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Apple has killed off its second attempt at a "music social network," Connect, which was part of Apple Music. We ponder what it would take to create a useful music social network. Show notes : Discogs iTunes Features That Have Been Retired Episode #60 – Geoff Edgers on the Slow Death of the Electric Guitar The Classical Music Recordings Discussion Group (Facebook) How to Share Your Listening Histor...

We look at some possible future scenarios about iTunes, in part because a recent change that Apple has made. Show notes : Episode #104 - The Future of iTunes Why iTunes Isn’t Bloated Mojave Update Updates iTunes Apple Support page, "Update to the latest version of iTunes" Steve McGuire maintains a list of recent stand-alone iTunes installers at Apple Support Episode #122 - What if Apple Does Stop...

Doug and Kirk make a list, and check it twice, presenting some ideas for music-related Christmas gifts. Show notes : Episode #130 - Desert Island Discs, Part 1 Episode #133 - Desert Island Discs, Part 2 Angle plugs Banana plugs TwelveSouth BackPack for iMac iTunes gift cards for Apple Music Technics SL-1210 MK2 turntable IsoAcoustics speaker stands Behringer U-Phono UFO202 Audiophile USB/Audio Int...

Chris Connaker, of the Computer Audiophile website, joins us to discuss downsizing audio systems. You really can get good sound with a minimal setup these days, and Chris explains how. Guest : Computer Audiophile Superphonica Show notes : Sonos Beam Focal Chorus 705 speakers Sonos Playbar Sonos One Chris Connaker's HomePod review Apple HomePod Compared to Sonos One Grateful Dead: Sunshine Daydream...

Doug and Kirk have made lists of their ten desert island discs, and, in part one of a two-part series, we hear Doug's picks. Check out Episode #130 - Desert Island Discs, Part 1 to hear Kirk's picks. Show notes : Doug's ten desert island discs (links to Apple Music, except for Exposure which isn't streamable): The Clash: London Calling The Rolling Stones: Get Yer Ya Yas Out! Humble Pie: Performanc...

A recent article in Rolling Stone says that the album is dying. Andy Doe says that "every word in that article is shite." Guest: Andy Doe Proper Discord Show notes : The Album Is in Deep Trouble – and the Music Business Probably Can’t Save it Zeno's paradoxes (Wikipedia) Episode #1 – Songs to Albums to Songs Existentialism Is a Humanism Our next tracks : Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending,...

Musician and journalist Jeff Slate wrote the liner notes for the latest Bob Dylan Bootleg Series release, More Blood, More Tracks, covering the Blood on the Tracks sessions. Guest: Jeff Slate Jeff Slate's articles about music Show notes : More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14 Deluxe Edition When Bob Dylan Saw God (Esquire) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Deluxe Edition A Simple...

Doug and Kirk have made lists of their ten desert island discs, and, in part one of a two-part series, we hear Kirk's picks. Show notes : Kirk's ten desert island discs (links to Apple Music): Hume: Musicall Humours, Jordi Savall Bach: Goldberg Variations, Andras Schiff Schubert: Piano Sonata no. 21, D960, Maria Joao Pires Miles Davis: Kind of Blue Grateful Dead: American Beauty Budd/Eno: Ambient...

Classical music is vast. How can listeners new to the genre find what they want to listen to, and learn to appreciate the many styles of music it contains. We talk with Timothy Judd who helps listeners do this through his blog. Guest : Timothy Judd Show notes : The Listeners' Club Episode #18 – New Yorker Music Critic Alex Ross Discusses Listening to Classical Music Episode #126 - Background Music...

Streaming music has changed the economics of the music industry, but it has also affected the way songs are made. We discuss some of these changes and how music is adapting to the new ecosystem. Show notes : 7 Songs That Prove Streaming Has Changed Song Structures Martin Connor The dying art of the great song intro Ramones: Ramones The Clash: Sandinista! Bob Dylan: Beyond Here Lies Nothin' Our nex...

We all know that the recorded music industry has gone through many changes in recent decades, but it can be interesting to take a long view of the various ways that music has been sold. Show notes : Frank Denyer: Music for Shakuhachi Visualizing 40 Years of Music Industry Sales (Visual Capitalist) Ringtones Composed by Brian Eno for the Nokia 8800 Scirocco Phone Creating the Windows 95 Startup Sou...

Sometimes, you hear music where you least expect it, and where you don't choose to hear it. Show notes : Episode #123 - John Cage's Silent Piece 4'33", with Kyle Gann Waitrose (My partner tells me that none of the grocery stores in the UK play background music any more; they used to, but stopped.) Muzak (Wikipedia) Stah Mahket Stawp and Shawp Music licensing (ASCAP) Episode #27 – Composing Music f...

How is the sausage made? In this episode we present a making of episode; how we make our podcast. Show notes : Episode #124 - Deluxe Editions Blue Yeti microphone Rode NT1 microphone Audio Hijack Take Control of Audio Hijack Episode #123 - John Cage's Silent Piece 4'33", with Kyle Gann Episode #121 - Roie Avin on Modern Prog Rock Masterpieces Episode #67 – The Grateful Dead’s Legendary 5/8/77 Corn...

