Interview with Binnie Klein of In These Trees and Tartie In These Trees is an alternative indie music project led by Binnie Klein. Klein's lyrical stories are suffused with human longing and memory, and pair gracefully with soulful melodies from the artists who perform her work. With her extensive background in music as a radio DJ and a career in writing, Klein seeks to elevate her words through collaboration with rising artists. "Orchard" is her premier single inspired by her audio memoir, 10 Days in Newark, with music by Australian artist, Tartie. In These Trees and Tartie now have 5 singles out (Orchard, Sky, Ocean, Quiver, Hailstorm, and Ablaze). The album, THE QUIVER, is planned for November 2023. As a long-time DJ at free-form radio station WPKN, Binnie receives many promotional CD’s from hopeful artists. She tries to listen to most of them, just in case there is a gem that will fit with her show’s eclectic mix. When Australian singer/songwriter Tartie sent a few tunes, Binnie chose “Winter’s Girl” to play on her show. The two women, decades apart in age, began to chat on Zoom — about dogs, about music, about politics, finding a wonderful symmetry. Binnie encouraged Tartie to finish up a rough mix of “Ablaze,” about the Australian wildfires, and asked if Tartie might take a look at some lyrics. “Orchard” emerged from that question, and a great geographic distance, and a pandemic — the song, and many others -- began to take shape, with help from producer David Baron of Sun Mountain Studios. https://www.inthesetrees.com  

Interview with Arlen Roth 2024 Arlen Roth is a true guitar legend; part of the list of who he's recorded and toured with contains folks like Simon & Garfunkel (together and individually), John Prine, Phoebe Snow, Bob Dylan, Bee Gees, Don McLean, Levon Helm, Ry Cooder, Duane Eddy, Danny Gatton, Janis Ian, Dusty Springfield, John Sebastian, Johnny Winter and countless more. He also appeared with Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Patti Smith in the Martin Scorcese Rolling Thunder film, created the guitar parts and was consultant and teacher to Ralph Macchio for the legendary blues film, Crossroads. In 2016, he wrote and performed an acoustic guitar piece with Daveed Diggs and Leslie Odom, Jr. of Hamilton for ESPN. Arlen was voted in the Top 100 most Influential guitarists of all time by Vintage Guitar Magazine and top 50 all-time acoustic guitarists by Gibson.com. Now, on Arlen Roth's 20th solo album and his fifth all-acoustic offering, he’s bringing rootsy acoustic music to new heights on Playing Out the String, set for release September 27 and distributed by MVD. The new album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Alex Salzman, who also contributes keyboards to the mix.  Arlen’s previous album, Super Soul Session, with bass legend Jerry Jemmott, sat atop the Blues and Soul charts for 22 straight weeks, and was in the Top 5 for 55 straight weeks this past year. Arlen has also been at the forefront of guitar and music education, with 10 best-selling books, and he was the first-ever to offer video instruction with the giants of the music industry through his “Hot Licks” company, which he started in 1979, and has had millions of students worldwide. His column for Guitar Player magazine was voted #1 by the largest margin of readers from 1982 to 1992, and was also turned into a best-selling book, Hot Guitar. On Playing Out the String,  this all-acoustic, mostly solo album is very personal to Arlen and is really like getting an up-close "at home" concert in your living room. On it, he paints with broad strokes across several genres of music he loves. From "Old Timey" Norman Blake material to country blues from Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and Tampa Red; he even makes you feel at home with Nilsson's "Everybody's Talkin'" and gives his 12-string guitar a workout on the archetypical, "Walk Right In." https://www.arlenroth.com  

Interview with Jeff Lang 2024 Australian guitarist-songwriter-vocalist-producer, Jeff Lang has built a reputation for making startling music that is accomplished, intricate, gutsy, melodic and loaded with soul. Often taking unexpected turns, he has consistently inspired his audiences by creating a stylistically diverse catalog of over 25 albums. Jeff has mischievously called his music ‘Disturbed Folk.’ One writer referred to him as a “quiet achiever.” But the overall impression one has from observing Jeff’s lengthy career is that of a driven man who keeps his head down, playing and recording music as if his very life depends on it. Outside of his homeland, Jeff has toured the UK, Europe, Japan, India, China, South Africa, New Zealand and Canada as well as concentrated work in the U.S., where he has played upwards of 300 shows, living there for 6 months at a time. He has appeared on prestigious American radio programs A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage and Acoustic Café. Jeff has shared stages with Bob Dylan, Dr. John, Richard Thompson, Bonnie Raitt, Ani Di Franco, Chris Whitley, Albert Collins, Loudon Wainwright III, Greg Brown, John Butler, AR Rahman and Bob Geldolf, among many others. Jeff has delivered show-stopping performances at festivals all across the globe: The Dublin Blues Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Quebec City Music Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival, Fuji Rock, Glastonbury, Echo Park China, Ottawa BluesFest as well as on his home turf at Port Fairy, Woodford, Bluesfest Byron Bay and Womadelaide. Jeff Lang’s unique musical vision easily finds a home in myriad settings, from large festival stages to the intimate, long-running Ann Arbor, Michigan club The Ark to the Sydney Opera House. Most importantly, Jeff Lang has achieved what is a rarity in the cluttered world of contemporary sounds: his own voice. Jeff's info https://jefflang.com.au  

Robin Hyperius Blake of Hyperius Blake and The Sound Experiment  Talk about operation DOOMSday a tribute show to the legendary MF DOOM    Event description  Friday November 8th Hyperius Blake and The Sound Experiment joined by local MC's Maddstarr being one of them.  Hit the stage at The Crobar A3244 St Clair Ave, Cleveland, OH, United States, 44114    To pay tribute to the legendary MF DOOM !!!

 Interview with Eric Earley of Blitzen Trapper 2024   Launched roughly two decades ago in Portland, OR, Blitzen Trapper garnered early attention with a series of self-released albums before breaking out internationally with a pair of critically acclaimed LPs (2007’s Wild Mountain Nation and 2008’s Furr) that would cement their status at the forefront of the modern indie folk revival. Rolling Stone hailed the band’s “hazy, psychedelic Americana,” while NPR praised their “explosive live performances and infectious roots-rock swagger,” and The New York Times compared their songs to Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Young. Dates with Fleet Foxes, Wilco, and Dawes followed, as did festival appearances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Newport Folk, and Coachella, among others. In the years to come, the band would go on to release six more similarly lauded studio albums, culminating with 2020’s Holy Smokes Future Jokes, which Mojo proclaimed “sound[s] like the Beatles at Big Pink.” There are numbers so vast they exceed the scope of human reckoning, concepts so immeasurable they surpass our capacity to understand. On their radiant new album, 100’s of 1000’s, Millions of Billions, Blitzen Trapper make peace with the unknowable, surrendering themselves to forces beyond their control as they explore the infinite with a broad mind and an open heart. Inspired by singer/songwriter Eric Earley’s fascination with Buddhist texts and meditation (the title comes from a phrase that appears over and over in the Mahayana sutras), the album offers a captivating take on rebirth and transcendence, and the circularity of existence, navigating its way through the space beyond dreams and reality, beyond gods and mortals, beyond life and death. The songs here are as sincere as they are surreal, rooted in rich character studies and deep reflection, and unfolding like a riddle-filled journey that asks many questions and offers no answers. The production is intoxicating to match, blending lo-fi intimacy and trippy psychedelia into a mesmerizing swirl of analog and electronic sounds. Add it all together and the result is a gorgeous, sprawling collection wrapped in lush layers of synthesizers and washed out electric guitars–a poignant, expansive exploration of perception and purpose that manages to look both forwards and backwards all at once. Grog Shop Show Info  NOV-4-24 https://grogshop.gs/tm-event/blitzen-trapper/ Blitzen Trapper Info  https://www.blitzentrapper.net/

Interview with saxophonist Chris Greene For saxophonist Chris Greene, turning 50 was a double milestone. It inspired him to look back on his career and the strides he has made as an independent jazz artist. It also inspired him to reflect on his life as a husband, father and family man. Little did he know how happily those two worlds would collide.   Greene was working at home on music for his excellent new album, Conversance, when his attentive 12-year-old son Alex, a talented pianist and drummer and major Star Wars fan, played a melody for him inspired by one of the tunes his old man was playing. The elder Greene liked it so much, he decided to use it as the A section of the song, a six-measure blues in 6/4 time with a bridge. "It was a perfect fit," he says. "It really made the tune."  Dad properly gave his son a co-writing credit and called the song "The Emperor Strikes Back," also a nod back to Chris' earlier composition, "Future Emperor of Evanston." There are numerous high points on Conversance, but none as high as this one for the older half of this rare father-son collaboration. Greene, the pride of Evanston, Illinois, has been one of the Midwest's most popular jazz artists since his quartet in 2005. The group, featuring pianist Damian Espinosa, bassist Marc Piane and drummer Steve Corley, was voted best jazz band in Chicago in a poll by the alternative weekly, the Chicago Reader. A fan friendly artist with strong ties to the community, Greene has gifted his followers with a trio of mixtapes by the group that were recorded live various clubs and jazz festivals. Those recordings, dubbed Playtime I, II and III serve as sidebars to his regular efforts, as do a pair of subsequent albums released under the tag PlaySPACE. Following the single "Beyhive Traffic Blues," featuring emcee D2G, Conversance is the first-ever jazz release for Pravda Records, a prized indie of eclectic leanings that has been releasing recordings since 1984. It is the Chris Green Quartet's first studio album in seven years.       Chris Greene's Info  chrisgreenejazz.com instagram.com/chrisgreenejazz facebook.com/chrisgreenejazzthreads.com/chrisgreenejazz youtube.com/@chrisgreenejazz

