Vinyl Emergency
Musicians, record label owners, visual artists and beyond describe how the influential medium of vinyl has shaped their lives and careers.
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Episode 207: Superdrag's John Davis
11/12/2024
Episode 207: Superdrag's John Davis
Between his father's banjo picking and his mother's love of Motown, Superdrag's John Davis eventually began writing tunes that would channel Stax's classic soul and Big Star-adjacent power-pop through the blurred guitar wall of My Bloody Valentine -- an eventual blueprint for the band's cult classic debut album Regretfully Yours in 1996. But between grueling tours and generous MTV airplay for the infectious "Sucked Out," John would discover a second home in local Knoxville, Tennessee music shop Lost & Found Records, where he says owners Mike and Maria Armstrong became like a surrogate aunt and uncle, further deepening his love of vinyl. On this episode, John chats about sobriety, Superdrag's future, and nostalgia's double-edged sword. His latest solo outing titled Jinx is now available digitally, on CD and wax via . Follow @johndavisbrandmusic and @superdragofficial on Instagram for updates.
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Episode 206: DC Glenn of Tag Team ("Whoomp! There It Is")
10/29/2024
Episode 206: DC Glenn of Tag Team ("Whoomp! There It Is")
On a random night in August 1992, while DJ'ing at an Atlanta strip club, Cecil Glenn pops in a tape he and his musical counterpart Steve Gibson have been working on. Influenced by the pulsing Miami Bass scene, it's also layered with fast-paced Georgia swagger and an infectious call-and-response chorus. Immediately, patrons rush Cecil's audio booth to find out who made this track, and how they can get a copy. Record labels, MTV hosts and more also came calling, leading to "Whoomp! (There It Is)" quickly going platinum, a mere six weeks after he'd quit that same DJ gig, to focus on original music full-time. Fast-forward 30+ years and “Whoomp!" remains not just the best-selling rap single of all-time, but a ubiquitous pop culture reference, with Cecil (aka DC The Brain Supreme) and Steve (Roll'n) touring the globe and continuing to pump up crowds of all-ages. This week, DC discusses how "Whoomp!" continues to find new audiences, how he leans in to thinking backwards, and why a blizzard ended up being a perfect storm for the duo's early success. Follow @dcglennatl and @tagteamwhoomp on Instagram.
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SECOND SPIN: Amythyst Kiah (January 2022)
10/08/2024
SECOND SPIN: Amythyst Kiah (January 2022)
This is an encore presentation of a previous episode, originally airing in January 2022. --- Championed by some today’s biggest names on the fringes of country music, singer/songwriter Amythyst Kiah released her breakthrough album Wary + Strange in 2021 to rave reviews. Upon its release, Pitchfork dubbed the record “an intensely personal document (that) examines the realities of being a Southern Black LGBTQ+ woman in songs both defiant and vulnerable.” One of those tracks in particular, the Grammy-nominated “Black Myself,” matches a hypnotic groove and gritty distortion with lyrics addressing the horrors of chattel slavery and the Brown Paper Bag Test, making for an unforgettable statement that channels both Odetta and Public Enemy. On today’s episode, Amythyst discusses “Black Myself” in detail, as well as growing up with an audiophile father, being intrigued as a kid by a particular Santana album cover, and how an a cappella Tori Amos song inspired her to share her most personal struggles. Visit for tour dates, social media and more.
