Bandsplain

Our Red Hot Chili Peppers Gen X-pert Joseph Patel, producer of Summer of Soul, returns to Bandsplain one of the Pep’s most influential, yet underappreciated, LA scene contemporaries: Fishbone. Their eclectic fusions of punk, funk, ska, metal, and soul earned these childhood friends from South Central a true cult following in the late 80s and early 90s, despite the industry racism and internal dysf...

Barry Johnson of Joyce Manor joins Yasi for a thorough investigation into Weezer, the early nineties major label breakouts who have served as a gateway rock band for many a preteen since. Barry and Yasi plumb the depths of one idiosyncratic frontman, Rivers Cuomo, while examining the transmutations of alt-rock from the nineties to the aughts, and Weezer’s robustly maintained fandom community who’v...

We’re back! At Bandsplain, all we wanna do is have some fun, and Yasi had the feeling she wasn’t the only one. So this week, friend of the show Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast joins us to make the case for Sheryl Crow. In 1986, Sheryl’s winding road began when she left small town Missouri for Hollywood, where she toured with Michael Jackson, scrapped her own debut album, and survived off trail mix...

Bob Mehr returns to Bandsplain for an in-depth look at oft overlooked stalwarts of the 90s rock charts, Gin Blossoms. Looking at the history before a slew of hit singles brought the band into the realm of grocery store soundtrack ubiquity (Hey Jealousy, Found Out About You, Follow You Down), Bob leads us through their origins in Tempe, Arizona’s fruitful scene of the late 80s and the tragic story...

From Lifter Puller’s scrappy Minneapolis origins to the Hold Steady’s reign as “America’s best bar band,” Yasi is joined by writer Darcie Wilder of Gawker to unpack this pair of critically beloved and certifiably cult bands who culled as much from Catholic symbolism and Springsteenian character studies as they did from the social milieu of the Brooklyn aughts zeitgeist. Follow Darcie Wilder on Twi...

We’re coming at you from Zebulon in Los Angeles with our very first LIVE episode, where we’re blessed by the presence of Max Collins of Eve 6 as he discusses who he thinks is America’s greatest rock n’ roll band: Fountains of Wayne. Follow Max Collins on Twitter at @eve6. We’re off next week for Thanksgiving. See you back here on Thursday, December 2 for an all new episode of Bandsplain. Learn mor...

Yasi is joined by journalist Natalie Weiner to unpack the four-decade reign of Reba, Queen of Country, from her humble Oklahoma rodeo origins all the way through her world domination as a multiplatinum-selling artist, award-winning star of screen and stage, and intrepid entrepreneur. Follow Natalie Weiner on Twitter @natalieweiner and check out her podcast, Rebawatchables. Check out Reba’s podcast...

Gina Arnold—author, academic, and architect of Yasi’s youth—graces us with her perspective on Pixies, the seminal cult indie rock band from Boston. Follow Gina Arnold on Twitter at @ginanarchy and check out her books Route 666: On the Road to Nirvana, the 33 ⅓ book on Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville, and Kiss This: Punk in the Present Tense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com...

If you’re gonna scream, scream with us. Glenn Danzig’s iconic punk outfit The Misfits get the Bandsplain treatment thanks to Mike Gitter, A&R man and progenitor of XXX Fan Zine. Yasi and Mike traverse the spooky landscape of The Misfits, from the history of horrorcore to punks pumping iron on tour, and the countless drummers in between it all. Follow Mike Gitter on Twitter at @TheGitter and pick u...

Here is part two of our Metallica episode, because nothing else matters. Journalist Joe Gross takes us through the latter years of Metallica. We investigate the ups and downs of their musical explorations, personnel changes, and famously documented self-help odyssey, all of which follows their 16x platinum blockbuster, the self-titled Black Album. Follow Joe Gross on Twitter at @joegross and pick...

For whom the pod casts: we bring you part one of our mega-episode on Metallica, the biggest heavy metal band of all time. Rolling Stone senior writer Kory Grow has spent years writing about the band, and takes us through the beginning half of their career, from their origins to tragedy to triumph, and off to never never land. Follow Kory Grow on Twitter at @korygrow. Learn more about your ad choic...

