EarWax

EarWax Team

EarWax is a deep-dive music podcast hosted by two longtime record store clerks, Hilary and Cody, who are steeped in music history.

Each week, we unpack the story of a single album - how it was made, where it fits in the cultural moment that shaped it, and why it still matters. From iconic classics to cult gems, we explore the music that moves us and the stories that stick.

You’ll also hear about the latest releases and what’s buzzing in our world of vinyl bins and liner notes. Think of it like your favorite record store hang, just in podcast form.

EarWax is for anyone who loves music with context, history, and heart.

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126 episodes
Updated June 26
Explicit

Episodes126

Newest first

April 3 · 22 min
Music This Week 4/2/26
Have we reached rock bottom? Well, Music This Week maaaay just have the answer, or at least an opinion! Spencer guides the crew through new release from Arlo Parks and others, before diving into stories about Bob Dylan's bizarre Patreon content (I hate it. - Cody), Eurovision, and a lovely look at Bob's Burgers. There was no mention of Sexistential in the room, so I'll have to bury it here! Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Email: earwaxpod@gmail.com Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller
March 27 · 22 min
Music This Week 3/27/26
Plenty to talk about in this week's installment of Music This Week. We got new releases galore, some old faces, some new faces, some aliens? Jay-Z talked about hip-hop beefs, so we talk about him talking about hip-hop beefs. Priced out of concerts? Psh, same, brother, same. Let's dump on Ticketmaster and LiveNation some more! Spencer guides us through the headlines, and we give him our opines...(Eh, I don't love that joke, but I'm keeping it in.) Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Email: earwaxpod@gmail.com Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller
March 27 · 1 hr 2 min
Ep. 99: The Runaways - The Runaways
Buckle the hell up, or down, or sideways, or however your buckle buckles. We are one away from triple digits here on EarWax. And the 99th episode is one for the books. The Runaways are a moment in rock history, and one that brings up some inconvenient truths about an era we looooooooove to look at through rose-tinted glasses. For all of the many, many obstacles foisted upon them, the Runaways self-titled album is primo cut ROCK. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Email: earwaxpod@gmail.com Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller
March 20 · 59 min
Ep. 98: Patsy Cline - Showcase
Country crooners get no better than the legendary Patsy Cline, and that is just who we are covering this week on EarWax! "Showcase" is exactly that, a tour de force for one of country music's top vocalists of all time. Recorded right on the heels of a near-fatal car crash, and accompanied by the Jordanaires, this record contains versions of her two massive hits - Crazy and Walkin' After Midnight - along with gorgeous tracks that swoon, swing, and lilt. Patsy Cline persevered through a tremendous amount of adversity in her career. "Showcase" is a great example of an artist defying the odds and cementing their status among the hall of greats! Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Email: earwaxpod@gmail.com Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller
March 20 · 25 min
Music This Week 3/20/26
We are back with a new installment of Music This Week! Did we miss last week? We did. Do we have a very compelling reason for that? Oh, we do, but more on that later! Spencer guides the crew through a discussion on Ticketmaster/Livenation's backroom dealings with the DOJ, pirates pirating Johnny Blue Skies, and a slew of new releases that we recommend you dive into! Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Email: earwaxpod@gmail.com Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller
March 13 · 1 hr 13 min
Ep. 97: Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Time for a little (read: a whole hell of a lot) neeeeon sleaze. The EarWax crew tackles one of synth pop's greatest albums - Soft Cell's "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret"! Marc Almond and David Ball combined into a force of nature, marrying low and high tech into a shimmering rawness that sounds and feels relevant today. Their label didn't understand them, some of the public tried to condemn them, but Soft Cell understood precisely who they were playing for, and the duo helped showcase a side of England that the buttoned-up rank and file preferred to ignore. "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" is catchy, weird, vulnerable, and vulgar. For all of those reasons and more, it is to be played loudly while dancing! Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Email: earwaxpod@gmail.com Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller
March 6 · 28 min
Music This Week 3/6/26
What's happening in music this week, you wonder? Psh, how about you tune in right here to find out. Spencer guides the crew through plenty of new releases, as well as an examination of this year's Rock Hall nominees, and the resurgence of Labi Siffre! We got a few opinions, some excitement, and a whole lotta chopping it up! Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Email: earwaxpod@gmail.com Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller
March 6 · 1 hr 14 min
Ep. 96: Air - Moon Safari
Need some immaculate vibes? We got plenty of them right here on this week's episode of EarWax. How does one make a record this great? And how do they do it on their first try? Air was in some kind of zone, churning out a timeless piece of retro-futuristic electro-pop. It moves, it grooves, and it makes you sad, happy, horny, and sexy all at once. Moon Safari feels outside of time, and makes you want to stay in that space forever. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Email: earwaxpod@gmail.com Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller
February 27 · 1 hr 4 min
Ep. 95: Brittany Howard - Jaime
The EarWax crew glide through the groovy, melodic, gorgeous, towering artistic statement of Brittany Howard's first solo album, "Jaime." After a meteoric rise to fame with Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard felt that her next move needed to be extremely personal. She had so much to say, and wanted to bear the sole responsibility of crafting that statement. The result speaks for itself (although we talk about it, too). "Jaime" is a beautiful tribute, a tapestry of sound, and a timeless record. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Email: earwaxpod@gmail.com Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller
February 27 · 23 min
Music This Week 2/27/26
Did you love Music This Week, last week? Well, here is Music This Week for this week! Some upcoming releases, some talk about PinkPantheress, and reflecting on the late career bump of Labi Siffre. So much excellence, all distilled into just a few minutes! Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Email: earwaxpod@gmail.com Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller
February 20 · 13 min
Music This Week: 2/20/26
How about a little something new for the folks, eh? We're dropping a weekly segment where Spencer gives us upcoming releases, as well as some music headlines. Along with Hilary and Cody, this is a quick drop in to prep you for the new music that's coming out, and to keep your thumb on the pulse of what's happening in the wide weird world of music! This week I'm told there is extensive mention of Peppa Pig...so you've got that to look forward to. Enjoy! Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Email: earwaxpod@gmail.com Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller
February 20 · 1 hr 27 min
Ep. 94: OutKast - Stankonia
EarWax has retuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrnnnned! We are back and relaunching with a certified classic that is a whole lot of styles mixed up and spat out in the way that only Big Boi and Andre 3000 can. OutKast had already let it be known that the South had something to say, and here on Stankonia do they say it better than ever. Weird, hip, boundary breaking and game-changing, this album only further cemented the duo as the kings of the South. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Email: earwaxpod@gmail.com Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller
May 22, 2025 · 56 min
Bonus Episode! Black Country, New Road's Charlie Wayne and Lewis Evans
Did you miss us so much that you couldn't stand to see us leave for even one week? Bro, same! So how about an awesome interview with one of the coolest bands out there today? Charlie Wayne and Lewis Evans of Black Country, New Road dropped by to talk about their new album "Forever Howlong," and share some of the music that has inspired them along the way. These guys absolutely rule, and it was a total pleasure chopping it up with them. A huge thank you to Lewis and Charlie, and another big thanks to the rest of the group for putting out such a killer record. Check out "Forever Howlong", and go see Black Country, New Road on tour! Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
May 14, 2025 · 54 min
Ep. 93: Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady
We don't always cover compilation albums, but when we do, we make sure they are the most glorious. Such is the case with this week's episode of EarWax! Hilary and Cody dive into the cool power/punk-pop of Buzzcocks. A greatest hits album made for a band about to tour the United States...where they had very little following. Singles Going Steady is a literal timeline of the band up until that point, and showcases the band's penchant for hooks over politics. The perfect marriage of pop and punk coming together to form a banger of a compilation. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
May 8, 2025 · 1 hr 7 min
Ep. 92: James Brown and the Famous Flames - Live at the Apollo
Good gahd! This week the EarWax crew hits the One and covers the Hardest Working Man in Show Business. Mr. Please Please himself, James Brown! Whatchu know about betting on yourself? James Brown told his label a live record was the sauce, and when they said no, he financed it himself. The legendary Apollo, a raucous crowd, and James Brown's electrifying performance collide to create this blistering time capsule of 1962. "Live at the Apollo" captures James Brown and the Famous Flames in their element. At 300 shows/year, they were razor sharp, and delivered a vicious set that stands the test of time. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
