Bandsplain

It’s draft time once again on Bandsplain. Chris Ryan, Rob Harvilla, and Sean Fennessey join us for the not just a little chaotic Grunge draft where everybody is a Loser in one way or another. Also, a ska season is suggested as a threat, the gang discuss the most 90’s feeling pop star of today, and we hear about Sean’s cool metal friend from high school. All that and more, on this week’s Bandsplain...

Hanif and Yasi are back, as we find Soundgarden on the precipice of releasing their super well known album Superunknown. The vibes? They are not always impeccable, but the songs are phenomenal. Listen as we trace the back half of the Soundgarden catalog, from Superunknown and the underrated Down on the Upside through their reunion album and the Audioslave and solo records in between.  Follow Hanif...

One of the earlier bands to form in what would become the biggest music scene of the 90s, Soundgarden started up in Seattle in 1984 when two friends from Illinois named Kim and Hiro formed a band with a local drummer named Chris. The band blended influences and styles from post punk and new wave to Beatles and metal, slowly forming a sound that was all their own. Along the way Chris Cornell took t...

The C/Z Records 'Deep Six' compilation is a thing of legend. An early document of a nascent Seattle scene that would be national news within five years, the comp features several bands that had yet to put out any recorded music, including Melvins, Soundgarden, and Andrew Wood’s first band, Malfunkshun, plus tracks from Green River, Skin Yard, and the biggest band in the scene at the time, the U-Me...

One of the greatest compilations of its time (the greatest time for compilations), No Alternative was the third in the Red Hot series benefiting AIDS relief. The lineup is studded with iconic artists, many on the precipice of their biggest records, from Soundgarden to Sarah McLachlan, and also features influential alternative greats like Buffalo Tom, The Verlaines, and Soul Asylum. It even spawned...

Dinosaur Jr. rose from the ashes of a teenage hardcore band looking to make some “Ear Bleeding Country.” They went on to become one of the most influential and interesting alternative rock bands of the 80’s and 90’s. The band went from underground to indie to major label to MTV, shedding a few original members along the way, and eventually broke up before reforming the og line-up in the mid 2000’s...

It is time once again to hear from our beloved listeners, so we opened up the mail bag to answer some of your most pressing questions. Rob Harvilla joins us to help plan Yasi’s trip to Ohio, discuss the sordid swing dance moment of the 90’s, parse Taco Bell menu highlights, and give some answers of his own.  Follow Rob Harvilla on Twitter @Harvilla Host: Yasi Salek Guest: Rob Harvilla Producer: Je...

Claire Cottrill, a.k.a. Clairo, drops by the pod to talk about her sexy, new album, 'Charm'; donkeys; the Beyoncé song that changed her life; her inspired choice of sandwich; listening to the Arctic Monkeys in high school; Dobby the house elf; her favorite Beach Boys era; and more. Host: Yasi SalekGuest: ClairoProducer: Chris SuttonAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Hether...

The Stone Temple Pilots were given no benefit of the doubt by critics in their heyday, but the band had hits, and did not care. Hailing from Southern California, STP’s equally charismatic, talented, and troubled frontman Scott Weiland helped the band take off quickly, and then frequently kept them in a state of disarray for much of their existence. Along the way Stone Temple Pilots put together a...

Jennifer Herrema of Royal Trux, RTX, and Black Bananas comes by the pod to talk about personal style, early-2000s reality television, lychee fruit, memes from loving husbands, the 'Grease' soundtrack, why she’s a Deadhead, and more. Host: Yasi SalekGuest: Jennifer HerremaProducer: Chris SuttonAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Hether Fortune Learn more about your ad choice...

Kim Deal initially formed The Breeders with her sister Kelley as a side project while she was in the Pixies so that she could record her own songs, but it definitely turned into something way bigger, more iconic, and more influential than that. Through shifting line ups and several starts and stops, the band managed to make some of the best rock albums of the 90’s and beyond, setting the bar for c...

Shannon Shaw of Shannon and the Clams comes by the pod to talk about their beautiful new album, 'The Moon Is in the Wrong Place'; bad smoothies; dealing with grief through making art; Primus fandom; FMK the Beatles; being saved by Drew Carey; her future career as a product jingle writer; and more. Host: Yasi SalekGuest: Shannon ShawProducer: Chris SuttonAdditional Production Supervision: Justin Sa...

