Best Shaefer Podcasts (2025)

1
Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 67: Kelly Shaefer of Atheist (Florida, USA) 1:34:42

10d ago1:34:42

1:34:42

In this episode, we talk with Kelly Shaefer, legendary frontman of Atheist - pioneers of Florida death metal. With the band’s groundbreaking discography freshly reissued in 2023, Kelly takes us on a wild ride through over two decades of extreme metal lyricism—from the raw aggression of 1990’s Piece of Time to the cosmic complexity of 2010’s Jupiter…

1
Jlin's Percussive-Driven, Math-Loving, Adventurous Electronic Music, In-Studio 36:35

2d ago36:35

36:35

The artist, producer, and educator Jlin, born Jerrilynn Patton, first came out of the electronic dance music scene – specifically, the Chicago style of house music known as footwork. But she’s also become a sought-after composer, and one of her works was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her collaborators include Icelandic pop star Bjork, composer…

1
Chicago-Based Composer Macie Stewart Makes Music Out of the Spaces In-Between 36:43

6d ago36:43

36:43

Macie Stewart is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who’s been a key player in the Chicago music scene, and a go-to collaborator for her string arrangements for pop stars like SZA, or playing with leading improvisers like Makaya McCraven or touring with Japanese Breakfast. Her current project is an album called When Distance Is Blue, ful…

1
Ted Kaczynski | The Unabomber - Part 3 31:11

9d ago31:11

31:11

ATF experts analyzed the scattered remains: a nine-inch-long, one-inch-wide pipe encased in a wooden box, secured with nails, rubber bands, screws, epoxy, three-quarter-inch black plastic tape, and half-inch filament tape. The explosive was two types of smokeless powder packed in the pipe. The makeshift trigger resembled a child’s plaything: a nail…

1
A New York Evening with Anoushka Shankar 46:07

9d ago46:07

46:07

Because she is the daughter of Ravi Shankar, perhaps the most famous Indian classical musician of the past century, Anoushka Shankar is associated with that style of music. But though she plays the sitar, and does indeed play Indian ragas in the style of her illustrious dad, she has also drawn on jazz, flamenco, various world and electronic music t…

1
Fiddlers Mark and Maggie O’Connor Connect Chamber Music and Bluegrass, In-Studio 38:26

13d ago38:26

38:26

The fiddler Mark O’Connor is probably best known for his million-selling Appalachian Waltz project – a kind of chamber/folk album with famed cellist Yo Yo Ma and bassist Edgar Meyer. Mark has also written string quartets, concertos, and orchestral pieces – and they all come from the same place as his solo fiddle sets – everything is rooted in the s…

1
Revisiting Mike Peters of The Alarm, In-Studio (Archives) 37:03

16d ago37:03

37:03

Since 1981, Welsh musician Mike Peters has been the voice of the hit-making British band The Alarm. After the band split up in 1991, Peters wrote and released solo work, before reconstituting The Alarm in 2000, (Wikipedia.) Since being diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in 2005 (he is also co-founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation), Mike …

1
King Hannah's Fuzzy-Jangly Charged Romanticism, In-Studio 41:27

20d ago41:27

41:27

King Hannah is an indie-rock duo from Liverpool consisting of singer and songwriter Hannah Merrick and guitarist Craig Whittle. Their latest album, Big Swimmer, seems to be the result of Merrick’s observations after touring around the United States, where it wasn’t the big cities or expansive vistas that inspired her songs, but the little moments a…

1
Ted Kaczynski | The Unabomber - Part 2 29:28

22d ago29:28

29:28

Griffin would put the blame for our environmental problems on excessive individual freedoms. Actually, most of the problems are direct or indirect results of the activities of large organizations; namely corporations and governments. It is these organizations, after all, that control the structure and development of society. Perhaps the most unfort…

1
Ancient-to-Future Hot Psychedelic Gnawa Blues from Bab L' Bluz, In-Studio 36:17

23d ago36:17

36:17

Bab L’ Bluz is a French-Moroccan band playing a distinctive band of rock, one that’s built on the sounds of North and West African music, and on the Blues. The band was born from the dream of propelling Guembri (the Gnawa's guitar) on the international music scene of contemporary music, and has expanded to include electric mandole and electric riba…

