BV Interviews: A Podcast About Music

This week we're talking to the one and only Robyn Hitchcock about his 50-year career, his new album The Confuser, and his biggest electric-band tour in decades. We also talk about how REM and MTV’s “120 Minutes” helped his US profile back in the '80s, his current Nashville-centered touring band, and working with his wife Emma Swift, producers Paul Fox, John Leckie, Jon Brion, and Dave Rawlings.   Plus: polka dots, Robyn's new memoir Stranded in the Future, five records he thinks everyone should own, and lots more. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we're talking to Mike Ness who has led SoCal punk icons Social Distortion since 1978. The band just released Born to Kill which is their first album in 15 years. It's been a long time coming, delayed further by Covid and Mike's cancer diagnosis and successful treatment.   Mike discusses the making of Born to Kill, the '70s inspirations behind it, and working with producer Dave Sardy and collaborators Lucinda Williams and Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. We also talk about how beating cancer energized his desire to make even more music, Social Distortion's upcoming tour with The Descendents and The Chats, early Social D documentary Another State of Mind, playing Little Steven's Underground Garage Cruise, five records he thinks everyone should own, and more.  -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week, we're talking with Alex Edkins who you might know as the singer and guitarist for late great Toronto noise rock trio METZ and who now makes insanely catchy and still noisy powerpop as Weird Nightmare. His new album is titled Hoopla and is out via Sub Pop.   Alex and I discuss how Weird Nightmare came to be, and how the first Weird Nightmare album influence the final METZ album. Other conversation topics include: METZ reforming not long after calling it quits to play John Mulaney's Netflix talk show, Alex's youth behind the counter as a record store clerk,   moving from Toronto back to his hometown of Ottawa, working with Spoon's Jim Eno on HOOPLA, records Alex thinks everyone should own, and more.

This week, we're talking with Swedish singer-songwriter José González who just released his fifth album Against the Dying of the Light. He's currently on tour in North America and our conversation happened the day before it started in Boston. We discuss his new album and its somewhat apocalyptic themes, including AI which you'll learn he has a more complicated relationship with than some do. We also talk about his use of distortion in his mostly acoustic music and how that will play out on this current tour which is at rock clubs and not the seated theaters of his last few tours. He also tells us how his punk and post-hardcore youth continues to influence his music, what he listens to when he runs, the acclaimed video for his cover of The Knife's "Heartbeats" and how he may be doing more covers in the future, and more. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein photo: Ellika Henriksson

This week, we've got filmmaker Chandler Levack who actually has two new films out. The first is Mile End Kicks which is based on her own life as a music journalist and is set against the backdrop of the Montreal music scene of the late '00s and early '10s. The other film is comedy Roommates which was made for Netflix under Adam Sandler's Happy Madison production company. We talked to Chandler about recreating the Montreal of her 20s for Mile End Kicks, getting the music and other details right, getting indie musicians to score her movies, how she got hooked up with Adam Sandler's company just after releasing her terrific, feature film debut, I Like Movies, Montreal bands she thinks deserve more attention, and more. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein Photo: Greg Gorman

This week we've got a true iconoclast: filmmaker, provocateur, author, hitchhiker, tastemaker, Sub Pop and Third Man Recording Artist, festival MC and all around legend John Waters. He's currently on tour with Going to Extremes: A John Waters 80th Birthday Celebration. John and I talk about what he's doing on his birthday tour, and on his actual birthday which is April 22. We also talk about how Donald Trump has ruined bad taste for everyone, how John Waters has influenced punk and vice versa, his first punk show, casting The Dead Boys' Stiv Bators in Polyester, getting L7 to be in Serial Mom, his long-running job as host of Oakland's Mosswood Meltdown, rules of etiquette, and lots more. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein Photo: Greg Gorman

We've got a great episode for you today as punk and alt-rock icon Bob Mould is here to talk all things Sugar. The trio, who originally existed from 1992 through early 1995, will play their first show in 31 years on May 2 in NYC which kick-starts reunion tour that runs through the fall. Bob tells us how the Sugar reunion came to be, their very loud shows, the pros and cons of earplugs, being a Williamsburg, Brooklyn pioneer in the early '90s, being signed to Creation Records in the UK, the prospect of more music from Sugar, and more. We also discuss music documentaries, that time Bob joined Militarie Gun on stage to play a Hüsker Dü song, the possibility of Hüsker Dü studio album reissues, his solo band's rhythm section's growing side hustle as an REM tribute act, his involvement with the Hedwig & The Angry Inch movie and more. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein Photo: Beau Sorensen

This week we're talking to Carl Newman of Canadian indie rock institution The New Pornographers. The band's 10th album is titled The Former Site Of and it might be their most synth-forward record to date. Carl and I discuss that topic, among many others including how lyrically this album is different from their previous nine. We also talk mandolins, tiki bars, and payphones, plus memorable New York City shows, and we finally get to the bottom of whether The New Pornographers are indie sleaze or not. The answer may surprise you!   This is a fun one and keep an ear out for Carl's dog Banjo making an appearance in the background of this one.   -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we've got a living legend with us -- producer, dub stylist, remixer and On-U Sound label founder and all-around cool cat Adrian Sherwood. He's worked with just about everyone which if you didn't already know, you'll learn on this episode.  Our wide-ranging conversation includes how he stumbled into record production, working with Lee Scratch Perry, The Fall, Nine Inch Nails, and more, forming influential group Tackhead in the '80s, remixing recent albums from Spoon and Sonic Boom & Panda Bear, his 2025 solo album The Collapse of Everything, the disappointment of having to postpone his 2026 North American tour, five records he thinks everyone should own, and more.   -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we're talking MEMORIALS, the duo of Verity Susman from Electrelane and Matthew Simms of It Hugs Back and Wire. Their excellent second album is titled All Clouds Bring Not Rain and is a technicolor psychedelic pop extravaganza that ranges from baroque folk to krautrock to Doors and Pink Floyd-style wig-outs and many points in between.    Verity and Matthew discuss how this album differs from their debut, Memorial Waterslides, and why they went to remote Southwestern France to make part of it. We also talk about the duo's origins, the wide array of unusual instruments used on the album, translating their often complex studio arrangements to their duo live setup, touring with Stereolab, their upcoming spring tour, the value of playing loud, Simms' production work, what came of pandemic Electrelane "reunion," five records they think everyone should own and more. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein  

