This week, Yasi is joined by Scottish musician and Mogwai frontman Stuart Braithwaite to talk about one of the coolest and most influential bands of all time - The Jesus and Mary Chain. From the chaotic genius of Psychocandy to the velvet-gloved menace of Darklands and through their break up, and make up, JAMC never made a bad album and we posit that most of your favorite bands would never have existed without them. EPISODE PLAYLIST: Listen to the songs we talk about HERE. CREDITS: Host: Yasi Sa...
Jun 05, 2025•4 hr 38 min•Ep. 140
Giving new meaning to “this song f*cks,” Super Furry Animals’ 1996 single “ The Man Don’t Give a Fuck ” is a psychedelic protest anthem built on a looped Steely Dan sample, fifty f-bombs, and a whole lot of righteous chaos. In this episode, Yasi is once again joined by Scotswoman and known Super Furry Animals mega fan, Chloë Walsh, to make the case for this song’s perfection (with a bunch of band lore and Welsh history shoehorned in, of course). From its origins as a B-side protest against the U...
May 29, 2025•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 139
So you wanna live like the Common People do? It’s time for part two of the Pulp story in which Yasi and music journalist and Pulpologist Siân Pattenden start back up at the peak of Britpop, tracing how “the great interlopers” of the genre captured the spirit and sound of the time with Different Class , and then soundtracked the comedown with This Is Hardcore — Britpop’s bleary-eyed hangover (or maybe - a conversation with god???). Then it’s into the Weeds: a retreat from fame into nature, the al...
May 22, 2025•2 hr 37 min•Ep. 138
In today’s episode, we trace Pulp's story, starting from high school talent show stars up through the moment they become Britpop major players. Yasi is joined by British music journalist, author, and former Good Mixer regular Siân Pattenden to help red string board the many iterations of Pulp from 1978 through the moment it really clicked with His N Hers in 1994. EPISODE PLAYLIST: Listen to the songs we talk about HERE. CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek Guest: Siân Pattenden IG: @sian_superma...
May 15, 2025•3 hr 43 min•Ep. 137
Today we’re talking about a band who managed to change their sound every single album while still staying absolutely, totally, and utterly themselves: Primal Scream. Bobby Gillespie and co started in the 80s but they most meaningfully bookended the 90s with their two most notable albums – from the hopeful optimism and upbeat acid house that started the decade in Screamadelica to the dark, caustic grit and gunmetal sounds that embodied the end of the dream on XTRMNTR . Join Yasi and guest Chris R...
May 08, 2025•3 hr 54 min•Ep. 136
We all know the vibe of Radiohead’s iconic 1997 album OK Computer: paranoia, anxiety, isolation. There are several bangers scattered throughout, like Karma Police and No Surprises. But which song feels the most perfect? Cole Cuchna of Dissect joins Yasi to break down his choice rooted in musical technicality and evocative artistic expression. CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek Guest: Cole Cuchna @turangalila_ host of Dissect Producer: Liz Sánchez Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges Additional Product...
May 01, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 135
In the last episode, we were Introducing the Band and exploring the question: did Suede kickstart Britpop? This episode, Yasi keeps making her case alongside longtime British music journalist Miranda Sawyer. Listen along as they unpack the band’s imperial phase at the height of the Britpop era — from Dog Man Star (1994) to their dispirited split, until they eventually decide to Stay Together. EPISODE PLAYLIST: Listen to the songs we talk about HERE. CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek Guest: Mi...
Apr 24, 2025•2 hr 39 min•Ep. 134
This season, we’ve covered two of the biggest bands in Britpop, but did Oasis and Blur actually kickstart the genre? With the release of their first two singles in the early 90s, Suede may have lit the very fuse. In this episode, Yasi and Miranda Sawyer, British music journalist and author of Uncommon People: Britpop and Beyond in 20 Songs talk about how Suede – including Justine Frischmann – came together and unintentionally created the genre by, according to frontman Brett Anderson, “trying to...
Apr 17, 2025•3 hr 45 min
This episode, we’ve asked our podfather Rob Harvilla to pick his perfect 90s British Rock song: “A Girl Like You” by Edwyn Collins. Listen along as Yasi and Rob cover the birth of indie pop, Edwyn Collins’ Orange Juice days, and his earlier solo career, right up to the release of his third album Gorgeous George as well as the Empire Records soundtrack, which helped launch this song into the rock stratosphere. CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek Guest: Rob Harvilla @robharvilla Producer: Liz Sán...
