Best Colin Wareham Podcasts (2025)

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Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500, Luna, Dean & Britta) 31:36

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11d ago31:36

31:36

As a founding member and lead singer of Galaxie 500, it could be said Dean Wareham was present at the Big Bang of American indie/alternative/college rock in the 80’s. The band spawned both a large fanbase as well as a nascent movement that embraced the same sensibilities of atmospheric-yet-stripped down, heartfelt-but-self-aware, Velvet Underground…

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Ian Lynch (Lankum) (Live at Big Ears Festival) 37:11

25d ago37:11

37:11

Born and bred in Dublin, Ireland, Ian Lynch is a founding member of traditional Irish cum modernist folk band Lankum. A passionate player and supporter–as well as a keen historian–of traditional Irish music, Lynch, along with his bandmates in Lankum, bring a passionate and renewed sense of spirit to the idiom with rousing performances in which they…

1
Victoria Shen (Live at Big Ears Festival) 39:07

1M ago39:07

39:07

Victoria Shen (also known by her performance alias Evicshen) is a San Francisco–based sound artist, experimental music performer, and instrument-maker whose work blends tactile audioworks with visceral live performance. Her practice engages deeply with the physicality and spatiality of sound, often through custom-built electronics, analog modular s…

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Jenny Hval 39:06

2M ago39:06

39:06

A Norwegian musician, novelist, and interdisciplinary artist whose work defies easy categorization, Jenny Hval has built a reputation for music that blends experimental pop, spoken word, noise, and electronic textures—often paired with provocative lyrics exploring the politics of the body, gender identity, desire, and the intersection of art and in…

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Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) 24:48

3M ago24:48

24:48

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.. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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William Tyler (Live at Big Ears Festival 2025) 31:14

3M ago31:14

31:14

William Tyler is an American guitarist and composer known for his unique blend of fingerstyle guitar, ambient, and post-rock influences. Hailing from Nashville, Tyler's music weaves intricate, melodic soundscapes that are often both introspective and expansive. Critics have praised Tyler for his ability to evoke deep emotion through his instrumenta…

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Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) 35:01

3M ago35:01

35:01

Keyboardist, songwriter, and founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Benmont Tench has been a cornerstone of one of the most beloved and commercially successful rock bands of the last four and a half decades. Known for his signature organ and piano work, Benmont has played on countless classic tracks not just with Petty, but also as a se…

1
Haley Fohr (Circuit des Yeux) 22:52

4M ago22:52

22:52

Haley Fohr, who performs as Circuit des Yeux, is known for her hauntingly powerful voice and immersive, genre-defying sound. As Pitchfork put it, her voice is “a force of nature” that “pulses with raw emotion.” Her album -io, was hailed by The New York Times as “a deeply evocative exploration of loss, identity, and the self.” With a career marked b…

1
Colin Greenwood (Radiohead, Nick Cave) 40:04

5M ago40:04

40:04

As a member of Radiohead since its inception over 30 years ago, Colin Greenwood’s contributions to the group, both through his bass playing and songwriting, have helped them reach ever-higher levels of artistic and commercial prominence. A soulful, clever, and inventive bass player, his parts are always noticeable due to being highly composed and c…

1
Darius Jones 37:58

5M ago37:58

37:58

Critically-acclaimed composer and saxophonist Darius Jones’s playing has been described using adjectives such as “fearless,” “riveting” and “breath-taking” from publications ranging from Pitchfork, to The Wire, to the New York Times, and has received superlatives from many other publications, as well. Currently an Assistant Professor of Music at We…

1
Ikue Mori (Big Ears Festival performer) 30:43

6M ago30:43

30:43

Japanese musician and composer Ikue Mori is widely known for her innovative work in experimental electronic music. Having initially gained recognition as a drummer for the avant-garde rock band DNA with Arto Lindsay in the late 1970s, she helped define the band's distinct sound. As her career evolved, Mori transitioned to using electronics and comp…

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Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo) (Big Ears Festival performer) 25:29

7M ago25:29

25:29

As close to indie rock royalty as may exist, Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo–a band nearing its 40th year in existence that he founded with his partner, drummer Georgia Hubley in the mid-1980’s–has recorded 17 records under that name and influenced more bands than could be named here. Simultaneously considered critics’ darlings but also having establishe…

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Laraaji (Big Ears Festival performer) 21:59

8M ago21:59

21:59

First coming to international attention after Brian Eno heard him playing in Washington Square Park in New York City in 1979, Laraaji’s calm, meditative, and deeply spiritual work was widely heard for the first time when his Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, record was released by Eno in 1980 as the third in his “Ambient” series. A collection of his earl…

