Can You Feel It Recommends
Strong Songs
In each episode of Strong Songs multi-instrumentalist and composer Kirk Hamilton chooses a classic song and takes listeners inside the music, breaking it down and figuring out what makes it work. In doing so he is able to demonstrate how very much can go into making a song that can sound so simple on the surface.
A History of Rock Music In 500 Songs
British music author and rock historian Andrew Hickey begins in 1938 and is tracing rock ‘n’ roll from its origins to the present day. Each episode is not so much about the song itself as it is all of the characters involved in its production. He traces the history of the group or artist culminating in the production of the song. Thoroughly researched and well presented every episode is a pleasurable education.
Broken Record Podcast
A rotating cast of hosts, producer Rick Rubin most notably among them, interview an artist and take them through their history and how they make their music. All too often musician interview can be wrote and so similar to one another. But all of the hosts are very skilled at bringing out each artist’s story in an interesting and thorough manner. Rubin in particular is enjoyable for his effusive, almost childlike love of the music.
WBCR-LP Berkshire Community Radio Alliance
WBCR-LP is the home station of the Can You Feel It Radio Show. It is a commercial free, independent, low power community radio station based in Great Barrington, Massachusetts and operated by the Berkshire Community Radio Alliance which is an all volunteer organization. WBCR-LP has been on the air since 2005. With the exception of the Pacifica radio show Democracy Now all programs are locally produced by private individuals who do so on a volunteer basis.
ElectroMagnetic Radio
ElectroMagnetic Radio is an online, commercial free station. While the station is indeed global given their home on the World Wide Web it remains rooted in a vital sense of “local" featuring a collective of DJs and program host located in communities around the world including Chicago, Berlin, Boulder, Brooklyn, Panama City, Dallas, London, Louisville, New York's Hudson Valley, Wellington, Pasadena, Houston, Melbourne, Philadelphia, Toronto and many more.
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
Think you know everything about the Bee Gees? Think again! This excellent documentary completely changed everything that I thought and believed about the Bee Gees. I’d have to put it in my top five musical documentaries. I’ll leave it at that. It is only available on HBO but it’s worth signing up for a seven day trial just to watch it.
Long Time Running
Not particularly well known in the US, The Tragically Hip were a beloved Canadian institution nicknamed “Canada’s house band”. This documentary profiles their Man Machine Poem tour of 2016 which followed the bands announcement of lead singer Gord Downie’s terminal cancer diagnosis. It tells the history of the band, features interviews with each member and on stage performances and backstage events from the tour. Downie himself was clearly an uniquely lovable man who showed great courage when faced with the end of his life. This entire documentary is available to stream for free on YouTube.
History Of The Eagles
Love em or hate em, no one can deny the Eagles were one of the most prolific and productive institutions of American rock ‘n’ roll. This two-part documentary, which can be hard to find, pulls no punches in it’s telling of the story of the band that was formed and dominated by its two primary songwriters who make no apology for doing so. It’s all there, personality clashes, ego trips, drugs and groupies. But at the same time the Eagles produced a body of work like few other rock bands have before or since.
We Are Twisted F**ing Sister
Whether or not you are a fan of Twisted Sister’s music this is a fascinating story about how guitar player John Segall, aka Jay Jay French, and lead singer, Danny “Dee” Snyder created an identity and a unique look and sound for their band, tirelessly worked the New York City, New Jersey and Long Island club circuit, all the while eschewing drugs and alcohol, and rose to national prominence. This entire documentary is available to stream for free on YouTube.
Tom Petty: Runnin Down A Dream
What’s well known about Tom Petty is that he was one of the most creative and successful artists in American rock ‘n’ roll from the late 1970s until his death in 2017. He climbed the ladder of success alongside his hometown band that he brought to Los Angeles from their hometown in Gainesville, Florida most of whom remained with him throughout his career. What a lot of people don’t know is how deep his artistic integrity ran and how tirelessly he worked to keep music affordable for the consumer. This is an excellent profile of Tom Petty the artist and Tom Petty the person.