Mar 13, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 132
Yasi is joined by Big Picture host Sean Fennessey to talk abou music biopics, specifically diving into two films that deal with key figures in the British music landscape, Tony Wilson of Factory Records in 24 Hour Party People (2002), and Alan McGee of Creation Records in Creation Stories (2021). CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek Guest: Sean Fennessey IG: @seanfennessey , X: @SeanFennessey Producer: Liz Sánchez Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles Them...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 131
Everyone knows the hit track “There She Goes,” a song that sounds like it has always existed and emerged into the world fully formed by the hand of God. Liverpudlian band The La’s made that perfect song, and according to the many musicians it influenced, including Oasis’ Liam Gallagher or our guest, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service, a nearly perfect album, and then basically never put anything out again. Join Yasi and Ben as they talk about one of the most interesting, m...
Feb 27, 2025•2 hr•Ep. 130
We’re back and we’re answering your questions about the show, like how does Yasi choose which bands to cover? Which British bands ruled their respective eras? And when did Britpop officially die? Join along as Yasi and bestie of the pod, Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders, sip Yorkshire tea and open your gorgeous emails. CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek Guest: Matt Helders @matthelders Producer: Liz Sánchez Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles Theme ...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 129
Hi, we have a lot to talk about. Yasi shares how she’s been, and appreciates everyone’s kind words and gifts. <3 This 60 Songs That Explain The 90s: The 2000s x Bandsplain crossover episode was recorded live at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles on 1/29. Listen along as Yasi Salek, Rob Harvilla, and everybody’s best friends Sean Fennessey and Chris Ryan draft their favorite movie soundtracks. EPISODE PLAYLIST: Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE . CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek G...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 128
An update on Yasi and the show. Thank you everyone for your support and kind words. Give to the GoFundMe HERE For other ways to give or support, visit https://www.fireaid.info/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 16, 2025•2 min
Normally, on this podcast, we tend to focus on music that was released decades in the past. In this episode, we’re going to do a rare thing and focus on music of the present day. Listen along as Yasi chats with The Ringer’s Rob Harvilla and Justin Sayles about their five *favourite* albums and top single of the year. EPISODE PLAYLIST: Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE **NOTE: Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee is not available on Spotify. You can listen here on Bandcamp.** CREDITS: Host:...
Dec 26, 2024•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 127
You can have it all, but how much do you want it, babe? Once again, we slip inside the eye of Oasis’ mind for part two. Last episode, Yasi and Rob Harvilla talked about the band’s formation, their debut album Definitely Maybe , and the lead-up to the 1995 Britpop chart battle. Who wins the battle? Who wins the war? We’ll get into the “Oasis quo” and “Chaz and Dave Chimney Sweep Music” of it all. Plus, listen along as we dissect how Noel and Liam Gallagher created one of the greatest British albu...
Dec 19, 2024•2 hr 57 min•Ep. 126
By 1994, grunge had waned and Madchester had set the table for the next massive wave of British music—the UK was ready for its next big rock band to refocus the global lens back on ol’ Blighty. That’s when Oasis popped onto the scene fully formed and captured the mantle with their iconic haircuts, perfect clothes, explosive feuds, and of course, their absolute bangers. Join along as Yasi Salek and her Wonderwall, The Ringer’s Rob Harvilla, ask each other: where were you while Oasis was getting h...
Dec 12, 2024•3 hr 32 min•Ep. 125
We’re unpacking the battle of Britpop as well as the war of words between Blur and Oasis. Did the art school icons or the working class heroes ultimately prevail? Who won over the critics? Who laughed all the way to the bank? Which band’s legacy is stronger today? In this episode, we’re going to answer those questions and more as we rehash the great feud between two Britpop giants: Oasis and Blur. Join us as Yasi and Miranda Sawyer, journalist and author of Uncommon People: Britpop and Beyond in...
Dec 05, 2024•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 124
In honor of the holidays, we have a very special bonus episode for our fanatics. Yasi talks all things British slang with Arctic Monkeys drummer and former Kappa tracksuit-wearing lad, Matt Helders. Do you know the difference between a lad, a chav, a bloke, a bird and a geezer? Listen along as Matt quizzes Yasi on all the ways you can say “proper bladdered.” We think you’ll be dead chuffed with this one, mate. CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek Guest: Matt Helders @matthelders Producer: Liz Sá...
Nov 27, 2024•42 min
As one of the first Britpop bands, these college blokes from Colchester started out making shoegaze and baggy jams in the Scene that Celebrates Itself before writing a genre-defining album that romanticized British life and paved the way for an indie explosion. They were the UK’s favorite band, that is, until they weren’t. They may have lost the Britpop war, but their third act was brilliant nonetheless. The Ringer’s Chris Ryan joins us to talk about the band who turned toward Britain and solidi...
