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  • Neko Case discusses her new album, Spotify, and the influence of Umm Kulthum

    Neko Case discusses her new album, Spotify, and the influence of Umm Kulthum
    Jan 21 2026
    Neko Case is a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter known for her distinctive voice and genre-defying albums. She’s also a founding member of the New Pornographers, and the author of the bestselling memoir “The Harder I Fight the More I Love You.” Case’s latest album is titled “Neon Grey Midnight Green.” She discussed the album and her upcoming performance in Indiana with WFYI’s Kyle Long.
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    25 Min.
  • Jazz bassist and beatmaker Brandon Meeks reflects on his roots in Indiana

    Jazz bassist and beatmaker Brandon Meeks reflects on his roots in Indiana
    Jan 14 2026
    Listen to an interview with Brandon Meeks, an Indianapolis–based jazz bassist, bandleader and hip-hop producer, widely recognized as a key figure in the city’s contemporary jazz scene. He is best known for his work with acclaimed saxophonist Rob Dixon and as a member of the hip-hop jazz trio Native Sun, a group celebrated for blending modern jazz improvisation with hip-hop. Alongside his work as a bassist, Meeks is also a prolific producer of instrumental hip-hop, bridging jazz traditions with beat culture. In 2015, Meeks received national attention for his role portraying legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter in Miles Ahead, the Miles Davis biopic starring Don Cheadle. More recently, Meeks made headlines after receiving a prestigious Creative Capital grant for Unsung Giants, a project he created to honor under-recognized Indiana jazz legends.
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    43 Min.
  • Beatmaker Scott Matelic on the evolution of his soulful, psychedelic hip-hop sound

    Beatmaker Scott Matelic on the evolution of his soulful, psychedelic hip-hop sound
    Jan 7 2026
    Scott Matelic is an Indianapolis-born hip-hop producer and DJ whose sound emerges from the crate-digging traditions of DJ culture, blending sample-based production with soulful textures and psychedelic atmospheres. He began attracting international attention in the early 2000s, when his beats appeared on releases from Anticon Records, the influential California-based label known for issuing music that pushed hip-hop beyond mainstream conventions. Matelic’s work was featured on prominent Anticon projects by Sole and Sage Francis. In 2004, Matelic released his debut album, Primitive Pessimist, through the Japanese label Tri Eight. Four years later, his music was issued on a compilation from the revered Japanese producer Nujabes. While his career has taken him beyond Indianapolis — he is now based in New York — Matelic’s roots in the city remain central to his story. He was raised in a deeply musical household — his father, Ron Matelic, is a respected Indianapolis psychedelic rock musician known for his work with bands including Anonymous, J Rider, and Sir Winston and the Commons. That environment helped shape Scott’s early musical sensibility and openness to genre-blurring experimentation. In recent years, Matelic has continued to build on his legacy through collaborations with Indianapolis artists, including rapper Sirius Blvck. In 2024, the two released the full-length album Daily Rituals of the Wild Heart. Alongside his production work, Matelic has long been respected as a DJ, with performances including a notable 2004 date at the Casbah in Broad Ripple alongside the iconic producer and DJ Diplo. Matelic recently visited the WFYI studios to discuss his new album Dead Weightt with Cultural Manifesto host Kyle Long.
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    45 Min.
  • Remembering Indiana musicians who died in 2025

    Remembering Indiana musicians who died in 2025
    Dec 31 2025
    This week on Cultural Manifesto, we remember some of the notable Indiana musicians and music figures who passed away in 2025. Join us as we honor the lives of artists who shaped funk, rock, music education, and global psychedelia — including: Fort Wayne guitarist Gray Brabson, also known as G Money, whose work with the funk band Trust produced the cult-classic 1978 single “Funk Power,” later rediscovered by collectors and reissued by Numero Group. Indianapolis funk keyboardist DeMorris “Dee Gee” Smith, a deeply connected figure in the city’s soul and funk scene who also performed with national acts including the Bar-Kays, Natalie Cole, Luther Vandross, and Bootsy Collins. Indianapolis trumpet player Ron Hedrick, best known for his work with Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign. Indiana-born bassist Toby Myers, whose career bridged the state’s rock scene and the global stage through his long tenure with John Mellencamp, as well as his earlier work with Roadmaster and later contributions to Lisa Germano’s landmark 4AD release. Gladys Stone Wright, a pioneering West Lafayette band director, conductor, and composer who helped redefine the role of women in band leadership and co-founded the Women Band Directors National Association. And Indianapolis-based writer, scholar, and musician Stan Denski, a central figure in documenting and preserving psychedelic music history. As a co-founder of OR Records, a member of the band Many Bright Things, and a key contributor to the influential Love, Peace & Poetry compilation series, Denski helped bring psychedelic music from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to wider attention.
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    31 Min.
  • Justin Bland looks back on the history of Made Man Improv

    Justin Bland looks back on the history of Made Man Improv
    Dec 17 2025
    Justin Bland is the creator and host of Made Man Improv, a popular improv comedy showcase based in Indianapolis. Under his direction, Made Man Improv has built a loyal audience and a recognizable brand within the local arts scene. But after years of sold-out performances, Bland is ending the Made Man Improv series this month. In this conversation with WFYI’s Kyle Long, Bland looks back on the history of Made Man Improv.
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    21 Min.
  • Standout moments and releases by Indiana musicians in 2025

