Lost Notes

KCRW

The award-winning anthology of some of the greatest music stories never truly told. Top journalists present stand-alone audio documentaries that highlight music’s head, heart and beat. Prior seasons were hosted and curated by Hanif Abdurraqib, Jessica Hopper, and Solomon Georgio. The show returns in February 2024 with new co-hosts and curators Novena Carmel and Michael Barnes. read less

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Bent By Nature: Trailer

Bent By Nature: Trailer

The story of the life and artists surrounding the most influential American DJ you’ve never heard of.

Lost Notes Returns with the True Story of ‘Tainted Love’

Lost Notes Returns with the True Story of ‘Tainted Love’

‘Lost Notes’ returns for Season 4 with a special preview episode about the song “Tainted Love,” and its lesser-known origins as a forgotten ‘60s soul gem from LA.

Jonathan Demme: 'Stop Making Sense' interview and guest DJ set (1984)

Jonathan Demme: 'Stop Making Sense' interview and guest DJ set (1984)

The late Jonathan Demme stops by KCRW in 1984 to discuss making the now-iconic Talking Heads concert doc "Stop Making Sense." The A24 restoration of the film is in theaters now.

Bent By Nature - Ep. 10: Rollins

Bent By Nature - Ep. 10: Rollins

In the finale of "Bent By Nature," Henry Rollins shares his remembrances of Deirdre: the DJ, tastemaker, and human being who changed his life irrevocably.

Bent By Nature - Ep. 9: Promised Land (with Julian Cope)

Bent By Nature - Ep. 9: Promised Land (with Julian Cope)

Days after underground post-punk luminary Julian Cope was announced as a guest on “SNAP!,” the show was off the air. Deirdre left KCRW for good in June of 1991. Then she left LA, too, for a while. The following year, she...

Bent By Nature - Ep. 8: Half A World Away (with Michael Stipe)

Bent By Nature - Ep. 8: Half A World Away (with Michael Stipe)

R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe discusses his life in LA in the mid-’80s, at a time when he and Deirdre were kindred spirits pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable within mainstream culture — and how Deirdre helped shape both...

Bent By Nature - Ep. 7: Ages of You

Bent By Nature - Ep. 7: Ages of You

This week, we pay tribute to SNAP!’s listeners, whom Deirdre called the show’s “heart and soul.” It’s a story about two young women finding their way, and the courage that music gives us to imagine our futures.

Bent By Nature - Ep. 6: Crossing Over (with David Lowery)

Bent By Nature - Ep. 6: Crossing Over (with David Lowery)

David Lowery of Camper Van Beethoven explains SNAP!'s place in a larger movement spreading across the country in the mid-’80s, and how the band navigated their own transition from indie darlings to major-label recording artists.

Bent By Nature - Ep. 5: Haywire (with Kathy McCarty & Brian Beattie)

Bent By Nature - Ep. 5: Haywire (with Kathy McCarty & Brian Beattie)

Venturing into flyover country’s freak scene with Glass Eye’s Kathy McCarty and Brian Beattie, Deirdre’s favorite independent act from Austin.

Bent By Nature - Ep. 4: Almost Magic (with Syd Straw)

Bent By Nature - Ep. 4: Almost Magic (with Syd Straw)

If Deirdre had an official partner-in-crime, it was Syd Straw, who appeared on "SNAP!" five times. She would sing with a band, or over backing tapes that she brought with her, or she would just guest DJ. And no topic was off...

Bent By Nature - Ep. 3: Inside Out (with David and Bekki Newton)

Bent By Nature - Ep. 3: Inside Out (with David and Bekki Newton)

The Mighty Lemon Drops’ guitarist David Newton and his wife Bekki discuss the strange twists and turns which brought them together, with Deirdre in tow, as The Lemon Drops reached their ascendancy.

Bent By Nature - Ep. 2: Music Could Be Your Whole Life

Bent By Nature - Ep. 2: Music Could Be Your Whole Life

The life, loves, and demons of Deirdre O'Donoghue beyond the mic, as told by those who knew her best. Featuring Concrete Blonde, Camper Van Beethoven, Julian Cope, and more.

Bent By Nature - Ep. 1: This Is 'SNAP!'

Bent By Nature - Ep. 1: This Is 'SNAP!'

Before Soundcloud and Bandcamp, there was Deirdre O'Donoghue and "SNAP!," the LA DJ and radio show that served as a waypoint for underground music, artists, and its fans — and helped shape the sound of independent and D.I.Y....

Bent By Nature: Trailer

Bent By Nature: Trailer

The story of the life and artists surrounding the most influential American DJ you’ve never heard of.

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 7: Grace Jones

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 7: Grace Jones

In 1980, anti-disco sentiment was at a high and Grace Jones was coming off a trilogy of disco albums. If she stayed stagnant, it felt like her career could be swept away.

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 6: Minnie Riperton

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 6: Minnie Riperton

Most know Minnie Riperton because of one part in one song. “Lovin’ You” was Riperton’s biggest hit, and she doesn’t sing that magic, piercing note until around the 3-minute mark.

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 5: Hugh Masekela & Miriam Makeba

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 5: Hugh Masekela & Miriam Makeba

In December of 1980, two exiled artists and freedom fighters attempted return to their home in South Africa for a concert. Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba performed inside South Africa against the government’s wishes in Lesotho.

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 4: John Lennon & Darby Crash

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 4: John Lennon & Darby Crash

Punk singer Darby Crash dreamed of immortality. The single full-length Germs album was to become a holy grail of music history, and his passing might’ve made him a legend, but Darby Crash died on December 7th, 1980.

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 3: Ian Curtis

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 3: Ian Curtis

In May of 1980, Joy Division lost its lead singer, Ian Curtis. The band decided that they would carry on with a different name. Lost Notes host Hanif Abdurraqib presents a new look at the decade-defining band.

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 2: The Sugarhill Gang

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 2: The Sugarhill Gang

When one thinks about the greatest rap groups of all time, Sugarhill Gang might be an afterthought, says Lost Notes host Hanif Abdurraqib. But, sometimes, legacy is not about the spark itself, but about the flame the spark...

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 1: Stevie Wonder

Lost Notes: 1980 - Ep. 1: Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder released seven albums from 1970 to 1976. It is an impenetrable run of albums and songs, one of the greatest in music history. Then, in 1979, he faced his first defeat of the decade. Lost Notes returns with host...