RiYL

Note: We're a bit on the short side due to technical difficulties with the recording, but the audio is largely un-impacted. The role the cartoonist laureate is not wholly defined, allowing its representative to make the position their own. Tillie Walden is the fourth person to hold the title, preceded by Rick Veitch, Alison Bechdel, Edward Koren, and James Kochalka. Given the breadth of the wo...

Even in reflection, there's no standing still. To mark the 20th anniversary of her solo debut, "Real Life," Joan Wasser re-recorded all 10 tracks, capturing their evolution of the decades. "Real Life Evolution" is a tacit acknowledgement that there can never be definitive versions of any songs. The mere act of committing them to tape is hasting their continued transformatio...

On November 29, 2024, Will Cullen Hart left this world behind. Through some strange cosmic coincide, his passing arrived the same day as two single from the Olivia Tremor Control’s third and final album. Both and Doss – who passed in 2012 – left behind a mostly finished album. But nothing has ever been simple with this band. One could never fully declare an album finished without the band’s two fr...

As midwestern emo is having a moment, Nymb found itself unexpectedly TikTok famous. Reissues have followed -- a second act for the group that lived and breathed these songs in the waning days of the 20th century. Frontwoman-turned-Neon Trees drummer, Elaine Bradley, joins us to discuss the journey and what it means for a band to be "back." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

Far Out Country I was released to world in June, the second half of double album kept of the streaming until just this week. Fan who purchased the record on vinyl got a three-month head imbibing disc two's more introspective fare -- a secret weapon of sorts, when catching the Athens, GA band on its never-ending tour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's the significance of an 18 album milestone? For one thing, says, Laurie Berkner, her songs can vote and be drafted. In some places they can drink. Mostly, however, it's a legacy of enduring music that are now be passed down from children now old enough to have children of their own. The Queen of Kids Music's latest EP, I Got Invited, is available now . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

A legend among legends, The Frogs emerged as one of the most singular acts of the 80s/90s alternative music scene. Brothers Jimmy and Dennis Flemion were propelled by a love of pure pop rock, ultimately making a name through absurdly hilarious “Made Up Songs” that comprise a large piece of the band’s considerable discography. In the wake of Dennis’s unexpected death in 2012, Jimmy has carried on,...

What's 40 or so years between mates? Released in June, Boxing the Compass marked Haircut 100's first album since 1984 -- longer than that, if you exclude the band's sophomore effort, which arrived after frontman Nick Heyward's departure (as many are wont to do). The new album album is focused, reinvigorated, and a lot more fun than it has any right to be, Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

Cartoonist, songwriter, children's book author, twin-haver. There's little Leah Hayes can't do. The latter serves as real-life inspiration for her latest Fantagraphics book, Identical . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 14 years, Alexander Hacke and Danielle de Picciotto are home. For now, at least. The couple's 10th album as hackedepicciotto arrives with the title Lichtung, the German word for a clearing in a forest. It's a celebration of a well-deserved rest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One thing you should know about Cedar Van Tassel is that he'll happily bend your ear about surprising depth and diversity of prairie grass species. Another thing you should know is that the artist lives on a farm, but isn't a farmer really -- at least not by trade -- instead earning a living amid the world of ecological restoration projects. A third -- and arguably most important -- thing is that...

Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Action Swingers, Lydia Lunch, Mick Collins -- Bob Bert has kept the beat for some of the best. This year, the drummer's own name finally graces the front of the album, with Beach Bongo Bloodbath. Mixing original with wildly original covers, the record puts the percussion's unique voice on full display. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If anything thing, Sorry Kid 's existence is a testament good bookkeeping. Gaps Johanna Samuels discovered when making her latest record had been with her for years -- decades in some cases. A mix of wisdom and hopefulness, the album offers a wide ranging guide to a singer-songwriter discovering the heights of her powers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forty years after bursting onto the So Cal punk scene, Kira Roessler officially released a self-titled debut. Its followup, Enigma, is due out next month. Plenty happened in the intervening decades, of course. She'd spend the next few years dual majoring in applied engineering at UCLA and bass with Black Flag. While legendary, her stint in the latter was fairly short-lived, though the middle of th...

The whole singer-songwriter bit mostly got put on the back burner for the successful Broadway career. It's an all too familiar story. Win a Tony, star in a couple of wildly successful musicals, maybe some Hollywood films, and next thing you know that bit of your life is derailed. The last few years have found Gallagher back on that track, however, including the newly released EP, Almost OK, which...

Trained in opera and world traveled with an NYU master's in international relations and music diplomacy, Alicia Waller truly finds her voice on Louder, Then. As a lifelong student of jazz raised on the socially conscious soul of Marvin Gaye, Waller refers to her on-going dialog as, "the sound of a Black woman in conversation with the world." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat...

Fifteen years later, the melodic noise punks have returned. Now with twice as many drummers. Set of All Sets marks an unexpected comeback, as the one-time Brooklyn-based band's parts are now spread across the continental U.S. Though band members are never too far in the age of group chat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the end, he didn't leave for too long. Don Barnes set out on a solo career in '87, recorded a record in '89, and was back in 38 Special by '92. A series of unfortunate events held that solo record, Ride the Storm, in limbo for decades until it saw a proper release in 2017. 38 Special remained a powerhouse of southern rock all those years, before returning to the studio for 2025's Milestone. Hos...

A deeply personal record like In the Last Hour of Light could only have come out under his own name. A musical career that began under the moniker, The One AM Radio, morphed into an award winning podcast career through Song Exploder and has since added musical scores for film and television. Hrishikesh Hirway stays fresh by always stretching, moving, and trying something new. Hosted on Acast. See...

More than anything, Greg Norton is a survivor. Following a major health scare in 2022, the legendary bassist released Dying to Smile, the debut from his new band, Ultrabomb. While the lineup has undergone a major shift, Norton has wasted no time with its follow up, The Bridges That We Burn . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"It's such a gift to be queer," Nicole Georges says, putting a bow on our hour-long chat. "It's such a gift to be punk. It's such a gift to be queer and to be in these alternative spaces, and to have so many friends who are also in this community, and also have shared backgrounds, shared therapeutic practices, where we can all connect to each other in a really deep way." The Calling Dr. Laura/Invi...

Life's good when it's just a couple of guys singing about butts (everyone's got 'em). "The Dreamin' Kind" Langhorne Slim healthy, happier, and more rocking than ever before. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's two decades between releases? Yttling Jazz returned this year, with a new lineup and album, Illegal Hit. Björn Yttling wears his jazz influences on his sleeve, paying tribute to the greats of the form, and enjoying every moment of the process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No New York picks up where Peter and the Wolves, with young Cleveland transplant Adele Bertei landing in New York amid a burgeoning new scene. No wave -- a an avant-garde musical and visual art moment -- was harder to classify than its contemporaries, punk and new wave. Bertei participated in all aspects of the movement, as a member of the Contortions and the Bloods, starring in Lizzie Borden...

Born during the pandemic, deary proudly wear their influences on their sleeve. Most immediate is a love of the Cocteau Twins, which first connected guitarist Ben Easton and singer Dottie Cockram. The latter's vocals soar ethereally on "Seabird," happily evoking the legendary Liz Fraser. The track marks the first single from deary's forthcoming debut LP, Birding, which finds the trio embracing life...