This week we're doing something a little different. Dave and Bill talked to Mikey B Rishwain, who has been programming the M for Montreal Festival and industry conference for nearly two decades. BrooklynVegan first went to M in 2008 and we've been collaborating ever since, co-presenting showcases and day parties at SXSW, CMJ, M for Montreal and more. M for Montreal celebrated its 20th anniversary last November and BrooklynVegan had a showcase to kick off the festival. It was at another M showcase that caused the most buzz, however, and that's one of the reasons we wanted to talk to Mikey on the show. We're talking about a certain French-Canadian polka-dotted math-rock duo, Angine de Poitrine, who may have flooded your Instagram and other social feeds. We get into that, and also talk about Montreal bands who should've been bigger, Canadian hockey, Heated Rivalry and Wolf Parade, and more. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we're talking to Big Thief guitarist Buck Meek who's fourth solo album, The Mirror, is out this week via 4AD. It was made with Big Thief drummer James Krivchenia in the producer's chair and together they envisioned a joyous rock record with an ambient sound design that really gives the album a unique sound.    Our discussion gets into the production of the album and how guitarist Adam Brisbin played a major role in the way it sounds, embracing hope in dark times, plus the many guests on The Mirror including Adrianne Lenker, Jolie Holland and more. We also talk about Buck's new band Kisser which is led by his partner, Germaine Dunes, his upcoming tour plans, five records he thinks everyone should own, a little food talk, and more.   -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we're talking to Euan Manning of Irish band Cardinals who just released their terrific debut album Masquerade. We talk about the band's unique sound, which hinges on his brother Finn's accordion playing, and making their album at London's RAK Studios with producer Shrink.   Other topics of conversation include: getting to open for The Pogues in Boston and being part of Fontaines DC's massive show at London's Finsbury Park in 2025, the current music scene in Cork, their first trip to New York, five albums he thinks everyone should own, and more. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we're talking to indiepop legends Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey whose bands include Talulah Gosh, Marine Research and Heavenly who this month will release their first album in over 30 years. It's titled Highway to Heavenly and is out via the Skep Wax, the label they run together.    Our hourlong conversation covers a lot of ground, including the new album, how TikTok turned their '90s song "P.U.N.K. Girl" into a 2020s viral hit, being part of the International Pop Underground, how Amelia's career as an economist came in handy for indie bands on streaming services, Heavenly's upcoming North American tour, their label Skep Wax, the dreaded "T" Word, and more. Lots more.   Pick up the all-Heavenly issue of Jane Duffus' Zine Things Happen we mention near the end of the episode here. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we're talking to UK band Dry Cleaning who just released their excellent third album Secret Love via 4AD. We've got all four members with us: vocalist Florence Shaw, guitarist Tom Dowse, bassist Lewis Maynard, and drummer Nick Buxton. We talked about making the album with producer Cate Le Bon and recording at Wilco's Loft Studio in Chicago and at Black Box studios in France's Loire Valley.   Florence tells us about her decision to sing more on Secret Love, and other topics of discussion include: their upcoming North American tour that had to be rescheduled, the Grammy-winning but polarizing artwork for 2022's Stumpwork and the uncanny artwork of the new album, and their first visit to the US which happened days before covid lockdown in 2020. Plus: a surprising amount of talk about food, albums they think everyone should own, and things devolve into chaos when Lewis accidentally knocks his laptop off his coffee table. It's one of a few wild moments that make this episode extra fun. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we're talking to Ryan and Gary Jarman, two thirds of long-running Wakefield, UK sibling trio The Cribs. They just released Selling a Vibe, their terrific ninth album and first in five years, which they made in Brooklyn with Patrick Wimberly of Chairlift as producer. It debuted at #5 on the UK album charts so congrats Cribs on that. We discussed the new album and how having a long pause between records actually made it better. We also talked about The Cribs recent US tour with The Rapture, some of their earliest New York shows, the CMJ festival, how both Ryan and Gary live in the US now -- New York and Portland respectively -- plus Johnny Marr, Janet Weiss, reality television and more. One note: due to some technical difficulties our conversation gets cut off a little early but there is still plenty to listen to. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we're talking to Jason Williamson, head shouter for UK duo Sleaford Mods. The band just released their 13th album, The Demise of Planet X and we talk about making that one and the large cast of guests involved, including actress Gwendoline Christie, Adlous Harding and Life Without Buildings singer Sue Tompkins.  Other topics of discussion include the state of the world and its influence on the album, the Sex Pistols and The Specials, Jason's creative process with bandmate-slash-producer Andrew Fearn, his burgeoning acting career, five records he thinks everyone should own, and more. It's a fun, if expletive filled, conversation - but fans of Sleaford Mods should expect no less. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

Flogging Molly leader Dave King opens up for the first time about the traumatic brain injury that he suffered earlier this year that doctors say nearly ended his life. He was told by doctors as he was leaving the hospital that he was a “miracle.” During our conversation, Dave spoke about the scary incident that required him to undergo three brain surgeries and led to him spending three weeks in a coma, and the road to recovery he’s been on every since. His mood was nothing but positive and uplifting, and he says that, considering what he’s gone through, he’s doing really well. As he steadily recovers, he’s preparing to make his return to the stage at the October 2026 edition of Flogging Molly’s Salty Dog Cruise. He also mentioned potential plans to play Warped Tour in 2026 and he told us that he’s already been writing new Flogging Molly songs. He also reminisced about the band’s memorable first Warped Tour appearance, working with Steve Albini, and more. ** Credits: Hosted & produced by Andrew Sacher Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein Cover photo by James Richards IV

This episode is a little different as we're talking to three of the people behind new film GAME. It's the first feature from Invada Films, the movie arm of Invada Records, the label co-founded by Geoff Barrow of Portishead and Beak>. Barrow has scored many films and TV  series over the last 15 years, including Ex Machina, Annihilation and more but this is his first foray as a producer and co-writer. Helping him out are two old friends and collaborators -- director John Minton who has done live visuals and videos for Portishead, and artist and actor Marc Bessant who did the album cover for the second Portishead album.  Both Marc and John also get story credit for GAME, which is a thriller set against the early '90s rave scene. Marc plays David an aging partier who crashes his car in rural England after a rave and is found by a poacher in the woods played with menace and humor by Sleaford Mods frontman Jason Williamson. Things do not go as you might expect and we'll leave it at that. We talked to Geoff, John and Marc about the film, the difficulties of making it with a very small budget, writing new '90s-sounding acid house songs for the soundtrack, and more. Plus Geoff talks about his final tour with Beak> which wrapped up earlier this year, what's next for Invada, the future of Portishead, and lots more. Just so you know, we keep the first half of our conversation spoiler free but at the 34 minute mark we do start talking about specifics of the film, so if you haven't seen GAME skip ahead to the 54:40 minute mark for talk of Portishead, Beak>, and more.   -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

Have you subscribed to BV Weekly yet? BrooklynVegan now has two podcasts! There's this one, BV Interviews (formerly known as The BrooklynVegan Show), as well as BV Weekly, a recently launched podcast in which BV founder Dave Levine and longtime editor (and original BV Interviews host) Andrew Sacher chat weekly about the biggest stories and trending topics in music, new albums, live shows, and more. New episodes go up every Friday morning. Like and subscribe now! https://linktr.ee/bvweekly

This week we're talking to Eric Pulido of Denton, TX baroque folk-rock greats Midlake who just released A Bridge To Far, their sixth album overall and second since coming back from a nearly 10-year hiatus. Our conversation happened back in September, and we talked about recording the album with producer Sam Evian and how that differed from working with John Congleton on 2022's For the Sake of Bethel Woods, and how this might be their Midlake-iest album yet.   Other topics of conversation include getting Ted Lasso actor James Lance to star in the video for "Days Gone By" which was shot in one take on the streets of New York's Lower East Side, other songs on the record, upcoming tour plans, the difficulties of covering The Beatles, five records he thinks everyone should own and more.   -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we welcome Tim Burgess of long-running Manchester band The Charlatans who just released their 14th album, We Are Love. We talk about working with producer Dev Hynes of Blood Orange on the album, and recording at famed Rockfield Studios in Wales for the first time since 1997's Tellin' Stories and the first time since original keyboardist Rob Collins died in a car crash during the making of the album. Other topics include the return of so many '90s bands this year, Tim's pandemic-era Twitter Listening Parties, DJing a David Lynch tribute, five records Tim thinks everyone should own, and more. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we've got Stephen and David Dewaele of Belgian dance-rock greats Soulwax, not to mention 2ManyDJs, Despacio and DEEWEE Records fame. Soulwax just released All Systems Are Lying, their first album in seven years, and we talk about that and how it differed from the last two records. Our wide-ranging conversation also hit on their approach to remixes, interviewing Prince on Belgian television, what makes Belgian music sound Belgian, the mid-'80s Belgian New Beat scene, their mobile club Despacio with James Murphy, Soulwax's infamous 2006 gig at Brooklyn club Studio B, working with Marie Davidson on her album City of Clowns, what DEEWEE Records has coming out next, and lots more.  -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we've got Welsh indie rock legend and Super Furry Animals frontman, Gruff Rhys who just released his ninth solo album, Dim Probs, which is also his first for Mogwai's Rock Action label. We discussed the bleak themes of the album and the Welsh DIY music that inspired it, his recent US tour celebrating the 10th anniversary of his album American Interior, missing the Oasis reunion shows in Cardiff, that time Super Furry Animals toured with Oasis 20 years ago, raves in the Welsh countryside, working with illustrator Pete Fowler for Dim Probs and the merch opportunities with the album's artwork, plus five records he thinks everyone should own, and more.   It should be noted that this interview happened before Super Furry Animals announced they were reforming for shows in 2026 and you can hear Gruff successfully dodge the question of SFA's status. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

This week we've got Welsh iconoclast Cate Le Bon who just released the wonderful, if heartbreaking new album, Michelangelo Dying. We discussed how the album was not the record she intended or wanted to make; her creative partnership with producer and engineer Samur Khouja; working with musicians Dylan Hadley, Valentina Magliati, Stephen Black and Euan Hinshelwood on the album; her other career as a producer making records with Wilco, Dry Cleaning, Horsegirl and more; her 2026 tour plans; her new dog, and more. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

Comedian, actor and musician Fred Armisen has just released a new album: 100 Sound Effects and yes it's exactly that -- a old school sound effects album, but one only Fred Armisen could make. We talked to Fred about how he came to make it, how the late Steve Albini played a part in it, and the unexpected difficulties there were in creating his own sound effects. Along the way there are digressions into '80s "marimba wave" and Sophistipop, singing Foreigner in an episode of Wednesday, the show's upcoming Uncle Fester spinoff, five records Fred thinks everyone should own and more.   PS in the episode there is mention of making a "marimba wave" playlist and you can listen to that here.   -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein  

Swedish garage rock greats just released THE HIVES FOREVER FOREVER THE HIVES, their terrific seventh album which was co-produced by longtime collaborator Pelle Gunnerfeldt and The Beastie Boys' Mike D, with additional productions by Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme. We talked to Hives frontman Howlin' Pelle Almqvist about the new album, working with Mike D and Josh Homme, microphone swinging disasters, Def Leppard, the best Swedish band of the 2000s who weren't The Hives, playing outdoor shows in bad weather, their upcoming 2026 tour opening for My Chemical Romance, and more. Plus: five records he thinks everyone should own, unusual bingo in Austin, and more.   -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

Baxter Dury (son of British icon Ian Dury) just released his eight solo album, Allbarone, which he made with producer Paul Epworth (Adele, Bloc Party). Together they take Baxter's signature style -- a London Serge Gainsbourg by way of post-punk and indie -- into what he calls “mature art school rave" that has more than a little French Touch disco in it. We talked to Baxter about the new album, working with Paul Epworth, his time as a film student at NYU in the '90s, why he's never played America and if that might change, and more. -- Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein  

UK group Suede (known to some in America as The London Suede) just released their 10th album, Antidepressants, which has them adding dark post-punk to their signature "beautiful trash" glammy sound. It's the latest release in of the best second acts in recent memory. We talked to bassist Mat Osman about Suede's longevity, the care they've put into every record, especially since reforming in 2010, the album's post-punk sound and his own goth roots. We also discuss Matt's second career as an author and his brother Richard who is behind the very popular The Thursday Murder Club book series. Plus: five records he thinks everyone should own, reunion records, the chances Suede might tour America again, and more. Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

After 35 years UK trio Saint Etienne have decided that their 13th album, International, will be their last. They've gone out with a bang, though, collaborating Confidence Man, The Chemical Brothers Tom Rowlands and Doves' Jez Williams, Haircut 100's Nick Heyward, Erasure's Vince Clark, and more on the album's songs. We talked with 2/3rds of the band, Pete Wiggs and Sarah Cracknell, on the decision to bring an end to Saint Etienne, the many great collaborators on International, what their kids listen to, touring America (including a memorable early gig at New York's infamous Limelight Club), having Oasis open for them in 1994, their 2026 farewell tour, and more. Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed and mastered by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

We talked with Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard about the band's new Best Of comp Joy In Repetition, the purpose Best Of's serve in the streaming era, some of their favorite Greatest Hits albums, how they got Sgt Peppers designer Sir Peter Blake to do the album cover, technical difficulties at live shows, the impressive list of people who have played drums with Hot Chip, their upcoming live shows in New York, LA and London, and more. Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

Guy Garvey, who has led Manchester band Elbow since the mid-'90s, talks with us this week about the band's new EP, their upcoming first full North American tour since before Covid, their secret to longevity, and lots more.   ** Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

The Beta Band's Steve Mason gives only his second interview since the group announced they were reforming for their first tour in 20 years. We discuss the reunion, The Beta Band's legacy, the dangers of nostalgia, how they wanted to destroy Britpop when they formed, touring with Radiohead, and more. ** Credits: Hosted & produced by Bill Pearis Mixed by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

Moving Mountains leader Greg Dunn gives a rare interview in which he reflects on 20 years of Moving Mountains; dives into the band's first new album in 12 years, Pruning of the Lower Limbs; breaks the news that Moving Mountains are already planning their next album; and much more. ** Credits: Hosted & produced by Andrew Sacher Mixed by Nick Gray Theme music by Michael Silverstein

To celebrate the (slightly belated) 15th anniversary of Pure Noise Records, label founder Jake Round joined us for a rare interview in which he reflects on the past, present, and future of the label, and also picks five releases that he feels altered the trajectory of Pure Noise.   -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. -- Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Laurent Schroeder-Lebec and Trevor de Brauw of Chicago instrumental band Pelican join us on the latest episode of the BrooklynVegan podcast to discuss 10 (technically 11) albums that influenced their new album, 'Flickering Resonance,' which arrives May 16 via Run For Cover. It's Pelican's first album in six years, first with Laurent back in the band in 12 years, and first for Run For Cover, following releases on Hydra Head and Southern Lord. Though Pelican have long been grouped with metal, they came up in the musically-diverse Chicago DIY scene of the '90s, surrounded by punk, hardcore, emo, post-hardcore, and more, and the classic albums (as well as one much more recent pick) that inspired 'Flickering Resonance' reflect that. -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. -- Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

