Bandsplain

Despite being raised with the belief that nobody is special, Kat Moss is a special frontperson for a special band. Since their inception, Scowl have become one of the hardest-working bands out there, constantly touring and releasing challenging, catchy, aggressive music. Kat joins us this week to dive deep with Yasi into having a potentially wild astrological chart, how pivotal your first favorite...

First isn’t always best, and Blondie found that out the hard way. One of the first CBGB bands, the rag tag group started out as a “No Ambition Just Vibes” project before fate and a terrible recording contract motivated them to rise to the occasion. Amidst haters, low expectations, and an ever-changing band line-up, Blondie wrote some of the most iconic songs of the era, many of which remain classi...

Bret Domrose, Rob Mailhouse, and Keanu Reeves of Dogstar join us for a very special episode: our first-ever three-person party. The group discusses its new record, 'Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees'; the thrill of hearing Discharge for the first time; and being starstruck by the guy who sang your first slow-dance song. They also somehow find time in between questions to hold an imp...

Alicia Bognanno of Bully joins the show this week from her home base of Nashville Tennessee to discuss a childhood spent in motion, Matchbox 20 as a musical onramp, and why Sarah McLachlan’s ASPCA ad is a trap, even though crying a lot is a good thing. Oh, and why 'Tubthumping' by Chumbawamba is the perfect funeral song. All of this and more, on another perfect episode of '24 Question Party People...

Box Car Racer is a weird and wild look into the mind of Tom DeLonge. At the height of Blink 182’s success, Tom and Travis set out to make a harder record, a side project. Things are not always what they seem on this album. Songs that are seemingly breakup songs turn out to be about national tragedy. Tom DeLonge’s songwriting is deceptively simple, obfuscating a more complex playing style. The band...

Nathan Willett of Cold War Kids is on the show to talk about the soundtrack of morning school drop-off, the complexities of personal faith as seen through the prism of peak Pitchfork, the CWK shampoo commercial that could have been, and turning down dream tours because it was the mid-aughts and everyone was saying no to things they should’ve said yes to. All of this and more, this week on '24 Ques...

From cutting their teeth playing backyard parties to testing their mettle on the road as the sensitive misfits on the Nu Metal circuit to becoming one of the more experimental bands in popular rock, Incubus have always had a strong sense of self. Pardon us (and special guest Chris Deville) while we burst into flames… Follow Chris on Twitter @chrisdeville Listen to songs we detail in the episode HE...

As the frontman of the band Bush, Gavin Rossdale has written a ton of guitar-rock bangers and captured the hearts and minds of a generation of fans who, like Yasi, probably don't know what the song "Swallowed" is about. This week, he’s on '24 Question Party People' to talk about Bush’s newest release, 'Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023'; his infrared sauna and cold-plunge practice; why he finds...

Some bands would prefer that you do not perceive them, and Mazzy Star are one of those bands. How does a duo that rejects the concept of modernity so thoroughly come to achieve the prominence and cult-like devotion that Mazzy Star did? With goddamn gorgeous beautiful songs, for starters. This week’s guest Meaghan Garvey joins Yasi to chart how this Los Angeles band found its way into the hearts an...

Jeff Rosenstock has been making good, heartfelt music for most of his life. The singer, songwriter, and composer for children’s show 'Craig of the Creek' stops by the show to talk about his new record, 'HELLMODE,' the good and bad ways to get rockognized, and the enduring glory of “Bump” by Spank Rock. All that and much more this week on '24 Question Party People.' Host: Yasi SalekGuest: Jeff Rose...

From the ashes of Operation Ivy rose Rancid, a hard-working generational punk band from the fertile grounds of the East Bay. This week Michael Bingham from the band Spiritual Cramp joins us to chart the course and enduring music of a band that exists at the intersection of The Specials and Agnostic Front.  Follow Michael’s band on Twitter @Spiritual_Cramp Listen to songs we detail in the episode H...

The Gaslight Anthem are dadded and in their mild era. Brian Fallon comes by the show to discuss this stage of life, describe what pork roll is to an increasingly worried Yasi, and explain why he doesn’t get jumpy around Bruce Springsteen. Join The Ringer’s Rob Harvilla (‘60 Songs That Explain the ’90s’), Yasi Salek (‘Bandsplain’), and Chris Ryan (‘The Rewatchables’/‘The Watch’) at the Teragram Bal...

