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Dusty Gems Ep 6

The Music Machine is always at work . . . some cogs wind up not being necessary. The Machine spits them out. Carelessly. We at The Balcony believe those who got the shaft based on demographic research groups should sometimes get the spotlight, so we put together a little thing called Dusty Gems. Here in episode 6 we spin some more jams you don’t know. (Don’t pretend you do.) This one is all soft rock jams. Enjoy with a twist of lime. 

101 Series Lesson 76: Farm Aid Performances

Willie Nelson is an American legend and icon. He saw there was a need to help some people known as “farmers.” So, after a comment by Bob Dylan at Live Aid,  Willie called a few friends on the phone (John Mellencamp, Neil Young) and said “Hey, kids! Let’s put on a show and pay a few mortgages.” And so, Farm Aid was born. On Lesson 76 of the 101 Series we listen to 2 HRS of great performances from the annual concert that covers everything from Country to Iggy. Drop some coin in.

www.farmaid.org

 

Deez Rhymes Ep 6: Beats By Dre

There’s Phil Spector. There’s Brian Wilson. There’s Berry Gordy. There’s George Martin. There’s Steve Lillywhite. There’s Daniel Lanois. There’s T-Bone Burnett. You know what else, motherfucker, there’s Dr. Dre. The premier hip hop producer of our time has thrown Nate Dogg on a lot of tracks . . . Pull up bluntside to episode 6 of our hip hop show Deez Rhymes and chill. In this episode we play the best tracks the Doctor deemed worthy to throw together. Cue P-Funk sample, flute, piano, Snoop, gin, juice. 

101 Series Lesson 75: Talking Heads

The name of this band? Talking Heads! In Lesson 75 of the 101 Series, the weird art kids are taking over. And we let them. We at The Balcony hate to admit it, but yeah, we stole all our dance moves from David Byrne. And our fashion sense. Join us as we play some jams from all their records–showing them growing from new wave artsy types all the way to worldbeat artsy types. Put on the big suit, it’s time. 

Blue Highway Ep 6 The Grand Ole Opry

There are few traditions left in radio these days. Some that began in the “early days” of radio remain intact – bad advertising, A Prairie Home Companion, and Saturday nights at The Grand Ole Opry. For Episode 6 of our country and folk music show Blue Highway, we listen to great performances from a Hall Of Fame list of performers on a program that began life as The National Barn Dance and became so big it’s listed on the welcome sign to the city. Time to pull back the furniture and turn up the carpets for a living room hoedown. 

101 Series Lesson 74: Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground

Andy Warhol gave us some important things: soup cans as art, 15 hour movies of a guy snoring and . . . the Velvet Underground. Two out of three of these things we at The Balcony are big fans of. In Lesson 74 of the 101 Series we take a look at the band that invented noise and its leader, the Coney Island Baby himself, Mr. Lou Reed. Celebrating the man’s life, we pick tracks from the band and his solo years to prove just how ugly beautiful things can be. Or how ugly beautiful things can’t be. We’re not sure. Just make sure you’ve got $26 in your hand. 

X Chromosome Ep 5

Biologists say that at the moment of conception we are all born female. 53% remain that way. We at The Balcony are 47%ers. But we know how to admire a woman’s work. For Episode 5 of X-Chromosome, our show dedicated to songs sung by women, we jump the genres for a variety sounds emanating from the vocal chords of great ladies. We’re feminists, dammit! But, we like that chicks can rock, too.

101 Series Lesson 73.2 (Tom Waits In Studio)

When Tom Waits asks you to come to a recording session and bring a fender . . . you probably should bring both a guitar and the front end of your car into the studio. Cover your bases. In part two of Lesson 73 of the 101 Series, we follow Waits out to the barn where he makes all those goddamn noises. Join us as we spend two hours charting Tom’s evolution from boho to hobo to weirdo. Hold on. You know what, maybe it’s better you let go. 

Time For Bob Ep 5

So, what do you do when you’re the greatest songwriter ever and your record contract dictates that product must come out? You cover songs. Everyone does it, why not Bob? Here in our fifth episode of our tribute to Mr. Z, Time For Bob, we focus on the tunes that influenced the great man enough for him to steal them away. Bob does covers. Check it out. You’ll be surprised. Honestly. 

101 Series Lesson 73: Tom Waits (Live and In Person)

Step right up, one and all. The attraction today is the unique, eccentric, well-coifed, surprisingly good at acting, megaphone wielding, garage rattling, barn stomping Tom Waits. Hear the man transform from a 70’s piano playing boho to a mutli-tracked beatboxing sixty year old indie rocker. In Lesson 73 of the 101 Series, we put together the live Tom Waits show we’ve always wanted to see. (Seriously, Waits, tour more.)