Urban Achiever

Ted Bond Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jtedbond/Craig's Brother Website - https://www.craigsbrother.com/Craig's Brother Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/craigsbrotherCraig's Brother Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/craigsbrother 

Tommy Rehbein's Instagram - http://instagram.com/circuitsandkittensTommy Rehbein's Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/tommyrehbeinChristy Merry - https://christymerry.bandcamp.com/releasesRobosapien - https://robosapien.bandcamp.comInternational Karate - https://internationalkarate.bandcamp.comNaive Sense - https://naivesense.bandcamp.comToilet Rats - https://toiletrats.bandcamp.com/ 

Tommy Rehbein's Instagram - http://instagram.com/circuitsandkittensTommy Rehbein's Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/tommyrehbeinRobosapien - https://robosapien.bandcamp.comInternational Karate - https://internationalkarate.bandcamp.comNaive Sense - https://naivesense.bandcamp.com 

Foxhedge Website - https://foxhedgeband.com/Foxhedge Instagram - https://instagram.com/foxhedgebandFoxhedge on Twitter - https://twitter.com/foxhedgebandFoxhedge on Facebook - https://facebook.com/foxhedgebandFoxhedge on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ZroV7wG4Ic3c2eQMylrjP?si=TCLmB2sDTVSYE_mEXNxDAQ

Good Saint Nathanael Official Website - http://goodsaintnathanael.com/Good Saint Nathanael BandCamp - https://goodsaintnathanael.bandcamp.comGood Saint Nathanael Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/goodsaintnathanael/   

Mike Rucker's Website - https://michaelrucker.com/Mike Rucker on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mike.rucker.phdMike Rucker on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thewonderoffun/Mike Rucker on Twitter - https://twitter.com/performbetter

Spoken in Tongues Merch - https://spokenintongues.comSpoken in Tongues Bandcamp - https://spokenintongues.bandcamp.com/Spoken in Tongues Instagram - https://instagram.com/spokenintonguesSpoken in Tongues Facebook - https://facebook.com/spokenintonguespunkSpoken in Tongues Twitter - https://twitter.com/spokenintongues

Spoken in Tongues Merch - https://spokenintongues.comSpoken in Tongues Bandcamp - https://spokenintongues.bandcamp.com/Spoken in Tongues Instagram - https://instagram.com/spokenintonguesSpoken in Tongues Facebook - https://facebook.com/spokenintonguespunkSpoken in Tongues Twitter - https://twitter.com/spokenintongues

Sally Grayson has returned to the studio to record a new EP called "Desert Rain" with legendary producer Sylvia Massy (Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Foo Fighters). We're going to talk about that and some other stuff like recording through pickles and the studying art in Minneapolis. Don't forget to drop some coin to Sally to support her new EP! Desert Rain EP Indiegogo - https://igg.me/at/Desertrain/x/4799416 Desert Rain Promo Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KX3X4hrGPA Black Swift - http://www.blackswiftmusic.com/ Sylvia Massy's Pickle Filter!! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFtiYdV898Y

Matt Traxler of Brandtson and Steadfast Records is on the program! We talk about "emo", his near death van experiences, raccoons as pets, how he got into music and much more. Enjoy!

Andy Verdecchio (Five Iron Frenzy) has been through the fires of life and lived to tell about it. We talk about his days growing up fighting in south Philly, older brothers, improvised drum hardware, dumpster fires, scary sandwich shops, fun nickname inducing hairdos, shantytown gigs, how he put his faith in something different, his tougher than nails cancer-survivor wife and more. Somebody gets stabbed in the head. It's not him, don't worry! Also, a special guest appearance from Walter, Andy's cat. Andy's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/foo_foo_bunny/ Andy's Poetry Book, October - https://www.ink-and-tea.com/store/p1/October Five Iron Frenzy - http://www.fiveironfrenzy.com/

Randy Torres (Nyves, Crash Rickshaw, Project 86) was just a teenager when he starting off on his journey into music and sound. After making records with Project 86 and Crash Rickshaw he would later re-locate to the pacific northwest, spending time at Tooth & Nail Records and Microsoft. But bigger things were in the works and he would soon be headed back down south and into the desert. It's not all glamour, though, as Randy de-mystifies the actual hard work of making films for Hollywood. Randy's website - http://randytorres.com/ Randy's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/randytorres/

