a Halloween episode!The Cramps are the perfect band for the season, and Songs the Lord Taught Us has scares aplenty. Whether talking about the perils of braces on fangs, a zombie dance, or how cool sunglasses in the dark are, The Cramps effortlessly show us their influences while putting their unique spin on them.Songs the Lord Taught Us is a great gateway to rockabilly, psychobilly, early rock and roll, and trash culture. The...

The King of the Blues (or one of them, anyways) is the focus of this week's episode of EarWax!Hilary and Cody discuss the circumstances that led to B.B. King performing at Cook County Jail in 1971. Along the way, they touch on B.B.'s journey to that point, the infamous reputation that Cook County Jail had (and still has), and what it means to use your voice to shed light on legitimate grievances.A sharp, slow-rolling affair, Live in Cook County Jail shows B.B. King at arguably his most bluesy...

We're covering a legend among legends this week. You're in rarified air when you are known by one name. It's Dolly!Cody and Hilary marvel at the story of Dolly Parton, who consistently defied the odds and the wishes of those who sought to keep her playing second fiddle.But Dolly wasn't having any of that, and wrote a smash hit to let her professional partner know it was over. Years later, that track became a smash hit for another legend in a totally different context. And that isn't even "Jol...

New friends and old are featured on this week's dive into Cheap Trick's "In Color."Cheap Trick are the fellas from your hometown that just so happened to become one of the biggest rock bands of all time. "In Color" was their second swing (and mostly miss) in the US, but boy did it lead to bigger things. Cheap Trickmania took off in Japan, leading to their breakthrough live record that cemented their legacy.Years later, the group's take on the album was such that they decided to give it anothe...

Here come all the feels, this week we're covering Nick Drake's "Pink Moon."Cody and Hilary discuss the life, enigma, and myth of Nick Drake. Sifting through the legend to grab hold of the person is a difficult task, and one that nobody seemed to really be able to do even during his life.Nick Drake's career was tragically short, but "Pink Moon's" legacy is indisputable. The story of how this record - and this artist - finally found the spotlight is truly fascinating."Pink Moon" is the perfect ...

A legend among legends, a performer among performers, or you might just know him as...His Neilness!Hilary and Cody travel the Neilverse, going through the concert and album that made him the pop god that he is known as. "Hot August Night" was recorded at the amazing Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, and everything you want from Neil Diamond is on display. A brilliant songwriter with a grounded sense of self-awareness, Neil Diamond's biggest charm is his willingness to go for it - vocals, spe...

Punk royalty is the topic of conversation this week on EarWax!X were (and are) punk legends, but their album "Los Angeles" is so much more than just punk. With rockabilly guitar and some psych harmonies, this record flip-turned the rules every which way.Produced by the always-been-cool Ray Manzarek of the Doors, "Los Angeles" recalibrated the city's music scene, putting punk and X squarely at the forefront.Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instag...

Put the headphones on and plan to keep your head nodding for the whole time, this week we have J Dilla's "Donuts!"Christian Dueñas - host of the podcast Primer - drops by to chop it up about a record whose full story took a long time to be told. "Donuts" was made as Dilla was in between and during hospital stays. While the popular account is the stuff of legend, there is another, more grounded story that is as beautiful in its humanity.It's impossible to see "Donuts" outside the context of J ...

What's reggae without a little (a lot) of soul? We wouldn't know, because this week's episode has soul to spare!Toots and the Maytals were the people's champs of Jamaica; a sound whose roots represent the common man. Toots won a national song contest three separate times!Funky Kingston is a strange mish-mash of two previous albums, with a single thrown in for good measure. It's got a tried and true rock cover, some Americana adapted for Jamaica, and plenty of fantastic vibes.This record is a ...

Pressure can make diamonds, but too much pressure and you get an explosion. And this week, we have both!Massive Attack's "Mezzanine" is a standard-setter in electronic music. While the band was consistently at odds during its making, the resulting record crackles with energy.Cody and Hilary talk about near death, a major embarrassment involving a pop icon, and how the band worked through (or around) the tumult to create a brilliant album."Mezzanine" is dark, tense, and cool. The story behind ...

Make sure you do your neck stretches, because you will be nodding along with us this week.The EarWax squad took a trip to the Hollywood Bowl to see this week's episode performed live by the OGs who played on it.By 1973, Herbie Hancock had hits, chops, and a resume that elevated him into rarified air. Searching for that next thing, he took inspiration from James Brown, Sly Stone, and of course Miles Davis.The result: "Head Hunters," a disgustingly groove-laced record whose track list may be sh...

As we cruise through the tail end of #bratsummer, EarWax takes a look at one of the records that helped Charli XCX dominate the conversation this year."Charli" comes on the heels of her rise to fame, at a time when she was about to break even bigger than she already was. Dealing with pop stardom, ravenous fans, and a devastating hack that leaked her work had all taken their toll."Charli" is the response to all that, defiant in its glitch and trap influence while still maintaining more than en...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...