Interview with Victor DeLorenzo Of Violent Femmes & The Night Crickets DeLorenzo was born in 1954, the son of Victor and Charlotte DeLorenzo,\ grew up in Racine, Wisconsin, and has lived in Milwaukee since. He has been a drummer since the age of 16 while attending St. Catherine's High School (Racine, Wisconsin), and has been an actor since the age of five. While attending the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, he auditioned for and was accepted into Theatre X in 1976, and worked with them in various roles for more than 20 years.[ As a drummer, DeLorenzo paired up with bassist Brian Ritchie in 1980, as a rhythm section they called "Violent Femmes". When singer, guitarist, and songwriter Gordon Gano joined them in 1981, the band kept the name.[2] DeLorenzo's father loaned the band $10,000 to record their eponymous debut album in 1982. However, the band was forced to delay its release until 1983 after they signed to Slash Records. DeLorenzo's signature sound is a result of his minimalist drum kit. He often uses nothing more than a snare drum, a tranceaphone and steel brushes. The tranceaphone consists of a metal bushel basket inverted over a tom. He favors this style of kit because in their early days, the band often played on the streets. DeLorenzo continued to act with Theatre X, and record and tour with the Femmes until 1993, when he left to devote more time to acting and to recording his own music.He toured as part of Moe Tucker's band in that year. In 1996 he opened a recording studio called "Joe's Real Recording" He has released three solo records since 1990. In addition to recording his own music, he has played with several side projects, including Ash Can School. In 2000, he teamed up with Ritchie to put together a Femmes compilation, and subsequently rejoined the band until it disbanded again in 2009.In March 2013, Gano, Ritchie and DeLorenzo reformed Violent Femmes once more and played a homecoming show at the Summerfest music festival in their native Milwaukee. Three months later, in July, the band announced a new line-up with Dresden Dolls member Brian Viglione as the band's drummer. DeLorenzo confirmed in a statement that he had left the Femmes permanently because of a failure of the band members to resolve their long-standing business disputes. DeLorenzo performs percussion in the chamber rock duo Nineteen Thirteen with cellist Janet Schiff. Nineteen Thirteen's recording of "Hurricane Noel" was featured in the 2011 TED Global Conference. Night Crickets, a long-distance groove affair conducted during the drawn-out days of lockdown and beyond. Featuring David J, Victor DeLorenzo, and Darwin Meiners.   Iconic and foundational bands in the history of alternative music certainly include Bauhaus, Love And Rockets, and Violent Femmes. San Francisco born artist Darwin Meiners was a fan of all three. A chance meeting 13 years ago with David J (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets) grew into a friendship, and Darwin not only became a bandmate, but David J’s manager. After reaching out to Victor DeLorenzo through e-mail, Darwin met the Violent Femmes drummer after the Femmes’ Coachella set in 2013. Soon after the three collaborated on Darwin’s 2014 release Souvenir. As the pandemic took hold, Darwin was looking for a new project to occupy the lock-down time and approached Victor, who was keen to proceed and suggested that David join as well. The musical trust established between these three was immediate and Night Crickets were born. Within weeks a global process was initiated between them, the recordings eventually forming the album, A Free Society. To say this is something of a dream come true for music fans would be entirely accurate. (The band’s name came from one of many Zoom meetings between the three members. After addressing various pressing musical issues the conversation rambled somewhat and turned to the subject of David Lynch, with David J telling an anecdote which was told to him by Lynch’s sound designer, John Neff. Lynch had asked Neff to obtain a field recording of crickets chirping at night for inclusion in Mulholland Drive. When Neff played him the tape, the director immediately recognized the sound that the insects make when it is light which is apparently a little different to their nocturnal chirp. “No! No! No! These are day crickets, John! I want my night crickets!” Victor, Darwin, and David then shared a look of mutual realization and instantly agreed that the project now had a name!) Night Crickets Info http://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/a-free-society/?fbclid=IwAR20Jsa93KV7Npoxfan53Mjd67ihiceYXEkESshe5I0SGiKhGAveeZJgMrk   Victor's Info https://victordelorenzo.weebly.com/vf-press-release.html  

   Interview with David J of Bauhaus, The Night Crickets   On David J Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction once described David J as the Avant of the Avant-garde. Never was a truer word spoken . . . A founder member of one of the most influential bands since The Velvet Underground; namely BAUHAUS. Bauhaus spearheaded the post-punk Alternative music scene of the early ‘80’s with a string of innovative albums and singles, including, for many, perhaps their defining moment, a song that is ranked as a classic and feasibly the pinnacle of the entire Gothic scene and beyond, the nine minute plus epic slab of industrial dub that is 'Bela Lugosi’s Dead', featuring the lyrics of David J.   Night Crickets, a long-distance groove affair conducted during the drawn-out days of lockdown and beyond. Featuring David J, Victor DeLorenzo, and Darwin Meiners.   Iconic and foundational bands in the history of alternative music certainly include Bauhaus, Love And Rockets, and Violent Femmes. San Francisco born artist Darwin Meiners was a fan of all three. A chance meeting 13 years ago with David J (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets) grew into a friendship, and Darwin not only became a bandmate, but David J’s manager. After reaching out to Victor DeLorenzo through e-mail, Darwin met the Violent Femmes drummer after the Femmes’ Coachella set in 2013. Soon after the three collaborated on Darwin’s 2014 release Souvenir. As the pandemic took hold, Darwin was looking for a new project to occupy the lock-down time and approached Victor, who was keen to proceed and suggested that David join as well. The musical trust established between these three was immediate and Night Crickets were born. Within weeks a global process was initiated between them, the recordings eventually forming the album, A Free Society. To say this is something of a dream come true for music fans would be entirely accurate. (The band’s name came from one of many Zoom meetings between the three members. After addressing various pressing musical issues the conversation rambled somewhat and turned to the subject of David Lynch, with David J telling an anecdote which was told to him by Lynch’s sound designer, John Neff. Lynch had asked Neff to obtain a field recording of crickets chirping at night for inclusion in Mulholland Drive. When Neff played him the tape, the director immediately recognized the sound that the insects make when it is light which is apparently a little different to their nocturnal chirp. “No! No! No! These are day crickets, John! I want my night crickets!” Victor, Darwin, and David then shared a look of mutual realization and instantly agreed that the project now had a name!)   In Night Crickets’ own words:   Night Crickets, a long distance groove affair conducted during the drawn out days of lockdown and beyond. Audio files shared from Los Angeles to Milwaukee, from London to the San Francisco Bay, and the ghosts of Candlestick Park shimmer through the fog, the Devil comes a-knocking on Peter Laughner’s door and Amanda Gorman conjures forth words of inspiration for the dawn of the new millennium.   David J, Victor DeLorenzo, and Darwin spearhead a loose collective of like-minded creative souls left stranded in their respective locales due to the great pandemic, yet through sheer tenacity and a burning desire to collaborate and create they transcend the restrictions of the times and pull together a glorious ‘gesamtkunstwerk’ that draws from the past, the present and the imagined future.   Hark! Night Crickets are chirping as the world is set on fire and the sun is going down.     Night Crickets Info http://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/a-free-society/?fbclid=IwAR20Jsa93KV7Npoxfan53Mjd67ihiceYXEkESshe5I0SGiKhGAveeZJgMrk   David's Info http://www.davidjonline.com/?fbclid=IwAR0TUtdYQRM0UJ1iGUkoEka4LVYK-NviByJM1anDVEAWKuazHzCHB2EIEMg  

Nora O’Connor is a Chicago-based musician whose vocal talents are the secret weapon behind some of the city’s best performances and recordings. For much of 2013, O'Connor toured internationally as a singer in Iron and Wine, and she continues to record and perform with longtime collaborator  Andrew Bird.  Nora also plays bass and sings back-up for Kelly Hogan K(she recorded and toured with Hogan for her release I Like To Keep Myself In Pain on ANTI- Records) and in 2010, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy enlisted her and Hogan as primary vocalists on gospel legend Mavis Staples’ Grammy Award-winning album You Are Not Alone. She has been most recently been touring with The Decemberists, singing harmonies and playing a bunch of their really nice guitars. In the studio and on the stage, Nora has backed (among others) Neko Case , Jakob Dylan, The New Pornographers, Archer Prewitt, Chris Mills, The Aluminum Group, Otis Clay, Justin Roberts and  Robbie Fulks Though she may be primarily known for her signature honey-sweet vocals, Nora is also revered among her musician peers for her chops and versatility. She's a solid sender on guitar and bass, an enthusiastic and inspired collaborator, and always ninja-nimble and professional to a T -- just a few of the reasons why this lady's phone never stops ringing. Nora's new album My Heart and Info here: https://www.noraoconnormusic.com/ nora.oconnorkean https://www.instagram.com/noraoconnorkean/?hl=en    

