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As one half of influential band Gastr del Sol along with David Grubbs, Jim O'Rourke's work has reached many through that project alone. However, his additional work as an esteemed solo artist and producer as well as a guitarist in Sonic Youth have extended his reach even further, solidifying him as one of the most prominent artists to emerge from the American underground. On this episode, he talks about how songs by David Ackles, Genesis and Charles Ives informed his development as a musician. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
David Grubbs, who along with Jim O'Rourke comprised Gastr del Sol, ushered in a new, cerebral strain of post-rock upon their appearance in the 90's. Owing more to modern classical composers than what was being played on college radio, the duo toured extensively and put out eight releases, most of which were on esteemed Chicago label Drag City. Their newest release is a box set of their work named We Have Dozens of Titles, and was also released by Drag City in May of 2024. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Having co-written many of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' greatest hits as the lead guitarist in the band, Mike Campbell's work has been heard by millions of listeners and still resonates today. In this episode, hear how songs by Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan and The Beach Boys shaped his musical perspective. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Electronic-music producer Jlin works in the space where beatmaking and modern composition collide. In this episode, recorded live at the 2024 Big Ears Festival, she discusses how music by Luther Vandross, Missy Elliott and Al Jarreau shaped her work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
DC indie-scene veterans Mark Robinson and Bridget Cross formed the spine of two of the city's finest pop bands, Unrest and the still-undersung Air Miami. In this episode, they discuss how '70s dance music, musicals, the Shaggs, the Captain and Tennille, and '80s punk and indie shaped their course. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Our sixth annual Seventh Stanine Festival is taking place Saturday, June 15 from 1:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. This episode previews this year's event and features segments on Water Damage, Geologist of Animal Collective, Tongue Depressor, Susan Alcorn, The Caribbean, Small Sur, Turner Williams, Jr. and Jon Camp. More information can be found at www.rhizomedc.org or www.essentialpodcast.com. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Los Angeles-based folk troubadour Jessica Pratt's intimate, moody, carefully-crafted songs have helped her reach an ever-growing audience over the course of her four studio albums, the most recent of which is Here in the Pitch, which was released in May of 2024. In this episode, she talks about how songs by The Slits, Laura Nyro and Sly and the Family Stone helped her forge her musical path. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Singer/songwriter Bruce Hornsby may be best known for his rootsy hits (and a few subsequent hip-hop samples of same), but his restless creativity has kept him experimenting into the 21st century. In this episode, he discusses how songs by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Paul Brady shaped his own work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Composer Arnold Dreyblatt has carved a unique course through contemporary music, combining just intonation with a vigorous self-devised approach to 20th-century minimalism. In this episode, he discusses how Mexican folk music, Tony Conrad and Robert Ashley shaped his work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Guitarist/singer/songwriter Beth Orton's work in the mid-1990's helped usher in a new era for both electronic and folk music by melding electronic sounds with acoustic instruments to achieve a warm and personal, but also boundary-pushing, sound that still feels modern almost 30 years later. In this episode she talks about how songs by Sinead O'Connor, Sons of Kemet and Father John Misty shaped her own work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein form the two-voice, two-guitar core of Sleater-Kinney, one of the most revered and long-lived rock bands of the past 30 years. In this episode, they discuss how music by Sinead O'Connor, the Pointer Sisters, Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, Kate Bush and the Wipers influenced their work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Although clearly born out of the folk and Americana tradition, guitarist and singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz brings a modern pop sensibility to her work, while also remaining true to the American songbook that values the tenets of both simple harmonies as well as strong melody. In this episode, she talks about how songs by Nickel Creek, James McMurtry and Paul Simon shaped her work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Guitarist Marc Ribot possesses one of the most distinctive six-string sounds in American music, audible both in his work with collaborators like Tom Waits and John Zorn and in his own projects, such as his band Ceramic Dog. In this episode, he discusses pieces by Frantz Casseus, Ornette Coleman and Chocolate Genius. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kurt Vile's loose, melodic style of indie rock has won him many friends and admirers over the past 15 years. On this episode, he talks about how tunes by Lou Reed, the Pixies and Thelonious Monk shaped his work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Over the course of three decades and 22 studio albums, John Darnielle's band The Mountain Goats have blazed a fiercely independent, lo-fi trail that has since been followed by many indie bands. In this episode, Darnielle discusses how songs by Stockholm Monsters, Digital Underground and Ava Gabriel shaped his creative process. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
French musician Cécile Schott, who records as Colleen, has spent the past 20 years building a fantastic sound world from samples and loops, with albums on the esteemed Leaf and Thrill Jockey labels. In this episode, she talks about how music by Lee "Scratch" Perry, the Beatles and This Heat changed her life. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kim Deal has amassed a staggering body of beguiling pop songs over the past three decades with her bands the Breeders and the Amps. On this episode, she talks about how songs by Hank Williams, Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd shaped her course. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood has built a rich solo sideline as a soundtrack composer and collaborator with other artists. In this episode, he discusses how pieces by Abdel Halim Hafez, Kraftwerk and Mohamed Abdel Wahab influenced his recent album with Kuwaiti-Israeli musician Dudu Tassa. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Reeds player Henry Threadgill has capped a storied 50-plus-year career as a bandleader and composer with a superb new memoir of his life and thoughts about music entitled Easily Slip Into Another World. In this episode, he discusses how music by Howlin' Wolf, Thelonious Monk and James Brown shaped his course. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kuwaiti-Israeli musician Dudu Tassa's latest record, a collaboration with Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, is a love letter of sorts to a variety of favorite, but potentially lost-to-the-ages songs of the Middle East. Titled Jarak Qaribak, which translates to "Your neighbors are your friends," the Nigel Godrich-mixed record features guest vocalists from across the region taking on songs dear to Tassa's and their hearts. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
British trio the Clientele make guitar pop as literate as it is melodic. In this episode, frontman Alasdair MacLean discusses how music by Boards of Canada, Love and Michael Jon Fink influenced him. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Australian experimentalist Oren Ambarchi has charted a course that crosses modern composition, post-rock and electronic music without ever lingering long in any genre. In this episode, he talks about how music by Keith Jarrett, Miles Davis and Alvin Lucier shaped his work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Art-pop duo Water From Your Eyes specializes in a hazy blend of beats, bites, luxe melodies and wry lyrics. Nate Amos discusses how music by Scott Walker, Jute Gyte and Ben Johnston shaped the group's sound. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stephen O'Malley is best known as a guitarist for drone-metal band Sunn0))), but his musical practice spans composing, collaborations with a host of contemporary artists and a span of other groups, such as electronic duo KTL and dirge-metal legend Khanate. In this episode, recorded live at the Big Ears Festival, he discusses how music by Fugazi, Pita and Iancu Dumitrescu influenced his work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Harpist Brandee Younger is blazing a trail for her instrument across jazz, soul, and many stops in between. In this episode, she discusses how music by Alice Coltrane, Tabk and the Bangas, and Dorothy Ashby shaped her work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Singer/songwriter and former Essential Tremors guest Will Oldham guest hosts this episode featuring a conversation with June Tabor, whose long career belies the simple label "folk singer." They discuss Danny Kaye, Anne Briggs, learning to sing, Frank Sinatra and Robert Plant. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bassist William Parker has spent 50 years at the heart of jazz, as a collaborator with many of the music's greats and as a composer and bandleader in his own right. In this episode, recorded live at the Big Ears Festival in 2023, he discusses how Duke Ellington, Don Cherry and Cecil Taylor shaped his work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Under the name Scritti Politti, Green Gartside has been making smart, cutting-edge pop for decades, on his own terms and his own schedule. On this episode, he discusses how tracks by the Paragons, Robert Wyatt, and the Albion Country Band shaped his work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Guitarist Bill Orcutt has gone from noise artist to an iconoclastic solo guitarist who redefined his own relationship with the instrument, deconstructs American standards, and now composes music for larger groups. In this episode, he discusses how music by Jimi Hendrix, Judy Garland, and Joseph Spence shaped his course. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Saxophonist James Brandon Lewis has carved out a career as an instrumentalist, composer, bandleader, and collaborator who has played with a spread of artists within and beyond the jazz world, including instrumental power trio Messthetics. In this episode, he discusses how tunes by Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp and Abdullah Ibrahim, and Sonny Rollins influenced his playing. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mary Halvorson is often classified as a jazz guitarist, but her work — fluid, soulful and inventive — pushes boundaries, having been described as "the most future-seeking guitarist working right now" by NPR and "an unflinching original who has revealed new possibilities within the music" by The New York Times. Hear how songs by Jimi Hendrix, Yusef Lateef and Robert Wyatt guided her musical development. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Outsized British group caroline has grabbed attention with an expansive sound that mixes elements of folk, postpunk, and choral music to create a surging, emotional effect. In this episode, members Jasper Llewellyn and Mike O'Malley discuss the music that shaped the band's sound. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Even after over four decades-long career, English songwriter and working class provocateur Billy Bragg still stands as one of the most influential artists of the era of U.K. punk. Hear how songs by Smokey Robinson, Little Feat, and The Who have played significant roles in his life. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Composer Kali Malone transforms the spartan musical language of minimalism through unusual tunings and reframing sacred sounds like pipe organ and choir. In this episode, she discusses how My Bloody Valentine, Hindustani classical music, and Josquin des Prez shaped her art. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
watch on youtube.com/@thewnk for a visual!
Composer/performer Carl Stone has built a body of work out of reimagining a world of existing sounds and music into sometimes witty, often beautiful electronic music of his own. In this episode, he discusses how music by Thomas Tallis, Captain Beefheart, and Sheik Chinna Moulana influenced his work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ashley Capps helped reinvent the music festival with Bonnaroo, then did it again with Big Ears, the eclectic annual celebration of jazz, folk, electronic music, and other flavors of music he mounts each spring in Knoxville, TN. In this episode, he discusses how encounters with the music of Steve Reich, Julius Hemphill, and the Ramones shaped his course. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As a founding member of New York City's Interpol, guitarist Daniel Kessler has been integral in the shaping of their sound. Hear how songs by Fugazi, Tappa Zukie, and Aphex Twin helped put him on his creative path. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Drummer Brendan Canty powered the seminal D.C. post-punk band Fugazi and continues to blaze a trail in the instrumental trio The Messthetics. In this episode, he discusses how songs by Parliament, Scritti Politti, and King Crimson shaped his music. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Producer, MC, actor, director—the RZA has expanded his leadership of hip-hop legends Wu-Tang Clan into a decade-spanning, multi-hyphenate creative career. On this episode, the RZA discusses how Isaac Hayes, the theme from Love Story, and a famous hip-hop break shaped his work. Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We open this segment with the music of Steve Gunn, one of the artists featured in a recent episode of Essential Tremors,a terrific and very popular podcast from WYPR's Podcast Central that explores the musical influences of composers and performers across a full spectrum of musical genres. The podcast debuted in 2018, and it's just dropped its 50th episode. Joining Tom now to talk about the podcast's concept, and how it's worked for the past three-plus years, are Essential Tremors' creators and co-hosts: Matt Byars is the drummer and sound processor in the DC-based band The Caribbean, and plays as Attorneys General and The Jarvik 6; he is also a middle school English teacher. He was previously a contributor to WYPR's “The Signal.” Matt was raised in Kentucky and has lived in Baltimore since the mid-1990s. Lee Gardner has been a professional journalist and music writer for more than 25 years. He's the former music editor, and editor in chief, of Baltimore City Paper. Lee is currently a senior reporter at The Chronicle of Higher Education in Washington, DC. His writing has appeared in or on The Wire, Newmusicbox, Nylon, National Public Radio, and numerous altweeklies. He was born in Tennessee. Lee Gardner and Matt Byars join us on Zoom from Baltimore. Essential Tremors streams on WYPR's Podcast Central and other platforms. It's alsobroadcast on WYPR on the second Sunday of every month at 7:00 PM on 88.1 FM and at wypr.org. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
"Brendan #1" by Fugazi https://fugazi.bandcamp.com/track/brendan-1 The Caribbean https://thecaribbean.tumblr.com/ Essential Tremors https://www.npr.org/podcasts/587687104/essential-tremors Stop the Planet of the Apes, I Want to Get Off https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOeUXEpxzcc Email the podcast: fugaziAtoZ@gmail.com Donate to the podcast: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-alphabetical-fugazi
Part two of the Vanderpump Rules reunion is here, and Tom Sandoval is in the hot seat for defending James Kennedy. Ariana Madix and Lala Kent reveal what happened during their backseat rendezvous, while Billie Lee talks about wanting to adopt one day and revealed she hooked up with Lisa Vanderpump’s son, Max Todd. Southern Charm is back and makes us wonder if Kathryn Dennis hooked up with Whitney Sudler-Smith again. Newcomer Eliza Limehouse makes a splash at dinner, while Austen Kroll reveals he and girlfriend Madison LeCroy have moved on from that infamous video. Candiace Dillard is a married woman on The Real Housewives of Potomac! Gizelle Bryant and Sherman Douglas are officially over, while Chris Bassett’s R&B vows receive some mixed reviews from the Housewives. On Summer House, Kyle Cooke proves via Instagram DM that he didn’t cheat on Amanda Batula and Jordan Verroi reveals exactly what he’s been struggling with. Vanderpump Rules’ Ariana Madix stopped by Bravo HQ to talk all about her new home with Tom Sandoval. Plus, the Grand Dame of The Real Housewives of Potomac, Karen Huger, recaps the current status of her friendship with Gizelle Bryant, plus explains how her friend Matt Byars came into her life. Get more Bravo:Your first look at Part 3 of the Vanderpump Rules ReunionAmanda Batula reacts to Kyle Cooke’s cheating rumorsCandiace Dillard Bassett’s RHOP Blog: I couldn’t have imagined a more incredible and warm momentYou can tweet/tag/DM The Daily Dish on Twitter and Instagram @BravoTV using #BravoDailyDish. You can find Megan on Instagram and Twitter @megsegura and Erik on Instagram and Twitter @erikjmac.On Facebook? Join The Daily Dish Facebook group!Binge all your favorite Bravo shows with the Bravo app!
-Characteristics of Type 5-A Five’s Space-Information Seekers-Retreat?-Integration and Disintegration-The beautiful aspects of Type 5Special thanks to Colton Elliot, Michael Pugh, Darian Johnson, and Kaylee Storrs. Referenced in Episode:The Road Back to You: Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile
This week The Caribbean‘s Matt Byars dials in to to hype the upcoming Seventh Stanine Music Festival on June 16th at Rhizome! Tracklisting: Jon Camp – A Sizable Step [Stifled Hair-Trigger] Battles feat. Kazu Makino – Sweetie & Shag [Gloss Drop] Beauty Pill – Dog With Rabbit In Mouth, Unharmed [Beauty Pill Describes Things As […]
Essential Tremors talks to musicians and other creative people about the music that shaped them. In the debut episode, hosts Matt Byars and Lee Gardner speak with Jana Hunter, singer, guitarist, and songwriter for Baltimore indie-pop band Lower Dens. Turns out the melancholy in the band's mercurial sound has its roots in Jana's experiences with the music of the Smiths, but also Vivaldi and a certain '70s AM hit.
A preview of the new monthly podcast from Matt Byars, Lee Gardner and WYPR in Baltimore. A show in which musicians and other creators talk about the songs that shaped who they are.