1
Marlon Williams Connects With His Maori Roots, In-Studio 25:36

27d ago25:36

25:36

Aotearoa singer/songwriter Marlon Williams’(Kāi Tahu, Ngāi Tai) is a singer and songwriter from Lyttleton, New Zealand. He’s spent this past decade creating a personal blend of country, indie, and folk music; and he’s been an actor, and makes an appearance in the film A Star Is Born. But his new album is something different – maybe not musically, b…

1
Immersion and SUSS: Rhythm and Synths Meet Ambient Country, In-Studio 40:56

30d ago40:56

40:56

Immersion consists of the husband and wife team of Colin Newman, who you may know from the veteran English rock band Wire, and Malka Spigel from the band Minimal Compact. And Nanocluster is the name of a series of collaborations between the Immersion and various guests (Laetitia Sadier, German post-rock duo Tarwater, electronic musicians Ulrich Sch…

1
All the Flavors of the Rainbow of Cello by Peter Gregson, In-Studio 42:10

1M ago42:10

42:10

The British cellist, producer, and composer Peter Gregson has collaborated with some of the biggest names in contemporary music, including Max Richter, Gabriel Prokofiev and Jóhann Jóhannsson. His own work includes soundtracks for film and TV, electroacoustic works, and a series of string quartets. Daringly, he has also “recomposed” J.S. Bach’s six…

1
Ted Kaczynski | The Unabomber - Part 1 33:55

1M ago33:55

33:55

They are then escorted into the gas chamber, often under heavy security, and secured to a chair with restraints around their wrists, ankles, waist, and chest to prevent movement. A stethoscope or other monitoring device is typically attached to their chest, extending outside the chamber so a physician can listen for the cessation of heartbeat or br…

1
Tabla Master Zakir Hussain and Santoor Player Rahul Sharma, In-Studio 42:47

1M ago42:47

42:47

The Indian-born tabla player and composer, teacher, and advocate Zakir Hussain, son of Ustad Alla Rahka, who passed away in December of 2024, wasn’t just a virtuoso improviser - he was one of the world’s exceptional percussionists, working in many genres, and was the world’s preeminent tabla master. Zakir Hussain enjoyed the different challenges th…

1
Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 Ignite an Afrobeat Dance Party, In-Studio 44:06

1M ago44:06

44:06

The Nigerian singer, songwriter and bandleader and Seun Kuti keeps alive the Afrobeat tradition founded by his legendary father, Fela Kuti, back in the 1970s. In fact, when Fela died in 1997, it was Seun, his youngest son, who took over the band, now called Egypt 80. Like his late father, Seun Kuti takes on topics like government corruption and cor…

1
The Punchy Groove of Baroque Ensemble Ruckus, In-Studio 34:28

2M ago34:28

34:28

New York-based Ruckus is an early music ensemble that plays with the energy of a rock band. Most early music groups feature instruments like the harpsichord and the viola da gamba, and Ruckus does too, but you’ll also hear synthesizer, guitar, bassoon, bass, and near Eastern frame drums. And on their new album, The Edinburgh Rollick, they focus on …

1
CocoRosie's Theatrical Baroque Electro-Pop, In-Studio 53:27

2M ago53:27

53:27

CocoRosie -the band founded by the sisters Sierra and Bianca Casady – blends elements of pop, freak folk and electronic music into a distinctly personal, idiosyncratic sound. The sisters use their voices, electronics, and found sounds – usually the sounds of toys – to make songs that can be whimsical, provocative, haunted, beautiful - sometimes all…

1
Tsutomu Miyazaki | The Little Girl Murderer 32:58

2M ago32:58

32:58

Tsutomu Miyazaki liked to taunt the parents of his victims with chillingly silent phone calls or postcards containing gloating messages. He left a box on the doorstep of the parents of his first victim, four-year-old Mari Konno. Inside were fragments of charred bone, ten baby teeth and photographs of the clothes their daughter had been wearing the …

1
Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 66: Chelsea and Tony of Dawn of Ouroboros (California, USA) 1:15:34

2M ago1:15:34

1:15:34

Get ready to rethink everything you think you know about extreme metal lyrics—because Dawn of Ouroboros is flipping the script. Instead of blood, chaos, and darkness, their music explores breathtaking natural beauty, the warmth of home, and the path to healing. In this episode, we dive deep with Chelsea and Tony to uncover the inspiration behind th…

1
Power to Endure-Lance Curry 1:06:38

2M ago1:06:38

1:06:38

Dean and Eric sit down with CFC member Lance Curry. Who sells his house and lives on the road. During his time he focus on God and climbing. Despite difficult times Lance continues to live for God and to love those at the crag.

