Music And We

(RECORDED ON AUGUST 21, 2026) Throughout our lives, we may meet anywhere from dozens to thousands of people, either virtually or (hopefully) in person.  Most of those we meet, it may only be for a moment.  Other times, it may develop into a friendship.
jamilah met mother and son Anne and Russell Watson at a dinner, facilitated by mutual friend Anthony, who (with his sons) made a documentary highlighting the Metallica community.  jamilah and Russell immediately bonded in their own ways, and after that meeting she began texting with Anne, ultimately forming a friendship. 
In the course of these few years, jamilah has gotten to witness Russell's precociousness (without the pretension) and his musical growth and journey- where currently, he's formed his own band, and is a Gibson artist.  Anne has been there watching the growth, navigating the protective role of a parent, while simultaneously letting go, in order for him to explore this life's journey on his own terms.  
In their conversation, they discuss everything from feeling supported, the gift of letting go, having space to be oneself, foundations, being a creative person in the age of generative AI, trusting intuition, being a Gibson/G3 artist, and Metallica as a spiritual band, and our shared experience of Lars Ulrich entering our lives at the most emotionally crucial moments.  
Thanks for listening!
(The intro song is 'Mother And Child (The Ballad Of Anne And Russell)', by Teodora's Fist)
If you're interested in staying aware of Russell's journey, go to https://russellwatsonguitar.com/.
If you wanna send us a word (or two, or several), we're at: musicandwepodcast@gmail.com.
 
 

(RECORDED ON AUGUST 13, 2026) Napalm Death is a band which was birthed in 1981; throughout the various creative and lineup shifts, there has been one constant:  their message.  She cannot remember where she specifically learned about them, but it was sometime in the 90s where jamilah 'discovered' them, connecting with their messages- thus becoming one of her favorites, to this day.  
Barney Greenway (Napalm Death's vocalist since 1990) has been considered to be an major inspiration for many, including jamilah.  Anyone could utter a bunch of lyrics; however, the reason why Barney has been met with a great ton of respect is because of his sincerity, honesty, and conviction.  
Because of this, she had been hoping for years to have a deeper conversation with him (beyond what she hears in the music, or possibly, interviews he's given).  Given that Barney is an incredibly busy individual, she does not take for granted that he, like anyone else who comes on the podcast, took a bit of time out of his swamped schedule to expound on several of his positions on life, politics, music, and human relationships.
Being familiar with some of Barney's very public positions, jamilah anticipated there would be some ideological differences in the conversation.   Both Barney and jamilah ultimately agree on the same objective- peace; the difference is in the path in which they achieve it.   In an environment where differences in ideas and approaches are defined as negative/opposition; episodes like these are what we absolutely look forward to, whether it's discussing music, politics, or anything else.  The key is in approaching all conversations in a humanistic way.  It also helps to sharpen the muscle that is the brain. 
'Echo chamber' podcasts- where everyone concurs with every single point, every single time, are boring.  They also ignore that people have varying life experiences which have led us to the points we currently are.  And where we are now isn't even static.  
We knew Barney would come through, and would not disappoint. 
They say the older one gets, the less they are willing to adapt to change; either that, or they become more conservative or right wing.  jamilah has had far too many experiences which counter this- the conversation with Barney being one of those.
More than anything, amid these differences in ideological paths was unity on a majority of things.  After the conversation, jamilah developed an even greater respect for Barney for again, never wavering from his convictions, while simultaneously having an openness to learn and grow/change, if that contributes to the larger objective of liberation of all beings. Hopefully more conversations could be had between them in the future, whether it's on the podcast, before or after a show, or in a random place in the world- it could be about politics, noisy music, cats, cinema, humor...  or anything.
They spoke on everything from honoring the spectrum of human experiences and emotions, how to not be jaded, accessibility of venues, the path to peace (of course), 'dying with dignity', rejecting heroism, toxic 'fans', and more!
Thanks so much for listening!
If you'd like to talk about how Napalm Death inspires you, your favorite songs/moments/etc...  or if you just wanna send a word of encouragement, we're at: musicandwepodcast@gmail.com