Joby Harris (Crash Rickshaw. NASA) left his home in Pennsylvania for Hollywood to follow a dream inspired by Death Stars, Wookies, Droids and the special effects that created them. But it was friendship and two miracles that aided him in his pursuits of music and design. He dubs my laugh a "Power Massage" and explains to me the importance of long hair as a symbolic entry point to the counter culture. We also talk about anxiety, his time at Disney Imagineering and the downsides of working with toxic dangerous chemicals. Joby's Website - http://jobyharris.com/ Joby on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jobyharris75/ The Studio at JPL - https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/thestudio/

It's trivia time on Urban Achiever! Listen in as drummer Chris Raines of Sunndrug, Norma Jean and Spitfire attempts to name all the tracks on Def Leppard's "Hysteria" album and then turns the tables on me to name the first 20 releases on Tooth & Nail Records. It's not all fun and games as we also discuss the perils of owning a record store, dubious touring van situations, popular songs in strip clubs and more! Chris Raines on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chris__raines/ Sunndrug - http://www.sunndrug.com/

I had no idea that Slick Shoes drummer Joe Nixon was born in another country. I also didn't know he grew up listening to Engelbert Humperdinck. These are just a few of the shocking revelations from this fun chat with my pal Joe. We also dig in to how he met shredder guitarist Jackson Mould, good places to day drink in the desert and much more. It's going to be sick! Joe Nixon on Twitter - http://twitter.com/nixoreno Joe Nixon on Instagram - http://instagram.com/nixoreno Slick Shoes Twitter - http://twitter.com/slickshoesband Slick Shoes Instagram - http://instagram.com/slickshoesband

My guest this week, Kat Jones (Kat Jones & The Prophets), has found inspiration in everything from the musical Annie to horror movies like Leprechaun and Ginger Snaps. Her personal journey has taken her from Fresno to Oklahoma to Edinburgh to Nashville to Oregon and back - running from the mob, surviving floods, dabbling in witchcraft and more along the way. And in the midst of it all she has heard God speak, often directly, in a way she feels in her bones. Get ready for a glorious time! Kat Jones Website - http://katjonesmusic.com/ Kat Jones Twitter - http://twitter.com/katjonesmusic Kat Jones Instagram - http://instagram.com/katjonesmusic abrasiveMedia - http://abrasivemedia.org/

Hello, Achievers! I kicked off the first couple months of the new year with a fun case of Bells Palsy. Find out about that, documentaries and shows I've been watching and more.

It's good to be back! Just a reminder that past performance is no guarantee of future results.

It feels like every day is garbage day in NYC. Maybe it is. Maybe it should be. Not just here, but everywhere.

They say that New York is "The City That Never Sleeps" but it's also "The City That Is Never Finished" and the same can be said of me and my trip through this life. I just survived 36 and then some of the most challenging days I have experienced. I am happy to be on the other side, moving forward. Thanks for listening!

100 Episodes! I know, I can't believe it either. I spent the last month figuring out a way to celebrate or commemorate or something. And, unfortunately I came up empty. So, here's another 17 or so minutes of me ruminating on my life and various "struggles." Thanks for listening! Here's to another 100 and more!

Are we making things too complicated? Am I kicking my own ass? Also, thoughts on Homeland, Harry Potter saga, carpeting and more.

I took a mental health day on Saturday. I needed some time off to slow down for a minute. Plus, college updates, thank you knuckle tattoos and more!

I just spent four days in Philadelphia for a conference. I think I had a good time. We'll just have to see about that.

Hello, friends! It's a new week and a new you! Well, we can at least try can't we? Some talk today about Macon Blair's new movie "I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore," as well as updates on Love For Kitui and Sally Grayson's Indiegogo campaign. Is that enough? No? Well, there's always next Monday! Love For Kitui - http://loveforkitui.org Sally Grayson New Album - https://igg.me/at/seemehuman/x/4799416 Matt Johnson New Book - http://a.co/1E7qO1S I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore Movie - https://www.netflix.com/title/80100937 I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore Trailer - https://youtu.be/6WBV7q_1DgQ The Power of Habit Book - http://a.co/f1TXflt

It's a great time to be alive, to be an American...living overseas! I know, Achievers, that not all believe this is a dystopian future we're living in. But people in other countries wonder what we are doing. They really, wonder. Sally, who hails from the magical land of Michigan, is one of those people. When she's not pondering how we've lost our collective conscious she's making really bad ass music, or performing on the German version of The Voice, or giving a Ted Talk or being a mom. Sally's got a new Black Swift - that's the name of her band and it's no bullshit, let me tell you! She's got a brand new album coming out called "See Me Human" and she's got some stuff to say about it. Get ready! Sally Grayson - http://sallygrayson.com/ See Me Human - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/black-swift-s-new-album-see-me-human Sally's Ted Talk - Howling for Hope: The Importance of Catharsis - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia2ldxK2rF0 Tubthumping by Chumbawumba on Surprisingly Awesome - https://gimletmedia.com/episode/tubthumping/

