Episodes
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Episode 432 - Rat Scabies of The Damned/The Sinclairs
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Is there a better punk rock name than Rat Scabies? When drummer Chris Millar picked that pseudonym and took up with the legendary Damned, he solidified his legacy in rock royalty. Along with his decades with the Damned, Rat has also always had several side projects going on. These days, one of his main focuses is The Sinclairs, his collaboration with guitarist Billy Shinbone. The sound is a beautiful blend of surf rock and hazy blues and psychedelia. They just released their second album, The Long Slow Death of a Cigarette. Here, Rat and I discuss how he manages his time with his many side-projects, the legacy of the Damned, including his thoughts on their excellent documentary, Don't You Wish That We Were Dead, their evolution of sound, and much more. Enjoy!
Tuesday Aug 08, 2023
Episode 431 - Dave Robinson Co-Founder of Stiff Records
Tuesday Aug 08, 2023
Tuesday Aug 08, 2023
Where would we be without Stiff Records? Founded by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera in 1976, this is the label that introduced the world to artists like Elvis Costello, Madness, Ian Dury, Graham Parker, the Damned, the Pogues, Nick Lowe and many more. This week Dave Robinson showers us with numerous stories about these and many other artists, including his former roommates Van Morrison and Jimi Hendrix! He also tells us about the hot young band that brought him back to management, Hardwicke Circus. The man's a legend. Enjoy every second!
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Episode 430 - Ricky Phillips of the Babys/Bad English/Styx
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Bassist Ricky Phillips is a glue guy, which is saying something when you figure the bands he's been in and big personalities he's worked with. He joined the Babys near the end of their time and weathered the storms well enough to get the call to join Bad English with some of the same guys. Then, when that band began to implode he joined a couple more legends named Coverdale/Page. Finally, the call came to join Styx where he's been happily employed for about 20 years. He shares the story of this journey with us, all the twists and turns and more. Crowded House and Tina Turner even make an appearance. Enjoy!
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Episode 429 - Sonya Madan and Glenn Johansson of Echobelly
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Brit Pop! A term used for good and bad to describe a bunch of excellent bands coming out of the UK in the 90s. As usual, they were leading the charge in sounds and style making the rest of the world observers. Echobelly, with their killer sound ("Great Things", "King of the Kerb", "Insomniac" and more) and beautiful lead singer looked and sounded different and made a dent because of it. Unfortunately, when Brit Pop moved on, so did the spotlight leaving bands like Echobelly in its wake. This week we hear from lead singer Sonya Madan and guitarist Glenn Johansson about it all, how they picked themselves back up, the music they make now, how they get by and more. If you don't know them, you'll fall in love.
Saturday Jul 22, 2023
Book Club - John Robb author of The Art of Darkness: The History of Goth
Saturday Jul 22, 2023
Saturday Jul 22, 2023
Our Book Club guest this week is writer John Robb. John wears many hats - he runs the popular music website Louder Than War, he's a popular talking head and commentator of music and culture, he's written several books, and he's been in a couple punk bands. His latest is the massive endeavor, The Art of Darkness: The History of Goth which manages to explain the origins of the scene (Edgar Allen Poe, Marquis de Sade, Dionysus) and how that lead to the excellent music we all love (Adam Ant, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, etc). We debate what is and what isn't goth, why people gravitate to it, its morality and sexuality, and more. It's a great book and an incredible undertaking. Check it out.
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Episode 428 - Paul Kelly
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Paul Kelly has been labeled "the Australian Bob Dylan" for decades and as much as that's a huge compliment, it undercuts that Paul is legend in his own rite. The talents he shares with the greats are a never ending ear for melody, a bag of hooks that never empties, and a knack for storytelling envied by many. After almost 50 years, Paul is currently curating his vast catalog in a new way. The last couple years has seen him release several "Mix-Tape Compilations" of his songs based on themes like Poetry, People, Drinking, and Time. In many cases the songs on these comps have been reimagined in fresh new ways. Paul discusses how he approaches his history, how "How to Make Gravy" has taken on a life of its own, how he keeps things fresh, and much more. He is absolutely one of the finest artisans to ever write a song. We're lucky to have him.
