Reviews
via Podcasts
Only came for Jesus and Mary Chain
Rest of the bands are horrible
jellyntoasy
Amazing Pod
I have listened to several episodes now and am totally hooked. She picks many bands I love and her passion and knowledge for grunge nuggets keeps me coming back. Keep up the great work. I would love to have a beer with Yasi and just talk music.
RSmithEIT
I love music, and I love this podcast
This pod has all my favorite things: music, goss, tea, and witty commentary. I'm in [extremely respectful] love.
Dr. Boomsayer
Elastica brought me here
Really liked the Elastica episode. My only issue is the host’s fluctuating creaky voice. Gonna check out more and try to ignore the creak.
Matoosi
Yasi’s the headliner
All the throwback tidbits! The 90s were a blast.
LisaMFO
Love Yasi
Yasi has become one of my favorite podcasters. Most of her episodes are about bands I don’t care about (or know) but she makes it interesting.
LMurch
Well done
Very thorough, excellent information, and excellent guests. Yesi could never say “babe” again and that would be fine with me.
Buzzo's Fro
So enjoyable
Really enjoy Yasi and all the guests
Soendker Nicholson
Great topics, grating delivery
Great taste and expertly-chosen bands, so just make it about the bands—no need to discuss working on your British lexicon. The Valley Girl delivery—hanging on syllables, speaking like she’s at the mall—just sort of corrupts the content. I’d rather go find a good book on the band in question. Should be an easy fix to clean up.
BP2084
Oasis
The two Oasis episodes are epic. I saw them in 2000 at the Berkeley Community Theater
Rundoctor1
Yasi is very knowledgable
Yasi does her research. She loves the subjects but isn’t afraid to make fun of them when they deserve it. Great podcast! Fun and informative
Fletcher C Johnson
she has a style
Yesi definitely has her own style...but her info is outstanding. I do think her and Rob Harvilla are supremely good together. It's a thorough look into music history.
manayunk wall
I was lost but now I’m found
My internal monologue now ends thoughts with “…babe?”.
BigCGuevara
Late to the Nostalgia Party
I don’t know how or why it took me so long to listen to this podcast, but I’m really kicking myself in the nads over missing out on it for so long. Yasi is my new hero. And yes, Soul Asylum DOES rule.
Jake__T
<3
Yasi Salek is a living legend & her research is phenomenal. I can (and do) listen to her speak for hours on end. Amazing podcast.
Angie Dayz
Got me back into guitar rock!
Started listening over the summer, first the grunge episodes then further back in the archive, and Yasi’s personality AND her voice—vocal fry and all!— made guitar rock feel alive again. I was beginning to see it as a dying genre, a vestige of a breed of masculinity that music culture has outgrown, until the Bandsplain crew reminded me how revolutionary and just plain good these bands are.
Keep doing what you’re doing!
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fauxetics
Can I Get That W/O Fry
Please reboot this with a different host.
J Spire
Vocal fry
The host’s vocal fry makes this podcast unlistenable. You couldn’t pay me to listen again.
Tebay71
Babe
This is my new favorite podcast. I’m obsessed. Hours on hours of music history, band by band.
gbruneaux
Huge miss w/ Blur episode
Have to agree with another review that the Blur episode was tragic. For all the same reasons pointed out in that review. I also question if the hosts are nothing more than casually aware of Blur vs having real knowledge of their career. AND side note, HOW can you even dare to compare Baggy with hippie jam rock (Spin Doctors, Blues Traveler,etc)?!? That comment alone should literally discredit Chris Ryan from any future commentary. I had high hopes for this episode following the fun conversation around Stone Roses/Happy Mondays, but this discussion about Blur was infuriating.
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Magnum Steve.I.
