In 2010 Memphis's legendary Big Star, one of the most influential bands in rock n roll history, was set to finally get their due, but it was not to be. Just days before a planned showcase at SXSW in Austin, TX, frontman/chief songwriter Alex Chilton passed away, and what was meant to be a celebration and validation of their remarkable career instead became joyous wake featuring some of the biggest names in music. Fast forward to 2017, and the magic of the touring version of that celebration, a band that features original Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, dB's mastermind Chris Stamey, Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Kronos Quartet, Robyn Hitchcock, Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Dan Wilson (Semisonic), and newcomers Skylar Gudasz and Brett Harris, has been captured on film in the new documentary Thank You Friends: Big Star's Third LIve...and more. 

Kevin and neighbor Michael are digging deep into the film's soundtrack to to to find out why Big Star was such an important band, ponder the power of tribute, and speculate where this collection of master musicians should go from here. 

PLUS! Skylar Gudasz's Oleandar was one of the best albums of 2016. We've got a track to help remind of of that very important fact. 

On part two of our epic exploration of the Grateful Dead and their latest box-set Get Shown The Light, we're digging into what many fans consider to be the greatest Dead show of all time: Cornell 5/8/77.

Hop on the bus and join Kevin, Andre, and Eduardo as the head to the end of their long strange trip to uncover the truth about the Dead, pay their respects, and figure out what being a Dead fan means now, over 20 years after the band's untimely demise. 

Despite being one of, if not THE, greatest American rock n' roll bands, the Grateful Dead are just recently getting their proper due. With hundreds of hours of shows recorded by fans and the band available online, connoisseur's have always looked toward the official releases for the purest shot of cosmic truth that they can find.

And now they have their holy grail.

In part one of a two part journey, Andre and Eduardo are joining Kevin in the basement to dig into Get Shown The Light, the latest release form the Dead archives that chronicles the band at a time that many consider to be their peak: May 1977.

Tune in, turn on and come hang out with us for a while as we geek out over one of our favorite band's music, their mythology, and why it's still relevant today. 

After years of working in "the biz," in 2015 songwriter Chris Stapleton finally staked his claim as one of the biggest names in Nashville with his debut LP, Traveller. Now he's back for round two with super-producer Dave Cobb in tow and one of the most legendary rooms in recording history to help guide the way.

Has Stapleton deliver another mega-hit for the country machine, or is his sophomore effort something else completely? Eduardo and Marcus are joining Kevin in the basement to work through the masterful, yet often frustrating, next step for one of music's most powerful voices. 

PLUS! Set the wayback machine to 2004 and check outJason Isbell (That Nashville Sound, Southeastern) singing about crystal meth in a backyard in Richmond!

Sexual assault and harassment has plagued the music industry since it's earliest days. Th e latest band to write a chapter in this sad story are New York pop-punkers PWR BTTM. Over the past few weeks, the world saw the band literally fall apart before its eyes afte singer, Ben Hopkins, found himself the subject of serious and credible accusations of sexual assault, an act that is antithetical to message that the LGBTQ-friendly duo has been preaching in their music and at their shows since their inception. Kevin, Marcus and Eduardo are sitting down to take a hard look at sexual assault in the music industry, what people can do to protect themselves from these situations, and, most importantly, what can all of us to help the survivors of these most heinous of acts. 

Sonic shaman Thurston Moore is back with a new solo LP, and loads of feedback to spare. But is the world better with yet another piece of wax in it, or is rock-and-roll best left as an art that lives on the stage? Kevin and Eduardo are getting real with the rock legend's latest.

PLUS! Montreal's She-Devil were the big hit of this years SXSW, and now their debut, self-titled LP has finally landed. Get a taste of what everyone has been talking about with 

Thirty years has passed since Prince dropped the strangest, most complex, and possibly best album of his career. A mash-up of Prince's past, present, and future, Sign O' The Times wasn't just Prince's boldest artistic statement to date, it was a game-changer for the artist AND the multitudes of artists that would (try to) follow in his footsteps for years to come.