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Episode 205: Smoking Popes
09/24/2024
Episode 205: Smoking Popes
It’s not out of bounds to say that the Smoking Popes began as a bit of a joke. Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Josh Caterer deems the earliest incarnation of the band as “a Spinal Tap version of hardcore punk,” choosing song titles first and how those songs would actually go later. But after finding a propulsive drummer in a teenage Mike Felumlee, the quartet began showing true heart around 1993: no longer just goofing off in the garage, Caterer was penning some of the punchiest, most direct odes to lost love on the college radio dial, emphasizing all the best parts of the Smiths, Cheap Trick, Roy Orbison and the Ramones, while feeling wholly original. It’s now been three decades since Born To Quit, the band’s heroic half-hour featuring “Need You Around” and “Rubella,” put them on the map. And although an LP reissue dropped earlier this year (without the band’s consent or knowledge), Josh and Mike decided that the Popes needed their own “Taylor’s Version” of sorts, in order to take these songs back into their possession — even in the most modest of terms. So before a minimal audience in a small, central Illinois studio, the band chose to cut Born To Quit live, front to back, and a vinyl version comes out this week to put a stamp on the occasion. During this episode, Josh and Mike speak to their longevity as a unit, what we can expect from their brand new album this spring, and what it meant to control Born To Quit’s legacy a bit, with this new approach. We also dive into Mike’s tenure in Alkaline Trio, and Josh’s solo performances pressed to wax during the 2020 lockdown. Visit to pre-order the Born To Quit Live Session, and hit up for tour dates, social media and more.
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Episode 204: The Get Up Kids' Rob Pope & Jim Suptic
09/10/2024
Episode 204: The Get Up Kids' Rob Pope & Jim Suptic
Today's guests are more than just bandmates. Friends since the first grade -- with matching tattoos to boot -- being founding members of the influential Kansas collective The Get Up Kids has taken Rob Pope and Jim Suptic (along with Matt Pryor and Rob's brother Ryan) to seemingly every corner of the world since their 1995 formation. This year marks the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough sophomore LP Something to Write Home About — an album layered in lovelorn distance and declarations of proving oneself. Back then, Jim and Rob say that getting the album out was a frustrating practice in learning who to trust; at the moment, currently on tour playing the album in full, the pair look at the release as a "coming-of-age" album, one that inspired and launched thousands of bands itself through its heroic melodies and relatable points of view. Recorded backstage at the legendary Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, Jim and Rob discuss the two-sided coin of nostalgia, what inspires them about each other, and why maple syrup isn’t always a positive smell. The band's 2LP Something to Write Home About reissue, complete with demos and previously unheard material, is available now via digital platforms, and physically on September 20th. Tour dates and more can be found at .
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Episode 203: Matthew Caws of Nada Surf
08/27/2024
Episode 203: Matthew Caws of Nada Surf
Not everyone can say that both their first and last jobs were behind the counter of a record store. But that's how things ended up for Matthew Caws, before his beloved power-pop act Nada Surf became his main gig in the mid-2000's. Shifting time between New York City and Paris growing up, he points to an eclectic list of influences (classical, disco and late 70's NYC punk) that laid the groundwork for who he'd become as a musician and songwriter. Though their sneering, tongue-in-cheek alt-rock hit "Popular" became an MTV staple throughout 1996, the band has made a deeper impact as they've aged, through genuinely hopeful takes on the human condition like "Inside of Love" or "See These Bones." Today, Matthew talks about color coding his record collection, why double-tracking vocals feels like an act of fiction, the meticulous nature of Nada Surf's album covers, and connecting the dots between Bach and Blonde Redhead. Their new album Moon Mirror -- the group's first for Nashville label New West -- drops September 13th. More details are available at .
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Episode 202: Camera Obscura's Tracyanne Campbell
08/13/2024
Episode 202: Camera Obscura's Tracyanne Campbell
A love affair with records has fueled Tracyanne Campbell for as long as she can remember: Before anyone else woke up in the morning as a kid, she'd already be spinning ELO; thanks to her grandmother, she became a devout listener of American country music and still has a profound memory of first hearing Tammy Wynette's groundbreaking "Stand By Your Man"; her mother even bought her a new 45 RPM single every weekend growing up -- spanning everything from Roxy Music to The Osmonds -- keeping her fervent curiosity alive. Fast forward to the mid-90's, and Tracyanne takes this bag of influences full-throttle, forming Camera Obscura. A band that's worn its AM radio influences proudly on its sleeve for nearly 30 years, they've created a rather timeless jangle that fits snugly between The Magnetic Fields and Carole King. The band's latest album -- Look to the East, Look to the West -- is available on Merge Records wherever music is sold. Visit for more info, social media and more.
