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What does it take to maintain a career in music? We track down members of bands that we love and find out what their lives are like now.
Episodes
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
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
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
Wednesday Apr 26, 2023
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Guitarist Ivan Julian is a punk rock lifer. Though born in the states, Ivan became a professional musician when he moved to London and started touring with The Foundations in 1972. Eventually he made his way back to NYC and was a principle of the CBGB scene and founding member of Richard Hell and the Voidoids. Even though their lone album, Blank Generation, is considered classic, the band didn't last long. Ivan has started a few other bands over the years, played with artists like The Clash, Matthew Sweet and Shreikback, produced bands like the Fleshtones, and released his own solo albums. In fact, he has a new one, Swing Your Lanterns, set for release in February and it's fantastic. Ivan discusses all of it, the uniqueness (or not) of being a black man in the punk world, and more. Enjoy!
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
This week is a super fun twofer. First up is the delightful Lisa Loeb. She talks about her new radio show, Where They Are Now, her love of David Bowie, her more recent albums, her dabbles in children's music, and much more. She's as wonderful as you think she'll be. Then we hear from drummer Steve "Smiley" Barnard. Smiley has been one of the UK's most in demand musicians for 30 years. He started with the Mock Turtles but then spent a couple years play with Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros and even a gig with Robbie Williams. These days he's got multiple jobs - a member of Archival, drumming with the Alarm, owning a studio, producing, and his own solo career. There's a reason they call him "Smiley" and it's infectious. You'll love it!
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Author Joel Selvin joins us this week to discuss the re-release of his 1998 book Sly & the Family Stone: An Oral History. When Joel originally put this book together in the 90s, there was nothing even close to a definitive history of Sly and his band. Even today, it still stands as a striking and horrifying account of a musical genius torpedoed by drugs and the band members and family members that were affected, including the ones that followed him down. Also, Joel and I discuss his work on Sammy Hagar's incredible memoir RED. Joel has a long and rich history of music writing to discover. You'll love this.
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
What a strange trip it's been for John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. After a decade of playing every pier and boardwalk in the Northeast, they achieved "overnight success" when they were plucked to do the music for the 1983 film Eddie and the Cruisers. This brought them big hits like "On The Darkside" and "Tender Years" but because the popular video was taken from the movie, many listeners were confused where the movie ended and the band began. JCBBB continued to have hits on their next album like "C-I-T-Y" and "Tough All Over".but they could never quite convince everyone they weren't the guys in the movie. In '89 they did the soundtrack to the sequel that no one was asking for and that was it. However, the band never went away. They continue to play in some club or bar or theater almost every weekend and have done for 50 years. John Cafferty joins us to discuss this whole wild ride, as well as the Rocky 4 soundtrack, the band finally releasing a brand new Greatest Hits cd and much more. Enjoy!
Sunday Dec 04, 2022
Sunday Dec 04, 2022
In this live and unedited panel discussion, Jon is joined by three friends and fellow podcasters to debate whether Cher, icon that she is, belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Team NAY is made up of Jon and Scott Kummer of the 10 Junk Miles Podcast. Team YAY is Josh Fitzgerald of the Movies that Rock podcast and Nick Bambach of the Rock in Retrospect podcast. You like fireworks and hot takes? We have plenty. What say you, does Cher make the cut?
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-junk-miles/id977007408
https://shows.acast.com/movies-that-rock-the-podcast
https://rockinretrospect.buzzsprout.com/
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Did you know that Miami's Exposé are the 8th most successful girl group of all time? And did you know they were the first group to land four top 10 songs on their debut album? Accolades like that are mostly forgotten with these guys, unfortunately. The combination of Jeanette Jurado, Ann Curless, and Gioia Bruno - all great singers, all beautiful and all different - was unbeatable from the mid 80s to the early 90s. Svengali Lewis Martineé guided the girls to huge hits like "Point of No Return", "Come Go With Me", and the #1 ballad "Seasons Change". But, as is often the case with groups built like this, things were not always rosy. Jeanette is very open about how the group came together, the rough spots, her thoughts on their legacy, her relationship with the others, and her life outside of the group. It's a very unique glimpse into how it all worked. Enjoy!
Thursday Nov 24, 2022
Thursday Nov 24, 2022
Tom Werman was one of the most successful producers of the 70s and 80s. He's responsible for making Cheap Trick what they are thanks to his work on their first few albums. He's also behind some of the best power pop of the era like the Producers, Off Broadway, and Gary Myrick. And, he helped shape the sound of the Sunset Strip by producing massive albums by Motley Crue, Twisted Sister and Poison. Oh, he also discovered Ted Hugent, Boston, REO Speedwagon and more. Surprisingly, in the 90s he left it all behind to open a Bed and Breakfast. Tom elaborates on all of these and much more including not getting along with Dee Snider, some of his favorite lesser known projects like Mother's Finest, and why he walked away. Enjoy!
Sunday Nov 20, 2022
Sunday Nov 20, 2022
Talk Talk basically invented a new musical language with their fourth album, Spirit of Eden. The band began as a strong, but slightly derivative, synth pop group, but due to the artistic restlessness of main man Mark Hollis, Talk Talk evolved into something no one had ever heard before and hasn't heard since. Critics called what they did "post-rock", which is probably pretty close. Former guest Phill Brown was the engineer on those sessions and recounts the entirely unique circumstances Mark and his collaborators created this masterpiece. Here's the full story!
