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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 Jan 14, 2020
Tuesday Jan 14, 2020
It's been a wild ride for Michelle Shocked. Her career as a protest singer began in the mid-80s by accident and has expanded to touch on every genre you can think of. She doesn't want to be pigeonholed and she does what she wants. Which makes the "Yoshi Incident" even more confusing. In March of 2013 during a concert in San Francisco, Michelle, believing rightly that there were bootleggers in the room, said some pretty despicable things about homosexuals and gay marriage. Her career's never been the same. Was she kidding? Did she mean what she said? Was it on purpose? Did she know she was being recorded? Why would someone who has devoted her life to fighting for artists rights and many other causes say these things? We try to get to the bottom of it, you decide if we were successful.
Wednesday Jan 08, 2020
Wednesday Jan 08, 2020
Charlie Midnight's success as a songwriter has spanned nearly 40 years. After partnering up with Dan Hartman in the early 80s, the two wrote a string of hits for both Dan and others, many of which were featured on soundtracks for films like Fletch, Ruthless People, Breakin', and Rocky 4 with James Brown making "Living in America" iconic. From there, Charlie forged his own successful writing and producing career working with artists like Joe Cocker, Billy Joel, the Doobie Brothers, and Joni Mitchell. We get deep into all of it and hear his rather inspiring take on hard work, songwriting, and surviving the music industry. Enjoy!
Friday Jan 03, 2020
Friday Jan 03, 2020
Audio engineer Brad Sundberg returns to discuss the making of the epic Quincy Jones album Back on the Block from 1989. The legendary producer called all of his famous friends to contribute to this opus of an album that went on to win seven Grammys and sell a million copies. Among the legends appearing on Back on the Block are Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Ice T, Barry White, Sarah Vaughn, George Benson, James Ingram, Chaka Khan, Kool Moe Dee, the Brothers Johnson, Al B. Sure, Bobby McFerrin, Dizzy Gillespie and about a hundred others. Brad shares his stories from working on the project and what all these people are like one on one. If you're a music fan, you'll gobble up this entire conversation!
Tuesday Dec 31, 2019
Tuesday Dec 31, 2019
Imagine getting only one chance at the big time and it not working out. That can't be easy to deal with, but that's what happened to this week's guest, Tom Croucier of the band Life By Night. Tom's career started picking up steam in the early 80s when he played with both Scorpions and Dokken (his brother Juan is in Ratt), so when he fronted his own band that was equal parts rock and new wave, it seemed like a slam dunk. The result is the 1985 Life By Night album that featured the closest they came to a hit with the song "Phone to Phone." Sadly, the album fell into obscurity and Tom never got a second chance as a major label recording artist. Here, Tom shares his stories from his time on the big stage, the many personalities he worked and played with (including former guest Robert Tepper) and what he did when the music career ended. Tom's a great guy and Life By Night deserve a rediscovery.
Wednesday Dec 25, 2019
Wednesday Dec 25, 2019
It's another Merry Chris-mas at the Hustle! This year we hear from indie legend Chris (get it?) Stamey! After forming the dbs in Chapel Hill 40 years ago with Peter Holsapple, Chris has carved his own unique and diverse solo path. To prove my point, this year he released a new album New Songs for the 20th Century that was heavily influenced by the likes of Cole Porter and Henry Mancini! I ask Chris why the change in style, but he doesn't see it that way. In fact, this interview goes a little sideways. You be the judge as to why.
Sunday Dec 22, 2019
Sunday Dec 22, 2019
Forrmer guest Richard Bush (ep 69) returns to talk about the brand new album Social Studies by his current band The Peace Creeps. You may remember that 40 years ago, Richard fronted the wonderful Philly power-pop band The A's. The Peace Creeps brand of rock is more psychedelic, but no less effective. The first single, "Through Our Ruins" is getting some radio attention, thankfully, so we talk about how that feels at this stage in his career and what he hopes to accomplish with this new album. Check out Social Studies today!