Monday Jul 17, 2023
Recap 2023 Q2
Monday Jul 17, 2023
Monday Jul 17, 2023
Jon and Jan recap Q2, with some excellent gigs in the bag!
We hear about Jan's sabbatical, and more!
A huge debt of gratitude to those who filled in. We couldn't have managed it without you.
We hit a million downloads, so have some goodies to give away, which Jon will tell the Patreon folks about, in the next few days.
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Episode 427 - Tommy Stinson of the Replacements/Guns N’ Roses/Solo
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Friday Jul 07, 2023
Friday Jul 07, 2023
Mark and Tony of the mighty Big Country are back to discuss Cherry Red's amazing deluxe reissue of their 1999 album, Driving to Damascus. In the late 90s, Big Country were finally starting to find their footing again after some years of reinvention and Damascus shows a ton of promise of where they might be headed. Sadly, it ended up being their last album with the core four guys. Mark and Tony are upfront about all of it. This reissue collects the original album as well as demos, the "Nashville Sessions", alternate mixes, and more. It's one of the band's strongest works. Here's the story.
Tuesday Jul 04, 2023
Episode 426 - Matt Piucci and Steven Roback of the Rain Parade
Tuesday Jul 04, 2023
Tuesday Jul 04, 2023
It's always a good feeling when artists you haven't heard from in a while come back with some of their strongest work. California's Rain Parade were one of the key bands of the Paisley Underground, the name given to indie bands like the Bangles and the Dream Syndicate who were focusing on melody and steeped in Big Star and the Byrds. Their '83 debut is still a masterwork of any genre. After switching to a major label, the usual challenges ensued and the band ceased, though the members all went on to other projects. This summer sees the release of the first Rain Parade album in 38 years, Last Rays of a Dying Sun, and it might be their strongest yet. Matt and Steven join us to discuss what motivated the new album, their collaboration process, the passing of Steven's brother and original member David Roback who went on to form Mazzy Star, and much more. It'll be hard to knock this album off my best of the year list. Enjoy!
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Episode 425 - Jim Bob of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine/Solo
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Only the late 80s/early 90s Britain could have produced a band like Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine. With sarcasm and attitude to spare, Jim Bob and Fruitbat pilloried modern British culture in a way no one else could. That talent got them a number one album and a headlining spot at Glastonbury in 1992. Eventually the band went their separate ways and Jim Bob has been on a roll ever since releasing album after album of wry cultural criticism packed with hard won wisdom. His latest, Thanks For Reaching Out, comments on the world today in a way we can all relate to (and laugh about). He tells us about all of it and more. Enjoy!
Monday Jun 26, 2023
Deep Dive - Producer Terry Manning on ZZ Top’s Eliminator (1983)
Monday Jun 26, 2023
Monday Jun 26, 2023
ZZ Top producer Terry Manning returns this week to tell us about the making of the band's massive comeback album Eliminator. Billy Gibbons is lucky his risky bet that merging blues with new wave would be successful paid off because all signs point that it wouldn't. The album spawned four huge hits like "Legs", "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and went on to sell about 20 million copies, not to mention confirming their legendary status. Terry discusses helping Billy fulfill his vision and the challenges involved. Enjoy!
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Episode 424 - Dean Roland of Collective Soul/Brock Walsh
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
This week is another fun twofer! We kick it off with Collective Soul guitarist Dean Roland! Dean talks about hitting the road this summer playing various festivals, and the plans next year for a big 25th anniversary celebration. Plus, we hear the stories behind several songs and collaborations. Then, we welcome accomplished songwriter Brock Walsh! Brock is probably best known for writing "Automatic", which the Pointer Sisters turned into a big hit. Brock's career hits many fun pop culture touchstones including writing for Cop Rock, being the voice of Mac Tonight, working with Quincy Jones and Sidney Poitier, writing for Bruce Willis, James Ingram, Earth Wind and Fire, movie soundtracks, ad jingles and much more. It's a total blast!
