Music critic Marcus Moore became an author with his new book The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America. On this episode, he discusses what songs by Roberta Flack, Common, and Stevie Wonder have meant to him.

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Drummer Chris Frantz provided the rhythms for two seminal groups, Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club, a career he discusses in his memoir, Remain in Love. In this episode, he discusses how Jimmy Dean, the Beatles, and James Brown shaped his life.

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MC Schmidt and Drew Daniel of the electronic duo Matmos have built their body of work from manipulating unusual sounds. On this episode, recorded live at Fadensonnen in Baltimore, they talk the music that influenced their own.

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Flying Lotus's music has consistently overflowed the barriers that separate electronic music, hip-hop, jazz, and other genres over the course of five albums and many side projects and collaborations. In this episode, he discusses how his work was shaped by Stravinsky, Slum Village, and Queen.

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UK guitarist Gwenifer Raymond has adapted the sounds of the American South for her own intricate, and sometimes riotous, acoustic compositions. In this episode, she discusses how tunes from the Pixies, Roscoe Holcomb, and John Fahey guided her work.

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Composer/multi-instrumentalist Jeff Parker is a prolific solo artist and a member of esteemed post-rock quintet Tortoise. Here he explains how songs by a jazz drummer, a master sampler, and a legendary jazz trumpeter shaped his musical vision.

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Baltimore-based musician Dan Deacon has evolved substantially in both the scope and ambition of his artistic endeavors since his breakout 2007 album Spiderman of the Rings. In this episode, he talks about how Pee-Wee Herman helped indirectly cultivate his interest in being a performer, Lightning Bolt changing how he thought about music, and the technical influence Daft Punk had on his vocal style.

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Bass player and vocalist Clint Conley of seminal post-punk band Mission of Burma has influenced a generation of musicians with his work over the course of the band's multiple decade existence. In this episode, he talks about how songs by Music Machine, Television, and Captain Beefheart formed his point-of-view as an artist.

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Andy Shauf's understated, gentle, and expertly composed pop songs are miniature gems that grow in appeal with each listen. In this episode, Shauf talks about how Elliott Smith, Wilco, and The Beatles guided and inspired his understanding of how to write intimate but deeply accessible pop songs.

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Thalia Zedek's distinctive voice and soul-baring songwriting have powered a series of bands, including Live Skull and Come, as well as her own solo career. On this episode, she discusses a seminal moment with Patti Smith, obscure Kentucky band Circle X, and her love of Nick Cave.

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