Music And We

(RECORDED DECEMBER 4, 2023) Whoo boy...  jesse owes jamilah big time for this one.  The best way to describe this is to just listen to the episode!!!  In it, we discuss once again, a documentary that doesn't exactly do justice to the musical legacy of Michael Jackson.  We attempt to make sense of why this has (again) occurred, we ask why some of the people in the documentary are there, and we go i...

(RECORDED ON DECEMBER 2, 2023) After many months of technical mishaps and life experiences, jesse and jamilah have returned, discussing some (but not all) of their favorite albums released this year; they also discussed the culture of mass information (in relation to Shawn 'Puffy' Combs and other predatory figures), our own contradictions, as well as other cultural events that have since occurred...

(RECORDED ON AUGUST 7, 2023) Yes....  The unbelievable happened.  jamilah met her second favorite band of all time, and her greatest musical inspiration.  She is still in immense shock about it.  This episode was recorded the day after Metallica did their two sets (with no repeats) at MetLife Stadium, so please forgive her relative incoherence, and many tears (hopefully jesse does as well!!!).  We...

(RECORDED ON MAY 29, 2023) After a ton of mishaps and mental health episodes, we finally have this episode up!!!  jesse and jamilah felt inspired to discuss this after the physical transition of Tina Turner, given a few anti-African stances she took throughout her life.  While these things were known by some prior to her passing, many opined that addressing her contradictions was inappropriate bec...

(RECORDED ON MAY 23, 2023) This is a multi-tiered episode of sorts, if you will.  The Mulkilteo Fairies were one of jamilah's most favoritest hardcore/punk bands in the early to mid 1990s, as she was a young punk kid trying to figure life out.  She wanted to always meet the people behind that band- and eventually met Josh (while he was in the band Behead The Prophet NLSL) and Quitty (while hanging...

(RECORDED ON MAY 13, 2023) This is an interesting episode, as tables have somewhat turned...  jamilah is usually the fanboi (of various things) out of the two hosts; however, given that he was massively beloved by her in the past, it was discovered that jesse is far more of one when it comes to Stevie Wonder.  There are attempts to explore this emerging discovery.  jesse and jamilah discuss Stevie...

(RECORDED ON APRIL 30, 2023) One of the objectives of this podcast is to engage with the ways we all connect with and to music.  Of course, that would be boring if it were just jesse and jamilah every episode, so we always love when others get to share their experiences.  jamilah was very glad to have been able to share some time with fellow podcaster and creator (and lover of St. Anger) Old Head,...

(RECORDED ON APRIL 23, 2023) jamilah has been fairly open on this podcast about her experience as an amputee, and the ways music is now experienced due to it.  We want to take time in various episodes to explore the various experiences had, under the spectrum of disabilities that exist. On this episode we have Nick, who was born with cerebral palsy.  jamilah and Nick met via a community of listene...

(RECORDED ON APRIL 17, 2023) 72 Seasons must be a special album, because jesse stayed up past his bedtime to discuss it!  This is his first experience with a new Metallica album release cycle, so jamilah was extremely excited to hear his perspective.  Needless to say, she was very pleasantly surprised.  As they go into detail about perspectives and what significance the album and individual songs...

(RECORDED ON APRIL 8, 2023) We aren't getting any younger, and neither are some of the artists we love.  We wanted to present a way to appreciate folks while they are still here (even if they're not currently producing music in that iteration), hence the 'Giving Flowers' series.  Our first episode is dedicated to Mudhoney, one of the last living 'anti-establishment' bands (that aren't Anarcho punk...

(RECORDED ON MARCH 10, 2023) Many music lovers enjoy going out to see their favorite artists live.  Some of us music lovers have disabilities, making it not as easy to navigate this world.  In conversation with jamilah (who is a below-knee amputee (BKA)) is E.T. Russian (a double amputee for much, much longer); an old friend who reunited, 20 years later.  E.T. and jamilah discuss positive (and not...

(RECORDED ON FEBRUARY 27, 2023)  This episode is finally up!  A lot of things have happened since then (in relation to some of the things we discussed here), but the primary subject (sadly in some ways) is perhaps timeless.  jesse and jamilah discuss the formation of what (a couple of days later after this recording) became 'If Darkness Had A Son' (to be released on Metallica's 12th album, 72 Seas...

(RECORDED JANUARY 29, 2023) Music continues to simultaneously fascinate and confound us.  jamilah is (positively) surprised at a few of jesse's favorite selections; There is also a discussion about an issue not addressed in mainstream discussions of music- colorism.  People see these things as myths, but there are real-world examples (and real-world harm). For questions, comments, etc.  you can re...

