All Episodes

Browse the full archive of The Ear Opener.

#322 Crows

August 10, 2026 • 58:13

Bee Shuman returns to the Ear Opener to talk about Bee Humana’s new single, “The Crow” / “Corrido de Adelanto”. “Corrido de Adelanto” is an update of “Carcel de Cananea”. The lyrics of this new version address the brutality and...

#321 Festival Season, pt 2

July 30, 2026 • 59:27

Caitlyn continues her interview with Scott Winland of the Athens Community Arts & Music Festival then turns her attention to a fest happening later in August, Alley Islands, and chats with long-time festival organizer Adam Brouillette. Along the way, we...

#320 Festival Season

July 27, 2026 • 57:00

Caitlyn interviews two local festival organizers about the challenges and rewards of small festivals. The episode features songs from Moe Reen, Unholy Swarm, and Sharp Pins.

#319 By Fans, For Fans

July 21, 2026 • 57:00

Caitlyn interviews Ibby and Brittaney, contributors to online pop culture magazine, The Honey Pop. The episode features conversations about founding and maintaining an online magazine, as well as new music from Chanel Beads, The Strike, and instant crush.

#318 Blessed Noise

July 14, 2026 • 57:00

Caitlyn interviews music journalist Caryn Rose about her latest book Three Chords and Blessed Noise, her experience in the music business, and how she has seen it evolve. The episode features new releases from Violet Grohl, mary in the junkyard,...

#317 Agora

July 7, 2026 • 57:00

Caitlyn interviews guest Agora about getting her foot in the door in the music industry, discussing photography, being a young woman in a male-dominated industry, and the music that shaped her. The episode also features new releases from Moody Joody,...

#316 Genres

June 30, 2026 • 1:00:25

In this week’s episode, Caitlyn and Pat each play some of their favorite new releases, featuring shoegaze, indie, and psychedelic tracks from Whisper Doll, Porch Light, and Emperor X.

#315 Next Exit: Live, Local Music

June 23, 2026 • 57:00

Caitlyn features some artists playing ComFest this weekend. She also highlights other local and touring acts that are playing cheap shows in Columbus soon, sharing the ways in which listeners can experience live shows on a budget.

#314 Bittersweet

June 17, 2026 • 57:00

Caitlyn interviews London-based artist Tally Spear and we hear the title track from her new release Bittersweet. Caitlyn also features several new alternative rock tracks, and Pat makes some picks for the Nelsonville Music Festival, which is happening this weekend....

#313 Seeing Music Differently

June 9, 2026 • 57:00

A Boomer and a Zoomer discuss discovering new music in an age when 18-34 year-olds are abandoning FM radio in droves. Our Music Columbus Earn As Your Learn Intern, Caitlyn, makes her debut on The Ear Opener. Along the way...

#312 Cassette Culture

May 19, 2026 • 57:00

Jerry Kranitz, author of Cassette Culture: Homemade Music and the Creative Spirit in the Pre-Internet Age, joins us to talk about the rise of cassette culture in the 1980s and its continuing presence today. Jerry selected some representative tracks that...

#311 What Is Psychedelic?

May 5, 2026 • 57:00

This week we focus on modern psychedelic music with selections and conversation with Kurt Orzeck, who writes a quarterly psych column for treblezine.com. We also stop in with Andrew Davis, one of the organizers of Midwest Psychfest, which is happening...

#310 Water From Your Eyes

April 7, 2026 • 57:00

Features 3 songs from Water From Your Eyes’ latest album “It’s a Beautiful Place”. Plus new releases from Robber Robber, Future Islands, Pulp and more.

#309 Post-Punk no. 1

April 2, 2026 • 58:00

Post-punk, literally “after punk”, a genre of music you might have missed between the first punk explosion and the advent of MTV. This program samples some of the bands that fit that sound and that era. Most of them hail...

#308 Bee Humana

March 18, 2026 • 57:00

Bee Shuman and David Holm of the band Bee Humana are the guests this week. We hear a few songs that influenced Bee as a songwriter and also hear a couple tracks from Bee Humana’s EP. Plus there’s the usual...

#307 Slotted In

February 24, 2026 • 57:00

New music from Mirah, Gus and the TV, and Modern Nature.

#306 The Human Flower

February 17, 2026 • 57:00

We’re still yearning for the promise of rebirth that is Spring, as evidenced by the third set of this week’s show. New stuff from Kevin Morby, Altin Gün, Charlotte Cornfield, The Outfit (Daniel Romano), Heavenly, and Special Friend.

#305 It Will Be Soon

February 10, 2026 • 57:00

Three sets: 1. Upbeat power pop, glam, and indie pop. 2. Mostly mellower singer-songwriter tracks. 3. A continuation of set 2 with an electronic DJ/Producer track thrown in the mix.

#304 February 3, 2026

February 3, 2026 • 57:00

New music from Avalon Emerson & The Charm, Adult DVD, Annabelle Chairlegs, and Ken Park. Classics from R.E.M., Au Pairs, and Psapp. Plus more recurrent future classics from albums released last year.

#303 Snowpocalypse Now

January 25, 2026 • 59:00

Dig yourself out with new music from deathcrash, Ora Cogan, Red Skylark, Sanpaulo, Jeff Jakobs, Dry Cleaning, and Ski Team. Plus classics you’ll remember from when your world was not simultaneously on fire and covered with snow.