Sparkle Hard, Stephen Malkmus' seventh album with his band The Jicks, finds the indie-rock icon/god experimenting with a more "mainstream" palate, slinging some prerequisite Pavement vibes, and even recording one of the most political songs of his career. On our latest podcast, Kevin, Drew, and (Malkmus-superfan) Eduardo are dissecting the new LP to find out if Malkmus has still got "magic," or if his particular brand of indie-rock has seen it's better days. PLUS! Whether they're from a far-away universe or somewhere deep within your mind (it is unclear, tbh), the Austin, Texas-based Golden Dawn Arkestra is inviting YOU along on their journey with the first single from their upcoming LP, Children Of The Sun!Show NotesGet to know Golden Dawn Arkestra!Official Site | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Synth-rock provocateurs Stronger Sex have gone through several lineup changes over the past few years, but on their debut LP There Is No Stronger Sex the (now) duo of Johnny Fantastic and Leah Gage (both veterans of the DC DIY scene) have found their "final form," and the result is an electric and aggressively danceable album that is one of the most exciting releases of 2018. On our latest episode, Johnny Fantastic is joining Kevin in the basement for a frank discussion about the band's history, the importance of queer representation in the arts, dog-walker life, the value of personal identity, and the ultimate inevitability of Seán Barna.PLUS! Luna Honey's debut LP Peace Will Grind You Down is landing in July, but we've got a taste of what the latest addition to the Blight Records has in store for you right here and right now!Show NotesGet to know Luna Honey!Official Site | Facebook | Bandcamp | InstagramIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past fifty years and more than thirty-five albums and soundtracks, guitarist Ry Cooder has pushed boundaries, made history, and proved time and time again why many consider him to be one of the greatest musicians of all time.On The Prodigal Son - his first album in five years - Cooder is going back to the crossroads to deliver a scathing (and often hilarious) indictment the times we're in through gospel and blues songs that have spoken to our condition for generations. Join Kevin, Eduardo and Drew as they dig into this remarkable artist's past, present, and what his legacy may mean for the future of music worldwide. Show NotesIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On his 15th album, Damien Jurado is coming back down to earth and leaving the cosmic vibes of Maraqopa for more familiar territory. The self-produced The Horizon Just Laughed finds the singer/songwriter coupling the more straightforward folk influences that could be found in his prior work with a 60's/70's pop sensibility to produce one of the most engaging and heartfelt albums of his career. PLUS! Nashville's Erin Rae has a killer new album (Putting On Airs) coming in June, and we're spinning it's latest, heart-wrenching single "Bad Mind."Show NotesGet to know Erin Rae!Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even in the darkest of timelines, Janelle Monáe has always been the most triumphant of superstars, and five long years, Janelle Monáe is finally returning to music to claim her throne.. Featuring the likes of Grimes, Brian Wilson, and everyone in between, Dirty Computer lets its freak flag fly higher than fuck, and the results represent a landmark achievement in pop, hip-hop, funk, and whatever the hell else Monáe feels like proving she's better than the rest of us at. PLUS! The Australian psych scene is on the rise again and Turtle Skull may be leading the charge. Check out a dank new track "Eden" from their upcoming self-titled EP. Show NotesGet to know Turtle Skull! Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past few decades Country has dominated the music industry by embracing pop and hip-hop sensibilities, which makes Joshua Hedley's debut album Mr. Jukebox all that more refreshing. Forget "saving" country music, Hedley is merely laying down some great storytelling with a little twang, a time-tested recipe for feeling good, even if you're feeling bad. Kevin, Marcus, and Eduardo are taking a spin with this surprise hit of 2018, so come along for the ride and feel the love!PLUS! Philadelphia, PA's Hop Along is back with a new record - Bark Your Head Off, Dog - and it's giving Eduardo ALL of the feels so we're spinning a track to get your heart swelling along with him. Show NotesGet to know Hop Along! Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Known to most of the world as a political playground, Washington, D.C. is a city where decisions that shape the course of, not just American, but HUMAN history, are made every day. More than that though, D.C. is a city where cultures collide resulting in a creative class that produces some of the most compelling and diverse art in the world. Built on the legacy of jazz and go-go, D.C. is on the cusp of a creative explosion and bringing everything from hip-hop to indie rock into the fold.In part four of our Sounds of Washington, DC series, we're dipping our toes into the DIY space, traveling back in time for some homegrown jazz/funk, and getting serious about what needs to be done to protect and revive this city's native culture for not just a day, but all year long. Show NotesGet to know the artists featured in this episode:BRNDA: Official Site | Bandcamp | Facebook | TwitterTired All The Time: Bandcamp | FacebookDove Lady: Bandcamp | FacebookAkoko: Bandcamp | TwitterThe Blackbyrds: WikipediaSupport/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK]Incidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stoner metal legends Sleep are back with a surprise new album - their first in almost twenty years - that dropped on that highest of holidaze, 4/20. Are the heady trio's new jams worth the wait, or are they skunked like so many lost bags of dirtweed? Kevin and Paul have got the hookup and aim to find out.PLUS! Joachim Cooder's new album Fuchsia Machu Picchu confirms that genius runs in the family and we're spinning it's tasty new single for you to get lost in!Show NotesGet to know Joachim Cooder! Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | BandcampIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On their sophomore LP Port Saint Joe, Brothers Osborne has pulled off the rare feat of being EXACTLY as good as the hype makes them out to be. Good times, sick jams, with copious amounts of whiskey, weed, and Willie all make this "country" album one of the years best releases whether you believe in Nashville or not. PLUS! We've got some thoughts on the current state of Country Music journalism, Kendrick's Pulitzer, and Washington state's The Moondoggies are back from the cosmos with a new album and a new single to go along with it!Show NotesGet to know The Moondoggies! Bandcamp | Facebook | TwitterIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The best art happens when like-minded creatives get together with the simple goal of sharing and exploring a moment or feeling. For their debut album, Loma - the band made up of Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg and Cross Record's Emily Cross and Dan Duszynski - headed to the Texas countryside to craft their shared vision and returned with one of the best albums of 2018 to date. Intimate, but sonically sprawling, Loma depends as much on the sounds of the locale where it was created as it does the grandiose soundscapes of Peter Gabriel and exacting folk of Fairport Convention. We're here for it, and you should be too, so let's hang out for a few and talk about this remarkable first step for a band we hope will be around for years to come. PLUS! Motorcade loves that 80's sound ERGO we love Motorcade and have got a track to turn you on to them too!Show NotesGet to know Motorcade! Facebook | TwitterCheck out the video for "Recover" off of Motorcade's self-titled debut.Incidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Living Colour is one of the most important bands in music history. On their third release Stain, the black rock innovators dug deep into the history of their culture, the dysfunction of America, and the sounds of underground rock and roll and came back with violent, high-volume exploration of love, hate, identity, and deep humanity that resonates maybe even stronger in 2018 then it did twenty-five years ago.Join Kevin and Marcus along with special guest Timothy Anne Burnside as they work through this intense, complicated masterpiece, it's legacy, the questions AND answers it poses, much, much more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over twelve years and six albums, Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack have proven time and again that their talents know no boundaries. Their new LP The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs, finds the experimentation that the duo has been pursuing over the past few years - both within the constraints of Wye Oak and through various solo projects (Flock of Dimes, El Vey, Dungeonesse) - coalescing into a real evolution of the band that isn't just their strongest release to date, but one of the best albums of 2018. Join us as we try to suppress our fanaticism and explore what makes this record so singular, and such a milestone for one of indie rocks greatest bands.PLUS! Motorcade loves that 80's sound ERGO we love Motorcade and have got a track to turn you on to them too! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creation doesn't happen in a vacuum, and in Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968, author (and Hallelujah The Hills frontman) Ryan Walsh explores every weird, fantastical nook and cranny of Boston that surrounded and seeped into Van Morrison's soul-bending masterpiece. We're sitting down with Walsh to discuss how he brought this story to life, the eternal value of having your mind blown, and a history of his hometown that has remained largely untold until now.Tune in, drop out, and slip into the slipstream for a fascinating conversation about one of the all-time-great books about rock and roll and the forces that shape it.Show NotesRead Ryan H. Walsh's original 2015 Boston Magazine article about Van Morrison's Astral Sojourn. [Boston Magazine]Free your mind and discover Ultimate Spinach [Wikipedia]Incidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves is dialing back the humor and turning up the heart to deliver what many are saying is her best work to date. Is this latest collection of genre-defying, lane-shifting "country" songs the future of Musgraves, or just a stepping stone on the way to something better? We've assembled a panel of Musgraves superfans to find out.PLUS! Jazz Bassist songwriter Nicole Saphos is classing up the #DCMusic joint and we've got a taste of her groovin' new EP Buzz and Bloom to get you hip.Show NotesGet to know Nicole Saphos!Official Site | Facebook | TwitterGet to know Local Woman RecordsOfficial Site | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jean Grae and Qeulle Chris are both musical forces to be reckoned with in their own rights. Put em together, and you get what is sure to be one of the best albums of 2018. A heady shot of high-concept outrage, hip-hop, and heart, Everything's Fine is an unmitigated masterpiece that will serve as a lightning rod for anyone who rages against the insanity of modern existence for years to come.Marcus J. Moore, Senior Editor at Bandcamp and author of the upcoming book The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America, joins us as we dive into this pièce de résist to find out if everything is, in fact, fine, and if it isn't, how are we gonna make it better?Show NotesGet to know Numero Group and their Eccentric Soul series!Official Site | Bandcamp Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Known to most of the world as a political playground, Washington, D.C. is a city where decisions that shape the course of, not just American, but HUMAN history, are made every day. More than that though, D.C. is a city where cultures collide resulting in a creative class that produces some of the most compelling and diverse art in the world. Built on the legacy of jazz and go-go, D.C. is on the cusp of a creative explosion and bringing everything from hip-hop to indie rock into the fold.In part three of our Sounds of Washington, DC series, we're joined by Blight Records label-head Benjamin Schurr and Mystery Friends guitarist Dave Mohl for a synth-heavy hang with some serious discussion about the DC scene thrown in for good measure.Show NotesGet to know the artists featured in this episode:Echelon The Seeker: Bandcamp | Facebook | TwitterSwoll: Official Site | Facebook | TwitterSir E.U: Bandcamp | Facebook | TwitterQueue: Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramLearn more about Blight Records: Official Site | Facebook | TwitterLearn more about Mystery Friends: Official Site | Facebook | TwitterIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [link] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a recent diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease, legendary singer/songwriter Neil Diamond announced that after Fifty Years of sold-out crowds all over the world he was retiring from the road. But NEVER from creating music.Andrew Wright (Blankus Larry) and Marcus K. Dowling (Iconoclasm) are joining Kevin in the basement to celebrate the career of this living legend, how his music shattered boundaries to become benevolently ubiquitous, and some awkward truths about Diamond's finest hour, the 1980 film The Jazz Singer.Show NotesIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On our latest podcast, we're turning over our mics to Marcus K. Dowling as he explores the intersection of hip-hop and country with R-Son and Rench of Gangstagrass. It's a (mostly) Kevin-free conversation that you're not gonna want to miss.Show NotesIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when one of the most revered indie-rock bands of all time gets fed up with the state of the world around them? On What A Time To Be Alive, Superchunk answers that question the only way they know how: with shrieking guitars, wit, and fury. On our latest episode, musician/photog/cat dad PJ Sykes is joining Kevin via teh interwebs to dive into this minor masterpiece of righteous outrage that may just save us all.PLUS! Richmond, VA's DOLL BABY has a throwback sound that sounds all their own, and we're spinning one of PJ's favorite tracks for your education and enjoyment.Show NotesGet to know Doll Baby!: Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On her latest LP, Brandi Carlile isn't so much returning to her roots as she is challenging the idea of what folk and Americana can be, and maybe should become. Sonically and stylistically diverse, the Dave Cobb produced By The Way, I Forgive You is a seemingly unconnected collection of songs that, taken together, packs an emotional wallop unlike anything in Carlile's career. PLUS! Eduardo goes crate digging and comes back with a killer track from Italian singer/songwriter Pino Daniele that Steely Dan fans are gonna love!Show NotesGet to know Pino Daniele: WikipediaIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1993 Lenny Kravitz was a star to some, and a point of confusion to many more. But none of that kept him from creating his future-forward masterpiece that plays as hot today as it did twenty-five years ago.Timothy Anne Burnside (NMAAHC) and Marcus K. Dowling (Medium) join Kevin