Episodes
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As we roll into the birthday-weekend celebration of the United States of America, one might imagine coming out the other side of the festivities thinking a little more of the greater good than of the self. Maybe that's a lost cause at this juncture, but I don't believe that to be true. There are plenty of decent folks and resources and programs (or at least perhaps there were) in this country that we could -- at the very least -- spend a few seconds thinking about how one could serve one's neighbor. Or put the self second in a few of our daily walks.
And speaking of folks that land north of the decency line, I'm pleased to share with you that Jocelyn Olivia Nixon is my guest for this week's episode of the podcast.
Jocelyn was kind enough to come chew the proverbial fat with me last week, and I really enjoyed meeting her and sitting down to converse for a few. We talked about family, personal journeys, songwriting, making music and releasing it, gelling with bandmates, live performances, and quite a bit more. We also talked about a couple of her favorite albums, which were these:
Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
Revolver (1966), The Beatles
If you'd like to give Jocelyn's Instagram a follow, you can find her at @jocnix26, and her band's IG is @thecreepyjingles. The Creepy Jingles have four singles on Bandcamp and a brand-new full-length release entitled Washed Up as well. You can also find their stuff on the streaming platforms. Regarding Washed Up, shouts out to Enigmatic Brunch Records for putting the thing out.
So please consider checking out their music and giving them a follow on the 'Gram. They do good stuff.
Many thanks to Jocelyn for the communication ahead of time and for making the commitment to come chill with me for a minute. And many thanks to all of you that support the program.
Happy Fourth.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained within this episode. They are snippets from a new Kurt Vile tune called, "Red Room Dub." It's a track from his newest album, Philadelphia's Been Good to Me, c/o Verve Records, an overnite kv incorporated release under exclusive license to Verve Label Group, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
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Your assignment for the week -- class -- is to find someone cooler than Cass Jones.
And once I've graded all of your papers, I'm pleased to share with you that I will be modifying all of your Fs to As, because -- that's right -- it's an impossible ask.
We're putting up something in the form of Episode No. 214, and I couldn't be happier to share that @cassjooones on Instagram is my guest, and what a hoot I had chatting with her.
Cass can also be found at cassjonescreative.com, and -- of greater importance, perhaps -- motelvenus.studio, come July 15th of this summer.
The Jones clan -- when they're not busy roasting one another -- would happily call Cass a sibling and a daughter, a solo camper and a dog lover. They might also call her hilarious and be right in doing so.
Cass and I talked design, illustration, brand strategy, her gig with The Pitch, and a bunch more. Included in said "more," was a short list of some of her favorite albums. Those were these:
Ice Cube's Lethal Injection (1993)
Destroy All Astromen! (1994), Man or Astro-man?
Dethklok's The Dethalbum (2007)
Keep your eyes peeled for the Motel Venus stuff; it's bound to be rad.
Many thanks to Cass and to all that support the progrum.
Note: Moonflower was not the Santana album was thinking of, I don't think. If Google's right, I think maybe it was Borboletta (1974).
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Wizzow track called, "Saturday," which is found on Wiztrumentals (2025), c/o wizzydabeatwow.
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Missing episodes?
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Very pleased to welcome Sammy Sanchez back in to the podcast studio for another exciting look at an artist's discography, and this time -- for Episode No. 213 -- we dove in to the Queens of the Stone Age catalog.
If you've not caught previous episodes with Sammy, you can check him out on Episode Nos 44 (first appearance), 66 (Tom Waits), 88 (Beck), 113 (Radiohead), and 187 (King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard). And if you wanna know how that train got rollin', check out Episode No. 30 with his dad, Caesar, which was also a fun time.
Queens of the Stone Age has eight records to date, each one different than the previous. They are:
self-titled (1998)
2000's Rated R
Songs for the Deaf (2002)
Lullabies to Paralyze (2005)
2007's Era Vulgaris
...Like Clockwork (2013)
Villains from 2017
2023's In Times New Roman...