(RECORDED ON JULY 21, 2026) From the land of what is (to jamilah) the most beautiful song on earth ('Only Shallow' by My Bloody Valentine)*, Music And We is once again connecting in an intercontinental way, as we speak with Gavin Malone, host of That Sound Podcast.
Based in Ireland; having only been around for a couple of years, That Sound Podcast is a baby in the podcast game- however, they've increasingly been a recognizable face to many in the rock community in particular.  The latest episodes have focused largely on coverage of Metallica's latest leg of the tour for their M72 tour, but they discuss many other bands as well, from Thin Lizzy to Ghost...  and more.
While Gavin and jamilah discuss podcast life (the beginnings, the inspirations and lessons); they also discuss doing away with hierarchies, Ireland (history, culture,  indigeneity/connecting to roots, geographical ignorance and community and structural contradictions); bassists...  and of course, Thin Lizzy and Metallica.  
Thank you for listening!!!
To check out That Sound Podcast, go to https://www.youtube.com/@ThatSoundPodcast, or any of your podcast platforms!
If you'd like to send us a word, we're at: musicandwepodcast@gmail.com
*It is not her favorite song in the whole world, but for her, it is the most beautiful.

(RECORDED ON MAY 15, 2026) (Because we're not sure if people actually read these episode descriptions, we'll put it here at the top- jamilah checked after recording the episode, and was very glad to be stood corrected- because Stevie Wonder actually IS listed in the NYT piece!  Everything else stands.)This quick episode was off the dome, as jamilah did not expect to record an episode; however, she felt inspired to, after shedding some tears while watching a Stevie Wonder tribute- where the great Greg Phillinganes (who has a long history with Stevie) put his foot in it, because there were some surprising deep cuts sprinkled in.  
This led her to think about the (as stated) infamous New York Times piece, where they, after some apparent deliberation, they chose a series of songwriters, producing a ton of obvious controversy.  Many were upset that Tom Waits and Randy Newman, for example, were missing.  A list of 30 people is going to limit who gets chosen, and if you asked 10 people who should be on this list, you are going to get 10 different answers.
There is a plan to do a more in depth episode, but for now, here's some late night/very early morning ramblings.  
A melodica makes an appearance at the beginning, and Watch-o! the cat knocking something over makes an appearance at the end.  Thanks for listening!
Who are some of your favorite writers?  Let us know at: musicandwepodcast@gmail.com

(RECORDED ON APRIL 22, 2026) Forming in Philadelphia- a place with an already solid wealth of organizing, activism and funk/soul music; Dark Thoughts aren't the (Philly punk OGs) Dead Milkmen, but for over a decade, they've been continuing (and contributing to) the longstanding punk community.  
jamilah had a chance to chat with guitarist and vocalist Jim Shomo, a massive Ramones fan.  As a matter of fact, while Dark Thoughts takes obvious inspiration from the band in many ways, Jim does acknowledge that he has yet to master Joey's distinct vocals...  despite people stating similarities.  Jim also makes the distinction between being a 'Ramones band' and a 'Ramonescore' band.  
They also discuss opening up for Oi! legends Cock Sparrer, the cultural impact of Philadelphia, the dearth of punk houses, using the platform you have to bring awareness to political issues, tattooing, ensuring safe spaces in the punk scene, and more.
Music:
Dark Thoughts: Identity Crisis (Dark Thoughts, Stupid Bag, 2016)
Waxahatchee: Right Back To It (feat. MJ Lenderman) (Tigers Blood, ANTI-, 2024)
Dark Thoughts: With You (At Work, Stupid Bag (US)/Drunken Sailor (UK/EU), 2018)
Dark Thoughts:  So Alone (Highway To The End, Stupid Bag/Drunken Sailor, 2025)
Thanks for listening!
To find Dark Thoughts' music, go to: https://dark-thoughts.bandcamp.com/ 
To give us a holler, go to: musicandwepodcast@gmail.com

jamilah had a few more thoughts following the last upload, that she hadn't previously discussed with jesse.  
And oh...  she forgot to mention the bad pancake makeup job they did on Colman Domingo, who played Joe Jackson.  You saw where they attempted to conceal the nose prosthetic as well, because there was wrinkling in that area, whenever he made certain facial movements.  Hollywood fronts so much money for these projects, and low(er)-budget horror films tend to do a far superior job. 
A couple of other issues jamilah had with this movie was how MJ's relationship to food was depicted.  The movie showed Michael as participating in bonding through food- while she doesn't doubt this was a thing that existed, the man also divulged at points in his life that he developed an eating disorder, as that was one of the few means of control he had over his life.  Also, they continually attempted to hone in on the fact that he was 'no longer a child, but an adult'; however, whenever faced with any particular challenges, he ran behind other adults to resolve them.  Michael Jackson was as much of a caricature as anyone else in this movie.  
These people should also never be forgiven for the CGI animals, and AI audience shots.   

