Bending Brains

Bending Brains

By bendingbrainsArts
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Bending Brains episodes

  • #113 - Müsila

    Müsila is a guitarist and singer-songwriter from Sri Lanka, now based in the Southside of Chicago. His work is inspired by traditional Sri Lankan music and haunted by the spirit of the Blues and Americana. His songs tell a story of the immigrant experience and that of the ordinary yet overwhelming challenges and triumphs of a well-examined life. He holds a PhD in Theoretical Particle Physics (Phenomenology) and has a day job as a physics professor.

    3 hr 11 min
  • #112 - Bomethius
    Bomethius is the baroque pop project led by Jonathan Hodges, a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter based in Chicago. Hodges draws from decades of classical training to craft a mischievous brand of chamber rock that echoes the sounds of Andrew Bird, Low Roar, Paul Simon, Sufjan Stevens, Randy Newman, and Elliott Smith.
     
    Tropopause, Bomethius’ second release on Chicago-based indie label Oakley Avenue Records, arrives with the sort of effortlessness that can only be born from experience. Working with the same core of collaborators from his prior record, Borrowed Time, and following years of diligent live performances, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Hodges has opened a new, louder, and more compact chapter of his nearly decade-long baroque pop project. 
     
    In a discography that maintains a clear continuity aesthetically and thematically—with each release in conversation with its predecessors—Tropopause serves as a welcoming entry point for new listeners. For one, it’s Hodges’ most concise statement. A trim-the-fat approach to composition for this album produced a 10-song tracklist and 26-minute runtime, and the lean result is both digestible and direct. There’s also a greater clarity to the writing as Hodges covers similar lyrical territory to his most recent releases. “The cycle, against which most of my music is set, borbles on,” he says, but on Tropopause, he's been afforded time and distance from this cycle, which allows for a wider perspective unburdened by still-sharp pains. Like the meteorological term from which it draws its name, the record represents a threshold in one’s life and the areas on either side of it—all of which can be best appreciated from a bird’s-eye view.    
    Lastly, Tropopause carries Hodges’ most refined and arresting pop earworms to date. Rhythms and guitar lines chug in lead single “Thunderbird.” An explosive Weezer-esque guitar solo closes “I’m Out.” The piano-led “The Clown” hearkens to the playful yet biting ballads of Randy Newman and Fiona Apple. Guest harmonies from Hodges’ sister, Caroline, dance through some of the record’s quieter moments (“Over,” “Almost,” “Scorched Earth”), and the album ends with what’s sure to be one of the most memorable violin pieces in the Bomethius catalog. The closing moments wordlessly represent that barrier between the turmoil below and the lucidity above, as explored by the preceding songs. It’s a memorial of divine goodness, a reminder that it doesn’t have to be that serious, and a nudge to pet a dog, and go outside, and chase pigeons and squirrels. Sometimes, that’s all you need to do.
     
    Tropopause releases June 7th on Oakley Avenue Records.
    2 hr 26 min
  • #111 - Mariko Iwasa

    Mariko Iwasa is a New York–based physical comedian, clown, actor, and dancer from Japan. She trained in acting at Nihon University of the Arts in Tokyo and first cut her clowning teeth touring with the world-famous Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. She later made her mark on the East Coast stage scene, including The Play That Goes Wrong and her award-winning portrayal of Snoopy in A Charlie Brown Christmas. 

    Her recent highlights include the spectacular Spiegel tent show Teatro ZinZanni in Chicago.
    And appeared another circus and variety show After Dark as comic relief in Atlanta. 

     

    In Japan, Mariko has also performed with leading orchestras, including the Tokyo Philharmonic and Hiroshima Philharmonic and Chubu Philharmonic. 

    In New York, she appears with Bindlestiff Family Circus, Parallel Exit and improv Japanese game show BATSU!, and throughout the city’s comedy, cabaret, and variety show scene, while also serving as a healthcare clown. 

    Passionate about connecting with audiences of all ages, she brings technical mastery, physicality, and a playful spirit to every performance.

