Recording my host intro!
~~~ I’M IN THE BAND ~~~
is a monthly podcast for Tidal On Air hosted/produced by Allison Wolfe and produced/engineered by Jonathan Shifflett. Bratmobile and riot grrrl co-founder Allison Wolfe talks shop with prominent, progressive punk/indie artists. Each episode explores an artist’s journey through personal history, coming to consciousness, musical awakening and cultural activism. Facebook Instagram Twitter
Donita Sparks sings and plays guitar in the iconic rock band L7, which busted into the ’90s grunge scene and laid waste to stereotypes of women in music. The bandmates founded Rock for Choice and confronted sexism with humor and irreverence. Sparks talks about her rebellious youth, reuniting L7, and the documentary L7: Pretend We’re Dead. [Tidal subscribers click here]
EPISODE 2: BRONTEZ PURNELL / YOUNGER LOVERS, GRAVY TRAIN!!!!!
From Oakland, California, by way of small-town Alabama, Brontez Purnell crashed the punk scene in bands Gravy Train!!!!, the Younger Lovers and his cult classic fanzine Fag School. Purnell has since branched out to take on dance, choreography, acting, film-making, and authoring three books. In this episode, Purnell talks growing up black, gay and punk in the dirty South. [Tidal subscribers click here]
EPISODE 3: ALICE BAG / THE BAGS
In her 2011 memoir Violence Girl, Alice describes growing up in East LA and transitioning from glam fandom to finding her voice in punk rock. She continues to make music, write, and agitate for social justice. In this third episode of I’m in the Band, Alice discusses the early days of LA punk, fighting historical erasure as a Chicana musician, and her lifetime of cultural activism. [Tidal subscribers click here]
EPISODE 4: PATTY SCHEMEL / HOLE
In her new book, Hit So Hard: A Memoir, Patty details her struggles growing up lesbian, avoiding conflict, escaping through addiction, and living a life of recovery beyond her identity as the drummer for Hole. In this episode of I’m in the Band, Patty talks coming out and coming of age in the ‘80s and ‘90s Northwest music scene and making fanzines with Kurt and Courtney. [Tidal subscribers click here]
EPISODE 5: ANA DA SILVA / THE RAINCOATS
In the early UK punk scene, singer/guitarist Ana da Silva formed experimental band the Raincoats with art school pal Gina Birch. The Raincoats challenged traditional song structures to reflect the dynamic moods and tempos of their lives. In this episode, da Silva discusses growing up in fascist Portugal, obsessing over modular synths and influencing riot boy Kurt Cobain. [Tidal subscribers click here]
EPISODE 6: GINA BIRCH / THE RAINCOATS
Gina Birch, bassist and co-singer in groundbreaking British post-punk band the Raincoats, sought out and sang about bohemian adventures that challenged mainstream assumptions of women and constraints on their lifestyles. In this episode, Birch details being a special baby, falling in love with conceptual art, and how women create the language to paint their own experiences. [Tidal subscribers click here]
EPISODE 7: MARISSA PATERNOSTER / SCREAMING FEMALES
Marissa Paternoster, singer/guitarist of Screaming Females, may be little but she’s loud. The Jersey band’s name evokes hysteria, the stigma of mental illness and women protesting their lot, which Paternoster confronts with some serious shredding. In this episode, Paternoster explains Juggalo culture, the difficulties of coming out while eating an Oreo, and her go-to karaoke song. [Tidal subscribers click here]
EPISODE 8: RACHEL AGGS, BILLY EASTER, ANDREW MILK / SHOPPING
The UK post-punk band Shopping, comprised of Rachel Aggs, Billy Easter and Andrew Milk, emerged from the London DIY queercore scene at the tail end of 2012. In this episode, the members of Shopping discuss the meaning behind their new album The Official Body, DIY spaces, and the importance of visibility and voice for marginalized people. [Tidal subscribers click here]
EPISODE 9: PALMOLIVE / THE SLITS, THE RAINCOATS
Paloma Romero McLardy, AKA Palmolive, started the first all-girl punk band, the Slits, smashing society’s expectations of women on stage and in the streets. After leaving the Slits, Palmolive joined the Raincoats. In this episode, Palmolive talks about learning to drum in a street mime troupe, clashing with Sid Vicious and playing in two of punk’s most influential bands. [Tidal subscribers click here]
EPISODE 10: KATIE ALICE GREER & DANIELE DANIELE / PRIESTS
Priests lead singer Katie Alice Greer and drummer Daniele Daniele, along with guitarist GL Jaguar, have been breathing new life into the DC music community with their explosive performances and DIY label, Sister Polygon Records. In this episode, Katie and Daniele discuss oral therapy, figure skating, accelerationism, and running away from home for Snoop Dogg. [Tidal subscribers click here]
EPISODE 11: JULIA CAFRITZ / PUSSY GALORE, STP, FREE KITTEN
Julia Cafritz joined forces with Jon Spencer in 1985 to form lo-fi, garage noise band Pussy Galore. She wielded her guitar and screams in an expression of angst and provocation. Post-Pussy Galore, Julia forwarded her attitude to STP and Free Kitten. In this episode, Julia talks growing up goody-goody, impressing the Scarsdale Diet Doctor murderer and creating “anti-music” out of anger. [Tidal subscribers click here]
EPISODE 12: ANN MAGNUSON / BONGWATER
In a career spanning four decades, prolific performer Ann Magnuson sang in the psychedelic soundscape band Bongwater and curated performance art at New York’s legendary Club 57. In this episode, Ann discusses her West Virginia roots, the late ‘70s / early ‘80s East Village art punk scene, and finding her people in a New York City that would be unrecognizable today. [Tidal subscribers click here]
I’M IN THE BAND X DC: THE SOCIAL POWER OF MUSIC, EP. 1: FIRST LADIES DJ COLLECTIVE
In the first episode of I’m in the Band’s special two-part series for Smithsonian Folklife, First Ladies DJ Collective co-founders Kristina Gray (DJ K La Rock), Maegan Wood (DJ June Bullet), and partner Les Talusan (Les the DJ) discuss the upbringing and experiences that informed their creative visions and how their collective activities made waves in the D.C. music scene.
I’M IN THE BAND X DC: THE SOCIAL POWER OF MUSIC, EP. 2: ANTHOLOGY OF BOOTY
In this final episode of I’m in the Band’s special two-part series, Anthology of Booty DJs Ebony Dumas (DJ Natty Boom), Kristy Chavez-Fernandez (Kristy la rAt), and Darby Hickey (DJ Bent) discuss the experiences that shaped their lives and brought them together to create safe spaces of cultural expression within the broader do-it-yourself D.C. music community.