1
The Quartet Sissoko-Segal-Parisien-Peirani Wanders Across Cultures and Genres 33:20

2M ago33:20

33:20

In 2010, we first fell under the spell of an extraordinary duo: Ballaké Sissoko, master of the West African harp or kora, and Vincent Segal, the French cellist. After a couple of albums together they added another duo, accordion virtuoso Vincent Peirani and sax player Emile Parisien, and that quartet has released an album called Les Egarés – thos…

1
Harpist Ashley Jackson Takes Us To The Water 29:08

2M ago29:08

29:08

Harpist, soloist, collaborator (Harlem Chamber Players), educator, and arranger Ashley Jackson’s brand new album is called Take Me To The Water. In the American spiritual tradition, water is a powerful metaphor for freedom and for moving from this life to the next. Jackson’s record takes listeners on a watery journey through works by Debussy, the j…

1
Rafiq Bhatia and Chris Pattishall Sculpt Electroacoustic Works, In-Studio 41:16

2M ago41:16

41:16

New York composer and guitarist Rafiq Bhatia is part of the art rock band Son Lux, the experimental trio best-known for scoring the film Everything Everywhere All At Once. His new EP – his first new solo project in 5 years - features pianist and improviser Chris Pattishall and is called Each Dream, A Melting Door. In their electro-acoustic songs, R…

1
Berlin-Based Techno/Electro-Musician Jan Blomqvist Considers Silence and Connectivity 30:10

2M ago30:10

30:10

Jan Blomqvist is part of the legendary electronic music scene in Berlin – but he’s also a singer and producer, so his take on techno and house music is more song-oriented than many of his fellow DJs. One thing that sets Blomqvist apart is that he makes music in the studio with an eye towards live performance, earning him a description of “concert t…

1
Herbert Mullin - Part 5 29:34

2M ago29:34

29:34

Mullin didn’t fit the killer mold. This clean-cut ex-flower-child looked more like he’d stumble over a peace rally than a murder scene. Cops might’ve sneered at hippies, but they didn’t peg them—or guys like Mullin—for bloody rampages. At first, his calm vibe seemed like he’d play ball. They figured prying answers out of him about that day’s madnes…

1
Aukai's Electroacoustic Music for a Timeless State (Archives) 26:57

2M ago26:57

26:57

German producer & multi-instrumentalist Aukai, aka Markus Sieber, grew up in the former East Germany, but his travels have taken him through Latin America, and he is now based in Colorado. "Aukai" is a Hawaiian term for a seafaring traveler, and on 2018 record, Branches of Sun, he has captured a certain nomadic wanderlust which might connect a list…

1
Songs By Ken Pomeroy to Not Feel Alone, In-Studio 34:39

2M ago34:39

34:39

With her clever guitar playing and powerful stories, Oklahoma-based Cherokee singer and songwriter Ken Pomeroy draws on brutal honesty and the songwriting skills she has honed since she was 11 years old. She’s already found herself on the big screen and small when her song “Wall of Death” made its way onto the Twisters soundtrack, while Hulu’s Rese…

1
Kinan Azmeh and CityBand Mix East and West, In-Studio 39:13

3M ago39:13

39:13

Syrian clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh has been based here in New York for many years. His music is an organic mix of East and West, of classical composition, jazzy improvisation, and Near Eastern music traditions. He’s played with the Silk Road Ensemble and lots of other groups large and small, but the one we see him with most often is his Ar…

