Transmissions19 Nov 2025

Transmissions :: Kate Pierson (The B-52s)

This week on Transmissions, Kate Pierson, vocalist and keyboardist of The B-52s. Writing about the legendary Atlanta band, AD founder Justin Gage says, “The B-52’s 1979 debut album ushered in a practically fully formed sound/band. No one else was doing this…whatever ‘this’ was.” Indeed, The B-52s created a one-of-a-kind sound, blending punk, funk, and art-pop, and while they broke into the mainstream with ubiquitous radio hits, they never sacrificed their avant-garde edge. This fall, the band embarked on a co-headlining tour with Devo—we recorded this talk just before they departed on the jaunt—and last week, Kate Pierson released a cover of Patti Smith’s “People Have The Power!” featuring the Uniting Voices Chicago teen choir. Benefiting the choir and the anti-gun violence organization Sandy Hook Promise, the recording reifies Pierson’s radical bonafides. Pierson joins us for a loose chat about her life in art, solo projects, and the band’s longtime association with Devo. Along the way, we get into their status as queer icons and reflected on the passing of Julee Cruise, the Twin Peaks vocalist who also served as a member of The B-52s. Transmissions is created in partnership with the Talkhouse Podcast Network. We’re brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aquarium Drunkard⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, an independent music media crew headed by Justin Gage. Over at Aquarium Drunkard, you’ll gain access to 20 years of music writing, playlist, essays, mixtapes, radio special, podcasts, videos and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Episoder(304)

Transmissions :: Matt Baldwin

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 a...

23 Sep 1h 31min

Transmissions :: James Austin Johnson

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, ...

16 Sep 1h 15min

Transmissions :: The Bird Calls

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 Call...

9 Sep 1h 4min

Transmissions :: Sun Ra: Door of the Cosmos Special

Welcome back to Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions with Jason P. Woodbury. This week, we’ve got something extra special: a behind the scenes look at the forthcoming documentary, Sun Ra: Door of the Cosmo...

2 Sep 1h 4min

Transmissions :: Jim James

Since 1998, Jim James has led My Morning Jacket. In the early 2000s, the band's blend of Southern rock, psychedelia, dub, classic songcraft, loner country, and experimental folk put them on the forefr...

26 Aug 1h 2min

Transmissions :: Fred Thomas

Welcome back to Transmissions with Jason P. Woodbury. This week on the show, another talk that spun out of our Big Ears hang out, a conversation with a journeyman musician Fred Thomas. Even if you d...

19 Aug 1h 15min

Transmissions :: Dust-to-Digital

Since 1999, Atlanta label Dust-to-Digital has created lavish boxsets, books, and collections of gospel, folk, blues, field recordings, and other sounds sourced from deep global archives. Led by Apri...

12 Aug 1h 6min

Transmissions :: Awake, My Soul

Describing the sound of Sacred Harp singing can be difficult. Arcane, otherworldly, and overwhelming, it’s a unique a cappella form of shape note Christian hymn singing that was born in England in the...

5 Aug 1h 6min