Essential Tremors

Brighde Chaimbeul (Big Ears Festival performer) Oct 30, 2024

Scottish piper Brìghde Chaimbeul has quickly vaulted from the traditional-music scene to an international profile, in part thanks to her recent collaboration with saxophonist/composer Colin Stetson. In this episode, she discusses how music by Allan Macdonald, the Rhodopea Kaba Trio, and Steve Reich guided her own work. She'll appear at the Big Ears Festival in March 2025.

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Gregg Turkington (Neil Hamburger) Oct 03, 2024

Gregg Turkington, arguably more widely known from his guise as comedian Neil Hamburger, is possibly best described as a comic himself, but also as a cultural critic and commentator. Having spent his younger years as a zine publisher, a musician in multiple bands, and running a label, he has since risen to greater prominence as a collaborator with Tim Heidecker in On Cinema at the Cinema, a web series put out by Adult Swim, among many other endeavors. Hear how songs by Jimmy Webb, Leonard Cohen, and Frank Sinatra influenced his work, including his newest record, Neil Hamburger Presents: Seasonal Depression Suite, which is out now on Drag City.

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Nate Cross (Water Damage/Astral Spirits) (Big Ears Festival Performer) Sep 24, 2024

Nate Cross has become a powerful force behind the scenes of contemporary American music, onstage and on record as one of the key members of drone-rock ensemble Water Damage and as the proprietor of the respected creative-music label Astral Spirits. He discusses how music by Oneida, Jim O’Rourke, and The Necks shaped his course. Water Damage will be perform at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville in March of 2025.

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Fred Frith (Live at Big Ears Festival) Sep 18, 2024

A household name for many decades amongst those with an interest in challenging, forward-thinking music, Fred Frith initially gained an audience through his work as the guitarist with 60’s group Henry Cow, and has since had a prolific career as a player on many recordings under his own name as well as collaborations with players ranging from Henry Kaiser, to The Residents, to Richard Thompson, to John Zorn. He has appeared on over 400 recordings and continues to push forward artistically with each new release. We spoke to Frith in front of a live audience at the Big Ears Festival in Kn0xville in March of 2024.

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billy woods (Guest Host Claire Rousay), Live at Big Ears Festival Sep 09, 2024

New York City-based underground hip-hop artist BillyWoods might be best known as half of duo Armand Hammer, but is also well known as a solo artist. His 2024 releaseMaps, in which he worked with beatmaker and producer Kenny Segal, earned a “Best New Music” designation from Pitchfork. On this episode, in which Woods was interviewed before a live audience by guest host and former guest of the show Claire Rousay at the 2024 Big Ears Festival, he talks about how songs by Public Enemy, MF Doom, and Juggaknotts paved his way artistically.

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Jim O’Rourke (Gastr del Sol) Aug 05, 2024

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.

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David Grubbs (Gastr del Sol) Jul 29, 2024

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.

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Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) Jul 17, 2024

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.

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Jlin (Live at Big Ears Festival) Jul 08, 2024

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.

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Mark Robinson & Bridget Cross (Air Miami/Unrest) Jun 28, 2024

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.

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Seventh Stanine Festival Preview May 31, 2024

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.

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Jessica Pratt May 14, 2024

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.

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Bruce Hornsby Apr 17, 2024

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.

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Arnold Dreyblatt Apr 05, 2024

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.

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Beth Orton (Big Ears Festival Performer) Feb 26, 2024

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.

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Sleater-Kinney Feb 22, 2024

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.

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Sarah Jarosz Feb 07, 2024

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.

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Marc Ribot (Big Ears Festival Performer) Jan 24, 2024

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.

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Kassa Overall (Big Ears Festival Performer) Dec 22, 2023

Drummer Kassa Overall is steeped in jazz and has played with some of the greats, but he also came of age with hip-hop, and his polyglot solo work reflects a mix of those traditions. In this episode, he discusses how music by Ahmad Jamal, Digable Planets, and John Coltrane guided his art.

Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.

