Episode 243: Danny Barnes

Joe talks with banjo iconoclast Danny Barnes ahead of his performance Saturday night 3-22-14 on the Lingua Musica Show at Moonlight Mile in Arden, NC. Danny’s latest record, Shri 108, is a further exploration of music he calls “barnyard electronics”, a solo album that blends acoustic and programmed music with lyrical themes of struggle and common dignity. 

Danny Barnes

In this wide-ranging conversation, Danny touches on everything from the making of his new record to the innovations of musical pioneer Earl Scruggs to his love of vinyl and cassette formats and much more.

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Episode 240: Arcade Fire radio special

Here's a blast from the past: our Arcade Fire interview at The Orange Peel in Asheville NC from January 2004. Joe Kendrick, John Murphy and Jason Lineberger talk with the band about their then new album Funeral (in between some of their songs), how David Byrne had been showing up at their concerts, Merge Records' etiquette training, and how Beethoven sold out once he got syphylis. We're pretty sure they were pulling our leg on that last one.

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Episode 238: Mac McCaughan in September 2005

We're gearing up to see Superchunk play in Asheville again and it felt like a perfect opportunity to go back to this interview I did with Mac when he came to the Grey Eagle with Portastatic in 2005.

We talk about how some things have changed over the years with touring and being in a band, how some of their audience has gotten stuck in the earlier sound of Superchunk, about cassette culture, payola involving bands like Franz Ferdinand (who also have a new record out after a long absence), Mac's half-joking advice not to start a band or record label and much more.

Superchunk's new record is called I Hate Music and is their 10th studio album.

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