Songs of Our Lives

For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe on the show. After learning about how he first got into soundtracking and scoring work and I tell a story about the time we actually met in person, Robert brings the heat. We wade well beyond the deep end, getting into the enigmatic wonder of Yoko Ono, the lyrical brilliance of Damon Locks, Sade always bringing the mood, the...

For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite Niecy Blues on the show! Their new album, “Exit Simulation,” is one of 2023’s most astonishing debuts. After talking a little about that and growing up in Oklahoma, we dig into how Syreeta is one of the all-timers, getting suckered by fast food indie folk, the world of Gospel and Contemporary Christian music, one of the ultimate hype songs, asking ‘...

For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite Patrick Shiroishi on the show. It would take a novel to list all the incredible things Patrick is doing these days, but notably he has new album out this week, “I was too young to hear silence” on American Dreams. He’s also a member of The Armed, and has a dizzying array of collaborative projects on every single burner. We get into the wild backstor...

For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite the inimitable Larry Wish on the show! After talking a bit about his latest album, “Capricorn Sun,” and some of his characters (Composerhead!), we get into the meat of the episode. From breaking music boxes as a child and the sad, wonderfulness of Scott 3 to a world where only one song - the perfect song exists and the true avant garde nature of Nic...

For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite Marc Masters on the show! When I think about music writers that cover experimental music and sound in the margins, Marc is the first name on the team sheet. His new book, “High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape” is out now and is essential reading for the heads. On this episode, we wonder how The Eels’ friend Fred died, pizza-themed c...

For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite James Ginzburg on the show. James is a musician, producer, and old friend. He is ½ of emptyset and the founder of Subtext Records. On this episode, we get lost in the strangeness of John Denver’s words, the allure of Arthur Deller’s voice, how freaking great Irene Cara is, and loads more. Listen to all of James’s picks HERE Subtext Records emptyset...

For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite Eric Mingus on the show. Eric’s newest album, Lessons From My Father , is tremendous and moving. We talk about his research on the Mingus Mill in North Carolina and collaborating with Yo-Yo Ma before diving in to memories of his father, Charles Mingus, playing in the house, how far ahead of his time Miles was, The Band’s ability to make someone else...

For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite soprano, composer, and my favorite snake-loving witch, Nina Dante , on the show. Nina’s channel, The Snake Said to the River is among my favorite things on the internet, and her full-scale embrace of whimsy and magic is inspiring to me. We have a blast talking about falling for The Boss, questioning if The Bangles were cringeworthy or not, the power...

For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite New York composer and saxophonist, Jeff Tobias on the show. After a quick chat about Jeff’s latest album, Music from Milky Way Underground , we dig into memories of taxidermized squirrels using pipes as saxophones, bugs chilling with Rick Froberg, Jeff being dead inside, and so much more. Listen to all of Jeff’s Picks HERE Jeff Tobias’s website Jeff...

Each of us has them: songs that are like pathways into the many avenues of our lives. The stories we tell about them give a peek into who we are and what we're like. Whether it's a song we associate with our most important moments, something that made as cry, the things we love that nobody else does, or our favorite lyrics, we all have our own personal soundtrack. Hosted by Brad Rose . Presented b...