doubleVee was put into motion in 2012 when it became clear how Allan Vest and Barb [Hendrickson] Vest’s musical backgrounds complemented each other and how well the two worked together in the studio. The pair married in October of 2015 and went on to release their debut album in 2017.   Allan was the primary songwriter, lead vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist for indie/orchestral pop band Starlight Mints, having produced and released four albums between 2000 and 2009, with legendary producer Dave Sardy co-producing the critically acclaimed debut album, The Dream that Stuff was Made Of. Major motion pictures and television series have utilized his music, with TV shows including Malcolm in the Middle, Californication, One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl and movies including Barnyard and The Art of Getting By. The BBC mini-series Demons effectively used "Eyes of the Night" off the 2006 album Drowaton as the series' theme song. Allan's instrumental scores have been featured in Disney animated shorts, writer/director Mickey Reece's movies Seducers Club and Punch Cowboy, in projects by Canada-based writer/director Erahm Christopher, and features helmed by director Bradley Beesley, among other productions. He has produced and arranged music for clients including Francine, Skating Polly, Student Film and Bishop Allen. He also composed the theme music for the podcast In Sickness and In Health.   Barb’s diverse background includes sixteen years in public radio where her achievements included writing, hosting, and producing Filmscapes, a nationally syndicated film music program. Filmscapes gave her the opportunity to interview some of her favorite renowned artists including Danny Elfman and Philip Glass. While Barb’s vocal music history includes appearing in themed cover shows and providing backing vocals on recordings for local bands, her love of music began with her family, with her grandmother regularly putting a tape recorder on her piano bench and singing along to her original compositions, before she passed away in 1986 after a sudden heart attack at the age of 57. Allan and Barb later orchestrated and added backing vocals to one of her grandmother's songs as a gift for her mother, who ensured music was a big part of her daughters' lives from a very young age.   doubleVee’s debut album The Moonlit Fables of Jack the Rider was released on February 10, 2017. The concept album follows the story of the title character, with his tales being told in a theatrical style with Jack at the handlebars. He’s a traveler who descends into a world reminiscent of The Twilight Zone where nothing is exactly as it seems, with pieces of his history unfolding over the course of the album. Their follow-up EP Songs for Birds and Bats was released April 12, 2019. The five-song release concluded with Last Castaways, selected the next year to be featured on the soundtrack for the immersive video game Beyond Blue.   On July 15th, doubleVee released their new album Treat Her Strangely, nine new songs whose conception began during the height of the pandemic, with their new material written and recorded while staying holed up in their home studio as much as possible, attempting to keep themselves, their loved ones and others safe from the virus.   doubleVee's info https://www.doublevee.net/ https://www.facebook.com/doubleVeeSongs doubleVee_band UC83QKD-z5ANKfhdoaGdce-A        

Sleepyhead recorded their forthcoming sixth album, New Alchemy, at the legendary Boston area recording studio Q Division with esteemed producer and Q Division co-founder Jon Lupfer at the helm. They are releasing the album August 19 as a digital download and via streaming platforms to be followed by a release on 12” vinyl LP.  They plan to play as many shows as they can manage after that! New Alchemy features Sleepyhead founders, drummer/vocalist Rachael McNally and guitarist/vocalist Chris O’Rourke as well as bassist/vocalist/keyboardist Derek van Beever, who joined the trio in 2004, a few years after the other two had moved to Boston. Many of the songs conjure the subtly infectious laissez-faire sounds of pre-Grunge Indie Rock the embrace early on in their career with a handful evoking classic Laurel Canyon Country-Rock and other 70’s FM staples. The title track to New Alchemy was inspired by the exploits of the New Alchemy Institute, a utopian endeavor founded by idealistic scientists in the 1970’s in Falmouth, Massachusetts, the hometown of Sleepyhead guitarist/vocalist Chris O’Rourke. Sleepyhead was formed in a basement room at NYU's Brittany dorm in the fall of 1989 by drummer/vocalist Rachael McNally, bassist Mike Galinsky and guitarist/vocalist Chris O’Rourke. They released their first 7" single, the Kramer-produced "Play," in 1991 on Picture Book Artifact. Four full-length albums followed, on three different independent record labels. Punk Rock City USA was released by Slumberland Records in 1993, followed by Starduster (Homestead 1994), Communist Love Songs (Homestead 1996), and The Brighter Shore (Sealed Fate 1999). They toured the United States and Europe throughout the nineties, sharing the stage with such legendary bands as Polvo, Half Japanese, Yo La Tengo, The Grifters, The Dambuilders, Nation of Ulysses, Helium, Royal Trux, Antietam, Luna, Versus, The Magnetic Fields, and Dungbeetle. Around the time their fourth album was released in 1999, Rachael and Chris got married, and Mike Galinsky moved on to a successful career in filmmaking. Dan Cuddy (The Special Pillow, ex-Hypnolovewheel) joined Chris and Rachael on bass. With Dan on bass, Sleepyhead did some touring for The Brighter Shore and began writing new songs. Rachael and Chris moved from New York to Boston in 2002 after having their first child. They had another kid in 2005. By this time, they had begun recording a new album, with Dan on bass, with producer Mike Deming (Pernice Brothers, Apples in Stereo, Beachwood Sparks, Lilys), at Deming’s famed Studio 45 in Hartford, and subsequently Enfield, CT. In 2004, bassist/vocalist/keyboardist Derek van Beever joined the band, and they started playing shows in Boston, Providence, and New York whenever they got the chance. In April 2013, this new lineup of Sleepyhead went into Q Division Studios in Somerville, MA to record the last three songs for their long-time-coming fifth album, Wild Sometimes, which was released on renowned Chicago indie Carrot Top Records on April 8, 2014. They played a bunch of shows in the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast to celebrate the release of Wild Sometimes in 2014, and then started writing a whole bunch of new songs with Derek. In the Spring of 2018, Drawing Room Records released a well-received deluxe double vinyl LP/digital reissue of Starduster and Communist Love Songs called Future Exhibit Goes Here.         Sleepyhead's info     http://www.sleepyheadrockband.com/Sle  

The Bar None label, in conjunction with Fiasco Records, is excited to announce the upcoming release of Riches to Rags, a long-lost album by Minneapolis’ Bleeding Hearts featuring Bob Stinson, a founding member of The Replacements, on lead guitar. Riches to Rags will be a Record Store Day 2022 exclusive, pressed on 12” blood-red vinyl with liner notes by journalist Bob Mehr who won a Grammy Award for his album notes to the Dead Man’s Pop box set, an expanded re-issue he co-produced of the Replacements Don’t Tell a Soul album; Mehr wrote Trouble Boys the definitive Replacements biography Trouble Boys; he describes Riches to Rags as “the final piece to the puzzle of Bob Stinson’s musical career.” The album release will be preceded by the digital single, “Happy Yet,” on March 17. Bleeding Hearts was the brainchild of Stones-fixated singer / songwriter / guitarist Mike Leonard who started the group with drummer Bob Herbers and bassist Rob Robello. In search of a second guitarist and having no luck, Leonard approached Stinson at the Uptown Bar where both were regulars. They became roommates and, as Mehr’s notes relate, “the two played together daily, roughhoused like little kids, rehearsed with the band five times a week, and listened to music the rest of the time.” Riches To Rags was the result of pure serendipity. Fiasco Records’ Sunshine Dunham found a complimentary copy of Spin Magazine in a CMJ Music Marathon festival gift bag featuring a piece on Stinson’s post-Replacements exploits, that mentioned his move from Static Taxi to Bleeding Hearts. She tracked the group down, offered to record them and they made Riches to Rags in Minneapolis in 1993, a tight well-crafted set of high energy rock tunes that owed a debt to the Replacements and showed once again what a stellar guitar player Bob Stinson was. The album’s filled with upbeat, catchy Minneapolis rock, with hooks galore and Bob's ever present bright chords shining through. Unfortunately, the overabundance of creative energy and artistic visions led to heated clashes and then Bob was out of the band right as recording completed. Bleeding Hearts carried on for a while without Bob, but their momentum was gone. Mike disbanded the outfit and joined the popular Minneapolis outfit the Magnolias. Stinson would pass away two years later, and the Bleeding Hearts recordings were left unreleased. Finally, 30 years later, Bleeding Hearts will get their due, thanks to Fiasco Records preserving the session tapes for some three decades and Bar None taking the final steps to deliver this very special Record Store Day exclusive, April 23, 2022.

