Underwater Sunshine

A series of conversations between noted non-journalist Adam Duritz and his pal, author and music journalist James Campion, about life, music, and whatever comes into their large and incredibly handsome brains.

In which, without the benefit of any good drugs (or a net), our heroes Adam & James trip the psychedelic wonderland oeuvre of the great British troubadour Robyn Hitchcock and reveal the shockingly soft and boyish origins of Underwater Sunshine itself.

Finding themselves at a crossroads and facing a cataclysmic crisis of near-galactic proportions, our turgid titans of talk recall the halcyon history of The Outlaw Roadshow and look forward to the future of the Underwater Sunshine Festival without ever mentioning the fact that Adam just really wants to see BLACK PANTHER tonight. Excelsior! (Nuff said)

In which Adam gets all excited about playing Mary Lou Lord and our heroes manage to accidentally find themselves spending an entire podcast talking endlessly about the one subject neither of them knows anything about... (sigh) ...women.

Our heroes discuss the upcoming release of James’ new book “Accidentally Like A Martyr: The Tortured Art of Warren Zevon“, talk about the difficult creative act of giving birth to a finished work, and reflect upon the up-and-down life of its complicated subject, the Excitable Boy himself, the troubadour of The Troubadour, the great Werewolf of Los Angeles: Warren William Zevon. ...plus a brief inexplicable attention-deficit-fueled detour into late-70s New York punk.

Our heroes explore the burden of expectations on art and reflect upon the irresistible oppression of hope on human beings. Eventually, after pondering the crushing weight of possibilities, they get really bummed out. They turn, first to drink and then to god before settling on pizza as the answer to life’s really important questions. They take a short pee break, talk about Paul Simon, and then each paint a masterpiece…but you can’t see that because this isn’t that kind of podcast (shrug)

In which Adam and James discuss a particularly terrifying brand of stage fright, examine the fertile intersection of Black Funk and the Rolling Stones in the inspiration/information age, sneak a look at the effect the Crescent City and the Dirty South had on a British Island record, and finally bask in the afterglow of real royalty, remembering the son that set in the North Star state.

In which our heroes post the podcast late because Adam got caught up eating ramen and watching a Japanese movie about ramen called Tampopo which you should all immediately watch while eating ramen yourselves and forgot to write the summary until now. PS. We fixed the bootleg.

The team-up we’ve all been waiting for! The Sunshine Boys meet the Monk of Steel! Yes, it’s Immerglück, strange visitor from another planet who came to earth with powers and abilities far beyond those off mortal men. Immerglück, who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands. And who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never ending battle for truth, justice and the American way. And now another exciting episode in the adventures of Underwater Sunshine.

In which our heroes prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they can speak fluently in circles for hours at time. A happy journey that begins with Belle and Sebastian winds down through a magical valley of brass and strings and other up-your-ass things before finally stumbling to the semi-chilling conclusion that a life in music is sometimes a lot like asking to have a car dropped on your nuts….plus flutes!

In which our heroes explore the meaning of Love, the magnificent grandeur of a Soul Man, Sam and...Dave Godowsky, a Bryter haze of British sorrow, the incredible Travelogue of Vince Mendoza and Joni Mitchell, and the marvel that is Illinois. But first...something Wonderful. (PS. Dave Godowsky’s song “Here I Am” is actually on his album ALL YOU LOVE IS NEED)

In which our heroes spend a quiet afternoon talking about old friends and bands, the ones who left and the ones we left, and the ones who just found the dreams didn’t fit them any more, and left to find new ones that did. And we keep returning to a little town on the North Oconee River where, at least for me, the left of the dial was born.

In which a basketball coach comes up to Adam after a game at The Garden to talk about Death and that changes everything. So the boys decide to spend the next month discussing it. In other words, how talking about Death and Vermont leads to talking about the birth…of punk.

In which New York City and the Bowery are still the center of the punk world but new bands are arriving every day from as far away as Cleveland and San Francisco. They’re popping up all over LA as well and it’s just the beginning because, across the pond in the UK….anarchy.

Oh punkity punk punk punk. PUNK! Punk-O-Rama. Punkadelica. Polka Punk. Peppa Punk. Punk Rock Girl. Punky’s Dilemma. Punk Rock T-Shirt Melting. Judy! ….is A Punk. Also…..British people. And - if I’m being totally honest - I fell asleep and woke up and now my brain’s not working in the slightest.

In which the 70’s come to a close, the center embraces the fringe, and 1980 begins with a terrible ending. Also…during a podcast dedicated entirely to punk, I somehow manage to mix up The Commodores and The Ohio Players and THEN confuse Afghan Wigs with Fine Young Cannibals.

