Strong Songs

It's time for something a little different, as Kirk takes a look at the theme songs from some of the most beloved animated TV shows of all time.This super-sized episode focuses on five different pieces of music, each of which is the theme for a different animated show. It's a ton of music in a variety of styles, full of frantic key shifts, earwormy melodies, bodacious drum fills, and a surprising number of saxophone solos.FEATURED SONGS, IN ORDER:"The Simpsons Theme" by Danny Elfman, 1989"Duck Tales" by Mark Mueller, 1987"Rescue Rangers" by Mark Mueller, 1989"A Cruel Angel's Thesis" from Neon Genesis Evangelion, by Hidetoshi Satō, Neko Oikawa, and Toshiyuki Omori, 1995"Tank!" from Cowboy Bebop, by Yoko Kanno, 1998ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:"Maria" from West Side Story's 2009 Broadway cast recording, by Leonard BernsteinThe Batman: The Animated Series theme by Danny Elfman"The Disney Afternoon Theme" and "Monkey In Your Tank" performed by The Disney Afternoon Studio Chorus"A Cruel Angel's Thesis: Bike Horn Cover" by Alex Small-Butera on YouTube"Front Burner" arranged by Sammy Nestico for the Count Basie big band"Cat Blues" and "Sax Quartet" from the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack, both by Yoko KannoOUTRO SOLOIST: Rob ReichThis episode's outro soloist is the fantastic bay area pianist/accordionist Rob Reich. Rob performs all over the place with a bunch of different groups, and is a total pleasure to see play. He's got a bunch of albums you can check out and contributes to an array of interesting projects (Live silent-film scores! Circus music!) and experiments. Find more at his website, http://www.robreich.com/.--------------------AUGUST 2019 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONSCaleb Rotach - Chad Barnard - Dan Apczynski - Dave Florey - Glenn - Sara WalshAUGUST 2019 HALF-NOTE PATRONSAlexander Polson - Andre Bremer - Andrew Lee - Arjun Sharma - Bill Thornton - Brett Douville - Brian Amoebas - Chas Lednicky - Earl Lozada - Emily Williams - FlSHBONES - Forrest Chang - Jaehoon Jeong - James Johnson - Jasmine Fellows - Jeff Dixon - Jeffrey Olson - John and Sharon Stenglein - Jon O’Keefe - joujou - Justin Liew - Justin McElroy - Kevin Morrell - Kevin Pennyfeather - Kyle Simons - Max Schechter - Melanie Stivers - Michael Blackwell - Mueller - Nate from Kalamazoo - Nicholas Schechter - Nick Clements - Ravy Vajravelu - Richard Toller - Shane DeLeon - Tim - Tom Clewer - Tom Lauer --------------------💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺July 11, 2026 | Portland, ORBuy Tickets Here----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Patreon | One-Time Donation🏠 HOMEPAGE👚 MERCH💬 DISCORD SERVER📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music🎨 SHOW ART:Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

Brace for a pressurized descent, as Kirk braves the undercurrents of Radiohead's alt-rock masterpiece "Paranoid Android." It's a structurally distinct, sonically adventurous, harmonically varied, and unexpectedly Bohemian Rhapsodyesque journey into the human psyche as Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and the rest of their not-so-merry band plumb the depths of 90s alienation.Band/Artist: RadioheadAlbum: OK Computer, 1997Composed by: Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood, Philip SelwayListen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen"Fitter Happier" from OK Computer"Hyper Music" by Muse(This episode's audio was edited to correct some flanger/phaser confusion, thanks to listener Oblong Thong for sharing this cool catalogue of Greenwood's guitar effects: https://thekingofgear.com/jonny/effects)OUTRO SOLOIST: Galen ClarkThis episode's outro soloist is the one and only Galen Clark. Galen plays keyboard and organ and acts as bandleader for the soul jazz group Trio Subtonic; you can find playing regularly around Portland, Oregon and occasionally on tour. Find more information at their website, https://www.triosubtonic.net.--------------------JULY 2019 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONSCaleb Rotach - Chad Barnard - Dan Apczynski - Dave Florey - Sara WalshJULY 2019 HALF-NOTE PATRONSAlexander Polson - Andre Bremer - Andrew Lee - Arjun Sharma - Chas Lednicky - Earl Lozada - Emily Williams - FlSHBONES - Forrest Chang - Jaehoon Jeong - James Johnson - Jasmine Fellows - Jeff Dixon - John and Sharon Stenglein - Jon O'Keefe - joujou - Justin Liew - Justin McElroy - Kevin Morrell - Kevin Pennyfeather - Kyle Simons - Max Schechter - Melanie Stivers - Michael Blackwell - Mueller - Nate from Kalamazoo - Nicholas Schechter - Richard Toller - Shane DeLeon - Tom Clewer - Tom Lauer --------------------💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺July 11, 2026 | Portland, ORBuy Tickets Here----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Patreon | One-Time Donation🏠 HOMEPAGE👚 MERCH💬 DISCORD SERVER📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music🎨 SHOW ART:Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