Interview with DYMBUR DYMBUR an Indian Folk Metal | Khasi Thraat Folk Metal band, based in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. They were formed in 2012 and started by playing djent/progressive metal. In 2020, the band decided to fuse Djent/Metal with Khasi traditional instruments to create a sound of their own. Hence, they termed their genre as ‘Khasi Thraat Folk Metal DYMBUR 'S Info https://dymbur.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Dymbur https://www.youtube.com/user/dymbur1 https://www.instagram.com/dymbur/ The Info for SPARK and DYMBUR'S  Mission statement for the song Child Abuse    The Official Music Video for the song CHILD ABUSE by DYMBUR. This song talks about the current situation in India with regards to Child Abuse. A good amount of research has been done before the lyrics were laid down and the stats and figures mentioned in the song paints a clear picture of what is happening in the country. Of course, certain lines in the song talk about Child Abuse that is prevalent in other cultures as well. Our intention here is not to point fingers at anyone but to raise awareness about Child Abuse and hopefully be able to create a behavioural change in the society. We not only aim to raise awareness on the topic but also to raise funds for the non-profit organization which is based in Shillong, Meghalaya, India called ‘SPARK – Bringing Light to Lives’ which is a self-funded organization that is in dire need of financial aid. NATIONAL DONATIONS: Bank Name: Bank of Baroda Account Name: SPARK Bringing Light to Lives Ac No: 43580100002128 IFSC Code: BARB0LAITUM (0 IS ZERO) Branch : Laitumkhrah, Shillong, Meghalaya, India. Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spark.lightt... INTERNATIONAL DONATIONS: PayPal account: [email protected] ____________________________________ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4EfZzB... Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/chil...  

Curse of Lono is an English alternative rock band based in London and signed to Submarine Cat Records. They have released one EP and two studio albums. Their most recent album, As I Fell, peaked at number 10 on the Official Americana Albums Chart and at number 15 on the Official Independent Album Breakers Chart in the U.K. The band has also been the subject of two short films, Saturday Night: A Film Of Four Songs and Somewhere In Their Heads, both of which have won awards and appeared at numerous film festivals. Felix's Info https://curseoflonoband.com/  

Zig At The Gig interview with Brad Elvis & Chloe F. Orwell of The Handcuffs   Led by drummer Brad Elvis (Screams, The Elvis Brothers, Big Hello, The Romantics) and vocalist/guitarist/saxophonist Chloe F. Orwell (Big Hello), Chicago’s The Handcuffs will be releasing their fourth studio album Burn The Rails. The 13-song album was tracked at Kingsize Sound Labs, Chicago with producer/engineer Mike Hagler (Wilco, Neko Case, Billy Bragg, Mavis Staples, My Morning Jacket, The Mekons). Burn The Rails is being released by Pravda Records in June on CD, download and via streaming platforms and later on 12″ vinyl. For the the new album, The Handcuffs found inspiration from the heady, analog days of early 1970s rock & roll, weaving together elements of glam, indie, garage, art and blues rock. Inhabiting some of the same musical turf as T-Rex, Mott The Hoople, Roxy Music, The Raconteurs, P.J. Harvey, Led Zeppelin, and Patti Smith – all filtered through a modern lens – they deliver bold, sexy songs with memorable melodies and unexpected twists. Guest keyboardist Morgan Fisher (Mott The Hoople) demonstrates his synthesizer and piano prowess on a couple of tracks on the new LP. The relationship with Fisher, a musical hero of the band, began after singer Orwell’s rave review of Mott The Hoople’s 2018 reunion tour went viral on social media, attracting the attention of Fisher, who got in contact. From there a creative collaboration was sparked, in-spite of an ocean separating the now real-life friends. Finishing the record during the peak of the pandemic and lockdown, gave several of the songs an inadvertent anthem-for-the-times feel – with themes of love and loss, heartache and hope, and even the great ideological divide that was as omnipresent as the virus. Elvis and Orwell formed The Handcuffs from the ashes of Big Hello, their first band together, which released three indie label records and toured from coast to coast. Elvis’ career also includes a few major label go-arounds, arena tours, and a backstory that will be documented in a new autobiography in the near future. The duo’s eagerness to explore new sonic territory and evolve into an entity that aligned more with their ever-expanding influences and broad range of musical tastes prompted a change. The Handcuffs began as primarily a studio project, in which Elvis and Orwell wrote and recorded an abundance of material. During the process, they realized they missed the live band experience, so The Handcuffs as recording artists and a dynamic live band was born. Completing the line-up are bassist Emily Togni, lead guitarist Jeffrey Kmieciak, and keyboardist Alison Hinderliter, all of whom originate from different parts of the country, but have made Chicago their home. Handcuff's info http://thehandcuffs.com  

Founded on the sweet nostalgia of delta blues, AJ & The Woods elevates roots rock to a new height. Their sultry sound features striking female vocals and intricate guitar melodies which organically blends passionate folk, rock, and blues music. Home grown in Ohio and established in 2015, AJ & The Woods brings you one of the most unique and articulate sounds to date.     AJ & The woods Info https://www.ajandthewoods.com SHOW Info AUG 20TH/2022  https://www.houseofblues.com/cleveland/EventDetail?tmeventid=vvG1fZ9uhafEtF&offerid=0      

Ivan takes center stage on Crawling Through Grass, writing the tunes, playing, engineering the recording sessions and orchestrating the hybrid sound collages integral to the album. His collaborators on this venture include Bielski (Easy Bake Oven), Ivan’s brother Andrew (RitualTension), Norman Westberg (Swans, Heroin Sheiks, solo work), Mark C. (Live Skull, o13), Jon Fried (The Cucumbers, Campfire Flies) and Jadwiga Taba (Nac/Hut Report). Ivan's Info www.onaboutnow.com https://www.facebook.com/ivan.nahem/ https://www.instagram.com/ivan.nahem/ https://www.instagram.com/ritualtension/ https://arguably.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ritualtension/ https://www.facebook.com/Carnival-Crash-616924978817049/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyhxyigWc1QrTdO3RE9KfQA https://www.onaboutnow.com/home  

Ben Vaughn On Zig At The Gig Ben Vaughn grew up in the Philadelphia area on the New Jersey side of the river. At age 6, his uncle gave him a Duane Eddy record and forever changed his life. In 1983, he formed the Ben Vaughn Combo. The band was together five years, releasing two albums and touring the U.S. several times. They received rave reviews in Rolling Stone and People magazine and video airplay on MTV. The attention inspired Marshall Crenshaw to record Ben's "I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)" for his "Downtown" album. Ben embarked on a solo career in 1988, recording several critically acclaimed albums, touring extensively in Europe and the U.S. and receiving more MTV exposure. During that period he produced three records for the Elektra Records American Explorer series (Memphis rockabilly legend Charlie Feathers, Muscle Shoals country soul singer Arthur Alexander) and recorded "Cubist Blues," a collaboration with Alan Vega and Alex Chilton. He also scored two films ("Favorite Mopar" and "Wild Girl's Go-Go Rama"), as well as appearing as a frequent guest commentator on nationally syndicated radio shows “Fresh Air” and "World Cafe." In 1995, Ben moved to L.A. and released "Instrumental Stylings," an album of instrumentals in a variety of styles. A guest appearance on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" led directly to being hired as the composer for the hit TV sitcom "3rd Rock From The Sun." "That 70s Show" soon followed, and for the next ten years Ben would provide award-winning music for a dozen other TV shows and pilots ("Men Behaving Badly," "Normal, Ohio," "Grounded For Life"). He also provided scores for several films ("Psycho Beach Party," "The Independent," "Scorpion Spring") and continued producing records (Ween, Los Straitjackets, Mark Olson of the Jayhawks, Nancy Sinatra, and the "Swingers" soundtrack CD). Somehow Ben found time to create the legendary "Rambler '65." Recorded entirely in his car, this much-publicized album (and subsequent short film) is still considered by many to be a classic document of a man and his dream. Since then, Ben has released “Designs In Music," “Vaughn Sings Vaughn Vols. 1-3,” “Texas Road Trip” (recorded in Austin, Texas with Doug Sahm’s band) , "Five By Five" and "Piece de Resistance" by the Ben Vaughn Quintet and the solo acoustic album, “Imitation Wood Grain And Other Folk Songs.” Add to that an Italian dance hit (a DJ re-mix of “Hey Romeo”), airplay of “Jerry Lewis in France” on Bob Dylan’s radio show (complete with Dylan’s recitation of Ben’s resume), and two recent tours in France and you’re looking at what continues to be a very interesting career. Occasionally, Ben takes a break from his syndicated radio show (“The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn”) to perform live in the US and Europe. The dates are randomly planned so catch him while you can! Ben's Info http://benvaughn.org www.facebook.com/benvaughnmusic www.instagram.com/benvaughnmusic  

Ov Stars is a Project/Band featuring Alice Genese (Gut Bank, Sexpod, Candy Ass, Pretty Boys, Psychic TV) and Shaune Pony Heath. Alice and Pony reside near the ocean in New Jersey   OV Star's Info https://ovstarsband.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ovstarsband https://ovstars.bandcamp.com/    

Dusty Grant is an independent singer/songwriter based out of Wichita, KS. Grant has been writing, recording, and performing original music in bands and as a solo artist for over 20 years. Drawing influences from metal, rock, grunge, and country Grant delivers his own brand of Dark Rock.  Fans of Alice In Chains, Stone Sour, and Daughtry are certain to love Grant's style. ​ In 2017, Grant began touring and playing small clubs as a solo acoustic act. In his short time as a solo artist, Grant kept up a brisk pace releasing 11 of his own original songs and playing 40+ shows per year. As interest in his music and performances grew across the region, in addition to booking additional solo acoustic gigs, Grant started to get interest from promoters to play larger stages with a full-band accompaniment. It was in 2021 that Grant added friends and fellow musicians Jason Catlett (Lead Guitar), Bwana Villa (Vocals), Shane Harper (Drums) & Chris McNutt (Bass). With a new, full-on rock sound, the band lit the regional scene ablaze opening for national acts like Daughtry, Candlebox, Black Stone Cherry, Danielle Nicole, and Blacktop Mojo.           On April 8th of 2022 Grant released his first full-band single "Oceans" written and produced with friend Jason Catlett. This track was recorded by acclaimed hard rock producer Chris Dawson (SAUL, Any Given Sin, Seasons After). Grant also has plans to continue building his touring and live performance resume with shows already booked and more on the way.  Keep your eyes peeled for new releases and show announcements coming VERY SOON!!!   Dusty's Info https://www.dustygrant.com/ 5RxFSfBJvQHid7p4Fw41e5 https://soundcloud.com/dustygrant57 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1H81k552oo  

"Francie Moon is, at this point, a New Jersey institution, a force creating balls-out rock n roll that is at turns, psych, garage, and punk, imbuing it with urgency and confidence." -King Pizza Records Interview with Melissa Lucciola singer-songwriter, Drummer! known as Francie Moon! Her new album What are we really even doing is out now on all streaming platforms! Francie Moon's Info  https://franciemoon.com/  franciemoonmusic https://open.spotify.com/artist/6PLszZzCRsnvLsiN3LiImR https://franciemoon.bandcamp.com  

The Trypes John, & Toni Baumgartner On Zig At The Gig Pravda’s March 18 release of “Music for Neighbors” marks the 40th anniversary of the formation of The Trypes in the blue-collar New Jersey town of Haledon, NJ, which was the hometown of The Feelies and later spawned kindred bands Yung Wu, The Willies and Speed The Plough. How Haledon became an incubator for these bands, who went on to spread their sound far and wide, is a matter of speculation. Maybe it was just a place in time in the early 80s when anything seemed possible to a group of suburban friends “Music for Neighbors” brings together all of The Trypes studio recordings, along with many home and live recordings that explore the band’s quirkiest musical inclinations. It also includes three songs from the band’s 1984 showcase at the Bottom Line in New York, as well as two songs recorded by the original Trypes during a 2017 reunion. Gatefold vinyl coming later this year. Stay tuned! CD available now. Playing moody, psychedelic-influenced folk-rock with a distinctive instrumental pallete, the Trypes are often thought of as a side project of the Feelies, due to the participation of several key members of that band. However, the Trypes were a functioning unit before Feelies leaders Glenn Mercer and Bill Million joined the group, and the group's founders would enjoy a long and productive career after Mercer and Million began pursuing other projects. The Trypes were formed in 1982 by John Baumgartner on keyboards, Toni Paruta on woodwinds, Marc Francia on guitar, Brenda Sauter on bass, and Elbrus Kelemet on lead vocals. The Trypes hailed from Haledon, New Jersey, which was also home to Glenn Mercer and Bill Million, who had put the Feelies on hiatus after touring in support of their debut album. Mercer and Million championed the Trypes and began working with the band; they became a six piece with the addition of drummer Stanley Demeski and the departure of vocalist Kelemet. In 1984, the Trypes released a four-song EP, The Explorer's Hold, but later that year, Mercer and Million left the group to launch a new edition of the Feelies, with Demeski and Sauter becoming the band's new rhythm section. Baumgartner, Paruta, and Francia dissolved the Trypes, but then formed a new group, Speed the Plough, who released their debut album (produced by Bill Million) in 1989. In 2012, Acute Records released a Trypes collection, Music for Neighbors, which collected the material from The Explorer's Hold, a rare compilation track, and a number of unreleased demo recordings. https://www.facebook.com/TheTrypesofHaledon

Charming Disaster is a goth-folk musical duo based in Brooklyn, NY, formed in 2012 by Ellia Bisker and Jeff Morris. Inspired by the macabre humor of Edward Gorey and Tim Burton, the murder ballads of the Americana tradition, and the dramatic flair of the cabaret, they write songs that tell stories about death, crime, myth, magic, folklore, science, and the occult. Their new album, the Marie Curie-inspired Our Lady of Radium, is out now on vinyl, CD, and all digital platforms. Charming Disaster's Info https://www.charmingdisaster.com https://www.facebook.com/charmingdisa... https://www.instagram.com/charmingdis... https://www.youtube.com/user/Charming...  

Kenny was raised in a house where music played all the time, and it was his mom's Hendrix and Santana records that etched their way into his psyche...he had to know how to make those sounds. By age 9 he had started guitar lessons, and by 12, had begun to unravel the mysteries of real rock guitar playing on his own, courtesy of Ace Frehely on the first Kiss Alive album. Ace was playing the Jimmy Page licks...but he played them slowly and methodically enough for a kid to digest and be able to repeat them, albeit clumsily at first. Over time, the pentatonic scale layout of the neck revealed itself, and he was off to the races, never looking back. By Kenny's senior year in high school, he had joined a newly minted band called Prophet with a bunch of Jersey guys several years his senior. They busted their asses learning progressive rock covers by Kansas, Yes, Rush, Genesis, Pink Floyd....as well as hard rock like Scorpions, Van Halen, Sabbath and AC/DC. By 1982, Prophet was one of the kings of the NJ club band circuit, playing 5 nights per week to packed houses all over the tri state area. In 1985, Prophet would release the first of their 3 albums; the self-titled "Prophet" (1985), followed by "Cycle Of The Moon" (1988), and "Recycled" (1991). All records met with critical acclaim, yet Prophet would never rise above cult following status...a following which still remains today. A few original music projects followed in the early 90's, but he was growing weary of the music business and all of it's fickle whims. He lost his passion for creating and trying to forge ahead, and channeled those passions elsewhere. In 2013, Kenny found himself at an all-time low, having gone through quite a few years of real trauma in his personal life. He had finally shed all his baggage, and was slowly regaining himself and learning to stand again...gradually finding his footing. It was during this period that he stumbled on to an album that would set the course for a whole new musical re-birth for him..."The Whippoorwill" by Blackberry Smoke. Just happened to click on it by chance one day while looking for an album to play while at work. A year later, he was still listening to the whole record every day. A few months after that, song ideas that he thought were worth capturing started to appear for the first time in years. And on July 4th, 2016, Kenny released "Reckless Abandon", his very first 100% solo record. And THAT...is where this awesome journey started for the second time...and he'll never look back again.     Kenny's Info  http://www.kennydubman.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ken.dubman https://www.instagram.com/kennydubman/    

Mike Najarian Drummer of State Radio, Guitarist and singer-songwriter of Ratfynkt, and Remote Players Club.   Strange Perspectives is known for its witty and humorous short stories and observations. These memoirs cover many aspects of Mike Najarian's life including his adventures as the drummer of the politically conscious, socially aware, and internationally touring band State Radio. Volume 1 covers his dealings with Slash of Guns N' Roses, Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Mike Mills of R.E.M., Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band, Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction, Cam Neely of the Boston Bruins, and Wyc Grousbeck (the owner of the Boston Celtics) just to name a few. Although Strange Perspectives is light, fun, and easy to read it also digs deep into the human condition and displays a diversity of ideas and topics that make it a complete and well-rounded piece of writing. To stay up to date on the Strange Perspectives series and all of Mike's dealings please go to his Facebook page at Mike's Info www.facebook.com/mikenajarian https://bandcamp.com/tag/mike-najarian https://ratfynkt.bandcamp.com https://remoteplayersclub.bandcamp.com/album/remote-players-club https://www.facebook.com/remoteplayersclub/ Get Strange Perspectives Here :  https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Mike-Najarian-ebook/dp/B009ECESZS    

Robben Ford On Zig At The Gig Robben Ford is one of the premier electric guitarists today, particularly known for his blues playing, as well as his ability to be comfortable in a variety of musical contexts. A five-time Grammy nominee, he has played with artists as diverse as Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Witherspoon, Miles Davis, George Harrison, Phil Lesh, Bonnie Raitt, Michael McDonald, Bob Dylan, John Mayall, Greg Allman, John Scofield, Susan Tedeschi, Keb Mo, Larry Carlton, Mavis Staples, Brad Paisley, and many others! An important and essential component of Robben’s career is his commitment to teaching and passing on what he’s learned over the past 40 years to current and future musicians. His instructional videos and clinics over this time have culminated in a collaboration with TrueFire and the birth of the Robben Ford Guitar Dojo. The wealth of his expertise and creativity is generously presented in these state-of-the-art productions, and will be, for years to come. Robben's Info https://www.robbenford.com  

