Documentary Episodes

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.

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 showed up in rural England to live with Cope and his family. Cope joins Bent By Nature to recount their unique relationship and roles in each other’s lives.

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 his musical trajectory and that of artists to come.

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.

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.

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

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 limits. They had their own wild chemistry: funny, fearless, and more than a little bent.

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.

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.

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. culture today.

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