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This Song: Tomar and the FCs

Singer Tomar Williams from the Austin soul band Tomar and the FC’s talk about how singing Michael Jackson’s “Ben”as a kid started him on a lifelong musical path. The the FC’s drummer Paul Kresowik explains how Al Jackson Jr’s drumming on Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man,” helped him understand what soul drumming was all about.

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Check out Tomar and the FCs Artist of the Month page

Listen to Songs from Episode 66 of This Song

This Song: Jim James

Jim James’ second solo record is his most lyrically direct and overtly political work to date. Listen as he describes how an art and activism conference made him realize that he wanted to use his music as a way to inspire his fans to be politically active and how the work of artists like Gil Scott-Heron, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Stevie Wonder showed him how to speak his mind in a poetic, musical and powerful way.

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Listen to Songs from Episode 65 of This Song

This Song: The Shelters

David Sanger:

The Shelters love to rock and their self titled record is a testament to that. But why do they rock? Would you believe Link Wray’s “Rumble”, the music of the Yardbirds and a Tom Petty concert sing-along all played a part in their sound? Well, believe it. Chase Simpson and Josh Jove from the LA-based band walk us through how playing worse is better and what the goal of a songwriter should be.

Watch the Shelters’ video for “Rebel Heart.”

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Listen to Songs from Episode 64 of This Song

This Song: Thundercat

Stephen Bruner aka Thundercat describes how Stanley Clarke’s “School Days” and Jaco Pastorius‘ self titled album expanded his view of what it means to play bass.

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Check out Thundercat’s Tour Dates

Listen to Songs from Episode 63 of This Song

This Song: Flock of Dimes // Lucy Dacus

Jenn Wasner of Flock of Dimes and Wye Oak takes you through why Joni Mitchell’s “Amelia” both comforts and terrifies her. And Lucy Dacus explains how The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” is a friendly ghost in her life, and how Prince’s “I Would Die 4 You,” helped expand her idea of how cool a song about God could be.

Listen to Flock of Dimes Studio 1A performance

Listen to Wye Oak’s Studio 1A performance

Check out Lucy Dacus’ performance on Blogoteque

Check out Lucy Dacus on the cover of Magnet

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Listen to Songs from Episode 62 of This Song

This Song: Tegan and Sara

We are going a little crazy this week — in a good way. Only one artist interview for the whole episode but it is a doozy. Best yet? Perhaps.

Elizabeth sat down with Tegan and Sara and got a fantastic insight into twin sister dynamic, The Smashing Pumpkins‘ Siamese Dream, Phil Collins melodies, teenage bedrooms, finding self-identity, how to be the change and (for all of you songwriters) the secret to writing a hit pop song. These women have a particularly vibrant and articulate way of voicing their perspective and fighting the good fight. Listen in and catch their buzz on this week’s episode and get a lesson in 80’s-90’s music history while you’re at it.

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Watch Tegan and Sara’s new Video for “Dying to Know”

Watch Tegan and Sara’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Listen to Tegan and Sara’s Studio 1 A performance

Listen to songs from episode 61 of This Song