  PULSARS mark the end of that era. Leader Dave Trumfio (vocals, guitar, synths production and most anything else) and his younger brother Harry (drums) grew up playing music in a suburban Chicago basement.  While still in his teens, Dave abandoned college-level music production and engineering studies to focus on songwriting and artist endeavors; his native talents soon found him an apprenticeship at Seagrape Studios working with talents as disparate as house music pioneer Mr Fingers, British first-wave stalwarts The Pretty Things and dub plate sessions with the legendary reggae producer / musician Niney The Observer . . . all within months of his first real go behind the mixing desk. Chicago's past musical glories felt far in the past then, replaced by a sea of skinny tie power pop bands, poofy hair metal combos of some timidity and a few rough-hewn exponents of sub-Buzzcocks punk and Fiorucci-ready new wave.  Ignoring it all, Dave ran a small studio in a shared house he rented with friends before taking the risky - and expensive - plunge into opening a 'real' studio on the northwest corner of Wicker Park, soon to burst into a degree of infamy due to a small contingent of cult heroes who lived there for cheap rent and cheaper bars - Liz Phair, Eleventh Dream Day, Big Black, Urge Overkill, Tortoise et al. Daves role in all of this was minimal by nature; he preferred to record acts from farther afield - Billy Bragg, then-recent Chicago transplants Wilco, The Mekons, Young Marble Giants guitarist and songwriter Stuart Moxham, Barbara Manning, Captain Beefhearts main man Gary Lucas, an array of other acts from Iceland, Australia and all corners of the UK.  Business was good, and it grew.  A quick writer of odd pop ditties, one day Dave called in his brother Harry and recorded - in a single afternoon session - a set of nine demos known.  The story's been related countless times, but within weeks the band was opening for Oasis and found itself being courted by a dozen labels. Their few local shows were undefinable. Dave played guitar and sang, Harry drummed triggered a reel of additional music, often with video backing . . . which dazzled spectators in that pre-laptop era.  After months of negotiations, the band signed a multi-million deal with Almo Sounds, a new label begun by A&M founders Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss and distributed by Geffen.  It was - and likely still is - the largest deal ever offered to an emerging Chicago musical act. The band engaged in numerous tours to support their self-titled debut, playing with Sean Lennon & Cibo Matto, Blur, Supergrass, and many others, as well as seemingly infinite jaunts to Japan, where Dave and Harry were hailed as heroes of subversive minimalist pop - the ecstatic screams of young fans at the first few notes of Submission To The Master& at first bewildering the brothers.  Suddenly, the Almo Sounds deal with Geffen fell apart at the start of a tour supporting then-current sensations Weezer.  Promotion was pulled; radio support for the first single from the album collapsed in a mere moment. Due to contractual vagaries, the band was allowed to complete a second (unreleased) album just before the label folded.  And that was it, until the news of the 2021 release of Pulsar Transmissions", a collection of unheard songs and versions that the band recorded before and during their short-term deal.  Rolling Stone offered their self titled debut ;Pulsars as one of the 40 greatest albums ever recorded by an act with one real album:     PULSARS's Info Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/pulsarsband/?hl=en X / Twitter:  https://x.com/PulsarsBand Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pulsarsofficial/  

Dave Hill is a comedian, writer, musician, actor, radio host, and man-about-town originally from Cleveland, Ohio but now living in New York City in a totally sweet apartment with a party deck and everything. Hot chicks come over to hang out and eat cheese plates and stuff with him all the time and it’s awesome.   Anyway, on the show business front, Dave has appeared on Netflix’s The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Adult Swim's Joe Pera Talks with You Amazon’s The Tick, Peacock TV's Girls5Eva, Comedy Central’s @midnightand Inside Amy Schumer programs, TBS' Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, TV Land's The Jim Gaffigan Show, and TruTV's Comedy Knockout among a bunch of others. He is a frequent on-air host for HBO and Cinemax and has been on channels like MTV, VH1, BBC-America, and the Sundance Channel a whole bunch too. Dave also starred in his own television program The King of Miami on the Mojo Network, which was cancelled even though Dave really liked it. The show also aired in the United Kingdom on Sky TV’s Film24 Channel. And you can still watch The King of Miami on Hulu too, which Dave is super pumped about. Oh, and Dave was a correspondent on Hoppus on Music starring Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus on the Fuse channel, which ruled. Dave has been on other shows and in obscure movies too but let’s keep moving for now.   Dave performs live comedy over the world and has appeared at such festivals as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, SXSW, San Francisco Sketchfest, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Sasquatch Festival, Bumbershoot, Bonnaroo, the Bridgetown Comedy Festival in Portland, the Crap Comedy Festival in Oslo, Outside Lands in San Francisco, and then some other ones too. He has also performed comedy at Sing Sing Correctional Facility twice and even ripped some guitar solos inside a Mexican prison a couple times too. In 2007, Variety magazine named Dave one of their “10 Comedians to Watch,” something he still won’t shut up about. Some things are hard to let go of. Dave hosted his own radio show The Goddamn Dave Hill Show on WFMU in Jersey City, New Jersey every Monday night from 9pm to midnight for years and now hosts the podcast Dave Hill's Podcasting Incident, which is also broadcast on the UK's Fubar Radio, So...You're Canadian with Dave Hill, and History Fluffer, on which he is joined by Jim Biederman, Jodi Lennon, and Chris Gersbeck. Dave is also a frequent contributor to public radio’s Live from Here with Chris Thile and  This American Life. He has also appeared on podcasts like WTF with Marc Maron, The Adam Carolla Show, The Nerdist, and then roughly 78 other ones besides those. Dave is the author of four books, including his brand new book The Awesome Game: One Man's Incredible, Globe-Crushing Hockey Odyssey, in addition to Parking the Moose (Doubleday Canada/Penguin Random House 2019), Tasteful Nudes (St. Martins Press, 2012) and Dave Hill Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (Blue Rider Press 2016). He has also written for the New York Times, GQ, Salon, The Paris Review, McSweeney’s, New York Observer, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, VICE, Guitar World, and a bunch of other places too. Comedy legend Dick Cavett called Dave “a major figure among American comic writers, past and present,” which is pretty much the coolest thing that has ever happened as far as Dave is concerned. Dave is also a musician who currently sings and plays guitar in the power pop band Valley Lodge, whose song “Go” is the theme song to HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and the psych/garage rock band Painted Doll. He was also a member of Cleveland rock bands Sons of Elvis and Cobra Verde as well as Diamondsnake, a heavy metal band with Moby. Additionally, Dave has played guitar for Walter Schreifels and muscle metal band Thor and bass for Lucy Wainwright Roche and former Faith No More singer Chuck Mosley. He also contributed musical scores to films such as Dirty Deeds, Shoot First and Pray You Live, and then some other ones besides those two. Dave's Info  https://www.davehillonline.com  

The Frans are a public transit-inspired rock band from Cleveland, USA. Their self-titled record was released on March 2nd, 2024. For more information and to become a "Franiac", check us out on social media and other instruments of addiction: https://linktr.ee/thefrans   SEP 19TH Gabriel Xavier & The Neon Saints (Album Release Show) Cleveland OHLink https://www.facebook.com/share/yTKk1L6V2Zuid2Zm/  C-Level Frans cross over track link (To Be Here when finished )

Interview with Evan Taylor  Bernie Worrell Orchestra bandleader. Evan Taylor whose latest production is the posthumous Bernie Worrell: Wave From The WOOniverse about this release and some of his other diverse musical endeavors.   Bernie Worrell: Wave From The WOOniverse is a double album concocted in fourteen cities, issued on 12” LP vinyl a day after Bernie's birthday, (April 19) on Record Store Day 2024 by Org Music in conjunction with Loantaka Records as a Record Store Day “exclusive.” As of June 28 it’s also available via streaming platforms. The release will be accompanied by a bound-to-be viral video of the title track directed by Los Angeles-based dancer, Madeline Riley.           Taylor has remained behind the scenes for most of his career. He worked in various capacities with Worrell, mike watt, Money Mark, Theresa Wayman (Warpaint), King Tuff, The Chapin Sisters, and Jimmy Destri of Blondie. He has made 1960's country-influenced records with members of Black Flag, participated in eclectic recording projects and performed with practically every member of Talking Heads. Evan’s also released a string of critically acclaimed singles as part of the Art-Rock duo Purple Witch of Culver.  Evan has never identified with the archetype of “cosmic Funkateer.” He grew up with diverse tastes that ran from The Beach Boys to Prince. As a producer his brand has been “staying off-brand.” In 2022, Taylor was presented with a unique opportunity he felt he had been preparing for his entire career. Bernie Worrell: Wave From The WOOniverse addresses the abundance of unfinished work Bernie Worrell, a prolific writer and visionary, left behind when he passed away in 2016. These compositions remained untouched for a period of decades, collecting dust on reels of two-inch analog tape.    Eventually, the tapes were re-examined to analyze Bernie’s nuanced and creative method. After a period of deep reflection, the Bernie Worrell estate decided it was time to complete his vision. With a series of Bernie's collaborators, contemporaries, and friends including Bootsy Collins, Sean Ono Lennon, Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads), Leo Nocentelli (The Meters), Fred Schneider (B52s), Miho Hatori (Cibo Matto), Steve Scales, Marc Ribot, Fred Wesley (James Brown, Parliament), Marco Benevento, Stanton Moore (Galactic), Steven Bernstein, Daru Jones (Jack White), Will Calhoun (Living Colour, mike watt, Norwood Fisher (Fishbone), Jared Samuel Elioseff, Kyp Malone and Jaleel Bunton (TV on the Radio),  Binky Griptite (Dap Kings), Nick Montoya, Paul Dooely, Alecia Chakour, Smokey Hormel, Ana Becker, Eric McFadden (Sgt. Splendor), Sarah La Puerta, Michael Rueben and many more innovators his initiative was completed with dedication to preserving the integrity of the magic which makes Bernie a beloved extraordinary soul. Also included on the album is a previously unreleased Funkadelic track, “Contusion,” which showcases Bernie’s masterful work with the group.   https://loantaka-records.com/ . http://evantaylormusic.com.

