Stereothematica
Welcome to Stereothematica, a podcast where two women geek out over music.
When Christina moved from LA to Texas, Christine suggested a weekly challenge to stay in touch: pick a song that fits a chosen theme. This game opened them to new perspectives on each other while deepening their own understanding of the music that shapes their lives. Each week Christina and Christine recreate the magic of their song exchange on a broader scale, deconstructing their thematic picks, providing personal anecdotes and historical insights, and sharing transformative tracks rarely spotlighted on the Billboard Hot 100.
Stereothematica
To Another Place
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
One of the things we love most about music is its power to transport. It can carry us somewhere locational, philosophical, psychological, even quantal (as we explored more overtly in our Time Machine episode). A single song can shift the room, unlock memories, or reveal a door we didn’t even know was there. Music is the vessel that cracks open our hearts and minds, taking us on a long and winding road to anywhere.
SONGS:
Tinariwen: Amassakoul 'N' 'Ténéré (2004)
The Balfa Brothers: Le Danse de Mardi Gras (1967)
RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:
Electric Blues Desert Refugees by Nate Seltenrich (Pop Matters)
Rebel Blues in the Sahara: A Desert Guitar Primer by Joe Tangari (Pitchfork)
Songs of Exile and Resistance by Andy Morgan (Al Jazeera)
A Review of Psychological and Neuroscientific Research on Musical Groove (Science Direct)
Justin Adams:Fantastical Deaths and Spectacular Rebirths by Farhad Mirza (Guernica)
Tinariwen: Chet Boghassa (another fave)
Tinariwen: Sastanàqqàm (another fave)
Rebellion and Fragmentation in Northern Mali
Rebel Music: The Tuareg Uprising in 12 Songs by Tinariwen by Rollo Romig
What is Courir de Mardi Gras? The Cajun Country celebration is rooted in Medieval France
Festival Acadiens Official Website
'La Danse de Mardi Gras' Song Lyrics and Meaning
PODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS:
Anna and Isabella Do Improv (Pronounced Ahnna, sorry!)
Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!
If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.
And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!