Nakedly Examined Music Podcast

Michael is the songwriter and guitarist for the Canadian band Cowboy Junkies (featuring two of his siblings and a childhood friend), with whom he’s released 20+ studio albums and several live albums since 1989. We discuss “Throw a Match” from Such Ferocious Beauty (2023), “He Will Call You Baby” from More Acoustic Junk (2025), remade from One Soul Now (2004), and “Rock and Bird” from The Caution Horses (1990). End song: ” Unanswered Letter” from The Wilderness-The Nomad Series, Vol. 4 (2012). Intro: “Misguided Angel” from The Trinity Session (1988). More at cowboyjunkies.com. Follow along in Mark’s notes (Google has inexplicably decided that the file looks dangerous and might warn you of this, but it’s just the same as all the rest of them; you can ignore the warning.) Watch the video for “Misguided Angel.” Here’s that video/alternate version of “Rock and Bird” featuring Bruce Hornsby (my previous guest!) as depicted in the video by Stephen Wright. Hear the original version of “He Will Call You Baby.” Hear the acoustic version of “The Wilderness.” Hear their tune with John Prine. Watch a full live set from 2008. Watch them live on Carson in 1989, on Leno in 1994 and on Letterman in 1996. Here’s a video for one of their cover tunes (a David Bowie tune!). Watch the video for a tune by one of Michael’s side projects, Lee Harvey Osmond (the singer is Tom Wilson). Listen to one of Michael’s solo album improvisations. Here’s his film soundtrack from 2017. Here’s his 1983 band with Alan, Germinal, and his even earlier band Hunger Project. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

Richard joined the British art-rock band Japan in 1975, playing with them through their five albums, 1982 break-up, and 1991 one-off reformation (as Rain Tree Crow). He continued to collaborate with Japan drummer Steve Jansen, recording four instrumental ambient albums with him (and one pop album in 1987 as Dolphin Brothers), between 1985 and 1995, adding Japan bassist Nick Karn for a couple more albums, plus 1994 album with No-Man singer Tim Bowness and two albums (’12-’13) with Marillion singer Steve Hogarth. In 1995 he joined Porcupine Tree, and this has been his main gig, recording 25+ albums with them. In 2004 he finally released his first solo album, a second one in 2008, and then a steady stream of albums and EPs since 2017 (so around eight solo albums’ worth of material in total). We discuss “A New Simulation” from Hauntings (2026), “All Fall Down” from Stranger Inside (2008), and “Sleepers Awake” by Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri from Stone to Flesh (1995). End song: “Waiting to Be Born” by Steve Hogarth and Richard Barbieri, recorded 2015 and released as the lead track to an EP by that name in 2023. Intro: “The Experience of Swimming” by Japan, a B-side from Gentlemen Take Polaroids (1980). More at richardbarbieri.bandcamp.com. Hear all of “The Experience of Swimming.” A more famous Japan song from just after that which Richard contributed heavily to is “Ghosts.” Watch the band’s final show from 1982. Here’s a live version of “Sleepers Awake.” (Actually, the live version I was referring to is from the live album Lumen; since he said it was only played live once, these may well be the same performance.) Here’s a song Richard co-wrote for Porcupine Tree. Here’s another he also co-wrote, but played live. Here’s one he recorded with his wife Suzanne in 1997 as Indigo Falls. You can hear the full 1987 Dolphin Brothers album that Richard says was kind of a mistake. Here’s a tune Richard played synth on for David Sylvian’s 1984 solo album (he was the singer for Japan). Here’s one of the Rain Tree Crow (1991) songs he is credited with co-writing. Watch a cool “360 degree” video of one of his recent instrumentals, “Serpentine.” Here’s another cool one along the same lines. The song we briefly discuss with virtuoso bassist Percy Jones is “Path Not Taken.” Watch Richard playing live solo. Watch him messing around with gear. Here’s an older tune with Steve Hogarth and one with Tim Bowness. For more general info about LFOs (low-frequency oscillators), here’s a video. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