(RECORDED ON APRIL 23 & 24, 2026) Back in November of last year, jesse and jamilah did an episode discussing the (for many, including jesse) long awaited Michael Jackson biopic, released by Lionsgate/Universal.  jamilah already knew, going in that the movie was going to be horrible, based on the projects MJ's estate put out after his passing.  While it is true that most movies released about him historically have not been that great (even while he was still here), the things released posthumously have been particularly worse.  Everything in this current era that has been watched by jamilah is because of jesse, and once again, he roped her into another one of these moments, so they could discuss it on an episode.  
While you already most likely know what jamilah thinks, what does jesse think?  In this episode, they expound more about the bad (and possibly good) about this movie- which is looking like it's set up to have a sequel.  AND YES, THERE ARE SPOILERS.
Let us know what you thought about this movie: musicandwepodcast@gmail.com

(RECORDED ON JANUARY 22, 2026/OFF THE DOME INTRO ON JANUARY 24, 2026) This episode has been a long time coming- it has been planned for a while, but we just got to it.
Having been involved in the punk and hardcore scenes in NYC in the 90s, jamilah ended up moving to the west coast- absolutely missing Flora Lucini, who moved there around that time.  Over 20 years later the two met (by way of mutual sibling Ryan Bland (Bushmon/Home 33/ACHE)), and instantly became chosen family to each other. 
Coming up in the 90s and 2000s hardcore scene; Flora is an incredibly inspiring figure in the community.  Known as a 'scene mama', she books and coordinates shows, as well as being a community activist.  Well known in the hardcore scene (obviously), her multi-instrumentalism has led her to varying genres, such as jazz and Tropicália.  
jamilah was absolutely excited to sit back and take in the wonderfulness that is Flora: She definitely does not mince words; however, there is no malice behind the directness, and that is definitely a breath of fresh air. We hope you enjoy this conversation between a couple of siblings, who came up in different generations of the hardcore (and punk) scene.
They discussed everything from:
Forgiveness and redemption
Turnstile (and Knocked Loose)'s success
Gatekeeping v. preservation
The 'othering' of non-European hardcore bands
Music and art being a reflection of society/culture
The centering of whiteness in art and music (and society)
The inability/refusal of people in the scene to detect and challenge microagressions
The importance of/connection to the bass
The next generation of hardcore kids and their impact on the future
And of course...
Bad Brains
Songs on the episode (all by MAAFA):
Libation
Blindspot
Welfare
For The Culture 
Not Your Exotic
Thanks so much for listening!
We'd love to hear from you!  Contact us at: musicandwepodcast@gmail.com
   

(RECORDED ON JANUARY 5, 2026) There's always the saying that when things get egregiously bad, there's going to be a plentiful return of protest music.  There's a bit of a disagreement over here in the world of Music And We, as there's never been a shortage of political or protest music, regardless of period in time.  Material conditions haven't necessarily been altered for the better for countless people, so art and music will always reflect sociopolitical inequities.  
The more interesting question wouldn't be regarding whether or not people are going to produce more political music and art; it's whether or not people will create more abrasive, confrontational and incendiary music and art, as a response or challenge to said inequities.  
Will there be a return to a counterculture movement?

(RECORDED ON DECEMBER 17, 2025) There's so much music out there in the world, and no one could possibly listen to, or know everything that's been released.  However, jesse and jamilah did find some gems among the vastness, in 2025.  Their choices couldn't be more disparate...  except for one album.  
(jamilah neglected to mention Imperial Triumphant's album, Goldstar, among her favorites of this year; they did get a quick mention toward the end of the episode though.  She also mispronounced Terre Thaemlitz' Soulnessless.  Also, after the episode was recorded, she remembered some shows that were not listed- so it was DEFINITELY more than 50 shows!!!!  The key to being able to see a lot of shows is to see the ones that don't cost much money.)
Let us know what your favorite albums have been this year!  Let us know at: musicandwepodcast@gmail.com