In this episode of Influenced we go deep into the careers of the iconic Wailers. Formed by Peter Tosh, Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer in the early '60s as the group bonded over RnB like the Drifters and Sam Cooke, they quickly became an integral part of Jamacia's burgeoning Reggae scene with ealy singles like "Simmer Down" as the group continued to ga…

In this episode of Influenced, we take a look at the career's of New York's biggest Indie rockers, The Strokes. Taking initial inspirations from '70s New Yorkers like Blondie and Lou Reed and combining that love of hooky pop rock with the aesthetics of Britpop, the band took the Indie scene by Storm in the early 2000s. Albums like 'Is This It' and …

For this episode of Influenced, we're tackling the iconic New Wavers, The Police. Formed in late 70s London initially as a punk band, the group fronted by Sting and backed by Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers would quickly digest the sounds of new to the scene artists like Bob Marley and The Wailers and an appreciation for Jazz and Fusion music, be…

In this episode of Influenced, we cover one of the most famous Folk-Songwriters of all time, Joni Mitchell. Born in Canada and inspired. y the likes of 50s and 60s folk from artists like Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan, Joni forged her own voice and quickly found her way to California where after some work with David Crosby and writing for other artists,…

Formed in the early '90s California Punk Scene, Rage Against the Machine would become one of the most successful and politically charged Metal and Hard Rock acts of all time. Inspired equally by Hip Hop like Public Enemy and the extreme guitars of Black Sabbath, the band fronted by Zach De La Rocha and fed by guitarist Tom Morello's riffs would cre…

For the season finale of Season 3 of Influenced, we're extremely excited tpo look at the career of the iconic songwriter Neil Young. Starting out with Joni Mitchell as a Canadian folkie inspired by Dylan, he grew a love of country and rock that led him to the states and to Stephan Stills to form the iconic '60s band Buffalo Springfield. After a str…

Influenced is extremely excited to have a special guest today in Chicago Rapper and Hip Hop Artist Fury. Together, we take a look at the incredible career of the iconic Lauryn Hill, both her solo career and her time in the seminal rap group Fugees with Pras and Wyclef Jean. Getting her start on the screen in a Whoopi Goldberg film, Lauryn was immed…

In this episode of Influenced, we look at the career of one of the biggest band sof all time, Nirvana. Formed in Washington in the late '80s by Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic. Inspired equally by '60s pop rock like CCR, early alternative like the Pixies, and heavy stoner rock like Mudhoney and the Melvins, the group began to write songs and after …

One of the most influential acts in the history of American Music. The band was formed in the late 60's out of a group of five musicians led by Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm that had slowly come together since the late '50s as a backing band for some of the most influential artists of all time like Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan. After backing Dyla…

In this episode of Influenced, we dive into the career of the incredible Black Keys. From Akron Ohio, the band grew out of a shared love of 1920's delta Blues and self-recording between members Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach. The band was signed to a record label before they even played either first show after recording in Carney's basement. After…

In this episode of Influenced, we follow the career of Glam icons T. Rex. Founded in London as an acoustic duo by Frontman Marc Bolan, the band was initially inspired by the likes of the psychedelic hippies Donovan. After a few unsuccessful releases as a duo, Marc decided to regroup the band as a more traditional rock band and with the release of a…

In this episode of Influenced, we cover the awesome trio Haim! Formed in LA by sisters Danielle, Este, and Alana; the Haim sisters grew up playing music in their family band covering the likes of Tom Petty and Linda Ronstadt with their parents. After Danielle began to find success as a musician backing artists like Jenny Lewis and Julian Casablanca…

In this episode of Influenced, we take a look at the career of the iconic Bruce Springsteen and especially his work in the 70's and 80's with his group the E Street Band. Bruce has been an indebted part of the Jersey Music scene since he got a guitar in the mid '60s inspired by Elvis and the Beatles. Joining with musicians like his friend Steve Van…

