Ongoing History of New Music14 Mai 2025

Stupid History 2

What do you remember from history class back in school?... Maybe a few dates and events…maybe the names some important people…and probably how dull a lot of history classes were. I remember being inundated with a bunch of facts—which was fine (i guess), but it didn’t really make history come alive, you know? ...and it didn’t have to be this way. History is more than this country going to war with that one, who married who to create what royal alliance, and which explorers went where to inflict harm on what indigenous people…there are many other branches of historical study. There’s social history, economic history, the history of science and technology, technology—and (my favourite) stupid history…these are stories of how civilization changed because of stupid people and stupid things…and if we were taught stupid history alongside all the record stuff, those classes would have been a whole lot more fun. For example, in 1545, winemakers in Saint-Julien, France, were in a panic because their vines were being eaten by weevils…these vineyard owners were so upset that they brought legal action against the bugs. This was all very formal…documents were drawn up and the weevils were appointed a defense lawyer by the court…there was a trial with a judge and when it was all over, the weevils were found guilty of, well, being weevils and eating grapevines. Almost a year later, the presiding judge issued a proclamation demanding that the weevils cease and desist with their ravaging of the vineyards…dumb, right?...but believe it or not, the weevils listened…the infestation stopped almost overnight. There was not any kind of weevil problem for 40 years…and when they showed up again in 1587, the vineyards again took the bugs to court… the result of that case is lost to time…i love it…that is wonderful stupid history. Music has its own stories like this…yes, there are things that require serious sober study…but then there’s also the stuff that makes you think “that really didn’t happen—did it?”. Oh, yes it did…this is another round of stupid history, the music version. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Episoder(538)

The Weird History of Concert Tickets Part 1

Buying a concert ticket should be simple and easy...but has it ever been? In this two-part series, we're going to try to unpack the surprisingly long, messy, and often corrupt evolution of ticketing,...

15 Jul 36min

Key Alt-Rock Movie Soundtracks

Movie soundtracks once shaped the direction of popular music...and nowhere was that more true than in alternative rock. This week, we go back into the Ongoing History vault to trace the evolution of ...

8 Jul 30min

The Roots of the CanRock Explosion of the 90s

There was a time when Canadians didn’t believe in Canadian music...unless someone else told us it was good first. To celebrate Canada Day, we're exploring how that mindset changed, and how Canada wen...

1 Jul 28min

Late Bloomers

Rock music is supposed to belong to the young...but history tells us a different story. This time, we look at artists who refused to quit, even as the years passed and the industry insisted their tim...

24 Jun 27min

18 Bands Who Changed Lead Singers

What happens when a band loses its lead singer? Usually, it’s the end...but not always. In this episode, we explore 18 bands that survived... and sometimes thrived... after changing singers. From...

17 Jun 30min

The History of Distortion and Feedback

Distortion was once considered a mistake...now it’s a defining force in modern music. This episode explores how broken gear, happy accidents, and fearless artists turned fuzz, feedback, and overdrive ...

10 Jun 37min

The Golden Age of Synths, as told by OMD

This week, we dive into the Golden Age of Synthesizers, the period from the mid‑’70s to the mid‑’80s when synths became smaller, cheaper, and powerful enough to transform popular music forever. From e...

3 Jun 36min

The History of Portable Music - Part 2

One of the many great things about music is that we can enjoy it anywhere…I’m talking about the recorded kind…everyone has a smartphone, and every smartphone has the capability of playing music, wheth...

27 Mai 36min