EarWax

Ep. 101: Masayoshi Takanaka - Rainbow Goblins

EarWax

Show Notes

Truly one of the most bonkers albums we have tackled on the show, this week the EarWax crew is taking on the genre of "Japanese funk-fusion rock based on an Italian children's picture book." That's right, Masayoshi Takanaka's "Rainbow Goblins"! A story about rainbow eating goblins with zero analogy attached at all, Takanaka makes maximalism razor sharp. Soaring guitar melodies backed with insanely tight grooves, all telling the story of seven color goblins who were just so hungry they HAD to invade paradise and eat the best rainbow of all time. Does Cody maybe side with the goblins? Well, you'll have to listen to find out exactly why he does! (Or does he?!) Shout-out to the Internet Archive, where you can find this album. The Budokan show? Heck yes we have it! Right here. Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod

TikTok: @earwaxpod

Email: [email protected]

Credits: Produced by Hilary Miller, Claudia Rivera Tinsley, Spencer Belden, and Cody Tinsley Edited by Claudia Rivera Tinsley All original music written and performed by Spencer Belden Artwork by Hilary Miller

More from EarWax

Oct 23, 2026

What in the actually-good-celebrity-project do we have here? See, but that's not even doing this week's album justice. Because we have a prominently featured children's choir! The EarWax crew chop it up about Dead Man's Bones' self-titled (and as of this episode - only) record. If spooky-cozy were a genre, this album would be the prime example of that. Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields both love the macabre, they both wanna make some jamz, and so they did. And what we get is one of the chillest, most lovely Halloween-ish records out there. Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod

Oct 9, 2026

Sometimes we get to tell wonderful stories about cool people. Amidst all the scumminess of the music industry, there do exist the real ones. We talk about one of the realest - Wayne Shorter - and his unbelievable record "Speak No Evil". With a lineup whose collective resumes are longer than two CVS receipts, this album bridges Shorter's timeline - connecting the past, present, and future while still sounding entirely unique. It's haunting, vulnerable, cool, and sweet. Pretty much all ways you could also describe Wayne Shorter. God, I wish we could have been friends! Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod

Oct 9, 2026

Ayo, we are back. Mainly it's Spencer who is back, Hilary and Cody neva left. Regardless, we got new releases and music news aplenty in this installment of Music This Week. How about Sheryl Crow dropping a new record? Mmmm, oh, and Zach Bryan rocking the Free Palestine shirt right in Robert Kraft's stadium. Beautiful, simply beautiful. All that and a whole heck of a lot more inside Music. This. Weeeeeeeeeek. Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod

Oct 2, 2026

Set the controls on full fuckin' blast, we are headed into the universe of whenever - somewhere in the future...except it's happening right now on this week's episode! Cody and Hilary hold on for dear life breaking down Dylan Brady and Laura Les' genreless and genre defining 1000 gecs. It's just weird, man, in a great way. Go listen for yourself, you'll see, and then you'll come back to it out of curiosity, then because it's just so damn catchy, and finally, because it has so. much. heart. Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod

Sep 25, 2026

We don't do parental advisories here, because we're cool. But if we did, this week's episode would be plastered with warnings so the youths' ears are not exposed to the intense, raw, unfiltered glory that is Lil' Kim's "Hard Core". Kim unflinchingly tackles basically everything to do with her sexuality with candor far ahead of its time. "Hard Core" is really the only title befitting the debut album from one of hip-hop's pioneers. Check out everything we have going on via the info below: Instagram: @earwaxpod

See all episodes →