(RECORDED JANUARY 22, 2023) jesse and jamilah are back- and we no longer have to record episodes in different states, which of course makes things much easier.  We spend our first (non remote) episode exploring the first two singles from the upcoming Metallica album, '72 Seasons'; jamilah also attempts to make sense of jesse's love of Sananda Maitreya, as jesse critiques Maitreya's various contrad...

(RECORDED DECEMBER 21, 2021) Jesse and jamilah are very, very jetlagged in this episode, but we wanted to get our thoughts out about MTF (Metallica Turns Forty) before everything left our brains.  After never having seen the band live (and just getting into them), Jesse can now say he has seen them twice, while jamilah has officially now seen them three times- the first being December 3, 1991.  Je...

(RECORDED NOVEMBER 26, 2021) It has been a very eventful couple of years since Jesse and jamilah were here!  There was a particular event which affected the whole world (and continues to), Jesse wrote a book, and jamilah experienced a life-altering accident.  For this episode though, we are switching it up!  While we do talk a bit about Prince (and a tiny bit about MJ), our focus for this episode...

(RECORDED SEPTEMBER 22, 2019) The authors of confusion have always been here.  No longer 'hidden in plain site,' they are increasingly coming out of the shadows.  Many figures posed as 'woke' are being hired to mislead the masses.  There has even been a conversation about the term 'woke' on British television, co-facilitated by none other than Piers Morgan.   They say words evolve and constantly l...

(RECORDED SEPTEMBER 15, 2019)  This is a shorter episode; jamilah goes solo (Don't worry- Jesse hasn't gone anywhere, and he was okay with this episode going up)!!!   jamilah wanted to take a little time out to focus on some news stories you may not have known.  If you regularly listen to our podcast, you know we cover non-music/political news as well. jamilah also speaks a bit about Leaving Never...

(RECORDED SEPTEMBER 9, 2019)  Obviously an extension of our last episode, Jesse and jamilah continue to look into the notion of the more recent wave of so-called 'edgy' (or even 'edgelord') comedy, and why it's being viewed as edgy...  When it's ultimately a reflection of already socially acceptable mores.  The majority of successful comedians are heterosexual, cisgender and/or white, and comedy i...

(RECORDED 1 SEPTEMBER 2019) Here's another overview of a seemingly 'controversial' visual work- 'Sticks and Stones'.  While most people have defended Chapelle's work wholesale (because you know...  It's comedy), there have been very few pieces (either critical or in defense) pointing to the nuances and consequences of 'controversial' comedy.  Most responses have been reactionary.  Jesse and jamila...

(RECORDED 25 AUGUST 2019)  WE ARE BACK Y'ALL!!!  After a variation of life experiences that shifted much in our combined worlds, Jesse and jamilah have returned...  With another setback- A RUSTY MICROPHONE SOUND.  i guess the mic missed us as well, and was just paying us back for all the months of non-use.  We apologize in advance for any bad sound, and hope this doesn't obscure the subject matter...

(RECORDED MARCH 10, 2018)  First This Is It and now Leaving Neverland...  We must note that this was recorded directly after watching the full four hours, plus the Winfrey interview...  While we gather people would be aware of this, we must reiterate that the majority of the audio here is based on views/opinions.  Just like a majority of the people who have something to say, neither one of us pers...

(RECORDED MARCH 3 & 4 2019)  So now this 'documentary' entitled 'Leaving Neverland' is airing, as we have this conversation.  Feelings are heightened.  Opinions are divided.  Those who were already convinced of Michael's guilt are more than convinced after watching it; many in the fan community have refused to watch it.   We at 'Music And We' do what we can in order to present a more nuanced posit...

(RECORDED FEBRUARY 24, 2019) WEEEEEERE BAAAAAAACK!!!! The term 'manufacturing consent'  was inspired by a phrase coined in 1922 by Walter Lippmann ('the manufacture of consent').  It was originally the title of a 1979 book by Michael Burawoy;  it was then popularized after the 1988 book (and eventual film of the same name) by Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman. It is identified through corporate media...

(RECORDED DECEMBER 23, 2018) Despite being loved by many across the globe, Prince nor Michael Jackson were let off the hook when it came to people creating comedy skits and/or parodies around what was deemed their eccentricities.  From Eddie Murphy's "Tito get me some tissue!" skit, Lenny Henry's satirical take on the Bashir interview (which, while still pointing to what was seen as MJ's 'strange'...