The Kings of Quirk

The Kings of Quirk

Author: Curiouscast January 1, 2025 Duration: 28:00
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder—or in the case of music, the ear…what’s pleasant to one person is nothing but noise to someone else… This is where it’s good to have some patience…there are some forms of art whose beauty isn’t obvious at first…you need to stick with it…and after you’ve given it a chance and decided that it’s not for you, fine… But what about those times when something happens—suddenly or slowly and either on your own or with the prompting of someone else—and you realize that the weird music you’re listening to is actually pretty good?... This is the payoff…yeah, you really had to work for it—but it was worth it…with me so far?.. “Beauty” doesn’t mean “perfect”—at least in the technical sense…sometimes imperfection makes something more beautiful…or at least more interesting… This brings me to the topic of singing voices…this is a very subjective area…how many times have you said, “Listen to that guy!... I can’t stand his voice!...how did he ever get a record deal?... I mean, listen to him!” But then others hear the same thing and go, “wow…that’s really different…really expressive…it’s full of character and emotion…what a bold move giving this dude a chance to real millions of people… I love this guy!”… These are the kind of singers we’re about to review: guys with some of the most unusual voices in the history of alt-rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For over two decades, the Ongoing History of New Music has served as an essential audio documentary series, digging deep into the stories that shaped alternative rock, hip hop, and everything in between. Hosted by the legendary music historian Alan Cross, this podcast functions as a curated archive of musical culture, moving far beyond simple artist profiles. Each episode is a thematic exploration, connecting sonic dots across decades to reveal the hidden contexts, forgotten pioneers, and cultural shifts that define what we listen to. You’ll hear about the scenes that birthed genres, the technologies that changed production, and the personalities whose influence ripples through today’s charts. It’s less a linear history lesson and more an ongoing conversation about why music matters, delivered with Cross’s authoritative yet accessible narrative style. Tune in and discover the rich, often surprising backstories behind the songs and artists you thought you knew, gaining insights you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. This is Canadian broadcasting at its most inquisitive and enduring, making the Ongoing History of New Music a foundational listen for anyone curious about the forces that continually reinvent our sonic landscape.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Ongoing History of New Music
Podcast Episodes
Censorship and Music: Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:39
For this week’s podcast, we’re going to revisit the Ongoing History of New Music vault for the first part of a two-part series on censorship in music. Why are certain songs, bands, or styles of music censored? Who makes…
What's The Big Deal About Iggy Pop [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:44
For this week’s episode, we’re going to go back into the ongoing history of new music vault and our “what’s the big deal” series. This is where we try to figure out why we keep hearing and reading about these old names f…
It's A Family Affair [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:42
Music is one of those things that can bring families together…and sometimes, that togetherness grows into a business… The BeeGees had the three Gibb brothers…baby brother Andy Gibb was also part of that universe for a wh…
Weird and Shocking Rockers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:12
Here’s a warning right from the outset: this is going to be a weird program…the performs and the music we’re going to talk about are famous because of their weird, shocking behaviour…they set out to get our attention—and…
Good Goth - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:34
This is the second part of our examination of the legendary Alt-Rock scene known as "Goth", and this time we go from mid 80's... right up to today. Goth has always had a bad rap, so in our deep dive, we'll try to clear e…
Good Goth - Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:14
Goth has always had a bad rap and that's not fair to the music, the fans and the fashion so we're going to try to clear everything up with our deep dive. But don't worry...no one's going to get hurt. We are going to exam…
The Second Voice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:09
When you’re the lead singer in a band, you’re pretty much guaranteed to get all the attention…after all, you are the visual and audio focal point for pretty much everything… Yeah, there might be a hot guitarist or someon…
The Original Ramones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:47
Friday, August 16, 1974, was a hot summer day in New York City…it was 31 degrees, but the humidity made it feel a lot hotter…and if you were down in the Bowery amidst all the concrete, it was hotter still...and it smelle…
Rock's Most Iconic Instruments [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:21
Most of us probably go through a phase where we decide to make music for ourselves…maybe we’ll do it alone, or perhaps we want to be part of a band. The first thing you need to do is decide what instrument you will play……
Explaining Krautrock [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:52
After World War II, Germany was destroyed…the country was divided…the east was under the control of the USSR…the west was in democratic Europe…and then there was berlin, sitting in the east but cut into different zones d…