A Deeper Listen

Anaïs Mitchell has won a Grammy and 8 Tony awards for her musical, 'Hadestown.' She’s also in the band Bonny Light Horseman and has been featured as part of Big Red Machine, the musical project of Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of the National. She’s now out with her first new solo album in a decade.

Mitchell talks with Sound & Vision’s Emily Fox about leaving New York City early in the pandemic to give birth at her parents’ farm in Vermont, and staying there to write an album that’s filled with childhood nostalgia.  

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Animal Collective’s Josh Dibb aka Deakin talks about the various inspirations for the band's latest record, 'Time Skiffs,' including concerns over climate change, the feeling of losing human connection during COVID, and a musical art installation in New Orleans.

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The band Bait Bag calls North Haven Island, Maine, home, but their influences come from Washington State’s Riot Grrrl movement of the 90s. Their feminist punk sound and ethos challenges sexism, racism, transphobia and fascism and responds to reproductive justice, childbirth, climate change, and biology.

Contributor Caroline Losneck reports on Bait Bag’s inspiration and perception on their small, isolated island-- population 350.

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The late MC and producer J Dilla would have been 48 years old on February 7th. In honor of his birthday, KEXP’s Larry Mizell Jr. talks with author Dan Charnas about his new book, “Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm.” 

“To slam swing rhythms against straight rhythms simultaneously in ways that put them in a kind of rhythm conflict, this is that Dilla feel,” Charnas says.    

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Discord is a communication software that lets users chat in real time via text, audio, or video. Gamers have been using the platform since 2015.

Sound & Vision’s Roddy Nikpour reports on how Discord is growing in the music industry and is being used to connect with fans, especially during the pandemic.  

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Seattle had a thriving funk and soul scene in the 60s and 70s. There were dozens of bands and more than 20 venues specializing in the genres.

For today’s episode, Emily Fox talks with KEXP DJ Supreme La Rock about how he first discovered Seattle’s funk and soul scene while digging for records. His discoveries later turned into a compilation called 'Wheedle’s Groove,' released by Light in the Attic Records in 2004.

We also hear about the scene from drummer Robbie Hill of the Seattle funk bands Black on White Affair and Robbie Hill’s Family Affair, and why he turned down an opportunity to be signed to RCA records.

Watch the Wheedle's Groove documentary here

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-robbie-hill 

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The soulful trio Gabriels released their first EP in 2021. Elton John called it “one of the most seminal records I've heard in the last 10 years.” They’re now out with their latest EP, 'Bloodline.' Singer Jacob Lusk (who was a former American Idol contestant) talks about being “the most myself I’ve ever been” with this group. He also discusses how the theme of family lineage comes up in the EP.

“The overarching theme within the EP 'Bloodline,' there’s this thing of, ‘It’s in the bloodline. My dad was an alcoholic and my grandfather was an alcoholic, so I am. My mom was abused, my grandma was abused, my sister was abused, so I’m abused'. . . No, you don’t have to do that. You don’t have to live that life. You don’t have to be what your circumstances are. You can do whatever you want to do and be whoever you want to be,” Lusk says.

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January 22, 2022 was the 49th anniversary of Roe v Wade, the landmark US Supreme Court case that legalized abortion across the nation. Today on the podcast, we reflect on the human rights issue through music:

• Ishmael Butler and Larry Mizell, Jr. discuss the Digable Planets song, "La Femme Fétal," which was about the decision to terminate a pregnancy.  
• KEXP’s Albina Cabrera shares music about abortion from Latin America and explains how abortion laws are playing out there.
• Emily Nokes of the Seattle band Tacocat talks about taking abortion pills in front of the US Supreme Court as part of the Shout Your Abortion campaign. 

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Cat Power produced and released her 11th studio album and third covers album on January 14th. The cover songs span decades and genres, from old school country and Billie Holiday, to Nick Cave and Bob Seger, to contemporary artists like Lana Del Rey and Frank Ocean.

Chan Marshall of Cat Power spoke with Emily Fox about the record, overcoming her struggles with mental health, and how motherhood has grounded her and given her strength.

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Bonobo's most recent full-length album, 'Fragments,' came out on January 14. He talks with Emily Fox about the samples he used in the record, getting through his writer's block with the help of modular synths, and finding solace in nature on tour and during the pandemic.  

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