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Living in Hi-Fi

Living in Hi-Fi is a podcast about records, released every Monday. Like many record collections, ours has come together from various places: some vinyl we inherited from family, some we sought out and bought on purpose, but most of our records we fished out of dollar bins at thrift stores or dug out from deep in the crates at record stores. We love music so much that we’ll buy just about anything that looks interesting. We’ve discovered a lot of really awesome music that way and we want to share our discoveries. Some of the artists we’ve found have been forgotten about (if they were ever recognized in the first place!) and we think they deserve to be remembered and honored, or at least listened to. We feature some of our favorites: easy listening music from the 1950s and 1960s like exotica and bossa nova, as well as some oddball finds and world music from all over. Each episode, we’ll share the story behind the record we’ve chosen, a bit of history about the artist, and some highlights of the recording. Make sure to check out the show notes for each episode for more about the artist and where you can purchase the music we feature.
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Now displaying: 2016

Complete show notes and more fun stuff at www.livinginhifi.com

Dec 26, 2016

Teaser: Truly, this album has all the warning signs of being terrible. Christmas in the distant future of 2001, missionaries to outer space (?), low budget children’s music… But it’s actually pretty good!

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Dec 19, 2016

Part two of our holiday series, we bring you a low-key, yet festive Christmas album from movie composer extraordinaire, Henry Mancini.

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Dec 12, 2016

Perhaps the quintessential Christmas album? We encourage you to start your own Ray Conniff style caroling flash mob and take advantage of these extraordinarily festive arrangements of classic holiday songs.

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Dec 5, 2016

It's a special birthday episode! To celebrate co-host Steve's birthday, we count down the top four songs from the 3rd Festival Da Music Popular Brasiliera from 1967, via the 3-LP collection. Stay tuned for a most epic geek-out about Brazilian music and history.

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Nov 28, 2016

A listener request brings us folk songs from all over the world and we trace the path of a one-man recording operation to booming multimedia empire.

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Nov 21, 2016

A staple of your local thrift store-dollar bin, and a long-time favorite artist of Living in Hi-Fi, Herb Alpert! All the upbeat, easy-listening brass you can handle, and some trivia about Herb Alpert’s diverse artistic interests.

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Nov 14, 2016

On this week’s episode, we feature a listener contribution! Pour yourself a margarita and settle in for some lively Tex-Mex accordion.

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Nov 7, 2016

This album could totally have been made today by some earnest hipsters. It could be you and your neighbor who home-brews playing jugs and washboards on the porch. But no! It’s from 1964. A playful and timeless album of early jazz, blues, and folk tunes.

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Oct 31, 2016

We love Halloween! A rather silly impression of Bela Lugosi as Dracula introduces a solid hard bop jazz album from 1958.

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Oct 24, 2016

George Chakiris is a highly underrated vocalist. Best known for his role as Bernardo in West Side Story, in this self-titled album, George Chakiris sings effortless renditions of some pop standards.

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Oct 17, 2016

Wanda Sá (AKA Wanda de Sah) has the quintessential bossa nova singing voice: so sweet and gentle! It’s showcased beautifully in this American production on Capital from 1965.

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Oct 10, 2016

Let’s head to the 1970s, the golden era for… belly dance? Indeed! This classic belly dance album that could be considered early “world fusion” with its traditional songs from the Middle East repackaged for American night clubs.

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Oct 3, 2016

Listening to records isn't just a hobby, it's a lifestyle. A selection from RCA victor's Hi-Fi Living series sets the mood for lounging and romance.

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Sep 26, 2016

You'd think that by this album cover, you're in for some surf rock, but in fact, you'll find a collection of exotica themed pop songs with traditional Hawaiian vocal stylizations and sweet harmony. Easy listening for your next luau!

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Sep 19, 2016

Shredding on the banjo? Yeah, that’s a thing. Let’s take a trip to Appalachia with some instrumental bluegrass from 1961 by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.

 

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Sep 12, 2016

One of our all-time favorite albums! A staple of our collection from A&M records, Sergio Mendes and Brazil '66 perfectly fuse bossa nova and american pop. Stellar arrangement and crystal clear lady vocals make this album shine.