After studying at Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music, Alan released two albums with folk-rock band Knots and Crosses in the early 90s, put out one solo album in 1994, then became a freelance recording engineer and earned a PhD in ethnomusicology. He released three albums between 2010-2019 fronting Birdsong at Morning and released two more solo albums. We discuss “Just Like Water” (and listen at the end to “Somewhere There’s a Train”) from Floating on the Dreamline (2026), “The Great Escape” by Birdsong at Morning from A Slight Departure (2015), and the title track to Curve of the Earth (1993) by Knots and Crosses (co-written with guitarist Rick Harris). Intro: “Neon Dreaming,” from Evidence Unearthed (2020), which is just a re-sung and remixed version of the track from Evidence (1994). More at alanwilliamsevidence.com. Sponsor: Get three months free of online payroll and benefits software for small businesses at gusto.com/nem. Hear all of “Neon Dreaming.” Watch the video for “Somewhere There’s a Train.” And here’s a sort of a color collage video for “Just Like Water.” He’s got several videos from the songs from his previous album on his YouTube channel; this also features some of the work he’s led with his students at U. Mass Lowell (including a King Crimson ensemble!). Watch the video for “The Great Escape.” Watch my favorite Birdsong at Morning song live. Alan has also does some interesting (and generally very slow) cover tunes: “Love You To” (George Harrison/Beatles), “The Logical Song” (Supertramp), “Matte Kudasai” (King Crimson). And here’s Knots and Crosses playing “Walking on a Wire” (Richard and Linda Thompson) pretty faithfully. Alan mentions (as an inspiration for “Just Like Water”) the XTC song “Love on a Farmboy’s Wages.” Hear more Nakedly Examined Music at nakedlyexaminedmusic.com. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

Adrian has applied his distinctive, spacey dub mixing techniques to numerous recordings since 1978, often released under his On-U Sound label, and has effectively served as a key band member in groups like Creation Rebel, African Head Charge, Tackhead, and New Age Steppers. He has produced and/or remixed many artists including Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Sinéad O’Connor, and Spoon and has released nine albums under his own name since 2003. We discuss “Body Roll” from The Collapse of Everything (2025), “Starship Bahia” from Survival & Resistance (2012), and “Sharp as a Needle” by Barmy Army from The English Disease (1989). End song: “Make Up Your Mind” by Coldcut (Ninja Tunes), On-U Sound, Ce’Cile, Toddla T, Adrian Sherwood from Outside the Echo Chamber (2017). Intro: “Movement in Space” by Creation Rebel from Starship Africa (1980), remixed for Adrian’s Five Decades of Destruction – 80’s (2024). More at adriansherwood.com. Hear all of “Movement in Space.” Watch an animated video for “Dub Inspector” from the new album. Listen to “Swiftly (The Right One),” a track from the Creation Rebel 2023 reunion album. Watch Adrian live with that band in 2017. Watch him performing live solo in 2025; on his new tour, he plays with a band. Watch a full live DJ set from 2012. Here’s one of his tunes with Lee Scratch Perry. Here’s a tune he did with Sinéad O’Connor and others. Hear one of his remixes for Spoon. Watch Adrian muck around with his equipment. Check out my interview with Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah from African Head Charge; Adrian is a co-writer and producer for all songs by that project. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Support us on Patreon. Sponsor: Visit square.com/go/nem to learn about how Square helps local businesses.

This is an in memoriam reissue of a 2022 episode with a newly recorded introduction by Mark (your host, not the guest). Mark Stewart led the Pop Group through two albums in the late 70s two later reunion album and has released nine solo albums of trippy, experimental dance music. We discuss “Rage of Angels” (feat. Front 242) from VS (2022), “Age of Miracles” by The Pop Group from Citizen Zombie (2015), and “Liberty City” by Mark Stewart & the Maffia from Learning to Cope with Cowardice (1983). End song: “Cast No Shadow (Leather Strip Mix)” by Mark Stewart, Stephen Mallinder, and Eric Random from VS (2022). Intro: “She Is Beyond Good and Evil” by The Pop Group from Y (1979). More at markstewartmusic.com. Watch the videos for “Rage of Angels” and “Cast No Shadow.” Another collaboration on that album is with Lee “Scratch” Perry. Watch a live gig with The Maffia from 1985. “She Is Beyond Good and Evil” had a video too. One of their other big songs is “We Are All Prostitutes.” Here’s The Pop Group live in 1980 and 2016. Photo by Chiara Meattelli and Dominic Lee. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us on Patreon.