Hailing from New Jersey, singer/songwriter SAMMY KAY has lived the kind of romantic life that can only be found in song. With the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows, KAY returned to his home state after years in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, as well as traveling the world playing in and working for a myriad of bands (Gaslight Anthem and Bouncing Souls among them).   The Kilograms  Joe Gittleman of The Mighty Might Boss tones and  Sammy Kay have formed a new band together called The Kilograms. The band has released their first song called “Who Am I”. The song is off the Black Sand Relief: A Benefit for Michelle Ska and the People of Mauicompilation album. The Kilograms will be releasing a full album soon.   Tickets to The Kilograms with C-Level and Rubik's Groove at Mahalls Lakewood OH Sep 4th  https://mahalls20lanes.com/event/the-kilograms/ Sammy Kay's and The Kilograms info sammykaynj july-1960 https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Kilograms-61552101741122/ https://thekilograms.bandcamp.com/album/ep    

Pamela McNeill knew from an early age that music would be her life. She joined her first rock band at 16 and learned quickly how to connect with her audience. A native of Winona, Minnesota, Pamela resides in Minneapolis. Her career has taken her all over the world including four years in the UK as a backing singer for Rick Astley, performing with him at Royal Albert Hall and The London Palladium for the Royal Family and appearing on many television shows such as BBC’s “Top of the Pops”. As a prolific songwriter, she wrote her first song at 15 and has written for and with a wide range of other artists including Wynonna Judd, Jim Peterik and Yanni, and has co-written tracks with fellow songwriters such as Pam Tillis and Bobby E. Boyd. Pamela began releasing albums in 1999 and to date has released seven studio albums. She has headlined theaters and festivals across the country in support of her music and has opened for artists including Etta James, Little River Band, Atlanta Rhythm Section and BTO, to name a few. Pamela is excited to release "Wave After Wave," her eighth original studio recording on Farm to Label Record, July 26th (color vinyl) and August 2nd (digital). In 2024, she was honored by being inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.   Pam's Info https://www.pamelamcneill.com    

Interview with Fresh Out Of The Box a NYC based comedy group. Featuring Abigail Stories, Gene Morgan, Igor Reyes, Josh Sorell, and Matt Leazer. Fresh Out Of The Box is playing in Cleveland at Imposters Theater Aug 12th 7:30PM.   SHOW INFO: https://www.thisiscleveland.com/locations/imposters-theater Fresh Out Of The Box INFO https://freshouttheboxcomedy.wordpress.com https://www.instagram.com/freshouttheboxcomedy/?locale=bz-hans&hl=am-et   Fresh out the Box has one of the highest scores on showscore.com for sketch comedy shows on Off-Broadway, Fresh out the Box is one of the most critically acclaimed sketch comedy shows in New York City. Going on tour for the first time, Fresh out the Box will make audiences laugh with its original sketches and great characters. Family friendly entertainment for everyone, FOTB: Always funny, Always Fresh, Same Box. Cast: Gene Morgan, Chrissy Taylor, Josh Sorell, Igor Reyes, Matt Leazer, Olivia Casper, Leah Jansen, Abigail Schories, Shanon Lindsey

Interview with Karen Haglof. One Hand Up is a collection of 14 songs that cover widely ranging sonic territory. The writing and production started prior to 2020 and was delayed by the pandemic. Because of a renewed interest in visual art, many of the songs on One Hand Up will be accompanied by visual components: hand-drawn 2D animation, motion graphics and video clips, addin up to a mixed media extravaganza. Prior to her career in medicine, Karen had been an active participant in the much-vaunted Minneapolis indie rock scene that gave the world the Replacements, Soul Asylum and Bob Mould’s Husker Du among many others. Eventually, she left the MidWest for Manhattan and joined renowned avant-garde composer Rhys Chatham’s Ensemble, one of the city’s seminal guitar army / orchestras, leaving to join the Band of Susans with other veterans of Chatham’s crew. After serving a stint a kitchen staff at the early years of East Village institution the Great Jones Café (and creating its legendary brunch menu), she entered medical school and didn’t seriously pick up a guitar for decades. She returned to making music in 2014, while still actively practicing medicine with the Western Holiday EP following it with Perseverance and Grace, Palomino Steady Rocking, Tobiano Over the next four years gaining praise from outlets like NPR’s All Things Considered, Guitar Girl Magazine, and Popdose among many others. Karon's info  http://karenhaglof.com  

Mike Dillon is a percussionist, vibraphonist, bandleader, singer-songwriter, and vocalist born in San Antonio Texas. He is a member of Critters Buggins, Les Claypool's Fancy Band, and Garage A Trois. He has performed with many musicians including Ani DiFranco, Galactic, Brave Combo, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Marco Benevento, Clutch, Claude Coleman Jr., and New Orleans musicians Kevin O'Day, Johnny Vidacovich, James  Singleton, and Ricky Lee Jones. Mike Dillon & Punkadelick makes its recorded debut with Inflorescence, an album of heady, instrumental rock highlighting a band deep in the throes of creative freedom, road tested and wild. Consisting of 10 tracks in 42-minutes, it’s an expansive, focused and fearless collection, representing a world where Duke Ellington and Augustus Pablo rub shoulders with crate-digger exotica, the freak-funk of Parliament and the ‘anything fits’ outsider ethos of acid-fried punks like The Meat Puppets. A trio featuring Mike Dillon (Ricki Lee Jones, Ani DiFranco, Les Claypool) on vibraphone, marimba, Prophet 6, congas, and bongos, Brian Haas (Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) on Fender Rhodes, piano, bass Moog and melodica and Nikki Glaspie (Beyonce) on drums, cymbals and vocals, Punkadelick is the unified vision of six hands creating a world that often sounds like the work of an ensemble three times the size. During 2020 and 2021, while many music venues were still shuttered, the group began touring, sweating their way through cuts Dillon and Haas had composed during quarantine writing sessions. Locking in on stage, it quickly became clear the band was functioning at a level that made the hair on their arms stand at attention—even for three live music veterans accustomed to life on the road.   July 27th Mike and Punkadelick are playing the Grog shop in Cleveland OH tickets here! https://grogshop.gs/event-details/13536034/mike-dillon-punkadelic-hello-3d-c-level/   Mike's Info https://www.mikedillonvibes.com/  

The first podcast ever with Melt-Banana !? Interview with Yako and Agata of Melt Banana.   Melt-Banana is a Japanese noise rock band that is known for playing extremely fast noise rock and hardcore punk mixed with experimental, electronica and pop-based song structures.   Since forming in 1992 the band has released ten albums and toured worldwide extensively. Besides making their music, MELT-BANANA hopes to empower and encourage their fans and fellow musicians by example. They’ve foregone the convention of a full band line-up for over a decade and recorded and toured as a two-piece since 2012. Yako’s wildly careening, staccato vocals ignore every convention of Pop and Alternative singing, guided solely by her own unique artistic vision. For 25 years, they’ve been in the vanguard of bedroom players and Egg Punks facing the challenge of mixing homespun digital creations with live instrumentation head-on with consistently brilliant results. While Melt-Banana has explicitly explained the meaning behind the album’s title, 3 + 5, prime numbers symbolize mathematical integrity and independence, which could represent?   Melt-Banana's Info  http://www.melt-banana.net/ https://www.patreon.com/melt_banana https://www.facebook.com/Melt-Banana-192954987398661    https://www.youtube.com/user/xxxMELTBANANAxxx https://twitter.com/melt_banana/ https://www.instagram.com/melt_banana/ http://www.a-zap.com/  

Boris Pelekh (Boris Peleh′; born Boris Fridrikhovich Pelekh, Russian: Борис Фридрихович Пелех, 17 November 1981) is a singer-songwriter, composer, guitarist, most notable as the guitarist of the Gypsy Punk band Golgol Bordello. He moved to New York City in 1991, at 9, and joined Gogol Bordello in 2015. Aside from his work in Gogol Bordello, he also worked with the Nickoldoenon duo Nat and Alex Wolf from 2008 to 2011. Pelekh is the frontman, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Hey Guy and now Boris and The Joy. July 24th Catch Boris live at Negative Space Cleveland OH.  https://www.facebook.com/share/1UHhwnUGeviWpBxE Boris's info https://borisandthejoy.com

