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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

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 "New Rock" and "Alternative" mean?

What's a "Major Label" or "Indie"?

"Boutique" and "Vanity"? Got that covered too.

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Definition (from the vault)

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 original 2017 trilogy on their rise, fall, and rise again. A lot has happened: lineup changes, personal crises, UFO hunting, bestselling side projects, a Grammy nomination, a global pandemic, and even a life‑threatening illness that ultimately brought them back together.

We pick up the trail with the Matt Skiba era and the unexpected resurgence brought on by the "California" album. From there, we follow the band through creative experiments, personal struggles...including Mark Hoppus’s battle with stage‑4 lymphoma...and the emotional reunion that brought Tom DeLonge back into the fold. 

The result? A renewed Blink‑182, a triumphant Coachella comeback, and their 2023 album "One More Time".

It’s a story of fractures, forgiveness, survival, and one of the most resilient bands in modern punk history. 

Blink‑182 is well into their fourth decade...so how much longer can they run? If history is any clue, never count them out.
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Catching Up with Blink 182

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 internet age, the music video has lived many lives. In part two of this deep dive, we trace the rise, collapse, and surprising rebirth of the music video that once ruled MTV and MuchMusic.

We look at the groundbreaking work of directors like Spike Jonze, the multimillion‑dollar spectacles of superstars like Madonna and Michael Jackson, and the moment YouTube and smartphones permanently rewired how we watch, and make, music videos. From Pearl Jam’s refusal to play the game, to viral sensations like OK Go, to the billion‑view world of K‑pop and global micro‑scenes, we discover that the music video isn’t dead. It escaped television. And it’s thriving.

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

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 fashion, language, politics, gender fluidity, LGBTQ issues, and so much more…videos may have altered our attention spans–which kind of concerns me because this program is an hour long and I need you to hang in there with me...

Music videos exported soft power from the West, especially the United States, to the rest of the world. At one point, MTV was one of the most influential creators and disseminators of culture….and by “culture” I mean America.

That was then…music videos are still an art form and still necessary (well, mostly necessary) for promoting music…but things just aren’t what they used to be…

How did we get to this point?...this is the rise and fall and future of the music video…part 1
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The Rise and Fall and Future of the Music Video - Part 1

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 doing, and we are not happy about it…We wish to protest.

Protest songs help coalesce thoughts and feelings about things like social, political, and labour injustice…they help rally people to a cause and sometimes inspire action against oppressors or those who seek to abrogate rights, keep people down, and try to gain power by spreading lies and propaganda. 

Sometimes they call out specific people, organizations, and issues…in other cases, they’re couched in metaphors and stories…but make no mistake: this music is “us” and “them” and the “them” needs to be addressed. 

This kind of music has never gone away and is still very much with us…despite that, a lot of people ask, “Whatever happened to protest songs?”

Nothing…they’re right here…and they’ve always been right in front of us…let me explain…this is a brief history of protest music, part 2.
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A Brief History of Protest Music: Part 2

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, class struggle, the disenfranchised, various social movements—the list of righteous causes and grievances is pretty much endless.

And sometimes, you just gotta fight back…but how?... Not all occasions called for armed insurrections and assassinations.

One way is through music…come up with something topical and specific, put it all to music, and you have a chance of getting your message to a lot of people…and because it’s music, you might be able to reach those who might not otherwise be aware of the problem or understand what the problem is.

This music isn’t confined to a specific people or group or genre or era…you can be loud and angry and filled with the greatest moral virtues screamed at the top of your lungs.

But you don’t have to be in-your-face about it…your messaging can be subtle while still maintaining all the necessary effectiveness, rage and authenticity.

Such songs have a long and fascinating history that goes back way further than you might realize…and these songs are everywhere today, although you may not realize it.

This is a brief history of protest music, part 1
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A Brief History of Protest Music: Part 1

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 material were all brilliant…

When he was alive, he commanded plenty of respect…but after he died in March 1685, he was almost forgotten…the only reason we talk about him today is that there was a Bach revival in the 19th century…he became a retro hero in the world of classical music…

No one knew anything about Robert Johnson when he was alive other than some myths and legends among hardcore fans of Delta Blues…but when his records were reissued in 1961, 23 years after he died, did his reputation explode…

Charles Mingus was revered by fellow jazz artists…it was only after he passed away in 1979 that his influence on jazz was celebrated…

We can also talk about posthumous praise for Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, and Elliott Smith…and although Tupac and Biggie were big stars when they were shot, they became even bigger stars in death…

I’m going to add another name to this list: Ian Curtis and Joy Division…when Ian took his own life in May 1980, he and the band were so skint that he had to give his dog away because he and his wife couldn’t afford to feed him…

Today, though, Ian and Joy Division are acknowledged as one of the most important and most influential post-punk bands ever…why?...what was the big deal about Joy Division? And why do they continue to be a big deal?...let’s examine this.
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What's the Big Deal About Joy Division?

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 how these bands create something cinematic...emotional...and entirely unexpected. 

We also look at how post‑rock influences artists like Radiohead and Broken Social Scene, and why this musical philosophy continues to spread all across the globe.

Prepare to discover new bands, new sounds, and a new way of thinking about what rock can be.
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What Exactly is Post Rock? Part 2

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, ambient, jazz, and experimental traditions...Post-Rock has come to mean different things to different listeners.

In part 1, we focus on where the term came from and what it was originally trying to describe. We explore ideas like:

 The cultural and musical context that gave rise to post‑rock

 Why the genre resists simple definitions

 Early artists and scenes that shaped its sound and philosophy

 How “using rock instruments for non‑rock purposes” became both a manifesto and a limitation

Rather than treating post‑rock as a fixed style, we look at it as an idea...one that reflects broader shifts in how music moved away from verse‑chorus structures and toward texture, atmosphere, and long‑form composition.

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What Exactly is Post-Rock? Part 1

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 thing about being a musician…the songs they left behind will remain with us for many, many years.

 I’m going to go through a list of deaths…this list isn’t comprehensive because we just don’t have the time to cover all the “RIP's” that happened...and because there are so many, I’ll probably miss a few, and for that, I apologize in advance.

This is 2025 in memoriam, a tribute to rock stars who passed.
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2025 In Memoriam

Okay, stay with us as this could get a bit confusing.
Since the Ongoing History takes the summer months off to write and research new shows, we dig into the vault to post older episodes that first aired on radio from 1993 onward.
Some still sound relevant, and others...not so much.
This episode is "Radio episode 601" (aired in 2009-ish) but "Podcast Episode 345.
So if some of the content seems a bit "dated" this could be the reason.
But we feel the material is still relevant.

Enjoy and please continue to send in your questions to Alan so we can keep doing episodes like this one.
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