Category: Episodes

347. Julia Wolfe

~ ernopepper ~ 1 Comment

(August 2021) Episode 347 is JULIA WOLFE.  I’ve seen the words “relentless” and “visceral” used to describe her music, and they are apt, and why I love it. There is much diversity and eclecticism in her sounds and styles, in part due to her collaborations in the Bang on a Can partnership, with a strong undercurrent of post-minimalism.  Her compositions feature an abundant lack of convention, offering frequent surprises around each corner.

Favorite piece: Big Beautiful Dark and Scary

Favorite single instrument piece: LAD (bagpipes)

Favorite choral work: Shelter (with Gordon and Lang)

Favorite cello/vocal multimedia freak-out: Spinning

Compared to expectations: ↑

346. Mountain

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(August 2021) Episode 346 is MOUNTAIN. You know them for “Mississippi Queen” and perhaps for their appearance at Woodstock. Mostly their legacy comes from their heavy and loud sound which influenced the development of heavy metal. The first two albums are excellent period pieces and all that you need.

Favorite album: Climbing!

Favorite song:  Nantucket Sleighride

Compared to expectations: same

345. Cluster

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(July 2021) Episode 345 is CLUSTER, plus side project HARMONIA. Make a Krautrock Venn diagram of the sounds of Can, Tangerine Dream and early Kraftwerk, and that space in the middle is the sound of Cluster, who unfairly didn’t get the recognition of the others. Cluster requites my inordinate love of mid-70s synthesizer music. The duo teamed up with Brian Eno on some (by definition) quality recordings, directing their later sound toward Eno-esque brainy ambient.

Favorite album: Zuckerzeit

Favorite song: Hollywood

Favorite Harmonia album: Deluxe

Favorite Harmonia song: Deluxe (Immer Wieder)

Compared to expectations: ↑

344. Louis Andriessen

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(July 2021) Episode 344 of the “opus project” is LOUIS ANDRIESSEN, another one begun following the artist’s passing. Perhaps the most important modern Dutch composer, Andriessen’s works are like a menu sampler of classic musical genres of the 20th century, from neoclassical to serialism to minimalism, then arriving at a style iconoclastically his own. There is a lot here to choose from, including operas, experimental pieces, odd combinations featuring rock music elements, and quiet little piano pieces. 

Favorite piece: Workers Union

Favorite choral/orchestral piece: De Staat

Compared to expectations: ↑

343. Pantera

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(July 2021) Episode 343 is PANTERA. Heavy metal as it is meant to be: propulsive, aggressive and ear-bleeding. Funny thing is they started out in the 80s as a run-of-the-mill hair metal band, but flipped the switch in the 90s to metal goodness with machine-gun riffs, double pedal speed and throat scream vocals, owning the decade. Quality stuff.

Favorite album: Vulgar Display of Power

Favorite song: Slaughtered

Compared to expectations: ↑

342. Elvis Presley

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(July 2021) Episode 342 is ELVIS PRESLEY. There’s a reason I listened to 341 artists before I got to the “King.”  Was never a fan, and this episode did not make me one. His influence on 20th century music is hard to overstate (even if it is tainted by whitewashing which I hold against the system, not Elvis personally). And his early rock-n-roll hits are catchy even if completely oversaturating. But I can’t stand his cloying, syrupy voice which, along with his act, have become a parody unto itself. This voice fits best in his countrypolitan sound of the 1970s, which says something.

Favorite album: Elvis Presley (you know, the one whose cover the Clash mimicked)

Favorite song:  Hound Dog

Best compilation of early hits if you feel that you must: Elvis’ Golden Records

Compared to expectations: same

341. Joan Jett

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(July 2021) Episode 341 is JOAN JETT (and The Blackhearts). Your health demands an infusion of pure, unadulterated rock-n-roll from time to time, and Joan Jett provides that, with a tasty helping of snarl. But as with much straight-ahead rock, it can become tedious.

Favorite album: Bad Reputation

Favorite song:  Bad Reputation

Best late-period album: Sinner

Best collaboration: Evil Stig (with The Gits)

Compared to expectations: same

340. Anton Webern

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(July 2021) Episode 340 of the “opus project” is ANTON WEBERN. The last for me of the big three of the Second Viennese School of serious serialists. His portfolio isn’t big and he hardly makes it into any repertoires, but he was influential and the music is interesting.

Favorite piece: String Trio

Compared to expectations: same

339. Weird Al Yankovic

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(July 2021) Episode 339 is WEIRD AL YANKOVIC. Simply put, he is a genius. There is no shortage of parody/satire music out there (esp. in the social media age) but Weird Al is the master and has been so for decades. His albums (and videos) are consistently clever, current and on point. I LOLd often. And his original songs are not only funny but show him to be a talented pop/rock songwriter (ex: Skipper Dan). Extra points for doing it clean and not resorting to prurience or profanity (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I look forward to the polka medleys.

Favorite album: Straight Outta Lynwood

Favorite song: Jurassic Park

Compared to expectations: ↑

338. Biosphere

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(July 2021) Episode 338 of the “opus project” is BIOSPHERE, the recording name of Norwegian Geir Jenssen (this includes his other works too).  Ambient can mean a lot of things, and he touches most of them. The majority of his stuff is more textural and minimal, the kind I prefer, but he also records techno-ambient, which I loathe (reminds me of ghastly upscale Euro-chic hotels).  He also makes literal ambient sound recordings.

Favorite album: Shenzhou

Favorite song: Translation

Compared to expectations: same