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
The Knack are the poster band for both extreme success and extreme flame out. They had the biggest hit of 1979 with their debut single "My Sharona", a song that remains as killer today as it was then. But, almost immediately the backlash came - they copy the Beatles too much, the lyrics are misogynistic, power pop is over, etc. Unfortunately, the band never really got over that despite staging many reunions and comebacks over the years. However, when frontman Doug Feiger died in 2010 that was all she wrote. Here, bassist Prescott Niles is eager to tell the real story of the Knack like why much of the criticism was unfair, what great musicians they were, and the story behind each album, including his favorites and least favorites. We also get into what he's doing now which includes playing with 80s favorites Missing Persons and Gary Myrick. Prescott is quite a character, but the story he tells is vital. Enjoy!
Friday Dec 13, 2019
Friday Dec 13, 2019
Jon and the boys from Suburban Underground come together for another hour of music. This time the topic is "songs that move us." You'll notice when you listen to this that we each define "move" in different ways. Who do you identify with the most? Don't be shy!
https://www.facebook.com/SuburbanUndergroundRadio/
Wednesday Dec 11, 2019
Wednesday Dec 11, 2019
The 90s were a fickle time. Fads came and went, stars were made and just as quickly left behind. Austin's Fastball had what it took for the long haul, but it hasn't been easy. Lead by the dual songwriting chops of Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga, the band broke big on their second album with hits like "The Way," "Out of My Head," and "Fire Escape." But, as it often happens, by the time the follow up came out the crowd had moved on. They've never really gone away though and they even released a solid new album recently called The Help Machine. Drummer Joey Shuffield joins us to talk about how it all goes down and how they keep it together I especially wanted to hear about the incredible rock band he was involved in in the early 2000s called Young Heart Attack. If all you know is the hits, Fastball deserve a deeper listen.
Wednesday Dec 04, 2019
Wednesday Dec 04, 2019
Imagine this - one of the greatest rock singers in history decides to leave his hugely successful band and you've been selected to take his place. That's what happened with Johnny Edwards. Though it was the beginning of the 90s, Foreigner's Mick Jones felt that even though Lou Gramm was out of the band there was still enough gas in the tank to keep things going. He recruited Johnny and they recorded Unusual Heat, a solid rock album that never really stood a chance. This scenario wasn't entirely new to Johnny as he took over vocal duties on latter day versions of both Montrose and King Kobra (both stories are nuts!). Along the way he fronted many of his own bands, but none of them really took off and he eventually left music behind. Today he's a regular working man and sings in an excellent blues rock band called Bleu Phonque on the side. Nobody has a story quite like Johnny's, you're going to love this!
Sunday Dec 01, 2019
Sunday Dec 01, 2019
Walter Egan's 1978 smash "Magnet and Steel" will follow him around wherever he goes, deservedly so, but what gets lost sometimes is the absolutely stellar power pop album he made in 1983 called Wild Exhibitions. It featured his last hit "Fool Moon Fire", but didn't get the attention it deserved then, and still doesn't, so we attempt to right that wrong. In this Deep Dive, Walter and I shed light on this hidden gem, while also gliding over his entire career. We love Walter and hope that you will discover an album you must have in your collection.
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
In a decade that churned through artists as tastes and fads changed weekly, Everclear managed a heckuva lot of hits. Storming the gates with the hyper-catchy "Santa Monica," the guys dropped radio staple after radio staple like "Everything to Everyone," "Father of Mine," "I Will Buy You a New Life" and the list goes on and on. By the 2000s, the wave was starting to die down, but the band never really went away, even if the players came and went. The mainstay has always been leader Art Alexakis, a one-of-a-kind rock personality. Art recently released the solo album he's been threatening to do for years with the all acoustic Sun Stories. In this conversation, Art is honest about the Everclear albums he isn't crazy about, the time he was on the "O'Reilly Factor", the Summerland Festival he heads, the great 2015 Everclear album Black is the New Black, and tons of other stuff. He's one of the great personalities in rock and we're lucky to hear from him!
Sunday Nov 17, 2019
Sunday Nov 17, 2019
Cinderella may have been put to bed years ago, but frontman Tom Keifer has been slowly building up his solo project for a while now and it just keeps getting bigger. The Tom Keifer Band recently released the new album Rise and completed a US tour (another leg is taking shape early next year). In this short conversation, we discuss the difference between his current band and his old one, how he views his legacy, the state of his health (he's undergone several throat surgeries over the years, but is back on the mend), his spiritual views, and his working dynamic with his wife, Savannah. Tom could be seen as a Maverick who's followed his muse from day one and produced a lot of killer rock and roll in the process.