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Episdoe 423 - Louise Post of Veruca Salt
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
The 90s were the best time in music history for women that rocked. When punk went pop the alternative underground was full of killer rock bands fronted and driven by women, including Veruca Salt. Co-founders Louise Post and Nina Gordon made a big splash with hits like "Seether" and "Volcano Girls" and even after Nina left, Louise kept the band going for two more equally, if not harder edged, albums. Louise recently released her first solo album, Sleepwalker, which shows a lot of maturity and vulnerability but loses none of the songcraft. Louise talks about how the pandemic, marriage, children, and time brought out some of those vulnerabilities and a lot more. She's an inspiration. Enjoy!
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Episode 422 - Simon Kirke of Free/Bad Company
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Drummer Simon Kirke has been at the forefront of what most people consider real, authentic rock and roll to be. Beginning with the amazing Free and then joining Paul Rodgers in Bad Company, Simon has played on some of the greatest rock songs ever and seen just about everything along the way. In our conversation we talk about the state of the band now, the Brian Howe years, his solo career, his family's take over of Hollywood, the RnR Hall of Fame, and everything in between. The guy has contributed a lot. We're lucky to hear from him.
Monday Jun 05, 2023
2023 Recap 1
Monday Jun 05, 2023
Monday Jun 05, 2023
Jon and Andy record their memories of the first quarter of 2023 (better late than never). The guests, the state of the pod, concerts and whatever else came up. This was recorded live and unedited.
www.patreon.com/thehustlepod
Wednesday May 31, 2023
Episode 421 - David Thomas of Pere Ubu
Wednesday May 31, 2023
Wednesday May 31, 2023
Pere Ubu mastermind David Thomas has never found a dark, unchartered corner of music he didn't want to explore. More punk in spirit than sound, David has guided the band for almost 50 years leading with his rants and raves and sounds uniquely his own. Last week, the band released their umpteenth album, Trouble on Big Beat Street, and it's as full of ideas as anything else they've done. Here David and I discuss his approach to "pop" music, working with Stephen Hague in the 80s, how he plans out (or doesn't) his music and much more. He's a notoriously irascible character, but he's also one in a million.
www.patreon.com/thehustlepod
Tuesday May 23, 2023
Episode 420 - Stephen Patman of Chapterhouse
Tuesday May 23, 2023
Tuesday May 23, 2023
Chapterhouse were one of the premiere bands to come out of that shoegaze scene of the early 90s in the UK. They were experts at mixing shimmery, psychedelic guitars with acid-house drum samples taking listeners on deep mental and emotional journeys. Guitarist Stephen Patman joins us this week to discuss the new 6-disc box set Chronology coming out this week! We also get into the history of the band, why it only lasted two albums, (Whirlpool and Blood Music, both excellent) and what those wild days were like. Get ready to fall in love with Chapterhouse!
www.patreon.com/thehustlepod
Tuesday May 16, 2023
Episode 419 - Don Letts
Tuesday May 16, 2023
Tuesday May 16, 2023
If "influencer" had been a thing back in the 70s, Don Letts would have been the master. He's one of the most important figures in British music and culture, but it's not just because of him being in Big Audio Dynamtie (which he was) or because he's a revolutionary film director (which he is) or because he's a successful DJ (which he is). It's because in the late 70s, he was in the nexus of music, fashion, punk rock and culture and brought the sounds of underground dub and reggae to creatives like the Clash who would go on and change the world. So many stories from that period begin with "I was at a party at Don Letts's house when...". Don has recently completed his first solo album, Outta Sync which will be out in September. Don discusses all of it, the videos he directed, the times hanging out with Bob Marley, joining B.A.D. and all the rest. Enjoy!