Nov 21, 2024•3 hr 39 min•Ep. 123
Ok, Yasi and the Scots are back for Madchester part two. We last saw The Stone Roses after they released their celebrated EP Sally Cinnamon , on the brink of a make-or-break decision: should they sign to Jive or Rough Trade? Meanwhile, the Happy Mondays were riding the wave of their debut album Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) , and guess what? They have a new friend: Ecstasy. They’re now starting to make music influenced by its heart-opening ...
Nov 14, 2024•3 hr 23 min•Ep. 122
Babe, wake up, the new Bandsplain season just dropped. And what dark alleyways is Yasi leading us down next? This season we’re gazing across the pond toward the underground scenes of the 80s and 90s in the UK following the peak of punk music – namely, Madchester, Brit Pop, and shoegaze. For our first episode, music industry savants and known Scots John Niven and Chlöe Walsh look back on “Baggy” and how the Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses revitalized indie music and helped cement the rise of ra...
Nov 07, 2024•4 hr 11 min•Ep. 121
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Oct 31, 2024•3 min
Hey babes, Bandsplain is still on summer break. But in the meantime, we've got a special treat for you, courtesy The Ringer and friend of the pod Steven Hyden. In 1999, a music festival took place in upstate New York that became a social experiment. There were riots, looting, and numerous assaults. And it was set to a soundtrack of the era’s most aggressive rock bands. Incredibly, it was the third iteration of Woodstock, a festival known for peace, love, and hippie idealism. But Woodstock ’99 re...
Aug 27, 2024•12 min
It’s draft time once again on Bandsplain. Chris Ryan, Rob Harvilla, and Sean Fennessey join us for the not just a little chaotic Grunge draft where everybody is a Loser in one way or another. Also, a ska season is suggested as a threat, the gang discuss the most 90’s feeling pop star of today, and we hear about Sean’s cool metal friend from high school. All that and more, on this week’s Bandsplain. Follow Chris Ryan on Twitter @ChrisRyan77 Follow Rob Harvilla on Twitter @Harvilla Follow Sean Fen...
Jul 25, 2024•2 hr 4 min
Hanif and Yasi are back, as we find Soundgarden on the precipice of releasing their super well known album Superunknown. The vibes? They are not always impeccable, but the songs are phenomenal. Listen as we trace the back half of the Soundgarden catalog, from Superunknown and the underrated Down on the Upside through their reunion album and the Audioslave and solo records in between. Follow Hanif Abdurraqib on Twitter @NifMuhammad Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE Host: Yasi Salek Gu...
Jul 18, 2024•2 hr 43 min
One of the earlier bands to form in what would become the biggest music scene of the 90s, Soundgarden started up in Seattle in 1984 when two friends from Illinois named Kim and Hiro formed a band with a local drummer named Chris. The band blended influences and styles from post punk and new wave to Beatles and metal, slowly forming a sound that was all their own. Along the way Chris Cornell took the front, took off his shirt, and the band started to take off, especially with the addition of a fe...
Jul 11, 2024•3 hr 50 min
The C/Z Records 'Deep Six' compilation is a thing of legend. An early document of a nascent Seattle scene that would be national news within five years, the comp features several bands that had yet to put out any recorded music, including Melvins, Soundgarden, and Andrew Wood’s first band, Malfunkshun, plus tracks from Green River, Skin Yard, and the biggest band in the scene at the time, the U-Men. Kim Thayil of Soundgarden joins the show to talk about how the compilation came about and how thi...
Jun 27, 2024•1 hr 42 min
One of the greatest compilations of its time (the greatest time for compilations), No Alternative was the third in the Red Hot series benefiting AIDS relief. The lineup is studded with iconic artists, many on the precipice of their biggest records, from Soundgarden to Sarah McLachlan, and also features influential alternative greats like Buffalo Tom, The Verlaines, and Soul Asylum. It even spawned an MTV special with live performances from Smashing Pumpkins and Goo Goo Dolls, plus short films by...
Jun 20, 2024•1 hr 38 min
Dinosaur Jr. rose from the ashes of a teenage hardcore band looking to make some “Ear Bleeding Country.” They went on to become one of the most influential and interesting alternative rock bands of the 80’s and 90’s. The band went from underground to indie to major label to MTV, shedding a few original members along the way, and eventually broke up before reforming the og line-up in the mid 2000’s to put out even more gorgeous records. Singer, songwriter, and Broken Social Scene member Kevin Dre...
Jun 13, 2024•3 hr 34 min