Interview with Charlie Musselwhite. Mississippi-born, Memphis-raised, Grammy Award-winning music legend Charlie Musselwhite doesn’t just sing and play the blues; he is, in every sense of the word, a bluesman. Growing up, he not only learned the music first-hand from many of the genre’s most influential artists, he also absorbed the lifestyle. “It’s an attitude,” Musselwhite says of playing the blues. “A way of living life.” Over the course of his six-decade career, Musselwhite has released nearly 40 albums. He is renowned worldwide as a master harmonica player, a seasoned, truth-telling vocalist and an original songwriter rooted deep within the blues tradition. As many of his fans know, he’s also a country blues guitarist of great depth, warmth and subtlety. Charlie's info https://www.charliemusselwhite.com Shows https://www.charliemusselwhite.com/shows  

Interview with Don Rauf of Life In A Blender Don returns to talk about Life In A Blender's new album Bent By The Weather.   DON RAUF loves W.C. Fields, Preston Sturges, and Nikola Tesla. He lives with his lovely beekeeping wife, Monique, and his cartooning, surrealistic son, Leo. He is a writer whose books include Killer Lipstick and Other Spy Gadgets. He is the proud founder of The Blowhole Theater, an annual Brooklyn variety show featuring the Blowhole Theater Players and their characters Puckerballs the Garbage Can Elf, Scottish Jesus, and Abraham Lincoln. Life In a Blender A SHORT HISTORY For over 25 years, Life in a Blender has been the canvas for singer and songwriter Don Rauf's blackly comic landscapes. The group has released albums ranging from screaming punk to orchestrated chamber pop, and has brought the high theatrics of its live act to stages from Berlin to Austin to Toronto to Brooklyn and Seattle. Don Rauf formed the band with high school friend Dave Moody (then bassist, now cellist), and within a couple of years had acquired the drumming services of Ken Meyer. Guitarist Al Houghton and bassist Mark Lerner joined in 1992, and violinist Rebecca Weiner Tompkins signed on in 1993. While the band's core lineup has remained remarkably constant for the past 18 years, the list of former members, guest artists, and collaborators includes Chris Butler (The Waitresses, Tin Huey), Chris Rael (Church of Betty), Jonathan Gregg, John Linnell (They Might Be Giants), Gavin Smith (Les Sans Culottes), Susan Hwang (Debutante Hour), Brian Dewan, and Olivier Conan (Chicha Libre, Las Rubias Del Norte). Life in a Blender's "Friend from Quebec" was featured in Michael Moore's Canadian Bacon, and "Mobile Wash Unit" appeared in Sara Lamm's documentary, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox. The band's most recent album, SATSUMA, is being released on November 20, 2020. Don's Info http://www.lifeinablender.net/index.html    lifeinablender  

Interview with Steve Dawson 2024. Ghosts is the sixth solo album from Chicago-based musician and songwriter Steve Dawson. It’s being released June 7 on venerable Chicago label Pravda Records on CD, 12” LP vinyl, digital download and on streaming platforms. Steve's info  http://www.stevedawsonmusic.com http://www.instagram.com/stevdawso https://www.youtube.com/c/SteveDawsonMusic https://www.facebook.com/steve.dawson1 https://twitter.com/stevejdawson  

Interview with Chelsea Nenni of Late Slip. Late Slip’s ringleader, Chelsea Nenni, was born on the East Coast but grew up in California. Elvis Presley was her first love and Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” her first favorite song. She studied opera in college, but Gwen Stefani gave her the guts to be in a band. Nenni moved to New York City in her mid-20’s to pursue a life onstage. There she weaved through singing Sondheim, 1920’s jazz, and then, during an especially fierce winter, taught herself how to play guitar. What started as a means to stave off seasonal depression turned into a vessel for big feelings. Now armed with a handful of chords, pangs of unrequited love and homesickness turned into the first Late Slip songs. I Love You is the first full-length album from Brooklyn-based retro-pop outfit, Late Slip. Thealbum was produced at the hands of Lewis Pesacov (Best Coast, FIDLAR, Nikki Lane, Poolside)and is being released on 12” LP vinyl, CD, as a digital download, and via streaming platforms, June 7 th on Party Mermaid Records. Pesacov’s transportive production delivers a nostalgic soundscape with a little bit of twang, alittle bit of surf, and a whole lotta heart. Nenni’s sun-soaked, tear-stained gems tap into the tenderness we tend to lock away. I Love You offers the invitation to cozy up close, let your feelings flow, and dance it all away.   Late Slip's Info Website: https://lateslipmusic.com/  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7e5N34OVNyOB26btN8p9Ly  Bandcamp: https://lateslip.bandcamp.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lateslip /  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lateslip  

Interview with Angelo Moore, aka Dr. Madd Vibe!   Angelo Moore is an American musician best known for his work as lead singer and saxophonist for the Los Angeles ska and funk metal band Fishbone. Moore also performs and records under the stage name Dr. Madd Vibe.   Angelo's info https://www.drmadvibe.com/shows drmaddvibe   May 19th Cleveland OH, Angelo Moore and C-Level Show Info  https://thewinchestermusictavern.com/tm-event/angelo-moore-of-fishbone/

Interview with David Nagler of As For the Future. As For the Future is a new Brazilian music-inspired group based in NYC. Drawing on avariety of styles – bossa nova, samba, MPB (Música popular brasileira) – andcombining them with rock, jazz, folk, and soul influences, the group mates their distinctive sound with vibrant, original lyrics. As For the Future’s self-titled / self-produced debut album will be released on Friday,June 14 on their own As For the Future Music imprint. The record will be available ondigital/streaming, LP, and Deluxe Edition CD featuring nine bonus tracks (alternatemixes, dub versions, and edits). Over 90% of the record was recorded entirely remotely at an assortment of home &professional studios. The record was mixed by D. James Goodwin As For the Future's Info instagram.com/asforthefuture soundcloud.com/asforthefuture facebook.com/asforthefuture tiktok.com/@asforthefuture youtube.com/@AsForTheFuture asforthefuture.bandcamp.com

Interview with Mark Scully of WORLDSUCKS   The world sucks—but it doesn't have to. WORLDSUCKS is a band born from friendship and fueled by frustration. Our songs and shows deal with the injustices of the world, channeling our own fury and seeking out others who feel a similar sense of rage and exasperation. This is activism rock, just one action of many we're trying to take to stand up for the liberation of all people. We are not hopeless—justice is inevitable.  WORLDSUCKS is the ongoing evolution of 30 years of friendship and music making between Mark (guitar/vocals) and Nick (drums/vocals). Our music expands and deepens along with our consciousness. As part of that sonic exploration comes Tony Doucet, whose bass playing and creativity is adding new dimensions to the WORLDSUCKS sound. Now it's 2024 and we are armed with a new single, "NO!/GO!", that showcases our progression and our way forward, ferocious and frustrated as ever at the world around us. Eight new sonic onslaughts will be recorded this year, with a new album due out in 2025.  WORLDSUCKS is heavy music for heavy times. Power to the people.   5/29 Cincinnati OH 5/30 Youngstown OH SHOW INFO IN LINKS WORLDSUCKS'S info  worldsucks worldsucks https://www.instagram.com/worldsucks66/?img_index=1 https://worldsucks.bandcamp.com/    

Interview with Kate Dedinsky & Adam Grindler of The Baker’s Basement Cleveland alternative folk duo the Baker’s Basement (tBB) features the eclectic musical stylings of vocalist/drummer Kate Dedinsky and vocalist/guitarist Adam Grindler.  At their rhythmic core pulses an orange striped, homemade, bucket-drum concoction, the funky back beat on which Dedinsky performs standing up with both swagger and sway.  The duo’s intimate sound, rooted in a whimsical flavor of Americana music and topped with playful vocal layers often volleyed to-and-fro across the stage, offers a humorous yet heart-wrenching sonic signature that’s altogether their own. A hidden gem of the midwest, tBB’s affectionate and direct spoken word vocal delivery bounces atop their unusual percussive foundation of odds & ends, a drum apparatus that the group calls the “Tempeh Kit”—when matched with Grindler’s acoustic & electric guitar methods, both finger picked and strummed, their playful and oscillating sound is solidified. Between songs, the duo endears themselves to their audience through storytelling and fond recollections of past creative experiments.  All and all, a performance by this dynamic pair is an invitation into an intimate world of creative fancy and captivating chemistry nurtured over years of playing both stages and street corners. Always active live and in studio, tBB released back to back singles in February & March of 2024: “Love I Can Love” & “Sure Enough Another Swell,” a glimpse into their forthcoming record “Down Down Domino" which is set to release in late 2024.   TBB performs the midwest and beyond, and has shared bills with artists such as Melvin Seals (of the Jerry Garcia Band) and Keller Williams through multiple festival appearances at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park.  TBB has also appeared at Cleveland’s Brite Winter Festival & Ingenuity Fest in addition to residencies at Cedar Point.  Recently the music video for their song “Wild Wild Sheep”, which the band scripted, filmed, and directed, was nominated at the 2023 Cordillera Film Festival in Reno, Nevada     Show Info: Johnny Habu & The Baker's Basement, Aqua Cherry, and Ziggy D of C-Level at The Five o'Clock Loung in Lakewood, OH April 7th, 9PM Free show  https://www.facebook.com/events/1918286711941376  Baker's Basement Info: https://thebakersbasement.com/home  