In this episode of Influenced, we dive into the careers of the incredible Pixies. Formed by Joey Santiago and Black Francis (Charles Thompson) in Boston as Students at UMass, Pixies initially grew out of a love for the demented guitar sounds of Hüsker Dü combined with the melodic sensibilities of '60s pop like Peter, Paul and Mary. Once bassist Kim…

In this episode of Influenced, we take a look at the career of one of the most iconic bands in pop music history, Fleetwood Mac. Formed in late '60s London by Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer and most importantly the iconic rhythm section (and band namesakes) Mick Fleetwood and John Mcvie. The group was initially formed as a hard rocking Blues group ins…

In this episode of Influenced, we're taking a look at one of the most iconic electronic rock acts of all time, Depeche Mode. Formed in the early '80s UK and inspired by the synthy sounds of Kraftwerk and Bowie's Berlin era, the band found almost instant chart success in Europe with synthpop hit's like "Just Can't Get Enough" after lineup changes in…

In the Season 3 premiere of Influenced, we tackle Chicago icon's Smashing Pumpkins! One of the most versatile bands in the '90s, the band grew from shoegaze, psychedelic music, grunge, electronic music, and stadium rock to craft an ever-changing set of sounds. On their 1993 album "Siamese Dream" the band took the musical world by storm and didn't l…

For the Season 2 finale of Influenced, We wanted to take a look at one of the most iconic careers in music, Stevie Wonder. Discovered by the frontman of the Miracles and the Motown record label in his home town of Detroit, Stevie Wonder shot to stardom at the incredibly young age of 10 when he first signed to the label. Breaking records as the youn…

One of the most iconic voices in recorded music. Marvin Gaye started his career as a sideman for artists like Chuck Berry, The Marvelettes, and even Little Stevie Wonder. After impressing Motown's Berry Gordy singing at a Holiday Party, Marvin quickly became one of the label's biggest assets. With his '60's hits like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"…

In this episode of Influenced, we take a look into the careers of the always cool, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (BRMC). Formed in the late '90s by musicians Robert Levon Been and Peter Hayes (formerly of the psych rockers the Brian Jonestown Massacre). They wanted to combine a love of the classic heavy hitting blues of bands like Led Zeppelin and Bl…

Formed at the University of Georgia in 1980, by Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Bill Berry and Mike Mills. R.E.M. Would soon become the flag bearers for the burgeoning Alternative scene in the music industry. Fueled by their love of the jangley folk-rock guitars of bands like the Byrds and the lyrical intellectualism in the words of artists like Lou Ree…

Inspired by the early electronic style of Brian Eno with his work in the band Roxy Music and artists like David Bowie, Talk Talk was formed in the early eighties by Mark Hollis, Lee Harris, Paul Webb ands Simon Brenner. Initially part of the synth-pop boom in the early eighties and sharing producers with acts like Duran Duran, Talk Talk began to se…

Formed by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo in early '90s France after the dissolution of their indie rock band, Daft Punk quickly became one of the biggest forces in electronic music. The Duo was fascinated by the world of samplers and drum machines and inspired by the acid-house of Primal Scream and genre bending of Aphex Twin, the…

Mitski is one of the most successful indie artists of the last decade. After a globetrotting childhood living in almost a dozen countries, Mitski began her musical career in earnest while studying composition in College at SUNY in New York. Initially inspired by her classical training and the collaborative environment of her school, her first album…

Commonly referred to as the "Queen of Country Rock" Linda Ronstadt came belting out of the late '60s in her first band the Stone Poneys. After the breakup of the Poneys, Linda hastily began a solo career in the early '70s backed by songs from JD Souther, Jackson Brown and even Glenn Frey and Don Henley, she soon began one of the highest selling sol…

Formed in the UK in 1982, Sade (Sade Adu, Stuart Matthewman, Andrew Hale, and Paul Denman) was founded out of the ashes of Adu's former band Pride. Born in Nigeria to a Nigerian father and an English mother, Adu found a love of '70 soul music like Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross early in her childhood after being taken to the English countryside by her …