 

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Look Around on AppleMusic

Look Around on Amazon

 

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Look Around on Wikipedia 

Sérgio Mendes on Wikipedia

 

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Sergio Mendes on "Hollywood Palace” with host Herb Alpert

Sep 5, 2016

This week we deliver a charming collection of foxtrots and such for dancing or for a simply sophisticated evening at home via London's long-time dance band leader, Sydney Lipton.

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Sweet Harmony & Dancing at the Grosvenor House on AppleMusic

Sydney Lipton on Wikipedia

Sydney Lipton on AllMusic

 

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Stay at the Grosvenor House

The Grosvenor House on Wikipedia

 

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NPF ball at the Grosvenor House

Aug 29, 2016

There’s more to Barry White than just his sexy baritone voice. This episode, we check out his masterful and funky proto-disco instrumental arrangements.

 

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Rhapsody in White on AppleMusic

 

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Love Unlimited Orchestra

Barry White

Monster Mini Golf

 

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Live on Soul Train

Aug 22, 2016

Have we mentioned that we love cha-cha? And Hammond organs? This rare release from 1959 on Liberty is the height of Latin-flavored easy listening with its nonchalant solos and minimalist instrumentation.

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John Buzon Trio on AppleMusic

Ultra-Lounge on Wikipedia

The Tonga Room

Aug 15, 2016

Come on everybody, let's do the twist! But in a really low budget kind of way. This 1962 album insists that you enjoy the first international dance craze.

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Twist on AppleMusic

 

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The Twist dance

Somerset Records

 

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Peppermint Twist by Joey Dee and the Starliters

Aug 8, 2016

An exotica staple! Yma Sumac is most recognized for her extraordinary five octave vocal range. This diva is an Incan princess (true!) and her talent is showcased in traditional and not-so traditional latin music and backed by a hollywood-style orchestra.

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Mambo on Apple Music

 

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Official Bio

Yma Sumac on Wikipedia

Buddies Lounge Podcast

 

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Yma Sumac’s Vocal Range

Yms Sumac on David Letterman, 1987

Aug 1, 2016

Do you like polka? Beer? Did you steal the keeshka? What is a keeshka, anyway? Answers to all these questions and more as we check out the best of Frankie Yankovic.

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Frankie Yankovic on AppleMusic

 

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Frankie Yankovic on Wikipedia

Polka on Wikipedia

I stole the Keeshka T-Shirt: Ladies or Unisex

 

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Pennsylvania Polka as featured in Groundhog Day

Frankie Yankovic & Weird Al Yankovic

Jul 25, 2016

You can't really go wrong with a Verve recording! This episode's featured album will appeal to both jazz lovers and bossa nova fans. We'll share with you a great introduction to Brazilian music of the 1950s and 60s.

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Apple Music

Vinyl from Music Direct

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Astrud Gilberto

Stan Getz

Bossa Nova

Getz/Gilberto Album

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Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto performing the Girl from Ipanema

Jul 18, 2016

This is our first time featuring a review of a new release on the podcast! As lovers of old funky records, we have mad respect for the Avalanches whose love of music is obvious in their ability to scout out only the most awesome bits of obscure music and show it off in groovy new compositions. Even if you think you're not into electronic music, we bet you'll dig the psychedelic feel of Wildflower.

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Wildflower on Apple Music

Order the LP from the Avalanches

Chandra 1980 on Bandcamp

 

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The Avalanches Guide to the samples, features and stories of Wildflower on Triple J

The Show Must Go On (Pitchfork)

Since I Left You (Wikipedia)

 

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Subways by the Avalanches

Subways by Chandra Oppenheim

Since I Left You by the Avalanches

Everything is a Remix

The World’s Most Important 6-sec drum loop (The Amen Break)

Jul 11, 2016

In this episode we learn that Pizza and Pipes was apparently a thing in the pacific northwest in the 1970s? Who knew. This episode may give you nightmares due to the shaky audio transfer or creepy movie themes or both.

Browse Northwest Organists page for more about: Paul Quarino, David Lee, Jonas Nordwall, and Don Simmons

David Michael Lee

Way out Wednesday: At the Organ Grinder Vol. 2 on Pop Dose

Pipe Organ Pizzerias Briefly Explained at Serious Eats

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Organ Grinder Pizza Commercial

David Lee at the Organ Grinder

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