    2 hr 21 min
  • #110 - Burymeinflowers

    Burymeinflowers, she/her, is a Chicago based digital artist/illustrator. She creates unique line art illustrations inspired by gothic culture, grunge culture, traditional tattoo art and alternative music. You can find Burymeinflowers showcasing her latest work at local art shows or shop her merch at a local event in the creative community. Did you know she also organizes art & music shows? Stay up to date with her projects by supporting her socials on Instagram/TikTok @burymeinflowers or discover more on her website Burymeinflowers.com

    2 hr 1 min
  • #109 - Gordon Walters

    Gordon has performed and/or recorded with Puerto Rican Latin jazz master Richard Peña, Brazilian samba legends Dedé & Luciano Antonio, rockers en español Y La Bamba (Tender Loving Empire), Panamanian psych groovers Daniel Villarreal (International Anthem), & countless more. After touring as a sideman for over a decade, he's finally working on his debut solo record. When he's not gigging, he enjoys spending time with his cat, camping, hiking, & restoring antique Swedish vehicles.

    2 hr 40 min
  • #107 - Mel Senese

    Mel Senese is a Chicago rock artist whose music blends fiery energy with raw honesty, tackling life’s struggles with empowering conviction. Known for her electrifying performances, Mel has shared stages with national acts like Dorothy and The Veronicas, won Chicago’s Big Break in 2017, and built a devoted following through both live shows and her engaging livestreams, which earned features in the Chicago Tribune and on ABC7. Her 2024 EP Main Character marked a powerful return after a two-year hiatus, celebrating resilience, self-confidence, and creative rebirth. Offstage, Mel’s free-spirited personality shines through her love of parrots—especially her conure Benji, who often stars in her branding and social media. Now, Mel is gearing up to release new music that explores a darker, more intense side of her artistry. Drawing influence from genre-bending rock, EDM, and nu-metal, the upcoming project dives deep into themes of love, loss, generational trauma, toxic relationships, and reinvention—showcasing her most emotional and dynamic work to date. With this new chapter, Mel also highlights her raw vocal power, letting loose with soaring notes and visceral screams that cut straight to the heart. Her unrestrained vocal style has been gaining traction on social media through viral karaoke videos—just a taste of what’s to come.

    1 hr 56 min
  • #106 - Omar Menci

    Omar Menci a biotech professional from Iowa who lived in the Chicago area for the past 10 years. He is an entrepreneur and host of the podcast Harlem lights podcast and the creator of the Lateef App with link of www.lateefapp.com  He is also an investor in MIGHTY Halal a fried chicken and Shawarma place. Lastly, Omar now owns the original DZ house where DZ Records and DZ Fest were created. 

    2 hr 38 min
  • #105 - King of the River

    Lawrence Tome is the King of the River.


    Lawrence Tome rests at the bottom of hollowtop lake in the tobacco root mountains outside of Pony Montana. Many fishermen have felt the water stir as somber melodies float up from the depths breaking the surface, reaching toward the stars.
    A man known by most as Flint Michigan claimed to have Lawrence Tome on his line for 17 hours, 46 minutes, and 22 seconds. Repeatedly pulled into the water, Flint nearly drowned keeping hold of his rod. When he finally pulled in the line, there was a treasure map at the end of his hook.
    Lawrence Tome was born and raised in a Norman Rockwell painting.

    When startled, Lawrence Tome dissolves into a puddle of tears.

    2 hr 14 min
  • #104 - Jeremiah Collier

    Jeremiah Collier is a Drummer and Chicago native that started playing drums at the age of two. Skilled in a wide variety of musical genres, Jeremiah has been performing with Stanley Clarke for several years, including at the 2022 concert where Clarke was honored as an NEA Jazz Master. He has also played at the Kennedy Center with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and with a plethora of artists such as Ernest Dawkins, Ari Brown, Robert Irving III, Willie Pickens and many more.

    Follow https://www.instagram.com/dzrecords/ for more Bending Brains episodes Follow https://www.instagram.com/theejeremiahcollierofficial/ for Jeremiah's Instagram Follow https://www.instagram.com/jcandthe_reupband/ for Jeremiahs own band Follow https://www.instagram.com/stanleyclarke/ for more music

    1 hr 43 min

About Bending Brains

From the publisher's feed

A podcast hosted by Ben Arguelles that explores music, art, science, religion, and much more.