The inaugural flight of Subcarrier features the descendants of Birmingham's own Sun Ra in his Arkestra, fronted by Marshall Allen. Sun Ra was a legendary jazz composer and pioneer of afro-futurism active from the 1950's-90's. Marshall Allen is Sun Ra's hand-picked successor who has been leading the Arkestra for over 20 years.
Baltimore's Lower Dens creates densely packed, haunting, profound, lush ethereal indie pop.
Small Black have slowly evolved over the course of their three albums from a lo-fi "chillwave" project into a synth-pop dance powerhouse.
Katie Crutchfield continues to hone her mammoth skills as a songwriter and musician, most recently on her most excellent album Ivy Tripp. Birmingham is always excited when Katie and Allison come back to where they started with The Ackleys years ago and we were excited to capture an electrifying Waxahatchee performance for Subcarrier.
Digable Planets redefined cool in early 90's hip hop and have long held a place in the era's pantheon of greats alongside Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, De La Soul, et al. After lots of side projects like the critically-acclaimed Shabazz Palaces, they finally got back together for a tour in 2016 and are tighter than ever.
Protomartyr is one of the best bands on the planet. And their 2015 opus, "The Agent Intellect", may be the album of the decade - only to be outdone by whatever they put out next. They are also some of the nicest people on the planet.
Erin Fein and Rosana Caban's propulsive synth pop project Psychic Twin connects intensely personal, intimate portraits with lush electronica new-wave arrangements.
Japan's Guitar Wolf has been shredding the jet generations for 30 years. Goner Records and Wild Zero stars.
Big Business punish! One of the heaviest two pieces on the planet, Big Business songs are quite often stories of wasted lives or moments that remind the listener that complacency and timidity is death - relentlessly pounded out and smeared all over your face in the best way.
Emma Ruth Rundle has been creating crushing pieces of emotional desolation with several bands and solo for a decade. Her most recent album, Marked for Death, continues her exploration of dark themes - but hints at redemption at the end of the journey.
Visionaries from the past leading the way forward, Death is a "protopunk" band that preceded the larger American punk rock movement by a few years. They continue to write and record excellent new material - but the music and lyrics of their early 70's albums remain as topical today as they were 45 years ago.
Coming out of a highly notable musical family (including cousin, Sheila E.), he has explored countless genres and styles of rock music, over a career spanning nearly 40 years. His most recent album, Burn Something Beautiful, was written with Scott McCaughey of The Minus 5 and Peter Buck from R.E.M., and they both appear with him onstage in this episode.
Dreamy shoegaze from Curitiba, Brazil by way of Los Angeles, from Samira Winter's band Winter.
Fast, sloppy garage punk from Charlotte, NC
Birmingham's Holy Youth, originally from Montevallo, play propulsive atmospheric punky pop rock songs. Hooks and melodies.
We joined founding member of experimental noise rock gods Sonic Youth and lifelong inventor of sound Lee Ranaldo for an amazing solo acoustic set and expansive interview about exploration and rediscovery. One man and a guitar - but still a few pedals, of course. Check out his excellent new album, Electric Trim, on Mute Records.
Pylon pioneered a post-punk new wave sound in the late 70's and early 80's in Athens, GA, that has filtered through to hundreds of bands over the years. They were The B-52's and R.E.M.'s favorite band, toured with bands like Gang of Four, U2, Mission of Burma, and Talking Heads, and their original practice space was the original 40 Watt.
Nashville's Bully bring their brand of aggressive yet thoughtful grunge-infused punk. Their excellent LP Losing is out now on Sub Pop.
Philadelphia's Sheer Mag have built a massive following with relentless touring and power hooks that don't let go. In love and politics and life, they want you to get with it.
John Darnielle's The Mountain Goats have embraced and explored all kinds of subjects with a genuine warmth tinged with tongue in cheek wit that have endeared them to fans for nearly thirty years. From early days of lo-fi straight to cassette recordings to massive studio swells, the band - and lineup - has constantly reinvented itself.
Cherubs came from the super fertile Austin noise rock scene in the early 90's. Prior to the release of their seminal 1994 album, Heroin Man, the band broke up - for about 20 years. They returned - wiser, louder, and better - with 2015's 2 YNFYNYTY and continue to tour and record.
Birmingham's very own Nowhere Squares have been pounding out super-tight megawatt garage-edged punk for two decades. Always delivering an explosive live show, their sound has slowly grown and changed over time but has always maintained a white hot intensity in a playful silly string package.