Zig At The Gig with Straight Gone, Silvia Mori, OrangeG, The RedLines, The Plutophonics, Mindful Dynasty. Ziggy D of C-Level embarks on a mini solo tour and wants to share the new friends he made!  Show info 4/1/24 Straight Gone, Ziggy D from C-Level, & Silvia Mori at Dirty Dungarees Laundromat And Bar. Straight Gone, Ziggy D from C-Level, & Silvia Mori at Dirty Dungarees Laundromat And Bar. 4/2/24The Plutophonics, Ziggy D from C-Level, & Mindful Dynasty at Gate Keeper Games  The Plutophonics, Ziggy D from C-Level, & Mindful Dynasty at Gate Keeper Games 4/3/24The Redlines, Ziggy D of C-Level, Clever Medicine, OrangeG at Poetry Lounge   The Bands info:  The Plutophonics ThePlutophonics The RedLines https://www.facebook.com/theredlines  Mindful Dynasty  mindfuldynasty   OrangeG orangegmusic Straight Gone straightgoneband Silvia Mori https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087376164409    

Out of the Nowhere. Into the Here is the sublime second album by singer, songwriter, and performer Stephen Bluhm. It’ll be available as both a vocal version and a companion all- instrumental set. Recorded, mixed, and produced by Bluhm and featuring a host of gifted guest musicians, the orchestral opus is an elaborate aural feast of strings, horns, flutes, piano, reed instruments, and other timelessly evocative musical sounds — ambitious, but intimate and confiding as well. Out of the Nowhere. Into the Here is being released on 12” LP vinyl, CD, digital download, streaming platforms and 2xCD set including both vocal and instrumental versions on April 19. The instrumental version is being released separately on the same date on digital download and streaming platforms. While Bluhm has been “making songs ever since I can remember,” in his teenage years it was his older siblings’ Lou Reed and David Bowie records that ignited his adolescent musical obsession. While attending Temple University, he took the plunge into live music via campus open-mic nights and from there burst upon the bustling Philadelphia scene, prompting the Philadelphia City Paper to dub him “an old soul, writing Tin Pan Alley-ish fare and singing croon-y folk jazz  in a voice that’d make Morrisey swoon.” Relocating to New York’s Hudson Valley, he further honed his expressive performing style: Belying the serious slants of some of his songs, Bluhm’s shows often find him dancing madly among delighted audience members. “The music (and Stephen) is utterly charming,” raves famed musical theater actor and composer Tom Judson, one of Bluhm’s avowed fans, about Out of the Nowhere. Into the Here. “The halting, clipped vocals, with a sudden appearance of sumptuous string writing, are unexpected and elegant. The music, at first blush, appears naïve. But on a close listen, it’s very assured, and complex writing. And the arrangements are really just wonderful. Sufjan Stevens meets Kurt Weill meets Stephen Foster.” “As I put these songs and arrangements together for the album, I became more and more confident in them,” says Bluhm. “I just hope people sense the beauty in them, the genuineness that I put into them.” With one listen to Out of the Nowhere. Into the Here, no doubt people will sense exactly that. Stephen's Info https://linktr.ee/stephenbluhm Bandcamp: https://stephenbluhm.bandcamp.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephenbluhm/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066550085802 stephenbluhm.fun  

  UK British Blues Award winner and 4 time European Blues Awards nominee Bex Marshall’s unique style of guitar playing is a combined technique of slide, blues rock, ragtime and roots pickin’. Her voice is a powerful melting pot of old black woman’s heartache and rock diva soul. Bex is a writer of distinction and notability, she pushes the boundaries of blues, her songs have been called timeless, touches of genius, and now she tours internationally solo or with a three piece band which augments her unique style of of virtuoso playing, Born In Plymouth Devon she was the product of two very different family’s, one blue blooded landed gentry (her great grandfather was the Squire of Cornwall) and her mothers side Irish Romany (her great Grandmother was the original fairground fortune teller Madam Olga) As a child at family gatherings her uncles would always play and stand her on the table to sing, at 11 years old she was given a 1963 Gibson Hummingbird by her Uncle David and started playing, she got hooked on instrumentals and classical guitar standards which stretched her fingers and gave her a great basis for her own music to develop, flamenco, ragtime, country chicken pickin’, rock and on to blues and roots where she is now in her element. She always had a passion for travelling, its in her blood and trained as a croupier at 18 began her travels around the world working gaming tables on cruise liners to Park Lane even dealing illegal poker games in Amsterdam. She hitch hiked the coast of Australia on cattle trains and always with a guitar on her back living and storing tales. Bex was asked to be the guest JANIS by ‘Big Brother and the Holding Company’s original guitarist Sam Andrews on their their 2014 European Tour.     Bex's Info http://www.bexmarshall.com\ http://www.facebook.com/bexmarshallblues https://www.instagram.com/bexmarshallblues/  

Interview with New Orleans-based singer-songwriter Lynn Drury. Lynn Drury has been performing, in one arena or another, her entire life. At the ripe old age of five she won a 4-H state competition in Mississippi in pole bending. If you don’t know what pole bending is, it’s alittle like barrel racing, Lynn says. That’s horse talk. In a word, rodeos. Once you know that much about Lynn, you understand her approach. She picked up the guitar at 26, went at it like a pro, and she’s never stopped working. Her inspiration is her environment and since the late nineties, that environment has been New Orleans. The transition for the Yazoo City-born Drury was smooth. She says jasmine smells like honeysuckle, and you believe her. Sultry, sweet songs turn funky, and it’s all in the same neighborhood. https://www.lynndrury.com/

Jim Coleman & Michael Wiener of The Children... join us on the show to talk about their second album, A Sudden Craving.      The Children... is an loose collective initially formed and maintained by Jim Coleman and Michael Wiener. Contributing members include Phil Puleo, Kirsten McCord, John Nowlin and Rock Savage. Their live shows are sprawling, experiential and theatrical, integrating song structure, improv, performance and projections.    The Children...'s info  the-https://www.jimcolemanmusic.com/the-children @thechildren_now

Interview with Brenda Sauter Of The Feelies & Wild Carnation Part 2! Brenda joins us again to talk about Wild Carnation's re-release of their second album Super Bus! New Jersey-based trio comprising Brenda Sauter (The Feelies) on vocals and bass, guitarist Rich Barnes and Chris O'Donovan (Grey District) on drums and vocals.. Way back in the 1990s, a young Delmore stumbled into now-defunct NYC nightclub Wetlands (during the sadly also now defunct, NYU Independent Music Festival), just as Wild Carnation were about to begin their set. Having lived in NYC / Brooklyn / Hoboken the previous decade, where countless mesmerizing gigs by The Feelies, Yung Wu, Trypes and Speed The Plough, all with Brenda Sauter on bass, had been experienced, it was the chance to see her fronting her new group that drew Delmore in. A few songs into their set, it was apparent however that this trio was more than a Feelies offshoot project, despite melodic similarities, and Brenda's cool vocals / presence. Wild Carnation played raw, loud and fast (and occasionally out of control), with Rich Barnes’ distorted, jangly guitar lines perfectly colliding with Brenda's propelling bass notes, while Chris O'Donovan kept it together, pounding the living hell out of his drums. It was a garagey, indierock mess, more reminiscent of Hib-Tone / Chronic Town era REM, and emergent New Zealand bands like The Bats and The Clean, than The Feelies. Brenda's Info http://www.wildcarnation.com/home.html https://wildcarnation1.bandcamp.com http://www.thefeeliesweb.com/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...  