John Doe: Punk rock pioneer with X, songwriter, poet, actor, solo artist, published author, folk musician. John Doe, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet, guitarist and bass player. Doe co-founded LA punk band X, of which he is still an active member. His musical performances and compositions span rock, punk, country, and folk music genres. As an actor, he has dozens of television appearances and several movies to his credit, including the role of Jeff Parker in the television series Roswell   Fables in a Foreign Land, the debut release from The John Doe Folk Trio, his tales are now set in the pre-Industrial Era.“All of these songs take place in the 1890s. There’s a lot of sleeping on the ground, a lot of being hungry, a lot of isolation. All of that fits into the kind of isolation and lack of modern stimuli that I think people started rediscovering during the pandemic lockdown: realizing that as parts of your life start getting taken away, what’s important and what you live for becomes paramount.”And though many of the 13 songs were written over the last three years, the sound was born in loose weekly backyard jams on Kevin Smith’s patio. Doe called the Willie Nelson And Family upright bassist on Tax Day 2020, as the country legend’s seemingly endless tour schedule ground to a complete halt – probably for the first time ever-- due to the pandemic.“I called up Kevin and we just started playing on his patio on Tuesdays, just for something to do. And after about a month, we realized, ‘Holy shit! This is the first time we’ve been able to do this just for the hell of it! We’re not doing it for a tour, for a record, or a show.’ We’re doing it just to play. Then we invited our drummer pal Conrad Choucroun out, I wrote more songs, and eventually, the project became more focused.      John's Info http://www.theejohndoe.com/about https://www.xtheband.com John's Show June 21st at the music box in Cleveland OH https://musicboxcle.com/event/john-doe-folk-trio-june21/\ X's Next show in Ohio with Psychedelic Furs https://thepsychedelicfurs.com/#shows      

Sweaty Lamarr is the musical project of Tara Giancaspro (Jee-in-CASS-pro), a singer-songwriter who splits her time between Hoboken and Philadelphia. She began writing music and singing in March of 2020, taking voice lessons with the Matt Farnsworth Studio and opera singer Chelsea Friedlander, and watching an almost alarming number of "How to play Neko Case songs" guitar videos on YouTube. Her first single, "I Have Always Been in Love With You", premiered in October of 2021 and hit 5,000 streams within three months of release. Her newest single "Mysteries" (produced by Jacob Blizard, guitarist for Lucy Dacus, and engineered/mixed by Lovegrove Studios) was premiered by Magnet Magazine ahead of its release on February 14, 2022. "Mysteries" has been broadcast on numerous radio stations including Blow Up Radio, IndieCentric with Todd Livingston (Charlie Mason Radio), RTR 92.1 (Australia), and Beyond Radio in the UK. Her next release, an alternative country EP called A Little Bit Cuntry, A Little Bit Rock & Roll, is set to debut in 2022, and will feature "Abbey, I'm Sorry I Stole Your Man," a sequel to Dolly Parton's "Jolene" from Jolene's perspective. Tara is writing her first novel in between 3am songwriting sessions, being a corporate stooge, and cuddling her two cats Simone and Lugosi. Sweaty Lamarr's Info https://linktr.ee/sweatylamarr https://sweatylamarrmusic.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/SweatyLamarr/ https://www.instagram.com/sweatylamarr/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/3evyp6n1s8WMRTssXlh0uO  

Greg Franco of Man's Body on Zig At The Gig Interview with Greg Franco about his career, writing habits, and Man's Body's new album Set Of Steak Knifes Man's Body info https://www.facebook.com/mansbodychicago/ https://mansbody.bandcamp.com/album/put-your-family-in-it https://www.instagram.com/mansbodychicago/ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm-cQV1x-7AjmfksEGxA-uBx8jugKh-qA  

Mark Stewart is an artist, vocalist, producer and songwriter from Bristol. As a founding member of The Pop Group and as a soloist, Stewart has remained an anarchic and pioneering figure since the punk era, a constant source of discordance amongst the frontiers of post-punk, dub, industrial and electronic music. In a body of work driven by an explosive form of lyricism and inspired by radical politics, protest movements, theory, philosophy, technology, art and poetry, Stewart has fearlessly cultivated a revelatory collision of ideas, ideals and influences throughout an indisputably ground-breaking and seditious career. Empowered by the DIY incentives of punk Stewart initiated The Pop Group in 1977, subsequently producing some of the most original and combative music of both the post-punk and contemporary era. From 1977 until 1980 Stewart led the charge in a group that completely eschewed punk’s formalism for something far greater. Producing epiphanic, irrepressible anthems, including She’s Beyond Good & Evil and We Are All Prostitutes, both in 1979, as well as masterful, seminal albums including Y in 1979 and For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? in 1980, The Pop Group ignited the revolutionary aesthetic potential of post-punk. The impact of this first incarnation left an immensely significant legacy ultimately leading to the group’s reformation in 2010. With 2015’s refined return Citizen Zombie and 2016’s audacious left-turn Honeymoon On Mars, the group emphatically renewed their relevance, proving as incendiary as ever. Stewart continues to operate as a crucial impetus in the bands ongoing mission. In 1980 Stewart embarked on his solo career inspired by the sounds he had heard during a visit to New York the same year. The virtuosic scratching and early hip hop propagated by Kiss FM’s Kool DJ Red Alert, coupled with the impact of a pile driver at a construction site Stewart happened to encounter there, was enough to encourage his visionary next step. In 1982 Stewart consolidated these encounters into coherent possibilities, forming a group called The Maffia and linking up with producer Adrian Sherwood and his cutting edge label On-U Sound. Alongside a rotating cast of session players, initially comprised of members of African Head Charge, Creation Rebel & Dub Syndicate, and later made up of Doug Wimbish, Keith LeBlanc and Skip McDonald (the erstwhile rhythm section of The Sugarhill Gang) Stewart & The Maffia fashioned an abrasive confection of dub reggae, early hip hop and industrial noise that was shattering, seismic and completely ahead of its time. Headed by an iconic version of William Blake’s eponymous ancient poem, Stewart & The Maffia unveiled the Jerusalem EP in 1982, swiftly followed by their cult 1983 LP Learning To Cope With Cowardice. Stewart later moved to Mute Records in 1985 for the ferocious proto-industrial militancy of As The Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade and successive appearances on the label continued to break untold new ground, from 1987’s Mark Stewart to 1990’s Metatron and 1995’s Control Data. Stewart has continued to plot an utterly uncompromising and individual course into the 2000s, with a streak of solo material that has included Edit, The Politics of Envy, The Exorcism of Envy and Experiments. Preserving his vociferous energy and defiant stance whilst advancing, as always, into unfamiliar territories, this work bears all the traces of Stewart’s enduring severity and modernism, an exploratory power reinforced by a host of legendary collaborators and artistic descendants including the likes of Primal Scream, Keith Levene (Public Image Ltd / The Clash), Richard Hell, Kenneth Anger, Daddy G (Massive Attack), Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, The Bug, Kahn (Kahn & Neek, Young Echo) and Factory Floor. Stewart continues to exert an inestimable impact on a disparate range of ensuing artists and scenes. His work has been acknowledged and celebrated as a vital inspiration by the likes of Nick Cave, Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem), Tricky, Massive Attack, St Vincent and countless others, while his eye for unorthodox extremity has instigated myriad new evolutions, blueprinting industrial, trip-hop, noise-hop, dance-punk and many other subsequent conceptions. Through a staunch, unrelenting desire to confront, deconstruct and make anew, Stewart has become of the most influential and forward-looking luminaries of post-punk, or indeed, any other form of music. An artist often imitated but never bettered. Mark's Info https://www.markstewartmusic.com/ https://www.facebook.com/markstewartmusic  

Matt Pless interview 2022 Combining elements of folk, punk, pop, and rock, Matt Pless can lyrically turn a phrase with the best of them and has been compared to some of the preeminent songwriters of our time. A consummate performer with a high-energy stage presence, Matt Pless travels the road continuously entertaining and astounding his audiences. With guitar and harmonica as his tools of choice and words as his main characters, he has shared the stage with the likes of Maroon 5, Rilo Kiley, Alkaline Trio, Arlo Guthrie, Bad Brains, Fallout Boy, All Time Low and others. Matt’s extensive touring schedule has taken him to Europe, and across the U.S. multiple times playing venues from bars to boxcars and basements and everything in between...wherever there are people to hear his music. And almost anyone can relate to a Matt Pless song. His unique gift for writing lyrics and melodies that appeal to the core of the human condition is, like Matt himself, an experience. Check out Matt's New album Cheap Shot On The Rocks links below Matt's Info https://www.mattpless.com https://mattpless.bandcamp.com https://open.spotify.com/artist/3yQ3jD3d0ytK5DdnsiM2e5 https://twitter.com/mattpless?lang=en https://www.instagram.com/mattpless/?hl=en  

Interview with Kevin Eastman Co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Kevin Eastman is an American Comic book artist and writer best known for co-creating Teenage Mutant Nina Turtles with Peter Laird. Eastman was also the editor and publisher of the magazine Heavy Metal! Kevin started his own publishing company Tundra Publishing, and so much more! More from Kevin Eastman https://fan.kevineastmanstudios.com/ Check it out!! Kevin has turtle auctions all the time. During these auctions, he is selling old and rare turtle memorabilia! Last Ronin Issue 5 out now! https://www.idwpublishing.com/product...  