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Episode 201: John Moreland
07/30/2024
Episode 201: John Moreland
Early in his career, John Moreland says he existed in a state of what he dubs "under-being": Living in perpetual humility to a fault, believing he wasn't deserving of appreciation for his art, let alone basic kindness. But in 2024, whether being championed by his Grammy-winning peers, or hailed by GQ as "the new face of folk rock,” he's finding being one of the most talked-about singer/songwriters today a little easier to take. And the last 12 months alone have given his fans multiple reasons to celebrate: On top of a raw, live-to-acetate recording at Nashville's Third Man Records and a 10th-anniversary vinyl reissue of his terrific sophomore LP, he suddenly dropped his latest album Visitor, without warning, back in April to wild acclaim. Today, the Oklahoma-based Moreland speaks about learning to love surprises, his infatuation with Sheryl Crow’s harrowing hit “Strong Enough,” and how ditching his smartphone reconnected him with his record collection. Visit for tour dates, social media and more.
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Episode 200: Fran Healy of Travis
07/09/2024
Episode 200: Fran Healy of Travis
“Our old manager was always saying to me, ‘Artwork’s not really that important. No one cares.’ That’s why he’s our old manager.” That bit from this week’s 200th episode, with Travis' Fran Healy, speaks to his genuine reverence for how music is presented. And though he's the voice and songwriter behind such anthemic rave-ups as "All I Wanna Do Is Rock" and "Selfish Jean," it's arguably the somber side of the foursome (with hits like "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" and "Driftwood") that put them on the map globally, and eventually led to them going 14x Platinum in the UK. The band's new album L.A. Times drops this Friday, July 12th and on today's program, Fran discusses his obsession with the city's countless movie landmarks, how Coldplay’s Chris Martin lent a small hand in sequencing the songs, and the Scottish quartet's embracing of the Internet age from the ground floor. Also, why Fran’s been singing Womack & Womack around the house, and karaoke versions of his own material in Mexico. Tour dates, social media and more are available at .
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SECOND SPIN: Vance Powell (Engineer for Jack White, Chris Stapleton; September 2020)
06/18/2024
SECOND SPIN: Vance Powell (Engineer for Jack White, Chris Stapleton; September 2020)
This is an encore presentation of a previous episode, originally airing in September 2020. 4x Grammy-winning producer, engineer and mixer Vance Powell has worked with a wide range of artists and bands including Chris Stapleton, Buddy Guy and Phish. For vinyl collectors, he's arguably most known for being a consistent studio go-to for Jack White, not only being involved with proper studio releases from Jack and his various projects (The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs) but Vance is behind the boards of most every Live At Third Man Records LP, where bands record short sets in front of a couple hundred fans, direct-to-acetate. On this episode, Vance points to his favorite Third Man sessions he's recorded (including some mysterious Radiohead demos), how Chris Stapleton's famous cover of "Tennessee Whiskey" almost didn't happen, and why Vance's own barbecue kept him from his dream of recording U2. Visit sputniksound.com for more info on Vance's work, and follow him on Instagram and Twitter @vancalot.
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Episode 199: They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh
06/04/2024
Episode 199: They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh
While most music-focused kids picked up guitars or drums in the 60's and 70's, John Flansburgh says he was pulled toward the machinery that made art possible. With a reel-to-reel in hand before age 10 and an early love of graphic design, the detailed processes of printmaking, photography and analog recording seemed downright magical to his captivated, creative young mind. Once he reconnected with fellow singer/songwriter and high school pal John Linnell in the early 80's, the duo were off to the races as They Might Be Giants: an indescribable mix of surrealist humor, snappy history lessons, and power-pop sweetness. On today's show, John F. recounts catching one of Elvis Costello's earliest performances, inheriting a "profoundly haunted" record collection from a deceased cousin, and how a broken wrist and a ransacked apartment led to the groundbreaking launchpad for TMBG's storied career: Dial-A-Song. For tour dates, social media and more, visit .
