Liner Notes

Rooted in Afrobeat, and raised on Paul Simon and Sigur Ros, the Oakland band Waterstrider is hard to define, but who cares what you call it when it sounds this good? Big things may be in store for this five-piece band (originally born out of the Berkeley co-ops) as they get set to release their first full-length record.

Singer and guitarist Nate Salman and drummer Walker Johnson sat down with host Max Jacobs to spin some of their favorite records and play some cuts off their new album.

As Sean Rowe's voice started to drop into the baritone region, it was a John Lee Hooker song from the 50s that gave him a glimpse into what he might be able to do with his own voice. The New York singer and guitarist talks about some of the great American songwriters of the 60s and 70s and how they inspired him to craft songs to accompany his haunting booming voice.

Tune in Wednesday at 11 pm PST to 91.7 fm or stream live from anywhere.

On this week's Liner Notes, host Max Jacobs sat down with SF musician Kelly McFarling to explore the inspiration behind her work. This classically trained vocalist didn't find her true voice until she threw a pawn shop banjo into her car and drove to San Francisco. Her inspiring picks tell of growing up in the South and all of the diverse and unique sounds she encountered on her journey west.

Catch Kelly McFarling at Awaken Cafe in Oakland on March 27.

Questions or comments? Email us at linernotes@kalw.org.

On this week's Liner Notes, Host Max Jacobs sat down with the frontman for the punk band Fleshies (no "The"). His diverse record collection helps paint a rich picture of the longtime Oakland band's music. From the political post-punk bands of the 70s and 80s like Devo and Gang of Four to fellow East Bay rockers Blatz and the Gr'ups.

Fleshies' other musical projects:

Swiftumz

Street Eaters

Liner Notes invites today's musicians to explore the inspirations behind their work. In each hour, host Max Jacobs sits down with a musician to spin the records that made them want to make music. Whether it's the first song they heard their grandmother sing or an unexpected guilty pleasure, you'll hear the stories of the music that matters to them and how it's shaped them.

For San Francisco band Con Brio, there’s never too much music to study. From their beginnings, sitting in on jazz and funk sessions in the Fillmore to playing alongside members of Sly and the Family Stone, their music and their music collections span the rich history of everything soulful and funky in the Bay.

Liner Notes invites today's musicians to explore the inspirations behind their work. In each hour, host Max Jacobs sits down with a musician to spin the records that made them want to make music. Whether it's the first song they heard their grandmother sing or an unexpected guilty pleasure, you'll hear the stories of the music that matters to them and how it's shaped them.

The word home comes to mind when you listen to the music of Kacey Johansing. Whether it’s the scene she paints describing the people and places along the California coast, which she nows calls home, or songs thinking back to Lake Michigan and the loved ones who used to walk the shores alongside her. From dreamy pop ballads to tragic love songs, her record collection gives a glimpse into why her music is so hard to ignore.

On this week's Liner Notes we'll be joined by the British band The Melodic, who have burst onto the scene this past year with music that has been described as neo-Chilean afro folk dance music. It's no surprise that the records they brought in are literally all over the map.

Tune in at 11 pm PST to 91.7 fm or stream live from anywhere.

Much like the music they brought in to play, the songs of Goodnight, Texas span a wide time and place (fitting since the two singers live on opposite coasts); whether personal laments on home and love, boot-stomping tunes worthy of bourbon and rye, or stories of America's past - from Civil War battlefields to the coal mines of Virginia.

  Catch Goodnight, Texas February 19th at the Great American Music Hall supporting Wild Child.

Try not to describe the Oakland quartet Bells Atlas using worn-out genre labels, just think of the feeling you get when you hear their voices and rhythms blend. The records they brought in give a glimpse as to what emerges in the studio: from African highlife and Nina Simone to 90s hip-hop and alt rock.

Catch Bells Atlas every Monday night in January at the Era Art Bar and Lounge in Oakland as part of their Oakland Music Festival residency.