Nakedly Examined Music Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

This Chicago singer/songwriter fronted Dolly Varden for six albums from the ’90s through 2013. He also started releasing solo records in 2003 and has just released his seventh.

We discuss “A Mile South of Town” (and listen at the end to “Oh, California”) from Ghosts (2024), the title track from The Dumbest Magnets by Dolly Varden (2000), and “Bronko Nagurski,” a 1989 recording by the early iteration of Varden, Stump the Host. Intro: “Saskatchewan to Chicago” by Dolly Varden from For a While (2013). More at stevedawsonmusic.com and dollyvarden.bandcamp.com.

Hear all of “Saskatchewan to Chicago,” and watch Dolly Varden play it live. Watch the video for the first single off the new album, “Time to Let Some Light In” and the one for “Oh, California.” Here he is live with his solo band. Hear Steve’s Funeral Bonsai Wedding album (2014).

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Though Dale is known as the long-time drummer for Washington sludge-metal band Melvins (’88-present), he’s also a guitarist and singer who led the band Altamont though four alternative rock albums (’97-’05) and has now released his third full-length, stylistically varied solo album.

We discuss “I Quit” from Glossolalia (2024) featuring Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil, “Bad Move” (co-written w/ Dan Southwick) from The Fickle Finger of Fate (2017), and “The Bit” (co-written with Buzz Osborne) by Melvins from Stag (1996). End song: “El Stupido” by Altamont from The Monkees’ Uncle (2005). Intro: “Spread Eagle Beagle” by Melvins from Houdini (1993). More at dalecrover.com.

Dale’s solo debut was an EP released under the Melvins name back in 1995. Watch the Melvins documentary. Hear the Melvins acoustic versions in full of “Bad Move” and “The Bit.” Watch Dale play “The Bit” live solo. Watch a recent Melvins live take. Watch Dale’s solo band live in 2018, and a fancily effected live take on “Bad Move” in particular. Here’s a drummer-focused song from live Melvins. Here he is playing “El Stupido” live. Hear all 10 min of “Spread Eagle Beagle.”

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If you like our podcast, check out Heavy Metal 101.

You can watch this discussion as unedited video.

It’s a new, discussion-only format, just for this episode (and perhaps some rare ones in the future)! When we write, how much is planned vs. improvised? How much is inspirational vs. double-or-triple checked? How does this factor weigh into how much music we release, how eclectic our sound is, and how well we improvise with others?

This discussion features three returning guests:

• Roger Joseph Manning Jr. was the keyboardist/singer for Jellyfish and Imperial Drag, and more recently as a solo artist and with the Likerish Quartet. Hear his solo episode. The end song on this episode “I’m Startin’ a Band” from his Radio Daze EP (2023).
• David Christian is the singer/guitarist for Britain’s Comet Gain. Hear his solo episode. The intro music to this discussion is “Love and Hate on the Radio” from Radio Sessions 1996-2011.
• Portland-based Rachel Taylor Brown has released 10 solo albums. Hear her solo episode. Her song choice relevant to this discussion was “Stagg Field.”

Hear a pre-release of Mark’s 8-person band’s new demo.

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Mark led Grand Funk Railroad through 13 hit albums in the 70s and early 80s and has had around eight solo releases. We discuss “Nadean” from For the People (2006), “Not Yet” from Some Kind of Wonderful (1991), and the title track of Born to Die (1976) by Grand Funk Railroad. We then listen to his 2015 single (co-written with Paul Topete) “Take You Out.” Intro: “Closer to Home (I’m Your Captain)” from GFR’s Closer to Home (1970). For more see markfarner.com.

Mark has had a single more recently than “Take You Out,” 2018’s “Can’t Stop.” Watch a full Mark Farner’s American Band show from 2020. Here’s another long interview with Mark that you might like.

Here’s all of “Closer to Home (I’m Your Captain).” Drummer Don Brewer has sole writing credit on Grand Funk Railroad’s biggest hit, “We’re an American Band,” but according to this interview, Mark wrote the music including Don’s main drum part! If you’re unfamiliar with GFR’s story, this Behind the Music episode goes through the really interesting milestones. Here’s one of their live shows from 1972, as a power trio with nearly every song written by Mark. A GFR reunion is unlikely (Don Brewer is running a current version).