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Episode 198: Strand of Oaks (Returns!)
05/21/2024
Episode 198: Strand of Oaks (Returns!)
"I don't have stage fright, I have life fright." Indiana native Timothy Showalter -- the mind and voice behind the moniker Strand of Oaks -- has pulled no punches when it comes to combatting his own childhood trauma and lifelong anxieties through music. And while he says that touring and performing puts him in his most zen state, he has experienced a death or sorts with the guitar-centered music Strand of Oaks has done until now. His upcoming album Miracle Focus finds him piloting synthesizers and crafting, what he calls, "a manual for my life. A soundtrack to connection." And despite a drastic instrumental shift, the core of Miracle Focus is still within the hopeful sonic palette that Showalter is known for. On today's second visit to Vinyl Emergency, he also discusses having a song go #1 in Belgium, what got him kicked out of Moby's restaurant, and his recent TV role on the Sons of Anarchy spin-off, Mayans MC. Visit strandofoaks.net for social media, tour dates and to pre-order Miracle Focus before it drops June 7th.
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Episode 197: John Roderick of The Long Winters
05/08/2024
Episode 197: John Roderick of The Long Winters
To say The Long Winters had some bad luck getting their music on vinyl would be an understatement: After a hurricane in the mid-2000's sent most copies of an exclusive box set into the Atlantic Ocean, the band struck a relationship last year with Bandbox -- an LP-subscription service doing limited, colored pressings of modern classics and out-of-print material -- only to have the company go suddenly belly-up, leaving the albums pressed, but under the ownership of Bandbox's investors, as collateral. Thankfully, Barsuk Records (the influential Seattle label which the band called home for their entire tenure) has come through with standard black pressings, allowing die-hard fans to finally add 2003’s majestic and acclaimed When I Pretend to Fall and more of the catalog to their shelf. On today's show, Long Winters lead singer/guitarist and songwriter John Roderick dissects the Bandbox fiasco, his infatuation with acid rock at an early age, and how he recently ended up on a Las Vegas party bus with 90’s rockers Ugly Kid Joe. Find more info on the Long Winters vinyl reissues at , check out the band’s new rarities compilation So Good At Waiting wherever you stream music, and follow @johnroderick on Instagram and Threads.
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Episode 196: Dave Holmes (MTV / Esquire)
04/23/2024
Episode 196: Dave Holmes (MTV / Esquire)
Esquire editor-at-large and former MTV VJ Dave Holmes discusses how his ADHD allowed him to embrace the chaos of live television, why hitting up a NYC vinyl listening bar with The Mandalorian didn't go exactly as planned, and his new podcast docuseries examining MTV's cultural impact. Subscribe to Who Killed the Video Star?: The Story of MTV wherever you get podcasts, and follow @daveholmes on Instagram and Threads.
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How Vinyl Keeps Music History Spinning (Looped In: Chicago)
04/17/2024
How Vinyl Keeps Music History Spinning (Looped In: Chicago)
Hello! For my day job, I host and produce Looped In: Chicago, a podcast for . And this week, they allowed me to make an episode all about the city's ties, past and present, to the record industry. So while it's different from your typical Vinyl Emergency episode, I hope you'll find this one to be an equally engaging listen, with guests including , co-owner Steve Polutnik, Chicago Reader columnist and music history TikTok sensation . Subscribe to Looped In: Chicago wherever you get podcasts, and new VE episodes will come your way soon.
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SECOND SPIN: Derry deBorja (December 2020)
04/09/2024
SECOND SPIN: Derry deBorja (December 2020)
This is an encore presentation of a previous episode, originally airing in December 2020. On today's show, keyboardist Derry deBorja (of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit) talks about the musical influence of his older brother, his time as a member of Son Volt, how experimenting with a modular synth has changed how he views composition, and the 400 Unit's relationship with David Letterman. Visit jasonisbell.com for updates, and follow Derry on Instagram, @tin_pony.