Hello, friends! Beware of Blizzard Stella which is headed our way. It's about to get blizzardy up in here. Is that a word? Probably not. Oh well. Some words about my friends at Love For Kitui, 100 year old security guards, home improvement, self-improvement, improvement improvement. It's only 15 minutes long, you'll get through it. Love For Kitui - http://loveforkitui.org/ Mars Hill Church Speaks with Jenn Smidt - https://soundcloud.com/bcpod/260-mars-hill-church-speaks

Jesse Sprinkle (Poor Old Lu, Demon Hunter, Dead Poetic, Morella's Forest) is stuck in my mind as a 13-year-old drummer for Bell Bang Villa, a Seattle area band who had recently changed their name to Poor Old Lu. I am still having a hard time accepting that he's now a 40-something husband and father of five who has been to Africa eight times and runs a recording studio (Bluebrick Recordings) in upstate New York for a living. Listen in as a couple of old guys try to fig## Heading ##ure out how they got to where they are now. Jesse's Website - http://jessesprinkle.com/ Jesse's Bandcamp - http://jessesprinkle.bandcamp.com/ Bluebrick Recordings - http://bluebrickrecordings.com/ Snare Junkie Videos - http://bit.ly/snarejunkie

Happy Monday, Achievers! Today, a few good words from a friend of the program Joel Eastlick regarding immigrants and African Americans. Also, a movie you may or may not want to watch, an incident involving Fletcher from the band Pennywise and a good report from my doctor. Joel Eastlick on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joeleastlick/ Nothing Bad Can Happen - http://drafthousefilms.com/film/nothing-bad-can-happen Fletcher Incident - http://www.easyreadernews.com/147029/carjacking-suspect-decides-not-carjack-pennywise-guitarist-redondo-beach/

Some talk about the Oscars, the Wonder Years and I'm going to preview clips from 3 different Spoken In Tonuges pre-production demos.

Life. Death. Italian Food. Cartoon movies. Horror movies. Thanks for listening! The Peanuts Movie - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peanuts_Movie Chef's Table (Netflix) - https://www.netflix.com/title/80007945 We Are Still Here Movie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDJbCMvv9IU

This week we're (and by "we're I mean me) going to talk about the importance of just singing. Also, how the brain changes itself, cooking iguanas, where to invade next, a college update and much more! Adaptive Training Foundation - http://adaptivetrainingfoundation.org/staff/david-vobora-trainer/ The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QCTNIW/ The Brain That Changes Itself Documentary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFCOm1P_cQQ Where To Invade Next Documentary - http://wheretoinvadenext.com/ COOKED Documentary - http://michaelpollan.com/videos/netflix-documentary-series-cooked/

This week we're going to examine perception versus reality and context. Also, some Super Bowl ads and some history of The Clash. 84 Lumber Complete Ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPo2B-vjZ28 NY Times Story about Clash Show http://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/31/nyregion/city-shuts-bonds-disco-clash-show-is-canceled.html Bowery Boys - Bond’s http://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2007/09/friday-night-fever-bond-international.html HQ Audio of June 8, 1981 Clash Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOTj7WiYIrc Gorilla Biscuits - Degradation in Atlanta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFOdeV-W2jA

Ignorance is bliss. Or is it? It can be comforting to put your head in the sand, but maybe not too deep. Some thoughts on college, the end of another show season, Homeland, Vikings and more! Homeland - http://www.sho.com/homeland Vikings - http://www.history.com/shows/vikings Grimm - http://www.nbc.com/grimm

Hello, dear listeners! Sometimes saying no is just as important as saying yes. Or rather, it's good to say no to the wrong things in your life. I'm trying that out. Also, my new diet of overwork and not eating has me dropping weight like crazy. Support the show! - http://patreon.com/urbanachiever

Too much noise. Too much information. Not enough compassion or room to breathe. Also, some chatter about Vikings, Colin Quinn and more. Happy Monday! Food Choices - http://www.foodchoicesmovie.com/ Vikings - http://www.history.com/shows/vikings Colin Quinn - The New York Story - http://www.colinquinnthenewyorkstory.com/ Supermensch - The Legend of Shep Gordon - https://dogwoof.com/supermensch/

Josh Kemble (Dogwood) is playing some reunion shows this weekend with MxPx in California. But long before his band days there was Missouri and strange housing arrangements involving foreign exchange students. These days, though, Josh is doing some awesome work involving at-risk youth and cooking. These are the good times! Urban Life Tables - http://urbanlifetables.org/ Josh on Twitter - http://twitter.com/thegrexican

