Episodes
Tuesday Dec 26, 2017
Tuesday Dec 26, 2017
Chicago's Brad Elvis is both a power pop legend and a lifer. His career goes back 45 years and has passed through several excellent bands along the way. After coming up through the local ranks with piers like Cheap Trick, his first brush with greatness was drumming for the tragically short-lived Screams. After the band ended in 1980, he went on to form and play in the Elvis Brothers throughout the 80s, Big Hello in the 90s and has been focused on the Handcuffs with his wife, lead singer Chloe Orwell, for most of the 2000s. In addition, his "day job" has been drumming for the Romantics for the last 15 or so years. He's seen and been through a lot and has managed a reputation as one of the best drummers in power pop along the way.
Tuesday Dec 19, 2017
Episode 137 - Bruce Thomas of Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Tuesday Dec 19, 2017
Tuesday Dec 19, 2017
There was a New Wave revolution happening in rock music in the late 70s and the poster boy for it was the bespectacled Elvis Costello and his band of Attractions, which included our guest this week bassist Bruce Thomas. While the band was leading a new charge, the various members were also sorting out a dynamic that saw Elvis rise as their clear leader, a move that never sat well with Bruce. Over the years, tensions mounted and Bruce eventually left the band. All of this, as well as his own musical and personal history, are included in Bruce's book Rough Notes which came out last year. Here we talk about what's at the heart of the dysfunction, our conflicted feelings about Elvis, and Bruce's new career as a prolific writer. Also, he's one of the world's experts on Bruce Lee of all people! Pick up the book and enjoy the ride!
Friday Dec 15, 2017
Friday Dec 15, 2017
Regular listeners know how much the Smithereens mean to me. Sadly, frontman Pat DiNizio passed away at 62 on Tuesday night after suffering through poor health for many years. To discuss what the band meant to us we bring on musician John Montagna and share stories, interactions, and impact. What was supposed to be a 30 min chat turned into a 75 min discussion! It's hard to stop when two guys talk about what means most to them. And please check out John's podcast Radio 418. It's very similar to ours - conversations about music, careers, and stories with other professionals.
Tuesday Dec 12, 2017
Episode 136 - Scott Wilk of Bone Symphony/Scott Wilk + The Walls
Tuesday Dec 12, 2017
Tuesday Dec 12, 2017
The 80s were the decade of the movie montage. And one of the classics is from Revenge of the Nerds when the guys find a frat house and begin fixing it up to the tune of "One Foot in Front of the Other" by a band called Bone Symphony. Our guest this week, Scott Wilk, was the lead singer of Bone Symphony and before that he fronted his own New Wave rock group called Scott Wilk + the Walls, where his sound drew regular comparisons to Elvis Costello. Later on that decade he partnered up with a young Charlie Sexton and became his keyboardist during those formative years. Today he makes a living scoring movies and TV as well as other kinds of media and corporate production. If you find 80s movie soundtracks as fascinating as I do, you won't want to miss this chat!
Wednesday Dec 06, 2017
Episode 135 - Steve Thompson - 7x Grammy Award Winning Producer
Wednesday Dec 06, 2017
Wednesday Dec 06, 2017
Mega-producer Steve Thompson's career goes back 40 years and includes every genre of music from disco to heavy metal to alternative to hip-hop. Along the way he's collected 7 Grammy Awards for his work with artists such as Paul Simon, Whitney Houston, Blues Traveler and Korn. The two notorious projects he gets asked about the most are GnR's Appetite for Destruction and Metallica's ...And Justice For All. But, I wanted to chat with Steve about the alternative and pop side to his career. We hear stories about artists including Tears For Fears, Talk Talk, David Bowie, and the Psychedelic Furs, as well as interesting tidbits on legends like the Grateful Dead, Aretha Franklin and Mick Jagger. He even plays us some new stuff he's working on. This one's packed to the gills with music he either produced, mixed, or remixed. Plus, he's quite a character. Enjoy!