This week on The Cobain 50, we share one last bonus episode before we hit the final stretch of albums on Kurt Cobain’s top albums list. Ray Farrell may not be a familiar name to most, but he’s worked with many of the artists and labels we’ve talked about on the list: from SST and Rough Trade to Geffen Records, Sonic Youth to Wipers, Farrell has been through it all. He shares with us stories from his time in the industry, as well as some memories of talking records with Kurt himself.

Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas
Audio producers: Matt Martin and Roddy Nikpour
Podcast manager: Isabel Khalili
Editorial director: Larry Mizell Jr.
Support the podcast: kexp.org/cobain

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Cobain 50, we’re taking a quick break from our regularly scheduled programming to share an interview with another Seattle music icon – Matt Cameron.

Cameron is the drummer for legendary groups Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Before then he played in the influential Seattle bands Bam Bam, Skin Yard, and Temple of the Dog. In this interview with Emily Fox, which originally aired on KEXP’s A Deeper Listen podcast, Cameron talks about his career and how he’s been able to keep at it for more than 40 years.

Learn more about Bam Bam: https://www.kexp.org/podcasts/sound-vision/2021/3/2/tina-bell-unsung-goddess-grunge/o0

Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas
Audio producers: Matt Martin and Roddy Nikpour
Podcast manager: Isabel Khalili
Editorial director: Larry Mizell Jr. 

Support the podcast: kexp.org/cobain

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roddy Nikpour speaks with Josh Modell about It’s Only Right and Natural by The Frogs. By modern standards, The Frogs created cancel-able album after cancel-able album. Somehow, though, their punk innovation outshined controversy, catching attention from Eddie Vetter of Pearl Jam, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, and so many others. The Frogs inspired weirdo art everywhere — including Kurt Cobain’s “Montage of Heck” home recordings. Modell is co-directing a forthcoming documentary about The Frogs titled after this album: It’s Only Right and Natural. 

Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas
Audio producers: Matt Martin and Roddy Nikpour
Podcast manager: Isabel Khalili
Editorial director: Larry Mizell Jr. 

Support the podcast: kexp.org/cobain

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Records? might not be a household name, but the small Los Angeles-based punk label had a cascading effect on punk-yet-to-come. Dusty Henry digs into this somewhat obscure compilation from Kurt Cobain’s albums list which features deep cuts from L.A.’s punk scene, including bands like The Controllers, KAOS, and The Germs (which featured future Nirvana bandmate Pat Smear). We also hear about the records founder Chris Ashford’s journey from record store clerk to key figure in building L.A. punk’s scene. 

Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas
Written & Produced: Dusty Henry
Mixed & Mastered: Matt Martin and Roddy Nikpour
Special thanks to Isabel Khalili and Larry Mizell Jr. 

Support the podcast: kexp.org/cobain

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Janice Headley talks with Stuart Moxham of Young Marble Giants about Colossal Youth. This album from the Welsh post-punk trio may seem like a surprising entry on Kurt's list given its minimalist instrumentation, but these bands shared a similar disdain for the spotlight. 

Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas
Written & Produced: Janice Headley
Mixed & Mastered: Matt Martin and Roddy Nikpour
Special thanks to Isabel Khalili and Larry Mizell Jr. 

Support the podcast: kexp.org/cobain

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas dive into The Faith/Void Split by The Faith and Void. In our last entry from the D.C. punk scene, we relive the youthful spirit that drove these bands to make their mark. 

Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas
Audio producers: Dusty Henry, Matt Martin, and Roddy Nikpour
Special thanks to Isabel Khalili and Larry Mizell Jr. 

Support the podcast: kexp.org/cobain

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Douglas dives into Album – Generic Flipper by Flipper. Despite the name, their debut album is anything but generic. Krist Novoselic (who briefly joined the band in the 2000s) described this Bay Area band as “proto-grunge.”

Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas
Audio producers: Martin Douglas and Roddy Nikpour
Special thanks to Isabel Khalili and Larry Mizell Jr. 

Support the podcast: kexp.org/cobain

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following KEXP's recent event celebrating The Gits and Martin Douglas's recent Throwaway Style newsletter, we want to tell you more about these contemporaries of Kurt Cobain. 

The Gits were an early '90s Seattle band. Sub Pop Records recently launched a campaign to rerelease remastered versions of The Gits’ catalogue. So much of the band’s story has been wrapped around the 1993 rape and murder of The Gits frontwoman Mia Zapata.

Late last year at KEXP’s Gathering Space, our colleague Emily Fox spoke with The Gits guitarist Andy Kessler and bassist Matt Dresdner about the band’s legacy and the life of Mia. 

Support KEXP podcasts at kexp.org/cobain

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Janice Headley dives into Eternally Yours by The Saints. (In his list, Kurt wrote the name of a single from the album, “Know Your Product.”) This is the story of how The Saints brought punk from “down under,” featuring exclusive insights from founding guitarist Ed Kuepper and Mudhoney’s Mark Arm, who has been filling in for the late Saints frontman Chris Bailey in recent shows.

Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas
Written and produced by: Janice Headley
Audio mixing and mastering: Roddy Nikpour
Podcast manager: Isabel Khalili
Editorial director: Larry Mizell Jr.

Support the podcast: kexp.org/cobain

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dusty Henry dives into the self-titled debut from Scratch Acid. This vein of — ahem — “alternative music” helped Nirvana in their own quest to balance abrasiveness with structure. (In the outro, Dusty works in a reference to Charli XCX, effectively dubbing this podcast "brat." We also have some special shoutouts.) 

Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas
Audio producers: Dusty Henry and Roddy Nikpour
Podcast manager: Isabel Khalili
Editorial director: Larry Mizell Jr. 

Support the podcast: kexp.org/cobain

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.