Bandsplain

Babe, wake up, the new Bandsplain season just dropped. And what dark alleyways is Yasi leading us down next? This season we’re gazing across the pond toward the underground scenes of the 80s and 90s in the UK following the peak of punk music – namely, Madchester, Brit Pop, and shoegaze. For our first episode, music industry savants and known Scots John Niven and Chlöe Walsh look back on “Baggy” and how the Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses revitalized indie music and helped cement the rise of rave culture in the industrial, Dickensian landscape that also birthed The Smiths, Joy Division, and The Buzzcocks, as well as Oasis a decade later. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the scene, this season is sure to turn you into a 24-hour-podcast person.

SKIP AHEAD:

20:43 - Formation of Happy Mondays

1:00:47 - Formation of The Stone Roses

3:12:05 - Squirrel And G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) (1987)

3:31:21 - Sally Cinnamon EP (1987)

3:48:06 - Arrival of Ecstasy

EPISODE PLAYLIST:

Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE

CREDITS:

Host: Yasi Salek

Guests: John Niven, Chlöe Walsh

Producer: Liz Sánchez

Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Hey babes, Bandsplain is still on summer break. But in the meantime, we've got a special treat for you, courtesy The Ringer and friend of the pod Steven Hyden.

In 1999, a music festival took place in upstate New York that became a social experiment. There were riots, looting, and numerous assaults. And it was set to a soundtrack of the era’s most aggressive rock bands. Incredibly, it was the third iteration of Woodstock, a festival known for peace, love, and hippie idealism. But Woodstock ’99 revealed some hard truths behind the myths of the 1960s, and the danger that nostalgia can engender.

Steven digs deep into the history and legacy of Woodstock '99 in 'Break Stuff,' an eight-part documentary series. This is a clip from Episode 1, which is out now. To hear more, subscribe to the show on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/66M93mO2xsieeujoVZqd0x?si=c9730334434e4752

Thanks for listening. Be back soon.

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It’s draft time once again on Bandsplain. Chris Ryan, Rob Harvilla, and Sean Fennessey join us for the not just a little chaotic Grunge draft where everybody is a Loser in one way or another. Also, a ska season is suggested as a threat, the gang discuss the most 90’s feeling pop star of today, and we hear about Sean’s cool metal friend from high school. All that and more, on this week’s Bandsplain. 

Follow Chris Ryan on Twitter @ChrisRyan77

Follow Rob Harvilla on Twitter @Harvilla

Follow Sean Fennessey on Twitter @SeanFennessey

Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE

Host: Yasi Salek

Guests: Chris Ryan, Rob Harvilla, Sean Fennessey

Producer: Jesse Miller-Gordon

Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Hanif and Yasi are back, as we find Soundgarden on the precipice of releasing their super well known album Superunknown. The vibes? They are not always impeccable, but the songs are phenomenal. Listen as we trace the back half of the Soundgarden catalog, from Superunknown and the underrated Down on the Upside through their reunion album and the Audioslave and solo records in between. 

Follow Hanif Abdurraqib on Twitter @NifMuhammad

Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE

Host: Yasi Salek

Guest: Hanif Abdurraqib

Producer: Jesse Miller-Gordon

Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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One of the earlier bands to form in what would become the biggest music scene of the 90s, Soundgarden started up in Seattle in 1984 when two friends from Illinois named Kim and Hiro formed a band with a local drummer named Chris. The band blended influences and styles from post punk and new wave to Beatles and metal, slowly forming a sound that was all their own. Along the way Chris Cornell took the front, took off his shirt, and the band started to take off, especially with the addition of a few new band members. Soundgarden brought the founders of SubPop together and brought major labels sniffing around the scene, though they themselves took a more considered and well-paced path to rock stardom. In this episode we are blessed with the presence of returning guest Hanif Aburraqib to help chart the journey of this excellent band, from their earliest days through their third album, Badmotorfinger.

Follow Hanif Abdurraqib on Twitter @NifMuhammad

Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE

Host: Yasi Salek

Guest: Hanif Abdurraqib

Producer: Jesse Miller-Gordon

Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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The C/Z Records 'Deep Six' compilation is a thing of legend. An early document of a nascent Seattle scene that would be national news within five years, the comp features several bands that had yet to put out any recorded music, including Melvins, Soundgarden, and Andrew Wood’s first band, Malfunkshun, plus tracks from Green River, Skin Yard, and the biggest band in the scene at the time, the U-Men. Kim Thayil of Soundgarden joins the show to talk about how the compilation came about and how this six-band compilation serves as a cultural artifact of the foundation of the Seattle alternative scene.

Follow Soundgarden on Instagram @soundgarden.

Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE.

Host: Yasi Salek

Guest: Kim Thayil

Producer: Olivia Crerie

Additional Production Supervision: Jesse Miller Gordon, Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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One of the greatest compilations of its time (the greatest time for compilations), No Alternative was the third in the Red Hot series benefiting AIDS relief. The lineup is studded with iconic artists, many on the precipice of their biggest records, from Soundgarden to Sarah McLachlan, and also features influential alternative greats like Buffalo Tom, The Verlaines, and Soul Asylum. It even spawned an MTV special with live performances from Smashing Pumpkins and Goo Goo Dolls, plus short films by the likes of Tamra Davis, Hal Hartley, and Derek Jarman. Plus, the biggest rock band in the world at the time contributed an uncredited song that even without proper listing became a huge part of the comp's hype. We used to be a proper country indeed. The Ringer’s own Chris Ryan joins us to break down this important cultural artifact.

Follow Chris Ryan on Twitter @ChrisRyan77

Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE

Host: Yasi Salek

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Jesse Miller-Gordon

Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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Dinosaur Jr. rose from the ashes of a teenage hardcore band looking to make some “Ear Bleeding Country.” They went on to become one of the most influential and interesting alternative rock bands of the 80’s and 90’s. The band went from underground to indie to major label to MTV, shedding a few original members along the way, and eventually broke up before reforming the og line-up in the mid 2000’s to put out even more gorgeous records. Singer, songwriter, and Broken Social Scene member Kevin Drew joins us to navigate the long and storied path of Dinosaur Jr. 

Follow Kevin Drew on instagram @kevinselection

Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE 

Host: Yasi Salek

Guest: Kevin Drew

Producer: Jesse Miller-Gordon

Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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It is time once again to hear from our beloved listeners, so we opened up the mail bag to answer some of your most pressing questions. Rob Harvilla joins us to help plan Yasi’s trip to Ohio, discuss the sordid swing dance moment of the 90’s, parse Taco Bell menu highlights, and give some answers of his own. 

Follow Rob Harvilla on Twitter @Harvilla

Host: Yasi Salek

Guest: Rob Harvilla

Producer: Jesse Miller-Gordon

Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges

Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles

Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino

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