Sammy and I talked about a bunch of stuff across this chat, and beyond QotSA albums, we touched on Pink Floyd, the World Cup, the ever-awesome Phil Collins, and more.
In this case, more means a bunch of different things, but I'd like to focus specifically on his growing local empire of trivia nights, which has sprung from once a week to Sunday-Thursday affairs, all in different locations. Follow Sammy on Instagram at @sammysanchez1123 and peep his bio to see the spots.
Always grateful for Sammy's time and insight. Couldn't do this series without him.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Led Zeppelin tune called, "In the Light," which can be found on their 1975 masterpiece, Physical Graffiti, c/o Atlantic Recording Corporation, a Warner Music Group Company (marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company).
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It's good fun for the dork in me this week as we're dropping a palindrome episode, and I couldn't be happier than to share that Brian Hurtgen joined me for the 212th installment of the program.
Brian is a son, a sibling, a parent, a partner, and a wearer of many band hats.
We talked family, musicianship, band life and the learning curve that sometimes comes with it. We also talked about life, death, and being a sage person as you walk the path.
Brian's outfits include Major Matt Mason USA, Holiday at Sea, The Creepy Jingles, and Bye American. You can find stuff from each of those bands on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and I Heart Radio, and you can also find some solo material of his on those platforms.
In addition to all of that, we had a peek at a few of Brian's favorite albums, which were these:
Siamese Dream (1993), The Smashing Pumpkins
Radiohead's The Bends (1995)
LP2 (1995), Sunny Day Real Estate*
Starflyer 59's The Fashion Focus (1998)
Low Level Owl, Vol. 1 + 2 (2011), The Appleseed Cast
Meeting Brian was a treat, and sharing time with him for some quality conversation was a privilege.
Oh, and don't forget to check out Brian's pop-up record store, BlacKCat Vinyl. The store's Instagram handle is @blackcatvinylkc; Brian's page is @waxmusic79.
In my fumbling preparation efforts, I completely overlooked the Sunny Day Real Estate record, and we therefore did not discuss it on the show. My apologies to both Brian and S.D.R.E.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Delegation track called, "Oh Honey" from 1978, c/o State Records.
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Hi, hello, hey, and howdy!
Episode No. 211 features the super-fantastic Scott Devouton of Sound Ridge Studio!
My conversation with Scott involved details associated with creating a recording space, the development of chops as a musician, and you can check it out in a number of places. Namely, here!
Scott and I talked about family, growing up, life path-walking, and so much more. We also happened to touch on a few of his favorite (at the time) records, and those were these:
Odelay (1996), Beck
John Legend and The Roots' Wake Up! (2010)
Lotta Sea Lice (2017), Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile
Scott's Ill Fit Records (as well as Sound Ridge Studio) can be followed on Instagram at @soundridgestudio, and their Web site is soundridgestudio.com. Find their stuff on YouTube, Facebook, and Bandcamp, and also know that Scott has a couple singles on the streaming platforms, too.
Badass Records podcast would love to thank you for tuning in to the show, and supporting it in whatever way you see fit.
Cheers.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are snippets from a Grateful Dead tune called, "China Cat Sunflower." Samples from this particular track were lifted from their Europe '72 record, c/o Warner Bros. Inc., Manufactured by Warner Strategic Marketing.
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Welcome to Episode No. 210, and shouts out to my guest, Flare Tha Rebel.
Many thanks to my good friend, Keith, down at Brewery Emperial for letting me know about Flare Tha Rebel's existence, and -- before I get ahead of myself -- be absolutely sure that you check out Flare's new album, Dear City, which is available on streaming platforms.
Our conversation was super-solid, and we talked about a lot of really cool organizations that Flare supports, and you can check them out within the "Do Something" tab of his Web site, flaretharebel.com.
Follow him on Instagram at @flaretharebel. His stuff can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer, I Heart Radio, and YouTube.