We celebrate our 100th episode with special guests - our beloved listeners. America’s favorite podcaster and Bandsplain father figure Rob Harvilla joins us for a mailbag episode to answer your burning questions, and occasionally dole out unsolicited advice. Plus, a VERY special guest joins us at the top of the episode for a proper walk down memory lane. Thank you for listening to Bandsplain. Host:...

This week on '24 Question Party People,' we have a first—two guests at the party. Together, Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince of The Kills reflect on their long-standing friendship, making their first record in seven years, learning new things to make new music, and more. As always, important touchstones like protein shakes for tour prep, navigating a tabloid onslaught, and growing up a bit sensitiv...

In addition to being a gorgeous rom com, the movie Singles also ended up preserving the Seattle music scene of the early 90’s in film amber. Cameron Crowe’s homage of vignettes to his adopted home brought together now iconic artists like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Chris Cornell and Soundgarden, and Mudhoney. Whether the artists thought the project was a good idea or not varied, but the results we...

On this week's '24 Question Party People', Yasi checks in with Beach Fossils' Dustin Payseur about ICP, a candy forward diet, touring with Post Malone all summer, and the gorgeous new Beach Fossils album 'Bunny'. Host: Yasi SalekGuest: Dustin PayseurProducer: Jesse Miller-GordonAssociate Producer: Chris SuttonAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Hether Fortune Learn more abo...

This week Chris Ryan joins us to discuss the first Sub Pop band East of the Mississippi, the Afghan Whigs. Afghan Whigs are a band that has always been exactly themselves, fronted by an iconoclast who approaches putting together albums like he's making a movie. A dark, f*cked up movie. From their Cincinnati roots to leaving a crater in Memphis partying with Primal Scream, to their breakup, reforma...

Darius Rucker comes on the program with the unexpected mission of expressing support and admiration for the Sex Pistols' seminal debut single, “Anarchy in the U.K.” OK, he also came on to tell us about his beautiful new record, 'Carolyn’s Boy.' After briefly touching on Yasi’s performance of "Only Wanna Be With You," the two dive into loving R.E.M., despising opening the mail, and much more on thi...

Welcome back to the Bandsplain episode that doesn’t see a good reason why it should smile. We join our heroes once again, to find them restless in Manchester (for now). Things move quickly for the quartet and as quickly as they rise to deserved prominence they just as quickly begin to see small cracks in the foundation of the band. Naomi Fry is back to grace us with her knowledge and wisdom, in th...

Celebrated musician and fellow podcaster Lou Barlow joins the show this week to compare podcasting styles and scheduling preferences and to share best practices for filing systems and great hacks for spreadsheets. Yasi and Lou don’t really do any of that, but they do chat about matters of the heart, soul, and mind—as well as an Evan Dando party story that you have to hear to believe—this week on '...

Manchester, so much to answer for. From 1982 to 1987, The Smiths produced more goddamn gorgeous beautiful songs than many other artists do in their entire careers. How did something so fragile burn so brightly in such a dark corner of northern England? How did a stylish young guitar savant find the shyest poet, the one who lurked alone in the corner at every gig in the city? This week we are joine...

If you were given $5 to go away in 2007, that would be worth $7.40 in today’s economy. Fortunately, Yasi’s fee has gone up in the years in between, and she reunites with Slug this week to discuss this inciting incident, as well as child-rearing and break dancing. It’s another perfectly normal week on '24 Question Party People.' Host: Yasi SalekGuest: SlugProducer: Jesse Miller-GordonAssociate Prod...

Chris Ryan, Rob Harvilla, and Jon Caramanica join Yasi in the Thunderdome to pick their favorite songs and moments from the year that started the 90’s: the last year of the 80’s. Can someone’s own take also be their draft pick? And who ultimately emerged as the winner of the draft? Listen and decide for yourself, this week on Bandsplain.  You can follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisRyan77 You can follow...

This week on '24 Question Party People' we are joined by Yasi's mate Matt Helders, founding member and legendary drummer of the Arctic Monkeys. Matthew joins us from backstage somewhere on the eastern seaboard to weigh in on his experiences with Lisa Vanderpump and Sir Paul McCartney, starting a band before you play an instrument, true love, and humor as a British cultural value. Host: Yasi SalekG...

Death Cab for Cutie emerged from the Pacific Northwest in the late 90’s and came to embody the indie sound of the mid aughts, rising to fame alongside the teenage melodrama they helped soundtrack. Today they are still releasing meaningful music while many of their peers faded away.  Author Michael Tedder joins Yasi to trace their path from early years to the present.  Follow Michael Tedder on Twit...