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Kurt Vile (Big Ears Festival performer) Nov 29, 2023

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.

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John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats) Nov 21, 2023

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.

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Colleen (Big Ears Festival performer) Oct 25, 2023

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.

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Kim Deal (The Breeders) Oct 20, 2023

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.

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Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) Oct 06, 2023

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.

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Henry Threadgill (Big Ears performer) Sep 27, 2023

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.

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Dudu Tassa Sep 18, 2023

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.

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Alasdair MacLean (The Clientele) Sep 05, 2023

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.

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Oren Ambarchi Aug 18, 2023

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.

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Nate Amos (Water From Your Eyes) Aug 09, 2023

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.

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Stephen O'Malley of Sunn0))) (Live at Big Ears Festival) Jul 28, 2023

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.

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Brandee Younger (Live at Big Ears Festival) Jul 19, 2023

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, Tank 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.

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June Tabor (Guest Host: Will Oldham) Jun 21, 2023

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.

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William Parker (Live at Big Ears Festival) Jun 05, 2023

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.

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Green Gartside (Scritti Politti) May 11, 2023

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.

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Bill Orcutt (Big Ears Festival Performer) Mar 23, 2023

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.

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James Brandon Lewis (Big Ears Festival Performer) Feb 23, 2023

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.

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Mary Halvorson (Big Ears Festival Performer) Jan 26, 2023

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.

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caroline (Big Ears Festival Performers) Dec 29, 2022

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.

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Billy Bragg Dec 08, 2022

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.

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Kali Malone (Big Ears Festival Performer) Nov 23, 2022

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.

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Carl Stone (Big Ears Festival Performer) Oct 27, 2022

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.

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Ashley Capps (Big Ears Festival Founder) Sep 29, 2022

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.

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Daniel Kessler of Interpol Sep 13, 2022

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.

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Brendan Canty Jul 28, 2022

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.

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Claire Rousay Jun 30, 2022

Claire Rousay's music combines field recordings, Auto-Tuned vocals, conventional instruments, spoken word, and other elements with a subtlety that both attracts and subverts terms like "ambient" and "sound art." In this episode, she discusses how tracks by Ryu Hankil, Elliott Smith, and K. Mulhern shaped her work.

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the RZA May 26, 2022

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.

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Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy) Apr 28, 2022

Singer/songwriter Will Oldham has created a vast and beguiling body of work under his own name, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, and Palace and its variations, as well as through numerous collaborations. In this episode, he discusses how songs by Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, Al Jarreau, and the Mekons influenced his music.

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Geordie Greep Apr 14, 2022

Geordie Greep's guitar and idiosyncratic vocals have helped make uncategorizable London band Black Midi into an international sensation. In this episode, he discusses how songs by Warren Zevon, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and Frank Zappa influenced his music.

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Jon Hopkins Mar 31, 2022

Electronic musician Jon Hopkins is well-known in certain circles as the creator of numerous thoughtful, yet in many cases danceable, records. He's also had his hand in some enormously commercially successful records, however, as a producer and guest musician, such as Coldplay's "Viva la Vida," as well as in several co-productions with Brian Eno. In this episode, he discusses the effect songs by Eno and Harold Budd, Ozric Tentacles, and Orbital had on him.

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Jaimie Branch Feb 24, 2022

Brooklyn-based jazz trumpeter Jaimie Branch has established a significant following and accumulated many critical accolades, both here in America and abroad. In this episode, she talks about how songs by Nirvana, Sun Ra, and Eric Dolphy made her the artist she is today.

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Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods Jan 27, 2022

As frontman for Sleaford Mods, Jason Williamson has brought working-class anger and surly wit to the duo's bumping minimalist tracks. On this episode, he talks about how second-wave UK punk, Raekwon, and Two Lone Swordsmen shaped his music.

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Steve Gunn Dec 30, 2021

Guitarist Steve Gunn has carved out a career as both a singer/songwriter and a six-string explorer. In this episode, he discusses the impact music by Richard Thompson, Mary Margaret O’Hara, and Solange has had on his work.

