Transmissions :: A Conversation With Luke Schneider

Our guest this week on Transmissions is pedal steel player Luke Schneider. Best known as a sideman for Margo Price, he’s back with a New Age album, Altar of Harmony, released by the venerable Third Man Records. Schneider takes the pedal steel for a cosmic ride on his new album, conjuring up uncanny sounds that seem to bend the ear—and the heart.

Further Cosmic Pedal Steel Situations :: Winter 2024

The cosmic pedal steel scene continues to expand — and we’re here for it. Daniel Lanois, one of the godfathers of this movement, once called the pedal steel “my little church in a suitcase.” And if anything ties these various musicians together, it’s a certain kind of earthy spirituality, an openness to the myriad possibilities that the instrument offers. Check out a few recent favorites, via the following roundup, featuring Gary Peters, Rich Hinman, Luke Schneider and Dave Easley.

William Tyler & The Impossible Truth :: Area Code 601

Crash landing somewhere between the deep fried expanses of Amon Düül II and brawny riffs of Tres Hombres, “Area Code 601” presents guitarist William Tyler in a thrilling new mode: that of a feedback-drenched country prog rocker. Joined by backing band The Impossible Truth—bassist Jack Lawrence (Raconteurs, Dead Weather), drummer Brian Kotzur (Silver Jews), and Luke Schneider (Margo Price)—the song arrives alongside the announcement of a new live album, Secret Stratosphere, due out March 31st from Merge.

Bob Holmes (SUSS, numün, Ambient Country) :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview

One of the ambient country scene’s biggest proponents for almost a decade now has been Bob Holmes, whose work with SUSS, numün and the Ambient Country podcast — among many other efforts — have spread the gospel far and wide. Holmes’ latest project is Across The Horizon, a collaboration with Northern Spy Records that brings onboard various like-minded artists drawn “from the wide landscape of instrumental music” (including Luke Schneider, Marisa Anderson, William Tyler and more) to curate a series of digital releases that will culminate next year in a double LP compilation of stellar sonic explorations. 

Chrome Universal: A Survey of Modern Pedal Steel

The eleventh installment of Tompkins Square’s routinely superb Imaginational Anthem series, Chrome Universal parts company with the 6 and 12-string territory and delves into some the ever-expanding sonic universe of pedal steel guitar. It’s a beautiful and complex instrument that’s seen a renaissance over the last few years, making its way out of the honky-tonk and charting a course toward a new light of day somewhere between earth and space.

The Lagniappe Sessions :: Skyway Man

Last year, Skyway Man aka James Wallace doubled down on his cosmic leanings and released Seen Comin’ from A Mighty Eye. Recorded primarily with the Spacebomb house band, the album presented “exquisite psychedelic pop,” and was one of our favorites for 2017. Now his Skyness is back for a Lagniappe with local Nashville desperadoes, Teddy and the Rough Riders, in tow. This cover set’s more Sahm than Wilson.

Aquarium Drunkard :: 2025 Midyear Review

The clock never stops, but sometimes music manages the impossible: slowing time for a moment. It’s in those vibrational encounters with music that we find peace and we find ourselves. In the spirit of sharing the stuff that moved us, we’re back with our midyear review. As always, the list is unranked and unruly; there’s more than enough here to guide you into those rare encounters with deep time.

Transmissions :: Yuka Honda

This week on the show, the great Yuka Honda. She’s a New York musician. In the 1990s, she emerged from the fertile New York music underground with Cibo Matto alongside groups like the Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, and Luscious Jackson. She’s collaborated with an extensive roster of musicians, including John Zorn,David Byrne, Yoko Ono, Sean Ono Lennon, and her husband, guitarist Nels Cline. Earlier this year, we taped the conversation you’re about to hear. Some of it ran as text in the Across the Horizon zine that was available at Big Ears Music Fest. In this conversation, we get into food, art, language, and much more.

Silver Synthetic :: Rosalie

From the ballads to the effortless melodic hooks, Silver Synthetic’s formula is one permeated with a clear sky buoyancy; an aural antidote of glowing laid-back comfort. Described by label Curation as “the album we have been waiting for”, Rosalie is best served with the windows open. The perfect companion to the budding springtime breeze.

Aquarium Drunkard :: 2024 Year in Review

Can any year-end list be definitive? With so much music being released every single day—from marquee names to DIY home recorders to all points in between—it’s impossible to truly keep up with it all. But the idea with our lists has never been to say “here’s everything worth paying attention to.” Rather, this is our humble attempt at casting a wide net and reeling in as much of the good shit as possible.