This program begins with an advisory. No, no, not that kind. There’s nothing dirty, obscene, or controversially political coming up. It’s just that, well—what you’re about to hear is different. Very different. And I mean really different.
There are thousands of music genres out there, but on this program, we’re going to look at something special. It’s a genre known as “outsider music.”
You know the kid at school who seemed to live a little beyond the status quo? He or she wasn’t quite normal—and I do not mean that in any judgmental or pejorative way. They just marched to their own beat. Whatever was going on inside their head may have been a little hard to grasp.
Some of these people may have felt a need to express themselves artistically, and the art that came out didn’t exactly fit anywhere. If it was music, it wasn’t the sort of music other people were making.
Outsider musicians are often self-taught. They’re perhaps a little naïve when it comes to the conventions of music and how it is performed. Traditions, music theory, and experience mean nothing to them. They don’t care what other people think because they believe in themselves so much. For them, it’s all about the sheer joy of music.
No two outsider musicians sound alike. Some have intellectual disabilities or suffer from some kind of mental illness (like schizophrenia, for example), while others are just a little left of centre when it comes to their outlook on reality—something that comes through in their music.
But all outsider musicians have something in common. There’s often a childlike quality to what they create, and they are motivated by the sheer joy of making music—damn what other people may think.
If we look at them through that lens, their spirit is to be admired—even if the music is a little, uh, challenging.
Now that you’ve been warned and I’ve explained myself, let’s take another dive into the fascinating world of outsider music. Prepare yourself.
Songs heard on this show:
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- The Space Lady, Major Tom
- Hasil Adkins, Chicken Walk
- Wild Man Fisher, Merry-Go-Round
- Amazing Delores, Rats in my Trailer
- Jan Terrie, Get Down Goblin
- Jimmy Mitchell, I’m from Big D
- BJ Snowden, Newfoundland (Oh Nuffy)
- Edward Khil, Trololo
- Ya Ho Wah, Superman
- Compete, Dreaming
- Nihilist Spasm Band, When in London Sleep at the York Hotel.
The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on these stations. Don’t forget that there’s a podcast version, too, in case you miss any episodes. Get them for free wherever you get your podcasts.
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- 102.1 The Edge/Toronto – Sunday night at 7pm
- Q107/Toronto – Sunday night at 9pm
- Live 88-5/Ottawa – Saturdays at 9am and Sundays at 6pm.
- 107.5 Dave-FM/Kitchener – Sunday nights at 11pm
- FM96/London – Sunday nights at 8pm
- Power 97/Winnipeg – Sunday nights at 10am and 10pm
- 107-3 The Edge/Calgary – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
- Sonic 102.9/Edmonton – Sunday at 8am and 8pm
- The Zone/Victoria – Sunday at 8am and 9pm
- The Fox/Vancouver – Sundays at 10anm and 10pm
- The Goat Network/Interior BC
- Surge 105/Halifax – Sunday at 7pm
- WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm
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