www.patreon.com/thehustlepod
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Episode 418 - Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Toronto's Crash Test Dummies are one of the quirkier acts to ever achieve world-wide fame. Thanks to the 1993 smash "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" off their second album, the world became aware of this band of creative misfits doing their own thing. While more smash hits were not to be, their audience have remained loyal over the years, no matter what style seems to be tickling head Dummy Brad Roberts at the moment. Here Brad and I discuss what inspires him creatively, his feelings about his unique singing voice, plans for the future, and the band's new single "Sacred Alphabet" which is lovely and, no surprise, totally unique. Enjoy!
www.crashtestdummies.com
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Author Shane Robitaille joins us for Book Club this week to discuss his recent book, Rockit Crew. This wonderful little novel depicts the (mostly) personal story of close friends growing up in the 80s, dealing with being outcasts, bullied, uncool, working class, and broken homes all while also falling in love with Hip-Hop. It's a beautiful coming of age story of teenage boys finding each other at a crucial time in life and forming bonds and memories that last a lifetime. We've all been there. Enjoy!
Wednesday May 03, 2023
HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY TO US with Robbie Nevil
Wednesday May 03, 2023
Wednesday May 03, 2023
The Hustle turns 8 years old this week and we celebrate by bringing on the excellent singer/songwriter Robbie Nevil! When most of us think about Robbie we remember those late 80s hits like "C'est La Vie" and "Dominoes" and then probably wonder where he went. Robbie actually had a successful career as a writer for others before and after his solo career took over. Among the people he wrote for that we talk about are Sheena Easton, Al Jarrreau, Earth Wind and Fire, David Lee Roth, the Pointer Sisters, Melissa Manchester, Rockwell, El Debarge and many others. For a couple decades now he's made a living writing songs for placement in movies and TV shows and has excelled at that too. Robbie's been one of our dream guests since "Day 1" (get it?), so we're lucky to hear from him. Enjoy!
Sunday Apr 30, 2023
Episode 416 - Ed Stasium pt.2
Sunday Apr 30, 2023
Sunday Apr 30, 2023
Our conversation with legendary producer Ed Stasium continues today with part two. This time we cover more Ramones, the Smithereens, Genya Ravan, the Sighs and much much more. Enjoy!
Wednesday Apr 26, 2023
Episode 416 - Ed Stasium pt.1
Wednesday Apr 26, 2023
Wednesday Apr 26, 2023
Saturday Apr 22, 2023
Book Club - Martin Popoff author of AC/DC @ 50
Saturday Apr 22, 2023
Saturday Apr 22, 2023
The great author Martin Popoff returns to the show to discuss his new book in the @ series, AC?DC @ 50. These beautiful books by Motorbooks serve as a great read and an excellent coffee table book.The content counts down 50 benchmark events in the career of AC/DC accompanied by beautiful rare photos. Popoff, one of the best rock writers there is, knows this history inside and out and weaves an entertaining story. Check it out!
Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
Episode 415 - Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols/Solo
Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
When you look back over Glen Matlock's career, the parts involving the Sex Pistols are relatively short blips. Yes, they're titans that cast a tall shadow on everything else, but Glen has carved a path for himself the last few years very much his own. He's become a go-to session guy for legends like the Faces and Blondie (who gave a triumphant performance at Coachella last weekend), as well as his own excellent solo career. His latest, Consequences Coming, is out on April 28th and contains all the vitriol an aging punk looking at the world today can muster. It's among his best work, solo or otherwise. We also get into Pistols reunions, playing with Iggy, Johnny Thunders, Ian Hunter and others and (finally!) the release of the Rich Kids album Ghosts of Princes in Towers from 1978 on Record Store Day on the 22nd. Enjoy hearing from a bona fide legend!