In which a guest returns from the far reaches of the West and the boys explore their Sordid youth.

In which the boys just sit around and yap at each other about shit they love. Plus...why is nearly everyone named Rose? What aren’t they telling us?

In which, in the wake of the war and the devastation that followed, the boys reflect upon the journey and I secretly wonder how I would look in a cape. And then...we swing.

In which our pal Rasheen Smith’s Instagram story ignites a Heatwave resurgence (not to mention an inability to decide between two ridiculously awesome podcast titles) and then we come out and endorse our dear old friend Tyson Meade for Congress in the great state of Oklahoma. Other than that, not much happens but we talk a lot about Joan’s and Joni’s and bid a very sad farewell to Scott Hutchinson.

In which we celebrate today’s release of Handsome James Campion's new book ACCIDENTALLY LIKE A MARTYR - THE TORTURED ART OF WARREN ZEVON. The long-awaited collection of essays arrives with great fanfare and pomp into the arms of a grateful nation. And we - here at the Underwater Sunshine Podcast - join them in a rousing "HUZZAH!

In which a complete lack of imagination and/or moral fibre leads me to name a series of podcasts on background vocals after my breakfast. Seriously…but, if you look on the bright side, there’s nowhere to go but up from here. The next one will probably be called “Famous Last Words"

In which our heroes continue to examine the art of the background vocal and James realizes that not every bluff is a Bløf.

In which the boys ponder the meaning of life while facing each other across a vast distance and - on the same day you read these words - Adam makes a cameo appearance (get it) on the world’s BIGGEST podcast…The Adam Carolla Show!!!

In which we really dig deep into some incredible music that just came out last week and start a rumor that I’m quitting the band after this tour by never once even mentioning the possibility.

In which our heroes dig deep into the hip-hop hit-making majesty of The Neptunes. Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo rocketed out of VA Beach and changed the course of hip-hop and popular music forever. We dig it. You should too.

In which the boys celebrate Adam’s “road trip” with an epic paean to travels and travails in song.

In which the Sunshine Boys prove beyond a shadow of a doubt their unfaltering willingness to go to the well yet again with the gift that just keeps on giving: the background vocal thing!

In which I casually and confidently confuse the Bay State with the Bay State. It’s a club IN Massachusetts and a state NAMED Massachusetts. Forgive me all you Massholes out there.

In which the boys take a deep dive into The Posies and splash around with Gigolo Aunts too!

In which the boys...oh I don’t know!

In which the boyz return from their 2-week Adam’s-On-The-Road-And We-Miscounted-How-Many-Episodes-We-Had hiatus with a bang-up series on maybe my favorite songwriter and my favorite band. Dig Stew and The Negro Problem!

Over the past 3 summers Counting Crows have lost 1 gig each summer to bizarre circumstances: the giant broken fan blade that beheaded Bristow, the sinkhole that ate San Francisco, and finally the mudflood that fucked Kentucky yesterday. (sigh) I hate missing gigs. Nevertheless, I’m home now and we are back with Part Deux of our journey through the musical life and times of Stew and The Negro Problem. Someday there’ll be a Part Three but for now...Welcome Black!

With the festival less than 2 weeks away, the boys explore some of the Underwater Sunshine acts they haven’t touched upon before now plus a brief detour to check out The King Of Mambo!

Went to California, drank a lot of wine, and now we’re cleaning up the place. We also roasted a chicken we soaked overnight in Buttermilk. Now we take a dip in the musik. This is the kinda shit that makes life worth living.

In which the Sunshine Boyz get ready for the Fest, clear up some cases of mistaken identity, discuss old Macs, and finally settle down to just rave a little more about the best band from the other side of the planet.

Calling from London to tell you this week’s podcast focuses on the Underwater Sunshine Garden Sessions and the interviews we did while hanging out there last week. In this episode we talk to Matt Sucich, Mikaela Davis and her band, and Ryvoli plus we check out their Garden Sessions. It’s live music and great conversations direct to you from The Garden! Dig it! …

Calling from Ireland to hip you to this week’s podcast. We’re still deep in the Underwater Sunshine Garden Sessions. This time we chat with Stephen Kellogg to begin with, then Elizabeth and The Catapult, and finally Sean Barna & 1809 Studio’s Dave Drago. Once again it’s live acoustic recordings from the Garden Sessions and behind-the-scenes talks with the musicians who play them! Underwater Sunshine en fuego! Dig it!

