Month: September 2015

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The Allusionist - 19. Architecting About Dance

“Talking about music is like dancing about architecture” is a problematic statement: not just because nobody can agree on who came up with it, but because dancing about architecture doesn’t seem particularly far-fetched. Talking about dance, however – that’s really difficult. How do you put a wordless form of communication into words?

Audio describer Alice Sanders and choreographer Steven Hoggett take the issue for a twirl.

There is more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/dance. Say hello at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow.

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Song Exploder - The Magnetic Fields – Andrew in Drag

Stephin Merritt has fronted the band The Magnetic Fields for over twenty-five years. In this episode, he breaks down the song "Andrew in Drag" from the band’s latest album, Love at the Bottom of the Sea, even though he doesn't actually remember writing it. After releasing his triple-album 69 Love Songs to huge acclaim in 1999, Stephin stopped using synthesizers for the next three Magnetic Fields albums. He talks about why he stopped, and why started using them again, and why he doesn’t write down his melodies.

This episode is sponsored by Spire Recorder by iZotope; Merge Records (use code SONGEXPLODER at checkout for 20% off); and Audible.com (go to audiblepodcast.com/exploder for a free audiobook of your choice, and a 30-day free trial).

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The Gist - Excluding Black Jurors

On The Gist, how filmmaker Jennifer Nelson helped bring the birthday song back into the public domain. Plus, we welcome back Dax-Devlon Ross to discuss his research into black juror exclusion, one of the facets of the upcoming Supreme Court case Foster v. Humphrey. We first spoke with Dax-Devlon after he wrote about black jury exclusion in VQR last fall, and you can join Dax’s After Schools All-Stars on their World Trade Center climb fundraiser on Oct. 22, 2015. For the Spiel, as a general rule of thumb there’s something all Republicans hate: rules.  Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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The Gist - It’s a Copper Sock Miracle

On The Gist, Emily Bazelon from the New York Times Magazine joins us to answer one question, one question only. This is it: “If Congress defunds Planned Parenthood, is it possible that, even though no government funding funds abortions, they will still have less money available for abortion services?” Then, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker to examine the healing and funk-eliminating powers of copper for a game we call “Is That Bulls--t?” For the Spiel, five impressive things about how Gov. Scott Walker bowed out of the race. Today’s sponsors: Citrix GoToMeeting. When meetings matter, millions choose GoToMeeting. Get a free 30-day trial by visiting GoToMeeting.com and clicking the “try it free” button. Casper, the online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting casper.com/gist and using the promo code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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