…OK, maybe not his ending, but it’s a late career boost into overdrive: This 66-year-old has been making music since the ’80s, but you’re only going to find two of his releases on the streaming services right now, and only this new album (released 20 years after the previous one) has the polish to count as a world-conquering, professional release. We discuss two songs from this new album Diner of Doubt: “My Dead Friend,” and “I Have a Lotta Dreams,” then look back to “Build Another One” from Might Could Have (2004) (The Intro, “Chinese Lights,” is also from that album). End song: “Oh Dee Oh Oh” (recorded 2023, making its debut release here). Learn more at teetempleton.com. Tee has created videos (apparently not using AI!) for most songs from the new album, watch them at youtube.com/@TeeTempleton. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Support us on Patreon. Sponsors: Visit functionhealth.com/NAKEDLY to take control of your health through testing and get $100 off your membership. Check out The 500 with Josh Adam Meyers for discussion of classic albums with cool guests.

Not only is John a multi-instrumentalist (e.g. mandolin and flute) who’s played with Violent Femmes, Allen Ginsberg, Hal Willner, John Prine, The Meat Puppets, et al, but he’s released around 24 albums as a solo artist or with several groups including the NYC world music outfit TriBeCaStan. He’s also a poet and author. We discuss “(Be Careful What You Say to) An Armed Lady” by Folklorkestra from A Strange Day in June (2023), the title track from Forever Ago (with La Società del Musici) (2018), “Bed Bugs” by TriBeCaStan from New Deli (2012), and listen to “Back Country” by The Electric Chairmen from Toast (1995), which features members of Camper van Beethoven. Intro: “Grim Reaper’s Song” from Midnight Snack (1986) (which features Violent Femmes’ Brian Richie on bass). More at kruthworks.com, johnkruth.bandcamp.com, and (for TriBeCaStan) at evergreene.bandcamp.com. Hear all of “Grim Reaper’s Song.” Watch TriBeCaStan live with John on sitar, and here’s a whole live set. Watch the video for Waiting by the Window, another key track from Forever Ago. Here he is on banjo. Here he is live with The Illustrious Ancestors. Watch him playing flute with The Blues Project. Here he is with Noodle Shop (feat. Jonathan Segel from Camper van Beethoven) and Elliot Sharp. We refer to Folklorkestra’s “A Pair of Boleros.” Watch a short documentary about John. Watch him talking about a recent book he wrote. Here are more videos that John has posted. Sponsor: Visit functionhealth.com/NAKEDLY to take control of your health through testing and get $100 off your membership. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us on Patreon.

Chris has around 20 releases since 1991, mostly under his own name, while moonlighting as a metal guy and otherwise collaborating. We discuss “She Looks Good in Black” from Obsolete Path (2025), “Intransitive Proverb” from Limitations of the Source Tape (2017), and “Angel Be Mine” from Your Own Chosen Speed (2001). End song: “Sisiphus” by Däng from Tartarus: The Darkest Realm (2014). Intro: “Every Time” by Flat Earth from Prefacipice (1991). More at chrischurch1.bandcamp.com and bigstirrecords.com/chris-church. Hear all of “Every Time,” and watch Flat Earth play it live back in the day. Watch the video from “She Looks Good in Black.” That song (and video) features my former guest Lindsay Murray. There are many more videos of his tunes at youtube.com/@ChrisChurchMusic, including this nice one we refer to at the very end of Chris playing beardless with several musicians in an acoustic setting at a church. Watch Däng live in 2012. Hear both of their albums in full. Hear Chris backing his wife Lori as Lady Darkevyl. Here’s Chris live in the supergroup The Long Players (with my former guest Bill Lloyd). Here he is playing live with Junkflower. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us on Patreon.