in the basement to dig into this timeless LP, and get to the heart of why Kravitz was - and probably still is - misunderstood as an artist, the legacy of his music, and how making art that comes directly from the heart and soul is always gonna win. Always, every time. Show NotesIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucy Dacus's debut album No Burden announced the Richmond, Virginia native to the world as a musical force to be reckoned with.On her sophomore effort, Historian, Lucy and her band haven't just lived up to that expectation, they've created a modern classic. That's it. That's the pitch. Go listen to the album NOW, then come back to hear Kevin and Eduardo gush.PS. We're bum ping a rad track from Washington, DC's Stronger Sex after all the gushing.Show NotesIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

R. Kelly. Michael Jackson. Woody Allen. Kanye West. Roman Polanski. Chris Brown. Harvey Weinstein. These and many more artists and entertainment luminaries have all reached the peak of and continue to enjoy great success despite being, in some cases, general a-holes, and in many, guilty of acting on, the worst impulses humanity has to offer. On a very special episode, we're talking about the separation between art and artist, how much responsibility do we as fans have, and when enough should be enough.Show NotesR. Kelly photo by Sebastian Kim. [GQ]Incidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Known to most of the world as a political playground, Washington, D.C. is a city where decisions that shape the course of, not just American, but HUMAN history, are made every day. More than that though, D.C. is a city where cultures collide resulting in a creative class that produces some of the most compelling and diverse art in the world. Built on the legacy of jazz and go-go, D.C. is on the cusp of a creative explosion and bringing everything from hip-hop to indie rock into the fold.In part two of our Sounds of Washington, DC series, we're joined by the duo April + Vista, one of the city's rising stars, to explore a little bit of the history of "Chocolate City", some of the music that made the nation's capital such a fertile landscape for African-American musicians to thrive in, and how economic shifts and gentrification have changed things for that tradition, maybe for good. Show NotesGet to know the artists featured on this episode:Gil Scott-Heron : WikipediaBraxton Cook: Official Site | Twitter | InstagramBasehead: WikipediaTOB: SoundcloudDJ Flexx: Twitter | InstagramApril + Vista: Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [link] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eight years ago, before To Pimp A Butterfly, before The Epic, the West Coast Get Down was a rising force in the Los Angelas jazz scene...who recorded their epic work in Kamasi Washington's garage.On The Optimist, WCGD trombonist Ryan Porter is unleashing some of the group's early work as scrappy young jazz savants and in the process revealing the heart of what drives its member's dominance of the music world to this day. Bandcamp's Marcus J. Moore joins Kevin and Marcus K. Dowling (Iconoclasm) as they dig in on this sumptuous slice of music history.PLUS! What happens when revered DC-based jazz guitarist Anthony Pirog joins forces with the rhythm section of Brendan Canty (The Effects, Fugazi) and Joe Lally (Fugazi)? Find out on "Serpent Tongue" the first single from their upcoming debut on Dischord Records!Show NotesGet to know The Messthetics: Bandcamp | Facebook Incidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every great band starts somewhere and for Radiohead, their introduction to the world was the biggest hit of their career wrapped in an album of loud, forward-thinking, guitar rock.And for some reason their fans hate it. We're holding court to defend this classic album and show why it's not just so much more than "Creep", it's one of the best albums of their career.BUT FIRST: We need #GunControlNow, and it's the younger generation that is going to finally put a stop to the murder-machine that is the NRA. Kevin shares some thoughts and some brave words (courtesy of NPR) from one of the survivors of the most recent American tragedy in Parkland, Florida.Because some things are more important than music.Show NotesIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All it took was an off-the-cuff show back in 2014, and the trio of Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O'Donovan knew they had something special. Formalizing this new union under the name I'm With Her, the three powerhouses have spent the past few years sporadically touring the group around, releasing an EP, and now they are releasing their much-anticipated debut full-length, See You Around.Built on a foundation of tradition, intimate confessionalism, and expert musicianship, See You Around owes as much to the musician's past as it seems like a logical waypoint on their journey through song. We're going in on the supergroup's debut to find out if I'm With Her has got legs or if we're going to be seeing them around for a long time to come.PLUS! Kim Ware's The Good Graces is back with The Hummingbird EP, and we've