We talked about the new album, playing live with bandmates, Woodland Ave., and a bunch more. Included there somewhere in the mix were a few of Flare's favorite albums, which were these:
Enter the Wu-tang (36 Chambers), (1993), Wu-tang Clan
A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders (1993)
God Loves Ugly (2002), Atmosphere
Santigold's Santogold (2008)
Phoenix (2009), Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
One thousand thank-yous to Flare Tha Rebel for the time, and to all of you that support the show.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio segments contained within this episode. All four of them are clips from a Kurt Vile tune called, "Air Bud," from his 2013 release, Wakin' on a Pretty Daze (Deluxe Daze [Post Haze]), c/o Matador Records.
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Dane Bridges was kind enough to return to the Badass Records podcast studio for another fascinating conversation. During our chat, we talked school, work, band life, recording, gigging, life changes, Major Matt Mason USA, Grindstone, Holiday at Sea, From Me, Straylight, and a bunch more.
In that mix, we also talked about a few albums that're important to Dane. Those were these:
Refused's The Shape of Punk to Come (1998)
The Fragile (1999), Nine Inch Nails
Shiner's Starless (2000)
Morning View (2001), Incubus
Karnivool's Sound Awake (2009)
Give Dane a follow on Instagram at @gd_bridges for more on all of his musical endeavors, and make sure you find releases from each of his aforementioned acts on Bandcamp and the streaming platforms.
Many thanks to Dane for making Episode No. 209 a treat!
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained within this episode. They are snippets from the title track of Preservation Hall Jazz Band's 2013 release, That's It!, c/o Sub Pop Records.
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Shouts out to James Carter of You Found Music for connecting me with three fantastic Kansas City people, each of them cool in their own regard. Christian Dixon joined me for Episode No. 202. Julie Bennett Hume stopped by to say hello a few weeks later, and today -- I'm pleased to share that singer/songwriter/musician David Luther is my guest for Episode No. 208.
David and I talked family, health, writing and recording, playing gigs, and a bunch more. Naturally, we had a look at a few of David's favorite albums, which were these:
Garth Brooks' No Fences (1990)
Ten and Vs. (1991, 1993), Pearl Jam
Gin Blossoms' New Miserable Experience (1992)
Throwing Copper (1994), Live
Jason Isbell's Southeastern (2013)
David has two LPs, four singles, and an EP on the streaming platforms. His Web site is thedavidluther.com. Follow him on Instagram (@thedavidluther), or see what he's up to on Facebook and YouTube.
If you're reading this upon release time, you can catch David tomorrow, Friday, May 1, at Walnut Creek in Weston. He'll do some Minnesota shows with the aforementioned Julie Bennett Hume, and be back performing locally on May 22nd, at KC Wine Co. in Olathe, KS.
Many thanks to David for the time, and thank you to all of you that support the show.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a tune called, "Vitamina." It's a cut from the 1964 release, Tributo A Noro, by Kako's New York After Hour Orchestra, c/o Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
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Hello!
Pushing into the early 200s here with the Badass Records podcast, and I was lucky enough to host Phil Craven last week for Episode No. 207.
Phil is a son, a sibling, a down-to-Earth dude, and a musician in both Whiskey for the Lady as well as Dimension Bill Edwards.
This is my favorite time of year yet, as a) NHL playoffs are happening, and b) it's not hot yet, so I was thrilled to have some first-round action on in the background while editing this fantastic conversation with a little bit of playoff hockey in the background.
Anyway...Phil and I talked growing up, trimming bud, discovering music, learning instruments, the incredible journey of being a bandmate, the Walnut Valley Festival, and -- wait...I feel like there was something else...oh, yeah! -- a few of Phil's favorite albums, which were these:
Nirvana's Nevermind (1991)
Pure Guava (1992), Ween
Phish's Rift (1993)
Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy (1996), The Refreshments
Tool's Lateralus (2001)
It was awesome chatting with Phil, and I encourage you to to follow Whiskey for the Lady on Instagram at @whiskeyforthelady, or on Facebook, or keep tabs on whiskeyforthelady.com. They're KCMO Thrashgrass that you don't wanna miss out on. And don't forget Dimension Bill Edwards. Find them on the streams.
