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Curiouscast

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.

Ongoing History of New Music

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 insecurity to producing one of the most influential rock movements of the 1990s. From early radio bias and the “Guess Who?” prank, to CanCon rules, FACTOR funding, the rise of FM radio, and the national impact of MuchMusic, this is the long story of how a domestic music industry was built...piece by piece.

We trace the conditions that led to the CanRock explosion of the ’90s, spotlighting key artists and moments along the way: Rush, Martha and the Muffins, Blue Rodeo, The Tragically Hip, Sloan, Our Lady Peace, I Mother Earth, and many more. 

We also dig into the demographics, economics, and cultural shifts that turned Canadian bands into hometown heroes...and international stars.

It took decades, smart policy, and a generation ready to embrace its own voice...but the payoff was enormous.

This is the story of how Canadian rock found its confidence…and changed everything.

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The Roots of the CanRock Explosion of the 90s

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 Deborah Harry breaking through with Blondie in her 30s, to James Murphy reinventing himself with LCD Soundsystem at 35, to Leonard Cohen becoming a global icon in his 50s, these are the musicians who proved that success doesn’t always come on schedule.

They've had to deal with ageism baked into the music business, the realities of grinding it out for decades, and the moments when persistence, timing, and reinvention finally collide. 

It’s a reminder that while breaking through gets harder with age, it’s never impossible...and sometimes, the best work comes later.
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Late Bloomers

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 and Sublime to Alice in Chains, Faith No More, and New Order.

Losing your singer doesn’t have to mean the end… but surviving it is one of the hardest things a band can do.
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18 Bands Who Changed Lead Singers

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 creative tools, shaping everything from early rock to experimental soundscapes.

This time, we dive into feedback, overdriven amps, drop-D tuning, and distortion beyond the guitar, touching on organs, synthesizers, experimental music, shoegaze, noise, and drone. From the elegance of controlled sustain to the chaos of Metal Machine Music, this is the story of how musicians learned to embrace imperfection and changed music forever.
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The History of Distortion and Feedback

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 machines that filled entire rooms, to the groundbreaking work of innovators like Bob Moog and Don Buchla, we trace how synthesizers moved from academic curiosity to pop‑culture force.

Along the way, we hear key moments from artists who helped define the era: Wendy Carlos, Hot Butter, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, MGMT, and more. We explore how techno‑pop emerged alongside punk’s DIY spirit.

Our guides through this electronic frontier are Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), who were right at the center of the movement. They share insights into the gear, the sounds, and the creative mindset that shaped a generation of music, and still echoes through today’s electronic and alternative scenes.

From Autobahn to Electricity, from Mellotrons to MIDI, this is the story of how machines rewired music, and how the studio itself became an instrument.

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The Golden Age of Synths, as told by OMD

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 listening to tracks stored in its memory or streaming something from a service like Spotify or apple music…as long as your device has juice, you can enjoy listening to music anywhere you are…

Take this program, for example…in its radio show form, it’s being heard in homes, cars, offices, and workplaces either over the air or through a stream…if you’re listening to the podcast, you might have downloaded it to a phone, a tablet or a laptop which you can fire up anywhere at your convenience…

But imagine for moment that you couldn’t take your music with you…if you wanted to listen to your favourite songs, you had to be present in a specific place and you couldn’t move from it…and that usually meant music inside the home—or perhaps someplace with something like a jukebox…

This might sound absolutely awful to you…I mean, we’re so used to conjuring up music whenever we want and wherever we are…we take it with us everywhere…it’s hard to imagine life without that ability…

That’s the way it was for most of human history, though…for centuries and centuries, the only way to make music portable was to bring a musical instrument with you and play it yourself…

The idea of making recorded music portable—at least in a way that is convenient, cheap, and reliable—is more recent than you might think…and it went through way more incarnations than you may realize…

What do you say we take a look at the history of portable music?...
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The History of Portable Music - Part 2

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 David Borys as we travel back in time to Iran, where we chart how a modern monarchy, which was armed, wealthy, and globally backed, lost control. On our journey, we'll be helped by historian Roham Alvandi from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

While conflict and armed rebellion have evolved to look very differently over the centuries, if you want to understand the world today, you need to go back because history doesn't just repeat itself; it echoes.

 
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Introducing "Hostile History"

The History of Portable Music - Part 1

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 album's release.

Let’s cover all of that with this triple tribute to one of the greatest and most important bands in the history of rock.
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A Triple Ramones Anniversary Tribute

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, mostly—I thought I’d compiled a really solid list…and it was—except for a few things that need some attention: the errata…

This means songs that should have been on the original top 50 list but were for whatever reason left out…those omissions need to be addressed—and we will…I’ve identified five such songs, so if you’ve been following along and were wondering why a certain favourite one-hit wonder was left out, maybe you’ll find some satisfaction…

We’ll get to those later…first, though, I want to talk about some songs that did not fit the criteria of making international radio charts and fell under the minimum threshold of Spotify plays and YouTube views…at the same time, though, it feels like the stories of these songs should be told…you know what I mean?...they are great but not the biggest…

This is a bonus episode on the 50 biggest all-time alt-rock one-hit wonders
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18 Bands Who Changed Lead Singers

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