It's time for the hardest rocking song ever written about sea life, as Kirk takes a deep dive into Heart's 1977 body-shaker "Barracuda." A deceptively complex song written around a deceptively straightforward riff, "Barracuda" opens the door for a discussion of the particulars of guitar tone, stompbox effects, the long history of the "galloping groove," why Ann Wilson's vocals rock as hard as they do, and a brief tribute to her sister Nancy's killer guitar chops.Band/Artist: HeartAlbum: Little Queen, 1977Composed by: Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Roger Fisher, Michael DeRosierListen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:"Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan"Make a Mistake with Me" by Brad Paisley"November Rain" by Guns 'n Roses feat. Slash"This Flight Tonight" as performed by Nazareth"Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin"William Tell Overture" by Gioachino Rossini"Crazy on You" by Heart"Black Dog" by Led ZeppelinA cool interview with Roger Fisher about creating his Barracuda guitar tone, as well as that "Alien Attack" sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcQik5m0t9QA Wall Street Journal interview with the Wilsons about the process of writing the song: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-rage-behind-hearts-barracuda-11557331740OUTRO SOLOIST: Dan NervoThis episode's outro soloist is the fantastic Dan Nervo. Dan plays guitar all around the San Francisco Bay Area in bands like Neon Velvet, and also teaches private guitar lessons. Hit him up if you want to get really good at guitar: https://www.facebook.com/DanNervoGuitarLessons/--------------------JULY 2019 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONSCaleb Rotach - Chad Barnard - Dan Apczynski - Dave Florey - Sara WalshJULY 2019 HALF-NOTE PATRONSAlexander Polson - Andre Bremer - Andrew Lee - Arjun Sharma - Chas Lednicky - Earl Lozada - Emily Williams - FlSHBONES - Forrest Chang Jaehoon Jeong J- ames Johnson - Jasmine Fellows - Jeff Dixon - John and Sharon Stenglein - Jon O'Keefe - joujou - Justin Liew - Justin McElroy - Kevin Morrell - Kevin Pennyfeather - Kyle Simons - Max Schechter - Melanie Stivers - Michael Blackwell - Mueller Nate from Kalamazoo - Nicholas Schechter - Richard Toller - Shane DeLeon - Tom Clewer - Tom LauerA huge thank you to all of Strong Songs' patrons - your support makes it possible to make the show what it is! --------------------💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺July 11, 2026 | Portland, ORBuy Tickets Here----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Patreon | One-Time Donation🏠 HOMEPAGE👚 MERCH💬 DISCORD SERVER📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music🎨 SHOW ART:Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

