Songs of Our Lives
Songs of Our Lives is a podcast from Foxy Digitalis that explores the music that's made us and left a certain mark. Whether it's a song we associate with our most important moments, something that makes us cry, the things we love that nobody else does, or our favorite lyrics, we all have our own personal soundtrack.Follow Foxy Digitalis:WebsitePatreonInstagramTwitterBlueskyMastodonThe Jewel Garden
Dania - Songs of Our Lives #109
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Dania! Her new record, “Listless,” has been on regular rotation the last few months, but as it gets dark earlier, it’s going to be a mainstay on the stereo. We talk about the magic and mystery of late nights, Japanese snake gourds, and how it all came together on this record. Then we can’t stop talking about Tiesto covering the greatest song of all time, Mariah’s all-time status, Fayrouz, PJ Harvey, Clarissa Connelly, This Mortal Coil and more!
Listen to all of Dania’s picks HERE
...Randall Dunn - Songs of Our Lives #108
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Randall Dunn! We recorded this episode in person at The Jewel Garden the morning after Charmaine Lee’s “Awaken the Dragon” tour rolled through Tulsa. We were well caffeinated for this episode (and Charmaine as in the room!) and had a blast talking about Kou Records, Randall’s new Slate & Ash instrument, John Carpenter, Beach Boys, Scott Walker, the Terminator 2 Soundtrack, Van Halen and more!
Listen to all of Randall’s picks HERE
Kou Records
Randall on Instagram
Slate + Ash - Ruins
...
Adeline Hotel - Songs of Our Lives #107
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Dan Knishkowy (aka Adeline Hotel)! “Watch the Sunflowers” is Dan’s latest Adeline Hotel record, the second in an ongoing trilogy that began with last year’s “Whodunit.” We get into all of that, life moving forward, returning to music a decade later, and more! Then we chat about how visceral Mount Eerie can be, Arthur Russell’s lyrics, The Meters crushing one of the all-timers, Scott Walker, Wilco, Lambchop + more!
Listen to all of Dan’s picks HERE
Watch the Sunflowers
Dan on Instagram
Kalia Vandever - Songs of Our Lives #106
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Kalia Vandever! She’s got a fantastic new record, “Another View,” coming out next month Northern Spy. We talk about being drawn to the trombone, working with Mary Halvorson, repetition, dread, inspiration from Carmen Maria Machado's “In the Dream House,” unearthing narratives, and plenty more. Eventually we wind our way into sharing special music-related moments with our parents, Stevie Wonder’s ability to lift us up, Tortoise, Aretha Franklin, Little Simz, Shirley Horn, Mk.gee, and more!
Listen to all of Kalia’s picks HERE
“Another View”
<...David Garland - Songs of Our Lives #105
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s David Garland! What a joy this episode was to record. David’s got a new record, “The Spark,” out this week and it’s been on regular rotation over here. We talk about his approach, making music at 70, and plenty more before diving into wondering how much music has been lost to time, the surprising romance of Alvin Curran, Connie Converse, Diane Cluck, Bee Gees, Jen Zimberg, David’s own music, and more!
Listen to all of David’s picks HERE
“The Spark”
David’s Website
Chris Williams - Songs of Our Lives #104
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Chris Williams! His new album, “Odu: Vibration II,” is magic. It pulls listeners into a sonic world where unraveling becomes transcendent. After digging into it, we chat about Ornette Coleman’s all-time status, being left speechless by ganayva,James Brown’s depth of genius, Jessika Kenney & Eyvind Kang, MF Doom, The Stylistics, Tower of Power, and more!
Listen to all of Chris’s picks HERE
“Odu: Vibration II”
Chris on Instagram
Songs of Our Lives is a podcast series hosted by Brad Rose of Fox...
Ryan Sawyer - Songs of Our Lives #103
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Ryan Sawyer! His new album, “For Those Who Wish to Sing Will Always Find a Song,” has a bit of a hold on me. It’s one of my favorite albums of 2025. After talking through some of the concepts and the framework behind it, we get into incredible Daniel Johnson lore, unexpecte,d meanings in Johnny Cash songs, Dylan in the tropics, Ornette Coleman, Funkadelic, Wendy Eisenberg, Girly Girl Productions, Bernice, and so much more!
Listen to all of Ryan’s picks HERE
“For Those Who Wish to...
