Celebration Rock

For years, Steve railed against the indie-snob archetype — the judgmental expert in the horn-rimmed glasses who only likes obscure artists. But now, the indie snob has been marginalized in music culture. In an era where pop music dominates the conversation, Steve and his guest Amanda Petrusich now feel weird nostalgia for the indie snob. How did this happen? Is there still room in the conversation for people who don't like mainstream culture?

Classic rock used to mean Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and the Who. But now it looks more like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, and even Blink-182. How did this happen? Steve chats with Rob Harvilla of The Ringer about how alt-rock has slowly evolved into the music that you hear at gas stations and local county fairs, and whether this has been a natural change or remains strange.

Rob Sheffield has been one of America's top music critics for at least two decades, due to his work at Rolling Stone and books like Love Is A Mixtape and Turn Around Bright Eyes. His latest book, On Bowie, is a self-described love letter to the late icon.

Steve invites his friend and fellow critic Ian Cohen on the pod to discuss the year in rock so far. Ian feels more enthusiasm than Steve for the year's output thus far, but they both have plenty of recommendations for quality new music. Sponsored by Blue Apron.

Steve sits down with the best known rock producer of the 90s to discuss his life and career, including his work on landmark LPs such as Nirvana's Nevermind and Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream. Vig also talks about his band Garbage, which is back with a new album, Strange Little Birds.

The guitar virtuoso used to be a fixture in rock, but feats of fleet-fingered strength no longer seem to impress people. Steve tries to find out why with Jason Concepcion, aka netwerk, of The Ringer, a guy who has been studying great guitar players since childhood. Then Steve talks with one of his favorite guitar players, Steve Gunn, about his great new album, Eyes On The Lines.

The fastest-rising star in rock right now has to be Courtney Barnett, the Aussie singer-songwriter who has wowed critics and a growing legion of fans. Steve caught up with Barnett in the midst of her latest tour, and talked about her background and the new music she's working on. Steve also chatted with the Canadian punk band Pup (32:51), who just released their excellent second record, The Dream Is Over.

One of Steve's favorite bands right now is Beach Slang, a group from Philadelphia obsessed with the myth of the rock and roll dream. Steve met up with the band's frontman, James Alex, during a recent stop in Minneapolis. They talk about the band's history, Alex's early baptism into the punk rock life by the Ramones, and why tension is a necessary part of being in a rock band.

Last week, Radiohead released its first album in five years, A Moon Shaped Pool. Steve wasn't sure what to expect going in, but he came away with a renewed appreciation for one of rock's most important bands of the last 25 years. He invited a fellow fan, Pitchfork senior editor Jillian Mapes, on the podcast to talk about the record and explore what exactly makes Radiohead an era-defining band.

A lot of Steven's favorite rock records of the 21st Century came out in 2005 - and the same is true for Steve's friend Ian Cohen. Has any year topped the one that gave us classics by LCD Soundsystem, The National, The Hold Steady and Sleater-Kinney? Another great 2005 release was Wolf Parade's Apologies To The Queen Mary -- Steve talks with the band's co-frontman Dan Boeckner about Wolf Parade's reunion and his "side project", Operators

If you're looking for a one-stop update on 2016's best rock records, look no further than this episode. Steve previews two big May releases -- the Hotelier's Goodness and Car Seat Headrest's Teens of Denial — with members of both bands. For fans, it's a glimpse into the making of two of indie rock's most anticipated albums of the year. For neophytes, it just might be an introduction to your new favorite band.

Classic rock fans have long recognized Cheap Trick as one of America's best live bands. But it took the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame until 2016 to properly honor Rockford's finest. Right before Cheap Trick was inducted in early April, Steve spoke with guitarist and principal songwriter Rick Nielsen about the band's history, why he stayed in Rockford, and the inspiration behind one of the greatest rock anthems ever written, "Surrender."

The author of Our Band Could Be Your Life stops by to discuss the landmark book on the 15th anniversary of its publication, and explains why the '80s aren't all that different from today. Azerrad also talks about his experience as Nirvana's official biographer, and why he has avoided subsequent Nirvana books and documentaries.

Our first two-time guest is none other than Chuck Klosterman, who returns to discuss the new Weezer album and whether "giving the people what they want" is truly a bad thing. Chuck and Steve also speculate about the new Radiohead LP and decide whether the Guns N Roses reunion tour is worth checking out.

For more than 20 years, Deftones have ranked among the best and most adventurous bands in hard rock. On Friday, the band adds to its legacy with its eighth album, Gore. In advance of Gore's release, Steve talk with lead singer Chino Moreno about the record as well as Deftones' long, complicated history, including the band's decision early on to not tour with bands like Limp Bizkit and Korn, which helped Deftones eventually separate themselves from their nu-metal peers.