Whether you're high or low, you got to tip on the tightrope... and Kirk's got to tip right into a Strong Songs analysis of "Tightrope" by Janelle Monáe. It's time for some thump, some pop, and some sizzle, along with some clever rap phrasing, phrygian harmonies, surprise ukulele, and the funkiest horn section in Metropolis.Band/Artist: Janelle MonáeAlbum: The ArchAndroid, 2010Composed by: Janelle Monáe, Nathaniel Irvin III, Charles Joseph II, Antwan “Big Boi” PattonListen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:Several other songs from The ArchAndroid; "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder from Natural Wonder Live; re-created beats from Strong Songs episodes on Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" and Michael Jackson's "Thriller."For more on the lore behind Monáe's Metropolis suite, read this great summary by Charles Pulliam-Moore at io9: https://io9.gizmodo.com/from-metropolis-to-dirty-computer-a-guide-to-janelle-m-1825580195OUTRO SOLOIST: BJ CORDThis episode's outro soloist is BJ Cord, a fantastic trumpet player based in Portland by way of Chicago. BJ works at Monette trumpets making some of the most beautiful horns in the world, and is a regular presence on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monettetrumpetsTHE STRONG SONGS THEME!You can listen to a (basically) final mix of the Strong Songs Theme Song on Kirk's Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/kirkhamilton/strong-songs-theme-song-----------JUNE WHOLE-NOTE BACKERS:Caleb Rotach - Chad Barnard - Dan Apczynski - Dave Florey - Sara WalshHALF-NOTE BACKERS:Andre Bremer - Andrew Lee - Arjun Sharma - Chas Lednicky - Earl Lozada - Emily Williams - Fishbones - Forrest Chang - Jaehoon Jeong - James Johnson - Jasmine Fellows - Jeff Dixon - John and Sharon Stenglein - Jon O’Keefe - joujou - Justin Liew - Justin McElroy - Kevin Morrell - Kevin Pennyfeather - Kyle Simons - Max Schechter - Michael Blackwell - Shane DeLeon - Tom Lauer --------------------💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺July 11, 2026 | Portland, ORBuy Tickets Here----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Patreon | One-Time Donation🏠 HOMEPAGE👚 MERCH💬 DISCORD SERVER📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music🎨 SHOW ART:Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote so many great songs over the years that it was impossible to pick a single one for Strong Songs. So, why not do two? Kirk dives into a pair of classics by the storied songwriting duo, talking about Elton's chameleon-like voice, his love of pedal tones and embrace of the circle of fourths, the fascinating relationship between lyricist and songwriter, and what it means for a song to sound "piano-y." Both songs by: Elton John with lyrics by Bernie TaupinAlbum 1: Madman Across the Water, 1971Listen/Buy via Album.LinkAlbum 2: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 1973Listen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:"I'm Still Standing," "Your Song," and "Grey Seal," all by Elton John and Bernie Taupin."I Want Love" by John/Taupin, as performed in the 2019 movie Rocketman.NEW THEME MUSIC!Strong Songs has a new theme song! It'll evolve a bit over the next few episodes as Kirk adds a couple more musicians to the mix, so that should be fun. Hope you dig it.---------------WHOLE-NOTE BACKERS:Caleb Rotach - Chad Barnard - Dan Apczynski - Dave Florey - Sara WalshHALF-NOTE BACKERS:Andre Bremer - Andrew Lee - Arjun Sharma - Chas Lednicky - Earl Lozada - Emily Williams - Fishbones - Forrest Chang - Jaehoon Jeong - James Johnson - Jasmine Fellows - Jeff Dixon - John and Sharon Stenglein - Jon O’Keefe - joujou - Justin Liew - Justin McElroy - Kevin Morrell - Kevin Pennyfeather - Kyle Simons - Max Schechter - Michael Blackwell - Shane DeLeon - Tom Lauer --------------------💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺July 11, 2026 | Portland, ORBuy Tickets Here----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Patreon | One-Time Donation🏠 HOMEPAGE👚 MERCH💬 DISCORD SERVER📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music🎨 SHOW ART:Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

Mailbag May returns for round two, as Kirk continues catching up on listener questions.The Strong Songs mailbag continues to overflow. This week we've got some follow-ups on Hamilton as well as questions about Mariah's whistle register, vocal multiphonics, rhythmic misdirection, the lydian mode, and the differences between a sequencer, a sampler, and a synthesizer. REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:Various pieces from Hamilton, composed by Strong Songs celebrity endorser Lin-Manuel Miranda, 2015The graphic novel Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli, 2009"Counting Stars" by OneRepublic from Native, 2013"The Third Eye" by the Pillows from My Foot, 2006"The Simpsons Theme" by Danny Elfman, 1989"Something" by Snarky Puppy feat. Lalah Hathaway from Family Dinner Vol 1, 2013"Emotions" as performed by Mariah Carey on Emotions, 1991"Movement" by Hozier, 2019"Show Me The Way" by Peter Frampton from Frampton, 1975"Nut Bush City Limits" by Ike and Tina Turner, 1973"Shake Your Rump" by the Beastie Boys from Paul's Boutique, 1989"Without You" by Pete Ham and Tom Evans, as performed by Harry Nilsson, 1971"White Winter Hymnal" as performed by Fleet Foxes, 2008"Fugue 24" by Anathallo from Sparrows, 2002"God Only Knows" as performed by the Beach Boys on Pet Sounds, 1966"Baba O'Riley" by Pete Townshend and The Who from Who's Next, 1971"Memories" by Thutmose from the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse soundtrack, 2018  --------------------💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺July 11, 2026 | Portland, ORBuy Tickets Here----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Patreon | One-Time Donation🏠 HOMEPAGE👚 MERCH💬 DISCORD SERVER📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music🎨 SHOW ART:Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