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Deep Dive - Iva Davies on Icehouse’s Man Of Colour (1987)
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
We are honored to welcome back Icehouse mastermind Iva Davies to deep dive their breakthrough album Man Of Colours from 1987. This was the album that brought Icehouse into the mainstream with hits like "Crazy" and "Electric Blue" and remains their best known globally. Iva gives us incredible stories about every song on the record, how they came to be, writing with John Oates, and much much more. We're lucky to hear from Iva again! Enjoy.
Tuesday Apr 11, 2023
Episode 414 - Debora Iyall of Romeo Void
Tuesday Apr 11, 2023
Tuesday Apr 11, 2023
Romeo Void were a sneaky important band. First, they were the most successful band to come out of the San Francisco scene of the early 80s and showed that interesting things were happening in that city. They also had a couple of the most provocative hits of the era, "Never Say Never" and "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)" that remain potent today. And frontwoman Debora Iyall represented proudly large women everywhere with her style, intellect, talent and grace. Debora joins us to talk about the band's history, how she coped with being unique, and the new album Romeo Void has coming out on Record Store Day which is a concert from 1980 at the Mabuhay Gardens. She's a icon and we're lucky to hear from her.
www.romeovoid.com
www.patreon.com/thehustlepod
Monday Apr 10, 2023
Podcaster Panel - Musical Bias
Monday Apr 10, 2023
Monday Apr 10, 2023
Why do people who love music so passionately, still have styles, genres, decades etc that they just can't get into? Does it mean you have a closed mind? Baggage? Bigotry? Have you ever come around to certain artists or styles once the right person or situation turns you on to them? Can you ever approach anything artistic with a completely open mind? Brad Page, BJ Kramp and Eric Miller join Jon to discuss these topics. Tell us what you think!
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
Episode 413 - Peter Case of the Nerves/the Plimsouls/Solo
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
I wonder if it's Peter Case's slightly rebellious spirit that has endeared him to fans for so long. Within one decade he was a member of two hugely important rock bands - the Nerves ("Hanging on the Telephone") and the Plimsouls ("A Million Miles Away"), but since the late 80s he's been doing things his way - a little folk, a little jazz, a little blues, just whatever he felt like. His diverse tastes have made for an equally diverse body of work and his latest album, Doctor Moan, is no exception. The album explores his jazz and piano side more than any other release and is all the better for it. We hear about his love for all kinds of music, his historic legacy, playing piano at the church of John Coltrane, and much more. Enjoy!
Wednesday Mar 29, 2023
Episode 412 - Nik Kershaw and Henry Priestman of Yachts/The Christians/Solo
Wednesday Mar 29, 2023
Wednesday Mar 29, 2023
This week is a fun, UK-focused, twofer. First is the great Nik Kershaw. Nik was a major hit maker in the early 80s with songs like "Wouldn't It Be Good" and "The Riddle" peaking with his appearance at Live Aid. Things started to slow down after that, but he's continued on releasing excellent music. This fall he'll be going back on the road in Europe for his first tour in 11 years. After that we hear from journeyman Henry Priestman. Henry was in a great new wave band called Yachts that had some success in the late 70s. It didn't last too long though, so he moved on to other bands, most notably The Christians who were multi-platinum hitmakers in the UK for a few years. For the last 15 years he's released a few high-quality solo albums. He shares stories of his early days in Liverpool, playing with Echo and the Bunnymen and Paul McCartney, and much more.
Both lovely guys. Enjoy!
Monday Mar 27, 2023
Book Club - D.X. Ferris author of The Story of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers
Monday Mar 27, 2023
Monday Mar 27, 2023
The great Donnie Iris just turned 80 years old and is still out there playing packed shows that totally rock in his homebase of Cleveland and Pittsburgh. To celebrate we welcome author D.X. Ferris to discuss his book The Story of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. Part oral history, part narrative, Ferris goes through every benchmark in Donnie's career, including every track on every album with Donnie, Mark Avsec, and the rest of the band. We learn about why Ferris felt compelled to write this book and honor Donnie in this way. Plus, we have a copy to give away. Enjoy!
