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
64 episodes
Ep. 63: Cheap Trick - In Color
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 swin...
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Episode 63
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1:17:24
Ep. 62: Nick Drake - Pink Moon
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 ...
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Episode 62
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1:24:03
Ep. 61: Neil Diamond - Hot August Night
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 Nigh...
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Episode 61
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1:19:09
Ep. 60: X - Los Angeles
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 rule...
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Episode 60
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1:13:47
Ep. 59: J Dilla - Donuts ft. Christian Dueñas
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...
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Episode 59
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1:24:26
Ep. 58: Toots and the Maytals - Funky Kingston
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 nationa...
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Episode 58
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1:05:42
Ep. 57: Massive Attack - Mezzanine
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, th...
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Episode 57
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1:12:30
Ep. 56: Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters
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 H...
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Episode 56
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1:11:44
Ep. 55: Charli XCX - Charli
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 brea...
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Episode 55
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1:16:37
Ep. 54: Françoise Hardy - La question
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 L...
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Episode 54
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1:12:43
Ep. 53: The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
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...
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Episode 53
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1:21:38
Ep. 52: Melvins - Houdini
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 ...
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Episode 52
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1:09:45
Ep. 51: Curtis Mayfield - Curtis
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...
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Episode 51
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1:10:09
Ep. 50: David Bowie - Station to Station
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...
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Episode 50
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1:15:01
Ep. 49: The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo
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...
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Episode 49
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1:10:26
Ep. 48: The Shining OST ft. Mia Lee Vicino
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."<...
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Episode 48
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1:32:13
Ep. 47: Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid
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 ...
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Episode 47
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1:21:24
Ep. 46: Pet Shop Boys - Actually
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. T...
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Episode 46
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1:30:43
Ep. 45: Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis
We've got the silky smooth Swingin' Sixties coming your way this week!Dusty Springfield was a staple of the era, with hits in both the US and the UK. A fixture on the charts and on TV, Dusty's pop vocal stylings ran perpendicular with t...
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Episode 45
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1:24:14
Ep. 44: PJ Harvey - Rid of Me
Make sure your mouthguard is in, because we're trying to kick some teeth in this week!PJ Harvey had risen to fame rapidly, and that had taken its toll. Having taken some time away to get right, she charged back onto the scene with her s...
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Episode 44
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1:25:18
Ep. 43: Louis Prima - The Wildest!
Get prepped to jump, jive, and wail from start to finish, the EarWax crew is covering The Wildest, Louis Prima!With Keely Smith, Sam Butera, and the Witnesses alongside him, Louis Prima set Las Vegas on fire, five sets a night between 1...
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Episode 43
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1:18:12
Ep. 42: Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
How many power chords do you have? Because this week we've got plenty to spare!Thin Lizzy had been more or less given one final shot to break big. Despite big creative differences, perhaps a little too much "hydration," and maybe not en...
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Episode 42
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1:14:57
Ep. 41: Justice - †
Hunker down, because we've got a record full of absolute bangers this week.Part electronic, part disco, part hard rock and all teeth, this duo found their footing with a series of remixes, before heading into the basement of an old club...
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Episode 41
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1:16:14
Ep. 40: Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club
Come on now, you know we got geared up for this one. One of the heaviest hitters in the world music conversation, Buena Vista Social Club's self-titled debut is this week's focus on EarWax!Let's head to Cuba (by way of Mexico, if you're...
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Episode 40
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1:03:28