EarWax: An Amoeba Podcast
EarWax is Amoeba Music's first podcast!
Hosts Hilary and Cody chat about new releases and in-store events, so you are always up to date on the goings on of the world's largest independent record store.
Each week, we tell the story of one particular album. How was it made? Where does it exist in our history? What effect did it have then, and how does it affect us today?
EarWax is two longtime record store clerks doing what we do best - learning about and sharing the stories behind the albums we love.
Hosts Hilary and Cody chat about new releases and in-store events, so you are always up to date on the goings on of the world's largest independent record store.
Each week, we tell the story of one particular album. How was it made? Where does it exist in our history? What effect did it have then, and how does it affect us today?
EarWax is two longtime record store clerks doing what we do best - learning about and sharing the stories behind the albums we love.
Episodes
91 episodes
Ep. 90: Stereolab - Dots and Loops
Pop meets pretension (and we mean that as a positive) this week on EarWax!Hilary and Cody dissect Stereolab's deceptively catchy "Dots and Loops." Beneath the pop coating lies lyrics warning about the modern age, loneliness, and wars of ...
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Episode 90
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55:10
Ep. 89: The Roots - Things Fall Apart
Lock in to a groove and turn the vibes up to "Immaculate," this week the EarWax crew dives into The Roots' "Things Fall Apart."Cody and Hilary touch on the Soulquarians, and the sessions that resulted in some of the most stunning work of...
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1:10:27
Ep. 88: Willie Nelson - Shotgun Willie
Whiskey River take our minds right into one of the most consequential country records ever made! Cody and Hilary dig into "Shotgun Willie," the album that Willie considered as him "clearing his throat." With the man and the legend a...
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Episode 88
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1:14:15
Ep. 87: Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
*cough cough cough cough* Bow down to the Lords of Darkness and the Gods of Heavy Metal - Black Sabbath!Cody and Hilary try and fail to approach Sabbath's "Master of Reality" with some semblance of restrain, but what are we really talkin...
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Episode 87
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1:06:26
Ep. 86: Garbage - Garbage
We're only happy when...we're covering a kick ass band and record like Garbage's self-titled!Hilary and Cody discuss the fascinating chemistry that was initially pitched (derisively) as "three producers and a girl." Hey, maybe that is tr...
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Episode 86
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1:10:48
Ep. 85: Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi
Bow at the feet of the Queen of the Divas - Mariah Carey!Cody and Hilary discuss "The Emancipation of Mimi," an album that was made after Mariah had taken a few personal and professional body blows.Being the champ she is, she took...
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Episode 85
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1:10:35
Ep. 84: BLACKPINK - The Album
Look at you, now look at us. How you like that? EarWax is going K-pop this week, and I don't know if we'll ever go back. Hilary and Cody cover BLACKPINK's appropriately-named "The Album." The system that has produced some of the big...
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Episode 84
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1:18:31
Ep. 83: Blondie - Parallel Lines
"Blondie is a Group" was a pin campaign put together by Blondie's manager as a way to cover his own screwup by picking the iconic photo for this week's album - "Parallel Lines." (PS: It didn't work and he was fired shortly after. Oops.)W...
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Episode 83
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1:08:15
Ep. 82: Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
The greats seize the moment, and Tracy Chapman did exactly that right after the release of her self-titled album, and the subject of this week's episode!Cody and Hilary discuss Tracy Chapman's journey to reluctant stardom. Never seeking ...
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Episode 82
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1:17:24
Ep. 81: William Onyeabor - Who Is William Onyeabor?
Mysteries abound this week on EarWax! Never has "the man, the myth, the legend" rang truer than when we dive into "Who Is William Onyeabor?"A bizarre mix of funk, soul, and porto-techno, this record is a collection of songs pulled from O...
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Episode 81
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1:04:41
Ep. 80: Digital Underground - Sex Packets
Peace, and humptiness forever! A mantra we should all do well to abide by. How about a little lumpy oatmeal and sort-of concept album this week?Digital Underground is just one of those groups that are okay being a little weird, a lot goo...
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Episode 80
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1:19:22
Ep. 79: Billie Holiday - Lady in Satin
We all stand on the shoulders of giants, the ghosts of those that came before. But some shoulders carry more weight than others. Billie Holiday is a foundation upon which decades and generations of music has been built.Hilary and Cody di...
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Episode 79
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1:14:29
Ep. 78: Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
It's quite simple, really. Challenge authority, refuse to back down, and never be complacent. Dead Kennedys brings all of that to this week's episode of EarWax!Cody and Hilary discuss San Francisco's charged political history, and how f...
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Episode 78
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1:20:19
Ep. 77: Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash - the Man in Black - was almost more myth than man. But what it is undeniably true is the power of this week's record: At Folsom Prison.With his career hanging in the balance, Cash delivered a performance that deftly walked ...
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Episode 77
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1:16:08
Ep. 76: Parliament - Mothership Connection
Well alright, welcome to Groove U. This week's lesson is brought to you by the EarWax crew!Parliament's "Mothership Connection" is far out, in your face, uncut, from outer space, in the groove, and it'll make you move. With a cast of cha...
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1:12:46
Ep. 75: T. Rex - Electric Warrior
Glitter, vibes, and jams. EarWax grooves and bops into the new year with one of the pioneers of glam rock - T. Rex's "Electric Warrior".Cody and Hilary go back and forth over exactly how great Marc Bolan is as a vocalist (spoilers, he's...
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Episode 75
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1:12:39
Ep. 74: Boyz II Men - II
Now that you're properly stuffed on holiday goodies, let's keep the vibes chill, smooth, and immaculate.Cody and Hilary cruise through Boyz II Men's "II". An album of two halves, separated by a truly thoughtful, heartbreaking interlude,...
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Episode 74
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1:02:02
Ep. 73: A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector
We are holly, jolly, and bright after covering the amazing artists and songs on this classic Christmas album - "A Christmas Gift for You..."This album features some of the premiere vocal groups (The Ronettes, The Crystals, Darlene Love,...
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Episode 73
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1:13:26
Ep. 72: Björk - Homogenic
The EarWax crew takes on one of the most brilliantly enigmatic artists out there this week as we cover Björk's "Homogenic."Made during a time of personal strife, this record is an homage to her home in Iceland, a place where she needed t...
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Episode 72
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1:03:17
Ep. 71: Kraftwerk - Computer World
No B.S., let's get to business. Kraftwerk. EarWax. Computer World.Hilary and Cody discuss the group, the music, the theory and ideas around one of Germany's finest exports - Kraftwerk. Computer World is relevant today because it touches...
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Episode 71
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1:15:34
Ep. 70: Motörhead - Ace of Spades
Make the necessary preparations, we're talking Motörhead this week...Hilary and Cody try and hang on as they talk about the pure fuel that is Ace of Spades. Lemmy, Fast Eddie, and Philthy Phil were three dudes who knew exactly what they...
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Episode 70
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1:17:27
Ep. 69: Sade - Diamond Life
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 ar...
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Episode 69
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1:06:08
Ep. 68: Britney Spears - Oops!...I Did It Again
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 ...
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Episode 68
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1:24:22
Ep. 67: MF DOOM - Mm...Food?
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...
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Episode 67
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1:11:49
Ep. 66(6): The Cramps - Songs the Lord Taught Us
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,...
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Episode 66
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1:10:48