Regardless of what some people will tell you, voting is good for you. It gives you all kinds of feels and it keeps you regular too. Having satisfied our bi-yearly need to express ourselves, it’s time for the real deal feels. We stick with the Garden Sessions for one more week to talk to my old pal Cinjun Tate of Remy Zero, hang with new friends from Marcy Playground, and visit with OG Outlaw Roadshow vets Brian Holl of Boy Bjorn/Foreign Fields and JP Roney of Boom Forest. We talk, they play, it’s all good.

Unwilling to spend his life trapped in a world he never made, Stan Lee simply made a world of his own and then heroically shared it with the rest of us. He gave power to the powerless and showed us all what we could be at our best. We can only try to talk about what he meant to us. We can never really do it justice though. ‘Nuff said.

Maybe I’ve just been lucky. I’ve spent my entire life surrounded by so many thoughtful brilliant women. Now that I think about it, what the hell were they doing hanging out with me?

In which we just go on and on and on talking about the most fascinating topics ever spoken of...probably set some kind of record.

I could tell you all sorts of stuff about how we feature Stephen Kellogg’s new album this week plus more Margaret Glaspy and Phoebe Bridgers and some of Amy Vachal’s Garden Session...but it’s Noelle’s b’day so Happy Birthday Noelle!

A trip down the rabbit hole in search of Richard Thompson sessions yields a surprising treasure instead. The boys ride the Merry-Go-Round down to check it out and then spend some time in The Garden for good measure.

Adam has a great music geek week and the Sunshine Boyz check out three different amazing rock and roll bands fronted by three different spectacular women. Zaniness ensues... ...also a good deal of awestruck wonder. School of Rock is in session.

In which the boyz take a deep and introspective look up their own butts, express themselves about some movies, and (eventually) even talk a little about music. I also personally manage - at one truly proud moment - to say “really good” about 4 times in one sentence. This is high-level stuff. Listen in awe and wonder. Seriously though, merry late December everyone. See you next year. Try to go six more days without posting some shit about how it’s such a long December this year. Go ahead. I dare you. I. Fucking. Dare. You. Hukka-luh Humma-luh Happy New Year.

Well, my computer is sitting in a bin of rice cuz I spilled water on it at a gig yesterday trying to warm up and autograph CDs at the same time. THAT was not the best day of 2019 so far. That said...TODAY is an entirely different day and it brings with it the first Underwater Sunshine Podcast of the year! So THIS is going to be a truly GREAT day...albeit one without a computer (other than one that looks like it’s trying to commit suicide by stir fry).

Well, my computer came back to life so we made salmon and ate it. Could this have any less to do with anything? Next week...revolutionary haddock!

In which the boys accidentally get off on a tangent and forget to ever come back. Plus...we release a new song just cuz we can’t think of anything else to say.

It’s hard enough to make a great band. And it’s nearly impossible to make a great band which then makes a great record. So how the hell did Rod Stewart and Ron Wood manage to make TWO great bands together at the same time and THEN make nothing but KILLER albums with both of them. We take a look.

In which the boys revisit 1971, a banner year for Rod & Woody. Not many people can make three albums in one year. Honestly, I have trouble keeping up with one album in three years.

In which all good things come to an end and the boys talk it through.

In which James has a song he wants to play and I reveal some of the effects of Christian religious fervor on Jewish kids from Berkeley.

In which the boyz begin the march to the Underwater Sunshine Festival by playing some of their favorite new music, including a Brooklyn band, a Brooklyn boy, and a few once and future Outlaws.

We go deep on a few more artists playing the Underwater Sunshine Festival in April, this time shining the spotlight West Coast, then East Coast, and finally North to our friendly neighbors across the border. They’re coming from all over to play this one! Why? Because flights are cheap, because we’re all kinds of cool, and because - apparently - nobody thought to build a wall above Michigan. (shrug)

In which the Underwater Sunshine Festival draws another week nearer and we dig into four more incredible bands traveling here to play from places like Pennsylvania and Ohio, from as close as Brooklyn here in NYC and as far away as Pullman in western Washington state, AKA the town that gave us Klay.

In the next-to-Final week leading up to the Underwater Sunshine Festival April 5-6 at The Bowery Electric, the Sunshine Boyz take a look at the musical stylings of Ryan Hamilton, Hollis Brown, and Fort Gorgeous and then prepare to dive into the miasma of joy and electricity and alcohol that is UNDERWATER SUNSHINE!! Come join us in the sun!!!

It’s time. One last look at a few artists playing the Fest and then...here comes the Sun! This week we check out Fairhazel , Amy Vachal, Eric Hutchinson, Wild Pink, and...Cyndi Lauper.