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
Episode 411 - Rodney Anonymous of the Dead Milkmen
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
Philadelphia's Dead Milkmen hold a special place in American punk rock. Relying heavily on absurdist humour rather than ferocity, the band found a place in the hearts of many with underground hits like "Punk Rock Girl" and "Bitchin' Camaro". Eventually the band slowed way down and the guys went back to "normal" with the occasional reunion show, but as frontman Rodney Anonymous shows us, that caustic sense of rebellion has never left. Here Rodney tells us the band's story, his feelings on performing, the music he's into, and where they go from here. Don't remember the last time I laughed this hard. Enjoy!
Monday Mar 20, 2023
Deep Dive - Gina Schock on House of Schock (1988)
Monday Mar 20, 2023
Monday Mar 20, 2023
We are welcoming back Hall of Famer Gina Schock to discuss her lone solo album, House of Schock from 1988, After the Go-Gos called it quits, and with each member going off to do their own thing, Gina formed House of Schock with bassist Vance DeGeneres (Ellen's brother). They only managed one album, and a decent hit with "Middle of Nowhere" before moving on to other projects. Gina fills us in on the full story and much more. Enjoy!
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Episode 410 - John Leckie
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Producer John Leckie's long and storied career spans from Syd Barrett and John Lennon to Doves and the Coral. That's over 50 years of amazing work. In this 2 hour conversation we try to cover as much of it as possible. The diverse and far-ranging list of topics include Fela Kuti, Ornette Coleman, the Stone Roses, Human League, Simple Minds, Gene Loves Jezebel, Spiritualized, the Verve, Ride, Pink Floyd, John Lennon, George Harrison, XTC, T. Rex, the Fall, Public Image Ltd, Magazine, Radiohead, Elastica and Los Lobos. The man can do, and has done, everything and became a legend because of it. Enjoy every minute!
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
Episode 409 - Tony Carey
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
It's been a long, sometimes confusing, ride for Tony Carey. His breakthrough on the big stage was being recruited to join Rainbow on their Rising album. After a year or so, Tony decided he'd be happier on his solo and chose to go back to focusing on his solo career. In the early 80s things started to pick up with the success of "A Fine Fine Day" and "Why Me" under his Planet P Project moniker. But, once again, he decided the rock and roll ratrace wasn't for him and he moved to Germany where he's been stationed ever since. We may not have heard from him as much, but his career's been going strong over the decades including his 2019 album Lucky Us. Tony and I try to make sense of it all and he does so in his own laidback and funny way. Enjoy!
Wednesday Mar 01, 2023
Episode 408 - Sean Dickson of the Soup Dragons/HiFi Sean
Wednesday Mar 01, 2023
Wednesday Mar 01, 2023
It hasn't been easy for Sean Dickson. In fact, he doesn't even look like the Soup Dragons frontman you remember from early 90s hits like "I'm Free" and "Divine Thing". There's a good reason for that - almost nothing is the same. Since the Soup Dragons closed up shop in the late 90s, Sean came out, left music for many years, spent some time battling mental health, marrying his husband and finally becoming an in demand DJ named HiFi Sean and releasing a hit new album with vocalist David McAlmont recently called Happy Endings. Sean opens up more than he ever has before, especially when it comes to the endurance of "I'm Free" which he doesn't benefit from. It's a lot and, ultimately, a story of redemption. By the end, we're both in tears. Enjoy!
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
Episode 407 - Ron Sexsmith
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
Canadian singer/songwriter Ron Sexsmith has been so consistently strong his entire career that it's easy to take him for granted. If industry respect equated to hits, he'd have hundreds, but instead he carries on effortlessly doing what he does and doing it well. Last week we released his latest album, The Vivian Line, and it's just as good as anything else he's done, of course. Ron joins us this week to discuss his lengthy career, his unique Twitter persona, his approach to songwriting, and more. Give us a listen.