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Vijay Iyer Nov 24, 2021

Jazz pianist Vijay Iyer is one of the most respected musicians of his generation, as borne out by the accolades he’s received to date, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 2013, a Doris Duke Performing Artists Award, and a lifetime appointment as a Professor of the Arts at Harvard University. His work is far from coldly academic, however: soulful, delicate, nuanced, and mesmerizing, it reflects a complex but highly focused mind dedicated with singular purpose to his craft.

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Alan Sparhawk Oct 07, 2021

Alan Sparhawk, along with his spouse (and previous Essential Tremors guest) Mimi Parker), have, as Low, managed to not only maintain a collaborative and marital union for the better part of thirty years, but to constantly forge ahead artistically over the course of their 13 studio albums. Somehow managing to sound familiar but also intriguingly new with each release, the band has consistently retained the intimacy of their earliest work while also taking bold risks that continually endear them to new listeners and earn them ever greater critical accolades. Their newest record, HEY WHAT, was released by Sub Pop on September 10, 2021.

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Ellen Fullman Sep 30, 2021

Composer Ellen Fullman has spent the past 40 years developing and exploring the Long String Instrument, a sui generis room-sized installation capable of creating a galaxy of tones and overtones. In this episode, she discusses the influence of traditional Ainu music, Central African polyphony, and com
poser Pauline Oliveros.

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Richard Thompson Jul 15, 2021

Richard Thompson is an English singer-songwriter whose work spans over five decades and who has likely influenced many of your favorite bands and musicians with his distinct, virtuosic guitar-playing. Thompson could also be credited with bringing Celtic and other traditional folk influences to bear on mainstream rock music through his work with his first band, Fairport Convention, in the 1960’s. His song choices here reflect this legacy as well as his own family's personal history.

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Mary Timony Jun 17, 2021

Washington, DC-based singer/guitarist Mary Timony has built a deeply respected career through a series of bands like Autoclave, Helium, Wild Flag, and Ex Hex, as well as solo music. In this episode, she talks about how the music of Jimi Hendrix, the Velvet Underground, and Moondog shaped her own work.

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Suzanne Vega May 04, 2021

Suzanne Vega has spanned four decades with her deceptively cool singing voice and urbane songwriting. On this episode, she discusses how the music of Bob Dylan, Philip Glass, and Lou Reed guided her path.

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Stephen Morris (Joy Division/New Order) Apr 06, 2021

Stephen Morris drove the shift from punk to postpunk as the drummer for Joy Division and New Order, and helped further open postpunk to new sounds. On this episode, he discusses how the music of Can, Terry Riley, and Grandmaster Flash shaped his course.

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Tricky Mar 24, 2021

Tricky has created his own sound world over the past 25 years, built from broken hip-hop beats, forlorn chanteuses, and shadowy mutters. In this episode, he talks about the impact of Nirvana, Billie Holiday, and T. Rex on his life.

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Mdou Moctar Feb 16, 2021

Singer/guitarist Mdou Moctar has blazed a trail for electrified Tuareg music from his native Niger through the music venues of Europe and the U.S. In this episode, he talks about how Jimi Hendrix, Van Halen, and Tinariwen shaped his own music.

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Kristin Hersh Jan 11, 2021

Kristin Hersh has built a devoted following with her one-of-a-kind singing and songwriting, as a solo artist and as leader of the bands Throwing Muses and 50 Foot Wave. On this episode, she discusses how traditional ballads, Nick Drake, and Vic Chesnutt impacted her own work.

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Brandon Soderberg Dec 18, 2020

Brandon Soderberg has worked as a music critic, an altweekly editor, and a reporter on the frontlines of protest. He’s now the co-author of I Got a Monster, a book about the Baltimore Police Department’s corrupt Gun Trace Task Force. On this episode, he discusses how music from OutKast, Fabio Frizzi, and Jason Isbell shaped his work.

