Ever wonder which pieces of technology changed music forever? From Thomas Edison’s phonograph and the invention of the microphone to the Walkman, the iPod, and today’s streaming platforms, we take a geeky trip through the biggest innovations that transformed how music is created, recorded, distributed, and enjoyed. Plus the stories behind headphones, magnetic tape, synthesizers, CDs, and digital r

Think we were done with alt-rock one-hit wonders? Not quite. After our original deep dive into the biggest alternative one-hit wonders since 1976, the emails and DMs kept pouring in. You pointed out...rightfully so... songs we missed, artists we overlooked, and a few bands that many people think are one-hit wonders but actually aren't. So we're back for one more sweep through the archives. Along t

Trip-hop was one of the coolest sounds of the 1990s, blending hip-hop beats, dub, soul, and moody atmospheres into something completely new. And to be honest, I can't believe we haven't done a deep dive on it yet! So it's time to fix that. We trace its roots from the streets of Bristol to artists like Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky, and DJ Shadow, exploring how a dark, experimental underground

Most of us have at least one band T-shirt stuffed in a drawer or hanging in a closet. Maybe it's a concert souvenir, a vintage find, or a shirt you've worn so often it's barely holding together. But where did band T-shirts come from, and how did some of them become worth thousands of dollars? I think it's time to dig into the surprisingly fascinating history of band merch, tracing its roots from t

After surviving some of the darkest years of his life, John Frusciante returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and helped create some of the biggest albums of their career. But for John, success has never been simple. On part 2 of "The Long Strange Trip of John Frusciante", we go through his second and third acts: Grammy wins, solo projects, artistic reinvention, another surprising departure from th

John Frusciante might just be rock’s ultimate survivor. So let's trace the wild, unpredictable journey of the Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist, from teenage guitar prodigy to the creative force behind Blood Sugar Sex Magik , through addiction, isolation, and a near-fatal collapse that almost ended everything. Along the way, we explore his rise with the Chili Peppers, his troubled relationship with

What happens when music meets neuroscience? This time, we take a fascinating trip inside the human brain to explore why music can make us dance, cry, smile, remember, and even get chills. From dopamine rushes and musical memory to live concert highs and the science behind your favourite songs, we uncover some of the weirdest and most amazing connections between music, the brain, and the body. And,

Pop-punk is one of those musical contradictions that somehow makes perfect sense. Punk was supposed to be loud, fast, and rebellious. Pop was all about hooks and mass appeal. But somewhere along the way, the two got together and created one of the biggest movements in alternative rock. In part two, we pick up the story in the early 1990s as grunge begins to fade and bands like Green Day, The Offsp

Punk rock comes in a lot of different flavours, but few have had the impact of pop-punk. In Part One of this series, we dig into how a genre that was supposed to be the enemy of pop music ended up borrowing some of its best ideas. From the Ramones and Buzzcocks to Bad Religion, Descendents, Hüsker Dü, and Social Distortion, we'll follow the bands that started mixing punk's speed, attitude, and DIY

When someone dies, our first reaction is disbelief...we’re stunned...that’s immediately followed by a need to know what happened...how?...where?...it’s only natural...we need information to help us process the news and the emotion that comes with it... The next stage is might be “could anything have been done to prevent this?”... “Could someone have helped or intervened?”...In some cases, perhaps.

Ever wonder what really happened in the final hours of some of music's biggest stars? This time, I want to retrace the final hours and days of some of rock's most legendary figures. From heartbreaking health battles to shocking accidents and devastating personal struggles, these are the stories behind the headlines as we piece together the events that led to their final moments and explore the que

In part two of our series, we continue to figure out why buying concert tickets has become one of the most frustrating consumer experiences…and why it’s always been that way. From the evolution of ticketing from physical box offices and early computer systems to the rise of Ticketmaster, we want to understand how service fees, scalping, exclusive venue contracts, and industry power struggles shape

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, from ancient Greek theatres to the rise of computerized systems in the late 20th century. We'll dig into how tickets evolved from physical tokens and box-office lineups to early computer-driven servic

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 movie soundtracks from their early, days to their cultural impact in the ’80s and ’90s. These are albums that helped define, amplify, and sometimes completely redirect alternative music. From the elect

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 went from cultural insecurity to producing one of the most influential rock movements of the 1990s. From early radio bias and the “Guess Who?” prank, to CanCon rules, FACTOR funding, the rise of FM radio,

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 time was over. From Deborah Harry breaking through with Blondie in her 30s, to James Murphy reinventing himself with LCD Soundsystem at 35, to Leonard Cohen becoming a global icon in his 50s, these are th

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 Stone Temple Pilots and Sublime to Alice in Chains, Faith No More, and New Order. Losing your singer doesn’t have to mean the end… but surviving it is one of the hardest things a band can do. Learn more a

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 into powerful creative tools, shaping everything from early rock to experimental soundscapes. This time, we dive into feedback, overdriven amps, drop-D tuning, and distortion beyond the guitar, touchi

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 early experimental machines that filled entire rooms, to the groundbreaking work of innovators like Bob Moog and Don Buchla, we trace how synthesizers moved from academic curiosity to pop‑culture force

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, whether you’re listening to tracks stored in its memory or streaming something from a service like Spotify or apple music…as long as your device has juice, you can enjoy listening to music anywhere you are