May 1, 2025 · 55 min
Ep. 91: Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights
You want some feel good tunes? Oh, we got 'em this week. How about a little Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass! Swingin' 60s meets the coolest square sounds out there. With a lineup that included members of LA's legendary Wrecking Crew, this album bops and bounces along breezily. Herb Alpert is a dude we should all be glad is as successful as he is. His investment into music education, and his humility at yet another resurgence in popularity rank him high on our favorite artist's we've covered. Whipped Cream & Other Delights is in every garage sale, clearance bin, and attic collection ever. And why? Because it rules, obviously. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
Apr 24, 2025 · 55 min
Ep. 90: Stereolab - Dots and Loops
Pop meets pretension (and we mean that as a positive) this week on EarWax! Hilary and Cody dissect Stereolab's deceptively catchy "Dots and Loops." Beneath the pop coating lies lyrics warning about the modern age, loneliness, and wars of many iterations. Stereolab's ambition is their calling card, and it is on full display on this record. Never ones to shy away from marrying catchiness with headiness, they bask in both elements to create something both as functional and memorable as "Dots and Loops." Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
Apr 17, 2025 · 1 hr 10 min
Ep. 89: The Roots - Things Fall Apart
Lock in to a groove and turn the vibes up to "Immaculate," this week the EarWax crew dives into The Roots' "Things Fall Apart." Cody and Hilary touch on the Soulquarians, and the sessions that resulted in some of the most stunning work of this era. "Things Fall Apart" was the result of two batches of sessions - one a host of Philadelphia community members and friend so the group. The next at Electric Lady Studios, with folks like Lady B, Mos Def, and J Dilla in the room. "Things Fall Apart" is one of those records that you've heard, even if you haven't. Its thumbprint is all over contemporary hip-hop, soul, jazz, and R&B. With the group ready to break through, they created something that did more than break them, it locked them in as legends. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
Apr 10, 2025 · 1 hr 14 min
Ep. 88: Willie Nelson - Shotgun Willie
Whiskey River take our minds right into one of the most consequential country records ever made! Cody and Hilary dig into "Shotgun Willie," the album that Willie considered as him "clearing his throat." With the man and the legend already firmly established with a handful of country standards under his belt, here the myth began. Nashville didn't understand him, so Willie headed to Austin to hang out with the weirdos and the hippies. There he found his place, got cozy, and proceeded to spearhead a movement that would rewrite the book about what country music is. Willie Nelson is an American legend, and "Shotgun Willie" is where we get our first glimpse of him fully in his comfort zone. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis
Apr 3, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min
Ep. 87: Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
*cough cough cough cough* Bow down to the Lords of Darkness and the Gods of Heavy Metal - Black Sabbath! Cody and Hilary try and fail to approach Sabbath's "Master of Reality" with some semblance of restrain, but what are we really talking about? This record crushes from front to back. From the opening riff to the finality of Into the Void, Black Sabbath's third record set the template for stoner metal, doom metal, sludge metal, (insert adjective) metal. They are gods. They are Black Sabbath. Thanks for listening! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod TikTok: @earwaxpod Amoeba on Instagram: @amoebahollywood @amoebasf @amoebaberkeley Questions, Suggestions, Corrections (surely we're perfect): earwaxpodcast@amoeba-music.com Credits: Edited by Claudia Rivera-Tinsley All transition music written and performed by Spencer Belden "EarWax Main Theme" performed by Spencer Belden feat. David Otis

EarWax

Music This Week 4/2/26

Music This Week 3/27/26

Ep. 99: The Runaways - The Runaways

Ep. 98: Patsy Cline - Showcase

Music This Week 3/20/26

Ep. 97: Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Music This Week 3/6/26

Ep. 96: Air - Moon Safari

Ep. 95: Brittany Howard - Jaime

Music This Week 2/27/26

Music This Week: 2/20/26

Ep. 94: OutKast - Stankonia

Bonus Episode! Black Country, New Road's Charlie Wayne and Lewis Evans

Ep. 93: Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady

Ep. 92: James Brown and the Famous Flames - Live at the Apollo

Ep. 91: Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights

Ep. 90: Stereolab - Dots and Loops

Ep. 89: The Roots - Things Fall Apart

Ep. 88: Willie Nelson - Shotgun Willie

Ep. 87: Black Sabbath - Master of Reality