Pixies

Referenced in 17 episodes

#256: Album Imploder: AS GOOD AS DEAD (with Steven Haigler) Part One

May 22, 2026

The Lifers podcast explores Local H's 1996 album "As Good As Dead" with the band's Scott Lucas and producer Steven Haigler, discussing how the record was written and recorded in just months after their debut album flopped and Island Records was considering dropping them. The album, which became a surprise success driven by the single "Bound for the Floor," was made quickly under pressure, with Lucas writing most songs in September 1995 while living in a Zion, Illinois apartment, and the band recording at Carriage House studio over Thanksgiving with a more open approach to production than their restrictive first album. Haigler recalls technical challenges including Joe Daniels' problematic rental drum kit and Lucas's out-of-tune guitar that wasn't discovered until halfway through tracking, though these imperfections contributed to the album's raw, chaotic sound that has aged well over 30 years.

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🎸 Replacements

#242: Stacy Jones

December 4, 2025

Stacy Jones, musical director for artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Miley Cyrus, discusses his career drumming for bands like Letters to Cleo, Veruca Salt, and American Hi-Fi. He also shares a new American Hi-Fi song called "Mixtapes and Polaroids".

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🎸 Replacements

#230: Randy Jackson

August 14, 2025

Randy Jackson, guitarist and vocalist of the rock band Zebra, discusses the band's origins in New Orleans in the 1970s, their move to New York and rise to success in the early 1980s with their self-titled debut album produced by Jack Douglas, and the ups and downs of their career on the Atlantic Records label. Jackson reflects on Zebra's musical influences, touring with bands like Cheap Trick, and the loyalty of their fanbase as they celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2023.

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🎸 Replacements

#226: Ken Andrews

July 17, 2025

Ken Andrews, director of the new Failure documentary "Every Time You Lose Your Mind", discusses the nearly decade-long process of making the film. He explains how the project started with other filmmakers before he took over, and how he aimed to honestly capture the band's story, struggles with addiction, and resurgence. Andrews also reflects on Failure's career, his early ambitions as a filmmaker, and the band's ability to continue making great records.

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#224: Hotdogs, Fireworks, and Fig Dish!

July 4, 2025

In this podcast episode, the members of the 1990s Chicago rock band Fig Dish (Blake Smith, Rick Ness, and Mike Willison) discuss the 30th anniversary reissue of their debut album "That's What Love Songs Often Do" and reflect on the writing, recording, and promotion of the album. The band also discusses their upcoming shows and the challenges of rehearsing after many years.

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🎸 Replacements

#206: Will Dailey

January 30, 2025

In this episode, Scott Lucas interviews musician Will Dailey. They discuss Dailey's unique album release strategy of only selling his new record Boys Talking at live shows rather than online. Dailey explains he wants to encourage human connection through music and rebel against the current streaming-centric model.

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🎸 Replacements

#186: Greg Norman

August 30, 2024

Greg Norman, an engineer at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, discusses his experiences working at the studio and learning from Albini and others in the Chicago music scene. Norman and the podcast hosts discuss their favorite album productions, spanning genres from indie rock to heavy metal to country. They also reflect on Albini's legacy and impact after his recent passing.

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🎸 Replacements

#182: Jim DeRogatis

August 2, 2024

Jim DeRogatis, a veteran music critic, joins the Lifers podcast to discuss his career, the R. Kelly case he helped expose, and his favorite drummers. DeRogatis shares anecdotes about interviewing Kurt Cobain, touring with the band Wire, and turning down an opportunity to participate in the Surviving R. Kelly documentary.

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🎸 Replacements

#179: Mike McIntyre

July 12, 2024

Mike McIntyre, a longtime bartender in Chicago, discusses his past as a fisherman in Alaska and being in the band 9 Day Wonder with his brother in the 1990s. The hosts and Mike discuss 90s alternative pop music, with each sharing some of their favorite songs from that era. Mike shares stories of his early days in the Chicago music scene and thoughts on how the bar scene has changed over his nearly 30 years as a bartender.

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🤘 Iron Maiden

#178: Alex Jacobs

July 5, 2024

Alex Jacobs, the editor of the horror film In a Violent Nature, discusses his experience working on the movie and his approach to the editing process. He talks about his love for the Friday the 13th franchise and how it influenced In a Violent Nature. Jacobs also shares an anecdote about previously editing Norm Macdonald's podcast and reflects on his career path in the film industry.

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🎸 Replacements

#173: Jonny Polonsky

May 31, 2024

Jonny Polonsky discusses his musical journey from growing up in Chicago to becoming a professional musician in LA. As a teenager, he made home recordings that he sent to Frank Black of the Pixies, which led to getting signed to Rick Rubin's American Recordings label. Polonsky has since worked as a solo artist and played with bands like Puscifer. His new album Supernatural Radio is coming out on Loose Groove Records.

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🎸 Replacements

#158: Nick Miller

February 16, 2024

Nick Miller, a legendary Chicago concert promoter, discusses his decades-long career booking shows for acts like Cheap Trick, Bruce Springsteen, and Jeff Beck. The hosts and Miller share stories of their most memorable concerts, including seeing the Replacements, Depeche Mode, and Metallica early in their careers. Miller recounts his unconventional start in the music business and reflects on how the Chicago music scene has evolved over the years.

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🤘 Iron Maiden

#104: Dee From Radkey

February 10, 2023

Dee discusses Radkey's musical influences like Nirvana, Weezer and the Ramones, and how the band started out playing shows in their hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri. He talks about Radkey's experience opening for major acts like Fishbone, the Foo Fighters, and Jack White, and how those opportunities came about. Dee also touches on challenges the band faced with their record label wanting to change their sound and bring in outside songwriters, which Radkey resisted in order to maintain creative control over their music.

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🎸 Replacements

#75: Louise Post

July 22, 2022

Louise Post, lead singer of the band Veruca Salt, discusses her early music influences, the formation of Veruca Salt, their rapid rise to fame, challenges the band faced, and her current solo project. She reflects on the ups and downs of her musical career and feeling creatively liberated working on her upcoming solo album.

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#60: Joe Shanahan

April 1, 2022

Joe Shanahan, owner of the Metro and Smart Bar in Chicago, discusses the venues' 40-year history. He shares stories of booking and befriending influential artists like REM, Nirvana, New Order and Gang of Four in the 1980s and 90s. Shanahan also talks about his own battle with cancer and subsequent activism to support cancer research.

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#54: Juliana Hatfield 2: The Quickening

February 18, 2022

In this episode, Juliana Hatfield discusses her experiences and struggles with touring, performing live, and the music industry. She shares anecdotes about the Boston music scene in the 1990s, seeing bands like Dinosaur Jr. and The Replacements early on, and working with producer Scott Litt. Hatfield also reflects on her own insecurities as a performer and songwriter, despite her successful career.

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#8: March Plaidness

April 2, 2021

In this episode, the hosts discuss the March Plaidness online tournament, where essays were written about 90s alternative/grunge songs and people voted on their favorites. An essay about the band Local H and their song "Bound for the Floor" ended up winning the tournament. The hosts interview Andrew Monson, one of the organizers of the annual March Xness tournaments, who provides background on how the tournaments started and some memorable moments from past years.

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