2025 marks 25 years of Bayside and it also marks 20 years of their self-titled sophomore album, which vocalist/guitarist Anthony Raneri joined us on the BrooklynVegan podcast to discuss.   The album came at a pivotal moment for both the band and the 2000s emo boom that they were part of, and Anthony discusses all the factors that led to this album turning out the way it did, and the way it changed the band’s career forever. He discusses the impact that being from the Long Island scene and being surrounded by the meteoric rises of bands like Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance had on this album, some of the big influences behind it, some of its more regrettable lyrics, and much more.   -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. -- Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Drastically changing up your style as a young, rising band is a risk, but Peripheral Vision teaches us that making a beloved record never really comes down to style as much as it comes down to great songwriting. Turnover went all in on their newfound love of dream pop/post-punk for Peripheral Vision, and they still had the driving backbone and the sappy sincerity of their emo/punk days that made the new album stand out as unique within all of those genres. It quickly became the band’s breakthrough record, and it set the tone for the next decade of Turnover’s career.   For its 10th anniversary, singer/guitarist Austin Getz joins us on the BrooklynVegan podcast to discuss the making of the album, influences behind it, where the band was at internally and where the scene they were part of was at during this period, and much more.   Turnover will also be performing Peripheral Vision in full on tour (with support from Citizen, Tigers Jaw, Balance & Composure, and others) and releasing an expanded 10th anniversary edition. There's an exclusive BrooklynVegan "candied avocado" vinyl variant, limited to 500 and up for pre-order in the BV shop:   https://shop.brooklynvegan.com/products/turnover-peripheral-vision-10th-anniversary-edition-lp-limited-edition-only-500-made-candied-avocado-vinyl   --   The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.   --   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

It’s been a pretty big year for The Offspring. It’s the 40th anniversary of the band, the 30th anniversary of Smash, and they’ve got their new album Supercharged out now on Concord Records. They’ve also done some unlikely collaborations during their music festival appearances–Ed Sheeran joined them for “Million Miles Away,” Queen’s Brian May joined them for an orchestral rock rendition of “Gone Away” and Queen’s “Stone Cold Crazy,” and Offspring singer Dexter Holland joined The Beach Boys for “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” We caught up with Dexter and guitarist Noodles for a new episode of the BrooklynVegan Podcast to talk about all of those things, as well as their early days getting into the punk scene, how their perspective on punk and songwriting have evolved over the years, longevity in rock and punk, Dexter’s years working with AFI through his label Nitro Records, music they’ve been listening to lately, and more. - The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. - Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

As Cursive gear up to release their new album Devourer, lead singer Tim Kasher joins us us on the BrooklynVegan Podcast. Throughout our hour-long conversation, Tim talks about classic Cursive records, the Omaha/Saddle Creek scene he came up in, his thoughts on being associated with emo (and covering At the Drive-In at Bonnaroo’s Emo SuperJam), continuing to discover new music and art at middle age (he just turned 50 on August 19, happy belated!), the new album, and more. He unpacks some of the hopeless, apocalyptic, state-of-the-world themes on Devourer, talks about bringing cello back into the fold on the past few Cursive albums after abandoning it for many post-Ugly Organ years, and he talks about why Cursive were excited to team up with Run For Cover Records for this new album, following several albums for Saddle Creek and two on their own 15 Passenger label.   -   The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.   -   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

The Get Up Kids‘ classic 1999 album Something To Write Home About turns 25 this year, and the band is celebrating with an expanded reissue and a tour, and for the occasion, co-leaders Matt Pryor and Jim Suptic joined us on the BrooklynVegan podcast for an hour-long reflection on the album. They reminisced about how they evolved from their very humble beginnings and their 1997 debut album Four Minute Mile into the band that wrote one of the most influential emo albums of all time just two years later, the label feeding frenzy that followed Four Minute Mile‘s success and the decision to go with then-little-known label Vagrant, the longer demoing process that helped make Something To Write Home About a much more refined album than its predecessor (and that’s being immortalized with the second disc of demos included with this new reissue), their headlining STWHA tour with openers At the Drive-In, their 2001 support tours for Green Day and Weezer, the mainstream emo boom that Something To Write Home About heavily inspired and that The Get Up Kids moved away from with 2002’s On A Wire, and more.   Pick up our exclusive "violet & silver mix" vinyl variant of the Something To Write Home About 25th anniversary edition in the online BrooklynVegan shop: https://shop.brooklynvegan.com/products/the-get-up-kids-something-to-write-home-about-25th-anniversary-2lp-limited-edition-only-500-made-violet-silver-mix-vinyl   - The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. - Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

To go along with our list of 30 Classic Emo & Post-Hardcore Albums Turning 10 in 2024 on BrooklynVegan.com (https://www.brooklynvegan.com/30-classic-emo-post-hardcore-albums-turning-10-in-2024/), Home Is Where vocalist Brandon MacDonald and music critic Drew Beringer (Chorus.fm, fka AbsolutePunk) join us to discuss and debate 15 albums on the list, including albums by The Hotelier, Modern Baseball, Joyce Manor, Tigers Jaw, La Dispute, You Blew It!, Pianos Become the Teeth, and more. Brandon, whose band are considered leaders of "fifth wave emo," also gives her perspective on what separates the 2010s-era fourth wave from the current fifth wave, sheds a little light on the next Home Is Where album, and more.   - The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. - Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

A lot’s going on in the world of Saosin right now. They’re gearing up to release Live From The Garden Amphitheater, a live album recorded at their 2023 20th anniversary shows with both lead vocalists (Anthony Green and Cove Reber) that includes a full performance of their debut EP Translating The Name, covers (of Sunny Day Real Estate, At the Drive-In, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Blindside), and more; they have a re-recorded “Saosin’s Version” of their self-titled album on the way in order to give the album a long-awaited vinyl re-release (due to rights issues with Capitol Records); they’re about to go on their first tour with Cove in 14 years; and they have new music in the works. With all this going on, we caught up with founding member Beau Burchell for an hour-long, career-spanning discussion on the BrooklynVegan podcast that ranges from Beau’s pre-Saosin days to the band’s future plans.   -   The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. - Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Minneapolis indie-punk band VIAL join us on the BrooklynVegan podcast in celebration of their excellent new album burnout, out 3/29 via Get Better Records. It’s their third album, and in my opinion their best yet, with everything from punk ragers to brighter indie pop and a lyrical theme that tells the story of a person losing a relationship, with all the anger, sadness, guilt, and apathy (and humor!) that comes with that. Guitarist and co-lead vocalist KT Branscom and drummer Katie Fischer join us on the show to talk about coming up in the Minneapolis DIY scene, blowing up during lockdown thanks to the power of social media, and returning as a full-time touring band once live music started happening again. We also discuss some of the themes and influences behind the new album, the Nirvana song VIAL cover at every show, making a ska version of one of their songs with JER, and much more.   VIAL also appear in the first issue of the new (free!) BrooklynVegan digital magazine: https://redeem.emags.com/brooklyn_vegan_magazine   - The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.  