1
Jules Reidy (Big Ears Festival performer) 41:45

9M ago41:45

41:45

Berlin-based avant-guitarist Jules Reidy is known for creating elaborate, beautiful textures with their instrument, often in large washes of disorienting sound. As evidenced in several collaborations with previous guest of the show Oren Ambarchi, Reidy’s heavily-layered and highly-spiritual work–particularly on their newest release, Ghost/Spirit, w…

1
Susanna 38:29

10M ago38:29

38:29

Norwegian singer Susanna, whose full name is Susanna Karolina Wallumrød, first grew to fame for her work in her group Susanna and the Magical Orchestra. Her warm, soulful, and at times ethereal voice lends both her original compositions and beautifully-rendered covers a deep source of vulnerability and humanity. First recommended to us by previous …

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Brighde Chaimbeul (Big Ears Festival performer) 27:11

10M ago27:11

27:11

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…

1
Gregg Turkington (Neil Hamburger) 48:14

11M ago48:14

48:14

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 T…

1
Nate Cross (Water Damage/Astral Spirits) (Big Ears Festival Performer) 40:31

11M ago40:31

40:31

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…

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Fred Frith (Live at Big Ears Festival) 46:49

12M ago46:49

46:49

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 …

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billy woods (Guest Host Claire Rousay), Live at Big Ears Festival 46:48

12M ago46:48

46:48

New York City-based underground hip-hop artist Billy Woods 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 au…

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Jim O’Rourke (Gastr del Sol) 54:29

1y ago54:29

54:29

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 t…

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David Grubbs (Gastr del Sol) 39:13

1y ago39:13

39:13

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. Thei…

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Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) 20:58

1y ago20:58

20:58

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 a…

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Jlin (Live at Big Ears Festival) 42:19

1y ago42:19

42:19

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.…

1
Mark Robinson & Bridget Cross (Air Miami/Unrest) 35:26

1y ago35:26

35:26

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…

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Seventh Stanine Festival Preview 18:35

1+ y ago18:35

18:35

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.rhizomed…

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Jessica Pratt 32:13

1+ y ago32:13

32:13

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 Fam…

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Bruce Hornsby 24:20

1+ y ago24:20

24:20

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 Le…

1
Arnold Dreyblatt 58:06

1+ y ago58:06

58:06

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 …

1
Beth Orton (Big Ears Festival Performer) 32:23

1+ y ago32:23

32:23

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'Conn…

1
Sleater-Kinney 47:30

1+ y ago47:30

47:30

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 …

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Sarah Jarosz 25:57

1+ y ago25:57

25:57

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 McMurt…

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Marc Ribot (Big Ears Festival Performer) 37:55

1+ y ago37:55

37:55

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…

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Kassa Overall (Big Ears Festival Performer) 33:15

1+ y ago33:15

33:15

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 a…

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Kurt Vile (Big Ears Festival performer) 25:58

2y ago25:58

25:58

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 privac…

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John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats) 47:56

2y ago47:56

47:56

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 …

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Colleen (Big Ears Festival performer) 40:24

2y ago40:24

40:24

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 By…

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Kim Deal (The Breeders) 39:41

2y ago39:41

39:41

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 omnys…

1
Henry Threadgill (Big Ears performer) 22:54

2y ago22:54

22:54

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 B…

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Dudu Tassa 14:39

2y ago14:39

14:39

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 fro…

1
Alasdair MacLean (The Clientele) 30:49

2y ago30:49

30:49

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…

1
Oren Ambarchi 41:37

2y ago41:37

41:37

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 …

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Nate Amos (Water From Your Eyes) 41:26

2y ago41:26

41:26

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 in…

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Stephen O'Malley of Sunn0))) (Live at Big Ears Festival) 1:06:07

2y ago1:06:07

1:06:07

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, Pi…

1
Brandee Younger (Live at Big Ears Festival) 39:38

2y ago39:38

39:38

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. See omnystudio.com/listene…

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June Tabor (Guest Host: Will Oldham) 43:59

2y ago43:59

43:59

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 distribut…

1
William Parker (Live at Big Ears Festival) 51:13

2y ago51:13

51:13

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 Byar…

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Green Gartside (Scritti Politti) 36:45

2+ y ago36:45

36:45

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 Stu…

1
Bill Orcutt (Big Ears Festival Performer) 46:43

2+ y ago46:43

46:43

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 produce…

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James Brandon Lewis (Big Ears Festival Performer) 43:32

2+ y ago43:32

43:32

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 Rollin…