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
The last few years have been a blur of prolific activity for Juliana Hatfield. There was the anti-Trump album Pussycat from 2017, there have been side projects with Paul Westerberg (The I Don't Care's) and Nada Surf's Matthew Caws (Minor Alps), and there have been albums of new material (2019's Weird and 2015's Whatever, My Love), but what is a wonderful new focus for her are these albums of covers. In 2018 she released Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John to wide acclaim and this week she drops the follow up, Juliana Hatfield Sings the Police. This wonderful collection brings new depth to these classic tunes and presents them in a new light completely unique to her. We discuss all of this as well as her favorite albums and bands, her love life, her feelings about accolades, and much more. She's a total delight and full of great stories!
Sunday Nov 10, 2019
Sunday Nov 10, 2019
It was bound to happen sooner or later. Jon engages in conversation with his 12-year-old daughter Georgia, discussing their love of Kiss and counting down their top 5 songs. This was done quick and dirty, no editing, no production. Hope you're all impressed!
Wednesday Nov 06, 2019
Wednesday Nov 06, 2019
The summer of 1991 belonged to bands like EMF. When they took over the world with their debut single "Unbelievable," it signaled a change in the sound of mainstream music where white British guys merged alternative rock with dance music, hip-hop and skate culture. Coming out of the gate with a song as big as that one, you'd think EMF would continue on, but such was not the case. Like so many others, they suffered the dreaded sophomore slump on the second album and barely released a third before hanging it up. Frontman James Atkin talks openly about how difficult those years were, but is also in a very good place today teaching children at a local school and recently releasing a solo album called Popcorn Storm. We also discuss how they found their sound, their style, and how Andrew Dice Clay got in there. Enjoy!
Tuesday Oct 29, 2019
Tuesday Oct 29, 2019
Sometimes you just have to wonder why some bands don't make it. Take the Hollywood Stars. Brought together by famous impresario Kim Fowley, the guys were meant to be a West Coast answer to the New York Dolls. After some stops and starts, the band finally released their debut album in 1977, but it didn't show what the band could do, it under-performed, and the band broke up ending the potential for greatness. Guitarist Ruben De Fuentes enjoyed the LA music scene of the period and went on to play with 80s versions of classic psych rock bands like Steppenwolf and Blue Cheer. Thankfully, as vinyl junkies began discovering the band in later years, the Hollywood Stars are back in business! In 2013 their great lost album from 1974, Shine Like a Radio, was finally released (it features the original version of "King of the Nighttime World" made famous by Kiss) and earlier this year another collection of hidden gems, SOUND CITY (named for where it was recorded), was released and it's excellent. Ruben is an example of a guy that has devoted his life to rock and roll. Enjoy!
Wednesday Oct 23, 2019
Wednesday Oct 23, 2019
Flesh For Lulu had it all. They mixed the Stones' swagger with the New York Dolls' grease and added a healthy dose of 80s glam to perfection as evidenced on possibly their best known hit, 1987's "I Go Crazy" from the Some Kind of Wonderful soundtrack. But, it all ended too quickly and now it never will be again. Lead singer Nick Marsh passed away in 2015 of cancer, putting a permanent end to this wonderful band. Guitarist Rocco Barker tells us the full story - how his first band Wasted Youth was bigger than FFL, how the band he and Nick started after FFL, Gigantic, never quite got off the ground, his experience in reality TV, crazy ex-girlfriends, drugs, family, money, and his new career as an eyeglass maker (you read that right). He's a wonderfully entertaining bloke and Flesh For Lulu deserve a rediscovery. Enjoy!
Friday Oct 18, 2019
Friday Oct 18, 2019
In part 2 of our crossover episode with Reliving My Youth, Jon and Noel countdown their Top 10 soundtrack songs of the 90s.
Wednesday Oct 16, 2019
Wednesday Oct 16, 2019
Red Rockers were all set to be the "American Clash." They may have started as the go-to punk band in their native New Orleans, but when they wrote the 1983 hit "China" for their second album, not only did their style change, but MTV played them incessantly, recognition soon followed, and original fans screamed "sell outs!" Unfortunately, the switch to a more commercial sound only led to moderate commercial success. Other than the still beautiful "China" they never quite got off the ground. When it ended, bassist Darren Hill didn't really find success again until he began playing with, and then managing, Paul Westerberg. From there, his roster of clients grew to include luminaries like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, New York Dolls, Dropkick Murphys, and the late Roky Erickson. Darren tells fascinating stories about all of these great people like what makes Paul tick, why was Roky special, working with former guest William Wittman on Red Rockers' final album Schizophrenic Circus (and why it has one of the worst covers ever), and the pop culture store he runs in Providence, RI. So many great stories here and you know we just scratched the surface. Enjoy!
Monday Oct 14, 2019
Monday Oct 14, 2019
It's that time again, Hustlers and this time Jon and Jan are joined by Brad Page of the I'm In Love With That Song podcast. We're honored to have the man with the buttery voice slumming it with us knuckleheads. Not only do we recap the last three months of episodes, but we also discuss bad publicist experiences, we get an update on Jan's love life, whatever happened with HustleFest, and who was it that cut our interview short? And good news - no airports this time! Enjoy!
You can find out information about the band that closes out this episode at the link below.
Friday Oct 11, 2019
Friday Oct 11, 2019
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
Martha Wash has one of the most recognizable voices in pop history. Well, maybe a better word for it is "utilized." She has sang on some of the biggest club/dance hits of the last 40 years and you may not even realize it. In the 70s she and her friend Izora Rhodes began singing back up for disco legend Sylvester, becoming known as Two Tons O' Fun. This lead to their own record deal and two albums released under that name before changing it to the Weather Girls. Then came "It's Raining Men," a giant hit and an anthem in the LGBT community. From here the dance hits just kept on coming - "Everybody Everybody" and "Gonna Make You Sweat" among them. With the success did not come the credit or the money, an issue Martha fought the law for and won changing the music industry forever. All told she's sang on 12 #1 dance hits and today is heavily involved in First Ladies of Disco, who will be appearing on the 2020 Ultimate Disco Cruise. She's also changing it up musically, just listen to her last album, 2013's Something Good, which is so good and not dance music at all. She has an incredible story that everyone should hear. Enjoy!
Friday Oct 04, 2019
Friday Oct 04, 2019
We lost another good one recently. To discuss the great Eddie Money we bring back Steve "Eddie" Rice of the killer Bay Area rock band Eddie and the Tide. Money produced their album Go Out and Get It in 1984 for what we think may be Eddie's only production credit of his whole career. Steve shares stories about what Eddie was like to work with, the jokes he told, his approach to songwriting and even a somber recent phone call they had that may have implied Eddie knew what was down the pike. Once again, we're so lucky to hear wonderful artists like Steve talk about other wonderful artists like Eddie from first-hand experience.
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
It almost didn't happen for George McCrae. In fact, the whole thing was a total fluke. He and his wife Gwen sang back up on recording sessions around Miami with his focus more on managing her career than pursuing his own. But when Harry Wayne Casey wrote a new song that was too high for his register, he asked George, who happened to be around, if he would sing it. That song, 1975's "Rock Your Baby", went on to be one of the biggest selling singles of all time, selling at least 11 million copies, and went #1 all over the world. Success like that is almost impossible to replicate, and George was no different. He continued in music for years, even singing back up on a Bill Wyman solo record, but nothing else took off. He even went back to working normal, blue collar jobs. Thankfully, Europe re-embraced Disco eventually so he moved there and is performing to enraptured audiences. In fact, in February, he will be a part of the 2020 Ultimate Disco Cruise. His story is unlike anyone else's. Enjoy!
Friday Sep 27, 2019
Friday Sep 27, 2019
This month we welcome back the fantastic Robert Tepper (ep66) to discuss his 1986 debut album No Easy Way Out. True, the title track from Rocky 4 is one of the greatest AOR songs ever and was a decent-sized hit, but when it came time to release the full album his label was on to other things. We discuss the creation of the songs, who played on them, and how royally Scotti Bros. botched this thing! In addition, Robert releases his new solo album Better Than The Rest today! We also get into that and hear a couple tunes. Robert's the man and you're going to enjoy this one!
Tuesday Sep 24, 2019
Tuesday Sep 24, 2019
In 1995 "Lump" was unleashed on an unsuspecting world. And it became a hit. That was followed up by "Peaches," another weird one that reached the same status. Where did these funny, but rocking (novelty?) songs come from? Who writes songs like this? The band is literally called The Presidents of the United States of America? It all seemed like someone was playing a joke, but the tunes were undeniable and millions of people snatched up the album. Unfortunately, it didn't last. The sophomore slump descended on the follow-up and they never regained their footing. PUSA frontman Chris Ballew made a drastic move - he turned his attention to children's music and now performs under the name Caspar Babypants. You learn in this chat that he views this work as a calling he's incredibly passionate about. We also talk about the history of the band and those great songs as well as the pros and cons of having a band name associated with certain elected officials. Chris is a great guy who's doing exactly what he feels he was put on earth to do. Wish we could all say that.
babypantsmusic.com
Friday Sep 20, 2019
Friday Sep 20, 2019
After too long a layoff, The Hustle and Suburban Underground come together again this time to play recent music from legacy artists. You may be surprised to find out that some of the bands you loved back in the day have made quality music in the last few years that's just as good as material from their peak. In here we play newer songs by Animotion, The Waterboys, Bad Religion, Robert LaRoche, The Motels, Yes, Blondie, Nick Heyward, The Outfield, Liam Gallagher, Bruce Foxton, The Ocean Blue, and Deep Blue Something. If you hear something you like, please support the artists!
Thursday Sep 19, 2019
Thursday Sep 19, 2019
To celebrate the life and work of Ric Ocasek we welcome back former guest Fred Pineau (ep70), guitarist of the Atlantics. The Atlantics were an excellent Boston-based power pop band who came up through the ranks alongside Ric and the Cars in the 70s. Fred talks about his relationship with Ric, what he meant to the Boston scene, what the his legacy will be, and shares stories from back in the day. Fred's one of the best storytellers we've ever had on the show, and we're grateful he agreed to come back for this special tribute.
Tuesday Sep 17, 2019
Tuesday Sep 17, 2019
When people talk about alternative rock band Dramarama, what you'll often hear is that they were "before their time." Though they came to prominence in the mid-80s, their aggressive, but melodic power pop sound was a perfect precursor for the garagey 90s. Through the help of tastemaker Rodney Bingenheimer, the band exploded out of LA in 1985 with "Anything Anything" that set records and still kills. The band released quality work for a decade before eventually calling it quits. Bassist and founding member Chris Carter turned his attention to radio and has been the host of Breakfast With The Beatles, the longest running Beatles radio show, for decades now. He also produced the Rodney doc The Mayor of Sunset Strip. We talk about the history of Dramarama, including the real story behind their appearance on VH1's Bands Reunited, but then we also go deep on the Beatles with Chris answering loads of listener questions. It's a little bit of everything in this one, all of it good!
Wednesday Sep 11, 2019
Wednesday Sep 11, 2019
Among the many fantastic British shoegazer bands of the early 90s, Great Yarmouth's Catherine Wheel were among the very best. They exploded out of the gate with Ferment in 1992, one of the best debut albums by anyone ever, and kept the train rolling for most of the decade until the "wheels" finally came off at the dawn of the new millennium. While it lasted they managed to impress and work with top-of-the-line producers like Tim Friese-Green (Talk Talk), Gil Norton (Pixies) and even Bob Ezrin. Bassist David Hawes discusses the dynamic within the band, the thinking behind each album, what it was like working with those producers, and why he left the group before their last album. David is also a big music head and record collector so we discuss some of his all-time favorite albums and vinyl stories. These guys were so good! Enjoy!
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
It feels like UB40 have always been in our lives. Maybe that's because they practically have. Last year the guys celebrated their 40th anniversary with a tour that was so well received, it's carried over to the 41st year. And to mark the occasion, in 2019 they released their best album in decades, For The Many, which hearkens back to their early days like nothing else they've released in a while. Guitarist and founding member Robin Campbell and I discuss this victory lap, as well as some of their definitive albums and classic songs. Unfortunately, there is also some drama in there, as there often is. Former lead singer Ali Campbell, Robin's brother, left the band about 12 years ago and is also touring with the UB40 name. Robin's version of UB40 recruited a third Campbell brother, Duncan, to take over lead vocal duties. It can be confusing, but what isn't confusing is that UB40 have over 40 years of great music to enjoy and For The Many continues that tradition.
Friday Aug 30, 2019
Friday Aug 30, 2019
For August's Deep Dive we welcome back another legendary producer, this time it's the great Rupert Hine (ep158)! We go behind the scenes on the creation and recording of The Fixx's 1983 masterwork Reach The Beach. This landmark album produced three top 40 singles including "One Thing Leads to Another" and "Saved By Zero" and is their biggest seller moving 2 million copies. We also cover how the band found their sound and discuss the singular mind of lead singer Cy Curnin. We're so lucky to hear from legends like Rupert!
Tuesday Aug 27, 2019
Tuesday Aug 27, 2019
Ahh the 70s. That period of burgeoning hard rock and soft, smooth sounds. Among the many artists filling the airwaves with ear candy were England Dan and John Ford Coley. The successful duo racked up half a dozen or so hits in the second half of the decade. Songs like "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" and "Nights are Forever Without You" provide touchpoints to simpler times, back when AM radio was king. The pair even scored a hit with a TODD song! But, like many 70’s duos, the partnership ended in the early 80s. The final nail in the coffin was a disagreement over one song; a song that Dan goes on to record solo for country radio. In this conversation, JFC discusses the glory days, how Dan's death in 2009 affected him, how Yacht Rock has given him a new lease on life, and his latest album Eclectic. So, kick back, relax, put on your sailor hat and prepare to set sail with one of the titans of soft rock. All aboard!
johnfordcoley.com
Wednesday Aug 21, 2019
Wednesday Aug 21, 2019
Singer Dolette McDonald felt ever-present in the 80s. Her striking voice, and equally striking looks, made her feel front and center while she was supporting musical giants like Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, and most notably Sting. When he left the Police and went solo, he brought Dolette along for the ride. This is on celluloid forever in the Bring On The Night documentary, as well as those amazing Amnesty International concerts featuring Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen and Tracy Chapman. Her talents also landed her gigs with the Stones, Tears For Fears, ABC, the System, Steve Winwood and even Donny Osmond! She tells insightful stories about all of these people, as well as her own struggle with her sexuality and journey out of the closet and into personal happiness. This is one of the best conversations we've ever featured!
Wednesday Aug 14, 2019
Wednesday Aug 14, 2019
Gene Loves Jezebel personified the 80s. A strikingly garish style mixed with a perfected merge of goth and pop music that many 80s bands tried to nail and couldn't. Along the way, alternative radio gobbled up hits like "Desire," "The Motion of Love" and "Jealous." Unfortunately, rock history is riddled with brothers that can't get along and GLJ are no different. Twins Jay and Michael Aston have been feuding at various levels for 30 years to the point where Michael maintains the Gene Loves Jezebel name in the States, while Jay runs with it in the UK. In this conversation, Jay and I discuss what's at the heart of this squabbling, but also great stuff like his 2017 album Dance Underwater, what it means to have "riff master" James Stevenson in the band, and his current tour with Modern English and the Alarm. It's a messy, frustrating and often confusing musical history overwhelmed by sibling rivalry, but the music itself lives on and is as bright and excellent as ever. Enjoy!
Wednesday Aug 07, 2019
Wednesday Aug 07, 2019
Is there a more lovable song than "Mary's Prayer" by Danny Wilson? It's always welcome, always warms your heart, always makes you sing and smile. That song, which reached #23 in the US in 1987 was written and sung by this week's guest, Danny Wilson frontman Gary Clark. As much promise as the band had, they only managed two albums before calling it quits at the end of the 80s. Gary spent the dawn of the 90s starting a few other groups and working on solo material to no avail. As luck would have it, he eventually began collaborating with the right people and he went on to write many hit songs for other artists like Natalie Imbruglia and Demi Lovato. After years of success, he got a call from movie director John Carney ("Once") and was asked to do the music to the wonderfully beloved 2016 film "Sing Street". Today, that relationship has even more projects in the works! So, this seemingly one-hit wonder has made it work successfully for over 30 years. Who knew!
Tuesday Jul 30, 2019
Tuesday Jul 30, 2019
If you were a kid of the 80s with an eye towards the inventive new wave music coming out of the UK, no doubt you saw the name Dave Bascombe everywhere. This influential producer/engineer/mixer lent his talents to some of the most important alternative and pop albums of the decade. His name graces the credits of landmark albums like Depeche Mode's Music For The Masses, Peter Gabriel's So, and Tears For Fears' Songs From the Big Chair. Among the other giants we discuss in this conversation are Genesis, Level 42, Echo and the Bunnymen, Red Box, Danny Wilson, james, Erasure, the Silencers, the Lightning Seed, the Verve and even more recent artists like Lady Antebellum, Chromeo, Alpine Stars and Goldfrapp. Oh, and even Bon Jovi makes an appearance! Consider for a moment some of the timeless music that has passed through Dave's fingertips. Enjoy!
http://www.echobeachmanagement.com/artist/dave-bascombe/
Sunday Jul 28, 2019
Sunday Jul 28, 2019
This month we're honored to bring back the legendary producer Ron Nevison as we discuss Heart's 1985 comeback album. The Wilson sisters were not in a good place until Capitol Records revived their careers, but it came with some stipulations that the girls still aren't happy about. Despite them distancing themselves from the people they were at this time, we love the record and Ron gives us all the behind the scenes info. Plus, the girls are reunited and back out on tour AND this record turned 34 this month. Enjoy!
Wednesday Jul 24, 2019
Wednesday Jul 24, 2019
Has any rock god from the 80s been torn down only to rise back up more often than Kip Winger? His band Winger stormed out of the gate in the mid-80s with giant hits like "Seventeen" and "Headed For a Heartbreak" but the naysayers and bullying quickly overwhelmed an otherwise successful career. After grunge wiped all of them out, Kip retreated to the desert to reconnect with his muse eventually resulting in a celebrated foray into classical music. While he still tours with the guys in Winger, his creative juices really flow when he's getting Grammy nominations for Best Classical Contemporary Composition or releasing his brand new score to the musical Get Jack. Ultimately, Kip won the war and is finally reaping the praise he deserved all along. We talk about it all in here, enjoy!
Friday Jul 19, 2019
Friday Jul 19, 2019
Noel Fogelman from Reliving My Youth podcast and Jon team up again to countdown their top 20 soundtrack songs from the 90s. Here's part 1 where we go from 20 to 11.
Tuesday Jul 16, 2019
Tuesday Jul 16, 2019
Modern English will forever be known as the band that gave us "I Melt With You." Those guys achieved the miraculous feat of recording a song that has been embraced by every generation since it's release in 1982 (contrary to popular belief, the song was not actually a hit originally). In this entertaining conversation, frontman Robbie Grey discusses the spoils of a song that's evergreen and we discuss a lot of the band's output that gets overshadowed including their 2016 album Take Me To The Trees. Modern English are hitting the road this week with The Alarm and Jay Aston's Gene Loves Jezebel, which is sure to be an incredible show. Get to know the guy behind the song!
Saturday Jul 13, 2019
Saturday Jul 13, 2019
Former guest Robert LaRoche has just released the best album of the year. In his brand new EP, A Thousand Shades, the former frontman for 90s power poppers The Sighs creates six songs reflecting a dark, but beautiful, night of the soul. LaRoche and I discuss the sad break-up that inspired these songs, how he's never lost his knack for hooks, and who all contributed to the album. Do yourself a favor and make some time to sit with A Thousand Shades and really let it sink in. You'll be better for it.