Many thanks to my newfound huge following in Vietnam (shrug emoji), and a super-huge thank you to those of you that have supported the podcast stateside for however long.
Cheers.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained within this episode. They are snippets from a Fishbone tune called, "Ma and Pa" from their 1988 release, Truth and Soul, c/o Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
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It's that time of the week again, and I'm excited to share that Sean Moran of KC Film Project is my guest for Episode No. 206.
Sean is a son, a sibling, a husband, a father, a photographer, and one heck of a fun guy with whom to chat.
We sat down a couple of Saturdays ago to chat all about KC Film Project and a few of the things the team are working on. To keep your finger on the pulse, follow them on Instagram at @kcfilmproject. We also talked family, growing up, traveling, business endeavors, leaving technology largely behind in the world of photography, and -- of course -- we talked about a few of Sean's favorite albums, which were these:
Jimmy Cliff's Struggling Man (1973)
Enema of the State (1999), blink-182
50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Trying (2003)
Honorable mention to Eric Clapton and his 1977 release, Slowhand. The same goes for both Escape, the 1981 Journey record, as well as Sound and Color, Alabama Shakes' release from 2015.
Chatting with Sean was a treat, though, and I can't recommend the Instagram follow enough. Cool KC things are forthcoming via the Film Project, and you'll have to check out our conversation to learn more about it.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Benevento/Russo Duo tune called, "Powder," which is from their 2006 album, Play Pause Stop (which I mistakenly referred to as self-titled), c/o Royal Potato Family.
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Welcome, welcome, welcome.
My guest this week is Julie Bennett Hume, whom is a daughter, a sibling, a wife, a mother, and a singer/songwriter.
Follow Julie on Instagram at @julie_bennetthumemusic, check out her Web site, juliebennetthume.com, and find her stuff on Facebook, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and CD Baby.
Julie has released three solo albums, Late Bloomer (2017), Vinegar (2019), and The Lorelei (2025), as well as a duo project called The Multiverse (2021). She's also a co-host of She Talk Wha'? on KKFI, Saturdays at 3:00, which you should definitely tune in for.
For Episode No. 205, Julie and I talked about family, growing up, writing and recording, gigging, and so much more. We also had a peek at a few of her favorite albums, which were these:
Europe '72 (1972), Grateful Dead
The Roches' self-titled release (1979)
Rickie Lee Jones' Pirates (1981)
Good As I Been to You (1992), Bob Dylan
Catch Julie Wednesday, April 15th at 7:00 p.m. at Hammers Dueling Piano Bar at 3901 Broadway in downtown Kansas City, and be sure to check out that KKFI program of hers; it covers a lot of cool stuff.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are snippets from a DJ Quik tune called, "Black Mercedes" from his 2006 release, Trauma Instrumentals, c/o Mad Science Recordings.
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Matt Jack joined me for Episode No. 204, and it was awesome sitting down with him.
Matt's a son, a husband, a father, a professional, a bandmate for many outfits, and a super-sharp dude.
Beyond following Matt's Death By Science Fiction outfit on Instagram (@deathbyscifi), you should definitely check out their stuff on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify. And above all, be sure to get your tickets now for JackChella at The Rino on Friday, April 3.
Five -- count 'em, five -- of Matt's bands will be offering a set of live music, and it's the second year that Matt and The Rino have put on this event. It's a don't-miss.
For our conversation, Matt and I talked growing up in OKC, moving to KC, learning instruments, making records, gigging, and so much more. We also talked about a few of Matt's favorite records, which were these:
Yellowcard's Ocean Avenue (2003)
self-titled, Blink 182 (2003)
Futures (2004), Jimmy Eat World
Foo Fighters' Echoes, Silence, Patience, Grace (2007)
Forget and Not Slow Down (2009), Relient K
Many thanks to Matt for the time and the energy he put in to making this happen, and many thanks to all of you that support the show.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are clips from a Meute tune called, "LoCKeDoWN2," from their 2024 release, Empor, c/o TUMULT serviced by NEUBAU Music.
