The Arcs is a new band from Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, along with Richard Swift, Leon Michels, Homer Steinweiss, and Nick Movshon. In this episode, Dan, Richard, and Leon break down the song “Put a Flower in Your Pocket” from their debut album Yours, Dreamily. They talk about how the song grew out of a single guitar line played by their friend and Country session musician Russ Pahl, and how they combined vintage gear with modern recording techniques to craft their sound.

Buy “Put a Flower in Your Pocket” on iTunes.

Watch the music video:

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

footnotes
The all-female Mariachi band that sing backing on the song is Flor de Toloache.

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Chet Faker is the stage name of Australian singer and songwriter Nick Murphy. His debut album, Built on Glass, won five ARIA Awards, Australia’s version of the Grammys, including Best Male Artist, Producer of the Year, and Best Independent Album. In this episode, Nick breaks down the song “Gold” from that album, and traces the journey it took from a dream, to a cover, to a love song.

Buy “Gold” on iTunes.

Watch the music video:

footnotes
David Essex – Rock On

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

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In the film “The Martian,” astronaut Mark Watney (played by Matt Damon) is stranded on Mars, forced to rely on science and his ingenuity in order to survive. The film opened at #1 at the box office, and has earned critical praise as well. In this episode, composer Harry Gregson-Williams breaks down his music from the film, where part of his job was to score the excitement of scientific discovery and the grandeur and mystery of Mars itself.

Buy The Martian Score Suite (as heard in this episode), or the entire Original Motion Picture Score on iTunes.

Harry Gregson-Williams conducting The Martian scoring session at Abbey Road studios:

(Photo by Benjamin Ealovega)

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

footnotes
The Martian – Official Trailer

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