Nakedly Examined Music Podcast | The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast | A Philosophy Podcast and Blog

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Nakedly Examined Music is a podcast about making music: Why do we do it? Why do we do it the way we do it? Mark Linsenmayer interviews songwriters and composers famous and otherwise about specific recordings, which are presented in full on the podcast. Visit the FAQ.

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Nakedly Examined Music is a podcast about making music: Why do we do it? Why do we do it the way we do it? Mark Linsenmayer interviews songwriters and composers famous and otherwise about specific recordings, which are presented in full on the podcast.

NEM#92: Steve Young (Hedflux): Electronica Breaking Club Conventions

February 19, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

Steve started producing tracks for dance clubs in 2007, changing his style in 2013 to slow down, carve out space for spontaneous performance, and develop “audio alchemy” over a few EPs and two recent albums.

We discuss “Equinosis” from the Mercurial EP (2018), “Superluminal Sound” from his Soul Science album (2016), and the title track from his Wanderlust EP (2013). We conclude by listening to “Origins” by Hedflux and Alex Delfont from Kin (2018). Opening/closing: “Music Is My Weapon” (2007). For more, see hedflux.com.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us on Patreon. Check out Mark’s new album.

NEM#91: Rachel Taylor Brown’s Decorated Aphorisms

February 8, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

Portland-based singer-songwriter Rachel has released 10 albums of off-kilter, usually piano-based, lyric-heavy indie rock since the mid ’00s.

We discuss “Maker” and “God” (plus the intro “Gyre”) from Run Tiny Human (2018), “Taxidermy” from World so Sweet (2011), and “Ormolu” from Ormolu (2006), and also listen to “We’ll Have A” from Falimy (2014). For more, see racheltaylorbrown.com.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us on Patreon. Check out Mark’s new album.

NEM#90: Sam Phillips Brings Intuition Out of Dreams

January 25, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer 1 Comment

Sam has released sixteen albums of catchy, textured pop music since 1983.

We discuss “I Want to Be You” and “Tears in the Ground” from World on Sticks (2018), “How to Dream” from Fan Dance (2001), and conclude by listening to “When I’m Alone” from Push Any Button (2013). Intro: “Baby I Can’t Please You” from Martinis and Bikinis (1994). For more, visit samphillips.com.

Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us on Patreon. Check out Mark’s new album.

NEM#89: Dusty Wright’s Metaphysical Americana

January 5, 2019 by Mark Linsenmayer 1 Comment

After starting in the ’80s with the Trolls and the Bastards of Execution, Dusty has released six albums as a solo artist since 1997.

We discuss a new, unreleased song “Pardon My Love,” then “Man in the Mirror” from Gliding Toward Oblivion (2018) and “High Flyin’ Bird” by GIANTfingers from around 2003. We conclude by listening to “(Art at) the Speed of Life” by the Dusty Diamonds from 1994. Intro/outro: “Karma” from dust! (2000).

For more, see dustywright.com. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us on Patreon.

NEM#88: Lincoln Barr’s Off-Center Vulnerability

December 19, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

Lincoln established the Seattle-based singer/songwriter vehicle Red Jacket Mine in 2003, made three albums and an EP with them, and in 2017 released his first solo album, the jazzy, live-in-studio Trembling Frames.

We examine “Desperate Tormentors” and hear “How To Escape” and a bit of “Memory Up and Die” from that album, and discuss Red Jacket Mine: “Apricot Moon” from Lovers Lookout (2009) and “Jesus’s House” from Hello, Old Cloud (2008). For more, see lincolnbarrmusic.com.

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NEM#87: Chris Cacavas Fronts His Depression

December 9, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

Chris rose to fame on keys for Arizona’s country punks Green on Red from ’81–’87, and has since then been fronted 12 albums while doing session keyboard work.

We discuss “Pale Blonde Hell” by Chris Cacavas and Junkyard Love from Pale Blonde Hell (1994), “Do Me No Favors” from Anonymous (1997), and “Don’t Think Twice” from Bumbling Home from the Star (2002). We listen to “I Won’t Feel Well” from Love’s Been Re-Discontinued (2013). Opening music: The title track from Green on Red’s Gravity Talks. For more, see chris-cacavas.com.

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NEM#86: Seth Swirsky Provides Instant Pleasure

November 17, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

Seth Swirsky was a highly successful staff songwriter for over 20 years, and has put out three solo albums and three albums as The Red Button since 2004. He’s a huge Beatles fan and has released a Beatles documentary Beatles Stories and has multiple books about psychology and baseball.

