Lamniformes Radio

Jay Kohler, the guitarist and composer behind the band Juan Bond came on the podcast to talk about the long path that led him to the release of the band's debut album "Womb", out now on Dark Trail Records. Along the way we cover everything from his middle school experiments with hip-hop, playing in rap rock bands, studying music in college, private lessons with the members of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and his roundabout route to heavy music. We also narrowly avoid a dreaded NY vs MA sports convo. Thanks for listening!

https://juanbond.bandcamp.com/

Frank Meadows and Jonathan Mondragon join me to talk about The Mars Volta, a band beloved by crowds and hated by rock critics in the 2000s. The three of us covered all six of the band's albums, their origins in the wake of At The Drive-In and the El, Paso Texas, the band's unconventional recording process, and how their work mixes progressive rock, salsa, jazz, magical realism, and much, much more. It's a long one to close out the year folks. Thanks for listening!

Frank Meadows:

https://linktr.ee/frank_meadows_music

Jon Mondragon:

https://www.instagram.com/monathanjondragon/

Time Stamps:

Intro to The Mars Volta - 2:52

At The Drive-In - 8:08

Defacto - 15:56

Tremulant EP - 22:54

De-Loused in the Comatorium - 32:22

Scabdates - 42:25

Frances The Mute - 46:46

Amputchture - 1:06:34

The Bedlam in Goliath - 1:13:33

Octahedron - 1:28:25

Noctourniquet - 1:39:56

Today's guest is Christian Segerstrom. Christian is the head editor of Mathcore Index, a blog that has also spun off into the Mathcast Podcast, and the Mathcore Index Fest. Christian is also the head of Dark Trail Records. In our conversation we covered how Christian got involved with the blogging world, how he built out the Mathcore Index brand, the future of live streaming concerts, and why Djent ruined everything.

https://darktrailrecords.bandcamp.com/

https://mathcoreindex.com/

Today I am joined by Eva Lawitts. I first knew Eva as the bassist for Sister Helen, a long running DIY band in Brooklyn, but then continued to run into her playing session gigs for a whole host of acts like Vagabon and Princess Nokia. After the dissolution of Sister Helen, Eva formed Stimmerman as an outlet for her songwriting and has since released an EP, a full length, and most recently a score for the video game Get-A-Grip Chip, which is available on Steam now. We spoke about her compositional process, what she’s learned as a session player and engineer, and much more.

https://stimmerman.bandcamp.com/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1269590/GetAGrip_Chip/

https://www.instagram.com/shrederellaregretowittz/

This is the audio version of a trilogy of essays that I wrote about entertainment in the live streaming era. I cover what the experience is like for DIY performers and audience members, then zoom out to look at how the NBA struggled to balance social justice advocacy with commerce during it's Bubble experiment, and finally I looked at Code Orange's live stream series in particular to see why they were so well suited to this new landscape.

Here are links to my Substack, and the bands discussed in part one who could use your support:

https://lamniformes.substack.com/

https://footpathsil.bandcamp.com/

http://semaphoretheband.bandcamp.com/

https://varaha.bandcamp.com/

Today I am joined by Felix Walworth, who writes and performs music as Told Slant. Told Slant recently released their third album, Point The Flashlight and Walk, their first release in four years. Building off of the sparse arrangements of their first two albums, Walworth has expanded their toolbox as a writer and arranger without sacrificing their bracingly personal lyrical style.

I was excited to talk to Felix about this record as well as their previous two, because while I’ve known them for many years their touring schedule made it hard to catch up and hear their perspective on their career.

Relevant Told Slant Links:

https://toldslant.bandcamp.com/

https://twitter.com/Felixixix666

https://www.instagram.com/toldslant_felix/

Today I am joined by Sophie Cox and Chandler Kelley of True Blossom, a five piece band based in Atlanta, Georgia. True Blossom recently released their second full length “In Bliss” through Citrus City records. Like their debut “Heater,” “In Bliss” melds New Wave, Disco, sophisti-pop and city pop into a sleek and precise sound. We spoke about the band’s origins in the Atlanta DIY scene, how they settled on their sound, and the growing popularity of “easy listening” genres among aging millennials.

"In Bliss"

https://citruscityrecords.bandcamp.com/album/in-bliss

True Blossom

https://www.facebook.com/trueblossomatlanta/

https://www.instagram.com/trueblossomband/

Today I am joined by Danny and Erica of the pop duo Tall Bird. Tall Bird released their first full length record, Lost Pet Poster Template in September. The album is a sunny mix of both nostalgic and current pop music styles, mixing indie rock guitar with horn samples and 90s production techniques. Over the course of our conversation, we talked about how the two of them began working together, the creative process that led to the record, and their plans for new music in the COVID era. You can find Tallbird’s music at tailbird.bandcamp.com.

This episode I am joined by music journalist Joseph Schafer. Schafer has written for Bandcamp, Decibel Magazine, Stereogum and many more publications. He also helps organize Northwest Terror Fest, an extreme metal based in Seattle Washington. The two of us go way back, so our conversation rambled through a lot of topics including Schafer's path into music criticism, his approach to running a fest, and what the metal scene can learn from Paradise Lost.

Here are some relevant clips from Schafer's work:

https://consequenceofsound.net/category/mining-metal/

https://www.nocleansinging.com/2011/05/01/an-ncs-interview-nachtmystium/

https://www.invisibleoranges.com/slayers-reign-in-blood-turns-30/

In this episode I spoke to Danny Sher of the band Horse Torso about his background in Jazz, the movie Whiplash, insta-choppers, the place of humor in music, and the creative process behind the band's latest album "Mikropianist" which you can find on their bandcamp page:

https://horsetorso.bandcamp.com/album/mikropianist

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQ71VBYU-lOAS2m3AD4LkQ

https://www.instagram.com/horsetorso/