Ned Russin, leader of Glitterer and co-vocalist of the currently-dormant Title Fight, joins us on the BV show in celebration of Glitterer's great new album Rationale, out this week via ANTI- Records. The conversation veers into topics like DIY ethos vs capitalist realities, art vs commerce and the way art is valued (or undervalued) in general), and other similar ideas that informed the lyricism on Rationale.   --   Theme music by Michael Silverstein   The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.

The latest episode of the BrooklynVegan Podcast is an interview with Aaron Carnes, author of the book In Defense of Ska and co-host of the In Defense of Ska podcast. Aaron joins us to celebrate the new updated, expanded 'Ska Now More Than Ever' edition of his book, which you can pre-order now from Clash Books, and the new season of the IDOS podcast, which just launched. Future episodes feature interviews with members of Jawbreaker, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Fishbone, Mr. Bungle, Save Ferris, illuminati hotties, and more. Aaron joins us on the show to talk about a ton of ska-related topics, and he also tells us a lot about what's new in the 'Ska Now More Than Ever' edition of In Defense of Ska. If you like ska--or even if you hate ska--listen now. -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

New York rapper Wiki has not one but two great new albums out this year, 14K Figaro with producer Tony Seltzer and Faith Is A Rock with MIKE and producer The Alchemist, and he joined us on the new episode of the BrooklynVegan Podcast to talk about both of those albums and much more. Wiki has been on a roll with projects that feature a single producer–2022’s Cold Cuts with Subjxct 5, and 2021’s Half God with Navy Blue and Telephonebooth with NAH–and he gets into all of these albums throughout our discussion, while touching on what he likes about doing a full project with one producer and what he’s looking to do next. He also discusses his top current rappers, early influences, underrated New York rap records, his own path to becoming a rapper, and much more. -- Theme music by Michael Silverstein. The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.

Dan Yemin has not one but two bands with new albums out this year: Paint It Black‘s first album in 10 years (and first for Revelation), Famine, as well as the second LP by Open City (which also includes Paint It Black/Ceremony’s Andy Nelson and members of Bridge and Tunnel, Titus Andronicus, and Ted Leo + the Pharmacists), Hands In The Honey Jar. With all this exciting stuff happening in his world, we invited him on the latest episode of the BrooklynVegan podcast. Throughout our hour-long conversation, we talked about longevity in punk and hardcore, bridging the gap between different generations, writing political/protest music in the face of hopelessness, what it means to Dan to be on Revelation Records, and much more from throughout Dan’s rich history, from the early days of Lifetime to Kid Dynamite to the 20+ years he’s spent playing guitar in Paint It Black. -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

It’s been a big year for the ever-changing Midwest rock band Citizen, who celebrated the 10th anniversary of their classic debut album Youth with the biggest shows of their career, and who are marching right along and about to release their new album Calling The Dogs this Friday (10/6) via Run For Cover. Ahead of the album’s release, vocalist Mat Kerekes and guitarist Nick Hamm joined us on the BrooklynVegan podcast.   Pick up our exclusive blue/red swirl vinyl variant of the new Citizen album in the BV shop, at shop.brooklynvegan.com/collections/citizen.   --   The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

This episode of The BrooklynVegan Show is an interview with Angel Du$t and Trapped Under Ice vocalist Justice Tripp. We talk a lot about both of his bands, with a big focus on Angel Du$t's great new album Brand New Soul, and we also touch on everything from the influence of Prince on Angel Du$t to Justice's favorite David Bowie album to Sublime haters to Justice learning to love Godsmack to gatekeeping in hardcore and much more. -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. Theme music by Michael Silverstein

Norman Brannon of Texas Is The Reason, New End Original, Shelter, and more (and currently touring guitarist for Thursday) recently relanched his legendary '90s hardcore fanzine Anti-Matter as a Substack, and we invited him on the BrooklynVegan podcast to talk more about the relaunch, and why it made sense to bring it back today. The conversation took all kinds of interesting twists and turns, and I think if you're into any type of hardcore then and/or now, it's very worth listening to what Norman had to say.   -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.    Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

The latest episode of the BrooklynVegan Podcast is an interview with Florida emo/math rock band Pool Kids. We caught up with the band in the midst of their headlining tour in continued support of their breakthrough 2022 self-titled sophomore LP, which just celebrated its one-year anniversary this month, and also surrounding the release of their new split EP with their hardcore alter-egos POOL. We called them up while they were in the van and running late to their San Francisco show, so we had to weather a few minor technical difficulties caused by cell phone service, but we ended up having a great chat during which the band reflected on their breakout year, discussed the new EP, dove into their 2017 formation and backstory, and much more.   -- The BrooklynVegan podcast is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and more. DistroKid allows you to do automatic revenue splits, so collaborators and co-writers can get paid too, it provides you with an artist page that links to your music on all streaming services, it allows you to add lyrics, credits, and liner notes, and more. You can get 30% off of your first year’s membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

The latest guest on the BrooklynVegan podcast is writer and author Chris Payne in celebration of his new book Where Are Your Boys Tonight?: The Oral History of Emo’s Mainstream Explosion, 1999-2008, out now on Dey Street Books. We talked about how growing up in NJ during the 2000s emo boom and pursuing a career in music journalism, including a seven-year stint as a staff writer at Billboard, pushed Chris towards writing this book, and we also dove into some key moments of his book and just chatted a lot about 2000s emo. If you're into emo at all, I highly recommend reading Chris' book, which ranges from in-depth reflections on crucial underground moments like the last Silent Majority show before their breakup to a detailed look at the height of the Fall Out Boy / My Chemical Romance craze. Pick up the book here.   -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at http://distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