Michelle Zauner's solo project came together when she moved back to her hometown to take care of her dying mother. With an expansive sonic pallete, Japanese Breakfast move effortlessly from riff-driven indie atmospherics to ethereal popscapes and everywhere in between.
Ty Segall is one of the most prolific and engaging people making music today. Forever exploring and reinventing himself and his sound, his shows are always crazy hurricanes of raw energy. And the band seems to have as much fun as the crowd.
Lord Fascinator gave up the indie rock life for a multi-instrumental international dance conglomerate, most recently with Lord Decorator, and Church of Fascitology, rejecting all animals that fly.
For over twenty years, Portland's YOB have been pioneering the doom metal genre with crushing, rolling songs underlaid by stoic lyricism. YOB returned this year with the incredible album, "Our Raw Heart", with reflections on fighting to climb out of whatever hole you might be in - and appreciating the journey as you do.
New York noise rock experimental obscurants and childhood butterfly knife enthusiasts Oneida have been making music together in various forms with each other and tons of other musical luminaries around New York and the world for over twenty years. During this set, a man threw $80 at them.
For 13 years, Screaming Females have been pounding out explosive punk with some of the most incredible, intricate riffs on the planet. Marissa Paternoster is easily one of the best guitarists alive and this parachute show was up close, personal, and perfect. Their new album, All at Once, is also one of the best of 2018.
Cloud Nothings have already had an incredible career. Screaming through five exceptionally solid - and loud - albums, the band has always found a way to move forward through sounds and textures as unrelenting as drummer Jayson Gerycz's pounding beats. This set burned through some of the very best parts of their catalog.
Hailing from the fertile ground of Atlanta's early 90's Cabbagetown music scene, The Rock *A* Teens' timeless janging reberb captured moments and feelings with a sound that feels as fresh and immediate today as it did back then - so much so that their newest album, Sixth House, felt like a new visit from an old friend (who just got a little bit slicker at recording).
Boston's Tall Heights got their start playing on the street to passers-by. Because they had to be mobile, their music was also acoustic and put a strong emphasis on harmonies. Over time more pieces of their musical puzzle have come together but they still have that command of the crowd and immediacy that playing live on the street demands.
Florida's Gouge Away put out one of the very best noise punk/hardcore/whatever albums of 2018 with Burnt Sugar. White hot layers of fury all the way down.
Copenhagen’s ICEAGE have been crashing through noise-punk anthems since their founding in 2008, when most members were under 18. Their sound and themes have steadily changed and matured over the years – but their intensity has never waned.
Already a remarkable songwriter, Lucy Dacus has steadily expanded the musicality and voice of her work. Her 2018 album, Historian, was a grounded embrace of love and loss suffused with beautiful, intricate melodies. She is releasing singles throughout 2019 celebrating different holidays, including possibly Bruce Springsteen’s birthday.
Deerhoof has been pushing all kinds of boundaries for a quarter of a century. Forever reinventing and refining and exploring, they've recorded over a dozen studio albums and collaborated with/remixed/produced a gigantic cross section of avant pioneers from all over the world.
Fingerstyle guitar wizard Steve Gunn brings his distinct neo-folk song stylings under the parachute for an intimate, engrossing performance!
Mountain Man is an American singing trio of women described as "nestled in the tradition of American folk" with a traditional Appalachian folk sound.
Le Butcherettes is a garage-psych performance project of Teri Gender Bender, started in Guadalajara, MX, in 2007. A changing cast of band members, a commanding and captivating stage presence, and Teri's relentless creativity make for incredible, unique shows.
Starting out in Philadelphia - and now based in Nashville - Ron Gallo's music has moved with his interests. But it's always wound tight.
Mdou Moctar is a guitar-shredding genius currently based in Agadez, Niger. A self-taught semi-nomadic Tuareg, he plays in a traditional Takamba style which, when paired with electric guitar, gets seriously psychedelic. His music was passed around via Bluetooth phone file-sharing in Mali and Niger until it came to the attention of Sahel Sounds, who got him to Detroit to record the epic Ilana.
Since 1992, Built to Spill has been weaving whirling sonic tapestries around founder Doug Martsch's warbling vocals. Their delicately intricate melodies washed by roaring crescendos have influenced multiple generations of artists. Touring to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their seminal masterpiece Keep It Like a Secret, Doug was joined by members of Brazilian band Oruã.
