Buried Treasures & the Wah-Wah Pedal

Buried Treasures

If you're looking for something new to round out your summer playlist, Jim and Greg have you covered. They'll dig out some Buried Treasures – albums not yet in the mainstream but who deserve some more attention. Plus, an in-depth look at the history of the wah-wah pedal.

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Buried Treasures

Jim, Greg and listeners share some Buried Treasures – hidden musical gems from the last year that you may have missed, but deserve a place in your music library.

Greg:

  • Ron Gallo, HEAVY META
  • BONZIE, Zone on Nine
  • Chicano Batman, Freedom is Free
  • Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, The French Press

Jim:

  • Gothic Tropic, Fast or Feast
  • Jigsaw Youth, America’s Sweethearts
  • Luke Elliot, Dressed for the Occasion
  • Capitalist Kids, Brand Damage

Listeners:

  • Jeff from Alberta, CA: Loyle Carner, Yesterday’s Gone
  • Rob from IL: La Santa Cecilia, Amar Y Vivir
  • Mark from Naperville, IL: Sarah Shook, Sidelong

Instrumental: The Wah-Wah Pedal

Wah-Wah

It's time for the next installment of our Instrumental series, where we trace the history of an iconic piece of musical gear. Next up: the wah-wah pedal. The wah has a distinctive sound that became a building block for psychedelic rock, funk, and even reggae – but its creation back in the mid 1960s was the product of a technological glitch. Daniel Escauriza and Shelby Pollard of Chicago Music Exchange join us to break down the history of the wah and unpack the science behind the pedal and demonstrate what it adds sonically to iconic riffs.

Jim and Greg explore how legendary musicians from Eric Clapton and Earl Hooker to Melvin "Wah-Wah" Ragin and Mikey Chung used the pedal. They ultimately note that, despite getting a bad rap for being gimmicky, the wah-wah pedal plays a critical role in a number of genres of music.

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