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J. Ryan Landry is a son, a sibling, an artist, a super-sharp fellow, and a fantastic conversationalist. He's also my guest for Episode No. 203.
Mr. Landry and I hit it off right away, talking about common acquaintances, growing up in JoCo, hoops, and the like, and we were only getting started there.
We chatted school, caricature art, his Web site, skipperart.com, his Instagram handle, @hippyskippyart, and his latest project, KC Art Van Gogh, in Raytown. They have studio spaces, membership options, and classes, and can be found at kcart-vangogh.com, reached by phone at 816-388-0089, or via e-mail at [email protected].
Somewhere in the mix, we touched on a few of J. Ryan's favorite albums, which were these:
The White Album (1968), The Beatles
Van Morrison's Moondance (1970)
self-titled (1980), The Pretenders
U2's The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
Version 2.0 (1998), Garbage
Please be sure to give J. Ryan an Instagram follow, and to also check out KC Art Van Gogh's Web site. Many thanks to Mr. Landry for a delightful conversation, and many thanks to all of you that support the progrum.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this episode. They are snippets from a Phish track called, "Brian and Robert," which is from their 1998 release, The Story of the Ghost, c/o Phish Inc.
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Christian Dixon is a son, a sibling, a musician and a songwriter, and he's my guest for Episode No. 202.
If you're so inclined, you can give Christian an Instagram follow at @christiandixonmusic. You can find him on Facebook and Tiktok. You can peruse his Web site, christiandixon.bandzoogle.com. You can find his EP and his singles on Apple Music and Spotify. And I'll also encourage you to check out James Carter's "You Found Music" out there on the Web; he's the guy deserving of the kudos for connecting me and Christian.
During our conversation, we talked about life, growing up, family, mental health, self-discovery, service to others, and a bunch more. We also talked about a few of Christian's favorite albums, which were these:
Glory, The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1989)
Switchfoot's Vice Verses (2011)
Vessel (2013), Twenty One Pilots
Phoebe Bridgers' Stranger in the Alps (2017)
Punisher (2020), Phoebe Bridgers
This is a long one, and that's certainly not desirable for some of the potential viewing audience, especially for a brand that's making zero clips or short-form content, but it's worth it. Christian is sharp, personable, and full of great insight, so I do hope you'll tune in.
Thank you to him for the time, and to all of you that support the program.
Note: Tom Cruise. Not Tom Hanks in Magnolia. Yeesh.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of the audio contained within this episode. They are clips from a tune entitled, "Berkeley Jam," that was spawned from a live Phish performance. I poached it from Live Phish Downloads 8.06.10 (The Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA) from 2011, and it's available to me and you c/o Who Is She Music Inc.
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Just like that we're off and rolling into the 200s, and I couldn't be happier than to share that Parker Mason is this week's guest on the podcast.
Parker is a son, a sibling, a partner, and a bandmate in various acts around Kansas City.
Check out @haikusforemus, @car.microwave, and @wearelandlion, all on Instagram.
Parker and I chatted growing up, diving into music and the Internet, wearing different role hats in bands, and the music-scene community around town.
We also talked about a few of his favorite albums, which were these:
Abbey Road (1969), The Beatles
Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane over the Sea (1998)
I'm Wide Awake It's Morning (2005), Bright Eyes
Sufjan Stevens' Carrie and Lowell (2015)
Circles (2020), Mac Miller
Not every guest I interview is as sharp and up to the task of having entertaining conversation as Parker was, and for that I consider myself lucky. Many thanks to him and to all of you that support the show.
Note: Emitt Rhodes was the name I was looking for.
Side Note: Heavy-duty congratulations to the United States Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Teams for bringing home double gold in Milan. Super, super cool.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio contained within this episode. They are snippets from a Slide Five track called, "Up & Out." It's the leadoff number from their 1996 release, Rhode Trip, c/o Ubiquity Recordings, Inc.