Dana Colley is an American musician, best known as the baritone and tenor saxophonist the alternative rock band Morphine. Dana's current band is Vapors of Morphine Vapors of Morphine are a power trio featuring electric baritone sax, drums, and 2 string slide bass (often guitar). Baritone saxophonist Dana Colley is the through-line between Vapors and “low rock” pioneers Morphine, who’s leader Mark Sandman left this earth while performing onstage in Italy in 1999. VoM performs much of the Morphine repertoire, plus new material and original versions of selective covers. They expand on the ethereal, hypnotic sounds popularized by the group in the nineties, and dig into their influences, from African music to delta Blues. apors was formed over a decade ago by Colley, singer and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Lyons and Morphine’s original drummer Jerome Deupree. Drummer Tom Arey (J. Geils Band, Peter Wolfe’s Midnight Ramblers, Ghosts of Jupiter) replaced Deupree in 2019. Their new album represents both a new era and a return to form for Vapors of Morphine. Fear & Fantasy, in its often lush arrangement, recalls Morphine’s final album The Night, where Deupree teamed up with Billy Conway, the drummer who had replaced him; this time Arey plays on one side, Deupree on the other. It only seems fitting when both bands have been blessed with a revolving cast of top-notch percussionists.    Dana's Info  https://www.vaporsofmorphine.com https://www.facebook.com/vaporsofmorphine/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hKQ0ei5p0h3z6yicNvbna https://www.instagram.com/vaporsofmorphine/    

Ian MacKaye is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. Active since 1979, he is best known as the co-founder and owner of Dischord Records a Washington D.C -based independent record label, and the frontman of hardcore punk band Minor Threat and post-hardcore and Fugazi. MacKaye was also the frontman for the short-lived bands The Teen Idles, Embrace, and Pailhead a collaboration with the band Ministry. MacKaye is a member of The Evens a two-piece Indie rock group he formed with his wife Amy Farina in 2001 and in 2018 formed the band Coriky with Farina and his Fugazi bandmate Joe Lally Link to my conversation with Joe here ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVLXvMcOYUY&t=12s) Along with his seminal band Minor Threat, he is credited with coining the term "Stright edge "to describe a personal philosophy that promotes abstinence from alcohol and other drugs, though MacKaye has stated that he did not intend to turn it into a movement.     Ian's Info https://www.dischord.com https://coriky.bandcamp.com  

Richie Ramone On Zig At The Gig INTERVIEW 2022 Richard Reinhardt is an American drummer best known by his stage name Richie Ramone, and for being the drummer for the punk band the Ramones, from February 1983 until August 1987. He was the only Ramones drummer to be credited as the sole composer and writer of a Ramone's song, writing six in total! Richie's info https://www.richieramone.com TICKETS AND TOUR DATES!! https://www.richieramone.com/tour-dates  

Join me for a conversation with Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein as he gathers tour rations at a Walmart! Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein is an American guitarist best known for his material with the horror punk band The Misfits and his own band eponymously named Doyle! Doyle's Info http://officialdoyle.com SHOWS! http://officialdoyle.com/tour-dates/    

Endless Mike and the Beagle Club is best described as “a singer-songwriter with a very loud punk rock band.” First formed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 2004, the Beagle Club quickly grew from being a solo project to becoming a full blown indie/punk orchestra. At times, band leader Mike Miller performs solo on piano or guitar, while other shows might find him with a band of up to sixteen members – complete with strings, horns, drums, electric guitars, and percussion. No matter the arrangements, Miller’s lyrics remain the focal point, with songs about the significance of the insignificant, the alienation of modern man, and the hope that everything can change. The live shows are inclusive and upbeat, guided by the idea that if we’re all in the same sinking boat, we might as well go down singing. The band's most recent release is “Saint Paul,” their first album for Pittsburgh’s A-F Records. The album deals with realities about growing up, issues of identity and sense of self, and the challenge of trying to make the world a better place. Produced by Anti-Flag’s Chris “#2” Barker, “Saint Paul” showcases the intricate structure of the band’s arrangements while still capturing the urgency of their live show.   SHOW LINK April 2nd The CODA OH https://www.facebook.com/events/561129694915299?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22page%22%7D]%7D   https://a-frecords.bandcamp.com/album/saint-paul https://endlessmikeandthebeagleclub.bandcamp.com https://www.facebook.com/endlessmikeandthebeagleclub/  https://www.instagram.com/emandthebc/?hl=en    

Nashville-based husband-and-wife duo Mike T. Lewis and MaryBeth Zamer, known on stage as The Twangtown Paramours, have made a name for themselves defying boundaries with their award-winning catalogue of Americana, folk, and blues anthems. With a slew of accolades for their first two acoustic full-length albums, they’ve earned a loyal following, balancing serious instrumental and vocal chops with witty stage banter and a lighthearted approach to life. They don’t take themselves, or the world, too seriously. Now poised to release their third full-length album, Double Down on a Bad Thing, The Twangtown Paramours are shifting gears to showcase a full band, electric, groove-oriented, upbeat, soul-infused, and retro blues sound. “We want people to have fun, to cheer up, to dance, and to start sporting a positive attitude, dammit,” says Mike. Hit songwriter, session musician, and producer Mike Lewis was born in NYC, but his sound is informed by a mix of experiences across the country’s major music centers, including NYC, L.A., Austin, and Nashville. He began learning classical and jazz guitar at age eight, studying under Leonid Bolotine, William Matthews, and Barry Galbraith, before earning degrees at Columbia in New York City and the Grove School of Music in Los Angeles. He wrote a #1 platinum pop hit ranked the 2nd biggest-selling female ballad of all time in Korea, and occasionally plays upright bass for Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Born in Washington D.C., lead singer MaryBeth Zamer was raised on a mix of opera and American songbook music, singing along to Dean Martin and Ella Fitzgerald, before discovering Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, and the blues in high school. A fixture in the Washington, D.C. club scene for years, MaryBeth performed with popular local cover band, Ignition and sang backup vocals for Eva Cassidy’s band, Method Actor. “Eva was a huge influence on my singing style,” MaryBeth says. “She taught me to go beyond having fun and hitting the right notes, to sing in a way that conveys real emotion.” MaryBeth and Mike met and started dating in 2009, while both were working on separate musical projects. “The relationship came first,” says MaryBeth, “but I kept hearing songs he’d written that I loved, and I wanted to add my own vocal spin to them. I felt like I could interpret and deliver Mike’s songs the way he intended them to be.” The Twangtown Paramours released their debut self-titled album via Inside Edge Records just a year later in 2010, a well-received, pop-infused folk album that rose to #11 on the Folk charts. In 2012, they released their second full-length project, The Promise of Friday Night, a narrative-driven, acoustic folk album that hit #2 on the Folk charts, #150 on the Americana charts, and #7 on Deep Roots Magazine’s top 50 albums of 2012. In the following years, the pair became three-time finalists at the Kerrville New Folk Competition in Kerrville, TX and winners of the Wildflower Contest in Richardson, TX. They also had the honor to open for major acts such as Joe Ely, Claire Lynch, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Twangtwon's Info https://www.thetwangtownparamours.com https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ZMbWnqq5aCDE910lU5TSP?si=hI7PqEONSqCd7LAVm67i6w  

's comics and drawings have appeared on the cover of The New Yorker and in every section of The New York Times. His work has also appeared in Granta, McSweeney's, Best American Comics (cover artist), Nickelodeon Magazine and Time Out among many others. His comics and illustrations have been published in the UK, France, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland and Australia. Heatley's graphic memoir My Brain is Hanging Upside Down was published by Pantheon Books in 2008. He illustrated the Otis Dooda children's book series for MacMillan 2012 and 2013, recording 20 songs to accompany their publication. ​ Heatley is working on his second graphic memoir for Pantheon titled "Qualification," publication date TBD. David's Info https://www.davidheatley.com/ https://davidheatley.bandcamp.com/  