Deluxe editions, super deluxe editions, and more. The record industry is trying hard to get us to buy our favorite music again. Show notes : Fleetwood Mac: Rumours (Deluxe Edition) Durutti Column: Without Mercy (Deluxe Edition) Grateful Dead: Europe '72 Rhino Records Bob Dylan: 1965-1966, The Cutting Edge, Bootleg Series Vol. 12 (6 disc edition) Bob Dylan: The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg...

Kyle Gann, author of No Such Thing as Silence: John Cage's 4'33", discusses this seminal work. This week's guest: Kyle Gann No Such Thing as Silence: John Cage's 4'33" Show notes : Episode #80, John Cage (with Laura Kuhn, executive director of the John Cage Trust) Episode #69 – Brian Brandt of Mode Records on John Cage, Morton Feldman, and the Music Business Episode #102 - Silence John Cage and th...

The rumor that keeps coming back: the one that says that Apple is going to stop selling downloads. Andy Doe joins us to discuss this, and give us an overview of how streaming music is affecting the music business. This week's guest: Andy Doe Proper Discord Show notes : We got much of our data from Nielsen's U.S. Mid-Year Report 2018 Episode #119 - Caoilfhionn Rose on Gigging, Busking, Recording, a...

Roie Avin, founder and editor of The Prog Report, joins us to talk about modern prog rock masterpieces. Guest: The Prog Report Essential Modern Progressive Rock Albums: Images and Words Behind Prog’s Most Celebrated Albums 1990-2016 Show notes : Episode #97 - Jerry Ewing on Progressive Rock Episode #58 – David Weigel on the History of Progressive Rock Modern prog rock playlist on Apple Music Essen...

There's a new best-selling album of all time, according to the RIAA. We look at the top records, and some of them are a bit surprising. Show notes : The best-selling albums according to the RIAA. The Story of Fleetwood Mac (YouTube). Rock Family Trees: Fleetwood Mac (Part 1 of 5) Episode #76 – Mirror Balls and Polyester: Looking Back at Disco Music Our next tracks : Brian Tairaku Ritchie: Ryoanji...

Caoilfhionn Rose, a young musician from Manchester, has recorded her first album, due to be released in October. She has previously recorded with The Durutti Column, and Vini Reilly has mentored her. She talks about the challenges of releasing an album, touring, busking, and more. Guest : Caoilfhionn Rose Show notes : Caoilfhionn Rose: Awaken The Passions: Thirty Thousand Feet over China (Apple Mu...

Anne Midgette, chief classical music critic for the Washington Post, discusses her article about classical music for beginners. Guest : Anne Midgette Show notes : A beginner’s guide to enjoying classical music. No snobs allowed El Sistema Detroit Symphony Orchestra National Symphony Orchestra Hilary Hahn Hilary Hahn's encore project Simone Dinnerstein New World Symphony Glyndebourne Our next track...

Doug and Kirk took a week off. They are back to discuss their music listening during that week, and more. Show notes : PhotoActive: a podcast about photography and the Apple ecosystem Richard Russo: Nobody's Fool , Everybody's Fool Nobody's Fool (movie) Anthony Powell: A Dance to the Music of Time (book; part one of four) ; A Dance to the Music of Time: First Movement (audiobook; part one of four)...

We talk about artist t-shirts, and how they represent a search for identity and a desire to belong to a certain group. And they look cool. Show notes : Grateful Dead t-shirts Grateful Dead store "Art & Home" section Joe Jackson Look Sharp! button Our next tracks : Schubert: Piano Sonatas, Alfred Brendel Artist's Choice Nicky Hopkins, et al: Jamming With Edward! If you like the show, please sub...

Peter Chilvers joins us to follow up on last week's episode, where Theo Travis discussed his new apps built around Travis & Fripp performances, that Peter developed. Guest : Peter Chilvers Travis & Fripp apps Show notes : Episode #35 – Musician and Developer Peter Chilvers on Brian Eno’s Album and App Reflection Chapman Stick Travis & Fripp: Between the Silence Bloom Peek Inside Brian...

Flautist and saxophonist Theo Travis joins us to discuss the three new Travis & Fripp apps he has recently released, and his various music projects. Guest : Theo Travis Travis & Fripp apps Travis & Fripp on the DGM label Show notes : Episode #35 – Musician and Developer Peter Chilvers on Brian Eno’s Album and App Reflection Travis & Fripp: Between the Silence Slow Life Frippertroni...

Remember how, back in the day, you used to get cool stuff with your records? Lyric sheets, liner notes, stickers, and other things? Show notes : Graham Johnson: Franz Schubert, The Complete Songs It's actually three volumes and 3,000 pages long. Franz Schubert: The Complete Songs (Hyperion Records) The Big Book of Blues Dover music scores The Sandpaper Cover of The Return of the Durutti Column The...