Tuesday Jul 09, 2019
Tuesday Jul 09, 2019
Guitarist Randy Jacobs has a list of credits a mile long. The Detroit native's career goes back over 40 years and includes just about every genre there is - including a few years with Bonnie Raitt here, a couple with Paul Kelly there, etc. A guy doesn't get asked to play with the likes of Michael Henderson, Seal, Tears For Fears and Bruce Hornsby if he doesn't know what he's doing. But he may be best known as a member of the wholly unique supergroup Was (Not Was). He even co-wrote their biggest hit "Walk The Dinosaur." These days, when he isn't recruited to work with Depeche Mode or General Public, he's focused on his blues rock group with saxophonist Mindi Abair the Boneshakers. They just released a solid new album, No Good Deed, a couple weeks ago. Settle in and hear many stories from a guy who's been in the game longer than some of us have been alive!
Monday Jul 08, 2019
Monday Jul 08, 2019
The boys are back and fielding a full team this time (sorta) as Jon and Jan welcome sometime producer Paul Underwood of Glory Days Radio and Chief Marketing Officer Andy Schaal. We discuss the last few months of episodes, awkward listener reactions, even more awkward facebook interactions with former guests, and some listener questions. Jan was traveling and only able to chime in once in a while, so we were especially glad to have our two great friends with us this time around.
Enjoy!
Tuesday Jul 02, 2019
Tuesday Jul 02, 2019
People often forget that one of the biggest bands of the 70s was Flint Michigan's own Grand Funk Railroad. They may forget this because the band isn't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they have a bunch of hits, but they haven't been played to death like "Stairway to Heaven," and they aren't written up continuously in Rolling Stone magazine. Original member and drummer Don Brewer and I discuss why this might be and how he feels about it. We also hear the stories behind several GFR hits and notable album tracks, what it was like being produced by Todd Rundgren and Frank Zappa, and the current state of the band which includes original member Mel Schacher and "new guys" Max Carl and Bruce Kulick, but not original member Mark Farner. Since it's Independence Day in the US this week, let's celebrate by remembering how great THE "American Band" still is!
Saturday Jun 29, 2019
Saturday Jun 29, 2019
For June's episode of Deep Dive we welcome back legendary guitarist Marco Pirroni (ep 200) to educate us on the creation and recording of the breakout album by Adam and the Ants, 1980's Kings of the Wild Frontier. This is really the album that made Adam a star and titillated music lovers who wanted all they could get from the swashbuckling pirate with the Indian stripe across his nose. Where did these styles and influences come from and why did it work so well? No one else has ever sounded like the Ants did at that time. Enjoy!
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Since their buzzworthy debut in 1989, Hershey Pennsylvania's Ocean Blue have never strayed from their perfect mix of the Smiths meets the Cocteau Twins to the delight of their rabid fanbase. Today these fans have reason to rejoice because they guys have just released a new album, Kings and Queens/Knaves and Thieves and it's just good as anything else they've done in the last 30 years. In this conversation, frontman Dave Schelzel and I recount their entire career, what was happening behind the scenes for each album, as well as in his personal life. Today Dave is a lawyer, so we discuss how he works new music into his life. We also chat about their producer and former guest of the show Mark Opitz. The Ocean Blue are a top 10 all time favorite band of mine and Dave is by far one of our most requested guests, so we're extremely honored to hear from him. And check out the new album!
Tuesday Jun 18, 2019
Tuesday Jun 18, 2019
William Wittman is another producer/engineer/mixer whose name may not sound familiar, but who no doubt has worked on scores of songs you know and love. His first major work was on Cyndi Lauper's monumental She's So Unusual. Included on those sessions were the guys from The Hooters, which lead to WW doing their breakthrough Nervous Night. The same team went on to help craft Joan Osborne's smash Relish. From there, the hits just kept coming with albums by The Outfield, The Fixx and Scandal. He's also worked artists like the A's, Graham Parker Mick Jagger and Pat Benatar. In the 90s he played in his own band Too Much Joy, which also paved the way for him to continue as a professional musician. Today you can find him slapping the bass in Cyndi's band as well as serving as her musical director. And finally, a young William once passed up an opportunity to hobnob with rock's ultimate royalty because he was so dedicated to finishing a job, well...that and...he really had to pee. 😂