Patrick Shiroishi (THE REMIX!) - Songs of Our Lives #102
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, Patrick Shiroishi is back! Patrick returns to the show nearly two years later with an incredible new album, “Forgetting is Violence,” out this week on American Dreams. I can’t get enough of the record, so after talking about various facets of it, we get into Upsilon Acrux, Otomo Yoshihide’s New Jazz Quintet, Future, Dave Brubeck, My Chemical Romance, and more!
Listen to all of Patrick’s picks HERE
“Forgetting is Violence”
Patrick on Instagram
Upsilon Acrux “Who's Running Shit (son of destiny's child...
Weston Olencki - Songs of Our Lives #101
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Weston Olencki! Over the last few years, Weston’s become one of my favorite musicians around, and their latest album, “Broadsides,” only cements that further. We get into the record’s interesting backstory and some specific moments before diving into the romance in Radigue’s work, Rahman Mammadli’s shredding, The Carter Family, Linkin Park, Asmaa Hamzaoui, Aphex Twin, and more!
Listen to all of Weston’s picks HERE
“Broadsides”
Weston’s Website
Weston on Instagram
Happy Valley Band “Crazy”
Rahman Mamm...
White Boy Scream - Songs of Our Lives #100
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s White Boy Scream! For episode #100, it had to be special, and recording this with Micaela in person at The Jewel Garden… well, it doesn’t get much better, does it? We talk about the next White Boy Scream record (that we have been working on all summer!), grief, growth, and so much more. Then we dive into all kinds of music from Maria Callas, Kelsey Lu, Dorian Wood & Thor Harris, & Erykah Badu to Talk Talk, The Knife, Pietro Mascagni, and more!
Listen to all of Micaela’s picks HE...
Wilder Maker - Songs of Our Lives #99
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Wilder Maker’s Gabriel Birnbaum! Wilder Maker have an incredible new record on the way, “The Streets Like Beds Still Warm.” It’s the first in a trilogy that tells a story of one night in the city from dusk to dawn. I love it. We talked about the story behind that before diving into a Bonnie Raitt, Deerhoof, Sandro Perri, Dougie Poole, Angel Olsen, and so much more!
Listen to all of Gabriel’s picks HERE
The Streets Like Beds Still Warm
Wilder Maker...
Dorian Wood - Songs of Our Lives #98
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Dorian Wood! She’s probably my favorite singer in the whole world. Her voice just stops me in my tracks every time. But she’s so much more than that, with so many wonderful, interesting projects across mediums, so it was a thrill to finally get on a chat together. After talking about her various projects, we get into the weeds with the Prince song everyone is wrong about, “Blue” Gene Tyranny’s singular genius, Love, Stevie Wonder, Ike and Tina, Silverchair, and so much more!
Listen to all of Do...
Marissa Nadler - Songs of Our Lives #97
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Marissa Nadler! It was such a blast to connect with another life, someone who I have known for over 20 years at this point. Her latest album, “New Radiations,” is my favorite thing she’s done yet, and considering what’s come before, that’s a testament to the work she’s put in. We get into all of that before talking about when a chorus doesn’t deliver on the promise of a verse in a song, the effervescence of The Supremes, Mariah’s all-time status, Bob Dylan, Chris Isaak, Procol Haru...
Stefan Christoff - Songs of Our Lives #96
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Stefan Christoff! We talk a lot about his project, Earth Sounds Now and their album “Convergence,” plus the activist work he’s doing around Palestinians and Gaza before getting into a lot of great tunes. We chat about Don Cherry’s all-time status, meeting Lhasa, hip-hop lyrics, Hector Lavoe, Coltrane, Nicolás Jaar, Chico Buarque, & more!
Listen to all of Setfan’s picks HERE
Earth Sounds Now “Convergence”
chapultepec atmósferas
Adriana Camacho and Stefan Christoff “Años y Minutos”
Stefan Christoff "In...
Charmaine Lee - Songs of Our Lives #95
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Charmaine Lee! In 2025, Charmaine is not fucking around. She’s got an incredible new record on the way in a couple months called “Tulpa.” She’s just started a new label, Kou, with her partner Randall Dunn that has a unique and innovative approach to running a label. Oh, and she’s about to go on a 3-month, 90 city tour of the US in which she will play in all 50 states. And yet, she found time to yak with me about Tower of Power, Grouper, Ornette Coleman, Eyvind Kang, Phil Collins...