Blur episode was tragic
Typically like this podcast, but just a massive miss here. I’m a huge Blur fan, can’t say Chris Ryan is. He doesn’t like 13, Modern Life Is Rubbish or The Great Escape? You all managed to miss talking about the best song on every album minus Parklife and Leisure. I give Yasi credit for being open-minded to giving them a listen and copping to not being a fan. I also agree with her take about Brit-Pop, not really a genre. Also Chris was like, “who are the Gorillaz” just lol
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Atliskins
Best band podcast ever
This podcast needs a Pulitzer Prize or something. So many deeply researched stories of so many greats in music interwoven with humor, rawness, and passion in each band highlighted. Long live Bandsplain!
JTo in Chicity
The Best
Let’s be honest, Thursday’s are great because of Yasi!
Willywilt
Yasi is A Great Host
Yasi Salek makes great episodes on a bunch of bands and musicians that I’ve never heard of. I love listening to her tell me about music. I also love that she brings in a deeply empathetic view into her episodes, something that can be missing from other people (ahem) talking about bands. She also actually engages with the lyrics and musical content which is very informative and educational for me. 5/5 but it’s a infinity/infinity type podcast! Great job to the Bandsplain team!
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danithelistener
I’ll definitely be back
I listened to the Paramore episode because Hayley recommended and it was totally worth the listen. It was an incredible dive into the evolution of the band, its members & their social dynamics, their albums, what was going on culturally around those albums, it includes music clips to really bring you there, it gave me everything I wanted and more. I nearly listened to the whole ~3hr episode in one sitting but had to take a break just to drive around and listen to Paramore’s After Laughter album only to immediately return to the episode after this drive to finish listening. Really liked the hosts and production. I’ll definitely be back for more of this podcast. Love, The Miss Guided Astrology pod
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kt is my nickname
#1 podcast in my household
Seriously…my husband and I live on different sides of the internet (and we listen to very different podcasts), but Bandsplain is always one we listen to together and discuss at length. I am super stoked to hear a woman talk about music after spending my whole life listening to dudes talk over me about music. You’re the best, Yasi!!
Vonlonewolf
A perfect podcast
Yasi and bandsplain are a national treasure
Balorio
Love this show
Started listening to this show about a month ago because I saw that Chris Ryan sometimes guested. Listened to him and yasi breakdown pavement for over three hours and thought I had gone to podcast heaven. From there, the smiths, the clash, and the doors. That’s all I’ve gotten through so far, but that’s because of how in-depth Yasi and her guests go into bands. Super informative, and I love that yasi plays full songs along the way. Consider me a fan. Probably too much to ask, but would you please do an episode on the stone roses???? In the meantime, I’ll keep mining the treasure trove of your past episodes.
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Gotioytty
Great show
Thank you Yasi, you’re amazing 🙏
OMMP
Changed the way I think about music
Who would’ve thought a podcast could inform my music taste? I love this show, and I love rock n roll!
lillygj
THANK YOU YASI
Wow I’ve listened to a handful of episodes but this most recent pt. 1 on Soundgarden with Hanif was literally life changing! I’ve never found a home with rock music, just songs here and there. But exploring Soungarden’s discography has been such a revelation. Thank you so much for your passion, your work, your humor, your “babe”s, your attention to detail— you’ve successfully indoctrinated a Black-Filipino 27 year old into to the wonderful world of alt rock and grunge. (Personal favorite so far is hands all over) 😤
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trelmix
**Bandsplain Bliss: Dive Deep, Discover New Tunes, and Ditch the Vocal Fry Critics!**
Bandsplain is an incredible podcast. Yasi, the host, is funny, sassy, self-aware, and thoroughly prepared. I love diving deep into a band's discography for hours, and this podcast has helped me discover new bands and get to know some of my favorites even more. I've even purchased books she mentioned, especially the one that shaped her formative music years. Now, my playlists are awesome, filled with hits and B-sides.
Reviewers need to stop noting her vocal fry; it's irrelevant and immature. Highly recommend!
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San Bueno
Holy vocal fry!!!
The concept of the podcast and subject matter are great! I immediately downloaded 4 episodes and saved them for a rainy day. Today happened to be that day. The woman’s voice on the Alice and chains podcast is almost unbearable.. her Brittany Sprears esque vocal fry is ear piercing. It sounded like I was hearing my teenage daughter talk to her friends.
