It’s time to take a trip to the Land of Opportunity. Yes folks, the United States of America is a country blessed with incredible music, partly thanks to its stew of cultures. For the podcast, we're covering the avalanche of incredible Eighties underground punk and rock bands which would later influence Nirvana. We’ll take an in-depth look at Black Flag, Minor Threat, Sonic Youth, Fugazi and the Butthole Surfers analysing the (on-stage) sex, (plentiful) drugs and shock’n’roll. James sits down with Brendan Morgan of Oxford punk rock band Grub to discuss the scene. And we look at politics in US football (ok, soccer). Specifically we talk to Stephan Lewis of the Timbers Army, a raucous fan group who follow the Portland Timbers. He is leading a campaign to make the club radically inclusive, but has had to battle with the club of the use of the repurposed anti-facist Iron Front logo. Hear the full story of this fascinating stand-off on the pod.

Rabonas & Rhythms Podcast

America: Eighties hardcore punk and the anti-facist battle at Portland Timbers

Na ngeen def! (That's how are you? in Wolof). We travelled 5,730km to the city of Dakar, Senegal to bring you a very special episode, jam-packed with West African musical and football-based treats. We visit Mbalax star Thione Seck’s studio and chat with Oumar Sow who played in Youssou NDour's Les Étoile de Dakar. We also discuss the impact of Orchestra Baobab, Baaba Maal and Ismaël Lô and also witness Cheikh Lô live. That's on top of James reporting from the labarythine like streets of Ngor village, where the mourides singers croon late into the night and finding out what it's like to be a Senegalese footballer who’s played across African with Babacar Mbengue. Do not miss.

Senegal: The music and football of Dakar

One of Africa’s hottest bands tells us their story: from escaping civil war and a ban on music in their home country to touring the world. They’ve worked with the likes of Damon Albarn’s Africa Express, Iggy Pop and may soon collaborate with guitar hero Nile Rodgers. We discuss how they see themselves as more like a western band, their new music and the misconceptions of Timbuktu. And we talk football: from the crisis in Malian domestic football to African players getting ripped off hunting their dream of playing in Europe.

Mali: Songhoy Blues on performing in exile and footballers trying to get to Europe

It’s coming home, it’s coming. R&R stops in England on our world tour to meet up with Emile Heskey. We discuss beating Germany, playing in two World Cups and the real secret of the squad’s fall out with Fabio Capello. The former Leicester, Liverpool and Aston Villa man is fascinating on dealing with managers, racism and depression in football and why he was at times mocked by pundits. And of course, we chat music: from clubbing in Leicester to his classic DJ celebration.

England: Emile Heskey on World Cups, racism and Leicester’s nightlife

Hear how London’s top record labels, stores, venues and mags are finding life in 2019. We headed down to the Independent Music Cup, a five-a-side football tournament where the industry competed in aid of War Child. You’ll hear from charming types at XL Recordings, Rough Trade Shops, Ninja Tune, Domino, Mixmag, Worldwide FM and the Barbican. You’ll learn what it’s like to work with Thom Yorke, how a label functions when an artist explodes and which two labels face off on the pitch each Monday night. And the episode is packed with the tips for the best new music in 2019.

The Independent Music Cup

We look back on our favourite tournament after a fascinating month of football in Egypt concluding in Algeria’s win over Senegal. There’s analysis of whether the expansion of the Afcon and its move to the summer was a success and we pick out some of the rising stars in the competition. And we review our predictions for the tournament (spoiler: mixed at best) before playing Senegalese legend Youssou N’Dour. Listen on Soundcloud, iTunes, Spotify or whether you get your podcasts.

Africa Cup of Nations review

Our favourite tournament returns: even bigger and brighter. Afcon is now in summer and, after a last minute switch, taking place in Egypt rather than the planned Cameroon. Ahead of Friday’s big kick off, we’ll assess who the stars will be - from Mo Salah and Sadio Mane to the Ivory Coast’s Nicolas Pepe and Congo’s Cedric Bakambu. We’ll attempt to make a case for who will win a tournament which is as wide open as ever and predict the golden boot winner. We’ll also play out with music from a band which emerged during the Arab Spring: Code Masr.

Africa Cup of Nations preview

Golaccio! A new episode recorded on the road in the land of Catenaccio. Alex convinces his father-in-law to attend his first ever football match: a crunch relegation battle as Parma host Fiorentina. Back in Serie A after a string of promotions following their bankruptcy, it turned out to be a dramatic match for the much-decorated I Gialloblu. In the music part of the show we discuss Samuel Heron, a cheeky rapper from Le Spezia who’s causing a stir.