Glenn Donaldson - Songs of Our Lives #94
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Glenn Donaldson! An episode 20 years in the making, this one was an absolute blast. Glenn’s band, The Reds, Pinks, and Purples has a new collection of songs out now on Fire Records called “The Past Is A Garden I Never Fed,” and it continues a long line of stellar releases. We get into his approach to songwriting, the beauty in names (if you need a band name, you should reach out), and more before diving into the highs and lows of REM, Anohni’s crushing songs, a perfect pick for g...
Ethan Miller - Songs of Our Lives #93
New episodes return! On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Ethan Miller! Ethan’s got a new trio record on the way with Bill Orcutt and Steve Shelley (talk about a dream team), so I had to get his side about how that all came into being. Then we wade into the weeds yapping about a good wordless chorus, why the New York Dolls should have been on the Voyager gold record, King Crimson, Dylan, Faust, Sonny Sharrock, Tom Jones, and loads more!
Listen to all of Ethan’s picks HERE
Orcutt Shelle...
Ka Baird - Songs of Our Lives #92 (Episode 24 REWIND!)
**Never a bad time to revisit this gem of an episode from the great Ka Baird. New episodes are on the way - just needed a little break this summer!**
For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite Ka Bard on the show. Their latest album, “Bearings: Soundtracks for the Bardos,” is something else. For all of the great music Ka’s made over the last 2+ decades, this one really stands out. After that, we try to figure out what it was about 1971 that went so damn hard! And we get into how the Muppets are a...
Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Episode 9 REWIND!) - Songs of Our Lives #91
If you haven’t heard Robert’s new soundtrack for UNION - listen to it today! I’ve been digging into it a lot the last few weeks, so I wanted to revisit his excellent episode
For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe on the show. After learning about how he first got into soundtracking and scoring work and I tell a story about the time we actually met in person, Robert brings the heat. We wade well beyond the deep end, getting into the enigmatic wonder of Yoko Ono, the ly...
Andrew Weathers (Episode 15 REWIND) - Songs of Our Lives #90
**The weather is getting hotter, the ground is cracked and humming - a perfect time to revisit last year's episode with Andrew Weathers!**
For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite Andrew Weathers on the show. Few people have been involved in more of my favorite albums over the last 10+ years, so I was thrilled to chat with him. Andrew’s a real one. We talk about a lot of pop punk, what made Roy Orbison finally click, the sweeter side of Bill Callahan, how improbable and seriously fun The Highwaymen are, American Analog Set’s al...
Jeremiah Chiu (Episode 19 REWIND) - Songs of Our Lives #89
**It's a great time to revisit this Songs of Our Lives classic as Jeremiah and Marta Sofia Honer have a new album coming out on Friday - Different Rooms**
For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite Jeremiah Chiu on the show. He’s been on quite a run of incredible records the last couple years, and on February 2nd, it continues with “The Closest Thing to Silence,” a collaboration between himself, Marta Sofia Honer, and the gerat Ariel Kalma. After talking about how that came together, we keep channel Ariel’s spirit and keep things i...
Hayden Pedigo - Songs of Our Lives #88
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Hayden Pedigo! I absolutely adore his new record, “I’ll Be Waving As You Drive Away,” so it was great to talk to him about it before diving into a host of excellent picks. We talk about the crushing agelessness of Judee Sill, Wolf Eyes on the jukebox, how everyone has their Disney song, Andy Shauf’s under-the-radar opus, the Fahey of it all, Paul Simon, Genesis, Gia Margaraet, Scott Walker, and more!
Listen to all of Hayden’s picks HERE
“I’ll Be Waving As You Drive Awa...
The Modern Folk - Songs of Our Lives #87
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s The Modern Folk (aka J Moss)! I keep getting pulled back to his new album with the Modern Folk Electronic Ensemble, and that felt like a perfect excuse to get him on the show. Good times were had! We talk about starting off with Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch’s devastating abilities, drug-fueled frenzy from Fleetwood Mac, going to bat for The Eagles, Lil Uzi Vert, Beefheart, Chance the Rapper, Twin Peaks, and so much more!
Listen to all of The Modern Folk’s picks HERE
Modern...
Patrick Shirioishi (Episode 7 REWIND) - Songs of Our Lives #86
**This episode was originally published on November 7, 2023, and really, any time is a good time to revisit this hang with Patrick!**
For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite Patrick Shiroishi on the show. It would take a novel to list all the incredible things Patrick is doing these days, but notably he has new album out this week, “I was too young to hear silence” on American Dreams. He’s also a member of The Armed, and has a dizzying array of collaborative projects on every single burner. We get into the wild backstory of Dor...
