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Switched on Pop podcast

Switched on Pop

·

  Vulture  

A podcast all about the making and meaning of popular music. Musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding pull back the curtain on how pop hits work magic on our ears & our culture. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

A podcast all about the making and meaning of popular music. Musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding pull back the curtain on how pop hits work magic on our ears & our culture. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

 

#335

100 gecs make good bad music

Everyone will describe the music of 100 gecs differently. To some, Dylan Brady and Laura Les make deeply satisfying earworms, tracks able to scratch the itches that occupy the deepest memory-holed corners of the brain. To others, though, their music is an " [anarchic assault on the ears] (https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/2019/07/best-new-artists-july-2019/100-gecs) ,” a quilt of all of the genres historically ridiculed in the popular canon: nu-metal, scuzz-rock, ska and 90’s pop punk are all fair game in the world of gecs. On their latest record, aptly titled 10000 gecs, Brady and Les double down on the crunchy distortion and harmonics, creating tracks equally influenced by Primus and Eddie Van Halen as they are by their hyperpop contemporaries. The album reflects a Internet-core approach to music as a whole, shedding notions of “good” and “bad” music in favor of catchy melodies and intricate song construction.  On this episode on Switched On Pop, we dig deep into the ethos of 100 gecs, and producer Reanna Cruz talks to the duo themselves about their eclectic sophomore record. Songs discussed:  ---100 gecs – Hollywood Baby ---100 gecs – Billy Knows Jamie ---100 gecs – stupid horse ---100 gecs – 745 sticky ---100 gecs – Doritos & Fritos ---Primus – Jerry Was A Racecar Driver ---Ween – Bananas and Blow ---Limp Bizkit – My Generation ---Gorillaz – Dirty Harry ---Future – I Been Drinking ---J-Kwon – Tipsy ---Justin Timberlake – Summer Love ---Violent Femmes – Added Up ---100 gecs – Dumbest Girl Alive ---THX Deep Note ---Cypress Hill – Insane in the Membrane ---100 gecs – The Most Wanted Person in the United States ---100 gecs – Frog on the Floor ---Alan Jackson – Chattahoochee ---Limp Bizkit – Dad Vibes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

21 Mar 2023

39 MINS

39:18

21 Mar 2023


#334

Switches Brew

Every week the Switched On Pop team gets together and everybody shares one song they’re loving right now. It is one of our favorite conversations each week because we hear music that is new and old, on and off the charts. We’re sharing that conversation with you as a new format we’re calling Switches Brew alongside friend of the show Brittany Luse, host of NPR's It's Been A Minute Listen to Brittany Luse on NPR’s It’s Been A Minute: [Web] (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510317/its-been-a-minute-with-sam-sanders?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=15025261197&utm_content=134425735811&utm_term=it%27s%20been%20a%20minute&gclid=CjwKCAjw_MqgBhAGEiwAnYOAeieq46EUyLYBEt34Aiu0cA9Zl_IF0hklzTMYloO767KRE0bUnNzRkBoCYX4QAvD_BwE) , [Apple] (https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1250180134) , [Spotify] (https://open.spotify.com/show/6gcw7EF2i70vXXXJnhBNgA) [Songs Discussed] (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/49XUOWmLRljDsaSEOsvYTK?si=3478c2514b064471) ---Little Freddie King - Messin' Around tha House ---De La Soul - Tread Water ---Nick Hakim - Qadir ---Lana Del Rey - Born to Die (Marcus Intalex Remix) on [Bandcamp] (https://soulr.com/track/lana-del-rey-born-to-die-marcus-intalex-remix) ---Madison Cunningham - Hospital (One Man Down) (feat. Remi Wolf) ---Remi Wolf - Down the Line Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

17 Mar 2023

24 MINS

24:19

17 Mar 2023


#333

Modern Classics: Seal - Kiss From a Rose

“Kiss From a Rose” is one of the most unusual number one hits of all time. Seal’s song can’t decide if it’s in minor or major, it uses an old-fashioned waltz rhythm, and its lush orchestration and elaborate vocal harmonies support mysterious lyrics about a “greying tower alone on the sea.” Seal himself wasn’t sure about the song, and needed some convincing to include the composition on his 1994 album SEAL II. But once director Joel Schumacher decided to use the track for the end credits of the film Batman Forever, the song went global and has remained a cultural phenomenon ever since. Ahead of his upcoming 30th anniversary tour for the albums SEAL I and SEAL II, we speak with the singer and songwriter about the enduring appeal of “Kiss From A Rose.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