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Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls --
Please allow me to introduce my wonderful guest, Carlton Rashad, to the podcast.
Carlton is a son, a sibling, a singer, a songwriter, a performer, and a fantastic human being. He also makes an appearance on this program for the esteemed 200th episode, which -- if I'm not lying -- is pretty cool.
Know what else is cool?
Carlton.
He has a Instagram -- @imcarltonrashad -- you can follow. He has a Facebook, a TikTok, a Threads, a YouTube, and he has his stuff on Apple Music and Spotify. He's the 2021 Best Male Vocalist per the Kansas City People's Choice Awards, and he's a Kansas Citian through and through.
Carlton and I talked about his lifelong existence as a performer and a singer, a person with music always in his life, and his affinity for manifestation. We also talked about a few of his favorite albums, which were these:
Get Lifted (2004), John Legend
Mary Mary's self-titled release (2005)
Future Sex/Love Sounds (2006), Justin Timberlake
Lalah Hathaway's Lalah Hathaway Live! (2015)
the entire Beyonce catalog
Please go check out Carlton's stuff, and -- while I have you -- thank you for your continued support of the Badass Records podcast.
copyright stuff: I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained within this episode. They are snippets from a tune by Robert Walter's 20th Congress called, "Inversion Layer." It's a track from his 2013 release, Get Thy Bearings, and we have access to it c/o The Royal Potato Family.
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Ryan Johnson is a son, a brother, and a musician. He's also a super-sharp dude, and he's my guest for Episode No. 199.
Both Ryan's solo and full-band outfits write, record, and gig around town, and if you give him an Instagram follow -- @foxlinband -- you can see that he has some upcoming gigs, including one tomorrow night!
Ryan was kind enough to share a little bit of time with me the Tuesday before last, and we talked about growing up, family, music memories, writing tunes, gigging live, his ongoing fight with cancer and challenges that he faces living with not only Multiple Myeloma, but Borderline Personality Disorder as well. We also talked about a few of his favorite albums, which were these:
REO Speedwagon's Hi Infidelity (1980)
Take Offs and Landings (2001), Rilo Kiley
Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake It's Morning (2005)
Mean Everything to Nothing (2009), Manchester Orchestra
The Decemberists' The King Is Dead (2011)
Meeting Ryan was a treat, and chatting with him was delightful. Find Foxlin's stuff at foxlinband.wixsite.com, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and Bandcamp.
The Bandcamp platform has something in the way of seven EPs, two full-length releases, and a pair of singles. Lots of good stuff. And the Web site has some very valuable resources for anyone that may be in need.
Thanks to Ryan for the time; thanks to all that support the show.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips contained within this episode. They are samples of the title track from Phish's 1990 release, Lawn Boy, and is available to listeners c/o Phish Inc.
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Laura Boland is a daughter, a sister, a significant other, a musician, and an old-school soul. She's also my guest for Episode No. 198.
When wearing her musician cap, Laura goes by the moniker, Elska, and you can find her stuff at elskamusic.me, and you can follow her on Instagram at @elskalullabies.
Laura was kind enough to stop by and visit with me about growing up, life moves and changes, writing, recording, mixing, incorporating Alex Alexander into the Elska fold, and a number of other things, including a few of her favorite albums. Those were these:
Heaven or Las Vegas (1990), Cocteau Twins
Interpol's Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
Fur and Gold (2006), Bat for Lashes
Chelsea Wolfe's Pain Is Beauty (2013)
Many thanks to Laura for her generous donation of time and good energy, and thank you to all of you that support the podcast.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio samples contained within this clip. They are snippets from a Bob Dylan tune called, "Man in the Long Black Coat," which you can find on his 1989 release, Oh Mercy. It has featured in this episode and is available to us all c/o Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
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"Mama always said that dying was a part of life...but I sure wish it wasn't."
-- Forrest Gump
My journey as a fan of the Grateful Dead is -- from my perspective -- and interesting one in that I went from the tiny handful of FM-radio hits to Skeletons from the Closet: The Best of the Grateful Dead, and I didn't love it. At all, really.