The latest guest on the BrooklynVegan podcast is Adam McIlwee of Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, who's also a former/founding member of Tigers Jaw, co-founder of GothBoiClique, member of Pay For Pain, and more. Adam joins us to discuss the new self-titled Wicca Phase album that's out now on Run For Cover. He discusses influences behind the album like Fairport Convention, The Pentangle, '90s dance music, and several non-musical influences; talks working with guest vocalist Zola Jesus and co-producer Ben Greenberg of Uniform; and more. We also get into a career-spanning chat, ranging from his early days coming up in the Scranton, PA punk scene to working with Lil Peep in GothBoiClique and much more. -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at http://distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Sammy Ciaramitaro, vocalist of Santa Cruz hardcore band Drain (and drummer of the now-defunct Gulch), joins us on the BrooklynVegan podcast in anticipation of Drain's sophomore album and first for Epitaph, Living Proof. It's a great album that expands upon the hardcore punk energy, thrash/groove metal riffs, and California warmth of their 2020 debut LP on Revelation Records, California Cursed, widening the band's sonic palette to include things like a rap interlude and a clean-vocal Descendents cover, and some of Sammy's most impactful lyricism yet. On the podcast, we dig into the new album and talk about Drain's upcoming tour with Drug Church, Gel, MSPAINT, Magnitude, Restraining Order, Combust, Gumm, Torena, and Outta Pocket (varying by date). We also discuss the hardcore scene pre-pandemic vs post-pandemic, being a hardcore band in the post-Turnstile era, gatekeeping, some of Sammy's formative experiences in hardcore, his time in Gulch, his love of the Grateful Dead and Drain's multiple homages to that band, and much more. And at the end, Sammy names five current hardcore bands he thinks any new hardcore fan should know. -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at http://distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Today's episode is an interview with Bob Nanna and Chris Broach of the massively influential '90s emo band Braid, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their classic 1998 album 'Frame & Canvas.' Bob and Chris discuss their own separate musical upbringings, their early days in the Chicago area scene, landing on the classic Braid sound, recording 'Frame & Canvas' with one of their musical heroes, J. Robbins of Jawbox, the emo explosion of the 2000s, the emo revival of the 2010s, and much more.   You can pick up our exclusive clear, white & blue splatter vinyl variant of the original mix of 'Frame & Canvas' in the BrooklynVegan store at https://shop.brooklynvegan.com/products/braid-frame-canvas-lp-limited-edition-only-300-made-white-inside-clear-w-blue-splatter-vinyl. Catch Braid on tour this year. -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at http://distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Fat Mike joins us on The BrooklynVegan Show to discuss the new Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas that he spearheaded, NOFX's final tour, and more. He tells us about some of his favorite artifacts in the museum, how Green Day were initially uninterested but had a change of heart and lent the museum items like Billie Joe Armstrong's classic "Blue" guitar, explains why certain bands were left out of the museum, and more.   Fat Mike also discusses his new project Codefendants, talks about how he first got into punk, gives his take on what the true start of punk was, spoke about the NOFX song that he originally wrote for blink-182, weighed in rising concert ticket prices and Live Nation, and much more.   For more on the Punk Rock Museum, visit https://www.thepunkrockmuseum.com/. For NOFX tour dates, visit the Fat Wreck Chords website. -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at http://distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Our latest podcast episode is an interview with Kat Moss, vocalist of one of the best bands in hardcore right now, Scowl. Our conversation centers on Scowl's excellent new EP Psychic Dance Routine, which finds Scowl incorporating more clean vocals than ever before and channelling '90s alternative rock influences like Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and Hole, alongside their early hardcore influences like Negative Approach and Sheer Terror. We talk about working with producer Will Yip, Scowl's upcoming performance at Coachella, opening a recent Limp Bizkit tour, covering Fugazi at Sound & Fury, and much more. Psychic Dance Routine drops April 7 via Flatspot Records. Pick up our exclusive color vinyl variant in the BV shop. -- The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at http://distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Longtime collaborators (and cousins) Mike and Nate Kinsella have played together in Joan of Arc, the Cap'n Jazz reunion shows, and the current iteration of American Football; they've worked together on Mike's solo albums as Owen; and now they've got a collaborative album under the name LIES out March 31 via Polyvinyl Records. It finds them leaning into new wave-era influences like Depeche Mode, The Cure, Peter Gabriel, and more, and embracing synthesizers, electronic drums, and other aesthetic choices that fall outside of American Football's usual wheelhouse, without abandoning what's made Mike Kinsella such a distinct songwriter for the past 25 years. On this episode of the BrooklynVegan podcast, Mike and Nate discuss the new LIES album, realizing they were both into punk as kids at a family party, and discovering their chemistry on the 2003 Joan of Arc tour. They also discuss Steve Lamos leaving and rejoining American Football, that time Nate fell asleep at an Owen show, that time Mike threw himself a roast for his 40th birthday party, and much more. We've also got an exclusive dark blue vinyl variant of the LIES album, limited to just 250 copies. Pre-order yours from the BrooklynVegan store while they last!   --   The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at http://distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.   --   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

We recently ran a list of 25 classic emo & post-hardcore albums turning 10 in 2023, and we dive even deeper into those albums on the new episode of the BrooklynVegan podcast. Joining us to discuss such classics as Touché Amoré's Is Survived By, Citizen's Youth, TWIABP's Whenever, If Ever, Foxing's The Albatross, Balance and Composure's The Things We Think We're Missing, and more is Drew Beringer of Chorus.fm (fka Absolute Punk), who documented so much of this scene in real time on AP.net back in the day. Come for the emo talk, stay for the tangent about Metallica's St. Anger.   See the full list at https://www.brooklynvegan.com/25-classic-emo-post-hardcore-albums-turning-10-in-2023/.   The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at http://distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.   --   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

The latest episode of The BrooklynVegan Show is an interview with Knapsack. Knapsack were initially around between 1993 and 2000, during which time they released three great albums, and those albums were massively influential on the early 2000s emo boom, and they continue to age gracefully and influence new bands today. One of the reasons we had this conversation is that Knapsack are finally giving their albums long-awaited vinyl reissues via Spartan Records with bonus tracks, and BrooklynVegan is thrilled to be offering exclusive color variants of each one: 1995's Silver Sweepstakes on purple vinyl, 1997's Day Three of My New Life on green vinyl, and and 1998's This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now on baby blue vinyl. All three are limited to 300 each and available now in the BrooklynVegan store. The conversation was between singer/songwriter Blair Shehan (also of The Jealous Sound), drummer Colby Mancasola, guitarist Sergie Loobkoff (also of Samiam, who just announced their first album in 12 years), and myself, and we spoke about the possibility of new music and another live reunion ("I would totally be down for it," Blair said of the latter); the word "emo" and how it means different things to different people; how Knapsack befriended bands like Mineral, Christie Front Drive, and Boys Life (who contributed to the new book accompanying the reissues; and more. The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan.   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

The latest episode of the BrooklynVegan podcast is an interview with Conor Murphy, vocalist of Foxing and sole member of Smidley, the latter of whom released the new album Here Comes the Devil this past fall. We talked about Foxing's debut album The Albatross turning 10 this year, Foxing's upcoming fifth album ("I would love if this record was like [Slipknot's] Iowa meets [Sufjan Stevens'] Carrie & Lowell"), the many ways the musical landscape has changed over the past decade for both artists and listeners, the finances of touring musicians, Conor's collaborative relationship with Bartees Strange, his love of (recent Foxing tourmates) Home Is Where, and much more.   Links mentioned in podcast intro: * Best Albums of 2022 * Anticipated Albums of 2023 --   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

It's been a huge year for hardcore, with more eyes on the genre than ever, so much creativity happening without the genre, and a slew of amazing new records. To go along with our list of 20 great hardcore releases from 2022, I teamed with two of my current favorite music critics that have been covering the hell out of hardcore all year, Eli Enis (Revolver, Endless Scroll) and Hugo Reyes (who writes the hardcore column Step 2 Rhythm over at The Alternative and whose writing can also be found on his Medium), to discuss and debate the best hardcore releases of 2022 on the latest episode of the BrooklynVegan podcast. Each of us ran down our lists of our personal top five hardcore releases of the year, and we discussed a few other faves after that. We also dove into some "hardcore-adjacent" faves and debated a bit about what truly counts as hardcore. There were a few releases that all three of us had on our lists, but a good amount of differences between the lists too. Between the three of us, we touched on everything from the more melodic alt-rock-leaning stuff to different varieties of straightedge to thrashy NYHC to heavy rapcore and plenty of other stuff in between. Music featured: Speed - "Not That Nice" End It - "New Wage Slavery"

