Cover to Cover with Matt Tarka

Nashville based folk-pop artist, Allison Leah has an innate gift for songwriting, coupling honest stories with ethereal melodies and accumulating over three million streams worldwide. Allison's vulnerable lyrics and soothing voice overlay organic folk pop production to create introspective singer/songwriter tunes. To listen to Allison Leah is to know her, and maybe even to get to know yourself a little better too. Her music has been featured on Spotify playlists such as “New from NYC: Folk”, Pandora's “Fresh Cuts”, “Today's Tunesmiths and Troubadours” as well as WFUV radio.Leah's captivating live show provides joy and self-reflection, connecting with audiences nationwide. Recent performances include the Black Bear Americana Music Festival, Tucson Folk Festival (where she was named runner-up in their songwriting competition), The Listening Room (Nashville), City Winery, and over 30 shows alongside Sofar Sounds. For our conversation, we dug deep into Stick Season - the third studio album from acclaimed American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, who also served as producer alongside Gabe Simon. It was released on October 14, 2022, by Mercury Records and Republic Records. Enjoy!

Jonny Swift (ex Beat the Radar, Paloma Café) is a Cumbria, UK-based artist who writes, performs and releases music under his own name, and since 2020 has released three albums (Dalton Daze, Story of Luna & Kalimera) via local independent label Seahouse Records. Swift has received national and international radio play and exposure from BBC 6 music, BBC London, BBC introducing, Amazing Radio as well as local independent radio stations.Jonny has released the lead single "She Said" on 17 November 2023 off his forthcoming record "An Awesome Dream" (1 December). Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Matt Kassell at Digital Man Recording Studio, Barrow, Cumbria, these releases are available on all digital platforms.Sounding like something from 80s indie label Sarah Records, there's no denying that ‘She Said' is a straight forward indie pop song. Jangly guitars, female backing vocals, tambourines and lyrics about rejection place this track firmly in a particular category.With strong influences by The Vaselines, The Wake as well as more modern indie acts such as The Cribs, this perfect slice of pop is perfect for both daytime radio as well as indie-specific shows and playlists.For our conversation today, we discussed the artistic impact of "Gemini" - the debut album by an American indie rock, dream pop act known as Wild Nothing, Released on May 25, 2010, on Brooklyn, NY's Captured Tracks, Wild Nothing is a brainchild of Blacksburg, VA's Jack Tatum and a mainstay of the group since its inception back in 2009.Enjoy the conversation!

Today, we're speaking with one Scout Gillett, from Brooklyn, NY by way of Kansas City, MO. Scout is a musician and runs her own booking agency called Road Dog Booking. Her atmospheric and contemplative debut record titled “no roof no floor” is out now via Captured Tracks, and at the time of our conversation in November 2022, wrapped up a tour in support of Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, and celebrated a release party for “no roof no floor” at the record Bar in KC with The Whiffs, Blanky, and Magic Marty. The music of Scout Gillett is very difficult to pin down sonically, and I personally believe that's a very good place to land for an artist. If you enjoy the musical stylings of Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, Mazzy Star, and Patty Smith, Scout has a seat at that table. And, I highly recommend catching her upcoming solo tour on the West Coast through the month of December, starting on Dec 7 at The Firehouse in Joshua Tree, CA, dear listeners. For our conversation, we will be discussing The Man Who Died in His Boat, the 9th studio album by American “experimental pop” musician Liz Harris under the moniker, Grouper, which was released on Monday, February 4, 2013. This record consists of outtakes from the previous years, when she was in the process of recording Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill.Enjoy the conversation!

Today, we are speaking with a very old friend of mine. He is one Jeffrey Thomas Cumpson. These days, he's a marketing professional and I also know him as a musical mastermind in such projects as The 9th Great Power and The Block Signals.I first met Jeff in the summer of 1989 on the ball fields in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Sports were always part of the fabric of our friendship and as time marched on, music also began playing a crucial role – fiddling around with a four-track recorder, writing our own songs, playing in high school variety shows and the like.For our conversation, we will be discussing in great detail John Hiatt and his eighth studio record called Bring the Family, which was released on May 29, 1987 for A&M Records. This was a pivotal moment in Hiatt's career, as it very well could have been his last chance in the music business.Welcome in and enjoy!