    Standout moments and releases by Indiana musicians in 2025
    Dec 17 2025
    Listen back to the moments and releases that shaped Indiana music in 2025, from long-overdue archival discoveries to new Hoosier artists breaking out on the national stage. Hear music from the legendary Indianapolis funk band Rapture, Seymour’s CMA-nominated singer-songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr., Gary’s critically acclaimed rap icon Freddie Gibbs, Bloomington’s Iraqi music ensemble Salaam featuring Hamid Al-Saadi, Indianapolis jazz drummer Dorian Phelps with Lakecia Benjamin, Fort Wayne’s breakout trio Los Aptos, Indianapolis rapper 4200Kory, Hobart’s global pop star Omar Apollo, the Indianapolis-based experimental duo of Hanna Benn and Deantoni Parks, and more.
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    27 Min.
  • Ricky Skaggs discusses Christmas music, The Grand Ole Opry and the legacy of Bill Monroe

    Ricky Skaggs discusses Christmas music, The Grand Ole Opry and the legacy of Bill Monroe
    Dec 10 2025
    Listen to a conversation with the virtuoso multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and bandleader, Ricky Skaggs. Born in Kentucky in 1954, Skaggs has played a central role in shaping modern bluegrass and country music. A child prodigy, he first performed on stage with Bill Monroe at age six, and at age seven he appeared on national television with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. Before turning 18, Skaggs had already performed with many of the greatest legends in bluegrass. At age 15, he and his childhood friend Keith Whitley joined Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain Boys. In the 1970s, Skaggs’ musicianship helped redefine progressive bluegrass through his work with the Country Gentlemen, J.D. Crowe & the New South, and Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band. He launched his solo career in the early 1980s and became a leading figure in the neotraditional country movement. His string of #1 hits — including “Crying My Heart Out Over You,” “Highway 40 Blues,” and “Heartbroke” — made him one of the decade’s most influential artists. During this period he earned multiple CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 1985, as well as several Grammy Awards. In the 1990s, Skaggs returned his focus to bluegrass, forming his acclaimed band Kentucky Thunder. In 2018, Skaggs was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame—one of the few artists to receive both honors. He is also a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Skaggs has performed and recorded with a wide range of legendary artists across many genres, including Jack White, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Charlie Haden, Bruce Hornsby, Béla Fleck, John Fogerty, and Dionne Warwick, among many others. Across his decades-long career, Ricky Skaggs’ contributions as a singer, mandolinist, fiddler, bandleader, and tradition-bearer have secured his legacy as one of the most important figures in American roots music. Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder will present a special Christmas concert at the Brown County Music Center on December 11.
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    29 Min.
  • 40 Indiana guitarists every Hoosier should know: Evansville, Indiana’s Jackie Clark

    40 Indiana guitarists every Hoosier should know: Evansville, Indiana’s Jackie Clark
    Dec 10 2025
    On this episode of Cultural Manifesto, we’ll hear the first edition of a new segment titled “40 Indiana Guitar Pioneers That Every Hoosier Should Know.” Over the next year, we’ll be sharing the music and history of Indiana guitarists who made notable contributions to music. Some of these musicians are world-famous; some you may not have heard of. This is not a ranked list, and it won’t be presented in any particular order. We’ll kick this new series off with the Evansville, Indiana guitarist Jackie Clark, who played and recorded with some of the greatest legends in rock and R&B music, including Ike and Tina Turner, Iggy Pop, Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, and Bobby Womack, among others. Jackie Robinson Clark was born in Evansville, Indiana, in 1950. He began playing guitar in a local Evansville church at age 13. As a student at Central High School, he started a band called The Montclairs, and a few years later, at the University of Evansville, he formed a jazz band called Jackie and the Intelligents. Jackie’s big break came in 1970 when he met Ike and Tina Turner during a jam session at Evansville’s Executive Inn hotel. Jackie made a big impression on the Turners. In 1982, he told the Evansville Courier and Press that he maintained contact with Ike and Tina, and within a year, he was offered a chance to join their band. Jackie spent the next five years touring and recording with Ike and Tina. His guitar was prominently featured on two albums produced by Ike Turner under the name The Family Vibes, and his fuzz-drenched, acid guitar brought a heavy sound to Ike and Tina’s music. The 1970s were a busy time for Jackie Clark. His guitar was featured on the first two solo albums by Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman. In 1976, Jackie accepted an offer to join the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and he performed with the group during their historic tour of the USSR. At this time, Jackie was among the few Black musicians performing country or Americana roots music. As the 1970s ended, Jackie recorded and toured with the Godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop. He played bass and electric guitar with Iggy and is featured on Iggy’s 1979 album New Values. Jackie also appears on numerous live recordings with Iggy during this period — many of which feature the Sex Pistols’ original bass player, Glen Matlock. Jackie was among the first Black musicians working in punk rock music. During the early 1980s, Jackie’s music career came to an abrupt end. He moved back to his hometown of Evansville, where he died in 1990 at the age of 40. Jackie Clark remains an unsung figure in the history of Indiana music, but his extraordinary contributions to American music during the 1970s deserve much greater recognition.
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    6 Min.