Series for Jamie Dell'Apa

Caption: Tielman Brothers who did Elvis much better than Elvis Presley.
1 Piece

Defining the first rock and roll song has been passionately argued about almost as much as the "other missing link," between primate and human. Both definitions rely on excluding complexity to create a simplistic linear progression. But culture (and protoplasm evolution) are infinitely more complex and beautiful than the crass commercialism of Elvis. Every one of the 60,000 songs (and counting) played in this radio series is another point of audio evidence that countless musicians in vastly different countries using as many instrumentations, lyrics, chord progressions, sounds, etc. created limitless "first rock and roll" songs. It wasn't the music that changed, it was us who changed. This show is about that shared experience of "us" as we accepted a style of creativity that came from a new-found confidence in bottom up governance, arts, literature, education, and consumers as the drivers of culture. We called it "rock and roll" but what actually changed was "us" as we gained confidence in democratic ideals after seeing the horrors of top down authoritarianism in WWII. The show turns the "first rock and roll record" argument on its head every week by presenting a couple hundred "musics you've never heard by musicians you've never heard of" rockers from the post WWII era and brings the listener to the conclusion that in music, "the only thing new is you."

Caption: PRX default Series image
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Caption: That's me, compliments of Andy Kerr
637 Pieces

Music from that time when rhythm and blues and rock and roll were emerging but hadn't yet become a predictable formula. A time when musicians were listening to and incorporating these exciting emergences into their own style of music. We focus on music that is difficult to categorize. C&W that sounds like rockabilly and rockabilly that sounds like R&B which sounds an awful lot like rock. That's the sweet spot for the music on the show and, sure enough, that's where the New Orleans sound is centered. To follow us (and see playlists) on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Saturday-Night-New-Orleans-Radio/625773220767239