Influenced

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 see their early singles charting across Europe. They expanded further into art rock territory on their most successful album, The Colour of Spring which garnered gold certifications and hit singles for the group. Contrary to their labels hopes after finding success, the band shied away from the spotlight ceasing any live shows and almost all promotional prospects. Instead they dove deep into the avant garde with Miles Davis and ambient music becoming common touchstones for the band. They proceeded to hired dozens of session players and got to work on some of the most ambitious experimental music any mainstream group had made to that point. Commonly touted as a major influence for musicians as wide-ranging as massive arena bands like Blur and Radiohead to modern acts like Foals and Arcade Fire. In this episode of Influenced we explore the wide ranging career of Mark Hollis and Talk Talk and discuss their wide ranging influence.
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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 to be defined by one sound or idea, Damon has constantly taken his music incredibly seriously, constantly moving from one sound to another, seemingly capable of making hits with anyone, (De La Soul, Elastica and Danger Mouse to name a few!). In this first episode on Damon we explore his early days as a school aged musician all the way to the beginnings of Gorillaz in the early 2000's.
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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 Black Sabbath with the more forward thinking sounds of artists like My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus and Mary Chain. With a number of different drummers and musicians helping the band craft their sound (like Michael Been, Rob's Father and former frontman of the '80s classic band The Call) the band rose to the heights of the 2000s indie rock boom with artists like the Strokes, The Vines, and White Stripes. Unlike many of their peers in that scene, BRMC have continued over the decades influencing other bands that are drawn to the more psychedelic side of things like the Black Angels and Death From Above 1979. BRMC continue to push the envelope for alternative bands into the current decade and have already left an incredible career in their wake. Check out this episode of Influenced to go deeper on one of the coolest bands in the business.
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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 'Room on Fire' and singles like the smash hit 'Last Nite' propelled the band into the charts and the tabloids. An immediate influence on the rock scene, emerging bands as the decade went on like The Killers and Arctic Monkeys would tout the Strokes as some of their biggest influences. The band has gone on to inspire a number of modern artists like Vampire Weekend, Haim, Clairo, and dozens more with their wildly catchy songs. Take a deep dive into their career with us, here on influenced !

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 youngest artist to top the charts at the age of 13, Stevie has become one of the forefathers of modern soul and R&B. When he came into young adulthood he began an unrivaled period of classic songs and albums from the late sixties through the decade of the '70s garnering dozens of awards including multiple "Album of the Year" Grammy awards for albums like "Innervisions" and "Songs in the Key of Life". Even as his career slowed down in more modern decades, his influence has lived on completely in the way his music has become a foundational aspect of much of hip hop like Coolio's iconic samples in "Gangsta's Paradise" or even in more modern artists like Janelle Monáe and Gary Clark Jr. We are more than happy to explore Stevie's iconic career in this season finale of Influenced.
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