Buried Treasures & the Wah-Wah Pedal
If you're looking for something new to round out your summer playlist, Jim and Greg have you covered. They'll dig out some Buried Treasures – albums not yet in the mainstream but who deserve some more attention. Plus, an in-depth look at the history of the wah-wah pedal.
Buried Treasures
Jim, Greg and listeners share some Buried Treasures – hidden musical gems from the last year that you may have missed, but deserve a place in your music library.
Greg:
- Ron Gallo, HEAVY META
- BONZIE, Zone on Nine
- Chicano Batman, Freedom is Free
- Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, The French Press
Jim:
- Gothic Tropic, Fast or Feast
- Jigsaw Youth, America’s Sweethearts
- Luke Elliot, Dressed for the Occasion
- Capitalist Kids, Brand Damage
Listeners:
- Jeff from Alberta, CA: Loyle Carner, Yesterday’s Gone
- Rob from IL: La Santa Cecilia, Amar Y Vivir
- Mark from Naperville, IL: Sarah Shook, Sidelong
Instrumental: The Wah-Wah Pedal
It's time for the next installment of our Instrumental series, where we trace the history of an iconic piece of musical gear. Next up: the wah-wah pedal. The wah has a distinctive sound that became a building block for psychedelic rock, funk, and even reggae – but its creation back in the mid 1960s was the product of a technological glitch. Daniel Escauriza and Shelby Pollard of Chicago Music Exchange join us to break down the history of the wah and unpack the science behind the pedal and demonstrate what it adds sonically to iconic riffs.
Jim and Greg explore how legendary musicians from Eric Clapton and Earl Hooker to Melvin "Wah-Wah" Ragin and Mikey Chung used the pedal. They ultimately note that, despite getting a bad rap for being gimmicky, the wah-wah pedal plays a critical role in a number of genres of music.
Featured Songs
- Ron Gallo, "Young Lady, You're Scaring Me," Heavy Meta, New West, 2017
- Gothic Tropic, "Stronger," Fast or Feast, Old Flame, 2017
- BONZIE, "Crescent," Zone On Nine, Nina Ferraro, 2017
- Jigsaw Youth, "Aunt Jenny's Got My Back," America's Sweethearts, Jigsaw Youth, 2017
- Loyle Carner, "Florence (feat. Kwes)," Yesterday's Gone, EMI, 2017
- BONZIE, "Fading Out," Zone On Nine, Nina Ferraro, 2017
- Chicano Batman, "The Taker Story," Freedom is Free, ATO, 2017
- Luke Elliot, "The Great Rondout Train Robbery," Dressed for the Occasion, Athletic Records, 2017
- La Santa Cecilia feat. Eugenia Leon, "En El Último Trago," Amar Y Vivir, UMG, 2017
- Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, "Dwight Yoakam," Sidelong, Bloodshot, 2017
- Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, "Julie's Place," The French Press, Sub Pop, 2017
- Capitalist Kids, "More Dreams Than Plans," Brand Damage, Eccentric Pop, 2017
- Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, "French Press," The French Press, Sub Pop, 2017
- Marvin Gaye, "Let's Get It On," Let's Get It On, Tamla, 1973
- Cream, "Tales of Brave Ulysses," Disraeli Gears, Reaction, 1967
- Chet Atkins, "Boo Boo Stick Beat," Boo Boo Stick Beat (single), RCA, 1959
- King Curtis, "Mr. Bojangles (Live)," Live at the Fillmore West, ATCO, 1971
- The Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations," Good Vibrations (single), Capitol , 1966
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," Electric Ladyland, Track, 1968
- Blind Faith, "Presence of the Lord," Blind Faith, Polydor, 1969
- Earl Hooker, "Sweet Black Angel," Sweet Black Angel, Blue Thumb, 1969
- The Temptations, "Cloud Nine," Cloud Nine, Gordy, 1969
- The Temptations, "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," All Directions, Gordy, 1972
- Isaac Hayes, "Theme From Shaft," Shaft, Enterprise, 1971
- Curtis Mayfield, "(Don't Worry) If There's Hell Below We're All Going to Go," Curtis, Curtom, 1970
- Bob Marley & the Wailers, "Exodus," Exodus, Island, 1977
- Bunny Lee, "Blood Sweat and Dunza Dub," King of Dub, Clocktower, 1975
- Miles Davis, "Black Satin," On the Corner, Columbia, 1972
- The Stooges, "Little Doll," The Stooges, Elektra, 1969
- Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, "Tell Me Something Good," Rags to Rufus, ABC, 1974
- Marianne Faithfull, "I'd Like to Dial Your Number," Counting (single), Decca, 1966
- Wayne and Garth, "Wayne's World Theme," Wayne's World (Music from the Motion Picture), Reprise, 1992
- Arcade Fire, "Everything Now," Everything Now, Columbia, 2017
- KC and the Sunshine Band, "Keep It Comin' Love," Part 3, TK, 1976
- Arcade Fire, "Signs of Life," Everything Now, Columbia, 2017
- Duran Duran, "White Lines," Thank You, Capitol, 1995
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