got it's charming AF leadoff track for you to put in your earholes!Show NotesGet to know The Good GracesOfficial Site | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, we thought it was high time to explore the dumber side of love. Throughout history, men have been writing songs about love in a quest to continually pitch their woo, but sometimes - pretty much every time - it just comes out wrong.Join Kevin, Carrie, Marcus, and Ian as they embark on a journey into the heart of derpness and laugh their way through some of the most egregiously awkward "love" songs that missed their mark, and then some. Show NotesIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the late 70's on the Sunset Strip an, ahem, eruption of pure rock-and-roll was about to occur, and it was to be led by four dudes by the name of Eddie, Alex, David, and Michael. Van Halen didn't just bring "ass-rock" into the 80's, the guitar wizardry of Edward Van Halen revolutionized the electric guitar in every way, from how it was played, to the gear that was used to keep it dialed up to 11.Join us as we celebrate the 40th anniversary this monster of rock with our friends Casey Rae (author, 'The Priest They Called Him: William S. Burroughs and the Cult of Rock 'n' Roll') and Marcus K. Dowling (Decades, Medium). We're on a quest to find out what makes rock-n-roll tick once and for all - or at least say the word "cock" a lot. Show NotesIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [LINK]Support/find out more about Washington, DC's Uptown Art House [LINK] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Washington, DC's The North Country has changed a lot in its seven years of making music. One thing that has remained consistent is front-man Andrew Grossman's commitment to creating electric and innovative pop and folk music pushes artistic boundaries as much as it honors them.On our latest episode, we're sitting down with Grossman to talk about the past and future of the band, what it takes to stay dedicated to making art in the nation's capital, Sean Barna, their new Ardor EP, and much, much more.Show NotesIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [link] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before they were country music's most "controversial" superstars, the Dixie Chicks ruled the charts with their savvy mix of bluegrass, country, and pop. On our latest episode, we're digging into the trios finest hour and the record that jump-started their career, 1998's iconic Wide Open Spaces. What was the legacy of this monster crossover hit on not just country music, but pop and rock? Why has endured as not only a classic, but a standard-bearer for excellence? Eduardo, Marcus, and Kevin are asking these questions and more as we dive deep into one of the biggest albums in country music history. SHOW NOTESIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [link] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Known to most of the world as a political playground, Washington, D.C. is a city where decisions that shape the course of, not just American, but HUMAN history, are made every day. More than that though, D.C. is a city where cultures collide resulting in a creative class that produces some of the most compelling and diverse art in the world. Built on the legacy of jazz and go-go, D.C. is on the cusp of a creative explosion and bringing everything from hip-hop to indie rock into the fold.On our latest podcast, we're kicking off a twelve-part series exploring the sounds of our home, where they come from, and where they may be going. Joining us for this inaugural installment of Sounds Of Washington, D.C. are Hometown Sounds host Paul Vodra, and Philip Basnight, one-half of D.C. folk-pop powerhouses Broke Royals.Show NotesGet to know the artists featured on this episode:Odd Mojo: Bandcamp | TwitterReed Appleseed: Bandcampallthebestkids: Official Site | Bandcamp | TwitterLight Beams: Bandcamp | Facebook | TwitterBroke Royals: Official Site | Facebook | TwitterChopteeth Afrofunk Big Band: Official Site | Facebook | TwitterIncidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [link] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Legendary drummer and bandleader Chris Dave has made a career out of playing with the best of the best. Featured on tracks by artists as diverse as D'Angelo, Justin Bieber, Adele, and Dolly Parton, Dave is a musical omnivore of the highest order. On his debut album with the Drumhedz, he's throwing everything into the mix (including the kitchen sink) to craft a potent stew of funk, jazz, pop, rock, soul, r&b and, of course, hip-hop, that educates, stimulates, and vibrates with life from start to finish. Featuring guest shots from Anderson .Paak, Bilal, Goapele, Phonte and more, Chris Dave and the Drumhedz is more than a showcase; it's an education. Join Kevin, Ian, and the mighty Marcus J. Moore (Senior Editor, Bandcamp) as they dig into this delicious treat for newcomers and music nerds alike.  PLUS: 16-year-old DC native MILES ave makes potent, politically charged, and, most importantly, honest hip-hop, and we're giving you a taste of his latest work, "The Debt." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the beginning, it was clear that Merril Garbus (tUnE-yArDs) is a force of nature. Over the course of now four albums, she has reshaped the pop landscape into a much more meaningful, and blissfully weirder, place. i can feel you creep into my private life, her most straightforward work to date (and now a duo featuring longtime collaborator Nate Brenner) isn't just a record that challenges what it means to be tUnE-yArDs, but the privilege and power that pop music commands in the modern age.PLUS! As Washington DC's The North Country continues to evolve, Andrew Grossman and crew take some time to revisit their latest full length (In Defense Of Cosmic Altruism) plus some choice outtakes on their luxuriant Ardor EP. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2008, Klara and Johanna Söderberg were just two Swedish kids with powerful voices and an undeniable love for American country and folk music. That same year, a video of them performing the Fleet Foxes track " Tiger Mountain Peasant" rocketed them into the spotlight, and they've never really left. On their fourth album Ruins, the duo moves beyond merely celebrating the American folk canon; they take their place as masters of the craft alongside the artists they idolize. PLUS! Singer/guitarist Lauren Calve and her band Run Come See have taken a hard look at the state of Trump's America, and on their latest single they're making it clear that they're not gonna take it anymore.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fifty years after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. died for holding the simple belief that ALL people were equal, regardless of religion, race or creed, racism still plagues the human condition. On our latest episode we’re taking time to honor his legacy, exploring the music that surrounded, shaped, and carries forward, his mission of equality for all, regardless of race or creed.Special guest Timothy Anne Burnside (NMAAHC) joins Kevin, Eduardo, and Marcus K. Dowling in the basement for a deep journey through some of the songs of freedom, righteousness, and truth that the Civil Rights Movement was built on, and continues to fight through to this day.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before they were the mega-hit makers of the 80's, Daryl Hall & John Oates were just a couple of doods in love with soul and R&B on a mission to share it with the world. On their 1973 masterpiece Abandoned Luncheonette, their second album for Atlantic records, the duo were coming of off an underperforming debut (Whole Oates) and were desperately searching for their identity.SPOILER ALERT: They found it. Sarah Godfrey and Marcus K. Dowling join Kevin in the basement to talk about an unmitigated classic that almost got lost in time...like we do.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With 2017 behind us, happy days are here again (?), but that doesn't mean we all don't have work to do.Kevin, Marcus, and Eduardo blast-off into the new year with a sometimes tough, but always honest, discussion about what we're looking forward to in 2018, for fans, musicians, scenes, the music industry, and more, naming names and taking a good look at ourselves in the process.It's 2018, and we're thrilled you made it. Now, lets head on down to the basement... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's likely that we'll look back at 2017 as the year almost everything fell apart, downerism ruled the land, and we came very close to being broken as a people. But we didn't break. We made it. And on this final installment of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast for 2017, we're discussing the music that lifted us up, dropped us down, and sometimes even showed us the way, but never, ever let us down.Thanks for tuning in all year. We'll see you soon. Until then be good to your ears, but be better to your people... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's likely that we'll look back at 2017 as the year almost everything fell apart, downerism ruled the land, and we came very close to being broken as a people. But we didn't break. We made it. And on this final installment of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast for 2017, we're discussing the music that lifted us up, dropped us down, and sometimes even showed us the way, but never, ever let us down.Thanks for tuning in all year. We'll see you soon. Until then be good to your ears, but be better to your people... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2017, Country was king, and there was no more significant player than Chris Stapleton. For the follow up to his Grammy-winning 2015 album Traveller, Stapleton teamed up again with producer Dave Cobb - the new proprietor of the historic Studio A in Nashville - to craft a record that was worthy of that room's history. The result was a two-part LP that represents the scope of Stapleton's musical identity. Where Volume 1, was a collection of newer songs, and an extension of his work on his debut, Volume 2, finds Stapleton not just mining his own past as a songwriting by putting to wax some of his oldest songs, but his history as a music fan through some choice covers.Join Kevin, Marcus, and Eduardo as we finish out our album reviews for 2017 on a high note, talking about Chris Stapleton's powerful sophomore release, From A Room.  Incidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [link] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the course of nine LP's Langhorne Slim (real name Sean Scolnick) has been crafting folk-pop gems that have taken him from small, backroom shows to the stages of the legendary Newport Folk Festival.On his latest effort, Lost At Last, Vol. 1, having grown weary of the usual recording cycle and the daily pressures of always being connected, the singer/songwriter and his band "...holed up in a friend's house in San Francisco to rehearse about twenty-five songs for five days and headed up to Stinson Beach to play 'em live in a room all together and press record." The result? Nothing less than one of the best albums of 2017. An album that feels spontaneous yet lived in, with songs that are just the right salve at just the right time to help heal the spiritual wounds that this year has set upon us all. Incidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [link] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mavis Staples, one of the greatest voices of this generation, or any, is back with a powerful new LP If All I Was Was Black. Continuing in her collaboration with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy in the production chair, the civil-rights icon is going back to her Chicago blues roots and delivering a powerful statement on racism in America in 2017.PLUS! Robert Ellis and Courtney Hartman have teamed up for an album celebrating the music of John Hartford, and the iconic first single is just as exquisite as you would expect.Incidental music courtesy of Aquatic Gardener. Hear more/buy it HERE.Support us on Patreon! [link] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the surprise success of their thoroughly weird and seismic shift in their sound on their 1992 Grammy-winning LP Out Of Time, Athens, Georgia's R.E.M., promised a loud, raucous follow up. What they delivered instead was a monument to the joys of melancholy, loss, and the never-ending quest for beauty in the world. 1994's Automatic For The People, seen by many as the high point of the band's career, cemented their status as rock-and-roll legend's, and it's humanity still resonates today, twenty-five years later. Join us as we look back on this modern masterpiece and explore how it's meaning has changed for our panel of superfans so many years later, why some of its messages are MORE important today, and much more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With six albums under her belt, Taylor Swift has built a career that has made her one of the biggest pop-stars in the world. So how is it that her latest album, Reputation is such a complete, million unit selling failure?Kevin and Marcus K. Dowling - both avowed Swift fans - are taking one for the team and attempting to navigate the depths the most narcissistic, cultural appropriating, and, to be clear, worst album of 2017. Yea...we're where fun goes to die.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Atlanta's Curtis Harding has been steeped in soul music his entire life. From singing in church with his family in Michigan as a child to being one of Cee Lo Green's star backup singers, Harding is a true veteran of the scene. On his second full length Face Your Fear, he's playing with is self-proclaimed "garage soul" formula again, this time enlisting the help of uber-producer Danger Mouse to drag a dying art form screaming into the future.PLUS! Country is king even in Canada, and Blake Berglund is living proof! We've got a taste of his new album Realms for you to sidle your ears up to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To say Julien Baker wears her heart on her sleeve would be an understatement. On Turn Out The Lights, the Memphis, Tennessee native (now based in Nashville) turns up the feels on an emotional roller coaster of an album that drags the listener down to the bottom and doesn't offer a clear way back from the depths.Kevin, Eduardo, and Marcus are spending some time with this elegiac powerhouse of an album and considering the truth in "downerism" and if it's OK to feel oh-so-not-OK.PLUS! Soul Man Gregory Porter is back and hitching a ride with Nat King Cole to make you "Smile" on his latest LP, Nat King Cole & Me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Control, Janet Jackson became a household name, but it wasn't until her 1989 album Rhythm Nation 1814 that she ascended to the status of music legend. Buttressed by pop hits and jam-packed with hooks set loose from some future utopia, Nation was a not-so-subtle exploration of racism, sexism, love, and social responsibility that sought to elevate our humanity by any means necessary. More importantly, it's an album who's messages sadly may be MORE relevant almost thirty years later.Join Kevin, Marcus K. Dowling, and Timothy Anne Burnside (National Museum of African American History and Culture) as they consider this landmark achievement in music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.