100 Words Or Less: The Podcast

This week we kick off a new annual tradition with The Best of the Rest, joined by Riley Breckenridge (Thrice, Less Art). Riley drops by to talk through the records that just barely missed our Top 10 cut this year—the heartbreakers, the growers, and the albums that lived in heavy rotation even if they didn’t make the final list. Along the way we touch on his life in and out of bands, how his listen...

This week we’re joined by Will Anderson, songwriter, guitarist, and driving force behind Hotline TNT. Will traces his path from the Midwest DIY circuit to building one of the most emotionally direct guitar bands of the last decade, including a surreal early moment where a young Justin Vernon was his camp counselor—long before Bon Iver became a household name. We talk about creative whiplash: jumpi...

On this episode, we’re joined by Mercedes Arn-Horn of Softcult for a wide-ranging, laid-back conversation ahead of the band’s new record arriving this January. We talk about finding a creative “zen” state in writing and production, the importance of ownership—of songs, ideas, and identity—and why subtlety can often be more powerful than being loud or explicit. Mercedes reflects on building somethi...

This mailbag episode pulls back the curtain on the podcast, reflecting on the most-listened-to conversations of the year—featuring Brenden Murphy, Dwid & Aaron Melnick, George (Blacklisted / Staticlone), Brian from Incendiary, and Josh James (STYG). We also spotlight “new” bands shaping the present and future with guests from End It, Home Front, Restraining Order, and Saturdays At Your Place....

On this episode, we break down our favorite records of 2025 with two trusted voices in punk and hardcore: Jeremy Bolm (singer of Touché Amoré , founder of Secret Voice) and Joey Cahill ( Wanna Hear It Records ). We talk standout releases, unexpected favorites, and what made this year hit harder than most. It’s a wide-ranging, opinionated conversation about the music that defined 2025 for us. Best...

On this episode, we talk with The Unraveling co-authors Karl Buechner and Jeremy Mueller. Karl, best known as the voice of Earth Crisis , brings decades of perspective from a life deeply rooted in hardcore, while Jeremy offers the complementary lens that helped shape the book’s broader narrative. Together they dig into what it means to be taken seriously—both as writers and as people coming from s...

This week on the show, we sit down with Graeme McKinnon, vocalist, songwriter, and driving force behind Canadian post-punk powerhouse Home Front . Before blending icy synths with punk grit, Graeme cut his teeth in the world of hardcore—shaped early on by the tough, street-level bite of Blitz and the chaotic, uniquely Canadian spirit of SNFU. Those bands didn’t just influence his taste; they rewire...

In this episode, I talk with Dan Gump, founder of Life Sentence Records and vocalist of Excessive Force , about his unique path through hardcore. We get into his upbringing, discovering punk, and how serving in the Marine Corps shaped his perspective once he became part of the OC and Midwest hardcore scenes. Dan reflects on what it means to be a straight edge adult, how that identity evolves over...

In this episode, we sit down with Scott Angelacos—the unmistakable voice behind Bloodlet , Hope & Suicide, and Hollow Leg —to dig into the history, mythology, and lived reality of one of Florida’s heaviest and most influential frontmen. Scott walks us through the early days of Bloodlet, the unique darkness that shaped their sound, and the gritty Florida scene that helped forge so many boundary...

New episode featuring Petey USA — the musician, comedian, and all-around creative dude known for blending vulnerable songwriting with offbeat humor and viral sketches. We talk about how collaboration has shaped his approach to both music and comedy, what it felt like to throw the first pitch at a Cubs game, and the balance between sincerity and absurdity that’s become his signature. From recording...

This week, we sit down with Brett Burnham, vocalist of Torn Apart and longtime tattoo artist, for a deep dive into the roots of Baltimore hardcore and the winding path that’s carried him from stages to tattoo shops. Torn Apart was one of the most intense and influential bands to come out of Baltimore 90s scene — a bridge between metalcore’s early chaos and hardcore’s emotional core — and their rel...

Few drummers have shaped punk rock’s heartbeat like Bill Stevenson. From pounding the kit for Black Flag to defining melodic hardcore with the Descendents , Bill’s fingerprints are all over the sound and soul of modern punk. Now in his early 60s, he’s as sharp, funny, and relentless as ever — splitting time between drumming, producing at his legendary Colorado studio The Blasting Room , and firing...

