Dec 20, 2017
We reach the apex of the album (and perhaps the best exemplar of this era of Waits) as Jon, Sam and Martin dig into the portentous imagery of this song as well as some of the real consequences of life on the street.
Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single...
Dec 13, 2017
The lyrical richness of Waits’s writing moves into the foreground again as Jon, Martin and Sam deal with the sense of loss and isolation found in this track, as well as in Jon’s feature film Frank.
Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom Waits...
Dec 6, 2017
Song by Song welcomes Jon Ronson to the show to discuss the way Waits inspires an image of a world beyond Cardiff, Wales. With the division between the heart and the head, as related to Waits vs. Springsteen, as well as a possible dairy-based spin-off show, we continue our meander through Rain Dogs.
Song by Song is...
Nov 29, 2017
For our final week with Eric Molinsky we discuss a Sesame Street crossover, oblique western storytelling, the dreamlike landscapes of Waits’s worlds, and the power of group singing folk music.
Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom Waits track...
Nov 22, 2017
For a second week with Eric Molinsky, Martin and Sam take a look at the image of police as both a mortal figure as well as an existential threat, as well as Waits’s role (through his music) as an ambassador for the strangeness of his worlds.
Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to...