Uncle Paul1
Eww
Her voice is the worst. Nooo!!
itwasntmesir45
Avocado Rules!!!
Yasi’s podcast is excellent. Entertaining, thorough, well researched, funny. This would be 5⭐️ but I am deducting one for the wrongheaded trashing of Pearl Jam’s Avocado 🥑 album. This album is career defining, rocking, banging, and a favorite of many 10Clubbers. Ya done messed up Yasi!
Great podcast for bands you don’t know or your favorites! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🥑🥑🥑🥑🥑🥑🥑🥑🥑🥑🥑🥑🥑
Johnny Abruzzo
Terrible Host
This is an incredible concept for a show but this host is terrible. Her vocal fry is annoying. It’s really noticeable if you listen with ear buds. She could chill out on saying ‘babe’ a little, too.
aneirynck
Love the show
I only started listening to Bandsplain around April 2024 and have gotten so much out of the show. So much research goes into the episodes and hearing it through Yasi’s words is hilarious. The show has enriched my life, I really enjoyed the episode about the Breeders and haven’t been able to get the song Cannonball out of my head. I heard about the podcast in The Week magazine for being a good podcast. I’m sad that show will be on hiatus but hope that whatever Yasi embarks on is fulfilling and if that’s in the public sphere that I find her again.
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Leonburger
Solid digest of f rock…
This show is so entertainingly informative and educational. The host is engaging and listenable. BUT…the episodes are too long! Break them up into series as opposed to expecting someone to dedicate 2 to 4 HOURS for one episode. Break them up or edit out some of the chatter to present the bulk.
Raydioboy
Fantastic episode on The Breeders
I’ll give Title TK another listen, thanks Yasi!
Strickly Kev
Stop calling me babe
Please.
Bunny Cub
Yasi and Producer Dylan put on a great show
I don’t also agree with Yasi takes (she doesn’t like Fanclub’s Howdy or Afghan’s In Spades geez) but she is super passionate and you will learn new things even about your favorite bands. Highly recommend.
Fishybulby
Yasi 🔥🔥
Not sure how I heard about this podcast but gave the Pearl Jam Part 1 a listen and Yasi is a treasure. Found myself just cackling at her entire vibe (I know Kevin Clark from The Ringer podcasts and he’s a mainstay of course). Hope she continues to elevate to more podcasts (tv, movies, all things pop culture) over the next few years - she is a MUST for the Rewatchables too, KC!
rugger2
Really sad commentary babe
Horrible reviews, babe. You have zero clue, you should be reviewing fast food not music.
AReaction
Goddamn gorgeous beautiful podcast
No notes.
cityslang716
Yasi you’re wrong
Love the pod, I was 18 when Jane’s Addiction changed the world. You’re wrong about this Pearl Jam Pod not being for the diehards. I was hooked from the first time I heard the riff to alive on the radio, 50 shows and 3000 miles later, at one point owned every bit of vinyl from Benny to blue Vs. And this podcast is very much for me. Quite a bit of stuff us diehards don’t know being laid out here. Like every show you bring out the deep cuts. ❤️
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Android Use Causes Rabies
Yasi is the Deepdive Research Queen
Love this show. Yasi is so funny and spends a wild amount of time researching the bands.
C Burnheart
This show is Gorgeous!
Yasi’s show helped me recover from surgery .I’ve learn so much about bands I thought I was the biggest fan of and appreciate groups I felt mid about. Smart,witty and a can’t wait to hear more.
Fontir
Great content, horrible host
I couldn’t get through the No Doubt episode because of all the “babes” and Yasi was downright condescending to the expert on the Phish episode. I’m not a Phish fan either, but the disdain with which she approached the episode made me wonder who was holding her at gunpoint forcing her to discuss this topic. She openly admitted she had done zero research. How offensive to her guests. Immediate unfollow.
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Kelseyday
Insufferable
An insufferable personality; LA fake-deep personified.
weeded out
Babe
Love the draft podcasts…. Wish they’d do more.
iamdashet