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Episode 195: Ruston Kelly (Returns!)
03/12/2024
Episode 195: Ruston Kelly (Returns!)
Since his last visit to Vinyl Emergency in August 2020, Nashville singer/songwriter Ruston Kelly has narrowly escaped a fiery bus explosion, sold off nearly every physical stage piece from his last tour, and rehabbed an old Victorian bungalow with his own two hands. And while all of these experiences are worth talking about, today he says that being a better listener has been a focused priority as of late. This deliberate intention to say less and observe more has led to a run of rewarding collaborations over the last several years: Duets with Caitlyn Smith and Judah & the Lion, co-producing an LP for John Prine's son Tommy, and touring with the massively-popular Noah Kahan. On this week's episode, Ruston dives deep into the first album he remembers as a child, why he sequences songs specifically for vinyl, and his upcoming EP -- Weakness, Etc. -- a combination of new material and reworkings from his third full-length The Weakness, released last year. Plus, anecdotes on sharing toast with Jackson Browne, and debating Pop-Tarts with his fans. Ruston's upcoming solo acoustic tour begins later this month. Tickets, social media and more are at , with Weakness, Etc. dropping March 22.
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Episode 194: Chris Rosenau (Volcano Choir / Pele)
02/27/2024
Episode 194: Chris Rosenau (Volcano Choir / Pele)
In bands like Volcano Choir, Pele, Vermont and Collections of Colonies of Bees, guitarist Chris Rosenau has actively sought out a unique ambiguity. Whether through off-kilter tunings, a myriad of loop pedals or long-form improvisations in 130-degree heat, he says he finds his most interesting work comes from trusting others. And that trust has built fruitful creative relationships with enigmatic drummer Jon Mueller, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Sylvan Esso's Nick Sanborn, among others. But in a career of disarming listeners through unexpected approaches, Chris admits his most quizzical move might be in the form of a recently-released debut solo album, where he's stripped everything back to one acoustic guitar, for a tender salute to his late mother. The album, titled 'a light that cracks through,' is now available at . Follow on Instagram.
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Episode 193: MLB Pitcher John Axford
02/06/2024
Episode 193: MLB Pitcher John Axford
While on the Milwaukee Brewers roster in 2011, major league pitcher John Axford created a buzz among indie-rock baseball nerds by forgoing the standard jock jams and using Refused's "New Noise" as his game entrance music. While exposing thousands to the Swedish hardcore band’s chaotic screams and atonal, pummeling instrumentation, the choice also garnered some vocal complaints from opposing coaches and TV announcers. Nonetheless, Axford led the entire National League in saves that season, so who knows if some of the song's lyrics ("Good frames won't save bad paintings") don't indeed secretly speak to pitching. Around this same time, his interest in vinyl records began to blossom, leading him to hunt down Japanese Metallica pressings and connect again with his family’s classic Christmas LP’s. Since then "The Ax Man," as fans have dubbed him, has reached the World Series (with the 2013 St. Louis Cardinals), and done time with the Pirates, Dodgers and Blue Jays, among other organizations. Most recently, Axford represented his home country of Canada in last year’s World Baseball Classic. On this episode, we explore how his dad's vintage Edison phonograph somewhat influenced Axford’s current big budget stereo set-up, his fandom for LP subscription service Vinyl Me, Please and why he won't clean his grandparents' fingerprints off their old records. We also dive into John's recent trip overseas, to a quaint Dutch village where his great uncle's heroism during WWII is cemented and honored forever. Follow @johnaxford on Instagram. PLUS, music this week from Milwaukee band Dramatic Lovers!