Today's conversation focuses on an as-yet untitled book written by musician Sean Kelly (A Fragile Tomorrow, So Sure) about an acclaimed and criminally overlooked American rock and roll band known as Continental Drifters .Formed in Los Angeles in 1991, the Drifters consist of guitarist/vocalist Vicki Peterson from The Bangles and The Psycho Sisters, bassist Mark Walton from The Dream Syndicate, Susan Cowsill of The Cowsills and also Psycho Sisters, Peter Holsapple from the dBs, Carlo Nuccio, Robert Maché, Russ Broussard and many others throughout the band's history.With Sean, I was delighted to speak with both Vicki and Mark, who go into great detail about the origins of the group, songs which comprise their 1998 studio album Vermilion, and so much more!Be on the lookout for details surrounding the forthcoming biography on Instagram! @continentaldriftersbook

Our guest today is south central Pennsylvania's Jamie Aston, acclaimed bassist of Wes Hoke and the Bare Roots and the Joe Olnick Band. Back in August of 2022, we had a lively conversation about Burlington, Vermont's Phish and their fifth studio album released in 1994 titled Hoist. The mid 1990's was a pivotal era for the band, which saw Jon (Henrietta), Trey (Big Red), Mike (Cactus) and Page (Chairman of the Boards) leap from the club circuit in the U.S. to large scale amphitheaters and beyond.I think you'll enjoy his tale of how he discovered the band, subsequent touring/taping and his love of the music, which has never waivered for nearly thirty years. Enjoy!

Our guest today is a solo artist, producer, Palo Santo Music Group co-founder in Dallas, TX, and its indie music godfather. He is one Salim Nourallah. You may remember Salim as our guest in Episode 40 and our discussion about one of the most consequential records in our lifetime and beyond, The White Album.As a solo artist, Nourallah has long mined the terrain between catchy and devastating. Rolling Stone called him “a singer-songwriter who can stop time.” As a producer and owner of Pleasantry Lane in Dallas, Nourallah has worked notably with the Old 97's, Rhett Miller, the Deathray Davies, and the Damnwells. His work on either side of the sound booth has won an armful of Dallas Observer music awards and proven that some musicians actually do get better with age.Our conversation today will focus on British singer/songwriter Stephen Duffy and his second solo offering from 1995 titled “Duffy” which was originally released on Indolent Records. Some may know Stephen Duffy as a founding member, vocalist and bassist of Duran Duran and later the front man for the folk rock outfit The Lilac Time. Please, enjoy episode #100!

Our guest today is one Marco Castro of the Chicagoland band known as The Castros. Born & raised in Costa Rica , embraced by the Midwest, Marco is also a Metroid & coffee enthusiast.The Castros newest single that was released on December 31st, 2021 called "Sail Away" which they recorded and self-produced.For our conversation today, Marco and I discussed in great detail Vheissu (pronounced "vee-sue"), the fourth studio album from the band known as Thrice. Vheissu was recorded at Studio Bearsville in Bearsville, NY and released on October 18, 2005. Enjoy the conversation!

Our guest today is one Fine Lace. She is a 28 year old indie singer-songwriter from Idaho currently based in Seattle. In 2020 she released the first 2 songs off her upcoming EP centered on mental health ("Hold On" and "Amazing Mom (Infertility Song)"). Producing music got put on hold last year when in her own words gave birth to a “little miracle baby” but says she should be back in the studio sometime in 2022. For our conversation today, she has chosen is "We Can Still Sing" by Nashville based singer-songwriter Allison Leah. We Can Still Sing is a song inspired by the hundreds of people singing from their balconies in 2020 during the current and ongoing global health pandemic due to COVID-19. Jonathan Frahm of the blog For Folks Sake writes, "A choral call to arms for love, kindness, and respect, the singer-songwriter has effectively woven a beautiful anthem for this precise moment in history.”Enjoy the conversation!

Our guest today is one Sarah Harralson from Nashville, by way of Knoxville, TN. Sarah began writing songs when she was ten years old, her bluegrass musician grandfather being her biggest musical influence.After her grandfather passed in 2011, Sarah decided she would move to Nashville in 2013 to pursue music at Belmont University. Upon the release of hearing her debut EP Finally Found, in 2014 Music Connection Magazine wrote “Sarah Harralson presents honest, bare-boned recordings that are authentic.” A year later after releasing Finally Found, she was discovered by Scotty Schultz, drummer of Shooter Jennings (Waylon Jennings's son). Scotty opened up his publishing company, Raindrop Music LLC, in 2015 and after hearing Sarah's original song “Watered Down Whiskey”, he knew he wanted to sign her right away. Scotty decided he would produce her first country EP, Watered Down Whiskey, of all original songs that Sarah has either written or co-written.One of the tracks on the EP includes the song, “Radio Static” that was co-written with Johnny Garcia (lead guitar for Garth Brooks). Over time, Sarah began writing and working with Johnny, which evolved to the point where Sarah would sign her next publishing deal with Busy at Play Publishing (Johnny Garcia's company) in February 2020. During 2020, she has released singles, "Put a Rock on This Rolling Stone", "Get Lost in Some Rock 'N Roll", and holiday single, "Frosty", since signing with Busy at Play Publishing. Her 2021 singles include, "The Chance", "The America I Knew", "Love on Lease (Reimagined)", "Bottom of the Glass", and a jazz version of "Silent Night". A new single, "Whiskey History" was released on January 14th of this year. You can Sarah find her playing local shows in Nashville when she is not out of town. Her stage credibility includes opening for the likes of Aaron Tippin, Bucky Covington, and also included on festival rosters with Jason Aldean and Old Dominion as headliners. Besides performing, Sarah also produces music herself and decided to release a collaborative album, West of Me, with co-writer Christine Bauer in early 2019 that she self-produced. You can also hire her to write and record a song for you or your loved one through websites, Songfinch, SoundBetter, or Fiverr. In June 2021, she was invited to be a voting member of The Recording Academy as a vocalist and songwriter. She also plays at hospitals as a volunteer musician once a month for Musicians On Call. Sarah hopes that her music will help people in some way across the world. She is a big believer that music heals and aims to present her music in a way that is relatable for others and can heal any open wounds. For our conversation today, we'll be discussing country artist Brandy Clark and her debut record 12 Stories, which was recorded with produced Dave Brainard and released on October 22, 2013, through Slate Creek Records. Enjoy the conversation!