Join Kevin, Marcus Dowling, Sarah Godfrey, and special guest Timothy Anne Burnside from the National Museum of African American History and Culture for a deep dive into what made this album so special and why its secrets, subtleties, and lessons are still being revealed and discovered to this day.

Jason A. Mullinax is a father, multi-instrumentalist, music nerd, educator, creative lifer, and, most importantly, the author of his remarkable new album, Time Being.

Come hang with us in the basement for a while as we talk to Jason about a lifetime in music, the intersections between outer-space and modern pop, and pretty much everything in-between.

Let's get cosmic, kidz...

Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's virtual super-group Gorillaz are back for another round on their latest LP Humanz. Never ones to shy away from collaboration, this time their bringing along the likes of Vince Staples, Popcaan, D.R.A.M., Grace Jones, Anthony Hamilton, De La Soul, Danny Brown, Kelela, Mavis Staples, Pusha T, Benjamin Clementine. and more to bring their often dark vision of a barely distant future to life once again. In the age of Trump, is Humanz the right album at exactly the right time, or are we still left waiting for a hero to arrive? Marcus Dowling joins Kevin in the basement to suss it out. 

PLUS! Jason A. Mullinax's Time Being is here, and we've got your ticket to a trip through some avante-pop goodness.

"The Best of xyz..." lists always kinda suck, but recently the Fader published a list that hit close to home...and was way off base. Marcus (Dowling) and Eduardo join Kevin in the basement to shed some light on the "DC scene" in 2017, and spread some tough love for the city that we love and call home.

Sam Outlaw had a solid career in advertising, but after turning 30 decided to throw it all away and take up music. With his second full-length Tenderheart under his belt, the "California country" singer is spreading tender vibes to listeners across the world. Is it the real deal, or is it just LA artifice? We're digging in to find out.

PLUS! Saxophonist supreme Colin Stetson is back with a wild new album, and we've got it's latest single for you to get weird with.

Stop me if you've heard this one before: A podcast host, production/songwriting wizard, and a socially-conscious Americana singer walk into a basement...

For our latest episode Sam McCormally (Fellow Creatures, Ugly Purple Sweater) and Naseem Khuri (Kingsley Flood) are joining Kevin in the basement to talk about the songs that hooked them on music for life and they're downing some whiskey in the process.

In other words: Strap in kids, cuz this is gonna be one amazing podjam.

We all know about the disaster that was last week's Fyre Festival, but aside from providing Twitter with hours of good, old-fashioned schadenfreude, it raises a question: In 2017 have we finally reached peak festival? Marcus and Mauricio are joining Kevin in the basement to discuss.

On their 2014 self-titled debut, Sylvan Esso went a long way towards redefining what pop music SHOULD be in the modern age. Now Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn are up to it again on their sophomore release, What Now. An exuberant exploration of love, the music industry and pretty much everything else, the electronic duo is hurdling over the sophomore slump and continuing on their path to total world domination.

PLUS! Seán Barna's first full length LP, Pictures Of An Exhibitionist, is almost here but we've got a taste of his latest single for you to dig into while you wait. "Slutty folk" never sounded this good. 

WIth over forty albums, both live and in the studio, under his belt, jazz guitarist George Benson is one of the most respected and prolific musicians in music history.

In 1980 he teamed up with hitmaker Quincy Jones and with A LOT of help from their friends, crafted one of the greatest R&B albums/songs of all time.

For some reason, Kevin and Marcus thought it was a really good idea to talk about it.

Break out the Courvoisier and cashmere V-neck, because we're going IN on George Benson's sensational, sensual masterpiece, Give Me The Night!

On his major label debut At What Cost, Washington DC's Goldlink is shining the light on the city that shaped him, and bringing a long some of the hottest up-and-coming DC stars for the ride.

Marcus Dowling (Decades, Bandcamp) and newbie Jake Ramirez join Kevin in the basement to discuss this ambitious ode to the nation's capitol and see whether it does our shared hometown right, or if this history lesson needs a little more meat on it's bones.

PLUS! Barf Troop's Babeo Baggins, now B.B, is back and this hip-hop innovator has gone COUNTRY! We'll tell you all about it, and give you a taste of her latest single, "Thunderbird", for good measure. Giddyup!

