Muse, Mars, and a Mystery

It's time for the first Strong Songs listener Q&A of 2020, so let's get into it!

Kirk answers listener questions on topics like Zeppelin and Cake counting, the decline (and rise) of the saxophone, Muse's approach to vocal processing, whether piano is an "easy" instrument, Bruno Mars's musical magpieism, and in a first, a listener's request that Strong Songs help him solve a mystery.

Update 2/25/20: Mystery solved! Fabian's mystery song is "Me, Myself, I" by Joan Armatrading. Thanks to everyone who wrote in with the answer, and thanks as well to Fabian, who did a pretty great job re-creating it from memory.

REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE:

“The Ocean” by Led Zeppelin from Houses of the Holy, 1973 “Closer (feat. Halsey)” from Collage - EP by The Chainsmokers, 2016 “What’s Up Danger” by Blackway and Black Caviar from the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Soundtrack, 2018 “Overture” by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori from the Halo: Reach soundtrack, 2010 “Married Life” by Michael Giacchino from the Up soundtrack, 2009 “Song For My Father” by Horace Silver from Song for My Father, 1964 “So What” and “Freddie Freeloader” by Miles Davis from Kind of Blue, 1959 “Shake, Rattle and Roll” by Big Joe Turner from Shake, Rattle & Rock, 1958 “Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty from City to City, 1978 “Run Away” by SunStroke Project & Olia Tira, 2010 “One Shining Soul” by Joshua Redman from Freedom in the Groove, 1996 “Muscle Museum” by Muse from Showbiz, 1999 “Nugget” by Cake from Fashion Nugget, 1996 “Ain’t That Easy” by D’Angelo and the Vanguard from Black Messiah, 2014 “Locked out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars from Unorthodox Jukebox, 2012 “Finesse” by Bruno Mars from 24k Magic, 2016 “Can’t Stand Losing You” by Sting and the Police from Outlandos D'Amor, 1978 “Poison” by Bell Biv DeVoe from Poison, 1990 “On Our Own” by Bobby Brown from the Ghostbusters II soundtrack, 1989

OUTRO SOLOIST: Galen Clark

Galen Clark 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.

'GRAM BY 'GRAM

If you're interested in occasional music and Portland-related photos and videos, follow Kirk on Instagram @kirk_hamilton. https://www.instagram.com/kirk_hamilton/

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STRONG PLAYLISTS

You can find playlists containing every Strong Song as well as all of Kirk's weekly music picks from his other podcast, Kotaku Splitscreen, on both Spotify and Apple Music.

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

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FEBRUARY 2020 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

AccessViolation andrew walters CALEB ROTACH Chad Barnard Craig J Covell Dan Apczynski Dave Florey Glenn Jared Norris Mark Schechter Merlin Mann Ryan Torvik

FEBRUARY 2020 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

AJ Schuster Alex Singer Alexander Polson Amanda Furlotti Andre Bremer Andrew Baker Andrew Lee Arjun Sharma Bill Thornton Brett Douville Brian Amoebas Brooke Wilford Chas Lednicky Chris Brown Christer Lindqvist Cyrus N. White Darryl Stewart David Stroud Earl Lozada Eero Wahlstedt Elliot Jay O'Neill Emily Williams FlSHBONES Forrest Chang Gavin Doig Jacob Dye Jaehoon Jeong James Johnson Jeffrey Olson Jennifer Bush Jeremy Dawson John and Sharon Stenglein Jon O’Keefe joujou Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua Jules Bailey Justin Liew Justin McElroy Kate Albury Kevin Morrell Kevin Pennyfeather Mark Steen Markus Koester Matt Gaskell Max Schechter Melanie Stivers Michael Blackwell Miriam Juskowicz Mueller Nate from Kalamazoo Nicholas Schechter Richard Toller Robbie Ferrero Sam Fenn samuel gardner Shane DeLeon Shaun Wiese SP Tanner Morton Tom Clewer Tom Lauer Toni Isaacson