Bandsplain

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 20 Songs (2024), declare a winner through a five-category contest: public insults, commercial success, critical acclaim, American or British audiences, and legacy. Plus, Miranda dishes exclusive goss about her infamous interview with Noel Gallagher, and she shares her boots-on-the-ground POV about the musical and political scenes surrounding the bands’ respective reigns.  CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek Guest: Miranda Sawyer @msmirandasawyer  Producer: Liz Sánchez  Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Sánchez  Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 solidified a scene, and the ways they ultimately broke out of their own (Brit) box. Follow along as we trace the band’s breakups and makeups, while exploring their sonic evolution from shoegaze to Britpop to alt-rock.  SKIP AHEAD: 7:22 – Band formation 45:51 – Sign to Food Records; ‘She’s So High’ single 1:03:59 – Leisure 1:31:04 – Modern Life is Rubbish 1:45:19 – ‘Girls & Boys’ single 1:54:27 – Parklife 2:25:40  – Chart Battle 2:36:25 – The Great Escape 2:51:14 – Blur (self-titled album) 3:04:01 – Britpop dies 3:05:40 – 13  3:15:49 – Think Tank 3:24:19 – The Magic Whip 3:28:03 – The Ballad of Darren  EPISODE PLAYLIST: Listen to songs we detail in the episode ⁠HERE⁠ CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalek Guests: Chris Ryan @crashactivated  Producer: Liz Sánchez @lizbetsanch  Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 potency. This is when the rave scene starts to bubble up from the dark Manchester clubs, like the Hacienda. Listen as we trace the back half of both bands’ short but very sweet catalog, from Madchester Rave On to the Second Coming. SKIP AHEAD: 22:05 - Happy Mondays release ‘Wrote For Luck’ single and later Bummed (1988) 1:04:28 - The Stone Roses drop their self-titled debut album (1989) 1:23:27 - Happy Mondays release Madchester Rave On EP (1989) (featured on Bummed Collector’s Edition: Hallelujah / Holy Ghost / Clap Your Hands / Rave On) 1:30:30 - Madchester and “Rave” Origins 2:10:53 - Happy Mondays release Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches (1990) 2:36:00 - Happy Mondays record …Yes Please (1992) 2:47:34 - Happy Mondays break up (1993) 2:51:21 - The Stone Roses release their last album Second Coming (1994) 3:13:05 - The Stone Roses break up (1996) EPISODE PLAYLIST: Listen to songs we detail in the episode ⁠HERE⁠ CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek Guests: John Niven, Chlöe Walsh Producer: Liz Sánchez Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 rave culture in the industrial, Dickensian landscape that also birthed The Smiths, Joy Division, and The Buzzcocks, as well as Oasis a decade later. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the scene, this season is sure to turn you into a 24-hour-podcast person. SKIP AHEAD: 20:43 - Formation of Happy Mondays 1:00:40 - Formation of The Stone Roses 3:12:05 - Squirrel And G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) (1987) 3:31:21 - Sally Cinnamon EP (1987) 3:48:06 - Arrival of Ecstasy EPISODE PLAYLIST: Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE CREDITS: Host: Yasi Salek Guests: John Niven, Chlöe Walsh Producer: Liz Sánchez Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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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 revealed some hard truths behind the myths of the 1960s, and the danger that nostalgia can engender. Steven digs deep into the history and legacy of Woodstock '99 in 'Break Stuff,' an eight-part documentary series. This is a clip from Episode 1, which is out now. To hear more, subscribe to the show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/66M93mO2xsieeujoVZqd0x?si=c9730334434e4752 Thanks for listening. Be back soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Fennessey on Twitter @SeanFennessey Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE Host: Yasi Salek Guests: Chris Ryan, Rob Harvilla, Sean Fennessey Producer: Jesse Miller-Gordon Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Guest: Hanif Abdurraqib Producer: Jesse Miller-Gordon Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 few new band members. Soundgarden brought the founders of SubPop together and brought major labels sniffing around the scene, though they themselves took a more considered and well-paced path to rock stardom. In this episode we are blessed with the presence of returning guest Hanif Aburraqib to help chart the journey of this excellent band, from their earliest days through their third album, Badmotorfinger. Follow Hanif Abdurraqib on Twitter @NifMuhammad Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERE Host: Yasi Salek Guest: Hanif Abdurraqib Producer: Jesse Miller-Gordon Audio Editor: Adrian Bridges Additional Production Supervision: Justin Sayles Theme Song: Bethany Cosentino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices