Sound Opinions at Sea & Phoebe Bridgers
This week, Jim and Greg take the show to the water with the episode Sound Opinions at Sea! They'll share some of their favorite songs about oceans, seas and more! Plus, a conversation and live performance at the Goose Island Tap Room in Chicago with singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers.
Songs About The Sea
Seventy-one percent of the earth is covered with water, so it's no surprise many musicians have looked to the sea for inspiration. From adventure to tragedy, Jim and Greg have gathered songs about the ocean that run the gamut.
Jim
- "The Ocean" by Led Zeppelin
- "Admiral of the Sea" by Grant Hart (Nova Mob)
- "Ocean" by The Velvet Underground
- "(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding
Greg
- "Moon River" by Frank Ocean
- "Sail On Sailor" by Beach Boys
- "A Salty Dog" by Procol Harum
- "Down By The Water" by PJ Harvey
Listen to these songs and more about the sea on our Spotify playlist.
Phoebe Bridgers
Singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers has been performing at open mics since she was 11 years old and grew up busking at farmers' markets in her native Los Angeles. Now 23, Bridgers has been lauded for her captivating musicianship, dusky vocals, and lyrical eloquence. (Channeling his other life as an English professor, Jim compares her to Joan Didion.) Bridgers's songs pull no punches, covering topics like heartbreak and loss, living with depression, and the shadowy underside of her sunny home state. She stopped by the Goose Island Tap Room in Chicago to perform "Smoke Signals" and a few other tracks off her 2017 album Stranger in the Alps. She talks to Greg and Jim about the meaning behind the album's title, how to silence a restless crowd, and the pervasive sexism of the music industry.
Featured Songs
- Neil Young, "I'm the Ocean," Mirror Ball, Reprise, 1995
- Phoebe Bridgers, "Smoke Signals," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017
- Enya, "Orinoco Flow," Watermark, Warner Music, 1988
- Led Zeppelin, "The Ocean," Houses of the Holy, Atlantic, 1973
- Frank Ocean, "Moon River," Moon River (Single), Boys Don't Cry, 2018
- Nova Mob, "Admiral of the Sea," The Last Days of Pompeii, Rough Trade, 1991
- The Beach Boys, "Sail On, Sailor," Holland, Reprise, 1973
- The Velvet Underground, "Ocean," VU, Verve, 1985
- Procol Harum, "A Salty Dog," A Salty Dog, Regal Zonophone, A&M, 1969
- Otis Redding, "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay," The Dock of the Bay, Volt, 1968
- PJ Harvey, "Down By The Water," To Bring You My Love, Direct Brands, 1995
- Talking Heads, "Take Me to the River," More Songs About Buildings and Food, Sire, 1978
- Phoebe Bridgers, "Motion Sickness," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017
- Phoebe Bridgers, "Scott Street (Live on Sound Opinions)," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017
- Phoebe Bridgers, "Funeral," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017
- Phoebe Bridgers, "Chelsea," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017
- Phoebe Bridgers, "Steamroller," Killer, Pax Am, 2015
- Phoebe Bridgers, "Demi Moore," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017
- Phoebe Bridgers, "Killer," Killer, Pax Am, 2015
- Phoebe Bridgers, "You Missed My Heart," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017
- Phoebe Bridgers, "Smoke Signals (Live on Sound Opinions)," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017
- Bobby Darin, "Beyond the Sea," That's All, Atco, 1960
- The Pretenders, "The Phone Call," Pretenders, Sire Records, 1979
- Glenn Branca, "Lesson #2," The Ascension, 99, 1981
- Alice Cooper, "Under My Wheels," Killer, Warner Bros., 1971
- Alice Cooper, "Caught in a Dream," Love It to Death, Warner Bros., 1971
- Alice Cooper, "No More Mr. Nice Guy," Billion Dollar Babies, Warner Bros., 1973
- Alice Cooper, "Billion Dollar Babies," Billion Dollar Babies, Warner Bros., 1973
Dear Listeners,
For more than 15 years, Sound Opinions was a production of WBEZ, Chicago's public radio station. Now that the show is independent, we're inviting you to join the band and lend a hand! We need your support more than ever because now we have to do all the behind-the-scenes work that WBEZ handled before (like buying insurance and paying for podcast hosting, ugh). Plus, we have some exciting ideas we'd like to try now that there's no one to tell us no!