Consider contributing to Mark Farner’s Mid-Michigan Flood Relief.

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A special, more topic-oriented yet more self-indulgent exercise, where your host dissects the collaborative chemistry with guitarist Matt Ackerman as the two front men of the band New People (2006-2013).

We discuss “Down So Low” from The Easy Thing (2008), “Manager” from Impossible Things (2011), and “Local” from Might Get It Right (2013). End songs: “At the Time” also from that 2013 album and “We Who Have Escaped” (recorded late 2013, released on Mark’s Songs from the Partially Examined Life). Intro: “Love Is the Problem” also from The Easy Thing. For more, see newpeopleband.com and marklint.bandcamp.com.

Mark made a video for “Love Is the Problem.” Here it is live in 2009 (one of our drummer Julian’s last shows with us). The other studio tune recorded for that album was Matt’s “The Last One,” which the YouTube auto-loader has amusingly depicted as “jazz.” Listen to the original demo of “Manager,” released on Mark’s Black Jelly Beans and Smokes album (1997). The other harsh tune on Impossible Things immediately following “Manager” is Matt’s “Irresistible.” We mention later drummer Nate Pinney as a third songwriting voice: Listen to his New People song “Stalk” also from that second album.

Matt’s current band is Blue Stone. Watch and listen at facebook.com/bluestonemadison.

Though I describe my solo stuff as generally less slick sounding, I actually did the whole New People engineering process for my latest, Mark Lint’s Dry Folk (2018): recording mostly at home but mixing with Jake Johnson at Paradyme Studios. Still, you can hear that it sounds nothing like New People without Matt’s guitar layers.

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Roger rose to fame as keyboardist/songwriter for Jellyfish in the early ’90s, then formed Imperial Drag, The Moog Cookbook, TV Eyes, backed Beck, and finally released two albums under his own name starting in 2006. He’s recently released a solo EP and one with The Likerish Quartet that reunites him with some other members of Jellyfish.

We discuss “Lighthouse Spaceship” by The Lickerish Quartet from Threesome, Vol. 1 (2020), “The Turnstile at Heaven’s Gate” from Catnip Dynamite (2008), “Time to Time” by Malibu (a solo techno project) from Robo-Sapiens (2007), and listen to “Operator” from his solo Glamping EP (2018). Intro: “The King is Half-Undressed” by Jellyfish from Bellybutton (1990). For more, see thelickerishquartet.com and rogerarranging.com.

Roger’s interviews to cover his Jellyfish and production work with Produce Like a Pro are here, here, and here. Here’s the original video for “The King Is Half-Undressed.” Watch Jellyfish live in Germany with the Lickerish Quartet guys. Here’s Imperial Drag (Roger with Eric Dover) playing “Man on the Moon,” the next song I would have added to this interview had there been time. Here’s a video from Roger’s first solo album. Watch the lyric video for “Lighthouse Spaceship” and a video made for the opening track of that EP, “Fadoodle.” Here’s a retro commercial for the EP.

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KatieJane gained fame fronting British grunge band Daisy Chainsaw, left after their first full album but resumed the project under the name Queenadreena for four albums in the ’00s, then partnered with Chris Whittingham in 2007 to live on a boat and play as the stripped-down Ruby Throat for four albums. That band has now become loud again and been re-christened Liar, Flower.

We discuss “My Brain is Lit Like an Airport” and hear the title track from Geiger Counter (2020), then look back to “Hu’u” by Ruby Throat from Baby Darling Taporo (2017) and “Lesions In The Brain” by Lalleshwari (a one-off solo moniker) from Lullabies in a Glass Wilderness (2007). Intro: “Love Your Money” from Daisy Chainsaw from Eleventeen (1992). For more, see katiejanegarside.com.

Watch an animated video from the new album, another video featuring KatieJane’s autoharp, and yet another with her pushing a psychedelic shopping cart. Watch a little Ruby Throat live duo from 2019. Here’s a particularly gorgeous Ruby Throat video from 2010.

Queenadreena’s biggest hit was “Pretty Like Drugs,” and here’s the video for “Love Your Money.” Here’s a full Queenadreena live show from 2004. That super long tune from Lalleshwari that we refer to is “Just One Day of Endless Love.”