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Episode 192: Amy Fleisher Madden (Author of 'Negatives: A Photographic Archive of Emo')
01/23/2024
Episode 192: Amy Fleisher Madden (Author of 'Negatives: A Photographic Archive of Emo')
At just 16 years old, Amy Fleisher Madden was contributing to her surrounding Florida punk rock scene like a wily veteran. Through booking and promoting national bands visiting the panhandle -- as well as her DIY zine Fiddler Jones -- she had introduced, connected and championed emo, pop-punk and hardcore bands from all over, eventually leading to the start of Fiddler Records, which gave us the first releasees from Dashboard Confessional and New Found Glory. Most recently, Amy is the author of a hefty book documenting a decade of the scene, titled "Negatives: A Photographic Archive of Emo (1996-2006)." Filled with stunning visuals, emphatic essays and more -- plus contributions from various photographers and musicians -- it's a must-have for anyone who spent time in this particular genre during these particular years, or since. or wherever you get literature. More info can be found via , or at .
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Episode 191: Nirvana 'In Utero' Special with Michael Azerrad
12/12/2023
Episode 191: Nirvana 'In Utero' Special with Michael Azerrad
"If Nevermind was a peek into Kurt (Cobain)'s psychological/emotional world, then In Utero was a wide-open window.” This comes from today’s episode with author Michael Azerrad (Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991), who definitively knew better than most. Having extensive access to Nirvana between those two albums, Michael documented their rise for the best-selling 1993 biography Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, released just weeks before In Utero. Michael remembers today that Kurt's instructions to him in originally penning the book were fairly simple: "Just tell the truth. That will be better than anything else that's been written about me." And as In Utero recently got its own deluxe reissue to celebrate its three decades of influence, Michael's book has gotten a similar update: The Amplified Come As You Are is a heavily-annotated and must-own look back on the most examined band of the 90's. With thirty years of hindsight, Michael clarifies, expounds upon and extends the original story, making it a needed compendium to Nirvana's discography. Follow , and purchase the book wherever you find literature. PLUS, enjoy exclusive performances of In Utero material this week by !
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Episode 190: Jim Pitt, Music Booker for SNL / Conan / Kimmel
11/28/2023
Episode 190: Jim Pitt, Music Booker for SNL / Conan / Kimmel
Starting as an NBC page in the mid-80’s, Jim Pitt eventually landed a dream job, for many: music booker for Saturday Night Live. From Nirvana’s debut on network television to Sinead O’Connor’s impactful and headline-making performance, Pitt booked it all starting in 1990, including mega-star appearances from Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. Three years in, Pitt took his talents to David Letterman’s replacement at Late Night, a young upstart named Conan O’Brien. There, not only would Pitt give future Rock Hall inductees like Radiohead, Green Day and Sheryl Crow their first-ever US TV performances, but O’Brien’s unique wit often led to household names like David Bowie and U2 participating in hilariously scripted bits. On today’s show, Pitt recalls all of this and more, walking us through decades of amazing television memories, as well as his move from Conan to Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2017, and when exactly hosts began holding up vinyl again for the home audience, versus compact discs. Follow Jim on Instagram @jimpitt13, and watch Jimmy Kimmel Live! on your local ABC affiliate.
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Episode 189: R.E.M.'s 'Up' at 25 (with Josh Modell)
11/07/2023
Episode 189: R.E.M.'s 'Up' at 25 (with Josh Modell)
Logistically and artistically, R.E.M.'s 1998 album Up marked a fork in the road for their trajectory: Prior to its recording, drummer and founding member Bill Berry had amicably left the band, having suffered a brain aneurysm while on stage three years earlier, leading the remaining trio of Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck -- for the first time in their career -- to create without a key piece of their dynamic. In the end, Up didn't sound like any of the group's previous eras, using keyboards, electronics, chamber-pop and white noise as a backdrop for some of the band's sweetest melodies and Stipe's most direct lyrics to date, the latter of which were finally printed for fans to comb over -- a first for any previous R.E.M. project, after ten albums of ambiguity. This week, we celebrate the 25th anniversary reissue of Up (available this Friday, November 10th) with returning guest Josh Modell (formerly of the AV Club, now of the ) who wrote the package's liner notes. Together we examine how R.E.M.'s existential crisis without Berry, according to Modell, "gave everything (on the album) an undercarriage of vulnerability, sadness, and edge," making it Modell's favorite album in the group's catalog. Purchase the Up reissue at or wherever you find music, and catch Modell moderating a live Q&A with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy in Milwaukee on Saturday, November 11th, with .