Some time later everything changed.
I wasn't certain about the lineup and why the vocals sometimes didn't sound like Jerry Garcia's voice, but I eventually figured it out, and -- in typical fashion for myself -- I fell in love with Garcia's playing, Garcia's voice, and the sometimes-lovely keyboard playing. And that was kind of it.
It took me until the formation of Dead and Company to form my admiration and respect of -- plus love for -- Bobby Weir. Seeing the occasional photo of him in Birkenstocks (and ultimately barefoot) on his on-stage rug in addition to the occasional Instagram post of him in yoga poses, etc. really solidified my belief that this was a truly special human being.
I struggle with a number of things, and among them is the constant need for the reminder that social media isn't real life. So, when Bobby's passing was shared with the world, I bristled at verbiage in posts that started with phrases like, "I'm devastated."
At the same time, I also kind of understood.
Bob Weir -- from my vantage point -- was in incredible human, and we are so, so lucky that we shared living moments with him.
I say all of that to say this: Nicolette Paige joined me for Episode No. 197 and even though I didn't know her prior to her ringing my doorbell (and scarcely know her now), she seems like a delightful person. She -- I think -- is all about energy and love and positivity, and we could use a few more Nicolettes on this planet right now.
Mrs. Paige and I talked about family, growing up with incredibly supportive parents, putting on shows, seeing clients, peddling products, managing screen time, as well as a few of her favorite albums, which were these:
Bob Marley's Exodus (1977)
Bruised Orange (1978), John Prine
Jimi Hendrix's The Jimi Hendrix Experience (2000)
Mama's Gun (2000), Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu's New Amerykah, Part I (4th World War) (2008)
Follow her at @nicolettepaigemusic on Instagram. Check out her Web site, soulchildawakenings.com, and -- if you're so inclined -- you can follow Soul Child Awakenings on the socials we know as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. She's also got two albums -- self-titled + The Other Side -- available via the streaming platforms.
A big thank you to Nicolette for the time and the vibes. A super-big thank you to you for supporting the podcast, and a massive thank you to Bob Weir, for being an absolute treasure.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio clips featured in this episode. They are snippets taken from the leadoff track of Bob Weir's 2016 record, Blue Mountain. It's a fantastic album, and I encourage you to check it out in its entirety. We have it available to us today c/o TRI Studios LLC, which is distributed under license by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company.
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Welcome, welcome, welcome.
This is the Badass Records podcast, and I'm pleased to let you know that Episode No. 196 features none other than Joel vs Joel's very own, Joel Stratton.
Joel vs Joel's debut album, Smile in the Mirror, came out in August of last year, and Brad Smith (Episode No. 108) of Enigmatic Brunch Records was the wizard behind the curtains of making that happen.
But let's not let that detract us from Joel.
I am thankful for the opportunity to've sat with Joel and talked about his release, his approach, and, well, a few of his favorite records.
I know. It's the same old stuff every week(ish) here, but that turns out to be the actual skinny, so...his list looked a little something like this:
Talk Talk's The Colour of Spring (1986)
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002), Wilco
Elliott Smith's From a Basement on the Hill (2004)
Tinks (2014), Pether Schlamb
Anyway, please consider giving Joel an Instagram follow; you can find him at joelvs_joel_, and -- again -- his stuff is out there for both streaming and purchase. Check it.
Thank you very much to both Joel and to anyone/everyone that supports the show.
copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the audio pieces found in this here episode; they ain't mines. I managed ta' lift 'em from the ranks of a dusty, forgotten bin in the corner of my uncle's barn in Republic, and I figured they was worth sharin', so here's the skinny: This is an R.L. Burnside tune. It's one of many fine, fine cuts he shared with the world. This one in particular's called, "Got Messed Up," and I snagged it from his phenomenal 2000 release, Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down, c/o Fat Possum Records. So there. Put that in your royalties pipe an' smoke it.
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