Bent By Nature

Deirdre O'Donoghue and the lost SNAP archives

The most influential American DJ you've never heard of... till now.

Performances

In-studio performances from "SNAP" on KCRW, raw, unfiltered, and newly transferred and remastered from the source tapes for the first time in four decades.

Interviews

Rare and legendary interviews with musicians, filmmakers, artists, and auteurs on KCRW's "SNAP," newly transferred and remastered from the source tapes.

A ten-part documentary podcast series from the producers of the critically-acclaimed Lost Notes and UnFictional podcasts about "SNAP", a nighttime radio program and underground hotbed on KCRW created and hosted by Deirdre O’Donoghue.

Bent24

A 24-Hour, on-demand streaming channel featuring a shuffling playlist of SNAP episodes (1982-1991), restored from Deidre's original board tapes. SNAP was O'Donoghue's haven for what she called "new and strange and bizarre stuff that you don't tend to hear on most of the FM airwaves."

ABOUT
Bent by nature

She was the most influential American DJ you’ve never heard of. Deirdre O’Donoghue was a vital force in the musical underground of the 1980s. Countless artists crammed into her studio to perform live on her late-night show, “SNAP!” on KCRW. And after 40 years, those legendary sessions will be heard again. Join Michael Stipe, Henry Rollins, Julian Cope, and more for a sound-packed series from the producers of Lost Notes and Unfictional transporting you to the heyday of ‘80s independent music and the DJ who shaped it.

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EXPLORE PEFORMANCES

R.E.M.

R.E.M.’s meteoric rise was already well underway when they came to SNAP in April 1991. But the agreeably loose and rambling acoustic session feels like a gathering of old friends.

Tom Waits

Tom Waits makes a very special guest appearance on SNAP on the occasion of his 1987 album and stage play, “Frank’s Wild Years.”

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds join Deirdre in-studio on March 3, 1989, for a loose-limbed acoustic set following the release of “Tender Prey.”

Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan dropped into SNAP prior to the U.S. release of her 1989 debut, “Touch.” She and bass player Jeff Cross play a short duo set spotlighting her earthy but ethereal sound.

Harry Dean Stanton

Screen legend Harry Dean Stanton dropped into “SNAP” with his trio in June 1987 to share a commanding set of cover versions in both Spanish and English.

Meat Puppets

Meat Puppets returned to SNAP in 1988 as a tighter, brighter unit, beaming into the studio on the long tail of 1987’s “Huevos” album. As usual, the trio’s surreal inter-song banter adds to the psychedelic effect.

Robyn Hitchcock

The legendary Robyn Hitchcock stopped by SNAP in April 1989 to play a short acoustic set of songs from his forthcoming 1990 album, “Eye.”

Suzanne Vega

Suzanne Vega visited SNAP in April 1985 for her second-ever live radio appearance. Ahead of her now-classic debut album, Vega offers perfectly rendered takes of songs from that record, as well as an early appearance of one of her most iconic numbers.

The Church

The Church visits SNAP for a lively acoustic set focused on material from their 1988 US breakthrough, “Starfish.”

Pere Ubu

Cleveland’s indomitable Pere Ubu come to SNAP under the guise of Petit Ubu, a miniaturized trio, on the heels of their eighth album, "Worlds in Collision." They play an all-acoustic set that cherry-picks from their extensive history.

Camper Van Beethoven (1987)

Camper Van Beethoven made their wisecracking “SNAP!” debut in support of 1987’s “Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart,” playing a cheerfully chaotic set balanced between old and new.

The dB’s

The legendary dB’s blaze into the SNAP studio in December 1987 following an opening slot with R.E.M. Unveiling their new guitarist with a wildly eclectic set list, this is a true slice of SNAP-style looseness.

Concrete Blonde

LA’s Concrete Blonde blew the doors off for their first appearance on SNAP in April 1987. They perform a paint-peeling set interspersed with Johnette Napolitano’s grade-A banter.

Dwight Yoakam & The Babylonian Cowboys

Among the more uproarious of SNAP sessions, Dwight Yoakam brought his Babylonian Cowboys for a quick-footed set, shot through with the band’s relentless banter.

Blue Aeroplanes & The Jazz Butcher

The Blue Aeroplanes and The Jazz Butcher (a.k.a. Pat Fish) were not only mutual favorites of Deirdre’s, but also long-standing friends and collaborators. Together they dropped into SNAP during the off-hours to record this ramshackle but lovely acoustic set for later broadcast.

Cowboy Junkies (1988)

Cowboy Junkies waltzed onto SNAP in December 1988 for a slow-burning session to support the release of “The Trinity Session.”

The Dream Syndicate (1986)

LA’s legendary Dream Syndicate made a triumphant return with their 1986 album, “Out of the Grey.” That same year, they dropped in on Deirdre for their inaugural performance on the show.

The Chills

One of the leading lights of New Zealand’s “Dunedin sound,” The Chills landed on SNAP in May 1990. The band’s 11th incarnation stopped by to promote their album “Submarine Bells,” now widely considered their masterpiece.

Peter Case

Cult songwriter Peter Case returns for his second SNAP session for a pared-down trio performance laced with tantalizing covers.

Nick Lowe

Legendary English songwriter Nick Lowe brings his “Party of One” to SNAP for an acoustic showcase of that 1990 album, interspersed with characteristically wry conversation.

Aaron Neville

Soul legend Aaron Neville graced the SNAP studio for a transcendent solo set in the wake of his surprise return to the pop charts.

