Chicago-based band, Ratboys, joined midday host Alisa Ali at WFUV to talk about their latest album, Singin’ to an Empty Chair, how they fashioned both a genre-fluid and cohesive record from this collection of songs, their mission to dispel any negative myths about Ringo Starr, and how a therapy session inspired the title for this album. Songs: Anywhere, Penny in the Lake and What’s Right?

Australian singer, songwriter and musician Courtney Barnett played an exclusive show for WFUV at The Bitter End in New York City and sat down with FUV host Alisa Ali after the show to talk about her latest album, Creature of Habit, her songwriting process, what it was like to be the subject of a documentary, and how a picture of a praying mantis helped her finish the song that pulled the entire project together. Songs: Site Unseen, Mantis and One Thing At A Time

Stephen Sanchez returned to Studio-A in the Bronx to perform a live set from his latest album, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, and to talk to WFUV’s Alisa Ali about how Martin Luther King Jr. inspired the title track on this album, how he got his grandparents involved in the music videos, and what’s on the horizon for his inevitable third album. Songs: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, SWEET LOVE and High

Langhorne Slim joined WFUV host Emma Philippas in Studio-A to talk about his 2026 album, The Dreamin' Kind, how his songwriting has evolved since starting a family, his Nashville-based network that he collaborated with to bring the songs and music videos from this project to life, and how being a creative person is like being an octopus with many tentacles to pull inspiration from. Songs: Rock N Roll, On Fire and Dance On Thru

Gypsy post-punk rock international collective Gogol Bordello joined Cavalcade host Paul Cavalconte in Studio-A to play a live set from their new album We Mean it, Man! and to talk about how this group of musicians came together in New York from all over the world, how the mantra of this album – that life is possible again – comes at the perfect time given global catastrophes and how this album embraced electronics to honor the Balkan techno that has influenced the band from the very beginning. Songs: Life Is Possible Again, Ignition and We Mean it, Man!

In a special episode of FUV Live Sessions in front of a studio audience at Racket NYC, Jack Antonoff played an acoustic set featuring a few stripped down songs from Bleachers’ new album, everyone for ten minutes, and talked to WFUV host Alisa Ali about how the title of the album was born from a moment of accidental poetry with his iPhone, why he’s still optimistic about art even in the midst of AI and how we can better support artists by debunking the myth that there aren’t enough jobs for creatives. Songs: the van, Isimo, i can’t believe you’re gone, All My Heroes, 45 and i wanna get better

WFUV favorite, Fantastic Cat, joined host Alisa Ali in Studio-A to talk about their new album, Cat Out of Hell, how this album gave the band an opportunity to record live in the studio together as opposed to building the layers apart, how they decide which individually written songs become full band songs, and the value in doing the things that feel “too dumb” or “too silly” because you never know who it might connect with. Songs: Donnie Takes the Bus, Don’t Let Go, Elevator and L U C Y

Brooklyn's own They Might Be Giants brought their “The Bigger Show” tour to The Sheen Center in New York City for an exclusive show with WFUV’s members and the Johns sat down with FUV Host Benham Jones before the show to talk about their latest album, The World Is to Dig, how their songwriting process has changed throughout their catalogue and how different sonic influences from power pop to math rock have kept them inspired and curious throughout their musical careers. Songs: Doctor Worm, Wu-Tang, Get Down and Birdhouse in Your Soul

Latin Grammy award-winner Silvana Estrada sat down with WFUV host Sam Sumpter to talk about her Sophomore album, Vendrán Suaves Lluvias, how she mulled over that title for a decade after reading a Sarah Teasdale poem, the spiritual experience a listener can expect at one of her live shows and the intersection of activism, art and her Mexican heritage. Songs: Dime, Flores and Como Un Pájaro

Whitney joined WFUV host Alisa Ali in Studio-A to play three live songs from their new album, Small Talk, and to discuss why it was essential to try something entirely different for this project, the impressive work ethic of Chicago musicians, and the not-so-small-talk themes that come up on this record. Songs: Back to the Wind, Dandelions and Won’t You Speak Your Mind