The Steer

Jamondria Harris' EP "meroitic," plus tracks from Alice Coltrane and Cocteau Twins. As heard on the radio episode of our show, broadcast on 99.1 FM Los Angeles.

Interdisciplinary artist Jamondria Harris talks about growing up in the vastness of Texas, how Alice Coltrane impacted their life, and their sound art including the work they do under the name meroitic. Jamondria also reads an excerpt from their new collection "quaerere," out now from Magic Helicopter Press!

Acclaimed author and former frontman of the grunge/not-grunge band Dungbeetle, Sam Lipsyte talks about his early successes and failures, his surprise love for teaching, getting an award from President Ronald Reagan as a kid, and his new novel Hark, published by Simon & Schuster.

Music from the Sam Lipsyte episode, as heard on Dublab.com and KZUT 99.1 FM Los Angeles. Also, James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem talks about overcoming failure.

Tracks from musicians talked about during Wendy's interview, as heard on dublab.com and KZUT 99.1 FM Los Angeles.

Poet and essayist Wendy Bourgeois talks about growing up working class, shoe shopping, conservative relatives, her love of minor-key country & western music, and her new book of essays "The Devil Says Maybe I Like It," published by Propeller Books.

A track from the Pogues, then music from Willy's bands Richmond Fontaine and The Delines.

Critically acclaimed novelist and musician Willy Vlautin ("Lean on Pete," "The Motel Life") talks about growing up in Reno, Nevada, writing his early work at horse tracks in Portland, Oregon, and how much a brief encounter with The Pogues' singer Shane MacGowan meant to him. His band, The Delines, is currently touring their newest album, "The Imperial."

[1]: http://willyvlautin.com/

[2]: http://thedelines.com/store/

Music by Dao Strom, music talked about in her interview, and tracks that are particular favorites of hers. Full playlist on our website.

Born in Vietnam, Dao Strom grew up in the Sierra Nevada foothills, where she first began writing and thinking about the world as a beautiful place yet filled with contradiction. She talks with us about learning to play music in Iowa City, how she maintains her creativity from project to project, Cat Power, and why people are occasionally surprised by her love of folk and country music. Strom's latest book is You Will Always Be Someone From Somewhere Else and, recording as The Sea and The Mother, her latest album is a 6 song EP entitled Sense.

In addition to her own creative work Strom is also a founding member of She Who Has No Master(s), a collective of women writers of the Vietnamese diaspora, co-director of a PoC library collective/social engagement project, De-Canon, and the editor of diaCRITICS.