1
The War And Treaty Blends Country, Soul, and the Blues, In-Studio 39:39

3M ago39:39

39:39

The War And Treaty is built around the husband and wife team of Michael and Tanya Trotter, who’ve spent the past decade honing their own, often jubilant blend of country and soul. Their new album is called Plus One, and features touches of jazz, bluegrass, blues, even a nod or two to hip hop. There are some songs involving whiskey, a few nods to Ra…

1
Herbert Mullin - Part 4 30:15

3M ago30:15

30:15

The blade sliced her open, her flesh separating with a cold precision, skin and fat sliding apart as if they’d been primed to rupture all along. Blood saturated everything—her dress, the grass, his hands, the knife—a predictable mess, though far worse was still to come. He set the knife aside and forced his fingers into the incision, pushing past t…

1
Lingüa Brütallica - Episode 65: Marco Ieritano of Crypt Crawler (Perth, Australia) 1:32:08

3M ago1:32:08

1:32:08

Lingua Brutallica is BACK – and we’re kicking off 2025 with a killer episode! After a long hiatus, we’re diving straight into the brutal depths of metal lyricism with Marco Ieritano from Perth’s own death metal titans, Crypt Crawler. Marco reveals how his love of horror films, his Italian heritage, and sharp observations of human nature fuel his da…

1
El Buho-Shaefer Church 45:32

3M ago45:32

45:32

Shaefer Church - El Buho board member shares about this amazing ministry in world famous El Potrero Chico.

1
Third Coast Percussion Plays New Work by Zakir Hussain, In-Studio 40:56

3M ago40:56

40:56

Third Coast Percussion is a Grammy-winning classical quartet based in Chicago. They’re all composers themselves, but they’ve also worked with a wide variety of other composers, including Philip Glass and the late great tabla player Zakir Hussain. Their new EP, Murmurs In Time, features Zakir’s work of that name, and he was supposed to join Third Co…

1
The Warmth and Soulful Groove of Sachal Vasandani, In-Studio 32:49

3M ago32:49

32:49

The singer Sachal Vasandani has become known for his distinctive takes on jazz standards, and for his wide ranging covers, from Bob Dylan to Billie Eilish. But Sachal is also a songwriter himself, and his new album, Best Life Now, is largely a collection of original songs musing on stories of sensuality, heartbreak, and other love struggles. Sachal…

1
Singer-Songwriter Victoria Canal, In-Studio 35:08

3M ago35:08

35:08

Spanish singer and songwriter Victoria Canal mixes pop styles, from bangers to weighty tunes with thoughtful, often probing, occasionally flirty lyrics, which revolve around her own complicated identity. She won two of Britain’s prestigious Ivor Novello Awards, famously sang with Coldplay at last year’s Glastonbury Festival, and had released a pair…

1
Baring all in Religion, Ice, and Politics--Dean and Eric 59:07

3M ago59:07

59:07

Why we shouldn't let our political opinions dictate our friendships. Even though there may be differences we still want the same things. Paul state in Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."…

1
The Resilience, Wisdom, and Hope in Brother Ali's Hip Hop, In-Studio 36:06

3M ago36:06

36:06

The rapper and songwriter Brother Ali has been releasing his distinctive brand of hip hop since the turn of the century – music that combines pointed social commentary, nerdy music references, and the veteran producer Ant’s maximalist, often playful beats. Brother Ali’s brand new LP is called Satisfied Soul, and on it, there is wisdom, self-reflect…

1
Herbert Mullin - Part 3 27:11

3M ago27:11

27:11

The police approached the Mullin family home, their knocks echoing like the tolling of a death knell through the silent house, surrounded by uncollected mail, a silent testament to absence. Imagining the worst, they prepared to breach this fortress of solitude, fearing Herb had taken his own life in some final, desperate act. As they made arrangeme…

1
Intertwining Melodies From American Rock Band, Horsegirl 27:33

3M ago27:33

27:33

The band Horsegirl is three best friends from Chicago who began playing together while still in high school. But their 2022 debut album, Versions of Modern Performance, showed a band that already had a distinctive sound that showed that DIY didn’t necessarily mean simple. With two of the three musicians now attending NYU, the band has moved here to…