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Amanda Shires Dec 01, 2020

Amanda Shires has made her mark on American music as a singer, songwriter, and fiddle player, both solo and a member of Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit. On this episode, she discusses how songs by Dolly Parton, Leonard Cohen, and Richard Buckner shaped her work.

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Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) Nov 13, 2020

Thurston Moore's name and work have been ever-present in the last 40 years of underground culture, from his years in Sonic Youth and his solo career, his many musical collaborations, his record-label and book-publishing activities, and his unofficial boosterism. In this episode, he talks about how the Kingsmen, Patti Smith, and Public Image Ltd. shaped him.

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Bob Mould Oct 26, 2020

Bob Mould has turned out decades worth of impassioned singing and songwriting as leader of Husker Du and Sugar and a longstanding solo artist. In this episode, he talks about how songs from the Beatles, the Ramones, and My Bloody Valentine shaped his work.

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Marcus Moore Oct 16, 2020

Music critic Marcus Moore became an author with his new book The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America. On this episode, he discusses what songs by Roberta Flack, Common, and Stevie Wonder have meant to him.

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Chris Frantz (Talking Heads) Sep 24, 2020

Drummer Chris Frantz provided the rhythms for two seminal groups, Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club, a career he discusses in his memoir, Remain in Love. In this episode, he discusses how Jimmy Dean, the Beatles, and James Brown shaped his life.

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Matmos Sep 01, 2020

MC Schmidt and Drew Daniel of the electronic duo Matmos have built their body of work from manipulating unusual sounds. On this episode, recorded live at Fadensonnen in Baltimore, they talk the music that influenced their own.

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Flying Lotus Jul 23, 2020

Flying Lotus's music has consistently overflowed the barriers that separate electronic music, hip-hop, jazz, and other genres over the course of five albums and many side projects and collaborations. In this episode, he discusses how his work was shaped by Stravinsky, Slum Village, and Queen.

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Gwenifer Raymond May 29, 2020

UK guitarist Gwenifer Raymond has adapted the sounds of the American South for her own intricate, and sometimes riotous, acoustic compositions. In this episode, she discusses how tunes from the Pixies, Roscoe Holcomb, and John Fahey guided her work.

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Jeff Parker (Tortoise) Apr 27, 2020

Composer/multi-instrumentalist Jeff Parker is a prolific solo artist and a member of esteemed post-rock quintet Tortoise. Here he explains how songs by a jazz drummer, a master sampler, and a legendary jazz trumpeter shaped his musical vision.

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Dan Deacon Mar 02, 2020

Baltimore-based musician Dan Deacon has evolved substantially in both the scope and ambition of his artistic endeavors since his breakout 2007 album Spiderman of the Rings. In this episode, he talks about how Pee-Wee Herman helped indirectly cultivate his interest in being a performer, Lightning Bolt changing how he thought about music, and the technical influence Daft Punk had on his vocal style.

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Clint Conley (Mission of Burma) Feb 18, 2020

Bass player and vocalist Clint Conley of seminal post-punk band Mission of Burma has influenced a generation of musicians with his work over the course of the band's multiple decade existence. In this episode, he talks about how songs by Music Machine, Television, and Captain Beefheart formed his point-of-view as an artist.

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Andy Shauf Jan 23, 2020

Andy Shauf's understated, gentle, and expertly composed pop songs are miniature gems that grow in appeal with each listen. In this episode, Shauf talks about how Elliott Smith, Wilco, and The Beatles guided and inspired his understanding of how to write intimate but deeply accessible pop songs.

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Thalia Zedek Dec 23, 2019

Thalia Zedek's distinctive voice and soul-baring songwriting have powered a series of bands, including Live Skull and Come, as well as her own solo career. On this episode, she discusses a seminal moment with Patti Smith, obscure Kentucky band Circle X, and her love of Nick Cave.

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Bibio Dec 05, 2019

Since his breakthrough 2009 Warp Records release Ambivalence Avenue, Stephen James Wilkinson, better known as Bibio, has released six albums of delicate, moody folk imbued with deft electronic touches. Fragile, wistful, and often brief, his reverie-inducing songs serve as distillations of pure nostalgia.