Italy: Parma’s relegation battle and rapper Samuel Heron

Join us on a trip to east Africa for some R&R. We chat to composer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Page, aka Dubulah, the founder of Dub Colossus. The Londoner worked with Ethiopian musicians to create a unique, gargantuan sound after two decades working in ethno-tech collectives Transglobal Underground and Temple of Sound. He discusses what ‘world’ music has to do to make it in the West, the greats of Ethiopian music and even some footy. In the football half of the show, we look ahead to next year’s African Nations Championship, which was due to take place in Ethiopia before it was stripped of the rights. We speak to local BBC journalist Omna Taddele as well as player Anteneh Samuel, who plays in the academy set up by the country’s answer to Arsene Wenger, Sewnet Bishaw.

Ethiopia: Dub Colossus and the ‘Arsene Wenger of Africa’

The inaugural football World Cup in 1930 was hosted and won by Uruguay in extraordinary fashion. In this mini-episode we look back at a tournament full of oddities from bizarre suspensions (for running a cafe), suit-wearing refs and a match which lasted 84 minutes. In the music half of the show, we examine the underground sounds coming out of the capital, Montevideo, where vinyl-junkie DJs including Persian cat fanatic DJ Koolt, and Christian Bonanata, have been ripping it up.

Uruguay: The first World Cup and Montevideo’s dance scene

For 100 hours in 1969, a bloody war between El Salvador and Honduras caught the world’s attention. In this mini-episode we recount the three crunch matches in qualifying for the 1970 World Cup which heightened tensions between the neighbouring nations. It’s an extraordinary tale of action, suicide and the not-so-beautiful game. And we look at the hardcore punk scene of San Salvador and some of its leading bands in a country - now under a new president - where gang violence provides the backdrop to youth culture.

El Salvador: The Football War and San Salvador’s hardcore punk scene

If you’re on Twitter, you’ll know em. Nick Fraser and Mark Liptrott have created an online sensation with their cleverly-worked club badges, which combine football crests with bands' logos and names. Think Wu-vemphampton Wanderers and All Saints (Southampton). A fun idea between mates has spiralled into highly sought after collectables, an exhibition at The National Football Museum and even a match day programme, done in conjunction with the Charlatans and Gary Neville, at Salford City. We caught up with Nick at Charlatans’ frontman Tim Burgess’ gig in London.

Meet Bands FC - the football and music crest designers

A celebration of two incredible musicians and a look at the state of play in women’s football in Africa. We meet up with rising Liberian star Angie TonTon at Senegalese legend Thion Seck’s studio in Dakar to discuss why it’s hard to be heard internationally as a female musician and the personal help she’s received from president George Weah. She even sings a cappella for us. We discuss the secret to the string of incredible artists to emerge from Mali with Fatoumata Diawara - born in the Ivory Coast to Malian parents - and the advice she gives to other female artists. And we look back at Nigeria’s recent triumph at the Africa Women's Cup of Nations and look at the dearth of female coaches at the top of the women’s game with Goal.com journalist Samuel Ahmadu.

Women of Africa Special: Two musicians on equality and what’s next for women’s football

Champions League winner John Arne Riise lifts the lid on life in the Liverpool dressing room, discusses becoming Norway’s most capped player and mixing it with France’s World Cup winners as a teenager. He also opens up on the difficulties of handling family life for “selfish” footballers. Of course we discuss music too, including the former Roma and Fulham star’s first gig and an artist from his home town causing a stir. And we cover the ‘cosmic disco’ which emerged from Norway and influenced dance music across the globe.

Norway: Cosmic disco and John Arne Riise on Champions League glory

We travel to Belarus to discover the music and football of one of Eastern Europe’s most fascinating countries. Stary Olsa, a lively Minsk six piece, tell us about keeping alive the medieval music of The Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the vast state which had Belarus at its heart. They play all kinds of unusual instruments in their studio lined with armoury for us, and there’s even a surprise waiting in their bagpipe case. And we meet BATE Borisov’s central defensive rock Denis Polyakov after a match against Torpedo Minsk to discuss playing in the Champions League and for Belarus.

Belarus: Meet a medieval reboot band and a BATE Borisov star

The podcast sees two worldly-wise football and music nuts – James Labous and Alex Lawson – bring together their loves to tell the tales of a different nation’s sporting and musical stars each episode.

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Rabonas & Rhythms Podcast

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