One of the things we love most about music is its power to transport. It can carry us somewhere locational, philosophical, psychological, even quantal (as we explored more overtly in our Time Machine episode). A single song can shift the room, unlock memories, or reveal a door we didn’t even know was there. Music is the vessel that cracks open our hearts and minds, taking us on a long and winding road to anywhere.

SONGS:

Tinariwen: Amassakoul 'N' 'Ténéré (2004)

The Balfa Brothers: Le Danse de Mardi Gras (1967)

RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:

Tinariwen Webpage

Electric Blues Desert Refugees by Nate Seltenrich (Pop Matters)

Rebel Blues in the Sahara: A Desert Guitar Primer by Joe Tangari (Pitchfork)

Songs of Exile and Resistance by Andy Morgan (Al Jazeera)

A Review of Psychological and Neuroscientific Research on Musical Groove (Science Direct)

Justin Adams:Fantastical Deaths and Spectacular Rebirths by Farhad Mirza (Guernica)

Tinariwen: Chet Boghassa (another fave)

Tinariwen: Sastanàqqàm (another fave)

Rebellion and Fragmentation in Northern Mali

Rebel Music: The Tuareg Uprising in 12 Songs by Tinariwen by Rollo Romig

History of Cajun Mardi Gras

What is Courir de Mardi Gras? The Cajun Country celebration is rooted in Medieval France

Festival Acadiens Official Website

History of Cajun Music

'La Danse de Mardi Gras' Song Lyrics and Meaning

PODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS:

I Said No Gifts

Off Menu

Anna and Isabella Do Improv (Pronounced Ahnna, sorry!)

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!

Brr. Did someone just open a window? Or did I catch a crazy vibe from this funky ass song? Ok enough silliness. This week we deep dive into the songs that give us the literal chills. You know, the type of song that makes the hairs on your arm stand up. A song that makes you sit up a little straighter... makes you "lock in" as the youth say. And no, we DIDN'T just explore this theme with "Visceral." That's different. We insist.

SONGS:

Herbie Hancock: Watermelon Man (1973)

Rosalía: Berghain (2025)

RESOURCE AND REFERENCES:

Watermelon Man - 1962 version

Hindewhu flute performance

The Ethan Hein Blog - Watermelon Man

Herbie Hancock on Watermelon Man

Watermelon Sacrifice at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

Pygmy POP. A Genealogy of Schizophonic Mimesis

Rosalia Explains Lux: 13 Languages! Heartbreak! Betrayal! Björk! (& ‘Euphoria’) - Popcast

What Do Rosalia’s Lyrics Actually Mean By Michelle Santiago Cortes

Rosalía's Berghain is a thunderous goth-pop hit -- but is it opera? By Laura Snapes (The Guardian)

Rosalia’s Lux is Operatic, but is it Opera? By Joshua Barone (NYT)

Another article by Snapes wherein Rosalía is quoted as being “hot for God” (The Guardian)

Decoding the Language and Saints of Rosalías Lux (The Glottal Stop)

Lux: An exploration of divine femininity NOT centered around ability to reproduce (Reddit)

Spirituality and song: What Rosalía’s ‘Lux’ says about sainthood by Hannah Rich (Theos)

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Winter)

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!

Music has the power to soothe, excite, stir emotions, or make you get up and dance! And sometimes it elicits a visceral reaction that you weren't expecting... even after the umpteenth time you've heard the song. That's right, this week, we're talking about songs that wreak havoc on your nervous system.

SONGS:

David Bowie: Blackstar (2015)

Bjork: hyperballad (1996)

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

Tony Visconti Talks About How Blackstar Was Made

Jay Mills’ Drum Cover of Blackstar

The Guardian Review of Blackstar Video (2015)

David Bowie: Lazarus (2016)

A thank you letter to David Bowie from a palliative care doctor

Johan Renck on directing Bowie’s final videos

Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)

On David Bowie’s Blackstar, Turning to Jazz for Inspiration by Nate Chinen (2016)

Bjork’s Interview in Record Collector Magazine (2002)

"Hyperballad" stands the test of time... and honestly, we've yet to reach its time (The Unfortified Castle)

The XFM Top 1,000 Songs of All Time

Bjork's theory about paparazzi culture

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!