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John Stanier (Battles) Nov 07, 2019

Drummer John Stanier has turned heads throughout his career, first with '90s alt-metal act Helmet and in recent years as part of omindirectional electronic rock band Battles.In this episode, he talks to us about his prog-rock past, making every note count, and hating goth but loving Siouxsie and the Banshees

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Ian Williams (Battles) Oct 07, 2019

Guitarist/keyboardist Ian Williams has blazed a unique path through underground music, with Don Caballero, Storm ---- Stress, and now with Battles.On this episode, the first of two that interview both Battles members, he talks about getting rid of emotion, free jazz, and machine music.

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JPEGMAFIA Sep 20, 2019

MC and producer JPEGMAFIA came out of Baltimore and exploded on the national rap landscape, not part of any particular music scene but drawing from many. In this episode, he talks about how songs by Janelle Monae, Bjork, and Cam'ron shaped his art.

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Hanif Abdurraqib Aug 05, 2019

Writer Hanif Abdurraqib has risen to prominence in recent years thanks to They Can't Kill Us Til They Kill Us, a collection of essays, and Go Ahead in the Rain, his recent book about hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest. In this episode, he talks about songs by Bruce Springsteen, Boosie, and Whitney Houston.

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Robert Forster (The Go-Betweens) Jul 17, 2019

Robert Forster spent decades, off and on, as one of the singer/songwriters behind beloved Australian indie-pop band the Go-Betweens, along with his late creative partner Grant McLennan. Forster has also conducted parallel careers as a solo artist and as a music critic.In this episode, he talks about the soul hit that filled his home every morning when he was a child, receiving outer-space messages from David Bowie, and the new rock language of David Byrne.

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Marin Alsop Jun 13, 2019

Marin Alsop has spent her life surrounded by music—as the child of professional musicians, as a violinist, and as the acclaimed music director for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In this episode, she discusses the beauty of Brahms, playing music with her parents, and the world of Mahler.

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Juana Molina May 08, 2019

Juana Molina won an audience far beyond the borders of her native Argentina by crossing the streams of singer/songwriter reflection, pop tunefulness, and electronic burble and drone. In this episode, she muses on her childhood impressions of music, enduring the artistic scrutiny of her parents, and having her mind blown by Raymond Scott.

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Guy Picciotto - Fugazi Mar 26, 2019

Guy Picciotto was a founding member of numerous DC bands of the 80's that made an impact on the direction of American rock music, but none more so than Fugazi, the band led by him and fellow DC punk legend Ian MacKaye. After the band went on hiatus in 2003, Picciotto took a very different path, playing extensively with singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt until Chesnutt's death in 2009. In this episode, Picciotto talks about the three songs that changed him: a Baroque pop tune from an iconic British group, a brutal proto-punk single, and an extremely under-the-radar song from an unclassifiable Irish band.

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Sarah Davachi Jan 31, 2019

Experimental composer Sarah Davachi has constructed her own soundworld out of sustained tones and drones, using instruments both electronic and medieval. In this episode, she discusses music by Todd Rundgren, Soft Machine, and Ennio Morricone.

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Wume Jan 03, 2019

Baltimore duo Wume draws on the motorik pulse and cosmic synths of vintage Krautrock, but update them with mesmerizing patterns of complex rhythm and a wide-eyed sense of exploration. In this episode, Al Schatz and April Camlin discuss three tunes that pointed the way to their sound.

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Steve Reich Nov 29, 2018

Steve Reich long ago transcended the ----minimalist---- tag to stand as one of America's greatest and most influential living composers. In this episode, he details the effects that the music of Stravinsky, Perotin, and John Coltrane had on some of his seminal pieces.