It begins with a breathtaking version of “Bleed” and goes from there. In order to get in the mood for the release of more Garden Sessions, the Sunshine Boys finally release the long awaited Sesh and interview with Stew & The Negro Problem, pretty much Adam’s favorite band in existence. We talk some shit, they play some magic, and on top of that you get a little of the end of their Bowery Electric set and THEN...we rock a little Kasey Anderson for good measure. It don’t get any better than this. Get sum.

We go back to the Garden Sessions and visit with the bands Fairhazel (from London by way of Boston), Wild Pink (straight outta Brooklyn!), and finish with our pal Taylor Carson (all the way from Portland, Oregon, which - oddly enough because it’s landlocked - does actually have a port).

We stick with the Garden Sessions but this time we begin by announcing one of the bands we discovered playing their Garden Session who are going to be playing the next Underwater Sunshine Fest in November...SKOUT! Plus we play the Garden Session and our interview with Fort Frances and finish up with some Amy Vachal and a little Matt Sucich. Dig the good word!

We stick with the Garden Sessions for one more week, this time featuring the incredible Twinspeak music of Ganessa & Tiffany James’ band Onliest, our interview with Roan Yellowthorn, and the wild visionary folk music of Teddy Thompson. You’re gonna flip. Dig it.

We continue the epic tale of the Bellshill Glasgow kids we began in the "Teenage Superstars" episode by taking a deep dive into the music of one of my all-time faves: Joe McAlinden and his amazing band SUPERSTAR. This is music that’s completely out-of-print and unavailable. You can’t hear it on Spotify and it’s nearly impossible to find a copy of this album anywhere. There’s really only one place you can easily hear this music and that is RIGHT HERE. Underwater Sunshine presents….SUPERSTAR!

In which we talk not a whit about Spock, Dr or Mr, and instead concentrate solely on Superstar’s brilliant 1988 release Palm Tree, which is either their masterpiece or…well, not, depending on whether you simply happen to think some other record is…or, I suppose, isn’t, as the case may be. How do you feel about run-on sentences? I love them sometimes…but…well, not all the time.

James is out of town recording this week so we spend this podcast on Garden Sessions and interviews with Maria Taylor, Cameron McGill, and Ryan Hamilton. You’re not going to want to miss this one. We talk about stuff. PS. Thanks to Courtney Barnett for the title assist.

In which the boys talk to the completely awesome Kiley Lotz, the brilliant singer/songwriter behind Petal, check out her Garden Sesh, and then have an epic chat with the legendary Cyndi Lauper and her bandmates-for-the-night Hollis Brown all about growing up in Queens and playing rock and roll.

In which the boys can’t seem to stop having fun with Garden Sessions so this week we delve into Eric Hutchinson and Bear Cub. You’re gonna dog this. Or dig this.

In which the boys reflect upon the brilliant visionary music of both New Delhi/London-based Prateek Kuhad and Brooklyn’s own Wilder Maker as seen through their performances on the last and first days of April’s Garden Sessions. We listen and discuss.

If Scott Fitzgerald had heard Emotions And Math, his book might’ve had an entirely different heroine. We have...so we do. Margaret Glaspy is simply fucking amazing and we spend a podcast talking about just that.

If you ever do something really cool and all your friends come over along with all their friends and a few hundred thousand friends of friends of friends so it’s basically the most people ever in one place and some bands play and everybody gets really fucking high and has a good time (except for a guy who gets run over by a tractor and someone who doesn’t take their insulin) and then fifty years pass without anything like that really ever happening again...we’ll probably decide to do some podcasts about that shit too. Day 1. Woodstock. Dig it.

In which Day 2 at Woodstock begins more in fits and starts than anything else. The acoustic folk music of Day 1 was supposed to give way to the electric rock and roll of Day 2 but instead, the biggest rock concert ever got stuck in, of all things, traffic. Dig.

Day 2 at Woodstock finally starts to cook until the Dead arrive in all their acid-drenched glory and somehow manage to both break the stage and fry all the electronics at the same time, causing the world’s biggest rock concert to grind to a screeching halt. Zaniness ensues.

The seemingly endless 2nd day of Woodstock finally comes to close with a soul-baring Janis Joplin Set and a powerful close by the Jefferson Airplane book-ended around furious historic and impossible-to-top sets by Sly & The Family Stone and The Who. Along with Santana some 14 hours earlier, Sly & The Family Stone and The Who play the greatest sets at Woodstock in my opinion.

Day 3 at the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair gets off to explosive start with Joe Cocker and never really lets up. We can’t help ourselves so we only deal with half of it in our penultimate Woodstock podcast. But you still get Country Joe & The Fish, Ten Years After and THE motherfucking BAND!!! It’s an experience. Get some!