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Episode 188: Mac McCaughan of Superchunk / Merge Records
10/24/2023
Episode 188: Mac McCaughan of Superchunk / Merge Records
North Carolina-based label Merge Records, inarguably one of America's most influential and prolific purveyors of indie-rock, is on the cusp of turning 35 -- a landmark that co-founders Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan likely couldn't fathom when they started the label in 1989. Then, Merge was simply a DIY avenue to release tunes by their scrappy quartet Superchunk. But along the way, as the band's jangly but caffeinated power-pop caught on with an international audience, Merge evolved from a modest method of putting out music by Mac and Laura's friends into the beloved home of cult acts like Neutral Milk Hotel, Spoon, The Magnetic Fields and countless others, eventually becoming the first indie label to garner an Album of the Year Grammy, for Arcade Fire's 'The Suburbs' in 2011. On this week's show, Mac reflects on Merge's early years, the label's new vinyl-centric web series Digging For Something, as well as Superchunk's latest compilation of singles, demos and other oddities dropping this week, titled 'Misfits & Mistakes.' Visit to shop for your favorite releases, and follow @macsuperchunk or @mergerecords on Instagram.
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Episode 187: Bruce Springsteen ‘Nebraska’ Special with Warren Zanes
09/12/2023
Episode 187: Bruce Springsteen ‘Nebraska’ Special with Warren Zanes
Since his first book twenty years ago, musician/author (and all-around music appreciator) Warren Zanes has deftly chronicled what it means to be a rock star without a road map. His acclaimed 2015 authorized biography on Tom Petty -- released just two years prior to his death -- gave readers an engrossing glimpse into the mind of one of rock's great everymen, and this year, Zanes has released a more granular look into arguably the darkest hour of perhaps rock's greatest everyman. 'Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska' is a jaw-dropping read front-to-back, taking readers into the modest bedroom where the Boss recorded his most mysterious and talked-about work. From exclusive interviews with Springsteen, Steve Earle, Rosanne Cash and more, Zanes proves that what makes Nebraska so intriguing is not just the complete left-turn that it is musically, but how it's sandwiched between two career highs: His first number one album with The River in 1980, and the superstardom that Born in the U.S.A. would bring him in 1984. On this week's episode, Zanes tackles Springsteen and Petty’s similarities and differences, the hurdle of getting Springsteen's humble Nebraska demo tape transferred for vinyl and CD duplication, and the album’s lasting impact over the last four decades. Visit for socials and other info. Plus, this episode features covers of Nebraska songs by Aoife O'Donovan. to purchase them as a Bandcamp download.
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Episode 186: Mike Mills of R.E.M.
08/29/2023
Episode 186: Mike Mills of R.E.M.
As bassist Mike Mills tells it, on the cusp of their formation in 1980, he and his fellow Athens, GA bandmates had a simple goal: To make a cool, 45 RPM single with a picture sleeve -- the kind they grew up on. And, if anything else (or nothing else) were to come of their band, so be it. What Mike along with guitarist Peter Buck, drummer Bill Berry and enigmatic vocalist Michael Stipe couldn't have predicted was how that single ("Radio Free Europe") and the many that followed through the next three decades on both indie and major labels ("Fall On Me," "Losing My Religion," "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" and beyond) would shape the sound of American music. R.E.M. inarguably created a foundation for what we now loosely call "indie rock," often buoyed by Mills' supreme knack for harmony vocals against Stipe's dramatic delivery. On today's show, Mike discusses his latest LP as a member of the Baseball Project, the hours of airbrushing needed for one particular R.E.M. album cover, and his love for an Atlanta institution known only as "The Freeze." R.E.M.’s last four proper albums — which cover their final decade as a unit — were reissued on vinyl this summer. Visit remhq.com and baseballproject.net for more info on those releases.