Today's episode is an interview with Kevin Devine, who's in the midst of celebrating the 20th anniversary of his career and will continue to do so with two career-spanning Brooklyn shows in January 2023, both presented by BrooklynVegan. Throughout this conversation, Kevin reflected on the first two decades of his career, from his early days up through his new album 'Nothing's Real, So Nothing's Wrong,' and in the process, he touched on everything from being called emo at a time when the genre was very stigmatized, to nostalgia festivals like When We Were Young, to some of his favorite late-career albums by other artists, and more. Music: "Liar, Liar" by Kevin Devine

The newest episode of the BrooklynVegan podcast is an interview with Rich Balling, founder of the experimental post-hardcore supergroup The Sound of Animals Fighting, former RX Bandits member, and the person behind Pyramids, Sailors With Wax Wings, White Moth, the Handmade Birds record label, and the new hyperpop project Hospital Gown. Hospital Gown's debut album Diamond Life 2 came out earlier this month on Born Losers Records, and TSOAF are gearing up to release their first EP in 14 years, Apeshit, on December 8 via the same label, followed by a tour in January. Rich and I discussed TSOAF's comeback; the multi-genre, multi-generational collaborations on the Hospital Gown album that range from screamo to hyperpop to rap and beyond; some TSOAF history, like the time Equal Vision had to destroy copies of their 2006 sophomore album Lover, the Lord Have Left Us because of an uncleared Neurosis sample; how playing Taylor Swift's Red in the car for his daughters led to a love of pop music; dealing with negative comments on the internet; and much more.   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

The latest episode of The BrooklynVegan Show is an interview with Walter Schreifels, who's busy as ever. His beloved early 2000s-era band Rival Schools just gave their classic debut LP United by Fate an expanded 20th anniversary reissue, and the band is reuniting for some shows in 2023. On top of that, Quicksand continue to tour and put out new music, Youth of Today just wrapped up some shows, and Gorilla Biscuits just announced some upcoming dates. I recorded the conversation with Walter before the YOT shows happened and before the GB announcement, which he sort of teased during the episode, and we spoke about just about everything he's got going on lately. We focused a lot on United by Fate; Walter reflected on making the album, working on it with Bon Jovi producer Luke Ebbin, and the impact the album's left over time. We talked about how, with Rival Schools coming at the start of the emo boom and taking bands like Thursday and Taking Back Sunday on tour, Walter was simultaneously a "not-so-elder statesman" of that world and also a contemporary/peer and kindred spirit. He also talked about meeting and being won over by Cave In in those days, and how now Cave In's Stephen Brodsky and Candiria's John LaMacchia have both played as Quicksand's touring guitarists this year. The conversation also spiraled into other topics, like the parallels between the rising tides of Nirvana in the early '90s and Turnstile today, comparisons between hardcore in the '80s and hardcore now, and much more. Pick up the new United by Fate reissue on red vinyl in our store, and also browse our collection of Quicksand, Youth of Today, and Gorilla Biscuits records and merch.   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

One of the most exciting voices in hardcore right now, Ian Shelton, joins us for a chat about Militarie Gun's recently-released 'All Roads Lead to the Gun' and their upcoming, as-yet-unannounced new album, signing to multi-genre label Loma Vista, learning to love The Baetles and Nirvana after growing up as a punk kid who was taught to hate mainstream music, and why this current moment for hardcore is so interesting and rewarding. Ian talked about feeling a kinship with likeminded artists and friends such as Justice Tripp (Angel Du$t, Trapped Under Ice), Pat Flynn (Fiddlehead, Have Heart), and Patrick Kindlon (Drug Church, Self Defense Family), all of whom share Ian's undying love for hardcore, music in general, finding exciting new bands, pushing the envelope, and bringing influence from outside of hardcore into the genre. Ian also talked about Turnstile's success, and why this moment in hardcore is actually a time in which success is being celebrated and bands who truly deserve it are winning. Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

We recently ran a list of the best emo & post-hardcore albums of 2002 on BrooklynVegan in honor of the 20th anniversary of that landmark year for these genres, and now BV editor Andrew Sacher and guest Owen Morawitz dive even deeper into that list on this episode of the BrooklynVegan podcast. We discuss what went into choosing the albums for the list, the process behind ranking them all, some albums that were left off the list, and more, and the episode ends with an album-by-album discussion of the top 10.   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

On the heels of releasing their new Wavebreaker #3 split on Bad Time Records, Folly and The Best of the Worst join us on the BrooklynVegan podcast for an interview about their mutual admiration for one another, how they came to meet and do a split, the music on the split (including Folly's first song in 14 years), and both existing as bands who mix ska with heavy metallic post-hardcore -- an unusual combination that both of these bands pull off expertly. We also dug into the recent all-star Folly cover, some Folly history, some ska history, why ska got a bad reputation and why there's renewed interest in it now, and much more.   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Keith Morris joins us for a chat about the new OFF! album & film 'Free LSD,' the recent Circle Jerks reissues, and everything from CIA conspiracy theories to punks vs hippies to why his definition of "first wave punk" may differ from yours to Fleetwood Mac to the Grateful Dead to The Doors to Metallica to the one show Circle Jerks played with Danzig-era Misfits back in the day, and much more.   Pick up our exclusive orange vinyl variant of the new OFF! album, plus cool vinyl variants of the recent OFF! and Circle Jerks reissues, in our store.   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Today's episode is an interview with Dan Campbell, vocalist of The Wonder Years. Dan joins us to discuss the band's first album in over four years and first since Dan became a father, 'The Hum Goes On Forever,' and he discusses how the album's themes were inspired by the anxieties surrounding fatherhood, dealing with his own mental health while needing to provide for his kids, and why he doesn't wanna write songs about death anymore. He also discusses collaborating with blink-182's Mark Hoppus on the album, and how the album's genre is just: The Wonder Years. Elsewhere in the chat, Dan reflects on the band's early days and their breakthrough albums 'The Upsides' and 'Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing,' which they recently celebrated the 10th anniversaries of, he talks about the upcoming When We Were Young Fest, some of his favorite late-career albums, favorite new bands, favorite albums of 2022 so far, the back-in-action Fireworks (who The Wonder Years are touring with soon), and much more.   Pick up 'The Hum Goes On Forever' on blue vinyl. -- Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

David Knudson's been having a busy year. He put out his first solo album, The Only Thing You Have to Change is Everything (including a song with his former Minus the Bear bandmate Jake Snider on vocals), his beloved '90s mathcore band Botch put out their first new song in over 20 years alongside Sargent House's new reissue of We Are The Romans, he's been posting tons of guitar playthrough videos of old Minus The Bear and Botch songs, and he's got another new solo EP that'll be out before the end of the year (which will feature Cursive's Tim Kasher). With all of that, plus the upcoming 20th anniversary of Minus The Bear's classic debut album Highly Refined Pirates, we decided to catch up with Dave for the latest episode of the BrooklynVegan podcast.   Music featured in episode - "Varv" by David Knudson

