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Did you miss us so much that you couldn't stand to see us leave for even one week? Bro, same! So how about an awesome interview with one of the coolest bands out there today? Charlie Wayne and Lewis Evans of Black Country, New Road dropped by to talk about their new album "Forever Howlong," and share some of the music that has inspired them along the way. These guys absolutely rule, and it was a total pleasure chopping it up with them. A huge thank you to Lewis and Charlie, and another big thanks to the rest of the group for putting out such a killer record. Check out "Forever Howlong", and go see Black Country, New Road on tour! Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

We don't always cover compilation albums, but when we do, we make sure they are the most glorious. Such is the case with this week's episode of EarWax! Hilary and Cody dive into the cool power/punk-pop of Buzzcocks. A greatest hits album made for a band about to tour the United States...where they had very little following.  Singles Going Steady is a literal timeline of the band up until that point, and showcases the band's penchant for hooks over politics. The perfect marriage of pop and punk coming together to form a banger of a compilation. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

Good gahd! This week the EarWax crew hits the One and covers the Hardest Working Man in Show Business. Mr. Please Please himself, James Brown! Whatchu know about betting on yourself? James Brown told his label a live record was the sauce, and when they said no, he financed it himself. The legendary Apollo, a raucous crowd, and James Brown's electrifying performance collide to create this blistering time capsule of 1962. "Live at the Apollo" captures James Brown and the Famous Flames in their element. At 300 shows/year, they were razor sharp, and delivered a vicious set that stands the test of time. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

You want some feel good tunes? Oh, we got 'em this week. How about a little Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass! Swingin' 60s meets the coolest square sounds out there. With a lineup that included members of LA's legendary Wrecking Crew, this album bops and bounces along breezily. Herb Alpert is a dude we should all be glad is as successful as he is. His investment into music education, and his humility at yet another resurgence in popularity rank him high on our favorite artist's we've covered. Whipped Cream & Other Delights is in every garage sale, clearance bin, and attic collection ever. And why? Because it rules, obviously. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

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 many iterations. Stereolab's ambition is their calling card, and it is on full display on this record. Never ones to shy away from marrying catchiness with headiness, they bask in both elements to create something both as functional and memorable as "Dots and Loops." Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

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 this era. "Things Fall Apart" was the result of two batches of sessions - one a host of Philadelphia community members and friend so the group. The next at Electric Lady Studios, with folks like Lady B, Mos Def, and J Dilla in the room. "Things Fall Apart" is one of those records that you've heard, even if you haven't. Its thumbprint is all over contemporary hip-hop, soul, jazz, and R&B. With the group ready to break through, they created something that did more than break them, it locked them in as legends. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

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 already firmly established with a handful of country standards under his belt, here the myth began. Nashville didn't understand him, so Willie headed to Austin to hang out with the weirdos and the hippies. There he found his place, got cozy, and proceeded to spearhead a movement that would rewrite the book about what country music is. Willie Nelson is an American legend, and "Shotgun Willie" is where we get our first glimpse of him fully in his comfort zone. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

*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 talking about? This record crushes from front to back. From the opening riff to the finality of Into the Void, Black Sabbath's third record set the template for stoner metal, doom metal, sludge metal, (insert adjective) metal.  They are gods. They are Black Sabbath. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

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 true, but man does that combo rock. Granted, it helps when that girl is Shirley f'n Manson. Garbage crafted, or uncrafted, pop music. Deconstructed hooks pieced together to create a brilliant noise. Oh, and their first live show has a connection to Gwar... Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

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 it all in, and spat it back in her critics' faces with a record that is equal parts vocal gymnastics lesson and absolute party. "The Emancipation of Mimi" is Mariah Carey shrugging off all the baggage, and deciding it's time to have fun while letting the haters know that she isn't going anywhere. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

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 biggest music in the world - the South Korean idol system - is a fascinating study in manufacturing celebrity. At its apex sit four women who have conquered the world, and this record was their international announcement that the top of the pops runs through South Korea. Twenty-four lean minutes of non-stop bangers, "The Album" is a party record released at a time when everything else looked awfully bleak. BLACKPINK made sure that we had something to dance to, and we have not stopped since. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

"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.) We all know Blondie is a group, and we also know the core of Chris Stein and Debbie Harry have given us some absolute bangers. After two records, the label wondered how they could put this group of meddling kids (loosely defined) on the top of the charts. Their solution was producer Mike Chapman. Does he come across as a bit of a jerk? Yes, resoundingly. Did the band turn in their most critically and commercially successful album to date under his production? Also, yes, resoundingly. With classics such as "One Way or Another" and "Heart of Glass," it would be hard for the label to go wrong picking a single...Find out how they did just that, and a ton more about "Parallel Lines," on this week's episode of EarWax! Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

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 anything more than to have her songs heard, this debut reflects the quiet confidence that draws so many to her work. "Fast Car" is legendary, "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" was a theme song for a literal revolution, and "Behind the Wall" is a devastating, gorgeous piece. When Wembley Stadium called, Tracy Chapman was ready for the moment. No frills, just music, and a message. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

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 Onyeabor's brief but prolific discography. His life and career remain largely enigmatic, due in no small part to his own efforts. We ask "why" and "how," because we want so badly to understand the context for which such forward-thinking music sprang. Ultimately, "Who Is William Onyeabor?" provides very little answers to those questions, but it serves a greater purpose - it grooves. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

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 goofy, and very (oh so very) phonky. Shock G and dudes like Schmoovy Schmoov, Chopmaster J, and Money B all brought Parliament into hip-hop. Sex Packets is hyper horny, major vibes, and only kind of actually about sex packets, which may or may not be real. Ask NASA, but maybe NASA lies?! Check out the episode to hear Cody and Hilary break down this classic! Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): [email protected] Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis