In the late 1970s a young Tatsuro Yamashita was making a name for himself as a prolific session musician and songwriter. He launched his solo career, but didn't see big commercial success at first. Yamashita took a trip down to the US and learn

07. They Lied to Us (Oscar Montoya // Anri)

12 days ago 44m 48s

We're covering a banger of an album today, folks. Timely!! is the sixth studio album from singer Anri and has a couple of her signature songs, Cat's Eye and I Can't Stop the Loneliness. Cat's Eye was the opening for the 1983 anime of the same n

Lost Notes: How Fela Kuti Found Afrobeat in LA

17 days ago 31m 5s

We're doing a feed swap today! We would like to introduce you to Lost Notes from KCRW. A music documentary podcast that we feel is in conversation with Primer. This episode focuses on Fela Kuti's time in LA and the creation of his legendary Afr

06. Missed Connections (Mark "Frosty" McNeill // Yukihiro Takahashi)

19 days ago 42m 30s

New Romantic: A subculture movement that originated in the UK in the 1970s and early 80s that focused on a more androgynous and glamorous style. Artists and bands like Boy George and Roxy Music popularized the look and feel of the New Romantic

05. Nature Speaks Simply (UMI // Seiko Matsuda)

26 days ago 37m

Seiko Matsuda, Japan's "Eternal Idol", started her career way back in 1980 with her debut record Squall. The albums and accompanying singles saw massive success, selling hundreds of thousands of copies within a week of release and it's easy to

04. Very 94.7 The Wave (Dam-Funk // Hiroshi Sato)

Jun 4th, 2024 45m 26s

In 1982, Hiroshi Sato released the album Awakening; a synth-heavy, mostly solo record featuring Canadian-born singer Wendy Matthews. He had a few solo records out by then, but they didn't really pay the bills. He was a working studio musician,

03. I Hate the City (Patrick St. Michel // Taeko Onuki)

May 28th, 2024 45m 50s

Singer-songwriter Taeko Onuki released the landmark album SUNSHOWER in 1977. Taeko and this album where maybe a little ahead of their time. This jazz fusion pop record sold pretty poorly when it first came out and audiences weren't too keen on

02. Gravy Is Shaped Like a Heart (Devendra Banhart // Yasuko Agawa)

May 21st, 2024 43m 58s

Singer and actress Yasuko Agawa released the album Gravy in 1987. It was a bit of a departure from her smooth jazz, bossa nova roots, but she created an unforgettable record with the help of arranger Augie Johnson. It may have flown under the r

01. Crying in the Club (Linda Marigliano // Miki Matsubara)

May 21st, 2024 47m 47s

On November 5th, 1979, Miki Matsubara's debut pop single "Mayonaka no Door/ Stay with Me" was released in her home country of Japan. It was a huge hit and remained her biggest and most beloved work throughout her entire career. Over 40 years af

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Coming soon from Maximum Fun: Primer

May 6th, 2024 1m 52s

Primer is a music podcast about translation and illumination. Host Christian Dueñas is joined by a different co-host each season to explore a genre of music from outside the English-speaking world. In its debut season, music writer Yosuke Kitaz

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