Joy Guidry - Songs of Our Lives #85
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Joy Guidry! I’ve admired Joy’s work for years, so it was a real pleasure to finally connect one-on-one. She’s consistently pushed the boundaries of what the bassoon can do, and her latest album, Five Prayers, is a beautifully distilled expression of that evolving vision. We talked about pre-show rituals, Stevie Wonder as the GOAT, how incredible Cleo Sol is, getting a wider view of Tyler, The Creator, Ella Mai, Solange, The Temptations, and so much more!
Listen to all of Joy’s picks HERE
“Five...
Thor Harris - Songs of Our Lives #84
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Thor Harris! I don’t think Thor needs much introduction, but I have to mention the incredible new Thor & Friends Album, “Heathen Spirituals,” that’s out this week. It’s such a cathartic joy to listen to - so many moving parts, all of it interlocked and moving together beautifully. Thor and I talk about the marimba gifted to him, the album, and plenty more before diving into all things Kraftwerk, Steve Reich’s genius, prog love, Paul McCartney, Chappell Roan, The Jackson 5, and more!
Listen to all of Thor’s...
Sarah Hennies (THE REMIX) - Songs of Our Lives #83
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s the return of Sarah Hennies! I always knew I’d have Sarah back, and with her new album with Tristan Kasten-Krause out now on Dinzu Artefacts, it was the perfect opportunity. (The album is incredible, by the way). We talk a lot about the point of singular genius that is Jandek, belting out “The Piano Man,” Hatebeak, The Shaggs, Cerberus Shoal, Bobby Conn, The Fire Theft, and more!
Listen to all of Sarah’s picks HERE
“The Quiet Sun”
Sarah’s Website
Sarah’s First...
Greg Davis - Songs of Our Lives #82
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Greg Davis! Greg and I go pretty far back - I think I first covered him on Foxy Digitalis when “Curling Pond Woods” came out in 2004, but this year he’s got a new LP from Asterisk, his awesome hip-hop/beats project. With a slew of incredible MCs on board, “No School” is fun, deep, and an incredible record that invites repeat listens. We get into all of that before going long on Brian Eno & John Cale, Norma Tanega, Stevie Wonder, Gerry Rafferty, Nina Simone, MJ, and loads more!
Listen...
Helado Negro (Episode 20 REWIND) - Songs of Our Lives #81
**This episode was originally published on February 6, 2024, but the warm days from the last few weeks have had me bumping PHASOR a lot, so - let's hear from Roberto!**
For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite Helado Negro on the show. After talking a little about his process and the story of Lupe Lopez, he takes us on quite the journey (including me reacting to one of his off-the-cuff picks live - ha!). We get into the all-time greatness of Teddy Pendergrass, Piero’s timeless moments, Bonnie Raitt’s calypso side, the utter seduction of M...
Kaho Matsui - Songs of Our Lives #80
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Kaho Matsui! This is, full stop, the most fried episode so far, and I mean that as the biggest, baddest compliment possible. We talk about her latest record, the incredible “Life Lover,” plus being prolific, and a whole lot more. Then we go into the wilds with the majesty of Dragonforce, all the things that make more eaze great, Manami Kakudo being amazing, Shane Justice McCord surprising us, Charli XCX, Bright Eyes, Smash Mouth, and more!
Listen to all of Kaho’s picks HERE
“Life Lover”
...Pan American - Songs of Our Lives #79
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Mark Nelson! Mark has been involved in so many incredible things across the last 30+ years - Labradford, Pan American, etc. - that this episode is a bit of a dream. His new album with Michael Grigoni, “New World, Lonely Ride” is one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard this year. After talking a bit about how the collaboration came together, we go into Karen Carpenter’s greatness, the all-time everything of the B-52s, Cindy Lauper’s shining moment, Bobbie Gentry, Damian Marley, Train, Kelela, Tribe Called Quest, and p...
Macie Stewart - Songs of Our Lives #78
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Macie Stewart! Her new album, “When The Distance Is Blue,” has resonated with me in such a powerful way, and talking to her about some of the ideas and emotions behind it helped explain why. From there, we talk about ultimate earworms, the greatest band of the last 20 years, still getting shocked by Arthur Russell, the GOAT of GOATs, Dick Raaijmakers, Wilco, Labi Siffre, Lhasa de Sela + more!