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
The Roots are revolutionary artists for many reasons. Not just the music they make, but being hired as Jimmy Fallon's house band changed the landscape of late night television. Guitarist Kirk Douglas has risen as one of the most exciting images on our TVs night after night. In addition to his two important day jobs, Kirk also has a solo career as Hundred Watt Heart and recently released his second solo album, New Unknown. Kirk's sound is true gumbo, but the main hallmarks are psychedelic guitar with a lot of soul and an alt rock base. In this chat, we discuss his many influences, but also some behind the scenes stories from the Tonight Show, the memorable guests, how he prepares, and much more. New Unknown will knock you out, be sure to give it a listen!
Saturday Nov 12, 2022
Saturday Nov 12, 2022
Today sees the release of the much anticipated box set of songs from John Hughes movies called Life Moves Pretty Fast: The John Hughes Mixtapes. John's Music Supervisor, and friend of the podcast, Tarquin Gotch returns to discuss how he went about compiling the box, what got left off and why, and the love and care that went into it finally coming out. Over four discs (and plenty of extra goodies) we can relive the hugely influential music from one of the hugely influential voices of his generation. Check it out!
Wednesday Nov 09, 2022
Wednesday Nov 09, 2022
Singer/songwriter Dar Williams can do it all. On top of her wonderful music career, she also publishes the occasional book and her latest is a gift to creative people everywhere. How to Write a Song that Matters shows her describing not only the best way to approach making music, but also how to tap into the best parts of yourself when tackling something inventive. She details her own experiences of stressing over a certain word, committing to an idea and seeing it through, finding the right chords, opening your mind to different thoughts, etc. It's a fascinating book whether you write songs or not. We also get into her 30 year career, a lot of her songs and much more. Enjoy!
Wednesday Nov 02, 2022
Wednesday Nov 02, 2022
This week is a fun twofer with a couple of excellent singer/songwriters that are hitting the road together. First up is Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman Glen Phillips. Not only has Glen fronted Toad since the beginning with hits like "Walk On the Ocean" and "Come Down", but he's also had his own robust solo career. Glen has a new album coming out this weekend called There Is So Much Here that is a wonderfully optimistic take on the world. Glen is a deep guy and we hit all the big topics - faith, mental health, politics, and philosophy.
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
This week is another special twofer!
Monday Oct 24, 2022
Monday Oct 24, 2022
Jon, Andy and Jan review the 3rd quarter, discuss Andy's arboreal habits and find out what gigs we'd all been to.
Spoiler alert. Jan didn't get to any this quarter. Find out what he DID get to, on the last day of the quarter!
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
The mythology of classic rock is built on the backs of legendary characters like Bobby Whitlock. Bobby was involved in three of the greatest rock albums ever made - George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street and, of course, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs from when he and Eric Clapton teamed up for Derek & The Dominos. Bobby discusses his own solo career, plus working with legends like Delaney & Bonnie, Steve Winwood, Duane Allman, "Duck" Dunne, and many more. In addition, an album was recently found by CCR drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford called California Gold which was a project he and Bobby did together in the late 70s, but never saw the light of day until now and it's amazing. We discuss all of this and much more. Enjoy!
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Songwriters Hall of Fame member Jack Tempchin is probably best known for the hits he penned for the Eagles. "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and "Already Gone" are two of the most heard songs in history. He also helped Glenn Frey have a few solo hits like "Smuggler's Blues" and "You Belong to the City" among others. Johnny Rivers, Glen Campbell, Tanya Tucker and George Jones are also in his history. Today, Jack has a couple projects he's super excited about. First, he's collaborating with the great young rock band, Mrs Henry to re record some of his songs. He's also launched Jack's Beach Jams where he records himself writing a song on the spot at the beach by his house. Both of these further cement Jack's immense talent that includes his amazing solo work. Jack and I get into all of it. Enjoy!
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
This week is a pretty unique pairing of classic rockers. First up we hear from Slade drummer Don Powell! Don discusses those glory days of Slade, why they never fully caught on in the States despite being one of the biggest UK bands of the 70s, how Quiet Riot's cover of "Cum on Feel the Noize" finally brought them some attention, the personal and business obstacles the band had to overcome and his recent solo album with the Occasional Flames, Just My Cup of Tea. He's about as nice as they come!
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
God bless Billy Bragg, one of mankind's greatest gifts! The man has devoted his life to fighting for those that can't fight for themselves, to improving the planet and to inspiring all of us to get involved. We learn what actually motivates him is empathy and knowing that makes his mission even better. Last year he put out a new album called The Million Things That Never Happened that sees him looking at the world optimistically and this week he kicks off a North American tour. We also go deep on the Mermaid Avenue albums he made with Wilco, how those happened, working with Johnny Marr, and the stories behind many of his songs. Billy is a national treasure.
Monday Sep 26, 2022
Monday Sep 26, 2022
Great news coming out of the Smithereens' camp these days. This weekend they released The Lost Album which is a collection of songs recorded in the early 90s that never saw the light of day until now. Hearing the band, especially the voice of the late great Pat DiNizio again is like manna from heaven for fans. We welcome drummer Dennis Diken to discuss the new album and then we Deep Dive the band's classic from 1988, Green Thoughts. We discuss each track, working with Don Dixon, the many guests and Dennis even lets us know what he thinks the greatest performance ever is! Are the Smithereens the greatest rock band America has ever produced? I say "yes"!