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Jim was the main songwriter for Survivor, writing all their hits including “Eye of the Tiger” in 1983, but that was the second lightning strike, the first of which was his 1970 hit “Vehicle” with the Ides of March, a band he started in high school in 1964 and is still in today. He’s co-written hits with Brian Wilson, 38 Special, Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick, etc. and has released over 30 albums.

We discuss his new solo single “Empty Arena” and two Ides of March tunes, “Friends Like You” from Play On (2019) feat. Mindi Abair and “L.A. Goodbye,” recorded in 1992 but originally from Common Bond (1971). End song: “The Spirit of Chicago,” a 1992 recording released on Ideology: Version 11.0. Intro: The title tracks of Vehicle (1970) and The Eye of the Tiger (1983). For more, see jimpeterik.com.

Jim’s released new lyric videos given the current situation for “Empty Arena” and “The Spirit of Chicago.” Watch the official video for “Friends Like You” and a new live, acoustic version performed remotely in quarantine. Watch the Ides live closing a show with “L.A. Goodbye.” Hear the original album version, which for rights reasons, they requested I not use on the show.

See Survivor live in 1985 with Jimi Jameson singing; Jim is on keys. Here’s a video made for “Vehicle” (using the original studio recording and some archive footage from TV), and here he is playing it live solo recently. The Pride of Lions tune we refer to early in the interview with the balls-out chorus (and Jim singing the verses) is “Gone.” Another of his newer Survivor-like projects is this duet with Mark Scherer from 2015.

Jim co-wrote the final Brian Wilson Beach Boys single, “That’s Why God Made the Radio.” He’s re-recorded some of the songs he co-wrote for other artists, like this song that 38 Special made famous. Here’s a recent one he did with Dennis DeYoung from Styx. And here’s one he did recently with guys from the band Chicago.

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Victor started as a singer/songwriter, drummed with the Femmes for five albums in the ’80s, and has since recorded six solo releases and five more with NINETEEN THIRTEEN, plus other collaborations, jazz jamming, and work in the theater.

We discuss “Invisible Shadows” from Tranceaphone (2020), “Carry Me” from Victor DeLorenzo (2013) feat. Malachi DeLorenzo, “Arco, Pizzicato” by Nineteen Thirteen (co-written with Janet Schiff) from The Dream (2016), and listen to “Audrey” from Pancake Day (1996). Intro/outro: “World Without Mercy” by Violent Femmes from The Blind Leading the Naked (1985) (only the cassette version, strangely). More at victordelorenzo.weebly.com.

Here’s a full, straight-from-vinyl (apparently) recording of “World Without Mercy,” which was produced by Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison. Watch the video to “Carry Me.” Here’s that live version of “Arco, Pizzicato.” Here’s another solo tune, the funky “Gossip.” Here he is live with the Violent Femmes back in 1984. Here’s a big drum solo.

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Alev started in Germany with her metal band “Alev” in the early ’00s and has released three atmospheric, idea-filled solo albums since 2009 plus several soundtracks and collaborations.

We discuss “The Chair” (and at the end listen to “Cigarettes & Blow”) from 3 (2019), plus the title track from Two-Headed Girl (2016), “Flowers of Love” from Storytelling Piano Playing Fräulein (2009), and “In this Mouth” by Anoushka Shankar feat Alev Lenz from Love Letters (2020). Intro: “Fall Into Me” from the Black Mirror Soundtrack (2016). For more, visit alevlenz.com.

Listen to all of “Fall Into Me.” Netflix watchers may also recognize her theme from Dark. Here she is playing “Two-Headed GIrl” live with toy piano. Here she is live with the vocal ensemble singing “Cigarettes & Blow.” Watch another song she did with Anoushka Shankar. Here’s an official video to of her ballads, “If Love.” And here’s another particularly interesting song/video: “Song #1.” Here’s one of her early songs with the group Alev.

Alev released a sample library to accompany her recent album, that she walks us through. Watch the Tiny Desk Concert for Alev’s collaborators Roomful of Teeth. Here’s her crazy percussionist Samuli Kosminen live. Alev mentions “Two-Headed Girl” as a reaction in part to Neutral Milk Hotel’s “Two-Headed Boy.”

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