Listen to all of Macie’s picks HERE
"When The Distance Is Blue”
Macie On Tour
Circuit des Yeux - Songs of Our Lives #77
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Circuit des Yeux! My love for Haley Fohr’s work goes way, way back (shout out Night People), but this new record, “Halo On The Inside” is a different beast entirely. I am pretty much floored by it, so this was an absolute treat. We get into eternal love for the Bee Gees, Joëlle Leandre’s tearjerker, Neil Young at his worst, vibing with Jandek, the madman that is Lindsey Buckingham, Chris & Cosey, Brian Eno, Charli XCX, Van Halen, and more!
Listen to all of Haley’s picks HERE<...
Lucy Liyou - Songs of Our Lives #76
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Lucy Liyou! If it was up to me, Lucy would be a global superstar. Her music means that much to me. This episode was way too much fun. After talking about her incredible new record, “Every Video With Your Face, Every Sound Without Your Name,” it all goes up. We talk about loving Lee Greenwood’s schmaltzy voice, the audacity of Remy Ma, Nicki Minaj’s maximalism, Lil B’s greatness, the magnificence of YEOCH, Flash Flood Darlings, Ravel, Prokofiev, and, of course, Mariah.
Listen to all of Lucy’s pi...
Ilyas Ahmed (Episode 17 REWIND) - Songs of Our Lives #75
**This episode was originally published on January 16, 2024, but with Grails announcing a new record this week, I thought it was a good time to revisit this classic episode**
For this episode of Songs of Our Lives, I invite Ilyas Ahmed on the show. After reminiscing a bit about the 2007 Digitalis music fest, Bottled Smoke, we talked about both incredible albums Ilyas released in 2023 - his solo joint, “A Dream of Another,” and Grails’ “Anches En Maat.” We had a blast getting into the underrated shredding of Steve Stevens, Velvet Underground’s ability for tender destruction, where you go...
Katy Henriksen - Songs of Our Lives #74
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Katy Henriksen! Season three of her excellent podcast, Sound Off, debuts on March 6th, so we talk about what to expect from the upcoming episodes, and the challenges in producing podcasts on your own. Once we get into the music, we talk Thelonius Monk, Etta James, Beirut, Mingus, Tumi Mogorosi, all the incredible versions of “Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child,” and plenty more!
Listen to all of Katy’s picks HERE
Sound Off Podcast
Trillium Salon Series
Liz Pelly “Mood Machi...
James Toth - Songs of Our Lives #73
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s James Toth! I’ve known James for almost 20 years now (which is hard to get my head around), and in that time he’s made a ton of music that’s near and dear to me, written a lot of things that have inspired, and generally been a fellow lifer that does work that resonates with me. So, getting him on the show was a no brainer! We talk about his excellent Dunza project before bonding over Crystal Gale and Madonna, Bobby Charles’s incredible voice, Pat Methany, Black Flag, The...
Damon Locks - Songs of Our Lives #72
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Damon Locks! Over the last long while, Damon’s been one of my favorite artists on the planet. From the Black Monument Ensemble, his visual art, and all things in between, I have endless gratitude and awe for his work. We talked about his new, text-based record, “List of Demands,” before waxing on about Nikki Giovanni’s influence, The Hues Corporation bringing the sun, Duke and Coltrane going all-time, David Bowie, Parliament, Labi Siffre, The Specials, Bjork, and plenty more!
Listen to all of Damon’s picks HERE
“...
Sam Sodomsky - Songs of Our Lives #71
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Sam Sodomsky! Sam is an old friend and an OG Foxy Digitalis alum who has gone on to much bigger and brighter things including The Bird Calls. His latest record, “Melody Trail,” is a big leap for the project and a record I’ll be returning to a lot. After we talk about that and old time Foxy Digitalis days, we get into our love of Bruce Springsteen. how nobody says it better than Joni, Carly Simon’s underappreciated greatness, Sinatra, James Taylor, Mia Doi Todd, Office Culture, and more!
<...Sarah Belle Reid - Songs of Our Lives #70
On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it’s Sarah Belle Reid! She’s got a fantastic new record, “Accidental Ornithology,” in collaboration with Vinny Golia (the legend!) out now. It’s such a fun record. We talk about that a bit, Vinny’s magic, and her learning synthesis courses. Then, it really goes places with memories of Taj Mahal, finding joy in playing music, all the places Mahler’s 5th takes us, Else Marie Pade’s underappreciated greatness, Robert Ashley, SOPHIE, Wynton Marsalis, Parmegiani, Laurie Anderson, and more!
Listen to all of Sarah’s picks HERE
“Accide...