Minami Deutsch is a drone-psych/post-punk/krautrock band from Tokyo by way of Berlin.
Meg Duffy has had an amazing career - as a session guitarist, as a guitarist in Kevin Morby's band, and with their project Hand Habits. 2019's album placeholder (that's the title - intentionally lower case) brought all of their monumental talents together in intricate songs with dreamy, transcendent vocal harmonies.
In the late '80's, Mudhoney formed as a Seattle punk supergroup with former members of Green River and Melvins. Promptly signed to Sub Pop, their Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge was the label's best selling album until Nirvana's Bleach overcame it. For more than 30 years, they've done things their way, inspired legions of imitators, and never stopped sneering at the sanctimonious.
Melvins have been at the forefront of heavy music for decades. From their earliest days and through all of their forms, membership, and collaborations with everyone from Jello Biafra to Leif Garrett, they've never been afraid to explore and experiment with their own sound and influences. In this episode, they're joined on bass by Steven McDonald of Redd Kross.
The pandemic doldrums finally end with an hour-long season five premiere starring Birmingham's own St. Paul and The Broken Bones! Over the past ten years, SP&TBB soul revival have taken the world by storm. Their new album, The Alien Coast, charts exciting new musical and lyrical territory for the band and is out now on ATO Records.
black midi take their name from MIDI compositions that are so dense, the notes turn the page black. Combining elements of jazz, prog, noise, classical, post-punk, etc, the band's performances had generated a huge international following well before they had even released their 2019 debut, Schlagenheim. Last year's Cavalcade only pushed the envelope farther in all directions.
Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink started making music together as students at the Alabama School of Fine arts in Birmingham, AL. They formed Azure Ray in Athens, GA, and soon joined the Saddle Creek scene in Omaha. Their releases have been sporadic but they remain best friends and keep coming back to make music together - most recently last year's LP, Remedy. This homecoming show may be their last.
mssv - or main steam stop valve - is a post-genre power trio consisting of three of the most accomplished musicians in the world.
A singer-songwriter from Toronto, Andy Shauf released two concept albums - The Party and Neon Skyline - that intimately told the stories of two different nights out through characters and conversations and regrets and realizations. His more recent album, Wilds, features songs written during the same period as Skyline but take their characters through different experiences with the same empathy.
Superchunk has been one of the longest running and most influential bands in American punk and indie rock of the past 30 years. Through the decades and a dozen album, the band has always sought joy in moments big and small, propelled forward by Jon Wurster's drums and Laura Ballance's bass, Jim Wilbur's million hooks, and Mac McCaughan's jumps. Their live shows are always unforgettable.
Divide and Dissolve are an instrumental two-piece doom band based out of Australia. Their elemental low-end approach is undergirded by their ardent support for indigenous rights and an end to western colonial power structures and dynamics.
Greg Cartwright has been a prolific mainstay of the Memphis garage/punk scene for decades. Formed in 2001, Reigning Sound developed a more classic R&B classic garage rock pop sound that they perfected on their final album, A Little More Time with Reigning Sound. Following this tour Greg pulled the plug on the band - but they may one day return.
Animal Collective - Panda Bear, Geologist, Avey Tare, and Deakin - have been pushing new musical frontiers for a couple decades now, both as a collective and in their own projects. Their tireless pursuit of new and interesting sounds coupled with their free improvisational method of collaborating and songwriting has always lead them somewhere uniquely their own through a tremendous body of work.
Dinosaur Jr. - J, Murph, and Lou - started combining country sensibilities with heavier 70's guitar metal to create Dinosaur Jr's first album, Dinosaur. In the years that followed, J became a guitar god and their music has inspired countless kids to pick up an instrument and start a band. Still shredding in front of Marshall stacks, this episode offers a quick retrospective of their career.
Hailing from Hattiesburg, MS, MSPAINT uniquely innovative take on hardcore and punk, married with lead singer Deedee’s assessments of post-modern America, have made for a critically acclaimed electro-noise steamroller from the Deep South.
Brazil’s Os Mutantes are revolutionaries in more ways than one. Marrying psychedelia with traditional Brazilian rhythms in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, Os Mutantes also fearlessly stood up to Brazil’s military dictatorship.
For 30 years, Portland, Oregon’s Quasi has been based around Janet Weiss’ thundering percussion and Same Coomes “Rocksichord” organ. Their first album in ten years, exploring the depravity of the modern age and the search for hope within it, was released this winter.