This episode of the BrooklynVegan podcast is an interview with John Nolan of Taking Back Sunday and Straylight Run! John reflects on Taking Back Sunday's landmark debut album 'Tell All Your Friends' (the #1 emo album of 2002, according to a new list we posted on BV) for its 20th anniversary, and he goes deep on Straylight Run, in celebration of the band's recent reunion shows. John also talks about various other projects, the next Taking Back Sunday album, the way his relationship to the oft-stigmatized genre of emo has changed over the years, and much more.   There's also a new 20th anniversary edition of 'Tell All Your Friends.' Pick it up on silver vinyl, CD, or cassette.   This interview originally aired on Vans Channel 66. Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Today's episode is an interview with Anthony Green! If you're unfamiliar, Anthony's been a lifer of post-hardcore and underground rock in general for over 20 years, having fronted the bands Circa Survive, Saosin, The Sound of Animals Fighting, and more, and he remains very busy. He's fresh off releasing his excellent new solo album Boom. Done., Circa Survive recently put out two great new EPs, Saosin have upcoming shows (and new music in the works!), and The Sound of Animals Fighting are plotting their return too. We talked about almost everything Anthony's been up to lately, and he also reflected on his early days, talked about some early influences, and looked at the way his own classic material has influenced new bands like SeeYouSpaceCowboy (who recently put out a Saosin cover). He also talked about writing lyrics that open up about mental health, and the ways even major artists like Kendrick Lamar are doing that, and he talked about the idea of achieving longevity as an artist, and discussed some other artists who have done so, like Deftones and (the just-broken-up) mewithoutYou.    And just days after we recorded this episode, the news broke that Anthony's fronting the new supergroup L.S. Dunes, which also features members of Thursday, My Chemical Romance, and Coheed & Cambria.

Pianos Become the Teeth guitarist Michael York joins us for an episode ahead of the band's first album in over four and a half years, 'Drift,' which comes out 8/26 via Epitaph. Mike reminisces on Pianos Become the Teeth's early days, when they and their 'new wave of post-hardcore' peers were doing small DIY shows and tours, and building a new underground circuit of their own, before the bigger record labels and music publications started to take notice. He then gets into the moment that Pianos and many of their peers (like Touche Amore, La Dispute, and Defeater) signed to Epitaph, the steady rise that Pianos have been on since then, and how now they've become an influential band on a whole new generation. Mike also discussed some of the musical influences and the use of analog tape loops that helped lead to the weirder, darker sound of the new album, making it with producer Kevin Bernsten (who also did their first two albums), and how the entire band relocated to Mike's uncle's cabin in the woods to make the album in seclusion. Additionally, Mike talked about what an "actual dream (no pun intended)" it is to be touring with reunited screamo legends Jeromes Dream this year, he talked about the Baltimore scene that birthed PBTT (and everyone from Beach House to Future Islands to Turnstile to JPEGMAFIA), and other artists he's been inspired by over the years, like Bon Iver, Portishead, My Bloody Valentine, Flume, SOPHIE, and more. Pick up 'Drift' on red vinyl in our store. Pianos Become the Teeth tour dates and tickets here. -- Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Mike Park (Skankin' Pickle, The Bruce Lee Band, The Chinkees, Asian Man Records) and the great newer ska band Catbite join us for a joint chat! If you're unfamiliar, Mike is a veteran and lifer of DIY, ska, punk, and indie rock, and remains prolific and consistently today, and he refers to Catbite as his favorite new ska band. The episode is in celebration of their new split 12" on Bad Time Records as part of the label's 'Wavebreaker' series, which brings together ska musicians from different generations. We talk about the new split, as well as the current ska scene, some ska history, why ska still gets a bit of a bad reputation (and why it shouldn't), the recent divisive AltPress article on The Interrupters, and much more.   We've also teamed up with them on an exclusive electric blue vinyl variant of the split, limited to just 100 copies and only available in our stores. Pre-order yours now while they last!   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

All four members of LA ska-punk band The Interrupters join us for a chat as they welcome their new album 'In The Wild,' due 8/5 via Epitaph Records. It's the most personal and genre-defying album the band have written, with Aimee Interrupter opening up about struggles with mental health and abuse, and we discuss the intense therapeutic process that led to these songs being written, as well as the impact of COVID lockdown on the album, the various styles of music explored on it, its many cool guests (Hepcat, The Skints, Tim Armstrong of Rancid, Rhoda Dakar of The Bodysnatchers), and more. We also talk about the recent comeback of ska, the members' favorite ska bands of all time, the time members of The Interrupters backed Tim Armstrong and Jesse Michaels in an impromptu, semi-Operation Ivy reunion, recording vocal harmonies backstage at Citi Field while opening for Green Day, and much more. Subscribe to The BrooklynVegan Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and stay tuned for more episodes. Also keep up with us 24/7 on BrooklynVegan.com where we constantly post music news, album reviews, live concert coverage and more, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.   Theme music by Michael Silverstein.

Thursday's Geoff Rickly joins us for an 20th anniversary interview about the band's classic breakthrough album, 'Full Collapse.' Geoff also reflected on the entire history of the band, from their early days up through their initial breakup and then their 2010s reunion. He reflected on the early 2000s emo/post-hardcore boom that 'Full Collapse' helped kickstart, and the way the scene rose and fell and was later revived with a new generation of bands in the 2010s. He talked about other bands he's collaborated with, like My Chemical Romance and Touche Amore, and much more.   Thursday are playing 'Full Collapse' in full on tour this year, and Geoff's band No Devotion also have a new album due in September via Velocity Records.   The interview featured in this podcast episode originally aired on Vans Channel 66. Interview conducted by Andrew Sacher. Music and editing by Michael Silverstein.

Joyce Manor's Barry Johnson joins us on the first-ever episode of the new BrooklynVegan podcast. With their first two albums recently turning 10, Barry discusses the early 2010s emo scene that Joyce Manor got their start in (1:20) and his current relationship to their divisive sophomore album 'Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired' (11:10). He also discusses their new album '40 oz. to Fresno,' and how it was partially inspired by Barry digging through the band's vaults of old ideas and unreleased material during the pandemic (22:10), the parallels between 'Of All Things...' and the new record (25:50), the story behind how one of the new album's songs ("Secret Sisters") was actually a reworked version of another song on the album ("NBTSA") (27:15), working with producer Rob Schnapf and the parallels between Rob's work with Joyce Manor and his work with Saves The Day (30:04), and bringing in Motion City Soundtrack drummer Tony Thaxton for the new album (36:30). He talks about his relationship with ska (48:20) as well, and he tells the story of how Joyce Manor's new album was named after an auto-corrected text about Sublime (56:24). Joyce Manor's new album '40 oz. to Fresno' officially drops June 10 via Epitaph, and you can get it on opaque pink vinyl in our shop. Joyce Manor are also touring this summer with Citizen, Prince Daddy & the Hyena, and PHONY. Dates here.  Subscribe to The BrooklynVegan Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and stay tuned for more episodes. Also keep up with us 24/7 on BrooklynVegan.com where we constantly post music news, album reviews, live concert coverage and more, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.