We discuss his heavily covered and sound-tracked tune “Love Is a Beautiful Thing”; you’ll hear the version by Al Green from Don’t Look Back (1993), then “Matchbook Cover” from Seth’s album Watercolor Day (2010) and “Picture” by The Red Button from As Far as Yesterday Goes (2011). The end suite is “Shine/Circles and Squares/Go” from his album Circles and Squares (2016). Intro music is from the title track to Instant Pleasure (2004). For more, see seth.com.

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Announcement: There’s a supporter-only interview with Bruce Soord of Pineapple Thief on Patreon. Please support the podcast so that we can continue!

NEM#85: John Etheridge (Soft Machine) Is For Everything!

October 27, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer 1 Comment

John is an amazing guitarist who started in the late-’60s British blues boom, had his first compositions set to tape with Darryl Way’s Wolf in the early ’70s, then joined the latter line-ups of jazz-prog legends Soft Machine (replacing Alan Holdsworth) in the late ’70s. He’s collaborated with luminaries like violinist Stéphane Grappelli, guitar great John Williams, and Andy Summers from The Police, and released eight solo albums prior to teaming up with former members of Soft Machine for another six albums.

We discuss “One Glove” by Soft Machine from Hidden Details (2018), his rendition of Rodgers and Hart’s “My Romance” from I Didn’t Know (2004), and “Venerable Bede” from Ash (1994). We conclude by listening to “Blue Breeze” by John Etheridge and Vimala Rowe from Out of the Sky (2015). Intro/outro from “Huffin'” by Soft Machine from Alive and Well: Recorded in Paris (1978). For more, visit john-etheridge.com and softmachine.org.

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NEM#84: Laura Davis Was “The Girl in the Back” (of the Student Teachers)

October 11, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer 5 Comments

Laura Davis-Chanin of the Phi Fic podcast drummed in the late ’70s NYC punk band The Student Teachers and has written about it in The Girl in the Back: A Female Drummer’s Life with Bowie, Blondie, and the ’70s Rock Scene (2018).

We discuss the book and listen to songs from Invitation To… The Student Teachers (2013): “Looks,” “Christmas Weather,” plus as an intro, “Channel 13.” Laura also co-wrote lyrics to two Blondie songs: we hear some of “Angels in the Balcony” from Autoamerican (1980) plus “Slow Motion” from Eat to the Beat (1979).

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NEM#83: Rat Scabies’s Damned Drumming

October 1, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

We discuss “Dazy Bones” and “Rat’s Opus” from that 2018 album, then look back to The Damned’s “History of the World (Part One)” from The Black Album (1980), then end by listening to Rat’s cover of the Kraftwerk classic “Autobahn” with The Germans from Do Not Fuck With the Germans (2003). Intro/outro: “Love Song” by The Damned from Machine Gun Etiquette (1979). For more, visit ratscabies.com.

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NEM#82: Byron Isaacs Emerges from Bassland

September 13, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer 2 Comments

Byron is an in-demand session/touring bassist whose main band since 2004 has been NYC’s Ollabelle. We talk about “Losing You” and “Gypsy Wind” from his debut solo album, Disappearing Man (2018), plus “Gone Today” by Ollabelle from Riverside Battle Songs (2007), and finish with”Horizontal Man” by Lost Leaders from their 2014 eponymous album. Intro: “Heaven’s Pearls” by Levon Helm from Electric Dirt (2009). For more, visit byronisaacs.com.

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NEM#81: Lindsay Murray Is Gretchen’s Wheel

August 31, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

Lindsay has released four albums and an EP of depressed alternative rock under the band name Gretchen’s Wheel since 2015, providing a modern model of accessible yet professional DIY recording.

We focus on Black Box Theory, covering “Untethered,” “Tatyana,” and “Plans,” plus “Save the Day” from Sad Scientist (2017). Intro: “Total Loss” from Fragile State (2015). For more, visit gretchenswheel.com.

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NEM#80: Rod Picott: Literary Workin’ Man

August 19, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

Nashville singer/songwriter/fiction-writer Rod laid sheet rock for years before releasing his first album in 2001; he has now released ten albums of vivid Americana.

