Nakedly Examined Music Podcast

After playing lead guitar for a couple of years in rock bands, Bruce has released 34 solo albums between 1970 and the present. He’s a very accomplished finger-picker and often plays entirely solo but has also written rock, jazz, Christian, and 80s syntho songs.

We discuss “Louis Collins” (written by Mississippi John Hurt in 1928) from The Blood of Others (2026), “Look How Far” from Breakfast in New Orleans Dinner in Timbuktu (1999), and Let’s Go Laughing” from High Winds White Sky (1971). End song: “Café Society” from Bone on Bone (2017). Intro: “If I Had a Rocket Launcher” from Stealing Fire (1984).

Watch the video for “Rocket Launcher”; some of his other hits with videos include “Lovers in a Dangerous Time,” “If a Tree Falls,” and “Call it Democracy.” A much more recent one is “Put It in Your Heart.” Watch others on Bruce’s Vevo channel.

Watch a recent live solo set, here’s a live set from his band in 1986, and here’s a set from 1979. Watch an old live recording of his other biggest hit, “Wondering Where the Lions Are.” See a recent performance of “Let’s Go Laughing.”

Hear a song Bruce wrote for one of his pre-solo bands, The Children, back in 1966. Hear Mississippi John Hurt perform “Louis Collins.”

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Joan Wasser started as violinist/support member in the 90s for The Dambuilders and then for Mind Science of the Mind and Antony and the Johnsons. In the mid-90s, she co-led a band called Black Beetle that released nothing, but taught her songwriting. She’s had 13 solo releases (7 original albums, 2 of covers, 2 collaborations, 1 live, 1 EP), as she has continued to guest and tour with major artists including Iggy Pop, Gorillaz, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, John Cale, Sheryl Crow, Elton John, and Lou Reed.

We discuss “Eternal Flame” from Real Life Evolution (2026), “I Defy” from Real Life (2006) (a duet with ANOHNI), and “Full-Time Heist” from Lemons, Limes and Orchids (2024). Intro: “The Magic” from The Deep Field (2011). End song: “Valid Jagger” from Damned Devotion (2018). More at joanaspolicewoman.com.

Experience all of “The Magic.” Hear one of Joan’s songs with Black Beetle before her first solo EP (“Vanish”). The single off that initial EP was “My Gurl.”

Watch a live, recent performance of “I Defy” and “Eternal Flame” from the same session. Hear the full new version of “I Defy” and the full old version of “Eternal Flame.”

Watch “Full Time Heist” played live solo. Here’s the official video. Watch a video for her collaborative project The Solution is Restless.

Hear one of Joan’s songs with Black Beetle before her first solo EP (“Vanish”). Watch Joan in 1995 playing violin live with Mary Timony (her bandmate in Mind Science of the Mind). Here she is very liberally covering The Beatles.

Watch more video on Joan’s YouTube channel.

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Jacqui rose to fame with the Australian electronic dance band Single Gun Theory (three albums released 1987, 1991, 1994), did some one-off collaborations (e.g. singing for Delirium), and released her first solo album in 2008. After some solo singles (and an album as one half of CiiVE), she’s now released her second solo album, Desiderium.

We discuss “Planet” (co-written with Brian Connelly) and listen at the end to “Cycles” from that new album, plus “Myriad” from Auraphonic (2008), and “The Sea of Core Experience” by Single Gun Theory from Flow, River of My Soul (1994) (the core song including lyrics written by Kath Power, with synths added by Pete Rivett-Carnac; Jacqui would add her vocals to create the final version). Intro: “Take Me Back” by Single Gun Theory from Millions, Like Stars in My Hands, The Daggers in My Heart Wage War (1991). Learn more at jacquihunt.net.

Watch the video for “Cycles” and one for “Planet.” Hear the title track from the new album. Here’s a video for “Connect” from her first solo album. Her 2017 band CiiVE with Brian Conolly also had a couple of videos: “Feather & Down” and “Stationized.” Watch a video for her appearance with Delirium: “Euphoria (Firefly).” Here’s a song she sang for Paul Mac.

Hear all of “Take Me Back.” Here’s a playlist of Single Gun Theory’s other various videos. As Jacqui said, they didn’t often play live, and I’m not able to find any live footage of their tour with Sarah McLachlan or other shows, though according to the description, this is a live audio recording.

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Glenn was a central figure in the Hoboken punk scene, fronting the band “a” in the late ’70s (no released albums) and then The Individuals (one album and an EP) in the early ’80s. His next band, Rage to Live (two albums), was the first release from Bar/None records in 1986, and Glenn then joined the label as a partner and signed They Might Be Giants, Yo La Tengo, etc. He started recording his own music again in the early 2010’s and has now released three albums as Glenn Morrow’s Cry for Help.