14 Mar 2023

37 MINS

37:12

14 Mar 2023


#332

How John Denver got huge in Asia

“Take Me Home, Country Roads” is a song about West Virginia, but its message of homecoming has resonance far beyond Appalachia. Songwriter and producer Ian Fitchuk found this out when he was requested to perform Denver’s music at a music festival in Tibet. Fitchuk discovered that Denver has a huge following in East and South East Asia, where Denver toured multiple times from the 70s through the 90s. Denver’s songs first came to the region through the US Armed Forces Network radio as well as a diplomatic performance for China’s leader Deng Xiaoping at the Kennedy Center in 1979. Denver performed alongside the Harlem Globetrotters and the Joffrey ballet, and he left such an impression, the show led to an invitation to be one of the first western musicians to tour China. To better understand Denver’s meaning in the region, Switched On Pop co-host Charlie Harding speaks with Ian Fitchuk about his performance and interviews journalist Jason Jeung who wrote about “Country Roads” in [The Atlantic] (https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/05/what-john-denver-means-some-asian-immigrants/618784/) . Songs Discussed ---John Denver - Take Me Home, Country Roads ---Kacey Musgraves - Oh, What A World ---The East Is Red ---John Denver - Rocky Mountain High ---Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son ---James Taylor - Carolina in My Mind ---Carpenters - (They Long To Be) Close To You ---John Denver - Thank God I'm a Country Boy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

07 Mar 2023

33 MINS

33:14

07 Mar 2023


#331

Chartbreakers: Jersey Club, Complicated Country, and 50s Crooners

Currently on Billboard’s hot 100 there is an unexpected UK Garage / Jersey House mashup, a disgraced country star making a questionable comeback, and an out of nowhere fifties ballad all jockeying for their moment on the charts. This week, we take a listen to the FEBRUARY 25, 2023 Hot 100, looking for triumphs, fumbles, and oddities. Songs Discussed ---PinkPantheress, Ice Spice - Boy's a liar Pt. 2 ---Ice Spice - Munch (Feelin’ U) ---Drake - Currents ---Lil Uzi Vert - Just Wanna Rock ---Sweet Female Attitude - Flowers - Sunship Edit ---Todd Edwards - Wishing I Were Home ---Ice Spice - In Ha Mood ---Morgan Wallen - You Proof ---Morgan Wallen - Last Night ---Tyler Childers - Way of the Triune God - Jubilee Version ---Mac DeMarco - Heart To Heart ---Miguel - Sure Thing ---Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage - Creepin' (with The Weeknd & 21 Savage) ---Mario Winans - I Don't Wanna Know ---Fugees, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Pras - Ready or Not ---Enya - Boadicea ---Stephen Sanchez - Until I Found You ---The Everly Brothers - Let It Be Me ---Ritchie Valens - We Belong Together ---The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody ---Patsy Cline, The Jordanaires - Crazy ---Ray Charles - Georgia on My Mind - Original Master Recording ---The Beatles - In My Life - Remastered 2009 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

28 Feb 2023

30 MINS

30:34

28 Feb 2023


#330

Five years later, the legacy of Nipsey Hussle's "Victory Lap"

Five years ago, Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle released Victory Lap, his only full length album. It was the high point of a career stretching back to the mid 2000s, when Hussle started releasing mixtapes on his own record label — mixtapes that brought him respect from artists like Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar, but were not widely heard.  Victory Lap brought him both the critical acclaim and commercial success he deserved — It hit #2 on the Billboard 200, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Album. But only a little over a year after its release, Hussle was shot to death outside his clothing store and community center in Crenshaw. In some ways, Hussle’s tragic end has overshadowed his incredible life as a musician and community activist. In this conversation with Justin Tinsley, host of the podcast King of Crenshaw, we listen deeply to Victory Lap to hear Nipsey’s identity as an artist and consider the legacy of his debut album on its 5th anniversary. Songs Discussed Nipsey Hussle - Victory Lap, Dedication, Hussle and Motivate, Last Time That I Checc'd, Real Big Arctic Monkeys - Knee Socks Jay-Z - Hard Knock Life Snoop Dogg - Y'all Gone Miss Me More Listen to the [King of Crenshaw] (https://30for30podcasts.com/crenshaw/) podcast. Check out more of [Justin's work] (https://twitter.com/JustinTinsley) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

