Tim Sommer in LA Weekly sums up the debate: “It is not just that Kraftwerk invented the future of music; it is that a startling amount of the music you hear today, from the most obscure indie rock to the most mainstream pop to literally everything in between, bears the impression of their invention.Until the moment “Autobahn” hit the airwaves in the autumn of 1974, nothing like it had ever existed. Kraftwerk placed cheerfully familiar pop modes within an entirely synthetic and rhythmic framework. Today, the idea of synthetic pop is so common that it seems odd to consider that one single artist indisputably did it first; but that’s the case. None of this is meant to diminish The Beatles' leviathan achievements; it’s just to say that although the pop century has been dominated by the goliath shadow of Mount Beatle, they are no longer the most influential pop band in the Western world. Kraftwerk are.”Is he right? And what exactly were The Beatles' "leviathan achievements"? Join me to discuss who really is the most influential group in musical history.Be expertly briefed each week on a wide variety of intriguing musical topics.

Film aficionado James Hillhouse takes us through his choice of the ten maverick soundtracks which changed the movie rules for good. Here are some clips from them:1. King Kong (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMNICLfHE3M)2. Alexander Nevsky (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcPixaWL2Pg)3. The Adventures of Robin Hood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UJ6g2Zhwgg)4. Citizen Kane (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdrzbpnls6g&list=PLh3-icSKvfhm4ggXDrKqyuafvfZdW_wed)5. Forbidden Planet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snLleErh-i8)6. Lift to the Scaffold (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OKQdp6iGUk)7. Easy Rider (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egMWlD3fLJ8)8. Shaft (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFlsufZj9Fg)9. Romeo + Juliet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTLoTD1AnBE&list=PLwsSkdPzRDuI2Fb0gWAIJGThFpqlpfvos)10. Baby Driver (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XMuUVw7TOM)Here's a link to a Spotify playlist you can put on while the episode is playing: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0t4H136MSakdexG78CO8Ip?si=b34ada315bfd4072Join James and me to find out the reasons behind his choices.Be expertly briefed each week on a wide variety of intriguing musical topics.

Spotify. All the music, all of the time. That's got to be a good thing, right? Not everyone agrees. In this episode, we'll take a look at:- Does Spotify pay artists fairly?- Does it provide access to bands that didn't exist before?- Has it encouraged disposability in music listening?- Has it created a musical echo chamber for listeners?- Has it created a new world of haves and have-nots in music?Join us for a discussion on the rights and wrongs of the world's most popular streaming platform. Be expertly briefed each week on a wide variety of intriguing musical topics.

Back in 1985 Band Aid and Live Aid raised over 100 million pounds for famine relief in Ethiopia. Few question that it saved many thousands of lives. So, job done, case closed?The reality is more nuanced.In this episode we ask the questions:- What are the problems with the song "Do they know it's Christmas?" (the clue is in the title)- Where were the African artists at Live Aid? Was "fame" really the only thing that mattered in choosing the performers?- Did all the aid go where it should or did some fall into the wrong hands? Does that matter?- Far from helping Africa, did the Live Aid phenomenon create a Frankenstein? A view of Africa as broken and helpless? And with the west who caused the problem in the first place happy to pose as white saviours?  Lots to chew over. Join us for an entirely reasonable discussion.Be expertly briefed each week on a wide variety of intriguing musical topics.

Curious about jazz and blues but don't know where to begin? Join aficionado Tony Bishop, legendary jazz and blues singer and harmonica player on the London circuit, who will give you a whirlwind expert briefing to hold down your end of the coffee machine conversation with the annoying boffin from accounts.Tony glides effortlessly through a short history of the genres as they emerged from their sleazy New Orleans origins early in the last century; the creation of Bluenote and Chess records; the great rupture in jazz around about 1959; some more modern developments; and then finally his picks of porky prime cuts to start us on our journeys.Tony's choices were:BluesDeath letter, Son HousDrop down mama, Sleepy John Estes29 ways, Willie DixonJuke, Little WalterHellhound on my trail, Robert JohnsonJazzKind of blue, Miles DavisTime out, Dave BrubeckMy favourite things, John ColtraneWatermelon man, Herbie HancockElla Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington SongbookView with a room, Julian LageHere's a Spotify playlist of Tony's "First XI".https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4pVruox3Yo0xr7HCbWW6PR?si=50bdcfffa6d043d4To get the download on why these bubbled to the top, tune into the episode. Thanks, Tony!Be expertly briefed each week on a wide variety of intriguing musical topics.

What did The Kinks ever do for us?The Beatles invented pop music as we know it and The Stones were the bad boys. But, like a middle child in the family struggling to fill a role, where does that leave The Kinks?Arguably with the richest legacy of all. Go with us on the journey and start to discover  that The Kinks might have an equal stake in inventing pop music as we know it alongside The Beatles and they probably destroyed more hotel rooms than The Stones as well. From heavy metal to punk to power pop, they were the godfathers of many musical genres we take for granted today.So, please do join your host Ian Forth to discuss the legacy of The Kinks.Be expertly briefed each week on a wide variety of intriguing musical topics.

Comments under Youtube videos of songs from the 70s and 80s have a grim consistency. "Back when music was music" is the gist.But I can remember older people saying the same about those songs when they first came out. Why do many - not all - of us - come to be so distrustful of new music? Neophobes, if you like.Join Ian Forth on Vinyl Maelstrom for this week's provocative discussion.Be expertly briefed each week on a wide variety of intriguing musical topics.

Walk down any high street in the world and you'll see someone wearing that t-shirt. The one with the wavy lines. Yet many people wearing it may never have listened to the album whose cover hosts the artwork.Cool design, but why does it resonate? And if you wear the t-shirt, should you bother listening to an album that's almost half a century old?Join Ian Forth for a discussion on the enduring legacy of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures.Be expertly briefed each week on a wide variety of intriguing musical topics.

50 years ago the NME ran a Best Albums Of All Time poll. There were 3 female artists on it and zero female-only bands.Glance through any poll from the last few years and it's essentially a 50:50 male:female split.So, what exactly happened? Join Ian Forth on this week's podcast to trace the evolution of women's role in modern music - and discover that everything is not quite as diverse as it may initially seem.Be expertly briefed each week on a wide variety of intriguing musical topics.

If you want to be expertly briefed next time you're chatting away round the famous water cooler, Vinyl Maelstrom is here to help. Why not join Ian Forth, host of the internationally successful podcast Sombrero Fallout, and his guests to listen in on a wide variety of intriguing musical topics. Be expertly briefed each week on a wide variety of intriguing musical topics.