We’re back with guns blazing. Yasi dons her top hat and talks with storied Guns N’ Roses associate Riki Rachtman, former host of MTV’s Headbangers Ball and original co-owner of the legendary rock n’ roll hangout the Cathouse Hollywood. Follow Riki Rachtman on Twitter at @RikiRachtman. Further reading: “Reckless Road: Guns N' Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction” by Marc Canter “Slash”...

Today, Yasi and Producer Dylan open up the listener mailbag to dish out flawless and meaningful life advice, as well as compelling answers to your burning questions. We do it for you, Reply Guy Army. We do it for you. We’re taking a week off and Bandsplain will be back on October 7th! In our break, check out our new show, The 33 ⅓ Podcast, hosted by Prince Paul. Each week we dive into one iconic a...

The Scottish dreampop progenitors Cocteau Twins have a surprisingly dramatic backstory for being known as the ultimate band of ethereal, cryptic musicians. We get into all of it with Rolling Stone alum Claire Shaffer, who helps us decode their mystique, as well as to champion the “no English, just vibes” lyrical philosophy of one brilliant Elizabeth Fraser. Follow Claire Shaffer on Twitter at @cla...

Cosmic country pioneer, Emmylou Harris collaborator, Keith Richards bestie, and spiritual grandfather of any country-twinged rock of the last half century, the one and only Gram Parsons is celebrated by our new friend John Strohm, president of Rounder Records, founding member of the Blake Babies, and former member of the Lemonheads. Follow John Strohm on Twitter at @johnpstrohm and Rounder Records...

Writer Ann-Derrick Gaillot takes us through the decades-spanning career of Tracy Chapman, whose breakout hit Fast Car propelled her into the canon of singer-songwriters when she was just 24 years old. Follow Ann-Derrick Gaillot at @AnnDerrickG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We strip down the mythical, mysterious layers of foundational band The Doors and the original rock n’ roll martyr, Jim Morrison. Fellow child of LA Jeff Weiss of the LAnd Magazine is our guest. Follow Jeff Weiss at @passionweiss and check out The LAnd magazine at @theLAndmagazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Return guest and best friend Rob Harvilla of The Ringer’s 60 Songs That Explain the 90’s takes us through the humble Irish beginnings to era-defining rock superstardom of U2. Follow Rob Harvilla at @harvilla on Twitter and listen to his The Ringer podcast, 60 Songs That Explain the 90s, only on Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the help of writer and DJ Jason P. Woodbury of Aquarium Drunkard’s Transmissions podcast, we examine the sprawling and experimental output of Jeff Tweedy’s Wilco, from its alt-country roots to the dad rock clichés and their many genre-transcending moments throughout. Follow Jason P. Woodbury on Twitter at @jasonpwoodbury and check out Transmissions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc...

We take an inspired, heartfelt journey into the slacker mythology and enduring albums of iconic 90s rockers the Lemonheads. Friend of the ‘Splain Chris Black returns to travel with us into the extended Evan Dando universe and beyond. Follow Chris Black on Twitter at @donetodeath. Subscribe to How Long Gone on Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Issaquah, Washington’s indie rock torchbearers Modest Mouse get ‘splained by The Ringer’s in-house Modest Mouse guy, Justin Sayles. Follow Justin Sayles on Twitter @doxellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author and critic Ann Powers maps the pioneering path of one of pop music’s most inventive, mystical, and artistic trailblazers: Kate Bush. Follow Ann Powers on Twitter at @annkpowers, and find her latest book, Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music wherever fine books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We dive into the DIY legacy and hardcore lineage of DC legends Fugazi with none other than writer, editor, and artist manager Brandon Stosuy. Follow Brandon Stosuy on Twitter at @brandonstosuy, and check out thecreativeindependent.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pitchfork associate editor Sam Sodomsky takes us on a bountiful journey through the smooth stylings, guitar virtuosity, and unavoidable boomer nostalgia of Dire Straits. Follow Sam Sodomsky on Twitter at @ssodomsky, find his writing at Pitchfork, and check out his podcast Late Era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tracking their evolution from the Berkeley punk scene to rock stardom, and all of the sell-out discourse in between, Dan Ozzi joins us this week to talk about Green Day. Follow Dan Ozzi on Twitter at @danozzi and pre-order his book, Sellout: The Major Label Feeding Frenzy That Swept Punk, Emo, and Hardcore, out Oct. 26, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices