Transmissions

Stones Throw is one of the most dynamic labels of the 21st century. The label's founder, Peanut Butter Wolf, joins us to discuss the label’s journey, from a small backpacker hip-hop imprint to an Adult Swim-boosted powerhouse, to the diverse roster of post punk, electro, and R&B artists taking the stage to celebrate Stones Throw’s 30th anniversary on Saturday, October 16, 17, and 18th in Highland Park.

Presented by Lodge Room and KCRW, Stones Throw 30 speaks to just how expansive the the label’s sound is in 2026, from the fuzzed out synth punk of N8NOFACE to the violin powered art-soul of Sudan Archives.

In this career spanning conversation with host Jason P. Woodbury, Wolf takes us back to the label’s earliest days, discusses his own major label experiences, and traces the thread that connects the Stones Throw artistic lineage.

Along the way, we devote conversational space to the greats, including talk about Madlib, J Dilla, and the major hip-hop artists, including Nas and Kanye, who pulled from the vast catalog of sound in the Stones Throw sonic universe.
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Certain people play guitar in a way that is immediately recognizable, no matter the context. Our guest this week on Transmissions, Johnny Marr, is one of those guitarists. As a founding member of legendary indie band The Smiths, as well as a collaborator with groups like The The, The Pretenders, The Cribs, Modest Mouse, and Electronic, his sound is recognizable, a blend of jangle, chime, bite, and attitude.

But this recognizability never comes at the sake of the song. In fact, that’s what makes Marr so iconic, not just his tone or his parts, but the way he operates in first and foremost as a composer—turning the guitar into an instrumental of orchestration, a way to bring each song to life.

On October 2nd, Marr releases his latest solo album, The Age of Everything. Inspired by the everything-all-at-once pace of our current age, it’s a record that finds Marr sounding spry and loose.

In this conversation, Marr reflects on the new album, and gets into his philosophy regarding collaboration. It’s not just that Marr played on a Modest Mouse or Cribs record—he actually joined those bands full-on. What makes him so willing to dive in? What makes for a great artistic team-up? Marr drops his takes on those questions here.

Along the way, we also get into the global influence of The Smiths, discuss how Black American musicians inspired his sound, and share some of his less apparent influences, including Neil Young, who if you hear Marr tell it, played a rather pivotal role in the development of British punk rock. Style, sound, and spirit—Johnny Marr brings each this week, so tune in.
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Welcome back to Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions. This week on the show, guitarist and psychotherapist Matt Baldwin, who is here to teach you How To Play Guitar.

OK, not exactly. But Baldwin is the author of How To Play Guitar, a series of zines that have been collected into a handsome book edition. If you’re just picking up the instrument, well, Baldwin isn’t writing about how to play a C chord or run scales.

These aren’t “how to” guides so much as “why to” prompts, stressing intuition over technique, dismissal of music industry norms, and the imperative to hone a singular, personal philosophy regarding the instrument—think Captain Beefheart’s “Ten Commandments of Playing Guitar.”

Baldwin is just as likely to devote page space to warning about being on time to the gig, stressing moral and internal rectitude, and the exposing dangers of social media as he is to dispense tips like “stop using a flat pick” and “play banjo for a while”—both solid tactical suggestions he espouses.

When he’s not writing or exploring ketamine therapies, Baldwin makes music himself. His latest LP is called Welcome to Your Pool, a wonderfully languid set of instrumentals housed in a fully 3D lenticular cover sleeve—it’s a wonder to listen to, but also just a wonder to see.

On October 3rd, Baldwin will perform at one of my favorite Los Angeles places, the Philosophical Research Society, with fellow traveler Imaad Wasif. In this talk, we discuss his own guitar journey, the paranormal, John Fahey, Philip K Dick, and much more. Dive in: the water is fine.
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Welcome back to Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions with Jason P. Woodbury. This week on the show, comedian James Austin Johnson joins us to dive into the music nerd obsessions of his new comedy special, He'll Yeah.

You've likely seen JAJ on the TV. He's known for portraying Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and occasionally, Bob Dylan, on SNL. But He’ll Yeah’s vignettes and on-stage footage find Johnson creating a more "indie rock" styled special—something deeply specific to his own life and interests. In other words, if you're coming for Donald Trump impressions, you're out of luck. But if you're one of the, to quote the special, "seven other people who know who David Fricke is," it's tailor-made for you.

That signature blend of the genuine and the goofy is also on display in Johnson's music work. If you search him on your streaming service of choice, you’ll find some great Bob Dylan covers. Obviously, Johnson is a great impressionist, but he’s not so much aping Bob's signature vocal styles with these songs as much as he is genuinely inhabiting them.

It all lands somewhere between earnest sincerity and all-out goofs—as does this conversation. We want to thank our Talkhouse compatriots The Jokermen for connecting us after I listened to their great talk with James. Do support them on Patreon, they are in the midst of their new Leonard Cohen series.

James Austin Johnson’s He’ll Yeah is currently available exclusively on Gorilla Comedy+ before launching on 800 Pound Gorilla’s YouTube channel on September 22.

So press play and dive in as Johnson talks his comedy, dig into the filmography of Wes Anderson, and reveal what he said to Scarlett Johansson when he met her, is James Austin Johnson on Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions.
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Welcome back to Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions with Jason P. Woodbury. This week on the show, writer and musician Sam Sodomsky, who records and releases music—a lot of it—under the name The Bird Calls.

His latest slice of literate folk rock and alt-country songcraft is called Take Leave, and it was released on August 28 via Ruination Record Co.

Inspired by songwriters like Dan Bejar of Destroyer, who’s appeared here on Transmissions and Bruce Springsteen, who has not appeared on the podcast—yet—Take Leave rattles with downcast charm. Its songs are sly and full of knowing. Take opening track “Some Bands” for instance, where Sodomsky sings, with poetic scope: “Some bands break up/Some stay together/Ice sculptures in the front yard/Melting in the sun.”

When he’s not making records, Sodomsky writing about them, primarily at Pitchfork. Here, he discusses his songwriting process, how he keeps hearing new things to love in the work of Springsteen, and where he thinks music journalism is headed.
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