Bandsplain

This week Yasi is joined by the man, the myth, the legend: J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. They get into their shared love for Gilmore Girls, biking around the neighborhood listening to Howard Stern, ideas for a debut feature film (Hollywood, listen up!), and of course, Dino’s beautiful new record, ‘There Near'.
Listen to Dinosaur Jr.’s ‘There Near’
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CREDITS:
Host: Yasi Salek
Guests: J Mascis @jmascis
Producer: Rob Sundermann
Editor: Adrian Bridges
Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles
Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino
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Yasi is joined by returning guest and Bandsplain MVP Patrik Sandberg to share their favorite new releases of the summer and the upcoming new music they’re most excited for.
Next, Yasi talks with Jennifer Herrema and Kurt Midness of Black Bananas about their new album, ‘Bad Bunch’; the importance of physical media; living an artistic life; and much more.
Episode playlist
Listen to the best new music of summer 2026 here.
Host: Yasi Salek
Guests: Patrik Sandberg @patriksandberg and Jennifer Herrema and Kurt Midness of Black Bananas @blackbananasband
Producer: Rob Sundermann
Editor: Adrian Bridges
Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles
Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino
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Chris Ryan and Amanda Dobbins join Yasi to revisit the Strokes and their influence on the guitar rock that followed in their wake. They discuss the band's meteoric rise, Julian Casablancas’s distinctive songwriting, the model-filled audiences that helped fuel the band’s early buzz, and how their debut album, 'Is This It,' somehow lived up to the overwhelming hype. Plus, the pressure following their early success, the band’s uneven output in the years that followed, and their resurgence in the TikTok age.

Episode Playlist

Listen to The Strokes Playlist here

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CREDITS:

Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek

Guests: Amanda Dobbins @akdobbins, Chris Ryan @crashactivated

Producer: Rob Sundermann 

Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Sarah Lewitinn (music journalist, restaurateur, and the artist formerly known as Ultragrrrl) joins Yasi to revisit Interpol and the early 2000s New York landscape they emerged from. They discuss their international origins, the dogged Joy Division comparisons, and the pressure to follow up on an instant classic, as well as the steady and surprising arc of their career and output leading up to their latest album, this year’s 'This Mirror Weighs a Ton.'

Episode Playlist

Listen to the Interpol Playlist here

Subscribe on YouTube

CREDITS:

Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek

Guests: Sarah Lewitinn @ultragrrrl

Producer: Rob Sundermann 

Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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It’s draft day, and Yasi is joined by Rob Mahoney and Sean Fennessey for a generational Indie Sleaze Draft. But first, what actually counts as indie sleaze? Are the Strokes so important that they get their own category? And can you win by simply drafting Yeah Yeah Yeahs in every category? (You can if you draft with your heart.) Plus: the return of Sparks (not the band)!

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CREDITS:

Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek

Guests: Rob Mahoney @robmahoney and Sean Fennessey @seanfennessey

Producer: Rob Sundermann 

Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Jason Stewart (How Long Gone) joins Yasi to talk about “House of Jealous Lovers,” the Rapture’s cowbell-powered anthem that fused punk and dance and helped define the electroclash era. They discuss the band’s early days on Sub Pop, the song taking shape in the hands of James Murphy and DFA, the band’s move to a major label, and the fallout that followed. Plus, a look back at Cinespace Tuesdays in Hollywood, DJing across the globe, and an important question: Why was will.i.am everywhere all the time?

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CREDITS:

Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek

Guest: Jason Stewart @themjeans

Producer: Rob Sundermann 

Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Journalist Jenny Eliscu joins Yasi to talk all things Yeah Yeah Yeahs, from their wild early days in New York to their place as one of the most important bands of the 2000s. They discuss the term indie sleaze, debate whether the Yeah Yeah Yeahs deserve the crown as the era’s best band, break down why “Maps” remains an all-time classic, and explore the tensions that have shaped the band throughout its career. Plus, growing up in the spotlight, surviving the hype, and where the Yeah Yeah Yeahs fit in today’s music landscape.

Episode Playlist
Listen to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs Playlist here.

Subscribe on YouTube.
Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek
Guest: Jenny Eliscu @jennylsq
Producer: Rob Sundermann
Editor: Adrian Bridges
Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles
Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Music journalist and EIC of Shaad Magazine Shaad D’Souza joins Yasi to talk about the best new music coming out of the U.K. right now. They discuss how they find new artists, gimmicks vs. authenticity, the Windmill scene, and the importance of going to shows in the algorithm era.

Next, one of our favorite new U.K. bands, Mary in the Junkyard, sits down with Yasi to talk about coming up in south London, the not-very-secret identity of the old man on their album cover, and the benefits of tumbling. Plus, a reenactment of the very important phone call that brought the band together.

Episode Playlist

Listen to the Best New U.K. Music Playlist here

Subscribe on YouTube

CREDITS:

Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek

Guests: Shaad D’Souza @shaad, Mary in the Junkyard @maryinthejunkyrd

Producer: Rob Sundermann 

Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Whitmer Thomas ('Terminal Crew of Dudes,' 'Weapons') joins Yasi to break down "Iris," the Goo Goo Dolls hit that became one of the defining songs of the late ’90s. They discuss the song’s origins on the 'City of Angels' soundtrack, the band’s punk beginnings, John Rzeznik’s singular and deeply inspiring (to Whitmer) hairstyle, and that iconic, rain-drenched performance of "Iris" in their hometown of Buffalo that somehow made a perfect song even more perfect.

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CREDITS:

Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek

Guest: Whitmer Thomas @whitmerthomas

Producer: Rob Sundermann 

Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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It's time for a loaded mailbag, and Yasi is handling this one solo. She’s tackling questions on skin-care routines, the importance of physical media, and the best venues for seeing a show. Plus: Learn whether 24 is too old. (Spoiler: It’s not.)

Next, Iceage’s Elias Bender Ronnenfelt and Johan Suurballe Wieth join Yasi to discuss their new album, 'For Love of Grace & the Hereafter.' They talk about the Copenhagen music scene, the epiphany of direction, scoring films, and befriending crows. 

Check out Iceage’s ‘For Love of Grace & the Hereafter’ here 

Subscribe on YouTube

CREDITS:

Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek

Guest: Elias Bender Rønnenfelt and Johan Suurballe Wieth @iceage

Producer: Rob Sundermann 

Editor: Adrien Bridges 

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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