Blue Aeroplanes

England’s mighty Blue Aeroplanes landed on SNAP in July 1990 for an electric full-band session favoring songs from their American major-label debut, “Swagger.”

The Mighty Lemon Drops

The Mighty Lemon Drops made their SNAP debut in May 1988, on the cusp of American success with “Inside Out.” The band plays a rough and raucous set that hearkens back to their earlier indie recordings.

Daniel Lanois

One of the most in-demand producers of the ‘80s, Daniel Lanois returned to his roots for this solo acoustic SNAP set promoting his debut, “Acadie.”

Kitchens of Distinction

London’s Kitchens of Distinction were always a few steps ahead of their time. Their swirling, shoegaze-adjacent pop made for a noisy and rapturous SNAP session on Valentine’s Day 1991.

EXPLORE INTERVIEWS

How much does China threaten the US economy?

President Biden today announced higher tariffs on Chinese goods, saying the aim is to protect the U.S. economy from overseas competitors.

Brian Wilson

The Beach Boys icon stopped by KCRW on June 28, 1988 to discuss the complicated genesis of his self-titled solo album and his struggles with solitude and loneliness.

The Jesus & Mary Chain

In this never-before-heard interview on Easter Sunday 1986, a young JAMC offer surly takes on sex, success, and "Psychocandy."

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.

Brian Eno

On May 8, 1982, Deirdre aired her “1st Annual Brian Eno Birthday Celebration,” chatting with her hero about ditching vocal music, why he doesn’t perform live, his video installation…

Joe Strummer

In 1990, the former Clash frontman began his long alliance with The Pogues, producing their new album, "Hell's Ditch." He visits "SNAP!" to preview a few tracks, discuss making the album, and more.

Wire

The fearless U.K. punks stop by "SNAP!" in 1988 to talk their album "A Bell Is A Cup Until It Is Struck," opening for Depeche Mode, and the use of technology in their music.

Ian McCulloch

The former Echo & The Bunnymen frontman visits "SNAP!" on January 29, 1990 to talk going solo, the end of the Bunnymen, working with Elizabeth Fraser, and more.

The Mighty Lemon Drops

Guitarist Dave Newton and vocalist Paul Marsh drop by "SNAP!" in 1987 to talk their major label debut "Happy Head" and perhaps be cajoled into performing a song...

Everything But The Girl

Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt join Deirdre in 1985 to talk the need for women's voices in songwriting, reproducing their music in a live context, and the best way to embed a political message in a pop song.

Syd Straw

The luminary vocalist drops by "SNAP!" in September 1986 with a bagful of records for a guest DJ set with musical interjections by Deirdre.

The Blue Nile

Deirdre talks with the Glasgow cult favorites in a rare 1985 interview about the long genesis of their debut, their collective struggle with self-doubt, and their imminent preparations for their second album.

Philip Glass & Godfrey Reggio

Composer Philip Glass and director Godfrey Reggio stop by in May 1983 to discuss “Koyaanisqatsi,” a cinematic collaboration now considered a milestone of documentary film.

Glass Eye

Known for their brilliant, jagged, and tightly-wound “avant-pop” albums, Austin’s Glass Eye takes Deirdre through their LP “Bent By Nature,” plus a command performance of “Dimsey Naish.”

Robert Hilburn

In December 1985, LA Times music critic Robert Hilburn joined Deirdre for a retrospective roundup of the year's music, including The Replacements, activism in pop, The Meat Puppets, and more.

David Lowery

After the breakup of Camper Van Beethoven, former frontman David Lowery ended up in LA as "totally a lost soul," and reconnected with Deirdre for a guest DJ set on “SNAP!”

Tom Verlaine

The Television frontman discusses his role in the genesis of NYC punk, the small pleasures of acoustic tours, and his new record “The Wonder” as "a sack of jelly beans."

Michael Stipe & Michael Meister

On the final night of KCRW's ‘88 spring fund drive, Deirdre co-hosted "SNAP!" with Michael Meister of Texas Records, punctuated by some highly entertaining call-ins from R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe.

Paul Westerberg

Over beers at the Hyatt Sunset, the Replacements frontman talks filming the “Bastards of Young” video, their commercial radio reception, and his newfound reputation as “the nicest guy in the world.”

The Bats

New Zealand indie-pop legends The Bats swooped into KCRW on the heels of their "4 Songs" EP to talk radio scenes, a survey of their discography, and their favorite bands.

Julian Cope

Backstage in London, Deirdre joined Julian Cope to discuss his new album, "Peggy Suicide," the duty of the artist in society, John Peel, and more.

Sonic Youth

Fresh off releasing “Daydream Nation,” Sonic Youth stopped by KCRW to discuss Thurston Moore’s association with Glenn Branca, the band’s philosophy on good (and bad) reviews, and what Kim Gordon calls “the urban thrash thing.”

The Go-Betweens

On the heels of their sixth album, 1988's "16 Lovers Lane," beloved Australian indie outfit The Go-Betweens stopped by “SNAP!” to discuss their home country's influence on their music, the genesis of the album's title, and how they wrote its hit.

Pylon

Underground luminaries Pylon were legendary by the time they reformed in 1989. They stopped by KCRW that spring to discuss their prescient sound. We’ve unearthed the session, plus rare shots of the band in the studio with Deirdre.

Midnight Oil

In 1985, Australian rock legends Midnight Oil were among many fellow-travelers making modest inroads into the American underground. They appeared on “SNAP!” that August to discuss their new album, “Red Sails in the Sunset.”