Podcasts · Music

Ongoing History of New Music

Curiouscast

300 episodes

Ongoing History of New Music looks at things from the alt-rock universe to hip hop, from artist profiles to various thematic explorations. It is Canada’s most well known music documentary hosted by the legendary Alan Cross. Whatever the episode, you’re definitely going to learn something that you might not find anywhere else. Trust us on this.

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. 10 Traumas of My Chemical Romance

    · 32 min · S1 E477

    My Chemical Romance became one of the biggest emo bands on the planet, but their journey to stadium-sized success was anything but smooth. In this episode, we trace the band's story through ten traumatic moments that…

  2. 1976 - The Birth Year of Alt-Rock - Part 2

    · 40 min · S1 E476

    If there was ever a Big Bang moment for alternative rock, 1976 might be it. In Part 2 of our look at the birth of alternative rock, we follow punk's rise from New York to the UK, where bands like The Ramones, the Sex…

  3. 1976 - The Birth Year of Alt-Rock - Part 1

    · 36 min

    1976 wasn't just another year in music. It marked the birth of punk rock and launched alternative culture as we know it. From the gritty stages of CBGB to the first records by the Ramones, Blondie, Patti Smith, and…

  4. A Timeline of Technological Advances in Music

    · 47 min · S1 E474

    Ever wonder which pieces of technology changed music forever? From Thomas Edison’s phonograph and the invention of the microphone to the Walkman, the iPod, and today’s streaming platforms, we take a geeky trip through…

  5. The One-Hit Wonders Follow-up Show

    · 32 min · S1 E473

    Think we were done with alt-rock one-hit wonders? Not quite. After our original deep dive into the biggest alternative one-hit wonders since 1976, the emails and DMs kept pouring in. You pointed out...rightfully…

  6. The Story of Trip-Hop

    · 26 min · S1 E472

    Trip-hop was one of the coolest sounds of the 1990s, blending hip-hop beats, dub, soul, and moody atmospheres into something completely new. And to be honest, I can't believe we haven't done a deep dive on it yet! So…

  7. The History of Band T-Shirts

    · 37 min · S1 E471

    Most of us have at least one band T-shirt stuffed in a drawer or hanging in a closet. Maybe it's a concert souvenir, a vintage find, or a shirt you've worn so often it's barely holding together. But where did band…

  8. The Long Strange Trip of John Frusciante - Part 2

    · 30 min · S1 E470

    After surviving some of the darkest years of his life, John Frusciante returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and helped create some of the biggest albums of their career. But for John, success has never been simple.…

  9. The Long Strange Trip of John Frusciante - Part 1

    · 29 min · S1 E469

    John Frusciante might just be rock’s ultimate survivor. So let's trace the wild, unpredictable journey of the Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist, from teenage guitar prodigy to the creative force behind Blood Sugar Sex…

  10. Mind-Blowing Facts about Music, The Brain and the Body

    · 28 min · S1 E468

    What happens when music meets neuroscience? This time, we take a fascinating trip inside the human brain to explore why music can make us dance, cry, smile, remember, and even get chills. From dopamine rushes and…

  11. The History of Pop Punk - Part 2

    · 27 min · S1 E467

    Pop-punk is one of those musical contradictions that somehow makes perfect sense. Punk was supposed to be loud, fast, and rebellious. Pop was all about hooks and mass appeal. But somewhere along the way, the two got…

  12. The History of Pop Punk - Part 1

    · 22 min · S1 E466

    Punk rock comes in a lot of different flavours, but few have had the impact of pop-punk. In Part One of this series, we dig into how a genre that was supposed to be the enemy of pop music ended up borrowing some of its…

  13. The Last Moments Of Part 2

    · 40 min · S1 E465

    When someone dies, our first reaction is disbelief...we’re stunned...that’s immediately followed by a need to know what happened...how?...where?...it’s only natural...we need information to help us process the news and…

  14. The Last Moments Of Part 1

    · 39 min · S1 E464

    Ever wonder what really happened in the final hours of some of music's biggest stars? This time, I want to retrace the final hours and days of some of rock's most legendary figures. From heartbreaking health battles…

  15. The Weird History of Concert Tickets Part 2

    · 47 min · S1 E463

    In part two of our series, we continue to figure out why buying concert tickets has become one of the most frustrating consumer experiences…and why it’s always been that way. From the evolution of ticketing from…

  16. The Weird History of Concert Tickets Part 1

    · 36 min · S1 E462

    Buying a concert ticket should be simple and easy...but has it ever been? In this two-part series, we're going to try to unpack the surprisingly long, messy, and often corrupt evolution of ticketing, from ancient…