It's time for Mailbag May, a long-running (aka brand new) Strong Songs tradition where Kirk spends the month of May catching up on listener questions.The Strong Songs mailbag overfloweth, and Kirk's got enough material recorded for two Q&A episodes. For this first part, we've got questions about chords, Tool, fire extinguishers, perfect pitch, Avengers and Game of Thrones music, the popularity of the flute, earworms, drum solos, and the inherent humor of the cowbell.REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:"Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra"Lateralus" by Tool (apparently it's actually pronounced lah-ter-allis)An entertaining video compilation of "The Lick": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krDxhnaKD7Q"Turkey in the Straw," American traditionalKirk's Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kirkhamilton"The Avengers" by Alan Silvestri"Happy Birthday" by the Hill Sisters"Moondance" by Van Morrison"Juice" by Lizzo from her 2019 album Cuz I Love YouThe Saturday Night Live "More Cowbell" sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVsQLlk-T0s"The Night King" and "Game of Thrones" by Ramin Djawadi from Game of Thrones"Pacific Rim" by Ramin Djawadi from Pacific Rim"Sight of You" by Sigrid from her 2019 album Sucker Punch"Wipe Out" by the Surfaris, 1963  --------------------💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺July 11, 2026 | Portland, ORBuy Tickets Here----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Patreon | One-Time Donation🏠 HOMEPAGE👚 MERCH💬 DISCORD SERVER📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music🎨 SHOW ART:Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

Kirk gets his Patreon pitch out of the way up front, then lists five albums that have shaped him as a musician over the years, talking a little bit about why each one is great. There could've been like a hundred different albums on this episode, but hey, let's start with five.Those albums are:--Frank Zappa, The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life, 1991Listen/Buy via Album.Link--The Cardigans, First Band on the Moon, 1996Listen/Buy via Album.Link--Stan Getz, Stan Getz and the Oscar Peterson Trio, 1958Listen/Buy via Album.Link--Spacehog, The Chinese Album, 1998Listen/Buy via Album.Link--Maria Schneider, Allégresse, 2000Listen/Buy via Album.Link | Maria Schneider's Website  --------------------💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺July 11, 2026 | Portland, ORBuy Tickets Here----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Patreon | One-Time Donation🏠 HOMEPAGE👚 MERCH💬 DISCORD SERVER📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music🎨 SHOW ART:Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

A toast to the groom! To the bride! To knowing you'll always regret the sacrifice you made for your sister! Kirk takes an overdue dive into Lin-Manuel Miranda's epic Broadway musical Hamilton, focusing on Renée Elise Goldsberry's first act showstopper, "Satisfied."Regret tinges an otherwise joyous day as Angelica Schuyler remembers the night she met Alexander Hamilton, fell in love with him, and quickly realized they could never be together. It's a heady mix of complex rhyme schemes, powerhouse vocals, and musical character motifs so densely interwoven that it's hard to keep track of them all.(UPDATE 6/30/2020: This episode's audio file has been updated since it originally ran on May 1, 2019. It includes a new intro and outro, a couple of small editing tweaks, the show's current theme music, a new aside about Angelica's introduction to Alexander, and some added mentions of Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton's fabulous musical director.)Artist: Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lin-Manuel MirandaAlbum: Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording), 2015Composed by: Lin-Manuel MirandaListen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:Tracks from The Hamilton Instrumentals, 2017  --------------------💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺July 11, 2026 | Portland, ORBuy Tickets Here----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Patreon | One-Time Donation🏠 HOMEPAGE👚 MERCH💬 DISCORD SERVER📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music🎨 SHOW ART:Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

Today's forecast calls for blue skies, and today's Strong Songs calls for an in-depth analysis of Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky." It's time to welcome all our pretty faces to the human race, thanks to ELO's most enduring concert-rock classic. Kirk goes for a sunny stroll on a beautiful musical day full of layered vocals, fire extinguisher drumming, time-tested chords, Les Paul solos, vocoders, and... unexpected saxophone interludes?Band/Artist: Electric Light OrchestraAlbum: Out Of The Blue, 1977Composed by: Jeff LynneListen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:"Yesterday" by Paul McCartney from Help!, 1965"Confirmation" by Charlie Parker, 1946, included on In Person  --------------------💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺July 11, 2026 | Portland, ORBuy Tickets Here----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Patreon | One-Time Donation🏠 HOMEPAGE👚 MERCH💬 DISCORD SERVER📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music🎨 SHOW ART:Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics