Listen to an interview with Oltanie, a Haitian-American vocalist based in Indianapolis. Her music featured a dynamic fusion of Caribbean and Afro-pop sounds.

Also hear a conversation with the Indianapolis keyboardist and bandleader Rodney Stepp, best known for his work with The Spinners. During the late 1970s, Stepp left The Spinners to form Rapture, a legendary Indianapolis funk band. A new compilation of Rapture’s music was released earlier this year by Now Again Records.

Over the last few years, rapper 4200Kory has emerged as one of the most compelling artistic voices in the Indianapolis hip-hop scene. His name, 4200Kory, is an homage to the Indianapolis neighborhood where he grew up, 42 and Post Road. The music of 4200Kory channels the spirit of golden age ‘90s hip-hop with poetic lyrics, chronicling his life and experiences in Naptown. His debut album “Cobra Son” is a mediation on his early family life. 4200 Kory is the oldest of seven children and he crafted the album as a tribute to his mother and late father. 

Listen to an interview with 4200Kory, as he shares the inspiration behind “Cobra Son”. He will also discuss his upcoming performance at Chreece, an all-day hip-hop festival happening in the Fountain Square neighborhood.

Rapper Jessica Garrett is better known to Indianapolis music fans as Joosi Got Bars. She was born and raised on the west side of Indianapolis. Joosi has been recording and releasing music for over a decade. She’s performed at events like Indy Black Expo and venues including The Vogue and The HI-FI. Joosi recently launched a clothing brand called PLUSH (Pushing Limits Until Something Happens.) On August 23, Joosi will be performing at Chreece, an all-day hip-hop festival held in the Fountain Square neighborhood.

Comedian Lucas Waterfill is a rising star in the Indianapolis comedy scene. His work mixes autobiographical storytelling with sharp social commentary. Waterfill was born with cerebral palsy and he uses his experiences navigating the world with a disability as a springboard for his comedy. 

Waterfill’s latest project “Up All the Nights” is a play, co-written with Blake Mellencamp. “Up All the Nights” will be premiering this month at Indy Fringe. The play is described as a “hilarious look at navigating life with a disability. ‘Up All the Nights’ translates Waterfill’s experiences to the stage, showing life in a world that’s not designed with you in mind and emphasizing the importance of building community within a harsh political climate.” “Up All the Nights” will be staged daily at Indy Fringe from August 16-24.

Listen to an interview with Waterfill and Mellencamp as they discuss the inspiration behind “Up All the Nights.”

Everything, Now! emerged from Indiana’s underground rock music scene in the early 2000s. Formed in Muncie in 2003, they gained notoriety for their chaotic sound and unpredictable live shows. Fronted by the guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Jon Rogers, Everything, Now! has released 7 albums and attracted a loyal base of supporters. The band recently visited WFYI to record a live set for Small Studio Sessions, and they spoke with Kyle Long after their performance.

The Indianapolis band Wife Patrol has gained national attention for their punk, metal, and pop-influenced sound. Outlets including Vice, Bandcamp, and Afropunk have praised the group’s music. Wife Patrol’s latest album is titled NOPLACE. The music explores themes of decline and desolation in Indianapolis. WFYI’s Kyle Long recently spoke with Wife Patrol to learn more.

In the summer of 1928, the Vocalion Record Company visited Indianapolis in search of the city’s best musical talent. The label’s trip to Indianapolis was a success, Vocalion discovered and recorded several early stars of Indianapolis country, blues, jazz, and pop music — including blues legends Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell, Black country music pioneers Lulu Jackson and James Cole, and more. This week on Cultural Manifesto we’ll listen to Vocalion’s historic Indianapolis recordings.

Uncle Funkenstein, Zerfas, and Hamilton Movement may be unfamiliar names to most Hoosier music fans, but record collectors around the world pay thousands of dollars for these rare Indiana discs. 

Listen to the top 10 most valuable Indiana LPs and 45 RPM singles of all time. Also, hear interviews with the musicians and record labels behind the music.

Listen to an interview with the experimental Indiana hip-hop group 81355. Also hear music from their new album Bad Dogs.

81355 was formed in 2021 as a trio, featuring Oreo Jones, Sirius Black and David Moose Adamson. Each member brought a rich and varied history to the project, leading some to label the band an Indianapolis super-group. Their debut album This Time I’ll Be of Use was issued that same year on 37d03d, a label founded by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National. The album received national attention, earning praise from Pitchfork, Consequence and Flood.

Bad Dogs is the group’s second album and it finds the trio expanding into a full band, with Sharlene Birdsong on bass, Dimitri Morris on guitar, and Pat Okerson on drums.

Listen to an interview with the vocalist and lute player Joel Frederiksen. He’ll be performing in Indiana with the Ensemble Phoenix Munich on July 11th and 13th as part of the Indianapolis Early Music Festival.

Joel Frederiksen is internationally recognized for his interpretations of early music. For over 30 years, Frederiksen has dedicated his career to reviving and reimagining this repertoire. He has collaborated with many of the world’s great early music artists, including Dame Emma Kirkby and Jordi Savall. Frederiksen has toured extensively throughout Europe, and North America. He’s also the founder and artistic director of Ensemble Phoenix Munich, a group acclaimed for its historically informed interpretations of early music

But Frederiksen isn’t a strict traditionalist. In 2012, he gained notoriety for his album “Requiem for a Pink Moon: An Elizabethan Tribute to Nick Drake,” a project that blended the music of the British singer-songwriter Nick Drake, with the music from the English Renaissance. During his upcoming visit to Indianapolis, Frederiksen will perform music from his 2023 album “A Day with Suzanne, A Tribute to Leonard Cohen,” which features songs from the Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen fused with music of the French Renaissance.