We discuss “Sweater Weather” (and listen at the end to “That’s That”) from Our Final Album Vol. 1 (2026), “Our World” by The Individuals from Fields (1982), and “Swimmer” from the self-titled album (1986) by Rage to Live. Intro: “Yellowed Pages” from 2 (2020). More at glenn-morrow.com.

“Sweater Weather” was inspired by the Richard Brautigan 1967 poem “All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace.”

Watch Cry for Help playing “Our World” live. Here they are promoting their first album, and in an acoustic format. Watch a whole live-stream from Freedy Johnston’s. Watch The Individuals live.

They’ve released a couple of videos: “Other Side of the Dream,” “Forever and a Day,” and here’s one for “Sweather Weather.” Hear all of “Yellowed Pages“.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

Dan was Ben Vaughn’s sound-man and released his first solo album of Americana rock in 2004. We discuss “Busted” from his eighth album (produced by Vaughn), the just Dan-and-his guitar effort Dispatches from the Desert, then “Beaumont” from Cast-Iron Songs and Torch Ballads (2023), “Favorite Color” from Rosetta, Please (A Love Story) (2006). End song: “Lookin’ for a Fight” also from the new album. Intro: “Always” from Man from Out of State (2004). More at danmontgomery.bandcamp.com.

Hear all of “Always,” and a couple of the drug songs we refer to near the beginning: “Phenobarbiedoll” and “Crack Home.” See Dan’s full, recent band live, and again here. See him play live as an acoustic duo. Here he is live 17 years ago. Hear his early band Drugs Before Breakfast.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

Hear my previous interview with Ben Vaughn.

With his roots in folk, Josh released three rock albums in the ’90s before his big hit “Camera One,” from Useful Music (2001), which is getting a Silver Anniversary rework/reissue (The intro music for this episode is the newly recorded version). He has released seven albums since then, typically as The Josh Joplin Group, but sometimes as Among the Oak & Ash.

We discuss “Goodbye Berlin” from GpYr (2025), “History of I Do” from Figure Drawing (2023) (music by Wes Langois), “Juniper” from Boxing Nostalgic (1997), and conclude by listening to “High, Low & Wide” from the self-titled album by his folk unit, Among the Oak & Ash (2008). More at joshjoplingroup.com.

Watch the original video for “Camera One” and the silver-anniversary new recording/video. Hear the big-budget, Josh-rejected version of what would have been his second single from that album, “I’ve Changed.” There’s also a video for the solo version. Watch him back in the day playing the song on Letterman, and with just a guitar at a cafe in 2008.

Watch the Josh Joplin Group live recently, and as a duo with Wes Langois. Watch him talk and perform with Garrison Starr as Among the Oak and Ash. Watch that full band live in 2010. That band did lots of folk standards, but also a Smiths cover.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

Bruce started as guitarist for the ’90s for Vulgar Unicorn and started Pineapple Thief as a solo project in 1999, though it quickly became a full band (and has for the last several albums been a true 4-way collaboration featuring King Crimson/Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison). He’s released 16 studio albums with Pineapple Thief and four solo albums (plus a collaboration album with Jonas Renske from Katatonia). More at brucesoord.com and pineapplethief.com.

We discuss “Pillars” from Ghosts in the Park (his 2026 solo album) and some Pineapple Thief tracks: the title track from It Leads to This (2024), “Clapham” from 10 Stories Down (2005), remixed for 3000 Days (2008), plus to conclude “Alone at Sea” from Magnolia (2014). Intro: “Private Paradise” by from Abducted at Birth (1999, originally called Abducting the Unicorn).

Hear all of “Private Paradise.” There’s an official video for “Pillars.” Here’s one for another new song “Meet Me On the Downs.” Watch Bruce live solo, and live with his “solo band.”

Watch the latest Pineapple Thief video, and here’s a nice one from 2020. Here they are live with Gavin. Here’s a whole live show from 2017 shortly after Gavin joined. Watch Bruce talk about his gear. There’s much more at their YouTube channel.

The Vulgar Unicorn albums are Under the Umbrella (1995), Sleeps With the Fishes (1996), and Jet Set Radio (2000). They also put out an album as Persona Non Grata (not released until 2004). Bruce’s partner in that band was Neil Randall, who currently puts out music as Niederrad 16.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic for access to more Linsenmayer/Soord interaction via our bonus 2018 partial interview.

Michael is the songwriter and guitarist for the Canadian band Cowboy Junkies (featuring two of his siblings and a childhood friend), with whom he’s released 20+ studio albums and several live albums since 1989.

We discuss “Throw a Match” from Such Ferocious Beauty (2023), “He Will Call You Baby” from More Acoustic Junk (2025), remade from One Soul Now (2004), and “Rock and Bird” from The Caution Horses (1990). End song: ” Unanswered Letter” from The Wilderness-The Nomad Series, Vol. 4 (2012). Intro: “Misguided Angel” from The Trinity Session (1988). More at cowboyjunkies.com.