22 Feb 2023

35 MINS

35:37

22 Feb 2023


#329

“Flowers” and the art of the response song

“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus is spending another week on top of the Billboard 100 – quite fitting for Valentine’s Day. The disco-country track has gotten people talking for a few reasons, but most notably, Cyrus invokes Bruno Mars’ classic “When I Was Your Man” in both lyrical and melodic allusions. The connection between the two songs is not one of interpolation, but rather, Miley is responding to Bruno’s hit through her own words: making “Flowers” an answer song.  This episode of Switched On Pop, we take a deeper look at “Flowers” and how it fits in the canon of response songs throughout history, from classics like “This Land is Your Land” to Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda.”  Songs Discussed:  ---Miley Cyrus – Flowers ---Kacey Musgraves – High Horse ---Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive ---Dua Lipa – New Rules ---Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man ---Ed Sheeran – Shape of You ---TLC – No Scrubs ---Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg – California Girls ---JAY-Z, Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind ---Big Mama Thornton – Hound Dog ---Rufus Thomas – Bear Cat ---Hank Thompson – The Wild Side of Life ---Kitty Wells – It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels ---Ray Charles – Hit the Road, Jack ---Nina Simone – Come on Back Jack ---The Chantels – Well, I Told You ---UTFO – Roxanne, Roxanne ---Roxanne Shanté – Roxanne’s Revenge ---UTFO – The Real Roxanne ---New Edition – Candy Girl ---The Jackson 5 – ABC ---Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back ---Nicki Minaj – Anaconda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

14 Feb 2023

39 MINS

39:47

14 Feb 2023


#328

ICYMI Rihanna Party!

“Rihanna Is The 21st Century’s Most Influential Musician” according to NPR. Millions and millions of fans the world over agree, and while we try to avoid overt expressions of pop favoritism, we think they’ve got a strong case. It’s for that reason and a dozen others that we were thrilled to welcome Gina Delvac of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend back to the show to discuss the legendary career of one Ms. Robyn Rihanna Fenty. As we all await her ninth studio album (R9), join us for a virtual* blunt-smoke-laced tour through the hit songs that defined her early sound, and a delectable deep dive into her most recent album, ANTI. MORE CONTENT Check out Jenny Gathright’s NPR article “ [Rihanna Is The 21st Century’s Most Influential Musician] (https://www.npr.org/2018/08/15/638551793/rihanna-is-the-21st-centurys-most-influential-musician) .” And find even more work from our wonderful contributors this week down below: --- [Gina] (http://ginadelvac.com/) --- [Ivie] (https://ivieani.contently.com/) --- [Zoe] (https://zoehaylock.com/) --- [Cate] (https://www.cate-young.com/) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

12 Feb 2023

54 MINS

54:26

12 Feb 2023


#327

The L.A. guitar shop that reinvented indie folk

In 2010, a photographer named Reuben Cox moved to Los Angeles to start Old Style Guitar Shop. In the years since, the instruments that he continues to repair and sell have come to define the sound of the LA indie folk scene among artists like Blake Mills, Andrew Bird, Madison Cunningham, Ethan Gruska and Phoebe Bridgers. Reuben’s guitars are Frankenstein-esque creations, cobbled together from spare parts and neglected guitar bodies found in flea markets and estate sales. The sounds that these make, though, are as eccentric as their source: the strings are laid on top of Reuben’s signature, a rubber bridge. This sound, and the mythos of the rubber bridge guitar, has turned Reuben into a local celebrity and put Old Style at the center of Los Angeles’s indie music scene. In this episode of Switched on Pop, host Charlie Harding explores that sound and the man behind it all. Songs Discussed ( [playlist] (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ZRlbTU5FCcLQKh7HvJxuI?si=183c0d624d6a40d3) ) ---Taylor Swift - champagne problems ---Olivia Rodrigo - hope ur ok ---boygenius - Emily I’m Sorry ---Jenny Owen Youngs - Vampire Weeknight ---Andrew Bird - The New Saint Jude ---Marcus Mumford - Only Child ---Perfume Genius - Slip Away ---Andrew Bird - Underlands ---Madison Cunningham - Anywhere ---Madison Cunningham - Life According to Raechel ---Phoebe Bridgers - Garden Song Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

07 Feb 2023

36 MINS

36:05

07 Feb 2023


#326

A History of Whammies at the Grammys - Into It with Sam Sanders

It's Grammys weekend and Sam Sanders, host of Vulture's Into It podcast, is ready for disappointment! Sam is joined by Switched on Pop's  [Charlie Harding] (https://twitter.com/charlieharding?lang=en)  and  [Reanna Cruz] (https://twitter.com/bippburger)  to break down the Grammys' history of tone deafness when it comes to the night's biggest awards. Will Beyoncé lose Album of the Year again... or will the voting body finally give her her due? Subscribe to Into It: [https://link.chtbl.com/intoit?sid=stw] (https://link.chtbl.com/intoit?sid=stw) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

02 Feb 2023

24 MINS

24:45

02 Feb 2023


#325

Wonders: Bobby McFerrin

In 1988, Bobby McFerrin recorded a song a cappella with a simple message: not to worry, and just enjoy life. That song, aptly titled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” topped the charts and become one of the most well known one-hit wonders of all time.  In doing so, it also propelled McFerrin into the spotlight, winning him three Grammy awards and an eternal place in pop culture. His career, though, is more than just the Big Mouth Billy Bass: a deep dive reveals an incredible career in jazz, folk, and classical music as well as a remarkable command of his own voice. This episode of Switched on Pop, we explore the history behind "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and the ensuing legacy of Bobby McFerrin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