Bullies In The Backyard,” North’s second LP, features 10 songs written under the cloud of a seven-year lawsuit Matt’s family ultimately won against Nashville Public Schools due to violations against his son’s special needs. The Federal Court verdict changed precedents and now benefits families nationwide facing similar challenges. No, it’s not 10 songs about special education, but with no work in sight for recording or live shows due to Covid, Matt enlisted himself at Nashville’s Home Depot to support his family and spent the rest of his time recording “Bullies In The Backyard” in his home studio. Just like Guy Patterson in the iconic film “That Thing You Do,” Matt found himself selling appliances when he’d rather be drumming. Mixed by Grammy-winning producer, Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Wilco, Los Lobos) and mastered by Pete Lyman (Tom Waits, Chris Stapleton, Weezer), the record features appearances from Jonny Polonsky and Jesse DeNatale alongside Matt’s core band of Nashville A-listers: Stuart Mathis (Lucinda Williams, The Wallflowers) – guitars Chris Donohue (Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris) – bass Michael Webb (John Fogerty, Chris Stapleton) – keyboards   North grew up playing gigs in Champaign, Illinois; starting as a teenager drumming with the late Jay Bennett of Wilco and Coltrane bassist, Rafael Garrett. He dropped out of The University of North Texas in 1990, forfeiting his music scholarship to join the University of Illinois Jazz Band for a tour of Russia alongside bassist, Viktor Krauss (Lyle Lovett, Indigo Girls). Moving to San Francisco, he worked as a fact-checker for Mother Jones Magazine, played in garage bands, and wound up roommates with comedians Patton Oswalt and Mitch Hedberg in the Haight for some two years. At 26, North was signed as a writer to the William Morris Agency by manager, Dave Becky, whose roster included Marc Maron, Louis C.K., Dave Attell, and Chris Rock. Matt moved to Los Angeles, and began composing songs, answering “Drummer Wanted” ads, and writing a screenplay, Best Western; the latter won multiple awards, and led to regular work as a story analyst – a skill he’s transferred into songwriting. In 2000, North starred opposite James Woods in the Golden Globe-winner “Dirty Pictures” directed by Frank Pierson (writer of Cool Hand Luke, Dog Day Afternoon) was soon hired by Larry David to guest star in “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Matt’s chief focus remained on producing music and raising his son who was born with learning challenges due to a rare chromosomal disease. During his time in Los Angeles and Nashville he performed live and recorded with the following:   Matt's Info http://www.mattnorth.net /https://mattnorthofficial.bandcamp.com/releases  

 Interview with Alexander Hacke and Danielle de Picciotto !   hackedepicciotto are Alexander Hacke and Danielle de Picciotto. Both are legends of their own making: Danielle de Picciotto moved to Berlin in 1987, to become the lead singer of the band „Space Cowboys“, the co-initiator of the Love Parade, a collaborator of the Ocean Club with Gudrun Gut, and Alexander’s partner in crime. Alexander Hacke is founding member and bass player of Einstürzende Neubauten. The artist couple, romantically married in 2006, has creatively interacted with countless international projects for almost 2 decades now besides regularly releasing their own compositions.  Their live shows are, to put it mildly, intense. Danielle specializes in unusual instruments such as the Hurdy Gurdy, the auto harp and the cemence besides playing the violin and piano; Alexander is master of the bass, guitar and drums. Together they create beautiful, existentialistic, acoustic soundscapes, which roar and vibrate simultaneously leaving their audiences shaken but overjoyed.  Danielle, author of two books, writes most of their lyrics, be it the poetic spoken word moments or the momentous choirs they compose together. Alexander Hacke, an excellent throat singer and vocalist, growls his grnarly, rumbling cries that float eerily over their nomadic desert drones, with screeching birds, bees or wild wind accompanying slow, heavy riffs that start as a whisper and end in a volcanic, rolling wave of apocalyptic frenzy. The collage of this mixed with melancholic, translucent harmonies, very heavy & low bass chords, and electronics are a mesmerizing universe of sound and emotion which has generated an ever growing group of enthusiastic listeners.   Hackedepicciotto's Info https://www.hackedepicciotto.de/ https://hackedepicciotto.bandcamp.com/    

Zig At The Gig with Josh Caterer of Smoking Popes Josh Caterer is an American, Chicago-area musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of pop-punk band Smoking Popes, which he founded in 1991 with his older brother Matt and younger brother Eli. Josh has also written and recorded Christian and gospel music as a solo artist and with the pop-punk band Duvall. In 2015, he founded the blues band Jackson Mud Band, which has released one full-length album called "Stranger Blues". Josh's Info https://joshcaterer.bandcamp.com/ https://twitter.com/joshcaterer https://www.facebook.com/joshcaterer/ https://www.instagram.com/joshcaterer  

Interview with John Leon of The Royal Arctic Institute 2021 The Royal Arctic Institute’s first full exploratory mission in their current five-piece incarnation. The album was recorded and produced by James McNew (Yo LaTengo) in the historic Neumann Leather Factory in Hoboken, New Jersey. The EP is being released February 4th, 2022 by Already Dead Cassettes and will be available on cassette (duh!), as a paid download, and on streaming platforms. At present, The Royal Arctic Institute comprises five musicians who have played extensively with other groups and/or as backing/session musicians:  drummer Lyle Hysen (Das Damen, Arthur Lee), guitarists John Leon (Roky Erickson, Summer Wardrobe, Abra Moore) and Lynn Wright (And The Wiremen, Bee And Flower, Shilpa Ray), bassist David Motamed (Das Damen, Two Dollar Guitar, Arthur Lee, Townes Van Zandt), and keyboardist Carl Baggaley (Headbrain, Gramercy Arms).  All the pieces were created communally, deconstructing then reconstructing of material initially composed by guitarist John Leon. McNew recorded the band in a live setting with minimal overdubs or digital magic.  Leon and Hysen originally formed The Royal Arctic Institute in 2016 along with OG bassist Gerard Smith. This line-up recorded two albums before disbanding and subsequently reforming as a quintet in early 2020 at the outset of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic.   Catnap To Coma: “Do ghosts ever sleep? Yes, but not the sleep of men; theirs is an emptier type of slumber. Our sleep is always full: From catnap to coma, it brims over. John's info Instagram: @theroyalai Facebox: https://www.facebook.com/TheRoyalArcticInstitute/ Twitter: @royal_arctic Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5moPinbv0LkLslDkGDQOAP?si=JUk8VoppQmOLQDvMbfqQ4g Bandcamp: https://theroyalarcticinstitute.bandcamp.com/  

Interview with Avery Mandeville of Little Hag. Little Hag, the artist is formerly known as Avery Mandeville, was conceived in a New Jersey basement and born again in quarantine. Under the Mandeville mantle, she released a number of EPs and put many miles on other people’s vans touring the US. What started as a sarcastic Instagram handle (@littlehag) slowly became serious and somehow a small, vulgar crone took over all of Avery’s social media accounts. New About the new Album! Leash’ came together in between night classes, bartending shifts, first kisses, last kisses, shitty gigs, karaoke nights and all the emptiness of the quarantine that came after.On the record, Mandeville shares, “It’s a sarcastic but seriously cynical pop rock soundtrack for the dropouts and the disappointments; for that moment when your head hits the pillow and you relive your every shortcoming and mistake.” Leash calls out familiar themes of abusive men, stalking social media, and reckless driving. Something is holding a defeated and nostalgic   Little Hag is Avery on guitar and complaining, Matt Fernicola on guitar, Owen Flanagan on drums, Chris Dubrow on bass, and Noah Rauchwerk on keys and emotional support. Avery's Info ! https://www.littlehag.com / http://www.bar-none.com/little-hag https://www.instagram.com/littlehag/?.. . https://littlehag.bandcamp.com https://www.facebook.com/littlehagmusic  

Zig at the gig with Micki Free Micki Free is a Grammy Award Winner & Five-Time Native American Music Award, Winner. Micki was discovered and managed by Gene Simmons of the legendary supergroup KISS. Micki was the guitarist in the R&B sensation Shalamar, boasting "mega-platinum hits" with songs like "Dancing In The Sheets" from the movie soundtrack "Footloose", our friend Eddie Murphy's smash hit movie "Beverly Hills Cop" (where Micki won his Grammy Award for "Best Album Of An Original Score Written For A Motion Picture"). Free’s buzz continued on the hilarious Dave Chappell Show, in Charlie Murphy's "True Hollywood Stories”, “Shirts vs Blouses MICKI FREE IS NOT A GIRL" skit with Prince playing basketball against Charlie and Eddie Murphy! Micki has been managed by, performed and or recorded with the following: Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the supergroup KISS, Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones, Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, Shalamar, Little Steven Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Carlos Santana, Cindy Blackman-Santana, Cheap Trick, Sam Moore of Sam & Dave Fame, Jean Beauvoir, Ramones/co-writer producer and member of the punk group The Plasmatic's with Wendy O Williams and the list goes on. Performing at Blues venues/festivals worldwide, Native American casinos, to Micki's four-year appearances at the massive "Hard Rock Calling" festival in Hyde Park, London The UK boasting 100,000 fans. Hear Turquoise Blue, Here Micki's Info https://www.mickifree.com/ https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMickiFree/  

SINE is an electronic band created by singer and drummer, Rona Rougeheart. Rona's Info https://sineofficial.bandcamp.com https://sine.band http://www.facebook.com/sinebandofficial  

So it is with giddy relief that we swing open wide our creaky doors to welcome the percussive bass bottoms, deftly lathed drums, and sinisterly insinuated guitar dissonance of Flood Twin to swoop in and rescue us all from this sensory deprivation chamber. And to announce their arrival, frontman and bass player Grant W. Curry reminds us in the album’s opening track, “People,” that: “There’s no in-between, that means a fucking thing.” It doesn’t matter how these three guys found each other, but it was a hallowed day when they did. Each man here wields his instrument with a distinctive panache. The drummer, and mono-appellatived Sterling, works his stripped-down tubs-and-skins with the reckless precision of a top-flight tail-gunner. He picks up where Wire’s beat man, Robert Gotobed, left off, playing only kick, snare, and high-hat from whence he veers into the realm of the industrial with recollections of Tom Waits/Latin Playboys found-object punctuation and carefully curated samples. There is not a lot of dazzle and flash here, just a sturdy undergirding for the band to ride on. Guitar man J. Leslie Hedberg weaves his way through the arpeggios of diminished chords with the skill of Dexter Morgan dissembling a rival. Don’t come here looking for scaly, wanky soloing though; you won’t hear it. What you will hear is adroitly integrated metallic guitar textures with the occasional dub-laced upstroke. Bassist/vocalist Grant W. Curry, who you will correctly peg as he of New Orleans bands James Hall, and Pleasure Club, reminds us what a bass should sound like: prominent in the mix, at that register right where menace melds with music. Flood Twin's Info https://www.floodtwin.com https://www.facebook.com/Flood-Twin-107508074466680/ https://www.floodtwin.com/about  

David and Ben of The Chewy Center join Zig to talk about their new EP L.LC available now on all streaming platforms. The Chewy Center is a jam-infused, space rock band from Cleveland, OH comprised of members, David "D. Flo" DeFlorentis (vocals/guitar), Nate "Vegas" Vagase (bass guitar), Stephen Fabec (keyboards), and Ben Fasciano (drums). Chewy plays with aggressive rhythms, funky bass, inventive improvisations, and catchy hooks. Eager to expand their reach, the band is making a mark in the region. The original trio met in spring of 2011 at a high school talent show and played together in various groups before formalizing the band in summer 2016. With the addition of Fabec in summer 2020, the band has evolved into a four-man powerhouse of Northeast Ohio rock. Feeling like a welcomed outsider in the jam band world, the band enjoys a sense of creative freedom to break outside the walls of conventional jam/festival sound, incorporating elements of metal, prog, and various others that typical jam festival goers may not expect. Every song tells a story, through unique lyrical themes and ideas that provoke introspection and emotion. Regardless of subject matter, the band is primarily focused on one thing: making music that you will have fun listening to. TCC pride themselves on their live performances, flowing between genres and songs. The Chewy sound is a space-exploring mix of rock, funk, prog, and disco, with a few sprinkles of electronic music and AOR rock. Something different from the jam scene, with a little something for everyone. Chewy Center's info https://thechewycenter.com https://open.spotify.com/album/0JnhiynoWwQdgubiKpxhsF?si=Mc7nvS-MTLOFZ29hMl89Lg https://thechewycenter.com/music  

Harpist Cassie Watson Francillon Talks about her new album e.g,rhapsodic ! Shakespeare & the Blues makes instrumental experimental music drawing on Jazz and Hip Hop influences featuring Cassie Watson Francillon on concert harp, Smith on drums and electronics and Webre (Lost Bayou Ramblers and Michot’s Melody Makers) on bass and electronics. The songs on e.g,rhapsodic are uninhibited explorations of genre blending, tied together by futurist grooves and virtuosic syncopating. They are composed around a startling selection of samples and soundbytes enmeshed in the trio’s visionary instrumental experimentation. The debut release from Shake https://shakespeareandtheblues.bandcamp.com/album/e-g-rhapsodic  

Sarah McQuaid is a singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. She has recorded six solo albums: When Two Lovers Meet (self-released, 1997), I Won't Go Home ’Til Morning (self-released, 2008), The Plum Tree And The Rose (Waterbug Records, 2012), Walking into White (Waterbug Records, 2015), If We Dig Any Deeper It Could Get Dangerous (Shovel and a Spade Records, 2018) and The St Buryan Sessions (Shovel and a Spade Records, 2021) In January 2021, McQuaid began releasing a series of singles and videos entitled The St Buryan Sessions, recorded and filmed live in July 2020 in the church of St Buryan, Cornwall. The full collection was released on 15 October 2021 as an album and as a concert film. Sarah's info https://sarahmcquaid.com https://www.youtube.com/c/SarahMcQuaidMusic https://www.facebook.com/sarahmcquaidmusic https://twitter.com/sarahmcquaid  

Lilli Lewis is an American folk and Americana singer, songwriter, and pianist based in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is sometimes known as the "Folk-Rock Diva Americana, her third full album for Louisiana Red Hot Records. The album was co-produced by Lewis and iconic indie producer Mark Bingham (Peter Stampfel, Hal Wilner, Allen Ginsberg…). Notable guest artists include cellist Rick Nelson (Afghan Whigs, Polyphonic Spree), folk favorite Gina Forsyth, and Seattle Blues Legend Lady A. The album will be released on CD and across all digital platforms on October 29th. Thanks to the perils of five pandemic-era hurricanes, Americana was recorded across more than twice as many spaces, with the bulk of the load performed in New Orleans at Marigny Studios (recorded by Rick Nelson), and at Bingham’s own Nina Highway in Henderson, Louisiana. After performing for a full house at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s last show before lockdown, Lewis conceived the album amid quarantine conditions that imposed an indefinite pause in an otherwise booked-out performance year. Without the pressure of upbeat, danceable shows on the agenda, Lewis turned to a bag of story songs that she felt didn't fit the New Orleans club scene. Lilli's info https://folkrockdiva.bandcamp.com http://www.folkrockdiva.com/2020/ http://lillilewisproject.com  https://twitter.com/folkrockdiva https://www.facebook.com/lillilewismusic/  

Weasel Walter is an American composer, improviser, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and founder of ugEXPLODE Records. Walter's work has been informed by techniques and traditions of music including no wave, free jazz, extreme metal, punk, noise, new music, and free improvisation. Weasel's Info http://nowave.pair.com/weasel_walter/ https://weaselwalter.bandcamp.com https://twitter.com/ugexplode?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/people/Weasel-Walter/100063482259824/  

Zig At The Gig With Marky Ray A native of Cleveland, Marky emerged from its fertile punk seen in the early Eighties, back when the Cleveland Heights/Coventry neighborhood served as ground zero for local rocker misfits. As Marky knows better than anyone, the business of rock isn’t for sissies. He’s seen it from every conceivable angle – guitarist, bassist, keyboard player, singer, roadie, show producer/coordinator, tour manager, emcee, stuntman, publicist, consultant… I won’t share his entire resume, but following are just a few highlights: As a performer: Johnny Action and the Treadmills, Johnny Clampett and the Walkers, the terrible parade, Death on a Stick, The Lyres, The New Salem Witch Hunters, Death of Samantha, The Jim Rose Circus, 3D, solo artist. As a road crew member and auxiliary performer (guitar/bass/vocals): Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Butthole Surfers, Toadies, Die Warzau, Lollapalooza Tour (’91-92 – backing vocals), Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, emcee for Jesus and Mary Chain and Lush. Marky's Info https://www.youtube.com/user/crazymanthirteen https://www.linkedin.com/in/markyray Return of Death On A Stick OCT 24th https://www.facebook.com/events/928853291047195/?ref=newsfeed  

John San Juan Singer songwriter/ guitarist of The Hushdrops Hushdrops are a three-piece rock band from Chicago featuring current and former members of Veruca Salt, Liam Haye, Plush, The Waco Brothers, The Webb Brothers, Josh Caterer Of Smoking Popes, Kevin Tihista, and NRBQ, The band's 2004 debut album Volume One was followed in 2014 by the double album Tomorrow. Drummer Joe Camarillo died unexpectedly in January 2021, just as the group were completing their third album. In August 2021, it was announced that Pravda records would release that album in November of that year, in tribute to Camarillo.   John's info  https://www.facebook.com/johnsanjuanmusic https://www.facebook.com/groups/93495721346 https://hushdrops.bandcamp.com/ Hushdrops music here https://open.spotify.com/artist/6vtjW7uompIOvGq6kYdZjo https://hushdrops.bandcamp.com/ https://hushdrops.bandcamp.com/album/the-static