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Mimi Parker (Low) Nov 16, 2018

For 25 years, Mimi Parker’s minimalist drumming and angelic voice have helped provide the spine, and the soul, of Low, the brooding trio from Duluth, Minn. Just before the release of their mold-breaking new album, Double Negative, Parker discussed her tough upbringing, discovering music beyond classic rock, and the indie band that launched a thousand other indie bands.

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Colin Newman (Wire) Sep 24, 2018

Colin Newman rewrote the rules of punk with London-based band Wire, and went on to push back the boundaries on creativity and relevance for decades-long rock careers.But Newman has also thrived as a solo artist and producer — and the latter role is what he wanted to talk about in this episode, with three tracks that have shaped his work in the studio.

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Chad Clark (Beauty Pill) Sep 05, 2018

Though he emerged from Washington, D.C.’s post punk scene with the band Smart Went Crazy, Chad Clark has expanded his musical palette with Beauty Pill, an omnivorous band that makes the most of his vivid melodies and wry lyrics.In this episode, he discusses Paul Simon, a jazz tragedy, and ----The Story of O.J.----

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Emily Flake (The New Yorker) Aug 16, 2018

Emily Flake went from running her Lulu Eightball comic in altweeklies to drawing cartoons for The New Yorker and publishing books about her experiences with quitting smoking and raising her daughter. In this episode, she talks about the youthful impact of the Descendents, Jawbreaker, and the Replacements.

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Irmin Schmidt (Can) Jul 26, 2018

Irmin Schmidt and his cohorts in the group Can not only formed one of the central pillars of so-called krautrock, they created a body of work that influenced generations of rock, electronic, and experimental musicians.In this episode, he discusses the three epochal classics that shaped his music.

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Tim Kinsella (Joan of Arc) Jul 10, 2018

Tim Kinsella has made at least two indelible marks on contemporary music—first as frontman of emo hingepoint Cap’n Jazz, then as ringleader of the unpredictable Joan of Arc.In this episode, he talks about formative encounters with Bauhaus, Can, and composer Arnold Dreyblatt.

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Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) Jun 12, 2018

Deerhoof has become one of the country’s most unusual and prolific rock bands, and drummer Greg Saunier has been in the driver’s seat the whole time. His ecstatic attack—and his minimal kit—have helped define and distinguish the group, which formed in San Francisco in the mid-1990s. In this episode, he talks about an AM-gold gem, a lost hip-hop classic, and music as medicine.

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Owen Gardner (Horse Lords) May 15, 2018

Baltimore quartet Horse Lords have become an underground sensation on the back of their trance-inducing polyrhythmic rock attack. In this episode, guitarist Owen Gardner traces his sound back to Africa, to an almost forgotten folk tradition, and to hunting down the avant-garde while growing up in Iowa.

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Susan Alcorn Apr 20, 2018

Susan Alcorn spent years playing her pedal-steel guitar in country bands across Texas. But she has also taken the instrument into less typical territory, applying its sinuous tones to jazz, free improvisation, tango, and her personal blend of all of the above.In this episode, she recalls her seminal encounters with 20th-century composition, free jazz, and a steel-player’s steel player.

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Ian MacKaye Mar 20, 2018

Ian MacKaye has exerted a profound influence on music over the past 35 years. He pioneered hardcore punk with Minor Threat. He expanded the possibilities of punk with Fugazi. And he co-founded seminal Washington, DC, indie label Dischord Records. For this episode of Essential Tremors, he sat down for a wide-ranging conversation about his history, the influence of dub, and how music is like a room.

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Wendel Patrick Feb 20, 2018

Wendel Patrick is a Baltimore-based jazz and classical pianist, as well as a sought after hip-hop producer, a lecturer at Johns Hopkins’ Peabody Institute, and a sound documentarian. He's also the co-founder of the monthly Baltimore Boom-Bap Society and a co-creator of WYPR's award-winning ----Out of the Blocks---- podcast. The three songs that changed him range from seminal hip-hop, to a genre-challenging instrumental, to a soul stirring rendition of a Leonard Bernstein classic by one of the most important performers of the 20th century.

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Jana Hunter Feb 01, 2018

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.

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