2015’s Star Wars and its 2016 follow up Schmilco delivered a shot in the arm to one of indie-rock’s most lauded and revered acts: Wilco. Both were shaggier affairs then what had come before — 2011’s The Whole Love, while it had its moments, was a more near-miss-than-hit power-pop extravaganza. And both showed that, at least for Wilco, smaller albums necessarily meant better albums as the band pushed into its second decade with the current, and most stable lineup in Wilco’s history.

Enter Ode To Joy.

Twenty years ago, riding high off of the dual successes of their second album Being There and Billy Bragg collaboration Mermaid Ave, Wilco was still 2 years away from becoming one of the most revered band’s of their generation. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot would propel Jeff Tweedy and crew into the stratosphere, but it was on 1999’s Summerteeth that they truly found their voice. Experimental, lush, and heartbreaking to its core, Summerteeth is a record that captured the soul of Wilco like nothing they have created before or since. 

Tune in as guests Casey Rae and Eduardo Nunes join us in celebrating twenty years of the album that changed Wilco, and arguably modern music, forever.

It's official, the headphone jack is no more...at least according to Apple. We're parsing the pro's and con's and abusing the word "dongle" excessively in the process.

WILCO'S BACK MOTHER F@#@ERS! But you knew that. 3 lifelong fans of the band weigh in on the alt-country fixture's latest, Schmilco.

The Flat Five (feat. Kelly Hogan) are from Chicago. The Flat Five are groovier than you, or anyone you know. We have proof. Put it in your ears.

Rumor has it that despite the constant cries of “foul”, 98% of all videos (over ONE BILLION) on YouTube are 100% kosher from a licensing perspective. Say what?

Twenty-five years in the making, Nels Cline’s Lovers captures the passion and history of an artist who has spent a lifetime pursuing his musical truth. On his Blue Note debut, Cline mashes together original compositions with interpretations of the music that has informed his career to craft a delicate statement about relationships, the worth of self-indulgence and jazz’s place in the modern music space.

And speaking of modern jazz….

Guitarist Julian Lage - a frequent collaborator of Cline’s - put out a slightly phenomenal album in 2015. We’ve got a taste aof World’s Fair to jog your memory

This week on the podcast, we’re talking BIG releases from two of the biggest indie bands around.

First up: Wilco got their start out of the ashes of alt-country legends Uncle Tupelo, and while their sound might not have fallen far from the tree at the beginning, over their twenty-plus year career they’ve consistently reshaped their sound, lineup, and even the musical landscape around them to become known as one of the most adventerous bands in rock history. For their latest “trick” the band released Star Wars, their ninth album proper, unannounced and for free last week on their website. Kevin, Patrick and Carrie dig into the history of the band, why this album matters, and most importantly: is it any good?

Next: Kevin Parker and his band Tame Impala are your guides through a headtrip worthy of the roller-rink most hip, but is their new album Currents a sonic step forward for the band, or a cold, harsh reminder of how cruel a Bee Gee’s B-Side could really be? We buy the ticket and take the ride to get to the bottom of this critically acclaimed sonic adventure.

PLUS! You want a hot new track from North Carolina’s See Gulls? We got you covered! Deep thoughts on the sad double standards of entertainment journalism? CHECK! It’s a smack-talking, mega-fanboying, super-catified hour of fun, and it’s all for you on Episode 136 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!

You may know him as the shred-tastic lead guitar player for Wilco, but with his trio the Nels Cline Singers, and more recently an upcoming collaboration with jazz guitar virtuoso Julian Lage, Nels Cline has proven to be a major player in the jazz/avante garde world for over 30 years now. We sit down with the man who Rolling Stone listed as “the 82nd greatest guitarist of all time” to discuss his beginnings as a musician and music fan, his ability to effortlessly hop styles/genres, his work with the Nels Cline Singers and their latest record Macroscope, and much, much more. Tune in and catch a fascinating discussion with one of the greats on our latest episode of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!

In our latest episode: We review the new album Sukierae from Tweedy. Wilco front-man Jeff Tweedy and his son Spencer may have the most appropriate band name ever, but does that familial familiarity translate to record? Is it nepotism, genius or somewhere in between?  PLUS! Rawk feuds, U2 proposes a new music format that will “save the industry” and snacks - oh so many snacks - on Episode 81 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!