Interview with Harvey Gold of Tin Huey, Golems of The Red Planet, Half Cleveland, and The HiFis. Harvey Gold is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter based in Akron, Ohio. Harvey's Info https://golemsoftheredplanet.bandcamp.com https://harveygold.bandcamp.com/album/its-messy-vol-1 https://www.tinhuey.com  

Interview with Gary & Laura Dumm Gary is a life-long Clevelander. Gary’s mom helped teach him to read using comic books as a kid, so they’re kind of in his blood! He attended Cuyahoga Community College in the sixties where he took classes in painting and printmaking. He married Laura in 1971, and they started a life of artistic collaboration as well as creating their own art. In 1974 Gary met author Harvey Pekar through a friend of Laura’s who worked with Harvey, and began a 30+ year association drawing comics art for his ground-breaking autobiographical comic book “American Splendor”, and Laura added color as needed. Many other comics projects and art show exhibitions have followed for this husband-and-wife team.  Laura has had solo art shows, as well as exhibiting with Gary in numerous group shows. They have worked on many publications, independent comic books and graphic novels. They have even co-curated a couple of successful art shows in Cleveland that extolled the virtues and importance of their city's current and storied comics’ history.,     Laura was born, raised and still resides in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a self taught artist who was lucky enough to have gone to a high school (West Tech) that was trying out a new program called “Specialized Art Class” with 6 periods of art a day. Basically a college education for 3 years. She married cartoonist/artist Gary Dumm in 1971. In 1986, after working for various magazine publications, she made the decision to become a freelance graphic artist/illustrator and started her own graphic art business to pay the bills. In 2009 she retired to be a full time painter. First and foremost she is a painter. “I’m a typical Gemini, I need change. I have never worried about having a signature style, painting the same way over and over is a bit boring to me.” For example, from 2008 to 2011, she was painting people/animals in abstract quilt like patterns, paying homage to the women who created quilts as a way to express themselves as well as keeping their families warm. In 2014 she changed to a more realistic pop art style. The one constant in her work is always bright color palette. Gary & Laura Dumm's Info https://www.dummart.com  

Interview with internationally-known guitar maker and musician Paul Reed Smith. 2024   Paul Reed Smith - Eightlock is a band of high-level musicians who are friends and have “locked” together recording and performing a new kind of groove with its roots in Baltimore funk, DC go-go and New Orleans swing. The band’s sound is a heady brew of blues, soul, rock, funk and other roots sounds, all stirred-up into a groove-alicious gumbo. The line-up is three drummers, a bass player, a female singer and three guitar players, and the excitement around their three drummer groove is infectious. The band’s three drummers are: Dennis Chambers (John Scofield, George Duke, Brecker Brothers, Santana, Parliament/Funkadelic, John McLaughlin) who was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2001; Gregory Grainger (Whitney Houston, Acoustic Alchemy); and Ju Ju House the legendary DC Go-Go drummer (Roberta Flack, Trevor Horn and The Chuck Brown Band). Bassist Gary Grainger has performed with John Scofield, Nancy Wilson, George Duke and Bill Evans. Vocalist Mia Samone Davis has a beautiful multifaceted voice that got its start in gospel music at a very young age. Guitarist Mike Ault regularly performs with high caliber artists including Rachelle Ferrell David Grissom, and Davy Knowles. Guitarist Bill Nelson is the Director of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center where he was introduced and invited to join the band in their efforts to raise money for cancer patients and families. “This group of highly respected and world-renowned musicians have a lot to say musically and spiritually,” Paul Reed Smith says. “It’s been an absolute joy to be the catalyst for their gifts resulting in the music found in Lions Roaring in Quicksand.” Added guitarist/vocalist Dr. Bill Nelson: “The musicianship in Eightlock is extraordinary, but what amazes me most is that the music - both the recordings and live performances - just keep getting better and better. Locking into an Eightlock groove is a dream." And dynamic lead singer Mia Samone summed it up by saying, "Creating this CD reminded me that, ‘Peace is the price when the mind is at war’......inner peace is priceless."   In addition to performing and recording with his own band, Paul Reed Smith has played with artists such as Santana, Alter Bridge and the Doobie Brothers. He was honored by Vintage Guitar Magazine as a Hall of Fame inductee in 2011. Paul has countless industry connections through all of the artists that endorse his guitars, plus invaluable marketing opportunities through his guitar company and all of the music stores around the world that sell his guitars. Grammy-award winning Mexican rock band Manaì had him open their residency at the LA Forum this year, John Mayer and Santana have taken him on tour. In addition to 10 powerful original songs on Lions Roaring in Quicksand, the new album features a cover of a Manaì song in English, “Ay, Doctor,” that the band has agreed to share on their social media to their millions of fans, as well as scintillating versions of the Al Green soul classic, “Love and Happiness,” the legendary Edwin Starr song, “War,” and “99,” a chart hit for the original version in France.   Paul Reed Smith Eightlock Social Media Links: https://eightlockband.com/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063641798882 https://twitter.com/PEightlock https://www.instagram.com/eightlockband_official/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv-7c7kNFEo0nfpvsim2Gsg  

Broken is the latest release from ‘Benjamin Jayne,’ a project that is sustained by Benjamin Wright out of Brattleboro, Vermont. The album was recorded in Wright’s home studio, produced by him and Drew Skinner. It’s being released by WhatAboutMusic as a digital download and via streaming platforms on October 13. Benjamin Jayne’s music has been compared to such acts as The National, Nick Drake, as well as Beck, and his baritone vocals have been compared to Leonard Cohen. However, his new record reveals an entirely new vocal range. The music tends to be on the darker side, melancholic and reflective, and is typically considered folk rock. Though he does use interesting electronic elements and at times gets a little too heavy to be called folk. The latest album continues in the realm of melancholia. It primarily deals with people trying to reconcile who they are now compared to who they remember themselves to be before the current of time got a hold of them. It is about seeing our reflection and being unrecognizable to ourselves and then facing the challenge of unraveling all of the elements we have wrapped ourselves in that don’t feel genuine. The album is seeking truth and rebirth. His work under Benjamin Jayne is a solo venture, but he does enjoy the input and occasional song from his sister Amanda Jayne who is an artist based out of Barcelona. He also consistently enlists Drew Skinner for engineering and production, though Benjamin co-produces on all of the albums. Benjamin practices psychiatry by day at the country’s smallest hospital, where he is the Director of Psychiatry. He also has a background in performance and songwriting, having studied film scoring and jazz performance at Berklee College of Music. He played in multiple bands over the last two decades and worked as a professional multi-instrumentalist in Los Angeles for a while before changing fields from music to psychiatry.       Benjamin's info https://www.benjaminjayne.com/#home-s... https://open.spotify.com/artist/2fKjh... https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminjaynemusic https://www.instagram.com/benjaminjay...  

Interview with Raymond Anderson of Nation of No One https://nationofnoone.bandcamp.com https://soundcloud.com/raynon?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing    

Interview with Ramona Jan of The Comateens  Part 2 The Comateens were one of NYC’s earliest synth-punk bands, along with Suicide and Kraftwerk one of the few live bands to perform with a drum machine. Jan and North formed the band in 1978, bonding over their shared love of merely playing music together and the punk rock scene taking shape in downtown NYC. Singer and synth player Lyn Byrd and drummer Harry Viderci joined shortly afterwards. Both cuts were recorded at Mediasound in 1979 with Jan on guitar, North on bass, Byrd on synths and Viderci playing drums. Don Wersheba and Harvey J. Goldberg engineered; Ray Janos was the mastering engineer. The Comateens’ Ramona Jan and Nicholas “Nic North” Dembling had just gotten started when they recorded “Danger Zone,” a sneering, blaring punk song spit-sung by Nicholas with Ramona Jan’s untutored guitars sounding like an electric razor, a catchy chorus floating in from Jan’s love of Motown. “Elizabeth’s Lover” leans toward 60’s girl-group with a gleeful chorus as taunting and addictive as “My Boyfriend’s Back.” The song marks Jan’s turn from punk rock to new wave. “Danger Zone” was originally backed with “Cool Chick,” recorded during the same session and released independently on Teenmaster Records. Jan left the band shortly after recording these songs due to a series of unfortunate misunderstandings, so this version of “Elizabeth’s Lover” was never released. Jan recorded it again, later, with Dizzy and the Romilars. Left for Dead’s James Reynolds considered releasing the original “Danger Zone” single on his Jimboco Records, however he put out Dizzy and the Romilars’ version of “Elizabeth’s Lover” in 1980 instead, followed by the Ramona Jan-produced NastyFacts single “Drive My Car” in ‘81. The band was able to record at Mediasound because Jan was an audio engineer there, one of only a handful of women engineers in the world. On the then-gritty Upper West Side, Jan lived cheaply at the bohemian Bretton Hall on the corner of Broadway and 86th Street, dodging pimps and prostitutes on the elevator to her apartment. The building’s low rent also attracted other types of artists, though, and a neighbor heard her singing, knocked on the door and asked her if she’d want to record. The neighbor worked at Mediasound Studio in Midtown. Jan took one look around and realized she just had to work there. She told the boss she’d wanted to be a recording engineer all her life—a lie—and that her mother was an electrician, her father a piano tuner, another falsehood. She was hired on the spot and thrived, kicking off a lifelong career in engineering and production that led to work with Brian Eno, Talking Heads, Ramones (who wrote “Ramona” about her.) and more. Comateens continued after Jan left the band, recording three full lengths and building a dedicated following in France before breaking up in the mid-1980s. Their biggest hit was a cover of the “Munster’s Theme Song,” recorded in 1981. Ramona Jan has also had an active career in music since, performing with Dizzy and the Romilars and more recently Northeast Regional Folk Alliance award winners, JANTURAN. She was a founding member Venus Fly Trap, an all-female vocal group, whose members Soozie Tyrell and Lisa Lowell now tour with Bruce Springsteen. Venus Fly Trap sang with David Johansen’s Buster Poindexter act and won the 1984 Village Voice Award Best Street Performer. Jan is also a writer, the author of the first biography of Jon Bon Jovi, published by Sony. She recently received the 2023 Upper Delaware Council Cultural Award as well as a 2023 Congressional Award for her work as Director of Yarnslingers, a true storytelling group based in the Catskills. She is currently the Tuesday columnist for the award-winning Sullivan County Democrat with her column, Ramona’s Ramblings. https://www.leftfordeadrecords.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/445047024405291 https://www.instagram.com/leftfordeadrecs/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comateens, https://comateens.com/  