  17. Key Alt-Rock Movie Soundtracks

    · 31 min · S1 E460

    Movie soundtracks once shaped the direction of popular music...and nowhere was that more true than in alternative rock. This week, we go back into the Ongoing History vault to trace the evolution of movie soundtracks…

  18. The Roots of the CanRock Explosion of the 90s

    · 28 min · S1 E459

    There was a time when Canadians didn’t believe in Canadian music...unless someone else told us it was good first. To celebrate Canada Day, we're exploring how that mindset changed, and how Canada went from cultural…

  19. Late Bloomers

    · 28 min · S1 E458

    Rock music is supposed to belong to the young...but history tells us a different story. This time, we look at artists who refused to quit, even as the years passed and the industry insisted their time was over. From…

  20. 18 Bands Who Changed Lead Singers

    · 31 min · S1 E457

    What happens when a band loses its lead singer? Usually, it’s the end...but not always. In this episode, we explore 18 bands that survived... and sometimes thrived... after changing singers. From Stone Temple Pilots…

  21. The History of Distortion and Feedback

    · 37 min · S1 E457

    Distortion was once considered a mistake...now it’s a defining force in modern music. This episode explores how broken gear, happy accidents, and fearless artists turned fuzz, feedback, and overdrive into powerful…

  22. The Golden Age of Synths, as told by OMD

    · 37 min · S1 E456

    This week, we dive into the Golden Age of Synthesizers, the period from the mid‑’70s to the mid‑’80s when synths became smaller, cheaper, and powerful enough to transform popular music forever. From early experimental…

  23. The History of Portable Music - Part 2

    · 37 min · S1 E455

    One of the many great things about music is that we can enjoy it anywhere…I’m talking about the recorded kind…everyone has a smartphone, and every smartphone has the capability of playing music, whether you’re…

  24. Introducing "Hostile History"

    · 45 min

    Since the dawn of time, humanity has been at war. Conflict in one form or another has been part of our existence since we first walked the earth. In this first episode of a four-part series, join military historian…

  25. The History of Portable Music - Part 1

    · 39 min · S1 E454

    One of the many great things about music is that we can enjoy it anywhere…I’m talking about the recorded kind…everyone has a smartphone, and every smartphone has the capability of playing music, whether you’re…

  26. A Triple Ramones Anniversary Tribute

    · 41 min · S1 E453

    2026 is an important year in Ramones history… • The 25th anniversary of Joey’s death, the first member of the band to leave us. • The 30th anniversary of the last Ramones show. • The 50th anniversary of their debut…

  27. The 50 Biggest All-Time Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders 6 (Bonus)

    · 33 min · S1 E452

    This is chapter six of a five-part series on the greatest alt-rock one-hit wonders of the last 50 years…yes, chapter six of five…after going through a ton of data—radio charts, Spotify plays, and YouTube views,…

  28. The 50 Biggest Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders of All Time: Part 5 (10-1)

    · 39 min · S1 E451

    Through the first four episodes of this Top 50 Biggest Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders of All Time series, we’ve gone through songs 50 to 11, so that means we are ready for the top 10 songs. If you’ve been following along,…

  29. The 50 Biggest Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders of All Time: Part 4 (20-11)

    · 34 min · S1 E450

    How does an artist become famous forever with just one song and never come close again? We continue the countdown of the "50 Biggest Alt‑Rock One‑Hit Wonders of All Time", using five decades of radio charts, Spotify…

  30. The 50 Biggest Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders of All Time: Part 3 (30-21)

    · 31 min · S1 E449

    This is Part 3 of the 50 Biggest Alt‑Rock One‑Hit Wonders of all time...numbers 30 to 21 featuring Dishwalla, EMF, Spacehog, Harvey Danger, and more. And of course, the stories behind these one-hit wonders. Learn more…

  31. The 50 Biggest Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders of All Time: Part 2 (40-31)

    · 30 min · S1 E448

    Our countdown of the biggest alt‑rock one‑hit wonders of all time continues as we break down numbers 40 to 31. From K’s Choice and Liam Lynch to Animotion, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, The Vapours, and more, these are the…

  32. The 50 Biggest All-Time Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders: Part 1 (50-41)

    · 31 min · S1 E447

    Something occurred to me the other day: did the person who came up with the term “one-hit wonder” ever come up with anything else that good? I looked it up… the Oxford English Dictionary traces its origin to about…

  33. 9 Great Alt-Rock Cover Songs (From the Vault)

    · 28 min · S1 E446

    There’s just something fun about learning to play one of your favourite songs for yourself…you know, learning the lyrics, figuring out the chords and the rhythm and deconstructing all the constituent parts… Then you…