In which the boys finally wrap up Woodstock, somehow managing to cover a 3-day festival in only 6 weeks. What can we say? We’re talkers. Day 3 stretches into Day 4 with Edgar Winter, Blood Sweat & Tears, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Sha-Na-Na, and Jimi Hendrix.

Omigod. So much great music and none of it from 1969. Welcome back time travelers! Phones are smart and people are stupid and we’re finally home. (smile) Thankfully, the Music is always good no matter when we are.

The boyz explore the work of Matthew Koma’s Winnetka Bowling League along with the new releases from a few other pals. It’s a good time. Trust me.

With apologies/acknowledgement to Paula Vogel’s brilliant play (which returns to NYC this coming Spring w/its original cast of Mary-Louise Parker & David Morse), we examine an entirely different life in Cars and say goodbye to one of our heroes.

Back for more checkered flags and a few bumps in the road. We talk about the later years as The Cars make a massive comeback, call it quits, and then get back together to make some really good music one last time. It’s a really sad but appreciative farewell to Ben Orr and Ric Ocasek. Seriously. Let The Good Times Roll.

The Underwater Sunshine Festival is coming Nov 8-9 and we’re so excited to spend the next few weeks previewing the incredible artists who’ll be playing. C’mon! Check em’ out with us!

The boys take another trip through the bands playing the Underwater Sunshine Festival, including a brand new Jordan Klassen tune and the very special reveal of a new Maria Taylor song called “Waiting In Line” featuring me, Adam, singing with her! Check ‘em all out!

The boys finish prepping for the festival this weekend and we’re thrilled to announce the last minute surprise additions of Petal and Stephen Kellogg to the Underwater Sunshine lineup. Don’t forget the Saturday session opens with James and I onstage for a live podcast recording at 6pm! Check it out!

James & I convene onstage Saturday night at the Underwater Sunshine Festival to host a live podcast, answer your questions, pat ourselves on the back with microphones, and generally self-congratulate in front of an audience. Zaniness ensues. We love you all.

We return with a Garden Session from the Spring featuring sets and interviews with the great Jesse Malin and Red Wanting Blue, who, as it turns out, are not from Canada, have never been from Canada, but have actually visited Canada and thought it was lovely. We agree completely. Dig it. PS. Sorry about the infrequent podcasts as of late. The holidays and various family difficulties for both myself and James have cut into our ability to record. We’ll be back on track soon!

In the wake of some hard times, we examine the wonderful, tragic, and triumphant life of Daniel Johnston.

Part Two of our trip through the wonderful, tragic, and triumphant life of Daniel Johnston. Check it out!

It’s Winter and we’ve been staying indoors so we talk about the movies and music we love lately and why Star Wars is endlessly frustrating.

We get into our first Garden Sessions of the year, checking out October’s performances with Maria Taylor, The Accidentals, and Sarah Jaffe. It’s all kinda awesome. Oh yeah...and soup. We talk about soup.

Is there any doubt in your mind what these next few podcasts are all about? We start at the beginning and take a deep dive into maybe the best there ever was. This motherfucker was simply VIOLACEOUS! Prince Rogers Nelson.

After the critical acclaim of Dirty Mind(1980), Prince’s first real encounter with mainstream mass culture ends disastrously on the Rolling Stones Tour. In the wake of those experiences, he goes back to the studio and crafts the kind of response only he could make...Controversy (1981). We take a look. Dig it!

We celebrate being slightly late celebrating the 20th Anniversary of 1999, a record which actually came out 38 years ago. This was an incredibly fertile period in the Purple One’s career and we bellyflop into it, splashing music over two separate podcasts.

Welp. As the nation celebrates Part 2 of our 1999 podcast, I personally celebrate Day 2 of food poisoning. Although I’m less excited about one than the other, I recognize the humanity inherent in both. To paraphrase Edward R Murrow...good night and good bleccchhhh

We had an incredible Underwater Sunshine Festival in October and the Garden Sessions were amazing. This week’s podcast features performances and interviews with two of our faves: Kid Sistr and Matt Sucich. Dig it!

I’m busy in the recording studio this week so we continue featuring October’s Garden Sessions. This week it’s two more great bands Wild Pink and The Harmaleighs. Dig this!

Work in the studio is going really well and it’s giving us a chance to feature all these killer Garden Sessions. This week’s artist come from the far-locales of Vancouver, BC and Denton, TX. Dig the exotica!

With the coronavirus keeping us all sheltered at home, we decide to just do a LIVE podcast and just talk about whatever everybody wants to talk about. Zaniness ensues.