And here to talk with us about “Thrasher” is James Jackson Toth, a terrific songwriter whose career matches Neil in terms of eclectic, exploratory and highly personalized vibes. He’s been a man of many monikers over the years; there are records under his own name, there are records under the ever-morphing Wooden Wand designation; there’s DUNZA, there’s James and the Giants, there’s One Eleven Heavy and more. Whatever you end up checking out, you’re guaranteed to be transported to strange, funny and powerful places. The man who has a “What would Neil Young do” tattoo weighs in.
Category: Podcast
All One Song :: Brigid Mae Power on “Albuquerque”
Neil Young’s “Albuquerque.” A Ditch Era classic, it was recorded with the Santa Monica Flyers in 1973 and released on 1975’s Tonight’s the Night. Like the Southwestern town its named for, “Albuquerque” is stark, beautiful, and lonesome—leaving in its wake melancholy and a craving for fried eggs and country ham. Joining us to discuss the various landscapes of “Albuquerque” is Brigid Mae Power. Since her debut a little over a decade ago, the Galway-based singer songwriter has built up a visionary and cosmic discography. Tune in as we explore the contours of yet another number in the ever-rolling “All One Song” saga.
All One Song :: Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo) on “Big Crime”
Welcome to All One Song season two. We kick off this exploration of the Shakey-verse with Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo. The indie trio has a long history with Neil—the b-side of their second single was a sweet cover of “For The Turnstiles.” But Kaplan doesn’t want to talk about an old classic, but rather the most recent Neil song, as of the time of this taping at least. Strap in for “Big Crime.”
Transmissions at Big Ears :: Thurston Moore and Kramer
Transmissions is back with a special episode: Tyler Wilcox in conversation with underground music lifers Thurston Moore and Kramer. On May 1, the duo release their new album together, They Came Like Swallows – Seven Requiems for the Children of Gaza, out on Ethan Miller’s Silver Current Records, and ahead of their appearance this week at Big Ears Music Festival in Knoxville, Wilcox caught up with them to discuss the new collaboration, their storied history together, and that time the Butthole Surfers freaked out Alex Chilton. They join us to kick off our Big Ears 2026 coverage.
All One Song: A Neil Young Podcast and Big Ears 2026 Live Streaming Morning Show
Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions is returning to your podcast feed. We are pleased to announce season two of All One Song: A Neil Young Podcast and Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions’ streaming morning show at Big Ears. Join us March 26 for a special episode featuring Thurston Moore and Kramer, and then April 1 for Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo on AOS.
Transmissions :: Cochemea
This week’s conversation with Cochemea Gastelum brings our season to a close. The saxophonist and bandleader joins us to discuss his beautiful LP Ancestros Futuros, out now on Daptone Records. Mining his Indigenous roots, soul jazz, and funk, it’s a fantastic album, and it completes a trilogy that began with 2019’s All My Relations, continued with 2021’s Baca Sewa, and now concludes.
Transmissions :: Mike Ayers ( The Untold Story of the ’90s Jam Bands)
The ’90s were a strange time. From Gregorian chants to swing bands, you never knew what would make it onto the radio. But some of the strangest groups to improbably infiltrate the mainstream came from the post-Grateful Dead jam band scene. Our guest today is Mike Ayers, author of Sharing in the Groove: The Untold Story of the ’90s Jam Band Explosion and the Scene that Followed.
Transmissions :: Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate)
This week on the show, a return guest: Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate and solo fame. He last joined the show part of a trio: in 2018, we taped with him, Howe Gelb of Giant Sand, and Robyn Hitchcock live at the KXCI studio at Hotel Congress in Tucson Arizona. That talk also made it into the Transmissions feed again in 2021.
Transmissions :: Steve Von Till
Welcome back to Transmissions. This week: Steve Von Till, of sludge legends Neurosis, the tribal ambient spin-off Tribes of Neurot, solo albums under this own name, and the psych folk project Harvestman. He runs the independent label, Neurot Recordings. And as if all that isn’t enough, he’s also a poet, and an educator—when he’s not playing music, he’s bringing knowledge to the next generation, working as a fourth grade teacher in North Idaho.
Transmissions :: Kate Pierson (The B-52s)
This week on Transmissions, Kate Pierson, vocalist and keyboardist of The B-52s. Writing about the legendary Athens band, AD founder Justin Gage says, “The B-52’s 1979 debut album ushered in a practically fully formed sound/band. No one else was doing this…whatever ‘this’ was.” Pierson joins us to discuss the band’s history, Yoko Ono, her time with Julee Cruise, and much more.
Transmissions :: Gary Lachman
This week, we present a conversation with writer, rock & roller, and esoteric scholar Gary Lachman, author of a new memoir, Touched By the Presence: From Blondie’s Bowery and Rock and Roll to Magic and the Occult. It is, Lachman charts his journey from a young New Jersey misfit immersed in comic books and paperback fiction to his days playing bass in Blondie as the band rose to stardom from the New York City punk underground.
Transmissions :: DM Hotep (Sun Ra Arkestra)
This week on the show, we sit down with Sun Ra Arkestra guitarist DM Hotep, who, under the leadership of 101-year-old saxophonist Marshall Allen, continues the work of Ra.
Transmissions :: Emmylou Harris
Welcome back to Transmissions, a weekly interview podcast created and curated by Los Angeles online music magazine Aquarium Drunkard. This week on the show, host Jason P. Woodbury speaks with a living legend, and one of our all-time favorite vocalists and songsmiths: Emmylou Harris.
Transmissions :: Pam Grossman
Welcome back to Transmissions, a weekly podcast series from Aquarium Drunkard. This week on the show: Pam Grossman, host of The Witch Wave podcast and author of a new book, Magic Maker: The Enchanted Path to Creativity. This show, at its core, is about the relationship between magic and art. What do we mean by magic? Let’s turn to Grossman’s book for a helpful take. She writes that magic is quote, “a way of shifting one’s entire mode of being in the direction of Creative Force and interacting with it…When magic is working properly, there is a feeling in the body of being activated. Power is raised. Ideas flow. Something outside of our egos is allowed entrance, and we respond to its visitation in kind.”
Transmissions :: The Cosmic Tones Research Trio
This week on the show, the Portland-based group of Roman Norfleet, Harlan Silverman, and Kennedy Verrett, aka The Cosmic Tones Research Trio. “Cosmic” is a term that has, thanks to critics and writers, become a little overused. Practically every indie rock band or country-based singer/songwriter with an effects pedal employs “cosmic” touches these days. But as this spiritual jazz trio explains, each of us contains our own cosmos.