31 Jan 2023

34 MINS

34:49

31 Jan 2023


#324

The New Wave of Paramore

Six years after their last record, Paramore is back with new music, and their upcoming record seems to have an uncanny connection to the era of new wave. But what is “new wave” anyway? Is it just a period of time in music or something more?  In this episode of Switched on Pop, we explore some of the tracks from This is Why, out February 10th, and connect them to the works of everyone from Talking Heads to Joy Division. Songs Discussed ---Paramore – C’est Comme Ça ---Olivia Rodrigo – good 4 u ---Paramore – Misery Business ---Paramore – Ain’t It Fun ---Paramore – Pool ---Paramore – This Is Why ---Talking Heads – I Zimbra ---Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime ---Siouxsie and the Banshees – Happy House ---The B-52’s – Dirty Back Road ---Gang of Four – Cheeseburger ---Oingo Boingo – Just Another Day ---DEVO – Uncontrollable Urge ---Paramore – Hard Times ---Les Rita Mitsouko – C’est comme ça ---Talking Heads – Psycho Killer ---Selena Gomez – Bad Liar ---Paramore – The News ---Joy Division – Disorder ---Blondie – The Thin Line ---Blondie – The Tide Is High ---The Police – So Lonely ---Paramore – Pressure ---Paramore – Told You So ---Boy Harsher – LA  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

24 Jan 2023

34 MINS

34:23

24 Jan 2023


#323

Taylor Swift and the music industry's next $20

Streaming feels like it's both at its height and on a precipice. Musicians are fed up at getting paid fractions of a penny, and the whole business model seems precarious. Switched On Pop co-host Charlie Harding was talking about the challenges for streaming future with my friend Nilay Patel, editor in chief of The Verge and host the podcast Decoder - a show about big ideas. And they taped a conversation about what’s next for streaming through the case study of Taylor Swift who has deftly navigated the transition from CDs to streaming, and whose era tour may mark the end of an era in music.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

20 Jan 2023

1 HR 22 MINS

1:22:24

20 Jan 2023


#322

SZA's Endless Melody

Why does SZA's latest album SOS hit different? It's the way her melodies don't repeat where you expect them to, defying all the rules of pop songwriting. We break down how her endless melodies echo the intimate themes of her most recent release, and how they connect to genres ranging from gospel to Wagnerian opera. Songs Discussed SZA - Kill Bill, SOS, Shirt, Notice Me, Seek & Destroy, Gone Girl, Low, Smoking on My Ex Pack, Ghost in the Machine (ft Phoebe Bridgers), F2F Sam Smith & Kim Petras - Unholy Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero Jazmine Sullivan - Girl Like Me (ft H.E.R.) Summer Walker - No Love (ft. SZA) Jessye Norman - Isoldes Liebestod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

18 Jan 2023

29 MINS

29:51

18 Jan 2023


#321

Too Fast? We’re Curious: The sped-up remix phenomenon

Over the past few months, you may have heard your favorite song pop up on the Internet – just slightly faster. You’re not alone: the phenomenon of the “sped-up” remix has taken over social media, with everyone from Lady Gaga to Thundercat getting the tempo treatment. The popularity of the craze has led to millions of TikTok videos, Billboard number ones, and songs becoming relevant again, decades after release. Ever since the proliferation of these “remixes,” the big questions remain: where did these songs come from and why are they here?  On this episode of Switched on Pop, we explore this exact phenomenon, tracing its roots from Thomas Edison to Cam’ron to vaporwave to nightcore. Songs Discussed: ---“Dream On” – Aerosmith (sped up) ---“Escapism” – RAYE, 070 Shake (sped up) ---“Bad Habit” – Steve Lacy (sped up) ---“Miss You” – Oliver Tree (sped up) ---“Say It Right” – Nelly Furtado (sped up) ---“Bloody Mary” – Lady Gaga (sped up) ---“Heat Waves” – Glass Animals (slowed down) ---“Juicy” – Notorious B.I.G.  ---“Juicy” – DJ Screw ---“Jolene” – Dolly Parton (slowed down) ---“リサフランク420 / 現代のコンピュー |” – Macintosh Plus ---“In Da Club Before Eleven O’ Clock” – DJ Rashad ---“Monster [Nightcore]” – Meg & Dia, remixed by Barren Gates  ---“Concrete Angel” – Hannah Diamond ---“Witch Doctor” – David Seville ---“Oh Boy” – Cam’ron, Juelz Santana ---“Cool for the Summer” – Demi Lovato (sped up) ---“Them Changes” – Thundercat (sped up & Chopnotslop remix) ---“That’s All” – Genesis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

10 Jan 2023

28 MINS

28:52

10 Jan 2023