Follow along in Mark’s notes (Google has inexplicably decided that the file looks dangerous and might warn you of this, but it’s just the same as all the rest of them; you can ignore the warning.)

Watch the video for “Misguided Angel.” Here’s that video/alternate version of “Rock and Bird” featuring Bruce Hornsby (my previous guest!) as depicted in the video by Stephen Wright. Hear the original version of “He Will Call You Baby.” Hear the acoustic version of “The Wilderness.” Hear their tune with John Prine.

Watch a full live set from 2008. Watch them live on Carson in 1989, on Leno in 1994 and on Letterman in 1996. Here’s a video for one of their cover tunes (a David Bowie tune!).

Watch the video for a tune by one of Michael’s side projects, Lee Harvey Osmond (the singer is Tom Wilson). Listen to one of Michael’s solo album improvisations. Here’s his film soundtrack from 2017. Here’s his 1983 band with Alan, Germinal, and his even earlier band Hunger Project.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

Teddy, golden-voiced son on Richard and Linda, is more tied to ’50s/’60s rock and country than he his to his parents’ folk influences, and he’s recorded ten solo albums of tuneful, straightforward but highly idiosyncratic rock and country tunes since 2000.

We discuss “Come Back” (and listen at the end to “So This Is Heartache”) from Never Be the Same (2026), “Move At Speed” from Heartbreaker Please (2020), and “I Should Get Up” from Separate Ways (2006). Intro: “In My Arms” from A Piece of What You Need (2008). More at teddythompson.net.

Watch the video for “In My Arms.” Another song from the new album that I mention is “Not What I Need,” and its great closing tune is “Same Old Song.” Teddy’s previous album is My Love of Country. Hear the song Teddy mentions, “No Way to Be,” featuring his father and Garth Hudson.

Watch Teddy play “I Should Get Up” solo live. Here’s a whole, very recent live solo show. Watch Teddy and Richard sing “Persuasion” (the great song Richard wrote with Tim Finn) live in 1999 (here’s the studio version, and here’s Tim’s version). Here’s the tune he wrote with his mother for her most recent album (she has vocal issues now, so a series of guest vocalists sing all the tunes). Here’s a trailer for the Family album by Thompson (2014).

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

Richard joined the British art-rock band Japan in 1975, playing with them through their five albums, 1982 break-up, and 1991 one-off reformation (as Rain Tree Crow). He continued to collaborate with Japan drummer Steve Jansen, recording four instrumental ambient albums with him (and one pop album in 1987 as Dolphin Brothers), between 1985 and 1995, adding Japan bassist Nick Karn for a couple more albums, plus 1994 album with No-Man singer Tim Bowness and two albums (’12-’13) with Marillion singer Steve Hogarth. In 1995 he joined Porcupine Tree, and this has been his main gig, recording 25+ albums with them. In 2004 he finally released his first solo album, a second one in 2008, and then a steady stream of albums and EPs since 2017 (so around eight solo albums’ worth of material in total).

We discuss “A New Simulation” from Hauntings (2026), “All Fall Down” from Stranger Inside (2008), and “Sleepers Awake” by Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri from Stone to Flesh (1995). End song: “Waiting to Be Born” by Steve Hogarth and Richard Barbieri, recorded 2015 and released as the lead track to an EP by that name in 2023. Intro: “The Experience of Swimming” by Japan, a B-side from Gentlemen Take Polaroids (1980). More at richardbarbieri.bandcamp.com.

Hear all of “The Experience of Swimming.” A more famous Japan song from just after that which Richard contributed heavily to is “Ghosts.” Watch the band’s final show from 1982.

Here’s a live version of “Sleepers Awake.” (Actually, the live version I was referring to is from the live album Lumen; since he said it was only played live once, these may well be the same performance.) Here’s a song Richard co-wrote for Porcupine Tree. Here’s another he also co-wrote, but played live.

Here’s one he recorded with his wife Suzanne in 1997 as Indigo Falls. You can hear the full 1987 Dolphin Brothers album that Richard says was kind of a mistake. Here’s a tune Richard played synth on for David Sylvian’s 1984 solo album (he was the singer for Japan). Here’s one of the Rain Tree Crow (1991) songs he is credited with co-writing.

Watch a cool “360 degree” video of one of his recent instrumentals, “Serpentine.” Here’s another cool one along the same lines. The song we briefly discuss with virtuoso bassist Percy Jones is “Path Not Taken.” Watch Richard playing live solo. Watch him messing around with gear. Here’s an older tune with Steve Hogarth and one with Tim Bowness.

For more general info about LFOs (low-frequency oscillators), here’s a video.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.