Saturday Feb 18, 2023
Book Club - Gary Graff author of Alice Cooper @ 75
Saturday Feb 18, 2023
Saturday Feb 18, 2023
Much like with recent guest Martin Popoff and his Bowie @ 75 book, author Gary Graff has summarized the incredible career of Alice Cooper into 75 key moments and illustrates the significance of each. Starting with his childhood in Arizona and Detroit, and then moving on to being discovered by Frank Zappa, hitting their stride thanks to Bob Ezrin, the big comeback with "Poison", and the settling in as shock rock elder statesman, every major up and down is featured in the book along with hundreds of glossy images rarely seen before. His love of golf, his born again Christianity and his crazy stage show are all included as well. Gary discusses how he put the book together as well as his history with Alice. And, there's a giveaway! Enjoy!
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Episode 406 - Dan Wilson
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Last year songs written by Dan Wilson were streamed on Spotify 743 million times. Think about that. Dan has turned a decent run as the frontman for Semisonic ("Closing Time"), into one of the most successful songwriting careers of the last 25 years. The big ones are Taylor, Adele, Mitski and the Chicks, but we also discuss his work with bands like Weezer and Nada Surf among others. Alongside all of this is his own beautiful solo career. He recently released an EP called Dancing on the Moon and it's just as wonderful as the work he's done for others. Listen up and catch a glimpse of how a master of his craft came to be.
Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
Episode 405 - Steve Hillage
Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
There's a good chance Steve Hillage was beamed here from another planet and has been living among us as an alien for over 70 years. He starts out in the far out prog band Gong making super challenging music. He then goes solo and makes equally challenging music with producers like Nick Mason and Todd Rundgren while exploring where the mind (and his guitar) could go. Then, he decides techno and trance music has a similar spacey effect so he becomes System 7 and travels the world DJing. Along the way he produces albums by Simple Minds, Cock Robin, Tony Banks, the Charlatans, Real Life, and more. What a long, strange trip it's been! Here him try to explain it all. Enjoy!
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Monday Feb 06, 2023
The great DJ Richard Blade joins us to discuss a couple of his recent books. A couple years ago he released his entertaining memoir World In My Eyes which details his rise to fame as one of the most recognizable DJs in the world. He also recently released another book, The Unlocked Interviews which are conversations he had during lockdown with some of music’s greatest personalities. We discuss both of these as well as many behind the scenes stories from his long career.
Enjoy!
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Episode 404 - Corinne Drewery of Swing Out Sister
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
The wonderful Swing Out Sister are celebrating 35 years of exceptional music this year. They may be best known for the global (and still evergreen) hit "Breakout" from their debut album in 1987, but there has been a steady stream of excellent albums and hits of all kinds ever since. Their style has gone deep into jazz, lounge and house while always remaining uniquely SOS. The duo of Corinne Drewery and Andy Connell are celebrating that history with the recent boxset Blue Mood, Breakout and Beyond... The Early Years Part 1 which collects their first three albums as well as discs of remixes and b-sides for the fans that want it all. Corinne joins us (after years of trying to make this happen) to tell us the full story, discuss some of their deeper tracks, and how they keep it going. She doesn't do a lot of interviews, so we're especially honored to have her. Enjoy!
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Episode 403 - Dave Rowntree of Blur
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
For a while there in the 90s Blur were one of the biggest bands in the world. Global dominance didn't last long, but for some people, especially in the UK, they're still legends. After years of making music for Film and TV, drummer Dave Rowntree has just released his first solo album, Radio Songs, which sounds like you might imagine someone adept at scoring might sound. In this conversation, Dave discusses the transition from band drummer to musician for hire, why the time was now for a solo album, his days with Blur, Oasis, and the stories behind some of the songs. We're lucky to hear from artists like Dave. Enjoy!