Our guest today is one Finley Martin. He enjoys every aspect of making music – from songwriting, to performing live, to engineering and production. He primarily plays bass and guitar, but he's been known to add other instruments (keys, drums, field recordings) when he's recording at home. Finley was born and raised in Prince Edward Island, Canada, but has been based in the DC area since 1998.In addition to his solo work, he's played with a number of area bands since then:Gist – 1999 to present (post-punk)The Chance – 2008 to 2010 (art rock)RagnaPOP! – 2014 to present (pop punk)Oppo – 2014 to present (indie rock)GrooveJet – 2015 to present (Latin, jazz, funk, RnB)These bands are representative of his broad musical tastes and interests. If you heard them in one night, you would journey through angular vs. melodic post-punk, art core, horn-heavy funk, latin jazz, uke-tinged pop punk and indie rock. Finley's solo work fuses these influences with Americana and folk stylings, often drawing on the Celtic storytelling and kitchen parties from his childhood. He creates reflective songs—at times quiet, acoustic, melody-driven ballads, but equally often heavier, driving barn burners, making use of the loop pedal to develop multi-layered soundscapes. His songs often explore issues that reflect life in the 21st century such as social inequality, gun violence, climate degradation, and technological encroachment.For our conversation today, we are going to be discussing The Tragically Hip's second studio album titled Road Apples, which was released back on February 15, 1991. It was their first album to reach #1 in Canada, and the album has been certified Diamond as well. Incidentally, earlier this year. Road Apples is receiving some deluxe treatment, to celebrate its 30th Anniversary. Enjoy the conversation!

Our guest today is a Pennsylvania pop/soul artist - one Kiana Corley. She's been featured in Guitar Girl Magazine, WXPN's The Key, Medium.com, the podcast Brian Funk and many other media outlets.For our conversation today, we're going to discuss the debut, self-titled studio album from English singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae. released on February 24, 2006 on EMI Records. Within the first few minutes, you will recognize you how much this record has had a profound impact on Kiana, and the way she lives her life as a creative person. Enjoy the conversation!

Our guest today is Avi Walter, bassist for several DC bands including Albino Rhino, Bells & Hunters, allthebestkids and is now the bassist for the group Friday Night Flicks, a project which began in April of 2020.In addition to his passion for music, Avi has a degree in alternative medicine and physiology, so health and human performance are always top of mind. For our conversation today, we're going to discuss Frank Zappa and his self-produced 1974 record Apostrophe. Apostrophe was recorded at Electric Lady Studios, New York City; Bolic Sound in Inglewood, California; Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California and was released on Diskreet Records. We delve deep into the mind of Frank Zappa and his prolific musical output during his lifetime. Enjoy the conversation!

Our guest today is one R.J. Conrad from the Harrisburg, PA band six-piece known as Rascal Revival. They recently released an EP titled Passing Time Around, which you should take the time to seek out and put the band on your radar.For our conversation today, we're going to discuss a collaboration between Dave Matthews from the Dave Matthews Band and multi-instrumentalist Tim Reynolds of TR3, and the profound impact this record had on our guest.Of course, we are talking about Live at Luther College – a live album from Dave and Tim, which was recorded at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, on February 6, 1996,The album features several previously unreleased or rare tracks, including “What Will Become of Me?”, which would later be used as the basis for the song “Pantala Naga Pampa” on the 1998 studio album Before These Crowded Streets. Six songs would appear on the studio album Crash, released later in 1996.Enjoy the conversation!

Our guest today is one Ron Babcock. Ron Babcock is a comedian and editor living in Los Angeles. His debut album THIS GUY. went to #1 on iTunes Comedy and #13 on Billboard Comedy. He's appeared on Adam Devine's House Party, Last Comic Standing and other cancelled shows. He's edited for Netflix, Disney, HBO, Adult Swim and others - most recently, CAT BURGLAR, an interactive series which debuted on February 22nd, 2022 on Netflix. He's also currently working on a project animating voicemails his mom leaves him. Our conversation centers around a Dayton, Ohio alternative rock band known as The Breeders and their second studio album, Last Splash, which was released back on August 30, 1993 on 4AD/Elektra Records. Last Splash was recorded at Coast Recorders, North Hollywood, Brilliant Studios, San Francisco and Refraze Recording Studio, Dayton. Last Splash was produced by guitarist Kim Deal, along with Mark Freegard. Enjoy the conversation!

Our guest today is one Max Feinstein. He's a musician, producer, studio owner, inventor and a New Jersey based hemophilia advocate using music to promote bleeding disorder awareness. Incidentally, March is Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month. Learn more about BDAM by clicking here.Currently, Max is promoting singles off a record he wrote while spending the better part of the last 18 months rehabilitating an elbow after a decade of living with severe osteoarthritis.He is also the inventor of the Mod Stand.After years of negotiating minimal and never-certain stage space in the myriad small clubs, house shows, bars and coffee shops he played, Hoboken-based guitarist, studio owner, recording engineer and now inventor Max Feinstein developed an idea that would help streamline and simplify his own on-stage setup.For our conversation today, we're going to discuss the Red Hot Chili Peppers and their eighth studio album By the Way, BTW (which sees guitarist John Frusciante back in the fold) was recorded at Cello and Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles, California and released on July 9, 2002, on Warner Bros. Records.Max is a great fellow to speak with, and I think you may develop a deeper appreciation for the RHCP after listening to his thoughts on By the Way. Enjoy!

Our guest today is one Brittany Valint, who is no stranger to the program. Previously, we dissected Ben Kweller's 2002 record Sha Sha, which you can listen to in Episode 70. Brittany is someone who I've gotten to know a little more over the past year and I'm so proud to call her a friend. She makes up one-half of the atmospheric project known as Wall of Trophies with her co-conspirator Will Copps, and also pens songs under her own moniker, Brittany Jean.This time around, Brittany has selected The Instigator, - the second solo album from Rhett Miller, front man of the legendary band known as Old 97's. The Instigator, which was released on Elektra back on September 24, 2002, is chock-full of excellent artists in their own right alongside Rhett, including multi-instrumentalist and producer Jon Brion, percussionist Lenny Castro, X's John Doe, drummer Joshua Freese, songwriter/artist David Garza, legendary artist Robyn Hitchcock, Jim Keltner on drums, touring and session drummer Dan Mac Carroll on drums (Aimee Mann, Sheryl Crow and others), and vocalists Karen Kilgarriff and Chrissy Guerrero.We take our conversation “track x track” and Brittany sprinkles in a few personal stories about seeing Rhett performing solo at The Kennedy Center in DC, and on one frigid night at Starr Hill in Charlottesville, VA. Enjoy!

Waylon K. Smith is a singer-songwriter living in Bel-Air, MD. His sound is a mash up of Damon Albarn, Radiohead, REM, & Roger Waters. He is currently singing silly songs to his new daughter & booking live performances of his original tunes & the classics that inspired them.Our conversation centers around English singer-songwriter, baroque chamber/electro pop artist Patrick Wolf and his debut studio album Lycanthropy, which was released back on July 28, 2003 on Tomlab. Enjoy!

Our guest today resides just outside of Harrisburg, PA and is no stranger to the program. She is one M.R. Morrison: an artist and poet of We Doubt The Call Even As We Answer It. At the present, she is no stranger to travel which is an integral element of her practice as an artist. Current projects include design for a board game (Daude; Seasons) and her second collection of poetry.For our discussion today, Ms. Morrison has chosen HORSES the debut studio album from the artistic icon known as Patti Smith. Recorded with her band at Electric Lady Studios in August 1975, Horses was released on November 10, 1975, by Arista Records. My hope is you will enjoy this dissection of a brilliant album, track by track!

Today's guest is Grant Santoscoy of Cleveland, Ohio's indie rock band Bloodhounds to discuss Philadelphia, PA's Modern Baseball and their debut record Sports. Sports was recorded at Free Studios at Drexel University and released in December 2012 on Lame-O Records. Enjoy this deep lyrical dive into a brilliant band!

Our guest today is one Fluer Wood and one Wesley Wood. Together they are The W Lovers from Seattle, Washington and have made their mark on the live music scene all over the American West, playing over 100 shows a year, since their inception in 2014. Their sophomore album "This Little Town,' was produced by Ryan Hadlock (Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers) and was released June 2019. 'This Little Town' made it to #1 on the Roots Alternative Folk Chart for three weeks and hit #8 on NAAC Folk Chart. Voted #2 album of the month on Americana Highways in July and made several college radio top 10 lists across the US. Our conversation with Fluer and Wesley centers around David Rawling's Poor David's Almanack, which was released on August 11, 2017 via Acony Records and the eighth collaborative LP for Rawlings and Welch and the first under the name David Rawlings. Enjoy!

Our guest today is one Rory D'Lasnow. Rory is a singer-songwriter from New Jersey who plays the guitar upside down and backwards. He released his new EP, “Songs From an Empty Room in Fall 2021 and you can catch him playing live throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Rory is also the host of an Instagram Live event once a week titled The Songwriter Showcase, which is an excellent way for those wishing to discover new songwriters and a place that I will recommend you give a follow. For our conversation today, we will be discussing “Where You Want to Be” - the second album from Long Island, NY's pop-punk outfit Taking Back Sunday. WYWTB was released on Victory Records on back on July 27, 2004 and we took a deep dive into the lyrics, melodies and textures found on this record. Enjoy!

Our guest today is one Jared Saltiel.Jared is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Brooklyn, NY. Always a clever lyricist and imaginative storyteller, Saltiel's rich orchestrations elevate his musical narratives with cinematic overtones.As lead singer and songwriter of Ann Arbor, Michigan pop/rock band The Dirty Birds, he released his debut album How the Cause Became the Cure in 2009. After moving to Brooklyn NY, he launched his solo career, releasing two interconnected full-length albums of lushly orchestrated, "magical realist" story-songs: The Light Within in 2013, and Out of Clay in 2018. His follow-up One More Revelation was a return to more conventional songwriting and contemporary folk-rock aesthetics. With his new EP No Heroes, Saltiel channels the zeitgeist with emotional intelligence and evocative production.As a producer and arranger, he has worked with a variety of musicians, including KAYE, Bell the Band, Cassidy Andrews, Lee Reit, and his brother Jason Saltiel. And as the co-creator of satirical slasher-comedy musical South by South Death, and the composer of Amina Henry's original play Hunter John & Jane, his theatrical work has been covered in the New York Times, The Village Voice, and TimeOut. For our conversation today, we are going to be discussing In the Wee Small Hours, which is the ninth studio album by “The Chairman of the Board.” Of course, we are referring to Frank Sinatra. In The Wee Small Hours was released on April 25, 1955 by Capitol and produced by Voyle Gilmore with arrangements by Nelson Riddle.Enjoy the conversation!

Our guest today is one Chris Rider of Liverpool, PA. Chris is a photographer and an avid concertgoer. You can find him throughout south Central Pennsylvania and other parts of the Commonwealth behind a camera lens at a wide variety of venues including the Englewood near Hershey, PA and The Whitaker Center in Harrisburg. We spoke in late July of 2021, one week before he was set to snap pictures of one of his all time favorite bands in action at Spy Glass Ridge Winery in Sunbury, PA. So you may be wondering aloud now - what band are we referring to? Well, that would be a fantastic blues rock outfit from Jacksonville, FL known as JJ Grey and Mofro and their 2007 record titled Country Ghetto. Country Ghetto was the band's third album and released on Alligator Records. Enjoy the conversation!

Our guest today is one Matt Wheeler. The terms "troubadour", "poet with a guitar", & "stage banter-conversationalist" all describe Matt Wheeler's music & performance style well. Matt's songwriting paints pictures with words. Matt has delighted audiences from New England to North Carolina, Ontario to Chicago. His new album "Wonder of it All" - a collection of songs based on classic works of literature like "The Little Prince" & "The Hobbit", was released on 5/21/21.For our conversation today, we are going to be discussing Ongiara “ahn-gee-AR-uh”, with a hard “g - the third studio album by Canadian folk rock band Great Lake Swimmers, released on March 27, 2007. The album was released on Nettwerk and the band recorded most of the album in London, Ontario's historic music venue Aeolian Hall with producer Andy Magoffin.For those wondering, Ongiara is the name of a boat that ferried the band to the site where they recorded the first demo. It's also the original indigenous name of Niagara Falls. Enjoy and thanks for listening!

Our guest today is one Keith Valcourt. Keith is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp. He is also the co-author of the forthcoming autobiography of 1980's new wave singer Dale Bozzio titled "Life Is So Strange: Missing Persons, Frank Zappa, Prince and more."Previously Keith worked as Global Project Manager for GeneSimmonsVault.com, an Artist Development rep at Capitol-EMI Records and as an actor in several TV shows and films including: "The Exes," "Retired At 35," "General Hospital" and his best known role as Ted on an episode of "The Office." You can find everything that Keith is up to online over at: www.KeithValcourt.comFor our conversation today, we are going to be discussing Prince and The Revolution's monumental record known as Purple Rain. This is Prince Rogers Nelson's sixth studio album, which was released on June 25, 1984, by Warner Bros. Records. The album also serves as a soundtrack to the 1984 film of the same name. Enjoy!

Our guest today is a native of Winston-Salem, NC. He is one Mitch Easter, legendary front man of the acclaimed Let's Active and record producer at the Drive-In and Fidelitorium Recordings. For our listeners who might be unfamiliar with Mitch's musical career to date … Easter formed Let's Active in 1981 and that same year, produced R.E.M.'s debut single "Radio Free Europe," which was issued on Johnny Hibbert's label Hibtone Records in Atlanta. Incidentally, Radio Free Europe is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2021 and a reissue of an exact replica of Hibbert's 7” mix is now available as of July 23rd, shortly before the time of this interview.Easter went on to produce for R.E.M. their Chronic Town EP in 1982, their first full-length Murmur in 1983, and shortly afterwards, Reckoning. Murmur's success also drew more attention to Easter, as did the release of Let's Active's debut EP Afoot, which launched the cult hit "Every Word Means No." Mitch has produced the likes of Pavement, Wilco, Suzanne Vega, Dinosaur, Jr., The Baseball Project, Chris Stamey, The dBs, Alejandro Escovedo, A Fragile Tomorrow – the list goes on and on. He is also part of an ensemble that over the past few years has paid homage to Big Star's Third record. And I would be remiss if I did not mention that he was also inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2019.Our conversation today will center on British singer/songwriter Stephen Duffy and his second solo offering from 1995 titled “Duffy” where Mitch both produced and contributed electric guitar. Some may know Stephen Duffy as a founding member, vocalist and bassist of Duran Duran and later the front man for the folk rock outfit The Lilac Time.This record is an auditory delight. If you are unfamiliar with it, please go out and get your own copy. Enjoy the conversation!

Our guest today is one David “Vlad” Urban - Vocalist, Guitarist, and keyboard player in the Shoegaze / Postpunk trio - Waking Lily. He is also a member of the Experimental Electronic Dirge Duo known as Filament Band.For our conversation today, we are going to be discussing Daydream Nation: the 5th studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth, which was released on Enigma Records on October 18, 1988.Daydream Nation has since been widely considered to be Sonic Youth's greatest work and was chosen by the Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Recording Registry in 2005. Enjoy!

For today's episode we have a return guest, Mr. Derek Evry. Derek is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who has gone on to front several successful rock bands in the D.C. area (1999-2006) before briefly attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA (2006) and returning to D.C. to work on his own music.For our conversation today, we will be placing our focus on American musician Mark Mulcahy and his 2019 solo record titled The Gus. For those unfamiliar, he is the front man for the New Haven, CT based band Miracle Legion. He He later formed Polaris: a house band for the mid-1990s alternative TV series The Adventures of Pete & Pete.To quote our guest verbatim about The Gus, “Each song on this album is a double sided coin of both joy and pain. It's the perfect record for almost every occasion. Mark, being an already very accomplished songwriter, really takes this one to a personal yet eccentric place. Do not skip this album." Enjoy!

We sat down to speak with artist Craig Patrick, who performs under the moniker Giants of Diving: a guitar-driven, synth-tinged, multi-hyphenated, indie-pop/rock with all vocals and instrumentation recorded by Patrick using a microphone, three guitars, a synthesizer, a laptop computer, a tangle of wires, and some very powerful audio recording software he barely understands. Craig is also a poet with writing published in Forth Magazine, Door is a Jar, and Algebra of Owls among other places.Our conversation today digs deep into the beauty, rawness and authenticity of Patty Griffin's debut studio from 1996 titled Living With Ghosts. Enjoy!

Our guest today is one Jon Garcia of Harrisburg, PA by way of Havre de Grace, MD. Jon is a musician and front man for the appropriately named pop rock outfit Jon Garcia & The Hopeless Romantics. We caught up with Garcia by telephone and discussed Switchfoot's fourth studio record Beautiful Letdown. There is an unmistakable passion in Garcia's voice when talking about a band that has had one of the most profound influences on his musicianship. Enjoy!

For our conversation today, Julia and I discussed the Dixie Chicks and their seventh studio album Taking the Long Way, which was released back in 2006 on Columbia Nashville. "The Chicks" as they are known today, received quite a back of backlash at this juncture of their career for their beliefs and their refusal to apologize or back down to anyone. This long-form interview with Julia is in the truest sense of the word is an examination of a band who continues to put out great music and still "not ready to make nice." Enjoy!

In today's episode, we meet Hannah Garrison, President of Wear Your Music.WYM makes music memorabilia from used and donated materials in an effort to help green the music industry, connect fans to musicians and raise money for charities around the globe.In addition to her current entrepreneurial ventures, Garrison spearheads a success-accelerating consulting practice anchored by a team of entrepreneurs who are changing the world. Via group and private session work, they offer strategy, clarity and organizational help to individuals and businesses.Our conversation centered around Madonna - AKA the “Queen of Pop," and the imprint her career has left on Hannah both personally and professionally. Enjoy!

In today's episode, we called up Liverpool, PA's Josh Engle. Josh plays guitar in two different bands, including Illusion of Solace and Elsewhere and owns the recording studio Native Studios.Elsewhere just released their second EP “A Different Side of Fangs” which you can find on all streaming platforms. And Illusion of Solace is currently in the middle of tracking vocals with a new vocalist for their second EP. For our conversation today, we’ll be discussing a Christian metalcore band known as The Devil Wears Prada and their studio album Plagues. Plagues was recorded at The Foundation Recording Studios, Connersville, Indiana and originally released back on August 21 2007 on Rise Records. Enjoy!

In this week's episode, we spoke with Mike Nealon of Queens, NY and discussed all things Oasis and their debut record "Definitely Maybe." The smash hit "Live Forever" is still Nealon's all-time favorite song and Definitely Maybe captures a hungry and energetic band poised and ready to take the world by storm. Enjoy!

In today's episode, we sat down to chat with guitarist/songwriter Matt Berry (Classified Frequency) about The Stereo's last LP titled Rewind + Record, which was released on Fueled by Ramen back in June of 2002. Many themes and musical moves are present on this record, but at its core is the belief in one's art and power of letting go of people or things that weigh you down.Fun Fact: Frontman Jamie Woolford has produced the last few albums by Classified Frequency!Please Note: While this was a 1 v 1 conversation, you may pick up traces of a screaming child being in the early stages of sleep training. It's going much better now.

In today's episode, we called up musician and school teacher Brittany Valint (Wall of Trophies and Brittany Jean) to discuss the debut album from songwriter Ben Kweller in 2002. That of course is Sha Sha, which recorded back in 2002 and released at ATO Records.This album is important to our guest as you will find out, whether it's recalling a memorable show, Kweller's heartfelt and at times off-beat lyrics and his commitment to just freaking ROCK! There's something for everyone here and I will keep quiet so as to not spoil the plot. Tune in and Enjoy!

In this week's episode, we speak with Gettysburg, PA's Adam Grabowski. Adam is a freelance drummer/live sound engineer/drum tech/freelance studio and mic engineer/ and host of the podcast, Backseat Playlist - dedicated to breaking down what influenced musicians, producers, engineers, techs, and artists to pursue the craft. Adam and I discussed Thrice and their seventh studio album Beggars, which was released on Vagrant Records back in 2009. This record had a profound impact in Adam during some of life's difficult moments, and I hope you enjoy his earnestness, wonderfully dry wit and a deep, intellectual appreciation for this band. Enjoy!

In this week's episode, we dialed up Jake Joyce from The Jake Joyce Band to talk about Bob Dylan's 1966 record Blonde on Blonde side by side. To paraphrase Barry Judd in High Fidelity: "You don't have Blonde on Blonde? *sigh* It's going to be okay."

Our guest this week is from the Hudson Valley in New York State. He is one James Hearne, formerly of The Way Home and who has recently released a new solo record under the moniker King Pine.We sat down one evening to discuss the late Gord Downie from The Tragically Hip and his 2001 debut solo LP Coke Machine Glow. Learn about the authentic coolness of Gord Downie as a human, his lyrical prowess and the unique recording sessions which spawned Coke Machine Glow , Enjoy!

Our guest today is American history teacher and musicologist Anthony Musumeci, as well a co-host of The Music Draft podcast. We discussed a living legend - songwriter Bob Dylan and his landmark album released on May 27, 1963 titled The Freewheelin', which was released on Columbia Records. This would be the first record from Zimmy to feature a generous breadbasket of original material that was produced by John Hammond and Tom Wilson.My favorite quote from Anthony during our conversation is the following: “Songs are a window on what’s taking place in society.” Enjoy!

New York City-based performer, songwriter, and theater-maker Angela Sclafani stopped by the program in late 2020 to discuss Fiona Apple and her fourth studio record The Idler Wheel. Idler Wheel was recorded in Los Feliz, CA and released back on June 19, 2012 on Epic/Clean Slate Records, and was produced by Fiona Apple and Charley Drayton. Enjoy!About the ArtistAngela has independently recorded and released three solo EP’s: History, Your Ghost, and Blossom. Last year her original song Your Ghost received first place in the 2019 Great American Song Contest's Adult Contemporary category and this year (2020) her song History was a Session I finalist in the 2020 John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Angela’s theater work focuses on untold female stories and includes her song cycle Passion Project: Love Songs from Women to their Work, which featured a line-up of broadway stars and an all-female eight-piece band in its premiere, as well as her original musical The Other Side of Paradise, which she wrote, co-produced, and starred in. Angela is a 2019 Fred Ebb Award Winner, a 2018 Richie Jackson Artist Fellow, and a 2018 Jonathan Larson Grant Finalist. She earned her BFA at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Country recording artist Scott Kurt (of Scott Kurt and Memphis 59) stopped by the show to talk about Tom Petty's first solo record from 1989 titled Full Moon Fever! This was a pivotal source of inspiration for Scott as he began to embark on his musical journey during his formative years.Check out SK and Memphis 59's rendition of TP & The Heartbreakers “Christmas All Over Again” at the top of the show and get the latest on what the band is up to online, including their rendition of another classic Christmas track "Run Run Rudolph." Happy Holidays everyone!

Eric Taft is a producer, engineer and songwriter from Baltimore, MD. He works closely with both local and regional artists, helping them develop their sound and writing style. He has also worked with national artists such as Underoath, The Amity Affliction, Plain White T’s and Less Than Jake. Eric currently operates the Buzzlounge Recording Studio in Baltimore.In addition to studio work, Eric has also spent time as an educator, teaching classes and concepts in recording technology, both privately and in schools.Currently, Eric plays in a number of bands, but most notably plays guitar and sings in The Great Heights Band (rad-pop. records). The Great Heights Band released their latest record “Cabin Fever” in April 2020, promptly followed by their new single “Bully With A Bat”, a protest song written and released specifically to raise funds for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. For our conversation today, we’ll be discussing Less Than Jake and the album Anthem. Enjoy!

DJ/Writer/Editor/Drum Monkey Sam Snow (of Ill Uma Naughty, Motion Quotient) is our guest on today's podcast. We sat down one morning to discuss in length Frederick, MD's Clutch and their eponymous 2nd album, Clutch.Clutch was recorded at Uncle Punchy Studios, Silver Spring, MD in Dec, 1994 – Jan. 1995. Sam & I dug deep into the lyrics and their allusions to conspiracy theories (JFK, Alien technology, etc.). If you know Clutch, welcome in. If you haven't met them, welcome in, dear listeners. Enjoy!

We dialed up Jim Logrando (Co-Founder of Craft Services and Manager of Punchline) to discuss the debut record from English glam rock band Spacehog - and their landmark released by Sire Records and Elektra. That of course dear listeners is Resident Alien. The album was certified gold on 29 July 1996 and included the hit single "In the Meantime."Jim takes us back to the origins of his love for this widely overlooked band from the 1990's, the night he was finally able to catch them live and much more. Enjoy!

We recently made contact with Jules Haugen, Cleif Jarvinen, Horst Guomundurson, and Georg Guomundurson, who are members of an obscure and influential prog rock quartet from Scandinavia known as Kasvot Växt. Some say they do not exist, but does this audio recording suggest otherwise, my phriends?Kasvot Växt released one full-length record back in 1981 titled “í rokk” and recently re-surfaced into the public consciousness when a Burlington, VT band known as Phish performed “í rokk” in its entirety on Halloween night in Las Vegas in 2018. We traveled back in time to 1981 and discussed their humble beginnings working on a scientific research project in Greenland called "Nine Cubes," recording at Elektrisk Tung, cover art, Pannukakku, and much much more!FYI - On October 31st, as part of the Dinner and A Movie series, Phish will be streaming some of their past Halloween performances including the 2018 Kasvot Växt set and personally, I cannot be more excited to watch!

Our guest today is Chris Tondevold from the Ambition Radio podcast! We discussed The Doors compilation The Future Starts Here, which runs the gamut of the very best from Jim, Ray, John and Robby, plus a few surprise selections. What do The Doors represent to Chris? How did he get turned onto the band? Have a listen and enjoy!

Our guest today is Fredericksburg, VA’s EP Jackson from the band EP Jackson and The Last Well and Fill Your Boots Studio, also in Fredericksburg.We spent one morning this past July digging into The White Stripes and their 4th album Elephant. Elephant was released on April 1, 2003 and produced by Jack White through XL V2 and Third Man Records. Enjoy the conversation!

Today we have a guest who paid us a visit back in Episode 17. She is one Kerriann Curtis. Kerriann has created an Instagram series of paintings showcasing her own work titled Art for the Afterlife, which you should most certainly check out @kerricurtisart . We discussed a piece of music by Mrs. Green Apple, a rock quintet from Tokyo. For our conversation, Kerriann has transcribed lyrics from Japanese to English of a song titled “Who Are You?” which will serve as a bit of a guidepost to our conversation. For fans of music that possess a high-octane energy such as The Get Up Kids, Kali Masi, Yellowcard and The Great Heights Band, I highly recommend making Mrs. Green Apple a staple in your record collection. Enjoy!

Matt dials up members of a new band known as So Sure, which includes Brendan Kelly and Sean Kelly of A Fragile Tomorrow as well as drummer Kyle Polk. So Sure can be described as dream pop, shoegaze, post punk, and influenced by alternative music of the 80s and 90s. Their debut, 5-song EP Caffeine Drip is available via NoiseTrade and is also being streamed on Paste Magazine. So Sure has chosen 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the ACLU to aid in its urgent advocacy efforts to demand racial justice and end police brutality.The group shared with me in advance that My Bloody Valentine’s 1991 record “Loveless” had a strong influence on the band and their debut record. We’ll be weaving in their thoughts on “Loveless” in and out of our conversation, so enjoy a bit of a two-fer of albums today!