What makes an icon — a “person or thing regarded as a representative symbol or as worthy of veneration” — in music? For singers, whose voice is their instrument, it’s often having a signature style. An iconic voice in this sense, for this Thematic Static show, is one that’s immediately recognizable and identifiable, singular, inimitable (though many will try). Maybe the voice’s goodness is subjective, but its know-it-when-you-hear-it quality makes it a stand-out. You understood the assignment! And there are many HUNDREDS more of you weighing in on this theme than ever before, because of the APB sent last weekend by my special co-host Andi Marie Tillman.
Asking Andi Marie to join me for this first in a could-be long series of themed set shows highlighting iconic voices was a no-brainer because she, too, appreciates legendary vocalists and will sometimes mimic them in highly viral videos beloved way beyond our shared city of Nashville.
Andi Marie Tillman is a singer, songwriter, actor and comedienne (plus an aspiring Delilah on the radio) originally from East Tennessee. She’s been creating content for TikTok and Instagram steadily for a couple of years, though it feels like longer. We had way too much fun on WNXP.
Check it out the show we built together, share this setlist and audio archive, and stream the Spotify playlist to which I’ll add many more of your requested iconic voices than we could fit into the one-hour show. (I’ve since done a pt. 2 of this theme without my lovely co-host, and that playlist plus audio is also below.)
Whether you’re a regular contributor to Thematic Static — the mixtape we make together, supported by United Record Pressing — or new around here (hey, y’all), remember that you can make requests for future themed shows on social media @WNXPNashville and/or by calling 615-320-9100 to leave a voice memo.
#ThematicStatic Playlist: 6/20/2024
Whitney Houston – “How Will I Know”
Sade – “Kiss of Life”
Willie Nelson – “Stay All Night (Stay A Little Longer)”
Aaron Neville – “Hercules”
Billie Holliday – “Solitude”
Kate Bush – “Cloudbusting”
Celine Dion – “That’s The Way It Is”
The Sugarcubes – “Motorcoach”
Janis Joplin – “Try (A Little Bit Harder)”
The Cranberries – “Liar”
John Prine ft. Iris Dement – “In Spite of Ourselves”
k.d. lang (covering Joni Mitchell) – “Help Me”
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong – “Dream a Little Dream of Me”
Tina Turner – “We Don’t Need Another Hero”
#ThematicStatic Playlist: 7/11/2024
The Mavericks – “What a Crying Shame”
Sinead O’Connor – “I Want Your (Hands On Me)”
Amy Winehouse – “Tears Dry On Their Own”
Van Morrison – “And It Stoned Me”
Alanis Morrisette – “Hand In My Pocket”
Nina Simone – “Feeling Good”
2Pac ft. Snoop Dogg – “2 of Amerikas Most Wanted”
Brandi Carlile – “The Joke”
Cyndi Lauper – “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”
Patsy Cline – “Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray”
Soundgarden – “Spoonman”
Neil Young – “Southern Man”
Neko Case – “That Teenage Feeling”