1
Sam Amidon Recasts and Expands Folk Songs, In-Studio 33:38

3M ago33:38

33:38

Sam Amidon is a folk fiddler, multi-instrumentalist, and singer from New England who now lives in Old England. He's become known for his inventive and often surprising arrangements of folk songs from both sides of the Atlantic. But he’s also someone who refuses to stay in his lane. So you could call his new album, Salt River, a collection of folk s…

1
Afrobeat From Amayo Blends Nigerian Heritage and Kung Fu Teachings, In-Studio 33:56

3M ago33:56

33:56

Amayo is the Nigerian-born, Atlanta-based singer and songwriter who was the longtime front-person for the band Antibalas. Now out on his own, Amayo continues to create his own distinctive take on the Afrobeat sound pioneered in the 1970s by the legendary Fela Kuti. But Amayo’s songwriting and his live performances are also deeply affected by his lo…

1
Cellist Abel Selaocoe On Finding Things That Bind Us Together 35:46

4M ago35:46

35:46

The South African-born, UK-based cellist Abel Selaocoe doesn’t really cross musical boundaries – he ignores them entirely. He’ll play Bach cello suites, but he also writes music that draws on the throat singing and instinctive vocalizations of his South African heritage, as well as works with electronics, cello preparations, and site-specific sound…

1
Herbert Mullin - Part 2 33:49

4M ago33:49

33:49

Herb began experimenting with drugs, initially using marijuana to soothe his anxiety. However, he soon recognized its impact on his intellectual sharpness, which was crucial for his self-image as the "most likely to succeed." He switched to hallucinogens, particularly LSD, becoming so enamored with it that he inked a tattoo across his stomach advoc…

1
The Band Wunderhorse, Very Raw, No Frills, In-Studio 26:48

4M ago26:48

26:48

The English band Wunderhorse now have two albums under that name, although the first of them, 2022’s Cub, was essentially a solo album by vocalist and songwriter Jacob Slater. Their latest, called Midas, came out this past fall to rave reviews and is very much a portrait of a band who can capture a visceral feeling in their recorded music that is "…

1
Richard Reed Parry's 'Quiet River of Dust' (Archives) 41:14

4M ago41:14

41:14

Richard Reed Parry is perhaps best known as the really tall, really redheaded guy playing half a dozen instruments in the Grammy-winning band Arcade Fire. But he’s also a founder of the instrumental group Bell Orchestre, and a composer of contemporary classical music. In 2018, he visited the studio with a new project called Quiet River of Dust, and…

1
South African Guitarist Derek Gripper Translates Kora and J.S. Bach, In-Studio 34:39

4M ago34:39

34:39

South African guitar virtuoso Derek Gripper plays music originally meant for the 21 stringed lute-harp, the kora, on his 6-string Segovia-styled guitar and does it so well that the world’s leading guitarists and kora players keep wondering how one even does that. His original music is informed by kora master Toumani Diabaté, Malian singer-songwrite…

1
Enhanced Chamber Music by W4RP Trio and LIKWUID, In-Studio 41:34

4M ago41:34

41:34

Hip hop and classical music come together in the hybrid chamber music of W4RP Trio. The new record, featuring the spoken word artist DJ LiKWUiD, is called Sermon of the MatriarK and it is a celebration of powerful female characters in the African diaspora. But it’s also a celebration of the ways in which artists can move freely across genre lines –…

1
Herbert Mullin - Part 1 28:25

4M ago28:25

28:25

He had to offer Her blood, much like the ancient cultures did, recognizing Her under various guises of gods and goddesses but understanding that sacrifice was necessary to stave off Her wrath. Her anger, palpable even now, was seething beneath the earth's crust, knocking at the edges of his psyche. She was incensed at humanity's degeneration, furio…

1
Violinist and Bandleader Jenny Scheinman Stretches Out At Play 44:42

4M ago44:42

44:42

Violinist, composer, and bandleader Jenny Scheinman is a familiar figure to jazz fans, having played for years with Bill Frisell, Allison Miller, and many others. But jazz is just one part of her music. In her own albums and in her work with musicians from Lou Reed to Lucinda Williams to Jason Moran, Scheinman incorporates a wide range of American …

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Shaefer Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen