Sometimes, background music moves to the foreground. That’s the case with today’s guests, guitarist Zac Sokolow, bassist Jake Faulkner, and drummer Nicholas Baker. Together, they form La Lom—short for the Los Angeles League of Musicians. In 2019, they were hired to bring suitably vibey music to the lobby of the historic Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. Now, they’ve got a new album coming out on Verve. They join us to discuss.
Category: Podcast
Transmissions :: The Lemon Twigs
The Lemon Twigs on Todd Rundgren, Sean Lennon, Jonathan Rado of Foxygen and their latest album, A Dream Is All We Know.
Transmissions :: Daniel Bachman
This week on a far-ranging episode of Transmissions: guitarist, folklorist, and all-around-top-notch thinker Daniel Bachman. A songwriter and composer from Fredericksburg, Virginia, Bachman first began releasing records under the name Sacred Harp, before adopting his own name for a series of finger-picked classics. In the years since, Bachman’s music has grown more and more experimental, and also, it’s become more directly informed by climate change. He joins us to discuss.
Transmissions :: Chris Cohen
In this wide-ranging chat, guest host Zara Hedderman and Chris Cohen discuss Paint a Room, working record stores, Transcendental Meditation, the Grateful Dead, and much more. It’s an open and tender conversation, full of funny moments and deep insight.
Transmissions :: Mark Lightcap (Acetone/Dick Slessig Combo)
This week, we welcome one of our favorite musicians to the show: Mark Lightcap of Acetone and the Dick Slessig Combo. Last year, New West Records reissued Acetone’s discography, featuring illuminating liner notes by J. Spaceman of Spiritualized/Spaceman 3 and Drew Daniel of Matmos/The Soft Pink Truth. The occasion prompted a great conversation with Mark that we published in written form last year. This week on the show, he joins us for a loose talk from his backyard in LA. From “beautiful music” to his run-ins with Oasis, this conversation takes plenty of fascinating turns.
Transmissions :: The Dirty Three
There are heavy hitters, and then there’s The Dirty Three. A trio comprising violinist Warren Ellis, guitarist Mick Turner, and drummer Jim White, these Australian independent rock legends recently returned with their first album in 12 year, the aptly titled Love Changes Everything. This week on Transmissions, The Dirty Three explore their history, reflect on the life and work of Steve Albini, and recall their days opening for The Beastie Boys.
Transmissions :: Joe Pernice
Welcome back to Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions. This week on the show, Joe Pernice of The Pernice Brothers, Scud Mountain Boys, and Chappaquiddick Skyline—as well as books, records, and other projects under his own name. The Bros are back with Who Will You Believe. Pernice joins us to discuss.
Transmissions :: Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music)
This week on Transmissions, guitarist Phil Manzanera, who joins us to discuss his latest project, a memoir called Revolución to Roxy. Writing about his childhood in revolutionary Cuba, his lifelong fascination with music, and his collaborations and run-ins with people like Brian Eno, David Gilmour, Robert Wyatt, and more, Manzera reveals his Zelig-like status as one of art-rock’s most creatively pivotal figures. He joins us to discuss it all.
Transmissions :: Jeff Tweedy of Wilco
2024 marks 20 years of Wilco’s current lineup, and the band is celebrating with another installment of their Solid Sound Festival and a new EP, Hot Sun Cool Shroud. Band leader Jeff Tweedy joins host Jason P. Woodbury this week to discuss the fest and the absurdities of life in a band.
Transmissions :: Julian Lage
Welcome back to Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions, our weekly series of illuminating interviews and contextual conversations. This week on the show, guitarist and composer Julian Lage. On his latest album, the Blue Note release Speak To Me, Lage often presents himself as something of a singer/songwriter—minus the singing, that is. Joined by a five-piece band and producer Joe Henry, Lage careens from jittery free jazz to classic West Coast pop, maintaining a careful flow that feels generous but considered, diverse but not haphazard.
Transmissions :: Leyla McCalla
Incoming transmission. On this episode of our weekly podcast, singer/songwriter Leyla McCalla joins us to discuss the new sonic terrain of her latest album, Sun Without The Heat.
Transmissions :: Steve Roach
Synth lifer Steve Roach has maintained a steady workflow for decades, releasing a steady stream of ambient and electronic soundscapes. With the 40th anniversary of Structures From Silence just passed, he joined us to discuss his creative process, learning to go with your own flow, and his lifelong sonic journey.
Transmissions :: Amen Dunes
This week on our podcast, Damon McMahon of Amen Dunes joins Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions to discuss the spiritual vastness of his beat-driven album, Death Jokes. Stacked with samples of artists like Lenny Bruce and J Dilla, it doesn’t reveal itself quickly, but reveals more with each listen.
Transmissions :: Jim Jupp (Belbury Poly & Ghost Box Records)
This week on Transmissions, Jim Jupp, co-founder of Ghost Box Records, which has mined TV soundtracks, vintage electronics, psychedelia, pop, and supernatural folklore for decades, issuing music by Broadcast, Pye Corner Audio, The Advisory Circle, and Jupp’s own band, The Belbury Poly, who released the jazzy, psychedelic concept album The Path last year. This week on Transmissions, Jupp joins us to discuss his storied label, plumbing the nostalgic depths, the evocative spaces of The Twilight Zone, fairy lore, extraterrestrial, and yes, the lure of “hauntology.”
Transmissions :: Shabaka Hutchings
Though he’s known for his fiery, raging performances with groups like Sons of Kemet, The Comet Is Coming, and Shabaka and The Ancestors, Shabaka Hutchings eases into a contemplative zone with his debut solo album, Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace. “What does it mean to have music of spiritual substance? What does it mean to be spiritual? What is spirit?” This week on Transmissions, Shabaka Hutchings joins us to discuss that force, his shift toward the flute, the influence of Outkast, and connecting with his father on a creative level.