Interview with Nicholas West ( Nic North) & Ramona Jan of The Comateens. The Comateens were one of NYC’s earliest synth-punk bands, along with Suicide and Kraftwerk one of the few live bands to perform with a drum machine. Jan and North formed the band in 1978, bonding over their shared love of merely playing music together and the punk rock scene taking shape in downtown NYC. Singer and synth player Lyn Byrd and drummer Harry Viderci joined shortly afterwards. Both cuts were recorded at Mediasound in 1979 with Jan on guitar, North on bass, Byrd on synths and Viderci playing drums. Don Wersheba and Harvey J. Goldberg engineered; Ray Janos was the mastering engineer. The Comateens’ Ramona Jan and Nicholas “Nic North” Dembling had just gotten started when they recorded “Danger Zone,” a sneering, blaring punk song spit-sung by Nicholas with Ramona Jan’s untutored guitars sounding like an electric razor, a catchy chorus floating in from Jan’s love of Motown. “Elizabeth’s Lover” leans toward 60’s girl-group with a gleeful chorus as taunting and addictive as “My Boyfriend’s Back.” The song marks Jan’s turn from punk rock to new wave. “Danger Zone” was originally backed with “Cool Chick,” recorded during the same session and released independently on Teenmaster Records. Jan left the band shortly after recording these songs due to a series of unfortunate misunderstandings, so this version of “Elizabeth’s Lover” was never released. Jan recorded it again, later, with Dizzy and the Romilars. Left for Dead’s James Reynolds considered releasing the original “Danger Zone” single on his Jimboco Records, however he put out Dizzy and the Romilars’ version of “Elizabeth’s Lover” in 1980 instead, followed by the Ramona Jan-produced NastyFacts single “Drive My Car” in ‘81. The band was able to record at Mediasound because Jan was an audio engineer there, one of only a handful of women engineers in the world. On the then-gritty Upper West Side, Jan lived cheaply at the bohemian Bretton Hall on the corner of Broadway and 86th Street, dodging pimps and prostitutes on the elevator to her apartment. The building’s low rent also attracted other types of artists, though, and a neighbor heard her singing, knocked on the door and asked her if she’d want to record. The neighbor worked at Mediasound Studio in Midtown. Jan took one look around and realized she just had to work there. She told the boss she’d wanted to be a recording engineer all her life—a lie—and that her mother was an electrician, her father a piano tuner, another falsehood. She was hired on the spot and thrived, kicking off a lifelong career in engineering and production that led to work with Brian Eno, Talking Heads, Ramones (who wrote “Ramona” about her.) and more. Comateens continued after Jan left the band, recording three full lengths and building a dedicated following in France before breaking up in the mid-1980s. Their biggest hit was a cover of the “Munster’s Theme Song,” recorded in 1981. Ramona Jan has also had an active career in music since, performing with Dizzy and the Romilars and more recently Northeast Regional Folk Alliance award winners, JANTURAN. She was a founding member Venus Fly Trap, an all-female vocal group, whose members Soozie Tyrell and Lisa Lowell now tour with Bruce Springsteen. Venus Fly Trap sang with David Johansen’s Buster Poindexter act and won the 1984 Village Voice Award Best Street Performer. Jan is also a writer, the author of the first biography of Jon Bon Jovi, published by Sony. She recently received the 2023 Upper Delaware Council Cultural Award as well as a 2023 Congressional Award for her work as Director of Yarnslingers, a true storytelling group based in the Catskills. She is currently the Tuesday columnist for the award-winning Sullivan County Democrat with her column, Ramona’s Ramblings. https://www.leftfordeadrecords.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/445047024405291 https://www.instagram.com/leftfordeadrecs/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comateens, https://comateens.com/  

Interview with Catbells on their full-length debut Partly Cloudy.  All the meticulously crafted material on Partly Cloudy was composed by Catbells, and features her soft, hypnotic vocals, dreamy melodies and, haunting lyrics. These are blended with electronic elements and other instrumental seasoning provided by Billy Mohler to produce a sonic landscape that is both nostalgic and forward-thinking. With influences ranging from 60’s icons like Nico and Donovan to seminal 90’s Dream-pop artists ala Mazzy Star, Catbells has created a vein of Lofi " sad girl" bedroom-pop all her own melodies that captures her deep, heartfelt emotions with the deepest intimacy. With each track, she invites her audience on a journey through her innermost thoughts and experiences. Catbells burst onto the indie music scene in 2021with her debut single “Fade (Rainy Day Demo)” which has racked up 1.3 million views to date. She followed that release with an EP titled Wilderness that testified to her blossoming skill as a songwriter and the emotional potency of her performing and garnered a dedicated fanbase who found connection and solace in the midst of their own struggles and triumphs. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist began playing piano at age five, and by 7 th grade was playing guitar and writing songs about middle school heartbreaks. After performing in several bands she decided to focus on her own music. The name “Catbells” comes from a popular hiking spot described in The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle by Beatrix Potter. Raised in New England, Catbells’ music continues to draw on childhood memories of the natural world: seasons changing, swimming in the Eastern lakes, canoeing and working on the family farm. As her journey unfolds, Catbells continues to intrigue and captivate. With her soul-stirring compositions, and a voice that echoes through the depths of the heart, Catbells is an artist who embraces the beauty of the unknown.     Catbells's info Instagram http://www.instagram.com/catbellsmusic Facebook http://www.facebook.com/catbellsmusic YouTube http://www.youtube.com/catbells  

 Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Paul Chastain co-founded Velvet Crush rock group. Signed by Alan McGee to his mythic British indie label Creation Records who gave the band’s first and second albums, the latter, the seminal “Teenage Symphonies To God”, worldwide release. Paul’s musical arc also includes path crossings with a handful of top-notch talent. He has been playing and singing alongside pal Matthew Sweet from the pre-”Girlfriend” days onward. Run-ins along the way with such pop music icons and ne’er-do-wells as Roger McGuinn, Mitch Easter, Susanna Hoffs, Stephen Duffy, Tommy Keene, Ami Onuki (Puffy Ami/Yumi). Drummer/producer John Louis Richardson has similar roots, brushes with greatness and dubious associations. Among them, Joey Molland’s Badfinger, Tommy Keene, Gin Blossoms, Keene Brothers, Jay Bennett, Will Hoge. He still plays live and records with DIY power pop pioneers and long time friends, Shoes. John runs his Drum Farm Studio in Menomonie, Wisconsin. A major through-line for the album Ours & amp; Life-events shaped others due to the passing of longtime mutual friend and bandmate Tommy Keene. As an inspirational figure who opened for The Matthew Sweet band, toured with Velvet Crush, and played in Richardson’s band, the impact of his loss was significant. This led to the inclusion of Keene’s song “Baby Face” on the album, as well as aiding in the completion of the track “Can’t Let Go (Oh Tommy)”.   Paul's Info https://www.instagram.com/smallish.square/ https://www.facebook.com/TheSmallSquare https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmallSquareGroup https://www.smallsquaremusic.com/ https://farmtolabelrecords.com/artists/the-small-square/  

Interview with J. Wilms. J. Wilms is a multi-instrumentalist and singer /songwriter. Who has a new album out called The Fighter. Jeremy “J” Wilms has had a long and varied career. He received his Bachelor of Music from Georgia State University and his Master of Music from CUNY Queens College, NYC. Jeremy’s jammed with Ornette Coleman at his loft and played Broadway revues at retirement communities in New Jersey (sometimes over the same weekend!) He was briefly in Chico Hamilton’s band playing guitar and played bass on Broadway in the musical Fela! During the tour for Fela! Wilms performed with Patti LaBelle and played with Fela Kuti’s son Femi at venues around the world including the Shrine in Lagos. He’s recorded with artists as diverse as Bebel Gilberto, Beyoncé, TV On The Radio, and many others. Wilms has been a guitarist in the orchestra for MacArthur Fellowship winner Taylor Mac’s 24 Decade History Of Popular Music as well as the bassist on ABC Network’s The Gong Show. He was the arranger and musical director for The Heathens and other acts based at the fabled McKittrick Hotel in Manhattan, home of “Sleep No More” immersive show. Wilms arranged strings and brass for songs on Run the Jewels’ RTJ 4 and Tim Fojahn’s I Dreamed a Dream. Jeremy is still busy working as a sideman in both NYC and ATL, scoring for film and other media, and teaching. Wilms also releases instrumental music as Jeremy Wilms and is the leader of the metal/prog band NOMOTO.     Jeremy's Info www.jeremywilms.com https://open.spotify.com/artist/1blyz61f1zZ726LOVfGedp?si=kDNRCKTgToKMmMaFGlQAj Q https://open.spotify.com/artist/5cKrwyPCGHf8ewXhG9RRnW?si=1saWA20uRQeaFy7LoViDZ A https://www.instagram.com/jere_wilms/ https://www.facebook.com/J.WilmsMusic/

