Free Association With Brian Carpenter

Steven Bernstein is a trumpeter/composer/arranger who founded the band Sex Mob in the mid 1990s. Steven joins Free Association to talk about his new record with Sex Mob and his decades-long work with Scott Harding, Hal Willner, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, and John Lurie.

Michael Gira speaks with Brian on the subject of the new Swans record The Beggar, and on the cusp of a worldwide tour. Gira formed Swans in 1982 in New York City. After a long hiatus, the band reformed in 2010 with the record My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky. Since then the band has become known for their compelling live performances and as one of the most uncompromising bands in new music. The wide-ranging conversation ranges from writing to recording to artists such as Nina Simone, Charlemagne Palestine, and Scott Walker.

Composer J.G. Thirlwell is a man of many interests and talents, with wide-ranging projects including the decades-running Foetus, the large ensemble Steroid Maximus, chamber ensemble Manorexia, collaborations and compositions for Kronos Quartet, Alarm Will Sound, and Bang on a Can, and his scores for the TV series Venture Brothers and Archer. His new record Dystonia (Cantaloupe Music) features riveting and ground-breaking string quartet pieces performed by Mivos Quartet. J.G. sat down to talk with Brian about composing, rehearsing, collaboration, how his Foetus project evolved, composing for film and TV, and much more.

NYC-based guitarist Stephen Ulrich is best known for his work with the "guitar-noir" trio Big Lazy. His new record Music for This American Life chronicles his compositions for the show of the same name. Stephen joins Brian to talk about writing for radio and TV, the history of Big Lazy, and much more.

Guitarist/composer Brandon Seabrook joins the show to talk about his new record brutalovechamp in a wide-ranging conversation with long-time collaborator Brian Carpenter on composing, arranging, recording, and much more.

Naomi Yang (Galaxie 500, Damon and Naomi) stops by the show to discuss her new documentary film Never Be a Punching Bag For Nobody and the unique soundtrack she created for it.

This episode’s guest is David Harrington, founder of Kronos Quartet, the legendary string quartet at the vanguard of contemporary music for nearly 50 years. In this episode the subject is "Black Angels", the startling George Crumb composition which sparked the formation of Kronos in 1973, and the quartet’s recording of the piece nearly 15 years later. George Crumb (b. 1929) is an American modern classical and avant-garde composer who formed his distinct style, featuring unusual timbres and innovative sonorities, in the early 1960s. By the time he finished “Black Angels” on March 13, 1970, Crumb had already won a Pulitzer Prize (1968) and established himself as the creator of a highly spiritual and poetic sound world.

Alan Licht is a writer, musician, and curator based in NYC. He is known for his solo guitar work and long-time collaboration with guitarist Loren Connors and rock bands Run On and Love Child and the experimental group Text of Light. He is also the author of several books, including his new book Common Tones: Selected interviews with artists and musicians from 1995-2020. In this in-depth and wide-ranging conversation, we talk about his interview with Lou Reed, the new Velvet Underground documentary by Todd Haynes, Alan's work at the seminal NYC venue Tonic, his collaboration with Loren Connors, and his interviews with Christian Marclay, Michael Snow, Milford Graves, and the late writer/musician Greg Tate., who passed away the day after our conversation.

Joan Wasser is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Brooklyn. She started out studying violin and playing in bands like The Dambuilders and Antony & the Johnsons before starting her own band Joan As Police Woman. Her new record is called The Solution Is Restless, a collaboration with legendary drummer Tony Allen and guitarist/bassist Dave Okumo of The Invisible. We talk about her early days studying violin, transitioning into singing and songwriting, meeting Tony Allen, the unique production of her new record, and her long friendship with producer Hal Willner.

Marissa Nadler returns to Free Association to talk about her new record The Path of the Clouds, her ninth record recorded with engineer Seth Manchester in Rhode Island. We talk about her relocation from Boston to Nashville, remote collaboration, harpist Mary Lattimore, writing lyrics, and our fascination with true crime and the TV show Unsolved Mysteries, which directly inspired at least one of the songs on her new record.

Judith Berkson is a composer, vocalist, and pianist based in Los Angeles. Her new record Liederkreis II explores the German lieder through beautiful and surreal processed voice. Judith joins Free Association to talk about her new record, how she arrived at the idea behind the record, her live shows, microtonal studies with Joe Maneri in Boston, her collaborations with guitarist Brandon Seabrook, and her work as a cantor in Brooklyn.

Damon and Naomi have been releasing records as far back as the 90s since the breakup of Galaxie 500. Their new record, A Sky Record, is accompanied by a lavish book of essays and photographs from friends and neighbors. They visit the show to talk about the making of the record and the various inspirations behind the music, in particular the German-based record label Sky Records.

John Vanderslice is one of the most talented and prolific songwriters of his generation, now based in the Los Angeles area with over 20 years of recorded history behind him and the founder of Tiny Telephone recording studios based in the Bay area. John visits Free Association to talk about his new EP, a new compilation of rarities from Tiny Telephone, his move to L.A., the music business, live shows, touring, and the songwriting process.

E is Gavin McCarthy (Karate, Beat Circus), Jason Sanford (Neptune), and Thalia Zedek (Come, Live Skull, Uzi). All three members join Free Association to talk about their new record Complications and guest DJ on a few inspired tracks. E, "Acid Mantle", Complications (2020)   E, "Contagion Model", Complications (2020)   E, "Dead Drop", Complications (2020)   E, "Sunrise", Complications (2020)   E, "Down She Goes", Complications (2020)   Tara Jane O'Neil, "Happy Hour", Songs for Peacock (2020)   Tropical Fuck Storm, "Brain Drops", Brain Drops (2019(   E, "Caught", Complications (2020)    

A three-hour retrospective co-hosted by Brian Carpenter and Alessandro De Rosa on the work of iconic composer Ennio Morricone, the Italian composer best known for his work on over 400 film scores, as well as over 100 classical works. His scores are considered some of the most influential and timeless in the history of film. In 2007 he received the Honorary Academy Award and was nominated for a further six Oscars before winning in 2016 for The Hateful Eight. Ennio Morricone, "Le Fotografie", Veruschka (Poesia Di Una Donna (1971) Ennio Morricone, "Trafelato", Giornata Nera Per L'Ariete (1971) Ennio Morricone, "Il Clan de Sicliani", Il Clan Dei Siciliani" (1969) John Zorn, "Battle of Algiers", The Big Gundown (1984) Ennio Morricone, "Passeggiata notturna (Alternate Version)", Il Gatto a Nove Coda (1970) Ennio Morricone, "Metti una sera a cena", Metti una sera a centa (1969) Mike Patton, "Deep Down", Mondo Cane (2010) Ennio Morricone, "Samba in Tribunale", Il Gato (1977) Ennio Morricone, "Paura sulla cit

A three-hour retrospective co-hosted by Brian Carpenter and Alessandro De Rosa on the work of iconic composer Ennio Morricone, the Italian composer best known for his work on over 400 film scores, as well as over 100 classical works. His scores are considered some of the most influential and timeless in the history of film. In 2007 he received the Honorary Academy Award and was nominated for a further six Oscars before winning in 2016 for The Hateful Eight. Alessandro De Rosa is a composer and co-author of the book "Ennio Morricone: In His Own Words" with Ennio, an in-depth conversation recently translated into English and published in 2019. De Rosa is a composer who undertook composition following Morricone's advice. He studied with Boris Porena in Rome and then graduated from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, Netherlands. He currently works as a freelance musician and collaborates with the RAI and the RSI. Commentary by author Sir Christopher Frayling, writer/director Quentin Tarantino, and British

A three-hour retrospective co-hosted by Brian Carpenter and Alessandro De Rosa on the work of iconic composer Ennio Morricone, the Italian composer best known for his work on over 400 film scores, as well as over 100 classical works. His scores are considered some of the most influential and timeless in the history of film. In 2007 he received the Honorary Academy Award and was nominated for a further six Oscars before winning in 2016 for The Hateful Eight.   Alessandro De Rosa is a composer and co-author of the book "Ennio Morricone: In His Own Words" with Ennio, an in-depth conversation recently translated into English and published in 2019. De Rosa is a composer who undertook composition following Morricone's advice. He studied with Boris Porena in Rome and then graduated from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, Netherlands. He currently works as a freelance musician and collaborates with the RAI and the RSI.   Commentary by author Sir Christopher Frayling, writer/director Quentin Tarantino, and British

Ryan H. Walsh is the author of Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968, an adventurous book chronicling the development of Van Morrison’s 1968 masterpiece Astral Weeks in Boston and many other interrelated Boston stories from the same year. Ryan joins Free Association to talk about some of the stories from 1968, including The Velvet Underground’s popularity in Boston, the so-called Boston Sound bands, and Jim Kweskin and Mel Lyman of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. Van Morrison, “Sweet Thing”Astral Weeks (Rhino/Warner Bros. 1968 Rock) Jim Kweskin, “Stealin’”America (Collectible Records 1971) The Velvet Underground “White Light/White Heat”White Light/White Heat (Verve 1968) The Velvet Underground “Sister Ray (Live)”Live at the Boston Tea Party, May 1969 (ODL 2014) The Velvet Underground “Femme Fatale”Sunday Morning/Femme Fatale (Verve 1966) The Modern Lovers “Astral Plane”The Modern Lovers (Beserkley 1976) Earth Opera “The Red Sox are Winning”Earth Opera (Elektra 1968) Beacon Street Union “Mystic Morning”The Eyes of

Songwriter/composer Alec K. Redfearn is the composer and songwriter behind The Eyesores, an adventurous ensemble based in Providence which features him singing and playing amplified and often distorted accordion. He has also led and been a collaborator in many other bands, including the Amoebic Ensemble, Barnacled, Beat Circus (with Brian Carpenter), Gutterhelmet (his duo with drummer Matt McLaren), and The Seizures. Alec visits Free Association with his new Eyesores record The Opposite on Cuneiform and plays guest DJ with some amazing records from his own collection. Original air date: October 19, 2018 D.R. HOOKER “Forge Your Own Chains”, The Truth Subliminal Sounds 2000   Chrome “In a Dream”, InWorlds Cleopatra USA 1981   D.Y. and the Motivators “Soft Wind”, Soft Wind (single) date unknown   Alec K. Redfearn And The Eyesores “The Opposite”, The Opposite Cuneiform Records 2018   Alec K. Redfearn And The Eyesores “Tramadoliday”, The Opposite Cuneiform Records 2018   Alec K. Redfearn And The Eyesores “Ptera

Marissa Nadler returns to Free Association with her fantastic new record For My Crimes. The conversation includes thoughts on songwriting, lyrics, specificity, music videos, recording the voice, and collaborations. Original air date: WZBC-FM, September 28, 2018 Marissa Nadler “For My Crimes”For My Crimes Bella Union 2018 Marissa Nadler “Blue Vapor”For My Crimes Bella Union 2018 Marissa Nadler “Said Goodbye to that Car”For My Crimes Bella Union 2018   Marissa Nadler “Shadow Show Diane”Strangers Bella Union 2016   Marissa Nadler “Was It A Dream”July Bella Union 2014   Julee Cruise “Falling”Floating Into the Night 143/Warner Bros. USA 2006 CD