Pat played saxophone and guitar with Lydia Lunch's group 8-Eyed Spy in 1979, and then moved on to The Raybeats, a "neo-surf rock combo," which recorded four albums through 1984. He wrote for stage shows and eventually joined the B-52s as a second guitarist/keyboardist in support of their Cosmic Thing album in 1989. In 1992 he had his first musical director role for TV with  Continue Reading …

Eszter is an actor/musician, gaining initial fame starring in Jim Jarmusch's first major film Stranger Than Paradise (1984). She has released four albums of often autobiographical songs since 1998. We discuss "The First Day" (and end by listening to "Freaks") from I Hate Memory (2022) feat. Stew and Syd Straw; this album has been made into a stage show. We then turn to "Exit  Continue Reading …

Simon has produced programmed dance music since the early '90s, and has won Grammys and topped charts with his partner Felix Buxton as Basement Jaxx through their seven albums and several EPs. We discuss his most recent project, Village of the Sun (the song of that name from First Light), which he recorded with jazz drummer Moses Boyd and his partner, the saxophonist Binker  Continue Reading …

Bruce is best known as Elvis Costello's bassist for his first on about a dozen albums as The Attractions, but he's been in bands since 1970 and has done numerous session gigs, most notably for Al Stewart's early albums, plus The Pretenders, John Wesley Harding, Billy Bragg, and many more. We discuss his work on "Blood Makes Noise" by Susanne Vega from 99.9 Degrees (1992),  Continue Reading …

Mike has put out 18 releases of largely instrumental guitar music since 2004, sometimes with his jazz quintet or as a duo with trumpeter Kris Tiner, and more recently in more of an instrumental rock format with legendary bassist Mike Watt and with drums by either Jim Keltner (Traveling Wilburys, Ry Cooder) or Stephen Hodges (Tom Waits). We discuss the title track to  Continue Reading …

Neil is known as the long-time collaborator of the late Elliot Smith (pictured with him here from 1995). They met in college in 1987, had a band named Swimming Jesus, then moved to Portland and released three albums and an EP together as Heatmiser starting in 1993. Then Neil fronted the band No. 2 for two albums (1999 and 2002) before taking a break until recently from  Continue Reading …

Through the 00's and four studio albums, Allan led the "baroque pop" Oklahoma band Starlight Mints. Then he met his wife Barb who'd played piano and sang, and together they write and record as doubleVee. They've released two albums and an EP since 2017. The three of us talk about "The Middle Side of Me" from Treat Her Strangely (2022), then the title track from Jack the  Continue Reading …

Robyn has been producing a distinctive flavor of very British rock with surrealist lyrics for 35+ albums since 1979, and he describes his technique as no so much expanding the doors of perception but merely not editing the weird things we think, which involves composing without self-consciousness. We discuss "The Raging Muse" (and close by listening to "The Shuffle Man")  Continue Reading …

Rebecca has balanced her musical career with her acting career since the mid '80s, starting in Scotland with Ruby Blue and then moving to New York in 1989 and releasing 10 solo albums and some EPs. We discuss "Silent Sound" from Parts of Speech Pieces of Sound (2022), the title track to the Stark Naked EP (2020), and "24 Hours of Love" from New York Girls' Club (1996). End  Continue Reading …

Mike played keyboards and shared lead vocals for synth jazz-pop Level 42's initial run for nine albums from 1982-1994 (and rejoined in 2006 for touring and some more recording) and is currently working on his fourth solo release. We talk about his new single from that upcoming album, "Atlantia," plus "Madness" from On the One (2011) and Level 42's "Weave Your Spell" from The  Continue Reading …

The daughter of a blues musician in Tennessee and originally a saxophone player, Chastity has since 2007 released seven albums from Minneapolis that she calls "new blues," but which spread into pop, Americana, soul, and Irish-flavored spirituals. We discuss "Wonderment" (co-written with Dan Wilson) and listen at the end to "Back Seat" from Sing to the Walls (2022), "Drive  Continue Reading …

Susan teaches songwriting at Berklee and has released six albums since 2009. As she tells us, she started wanting to be a Nashville songwriter, decided to then sing those country songs herself, but decided that it was too much of an act. Her subsequent, meticulously crafted Americana albums in Boston better reflect her unique sensibilities. We discuss “Broken Things” (and  Continue Reading …

Bill is a highly successful Nashville songwriter, co-writing country hits for artists like Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, and Robert Ellis Orral as well as his  late '80s duo Foster and Lloyd. His country collaborations go back to the late '70s, and he has a long connection to Rusty Young's latter-day iterations of Poco. But his true love has been power pop, starting  Continue Reading …

Richie Reinhardt drummed and sang from '83-'87 along with original Ramones Joey, Johnny, and Dee Dee, writing their single "Somebody Put Something in My Drink" (included here as opening music from Animal Boy, 1986) and a few other songs. He added energy to the band at a time when it was needed, and carries that spirit into his solo albums. We discuss his new single "Not Afraid"  Continue Reading …

Portland's Drew Grow has put out around 10 albums since the 90s, gradually developing his jagged, visceral style through several projects. We discuss the title track from Cockroach in a Ghost Town, the debut album from his new band Slang with Janet Wiess, then "Abandon" from the eponymous album by Modern Kin (2014), and "Spider" from his debut solo album Next Lips (2007). End  Continue Reading …

Mark led the Pop Group through two albums in the late 70s two later reunion album and has released nine solo albums of trippy, experimental dance music. We discuss "Rage of Angels" (feat. Front 242) from VS (2022), "Age of Miracles" by The Pop Group from Citizen Zombie (2015), and "Liberty City" by Mark Stewart & the Maffia from Learning to Cope with Cowardice (1983). End  Continue Reading …

Ben started releasing sardonic retro rock records with the Ben Vaughn Combo in the early '80s, and has now released over 20 of them exploring various genres, while also working on TV soundtracks like Third Rock from the Sun and That '70s Show, hosting a radio show, and producing for several artists including Ween. We discuss "Wayne Fontana Was Wrong" from The World of Ben  Continue Reading …

Bob released six albums with Hüsker Dü in the '80s, went solo, had a wash of fame as Sugar in the early '90s, and has released around a dozen solo albums. We discuss  "Forecast of Rain" from Blue Hearts (2020), "I Don’t Know You Anymore" from Beauty & Ruin (2014), "JC Auto" by Sugar from Beaster (1993), and "In A Free Land" by Hüsker Dü, 1982 singe remixed for Savage  Continue Reading …

Wesley started performing as John Wesley Harding in the late '80s (often eliciting comparisons in his early work to Elvis Costello), moved from England to the U.S. in 1991, and has 20+ releases, switching to his own name in 2013 as a result of his success as a novelist. We discuss "The Impossible She" (and end by listening to "Come Back Yesterday") from Late Style (2021),  Continue Reading …

Clive is a keyboardist, orchestrator, singer, and composer of three musicals and several concept albums as a solo artist or collaborator. He's played with Pendragon since 1986 and has led the bands Shadowlands and Arena since the 90s. We discuss "Dragon Fire" from his most recent solo album, Song of the Wildlands (2021), "Silent Words" from his musical King's Ransom (2017),  Continue Reading …