Kendrick Lamar may well be the "best rapper alive" but beyond all the hype, he's an artist who wears his vulnerability on his sleeve. On DAMN., his follow-up-proper to 2015's landmark LP To Pimp A Butterfly, the Compton native takes listener on a journey through his often tortured psyche, the community he comes from, and what it means to have faith in faithless times. 

Come hang with Kevin, Marcus Dowling (Decades, Bandcamp), Ian Taronji (The Lucky So & So's), and Marcus J. Moore (Senior Editor, Bandcamp) as we dive deep into this complex statement from one of today's biggest, and most important stars. 

PLUS! We've got your first taste of the DC-based cosmic collective Nag Champa's upcoming EP for you to sink your MIND into. Buy the ticket. Take the ride...

In their relatively short careers, Producer/DJ's Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, The Chainsmokers, have developed a reputation as solid-gold hitmakers sought after by the biggest names in the biz. Well..that's one of their reputations...

In a ChunkyGlasses FIRST, Kevin is taking the night off and Eduardo and Marcus (Dowling) are manning the mics to go IN on the duo's debut album, Memories...Do Not Open,which is currently the worst-reviewed album of 2017. So there's that.

Come on, get weird with us why don't ya

Thirty years ago a little "punk" band from Ireland changed pop music forever with the release of their fifth album, The Joshua Tree. Built on American roots music and soundscapes from the future, The Joshua Tree elevated the Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr from scrappy rock star activists to international superstars.

Join us as we explore the roots of this landmark album, it's impact on the musical landscape then and now, and it's relevance in a world that, 30 years later, is seemingly less changed than any of us could have hoped.

Over the course of three albums now, Josh Tillman has made quite the reputation for himself as provocateur extraordinaire Father John Misty. On Pure Comedy, Tillman/Misty is letting it all hang out in a gaudy, profane, philosophically perverse masterpiece that transcends the swarmy persona that people love to hate by speaking up about nothing less than what it is to be human in the modern age. 

Plus! Cory Branan is back with a new LP (Adios) and we've got the single "Imogene" to help you get re-acquainted with this talented singer/songwriter. 

Atlanta's Mastodon, arguably the kings of modern metal, are back with a crushing new album that cements their legacy as much as it catapults them into the future. After playing it straight for two albums, Emperor Of Sand is a return to the concept album, this time exploring some very real, and very close to home, battles with cancer.  Andre and Marcus join Kevin in the basement to talk through this savage masterpiece from one of the fiercest bands in the land.

PLUS! Saltland aka Rebecca Foon is back with a sublime new LP entitled A Common Truth, and we've got a listen to its latest single to help you come down. 

Musical shaman Jamal Gray (Nag Champa, CMPVTR CLVB) is a creator, an educator, a motivator, a instigator, a father, a son, a being of the universe, and, most importantly, one of the the most vibrant and important voices in #newDC's burgeoning creative scene.

For the next hour and change he's here in the basement preaching the new gospel for the most powerful city in the world. Hang out for a while. Get illuminated. 

PLUS! Jules Hale's tape project Den Mate found a home last year on DC's Babe City Records, and her atmospheric self-titled debut LP was the result. Get a taste of one of DC's best with the track "Insomniac", then get obsessed. 

Washington, DC is a town that is in the middle of a massive cultural shift, and I.M.P Productions (the folks behind the 9:30 Club) are at the forefront of this change. Recently the mega-promoter signed a 40 year lease on the historic Merriweather Post Pavilion and has announced plans to open another venue - The Anthem - on the shores of the rapidly developing DC waterfront. Marcus Dowling (Bandcamp, Decades) is joining us to talk about what these changes mean for this "small town", what I.M.P's impact will look like, and how this relates to cities struggling to support the arts all around the world.

On his 11th album, The Iceberg, DC "ex-pat" Oddisee has delivered his strongest musical statement yet. A potent mix of philosophy, history lessons, and beats drives the latest collection of songs from one of hip-hop's most unique voices. 

PLUS! Columbia, MD based rapper K.A.A.N. is back with Abstractions, his new EP produced by Klaus Layer, and we've got its first single "Toonami" for you to check out!