Monday Jan 23, 2023
2022 4th Quarter and Year End Review
Monday Jan 23, 2023
Monday Jan 23, 2023
2022 was an excellent year for The Hustle Podcast, and Jon, Andy & Jan give their thoughts on the last quarter, and on their top ten episodes for the year.
Jan goes bold, and predicts a specific episode will be hard to beat for the winner for the 2023 edition of this recap. Catch the reasoning behind that.
Watch out for some interesting updates at the Q1 recap. Yeah, it's 3 months away yet, but you'll never believe it if we told you now, so we won't
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Episode 402 - Marian Gold of Alphaville
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Who would have guessed when Alphaville recorded "Forever Young" way back in 1984 that it would go on to be the anthem that it is today? That's just one of several surprises in this band's career. They've taken many artistic risks over the years, never standing still for too long, and their fans have always stood by them. Recently, they turned their classic songs over to a German symphony and the result is Eternally Yours, which brings compelling new arrangements to the songs you know. Lead singer Marian Gold joins us to discuss the band's history, the new album, Bowie, and everything else.
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Episode 401 - Stephen Lipson
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
This week is another one of the greatest producer/engineers of all time Stephen Lipson! Lippy first made a name for himself when a little song he produced called "Driver's Seat" became a hit. Then, when he joined up with Trevor Horn's production crew, it was off to the races. We discuss their collaborations on albums by Grace Jones, Simple Minds, and Propaganda. From there he broke off to do his own thing and we get to hear stories on the Stones, Bruce Hornsby, Sinatra, Whitney Houston, Cher and especially Annie Lennox, who he's worked with extensively. For the last few decades he's worked closely with Hans Zimmer on movie music, including being on the team that won an Oscar for Billie Eilish's Bond theme, No Time To Die. The stories (and the honesty) never let up. Enjoy!
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Deep Dive - Tony Kaye of Yes on Big Generator (1987)
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Yes keyboardist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tony Kaye returns to the show to discuss the making of Yes's 1987 album Big Generator. The band was not in a good place when producer Trevor Horn brought them together for the 90125 album. Because that album was such a surprise hit, the team came back together for the follow up, only to have more dysfunction and infighting. Surprisingly, with hits like "Rhythm of Love" and "Love Will Find a Way", the album became another hit almost in spite of itself. Tony recounts all the ups and downs, songs he co-wrote, tension with Trevor Horn, and much more. Fascinating story for an excellent album that's sometimes overlooked by its predecessor. Enjoy!
Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
Episode 400 - Trevor Horn
Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
We're kicking off 2023 and celebrating 400 episodes with one of our most desired guests - the great Trevor Horn! Known as the man who "invented the 80s", Trevor discusses his groundbreaking work with artists like Seal, Yes, Simple Minds, Grace Jones, Marc Almond, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and ABC as well as his adoption of technology to achieve his creative goals. More importantly, Trevor recently released a sort of autobiography called Adventures in Modern Recording: From ABC to ZTT that recounts his career in 24 songs and includes in depth stories with everyone mentioned above, as well as his own work in the Buggles and Art of Noise as well as Band Aid. Every page of this book is filled with juicy stories about his experiences making some of the greatest music ever made. It's essential reading. We've been waiting a long time for this one! Technology didn't completely cooperate, but we did the best we could. Enjoy!
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Episode 399 - Tiffany/Mark Burgess of the Chameleons
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
We're closing out 2022 with another twofer! This week we get to hear from 80s pop starlet Tiffany. At 16, Tiffany became the youngest female singer to reach #1 when "I Think We're Alone Now" took over the world. Pop stardom can be fleeting though, and in a short time she had to rethink her career. Since then she's done a little bit of everything - country and dance music, acting, cooking shows and more. Last month she released her latest album, Shadows, which is a fantastic collection of rock songs. She fills us in on everything she's up to these days.