Aaron Lange Co-founder of Stone Church Press, author of Ain't It Fun and Peppermint Werewolf.   n the 1970s, Peter Laughner was a founding figure in a primordial ooze of what would come to be called punk rock, in the somewhat unlikely, somewhat necessary place of Cleveland, Ohio. Bands like Pere Ubu, the electric eels, Rocket From the Tombs, the Dead Boys, Devo, and the Pagans all intermingled in this psychosphere; Laughner touched them all. In 1977 at the age of 24 he became punk rock’s first casualty. While his short life ended more than a half a century ago, his legacy continues to resonate; Henry Rollins and Guns N’ Roses have covered his songs, while Wilco and the Mountain Goats drop references to him in their lyrics. Underground comix stalwart Aaron Lange makes his much-anticipated graphic novel debut with this deeply researched biography. Through extensive interviews with the people who were there, Ain’t It Fun charts the cultural, environmental, and societal factors that shaped both Laughner and the Midwestern proto-punk subculture he championed. Ain’t it fun when you know that you’re gonna die young? “Grounded in real crime, with blazing and withering faces looking into their precious moments and looking back at what’s left, this is a mystic story of a city wrapped around the life and death of a musician whose talent, on certain nights, on certain records, was otherworldly. A sense of disbelief churns through the intricate, exploding pages. It seems a wonder there’s anyone left to tell the tale.” Get Ain't It Fun Here: aint-it-fun-peter-laughner-aaron-lange Aaron's Info https://stonechurchpress.com/product-category/aaron-lange/ stonechurchpress aaron.lange  

Steve ‘Smiley’ Barnard, based in Hampshire in the UK, is an English musician, songwriter, and music producer at his own studio, Sunshine Corner Studios.  He’s best known for being a drummer, having toured and played livefor ROBBIE WILLIAMS, JOE STRUMMER & THE MESCALEROS, GLENN GREGORY with TONY VISCONTI (HOLY HOLY), THE ALARM, GENE LOVES JEZEBEL, ARCHIVE, and many more.  In the studio, he’s played drums for, among others, the following artists; THE MOCK TURTLES, HARD-FI, NEWTON FAULKNER, LILY ALLEN, THE CHARLATANS, BILLY BRAGG, REPUBLICA, and TERRY HALL.  In his own studio, he’s produced a raft of artists, and has also released eight albums of his own songs, playing most of the instruments himself, but including contributions from many guest musicians such as BRUCE FOXTON (The Jam), STEVE NORMAN (Spandau Ballet), RICHARD ARCHER (Hard-Fi), IAN McNABB (The Icicle Works), MATTHEW ROUND (James Morrison), PAUL CUDDEFORD (The Boomtown Rats), and JAMES STEVENSON (The Alarm), to name but a few!    Steve's Info  https://smileysfriends.co.uk/home

Interview with Bill Million of The Feelies Formed in Haledon NJ in the 1970’s, The Feelies have now released six albums including their critically acclaimed and influential debut Crazy Rhythms, which was voted 49 in the top 100 albums of the 1980s by Rolling Stone magazine and chosen by Spin Magazine as #49 of the best alternative records of all time. Their music has left an indelible mark on the landscape of rock and roll. Supporting the release of their first four albums the band appeared on the The Late Show With David Letterman and in concerts with The Patti Smith Group, R.E.M., and Bob Dylan as well as touring with Lou Reed. In 2008, the Feelies ended a 17-year sabbatical as a group to open for long-time admirers Sonic Youth at Battery Park and then resurrected their tradition of playing low key gigs at strategic intervals throughout the year rather than doing lengthy tours. In 2009, they were invited by R.E.M. to perform at Carnegie Hall in “The Music of REM” charity concert benefitting music education programs for underprivileged youth, then by the artist Dan Graham to play an acoustic set at the opening of his first American retrospective, held at the Whitney Museum: Dan Graham: Beyond at the Whitney Museum of American Art. That same year Bar/None re-issued Crazy Rhythms and The Good Earth, this being the first band-sanctioned CD release of the former. In 2011, they released a new studio album Here Before of which England’s The Wire enthused, “Here Before picks up as though they’d never left. The second line- up is fully present, and the basics of their sound have filtered through so many younger bands (from Yo La Tengo to SF Seals to The Chills) that the music possesses a great kind of faux- familiarity. ‘Time Is Right’ sounds something like The Terminals doing a Stooges tribute tune. It - and some of the Velvets riff - lifts that occur during the album’s later moments- make me remember how nuts this group seemed 30-plus years ago.” In honor of their 40th Anniversary Bar/None Records re-released their third and fourth albums,Only Life and Time for a Witness in early 2015. The Feelies Info: https://www.facebook.com/ The.Feelies/ http://www.thefeeliesweb.com  

Interview with Corey Ledet Zydeco accordion player singer-songwriter Corey Ledet's Zydeco Médikamen is his first zydeco album he’s written and performed completely in Kouri-Vini (Louisiana Creole) in recognition of the journey to reclaim his family’s language; it’s his 15 th album overall. The album was recorded at Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana, engineered and mixed by Justin Tocket, produced by Corey Ledet and Louis Michot. Special guests include Germaine Jack, Anders Osborne, Kermit Ruffins, and Grant Dermody. Médikamen is being released by Arnaudville, LA’s Nouveau Electric Label on CD, digital download and via streaming platforms on August 25. Cory's Info http://coreyledet.com/web/ http://nouveauelectricrecords.com/  

Interview with Louis Michot, fiddler, songwriter, and lead vocalist for Grammy winners Lost Bayou Ramblers on his debut solo album Rêve du Troubadour. Rêve du Troubadour came from long months during the first years of the pandemic of Michot documenting musical ideas in his backyard a dry-docked houseboat named “Sister Ray, given to Louis by Korey Richey of LCD Soundsystem. Sometimes, waking up at 4AM, he’d have his parts nailed down before daylight. While recording, MIchot kept a pair of stereo mics live outside Sister Ray to capture the sounds of birds and insects; as the bird and bug population would change throughout the days and seasons, each song wound up with a unique environmental seasoning. More tracks were then added at Nina Highway Studios, a short walk from Michot’s house, by Louis, his rhythm section and various guest musicians. The final track sequence is highly diverse. There are songs that incorporate poetic rapping to hand-laid beats, updates of vintage Acadiana, environment soundscapes, acoustic guitar driven ballads, and even Michot’s interpretation of a seminal work by 19th-century Creole composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk. But they’re all tied together beautifully by Louisiana French language and Louis’ vivid storytelling throughout. Louis's Info

Robin Hyperius Blake of Hyperius Blake and The Sound Experiment  Talk about Creation 4.5      Event description  Creation 4.5 is coming to YOU on November 11th, 2023! We’ve been teasing and previewing for long enough! Get your pre sales via Cashapp/Venmo! We also accept cash at the door. The anticipation is REAL! Creation is a festival about celebrating the beauty of life, desegregating the creative “scenes”, and providing a safe space for marginalized individuals to gather and express themselves. No racism, homophobia, transphobia, body shaming, or hatefulness of any kind will be tolerated. We seek to foster a sense of community between not only artists, but art enthusiasts and appreciators alike. We stand for the prioritization and empowerment of under-served communities, accessibility to art regardless of socioeconomic status, and seek to bring justice and equity to the field of the arts.   Facebook link https://www.facebook.com/events/177455942001448/?ref=newsfeed  

Interview with Tim Lee & Susan Bauer Lee of Bark Bark is a drum set, a Fender 6-string bass, two voices and more hooks than Bill Dance keeps in his tackle box. Loud is their new album. Bark comprises the collaborative duo of Susan Bauer Lee (drums and vocals) and Tim Lee (Fender VI bass and vocals) based in Water Valley, Mississippi. Susan has played and toured with Tim the past two decades with Bark and Tim Lee 3. Tim got his start in Missisippi’s The Windbreakers before going on to tour as part of Mitch Easter' Let’s Active and seminal college rock band Swimming Pool Q’s. Loud is being releasedby Dial Back Sound / Cool Dog Sound on 12” LP vinyl, CD, digital download and stream September 5. “If you can fill the unforgiving three and a half minutes with two hundred and ten seconds of Rock n Roll, yours is the earth and everything that is in it.” I think Rudyard Kipling said that. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? In the face of commercial failure, heartbreaking loss, environmental collapse, grief, one too many beers. You make a record . . . and you make it loud. It starts with “Love Minus Action,” and the lyrics “I’m a loser not a fighter.” Lennon couldn’t have said it better. But the real story here is that you can’t lose if you don’t play the game. But what do you do if you don’t play the game? You carry on without the baggage of giving a shit about the game. You dance on the graves of the forgotten winners and you play for the regulars. There’s a field in North Mississippi. Several years from now. After the screens have all gone dark. The lush green glows in the dull light of a cloudy afternoon. In the middle of the field there is a drum set and two amplifiers. An old generator rattles in the silence. A woman sits at the drum stool and fixes the mic to reach her lips. A man tunes his Bass VI guitar and twists the volume knob all the way up. A ragged crowd gathers from out of the woods. A rumble of distant thunder rolls through the sky. Then the snare cracks and the band plays on. It’s Bark, and they’re playing us out just before the rain. They’re playing Loud; it’s the distillation of Rock n Roll—the beat, the riff, the words and the voice. The things that have always been there from “Psychotic Reaction” to “Satisfaction.” Bandcamp: dialbacksound.bandcamp.com bark-bark-loud.bandcamp.com Website: bark-loud.com Facebook: @Bark.Bark.Loud Instagram: @bark.timlee3