In this episode, we sit down with Patrick Cozens, frontman of Restraining Order , the Massachusetts/Connecticut hardcore band known for blending classic early ’80s energy with modern urgency. Patrick talks about growing up in the New England scene, how Restraining Order first came together, and the balance between being easygoing offstage and all-out intensity onstage. We dig into how both he and...

This episode features a conversation with Esden Stafne, bassist, vocalist, and founding member of saturdays at your place , the Michigan-based band whose blend of Midwest emo, pop sensibility, and raw sincerity has built a passionate following across DIY spaces and beyond. We dig into Esden’s life offstage—the quiet moments between tours, growing up in the Midwest, and how early influences shaped...

Akil Godsey of End It joins the show for a conversation that’s equal parts reflection and release. Hailing from Baltimore, End It has built their reputation on unfiltered honesty and chaotic energy — a band that channels the city’s grit into hardcore that’s both feral and deeply human. Akil talks about the cycles of death, debauchery, and the strange internet nostalgia of the MySpace-core era that...

In this episode, I sit down with Josh Newton, a musician whose fingerprints are all over some of the most compelling underground sounds of the past three decades. We trace his path from the fertile Kansas City scene of the ’90s, where Shiner carved out their space alongside the era’s noisy, angular bands, to his wild ride as a bassist in Every Time I Die, one of hardcore’s most unpredictable live...

HAPPY 13TH ANNIVERSARY TO THE SHOW. On this episode, we sit down with Tim McIlrath of Rise Against to dig into the band’s remarkable longevity and the intentional ways they’ve continued to challenge and inspire listeners over the years. Tim reflects on the band’s history—from their early days in Chicago’s punk and hardcore scene to becoming a globally recognized voice for resistance and change. We...

In this episode, Harper from Greet Death opens up about the deeper currents running through her life and music. She reflects on the impact Blink-182 had on her formative years, not just as a gateway into punk and alternative music, but as a band that showed how vulnerability and humor could coexist. We also explore how Greet Death has often been miscategorized—labeled as shoegaze, doom, slowcore,...

We sat down with Garrett Klahn from Texas Is the Reason for a conversation that goes way beyond the band. We talked about growing up in the Buffalo hardcore scene, hanging out at Home of the Hits and why that record store meant so much, and how nostalgia creeps in when you look back on music that shaped your life. Garrett opened up about his early days, the friendships that stuck, and what it feel...

On this episode, I sit down with Drew Ringo from Sleepytime Trio to dig into the stories and experiences that shaped his life in music. We talk about what it was like to grow up around Washington, D.C. in the 1980s, a scene that set the tone for so much of what came later. Drew shares memories from an ambitious five-month tour that pushed the band to its limits and taught them how to survive on th...

In this episode we sit down with Scott Winegard, bassist of the seminal post-hardcore band Texas Is The Reason . Emerging from New York City’s 90s underground, the band carved out a legacy with their melodic sensibilities, introspective lyrics, and their enduring influence on the emo/post-hardcore movement. Scott reflects on those years with a mix of honesty and humor, touching on memorable storie...

In this episode, we sit down with Geert Van Der Velde, best known for his time fronting the influential hardcore band Shai Hulud . Geert shares insights from his journey in the world of heavy music, reflecting on the band’s lasting impact and the philosophies that have shaped his life and art. From exploring nihilism and the role it’s played in his worldview, to the importance of taking chances an...

In this episode, we sit down with Ryan Kirby, frontman of Texas-based metalcore heavyweights, Fit For A King . Since their formation in 2007, the band has carved out a place at the forefront of modern metalcore with their crushing riffs, soaring choruses, and relentless touring schedule. Ryan opens up about how the genre has evolved over the last decade, from its underground roots to its current m...

In this episode, we sit down with Tim Williams, frontman of the groundbreaking Long Island band Vision of Disorder . We dig into the band's rise from local legends to Ozzfest veterans, the intensity of their early shows, and the moments that made VOD a pillar of heavy music in the late '90s and early 2000s. Tim also opens up about life outside the stage—his work in carpentry, staying grounded, and...

In this episode, we sit down with Taylor McLam—guitarist of the influential post-hardcore band Orange 9mm and creative force behind Fountainhead —to trace a career that bridges underground grit and mainstream polish. Taylor shares vivid memories from the heyday of Warped Tour in the '90s, when Orange 9mm brought their explosive energy to a new generation of punk and hardcore kids. We dig into what...