

Essential Tremors
WUOT-FM 91.9 Knoxville
A show in which musicians and other creators talk about the songs that shaped who they are. Produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 6, 2021 • 34min
Stephen Morris (Joy Division/New Order)
Stephen Morris drove the shift from punk to postpunk as the drummer for Joy Division and New Order, and helped further open postpunk to new sounds. On this episode, he discusses how the music of Can, Terry Riley, and Grandmaster Flash shaped his course.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 24, 2021 • 21min
Tricky
Tricky has created his own sound world over the past 25 years, built from broken hip-hop beats, forlorn chanteuses, and shadowy mutters. In this episode, he talks about the impact of Nirvana, Billie Holiday, and T. Rex on his life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 16, 2021 • 16min
Mdou Moctar
Singer/guitarist Mdou Moctar has blazed a trail for electrified Tuareg music from his native Niger through the music venues of Europe and the U.S. In this episode, he talks about how Jimi Hendrix, Van Halen, and Tinariwen shaped his own music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 11, 2021 • 32min
Kristin Hersh
Kristin Hersh has built a devoted following with her one-of-a-kind singing and songwriting, as a solo artist and as leader of the bands Throwing Muses and 50 Foot Wave. On this episode, she discusses how traditional ballads, Nick Drake, and Vic Chesnutt impacted her own work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 18, 2020 • 1h 2min
Brandon Soderberg
Brandon Soderberg has worked as a music critic, an altweekly editor, and a reporter on the frontlines of protest. He’s now the co-author of I Got a Monster, a book about the Baltimore Police Department’s corrupt Gun Trace Task Force. On this episode, he discusses how music from OutKast, Fabio Frizzi, and Jason Isbell shaped his work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 1, 2020 • 24min
Amanda Shires
Amanda Shires has made her mark on American music as a singer, songwriter, and fiddle player, both solo and a member of Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit. On this episode, she discusses how songs by Dolly Parton, Leonard Cohen, and Richard Buckner shaped her work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 13, 2020 • 44min
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth)
Thurston Moore's name and work have been ever-present in the last 40 years of underground culture, from his years in Sonic Youth and his solo career, his many musical collaborations, his record-label and book-publishing activities, and his unofficial boosterism. In this episode, he talks about how the Kingsmen, Patti Smith, and Public Image Ltd. shaped him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 26, 2020 • 34min
Bob Mould
Bob Mould has turned out decades worth of impassioned singing and songwriting as leader of Husker Du and Sugar and a longstanding solo artist. In this episode, he talks about how songs from the Beatles, the Ramones, and My Bloody Valentine shaped his work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 16, 2020 • 26min
Marcus Moore
Music critic Marcus Moore became an author with his new book The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America. On this episode, he discusses what songs by Roberta Flack, Common, and Stevie Wonder have meant to him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 24, 2020 • 29min
Chris Frantz (Talking Heads)
Drummer Chris Frantz provided the rhythms for two seminal groups, Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club, a career he discusses in his memoir, Remain in Love. In this episode, he discusses how Jimmy Dean, the Beatles, and James Brown shaped his life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.