Happy Monday! It's 8 degrees and we're living in a frozen tundra. Today I talk about Oliver Stone's latest series, a couple movies by Jeremy Saulnier and more. Happy Winter! Untold History of The United States - http://www.untoldhistory.com Lo and Behold - http://www.loandbehold-film.com Green Room - http://greenroom-movie.com Blue Ruin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJo1qrr_8Hc Jeremy Saulnier - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1099918/ Sicario - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8tlEcnrGnU

That's right, it's a new episode! On a Monday?! What is happening?! I'm going to talk about that and more. By the time you hear this I will already be at work. No holidays for us working stiffs! Support Urban Achiever - http://patreon.com/urbanachiever Quiet Riot Movie - http://www.quietriotmovie.com/ Spoken In Tongues - http://spokenintongues.com/ Blow Mind Show - http://blowmindshow.libsyn.com/

Thank God, 2016 is finally coming to a close. It was mostly bad, but not all bad. I'm going to talk about some of the not-so-bad things from the year.

As a teenager, Aaron Stone (My Epic) saved up his own money to buy his first guitar, a Gibson SG. This was an early indication of the kind of vision and purposefulness he would show in the years to come. On today's program, we discover the fate of that guitar, explore Aaron's upbringing and his five years living with friends and bandmates in Charlotte, North Carolina neighborhood Optimist Park serving the local community. My Epic - http://myepicrock.com/

We just had an election and I have some thoughts about it. These are those thoughts.

Tune in to URBQ.fm this Sunday, November 6th at 8pm for the 2 hour debut of the Make America Punk Again radio show. Then tune in Friday November 11th at 9pm Eastern for The Street Justice Radio hour with Dan Brimstone. Thanks for your support!

Taylor Weston (Alderbrook, Vanguard Symphony) loves living in Arkansas, except for the humidity. And we will make fun of Taylor's home state, but I assure you it's all in good fun! We also learn what it's like to be in a graduating class of 8 people. And Taylor makes the case for still buying music on CD...in a store!

Bryan Patton (The Meltdown, Echo Broke Alone, Something Beautiful Records) has been doing podcasting a lot longer than me. He also thinks it's a good idea to start a record label in 2016, so like a lot of us, he's a mixed bag. I kid! I kid! Speaking of kids, Bryan was the oldest of 8! Sensitive listeners beware, we do talk about Bryan trying to murder his sister at least twice! OK, maybe he didn't try to murder her, but he did try to chop off her fingers. After all that, he finally found a Church that accepts his crazy views on Genesis. There may or may not be a story about Bryan physically running into Henry Rollins at Whole Foods. How much of this is true? Tune in and find out! Echo Broke Alone - http://noisetrade.com/echobrokealone The Meltdown Podcast - https://themeltdownmusic.com/ Something Beautiful Records - https://www.facebook.com/somethingbeautifulrecords/ East Ghost - http://eastghost.bandcamp.com/ East Ghost Vinyl Pre-Order - http://sbrecords.storenvy.com/

This week we're going to conclude my look back on 40 years of Rodney On The ROQ and that shows priceless influence not only on me but countless bands, musicians and fans. But, really this is just the beginning of something. Make America Punk - http://makeamericapunk.com/

This week we're continuing our celebration of the 40th anniversary of legendary Los Angeles based radio show Rodney On The Roq. This was the show that primarily introduced me to punk rock and underground music, changing me in the process. That was the day classic rock died for me and I pretty much never looked back. We're going to imagine what it might have been like in the summer of 1979 for me to turn my radio dial and discover this music for the very first time. Join me as we try to Make America Punk Again Vol. 2! Make America Punk - http://makeamericapunk.com/

This week we're celebrating the 40th anniversary of legendary Los Angeles based radio show Rodney On The Roq. This was the show that primarily introduced me to punk rock and underground music, changing me in the process. That was the day classic rock died for me and I pretty much never looked back. We're going to imagine what it might have been like in the summer of 1979 for me to turn my radio dial and discover this music for the very first time. Join me as we try to Make America Punk Again! Make America Punk - http://makeamericapunk.com/

What could this be? What does this mean? What is this strange transmission?

Alright Achievers, the Letters Trilogy officially comes to an end with this episode, The End of Letters. We've got postcards from bands, corrections from punk zines, letters from disappointed parents, letters of recommendation, letters from congressmen and more! It's all leading up to something that's not really even a letter. What could it be? Tune in and find out!