Started in 1970, Electric Light Orchestra became one of the seminal acts of the decade. Combining a love of Beatles-esque rock and roll with a flare for drawing from classical music, the band crafted some of the most timeless and impeccably produced music from the era. Led by their frontman and primarily producer and song-writer Jeff Lynne, ELO beg…

Jenny Lewis got her start as a child actor on shows like the Twilight Zone and Baywatch, but didn't really begin to find herself until she formed her first band, Rilo Kiley, as a teenage actor in LA with an adolescent boyfriend. As they began to experiment and find their musical voices, Jenny harkened back a few decades to the country sounds of Lor…

Formed by a group of former hippies in 1970, The Doobie Brothers became one of the all-time greatest bands of the decade and certainly one of the decades most quintessential groups. Starting from the genesis of guitarists Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons, the band carved out a space in the music industry playing souther inflected hard rock while mixing…

On the season finale of season 1 of Influenced, we continue our discussion on Damon Albarn. We pick up right where part 1 left off as Gorillaz continue to pick up steam in the wake of Blur's early 2000's hiatus. We discuss the newfound political energies that began to fuel Gorillaz creative output into the decade of the 2010's. We dive into the rat…

Frontman of two of the most successful alternative music projects of all time, Damon Albarn has been a musical powerhouse for over thirty years at this point. With his work as a young man in Blur catapulting Britpop to the top of the musical world, to forming the most successful "virtual band" of all time with the genre-defying Gorillaz. Refusing t…

Named after a devious device from William Burroughs' Naked Lunch, Steely Dan was always full of unique take's on just about everything from their music, lyrics and the way they approached production. Formed by core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagan, the band was a great antithesis to the bombastic state of Rock throughout the seventies. Opting…

They brought Gothic culture to heights no-one ever thought imaginable. Siouxsie and the Banshees are one of punk music's most influential bands. Formed after Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin had their minds blown at a Sex Pistols gig, they took the Punk formula and turned it inside out. From their debut singles, they were turning heads in the UK m…

Catapulting to stardom in 2005 with multiple 1 hits and a record-breaking iconic debut album, Arctic Monkeys changed the template for indie-rock. Determined never to be pigeon-holed by that 'indie-rock' moniker, Arctic Monkeys have continually drawn from all over the musical map. From psychedelic and stoner rock, doo-wop, hip-hop, and even piano-ba…

Named after the ill-fated founding member of the Rolling Stones and the tragic Jamestown Massacre, The Brian Jonestown Massacre live up to the bizarre nature of their band name. Founded in the late 1980's by Anton Newcombe ( the band's only consistent member), the BJM have always been about Newcombe's musical vision. From their early days in the ei…

Formed in late seventies England, the Cure are the brainchild and artistic avenue for frontman Robert Smith who has become the bands sole founding member. Beginning as a brash and eerie punk band, Robert soon became enamored with exploring new sonic territory throughout the eighties and well into the next decade. The band grew fond of melding a hea…

Sharon Van Etten has made a name for herself as one of the most critically acclaimed and successful indie-folk and alternative names in the last decade. She continuously evolves her sound whether that means incorporating noisy and almost punk-rock guitars to accompany her voice or incorporating layers of synths and drum machines to create an almost…

Elvis Costello is one of the most synonymous names with the New-Wave and Power Pop movements in the later half of the 20th century. Rising out of the punk and pub rock scenes in England in the late seventies and finding widespread success with the Attractions in the late 70's and well into the 1980's. Costello has influenced countless musicians fro…

Formed in 1964 by Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, Chris Hillman, and Michael Clarke, The Byrds were one of the most popular and influential bands in the mid to late 60's. At the forefront of the Folk-Rock craze with a co-sign from Bob Dylan, the Byrds catapulted to the top with a string of no. 1's and hit albums. Rubbing shoulders with the…