Alice in Chains emerged from the Seattle scene an entity unto themselves. Formed from remnants of local hair metal bands, they naturally evolved into the groove heavy band with a distinct vocal style we know today. Rob Harvilla joins us to parse the legacy of perhaps the most populist band of the Grunge era. Follow Rob Harvilla on Twitter @harvilla Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE Hos...

Rob Harvilla joins Yasi to talk about Steve Albini's legacy, in music and also outside of it. Host: Yasi SalekGuest: Rob HarvillaProducer: Chris SuttonAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Bethany Cosentino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jill Hopkins, Brian Fallon, and Steven Hyden step into the arena with Yasi to draft their favorite Pearl Jam songs and moments. The gang cover their favorite live song, favorite radio hit, and more. Will anyone try to win the draft? Or will everyone choose their picks from the heart? Tune in to find out, and decide who won for yourself.  You can follow Jill on Twitter @jillhopkins You can follow B...

Kacy Hill comes on the pod to talk about her fantastic new album, 'Bug'; Taurus shit; why being annoying is a woman’s right and duty; going down a nostalgia hole with the Shins; her TikTok algo; why we love Poquito Más; shaking Jay-Z’s hand for way too long; and more. Host: Yasi SalekGuest: Kacy HillProducer: Chris SuttonAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Hether Fortune  L...

Yasi and Kevin return this week to find Pearl Jam on the verge of falling apart (spoiler alert: they didn't). We pick back up as the band enters the studio to record the excellent “Vitalogy.” Ticketmaster emerges as the band’s foil, and Neil Young continues to be one of the band’s greatest allies. Taking cues from his career to help them navigate their own uncharted waters, this episode takes us f...

Singer-songwriter Madi Diaz comes by the pod to talk about her beautiful album 'Weird Faith,' the importance of Bikini Kill on her artistic journey, daddy’s girls, saying yes to life, revenge fantasies, and more! Host: Yasi SalekGuest: Madi DiazProducer: Chris SuttonAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Hether Fortune Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com...

This week on Bandsplain, we dive into the music of Pearl Jam. In the wake of the dissolution of Green River and then Mother Love Bone, a new band coalesces, and explodes after adding an enigmatic frontman in the form of a San Diego surfer named Eddie. From their first shows as Mookie Blaylock to confronting a level of fame they never imagined, the story of Pearl Jam is a whirlwind that has now spa...

Singer-songwriter Grace Cummings comes on the pod to talk about her gorgeous new album, 'Ramona', being a theater kid, loving Alice In Chains, her favorite member of Wu-Tang Clan, and more. Host: Yasi SalekGuest: Grace CummingsProducer: Chris SuttonAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Hether Fortune Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to another season of Bandsplain. This episode we're talking about Green River, Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog, and the greater Seattle music scene, all leading up to the explosion of "Grunge," and of course, more specifically, the formation of Pearl Jam. Joining us this episode is the legendary musician and author Patty Schemel. Follow Patty Schemel on twitter at @pattyschemel Li...

Mark Arm of Mudhoney comes by the show to discuss the sewage tunnel boring machine named after his band, the record store that changed his life, surfing at Kelly Slater’s ranch, being radicalized by KISS and Aerosmith, seeing Robert Goulet at the airport, hanging out backstage with David Matthews, and more! Host: Yasi SalekGuest: Mark ArmProducer: Jesse Miller-GordonAudio Producer: Chris SuttonAdd...

DIIV stop by the show to talk about their excellent new album, 'Frog in Boiling Water.' We also discuss the thoughtful use of AI, educational rap songs, fate, artisanal coffee, Hipster Runoff, and the ethics of egg bites. All that and more on another episode of '24 Question Party People.' Host: Yasi SalekGuest: DIIVProducer: Jesse Miller-GordonAudio Producer: Chris SuttonAdditional Production Supe...

On this week’s '24 Question Party People,' Maya Hawke comes by to chat about her upcoming album, 'Chaos Angel.' The discussion also includes the importance of song lyrics, thinking everyone is mad at us, Kris Kristofferson, our love of 'House,' and being drawn to excellence—and we contemplate free will. All that and more on '24 Question Party People.' Host: Yasi SalekGuest: Maya HawkeProducer: Jes...

This week on '24 Question Party People,' Gaspard and Xavier of Justice drop by to discuss their new album, 'Hyperdrama'; what they’ve been up to for the past eight years; and why making music is self-indulgent and that’s OK. Plus, the joys of walking around without headphones and their take on the Jack Matthews Band. All that and more this week on '24 Question Party People.' Host: Yasi SalekGuests...