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Episode 185: Tommy Prine
08/01/2023
Episode 185: Tommy Prine
The two sounds Tommy Prine says he remembers most growing up were having the AM radio on or his father (renowned singer/songwriter John Prine) workshopping tunes at the kitchen table. Journeying through adolescence, his eclecticism later manifested through acts like Outkast and System of a Down. But now, on the heels of This Far South — his debut album that dropped earlier this summer — Tommy has found his own unique voice that marries his mom’s Irish wisdom and his dad’s dry Midwestern/Southern wit. On today’s show, Tommy shares why Radiohead’s “Videotape” speaks to him, his experiences working with Nashville talents Ruston Kelly and Gena Johnson on This Far South, and how the artwork for this album feels like both an ending and a beginning. Visit for your dates, socials and more.
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Episode 184: Louise Post of Veruca Salt
07/18/2023
Episode 184: Louise Post of Veruca Salt
In her family, Louise Post says that there have been three usual career paths: Join the clergy, practice medicine or become an artist. Thankfully she followed the latter. In 1992, Louise co-founded Veruca Salt with fellow vocalist/songwriter Nina Gordon, and the quartet became one of Chicago's biggest exports of the alternative-rock era. The duo's buzzsaw guitars pushed hit singles like "Seether," "All Hail Me" and "Volcano Girls" into the stratosphere, and despite some years apart, the full original lineup reunited for the much-heralded 2015 full-length Ghost Notes. This week, currently on tour promoting her new solo album Sleepwalker, Louise talks about harmonizing with her dad growing up, gravitating toward the women in her favorite bands, why she continually has "dreams of songs," and the inspiration for Veruca Salt's ode to vinyl, "Victrola." Stop by LouisePost.com for more info on Sleepwalker, social media and more.
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Episode 183: Lisa Loeb
07/04/2023
Episode 183: Lisa Loeb
From making multitrack recordings as a kid to DJ’ing at her high school radio station to fixing turntables for her college dormmates in the 80’s, Lisa Loeb has always been wired for sound. She made music history in the next decade, when her mega-hit “Stay (I Missed You)” became the first song by an artist without a record label to go #1. The song’s unique structure — bookending stretches of non-rhyming prose with an instantly recognizable chorus — still remains a marvel a generation later, with artists like Taylor Swift citing “Stay” as a gigantic inspiration for their own wordplay, musicality and poetic honesty. On today’s episode, Lisa remembers trading 7” singles with friends growing up, and how the real-life antagonist in “Stay” was right there in the studio when it was recorded. Plus, from her own collection, Lisa shares one of the coolest and rarest pieces of vinyl ever discussed on the show! Visit for tour dates, socials and more. SiriusXM users can find her program Where They Are Now — where Lisa chats with fellow 90’s-era stars — via the SiriusXM app.
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Episode 182: Ben Harper
06/13/2023
Episode 182: Ben Harper
As a child of the 1970's, vinyl records were intrinsic to Ben Harper's understanding of and approach to music. “If somebody came to the house and said 'We're gonna repossess either your refrigerator or your turntable,'" he states today, "they would've been hauling out the fridge.” Growing up, the 3x Grammy-winner and heralded lap steel guitarist/vocalist's taste jumped from Ozzy Osbourne to Robert Johnson to Funkadelic to Jackson Browne on any given day. To get to those places, he points to varied avenues of discovery, from the underground world of skateboarding to his family’s folk music shop and museum. That same diverse recipe eventually led to an equally unique list of collaborators over the years, including Ringo Starr, Eddie Vedder, Harry Styles, Natalie Maines and The Blind Boys of Alabama. On today’s program, Ben recounts an emotional day spent with soul legend Solomon Burke, finding the blues buried in hip-hop, and the importance of communicating with our former selves. Ben's latest album Wide Open Light is out now, wherever you get physical or digital music. Visit for tour dates, socials and more.
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