We focus on his new double album Out Past the Wires, discussing “Take Home Pay” and “Date of Grace” (with intro/outro from “Be My Bonnie”), then look back to “Rust Belt Fields” from Welding Burns (2011) and finally listen to “You’re Not Missing Anything” from Hang Your Hopes on a Crooked Nail (2014). More at rodpicott.com.

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NEM#79: Prateek Kuhad’s Bilingual Love Songs

August 5, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

Prateek was named artist of the year for 2016 by MTV India, and has been releasing tasteful, lyrics-focused songs about relationships in English and Hindi since 2011.

We focus on his 2015 album Tokens and Charms: “Go,” “Oh Love,” and “Flames,” plus the 2017 single “Tum Jab Pas,” and the title track from his brand new EP cold/mess. Intro/outro: “Raat Raazi” (2013). For more, visit prateekkuhad.com.

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NEM#78: Tara Lynch’s Unflinchingly Honest Metal Debut

July 21, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

Tara has long been building her heavy metal guitar skills, but has only recently gone public, building a huge social media following and now releasing Evil Enough, an album featuring musicians who’ve played with Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Yngwie Malmsteen, etc.

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NEM#77: Shawn Phillips: Uncategorizable from Texas

July 8, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer 2 Comments

Shawn started as a ’60s folk singer, went to England to cavort with the greats of classic rock, and emerged in the ’70s with ten albums of eclectic, progressive music with shamanic lyrics delivered with a twang.

We discuss “Woman” from Second Contribution (1971), “A Christmas Song” from Faces (1972) and “Mr. President” from Furthermore (1974), then play two songs from his new album, Continuance: “C’mon Round” and “Bach to the Fusion.” Opening music: “I’m a Loner (I’m a Drifter)” from I’m a Loner (1964). For more, see shawnphillips.com.

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NEM#76: Phil Manzanera’s Impossible Guitar

June 24, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

Phil was a core member of Roxy Music through the ’70s and early ’80s, has released 10+ solo albums since 1975 and many collaborations—appearing on around 80 albums in total—with an experimental yet tasteful guitar that’s sometimes mistaken for a keyboard or something else.

We discuss “No Church in the Wild” from The Sound of Blue (2015), which is a cover of the song by Jay Z and Kanye West based around a sample from Phil’s song “K-Scope” from the album of that name (1970). We then talk about “Wish You Well” from 6:00pm (2004) and the title track from Diamond Head (1975). Finally we listen to “Magdalena” from Live in Japan (2017). Intro music: “Over You” by Roxy Music from Flesh & Blood (1980).
For more, visit manzanera.com.

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NEM#75: Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond): Indie Every Day!

June 8, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

Nick has released 22 albums as The Bevis Frond since 1986, alternating jangle-pop with psychedelia and power-guitar rock… pretty much anything ’60s-flavored.

We discuss “Longships” from Example 22 (2015), “Opthalmic Microdots” from White Numbers (2013), and “Coming Round” from London Stone (1992). We conclude by listening to “Portobello Man” from Valedictory Songs (2000). Intro: “He’d Be a Diamond” from New River Head (1991). Hear more at bevisfrond.bandcamp.com.

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NEM #74: Colin Moulding (XTC) Kills and Scatters the Editor

May 29, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

As bassist/co-frontman for XTC, he released around 14 albums between 1978–2000, and for the first time since, he has a new release, the Great Aspirations EP now under the name TC&I.

We discuss “Scatter Me” and “Kenny” from this 2017 release, plus “Say It” an 2002 XTC song, and conclude by listening to “Where Did the Ordinary People Go?” the final 2005 XTC single. Intro music: “Making Plans for Nigel” from Drums and Wires (1979). For more, see facebook.com/tcandimusic.

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NEM #73: David J Colors His Poetry

May 18, 2018 by Mark Linsenmayer Leave a Comment

David J. Haskins gained fame with Bauhaus in the late ’70s/early ’80s, gained more fame with Love and Rockets, and has since 1983 released around ten albums plus several EPs and other collaborations.

We discuss “The Auteur (Redux / Reprise)” a 2018 single (featuring Rose McGowan and Emily Jane White), “Vaudeville Ghost Light” from Carpe Noctem (2016), credited to M.C. Nightshade and the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra, and “Eulogy for Jeff Buckley” from Not Long for This World (2011). End song: “The Day the David Bowie Died” from Vagabond Songs (2017). Opening song: “No New Tale to Tell” by Love and Rockets from Earth, Sun, Moon (1987). For more, see davidjonline.com.

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