  34. Definition (from the vault)

    · 22 min · S1 E445

    This week, we're going deep into the Ongoing History of New Music vault to talk about "Definitions". Often in the music world, we hear terms discussed...but where did they come from, and what do they mean? What do…

  35. Catching Up with Blink 182

    · 29 min · S1 E444

    Blink‑182’s story has always been chaotic, inspirational, and a little unbelievable...and the last decade has been no exception. We thought this would be a good time to revisit the band’s evolving saga since our…

  36. The Rise and Fall and Future of the Music Video - Part 2

    · 36 min · S1 E443

    The music video didn’t just shape pop culture…it defined it. From the glam‑soaked excess of the ’80s and ’90s to the gritty authenticity of the alt‑rock era, and finally to the algorithm‑driven, globally connected…

  37. The Rise and Fall and Future of the Music Video - Part 1

    · 42 min · S1 E442

    For decades, music videos weren’t just promotional add‑ons…they were the beating heart of global pop culture. The music video affected the art of movie-making...it affected the way we look at tv, not to mention…

  38. A Brief History of Protest Music: Part 2

    · 29 min · S1 E441

    Music is not only a powerful motivating tool, but it’s also a way to get a message out to a vast number of people…and when things hit the fan, music can be used to let the powers-that-be know that we see what you’re…

  39. A Brief History of Protest Music: Part 1

    · 29 min · S1 E440

    This can be a weird, difficult world, filled with injustice, inequality, and bad people doing bad things…we’re always up against things like racism, women’s rights, labour rights, the plights of marginalized people,…

  40. What's the Big Deal About Joy Division?

    · 39 min · S1 E439

    Students of classical music know that Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the most important and influential composers of all time…his use of instruments, four-part harmonies, and use of innovative structures in his…

  41. What Exactly is Post Rock? Part 2

    · 25 min · S1 E438

    In Part 2 of our deep dive into Post Rock, we explore the bands and ideas that have shaped this experimental and atmospheric approach to music. From Slint and Mogwai to Sigur Rós and Explosions in the Sky, we look at…

  42. What Exactly is Post-Rock? Part 1

    · 29 min · S1 E437

    What exactly is "Post‑Rock"? In this first installment of a two‑part deep dive, we unpack one of the most misunderstood labels in modern music. From its origins in the 1960s to its evolving relationship with rock,…

  43. 2025 In Memoriam

    · 32 min

    I'll be honest and say that this is not a happy show…in fact, it’s probably the saddest episode of the year…then again, it’s an opportunity to pay tribute to the musicians we lost in 2025. They’re gone, but that’s the…

  44. Introducing "Uncharted": Sid Vicious and Questions About the Murder of Nancy Spungen

    · 41 min

    On October 12, 1978, punk’s most infamous couple...Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols and Nancy Spungen...hit rock bottom at New York’s Chelsea Hotel. Nancy was found dead from a single stab wound in Room 100. Sid was…

  45. History of the Modern Drum Kit

    · 32 min · S1 E435

    We are going to talk about drummers on this show…i just want you to know right from the start just in case you wanna roll your eyes and go “really? Do we have to?” Yes, we have to…there have been countless stories…

  46. Introducing "Uncharted": Depeche Mode and the Debauched Devotional Tour

    · 41 min

    I once had a conversation with someone about the craziest tours in the history of music…the usual names came up. The who trashing hotel rooms…led zeppelin’s tours with their private jet, groupies, and tons of…

  47. 60 Mind-Blowing Facts About Music in 40 or so Minutes (2025 Edition)

    · 41 min · S1 E434

    This is my annual data dump featuring music information you didn’t know you needed…over the last 12 months, I’ve collected this material on scraps of paper, post-it notes, on my iPhone’s “notes” app, and in various…

  48. Why Bowie Still Matters - Part 3

    · 39 min · S1 E433

    In this third and final chapter of our look at Why Bowie Still Matters, we explore the last two decades of his life and the innovations that cemented his legacy. From pioneering digital music distribution and…

  49. Why Bowie Still Matters - Part 2

    · 28 min · S1 E432

    David Bowie wasn’t just a rock star...he was a cultural architect who reinvented music, fashion, and identity. In part 2 of "Why Bowie Still Matters", we explore Bowie’s groundbreaking mid-70s to early-80s era: from…

  50. Why Bowie Still Matters - Part 1

    · 33 min · S1 E431

    It’s been nearly a decade since David Bowie left us, and the world hasn’t really been the same since. In the first of a three part series, we explore why Bowie’s influence goes far beyond music...shaping fashion, art,…

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