Mark is joined by returning NEM guest Don Rauf (singer/songwriter from Life In a Blender), singer/songwriter/cartoonist David Heatley (featured on Mark's other show Pretty Much Pop), and writer/musician Dave "Diggy" Dawson aka Dave Philpott (featured talking about his letters-to-popstars books on Pretty Much Pop). Our topic is humor in music. Is funny music necessarily less  Continue Reading …

Singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Jonathan (currently based in Minneapolis) has been putting out indie rock solo albums since 1992, but has also ventured into traditional Finnish folk music and has multiple releases of tunes that I won't call Christian rock, but more rock that grapples with being someone who goes to church. We discuss "Diner by the Train" (and listen  Continue Reading …

Adrian has applied his distinctive, spacey dub mixing techniques to numerous recordings since 1978, often released under his On-U Sound label, and has effectively served as a key band member in groups like Creation Rebel, African Head Charge, Tackhead, and New Age Steppers. He has produced and/or remixed many artists including Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails, Lee  Continue Reading …

Eric was a major figure in the 1960s NYC folk scene, and his early tunes have been covered by Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, and many others. He's released 22 solo albums plus several live albums and two albums with The Band's Rick Danko as Danko/Fjeld/Andersen. We discuss "Don't It Make You Wanna Sing the Blues" from Dance of Love and Death (2025), "Rain Falls Down in Amsterdam"  Continue Reading …

Maia has released ten lush, Americana-influenced singer-songwriter albums since 1997 and has collaborated with artists like Art Garfunkel, Bonnie Raitt, and Trisha Yearwood, and been covered by Cher, Paul Carrack, etc. We discuss "Counterintuition" (and listen to the title track) from Tomboy (2025), "Phoenix" from The Dash Between the Dates (2015), and "A Home" from Fine  Continue Reading …

...OK, maybe not his ending, but it's a late career boost into overdrive: This 66-year-old has been making music since the '80s, but you're only going to find two of his releases on the streaming services right now, and only this new album (released 20 years after the previous one) has the polish to count as a world-conquering, professional release. We discuss two songs from  Continue Reading …

New York singer-songwriter Willie has released sixteen albums since 1980. He has opened for The Who and Bruce Springsteen, among others, but rejected the major label life after his first two albums. Sponsor: Visit functionhealth.com/NAKEDLY to take control of your health through testing and get $100 off your membership. We discuss "An Irish Goodbye" (feat. Paul Brady)  Continue Reading …

Not only is John a multi-instrumentalist (e.g. mandolin and flute) who's played with Violent Femmes, Allen Ginsberg, Hal Willner, John Prine, The Meat Puppets, et al, but he's released around 24 albums as a solo artist or with several groups including the NYC world music outfit TriBeCaStan. He's also a poet and author. We discuss "(Be Careful What You Say to) An Armed Lady"  Continue Reading …

This famed finger-style guitarist broke through via Jefferson Airplane's seven albums from 1966-1972, recorded eight with Hot Tuna 1970-1976 (with subsequent reunions by both bands), recorded his first solo album in 1974 and then 10 more from 1981-2025, and still plays live constantly solo or with his Tuna/Airplane partner, bassist Jack Cassady. He's also recently recorded  Continue Reading …

Chris has around 20 releases since 1991, mostly under his own name, while moonlighting as a metal guy and otherwise collaborating. We discuss "She Looks Good in Black" from Obsolete Path (2025), "Intransitive Proverb" from Limitations of the Source Tape (2017), and "Angel Be Mine" from Your Own Chosen Speed (2001). End song: "Sisiphus" by Däng from Tartarus: The Darkest  Continue Reading …

Bill started in the mid-60s with Sons of Champlin and released 8 albums with them between 1969-1977, moved to LA to become a session singer, wrote some Grammy-winning tunes, and released two solo albums before joining Chicago in 1981 as their growling soul singer through their most famous period, releasing six more solo albums during and after his tenure with them (which ended  Continue Reading …

Dean has released about 20 albums, starting with three '88-'90 with his Harvard classmates as Galaxie 500, then started fresh in New York as Luna, releasing 7 albums and some EPs through 2005 (plus a later reunion), then continued with his Luna bassist and now spouse Britta Phillips as Dean and Britta for 5 albums, interspersed with now four albums under his own name (plus an  Continue Reading …

Peter recorded with Chris Stamey as early as 1972, and they reconvened as The dB's in the '80s. Peter has released six albums as the dB's, three more as a duo with Chris, four co-fronting the Continental Drifters, and three solo albums. He has also been a supporting/touring member in several bands including REM (e.g. on the Out of Time album), Hootie and the Blowfish, and  Continue Reading …

JR is one of our most recorded session drummers, playing on over 200 US Billboard Hot 100 songs and 50 Grammy winning tunes. He was Quincy Jones' drummer of choice and played on "We Are the World" and with Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, Lionel Richie, Herbie Hancock, Barbara Streisand, Daft Punk, Lady Gaga, and too many others to name. He was a member and contributing songwriter  Continue Reading …

Django is a singer/songwriter/guitarist who released his first solo album in 1996 and has released seven albums with The Old Ceremony since 2004 plus several more solo releases. We discuss The Old Ceremony songs "Too Big to Fail" (and listen to "Hangman's Party at the end) from Earthbound (2024), "The Disappear" from Walk On Thin Air (2009), and "Reservations"  Continue Reading …

Iain started as Ian, the male singer in Britain's Fairport Convention in the late '60s, but quickly left that band to start a couple more and then move to the US for a lengthy solo career. He has in total released close to 50 albums, including many collaborations. We discus the title track from How Much Is Enough (2024), the title track from God Looked Down (1996),  Continue Reading …

Loudon has released 30 albums since 1970. He's the quintessential singer-songwriter, relying on crafty, personal lyrics delivered dynamically and typically solo with acoustic guitar (though sometimes piano, banjo, ukulele, or a cappella), though his studio work has varied in production style and orchestration level over the years. We discuss "How Old is 75" from Lifetime  Continue Reading …

This Chicago singer/songwriter fronted Dolly Varden for six albums from the '90s through 2013. He also started releasing solo records in 2003 and has just released his seventh. We discuss "A Mile South of Town" (and listen at the end to "Oh, California") from Ghosts (2024), the title track from The Dumbest Magnets by Dolly Varden (2000), and "Bronko Nagurski," a  Continue Reading …

Though Dale is known as the long-time drummer for Washington sludge-metal band Melvins ('88-present), he's also a guitarist and singer who led the band Altamont though four alternative rock albums ('97-'05) and has now released his third full-length, stylistically varied solo album. We discuss "I Quit" from Glossolalia (2024) featuring Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, "Bad  Continue Reading …

As a young person in NYC, Amy played briefly in a punk band, then in the “cow punk” band Last Roundup with her brother, and then in a vocal trio called The Shams that released an album and an EP around 1993. She finally emerged as a full front-person as a solo artist in 1997; she’s since released nine solo albums plus three more with her husband Wreckless Eric, who now  Continue Reading …