Episodes
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Episode 54: Elizabeth & the Catapult
Elizabeth Ziman invites me into her Brooklyn apartment for tea and ravioli. A New York native, Ziman talks about growing up in Greenwich Village and explains how a landlord battle forced her to reexamine a stack of old journals she found during the move. Combining their contents with imagery from...
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Episode 53: Matthew Logan Vasquez
Matthew Logan Vasquez revisits a changing Brooklyn as he joins me for a drink at the Williamsburg Hotel's lobby bar. After a decade of fronting Delta Spirit, Vasquez has been steadily releasing music as a solo artist since 2015's Austin EP. On his second album, Does What He Wants, Matt does just...
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Episode 52: Caleb Caudle
Americana artist Caleb Caudle joins me for a drink at Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side before his show downstairs. Now sober, Caleb explains how his previous partying lifestyle had informed many of his lyrics in the past, but how he's looking forward to tackling new subject matter. Last...
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Episode 51: Tall Tall Trees
Mike Savino a.k.a. Tall Tall Trees has a quick beer with me at The Magician in Manhattan's Lower East Side before his show at Rockwood Music Hall. Savino tells how he originally went to school to be a doctor before dropping out to pursue his true passion. He also explains why and how he built his...
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Episode 50: Reformed Whores
Katy Frame and Marie Cecile Anderson of country comedy group Reformed Whores chat with me over handcrafted cocktails at the Shanty in Williamsburg. The bawdy duo explain why they gravitated to their unconventional instruments (accordion and ukulele), reveal how they relentlessly researched other...
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Episode 49: Cris Jacobs
Cris Jacobs knocks back a bourbon to stave off a cold before his show at American Beauty in NYC. After noodling around on acid in his backyard with friends in high school, Cris dedicated his college years to practicing bluegrass guitar for five hours a day. It paid off, with Jacobs spending a...
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Episode 48: Emily King
R&B songstress Emily King has a quick drink with me at YN in Manhattan, NY. Her debut record, East Side Story, was nominated for the 2007 Best Contemporary R&B Album, but she was dropped by her label the following year. Having just released the deluxe edition of her second full-length, The…
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Episode 47: George Clinton
Funk icon George Clinton has a beer with me directly following his concert with Parliament-Funkadelic at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas. Clinton gives an overview of his six decades in the music business, from his early days of auditioning for Motown to his current struggles in attempting to regain the...
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Episode 46: Pop Etc
Pop Etc's Chris Chu and I go on a Cobble Hill bar crawl, stopping for drinks at the Long Island Bar and Henry Public. Chu reveals how seeing Elliott Smith in concert made him realize that an artist's success isn't necessarily tied to their own happiness. Instead, Chris' hope is that people will...
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Episode 45: Lissie
Lissie chats with me over a drink in the backyard of Muldoon's Irish Pub in Midtown Manhattan. Originally hailing from Rock Island, IL, she explains how she received an early confidence boost from G. Love, which inspired her to move out to California to pursue her music career. She recently…
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Episode 44: Cheerleader
All five members of Philadelphia's haze-pop band Cheerleader have a drink with me in the basement of Mercury Lounge in Manhattan before they go onstage. They explain why playing the late show feels like a graduation of sorts, and how radio has been quite beneficial to them even in today's…
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Episode 43: Brian Bonz
Brian Bonz has an IPA with me in the downstairs bar at Bowery Ballroom before opening for Nightmare of You. Bonz explains how being an opener provides him with a priceless connection to new fans, which proved especially helpful when it came to crowd-funding his latest LP, Misophonia. Although the...
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Episode 42: Findlay Brown
Growing up in Yorkshire, England, Findlay Brown played Army games in the woods with his friends. Once he'd reached his teenage years, he had his enlistment papers ready to go, but a chance encounter with LSD and a copy of Electric Ladyland changed his life forever. Over a beer in the backyard of...
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Episode 41: Rayland Baxter
Whilst sipping a tequila at a sidewalk table at Epstein's in New York's Lower East Side, Rayland Baxter demonstrates how to write poetic lyrics that are open to interpretation, a trick that his father learned from playing with Bob Dylan. Baxter's sophomore album, Imaginary Man, is full of such...
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Episode 40: Hey Anna
Erin Rauch-Sasseen, her twin sisters Katie and Anna, and friends Matthew Langner and Jamie DiTringo make up the NJ/NY indie pop group Hey Anna. Erin has a drink with me at Oak & Iron in Greenpoint, Brooklyn to discuss how the band built its Japanese fanbase, where they meet to practice, and why...
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Episode 39: Orgone
Sergio Rios and Adryon de León of L.A. funk band Orgone have some drinks with me in the spacious green room of Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas. Rios traces the group's origins on the Venice Beach boardwalk, explains what it takes to be in the Orgone family, and reveals how they came to find de León on...
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Episode 38: Gill Landry
Gill Landry has a beer with me while he eats his pre-show pizza at Benson's in NYC's Lower East Side. After serving years as a sideman in Old Crow Medicine Show, Landry decided it was time to fully pursue his solo career with his self-titled third LP. Gill talks about his goal to make the album…
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Episode 37: Dave Monks
Dave Monks and I have some non-Canadian brews at Sugarburg in Brooklyn, NY. Known by many as the bassist and singer of Tokyo Police Club, Monks explains how a move to NYC inspired him to write the songs for his first solo EP, All Signs Point to Yes. Dave also reveals the differences in recording...
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Episode 36: Young Buffalo
Young Buffalo's Jim Barrett and Ben Yarbrough have some drinks with me in the backyard of One Mile House before their show at Bowery Ballroom. Barrett started Young Buffalo in high school as a senior project, which he actually failed. If only his teacher could see him now, the band having finally...
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Episode 35: Robert Ellis
Robert Ellis joins me for a beer at Cheese Grille before a show next door at NYC's Rockwood Music Hall. Robert explains why he dropped out of high school to play music in Houston, and how that city's variety of music styles influenced him. Ellis also reveals how playing Katy Perry songs at…
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Episode 34: Ryan Montbleau
Ryan Montbleau joins me for milkshakes on the sidewalk at Jimmy's Diner in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Ryan tells his story, from coming up as a musician in Boston to recording his most recent solo record in New Orleans with greats like George Porter, Jr. and Ivan Neville. In 2013, after a decade of...
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Episode 33: Frances Cone
While sipping a cocktail at the Richardson in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Christina Cone tells me that she always knew she would move to New York City post-graduation. Since she made that decision, she's been able to make the city into her own little world, teaching piano lessons by day, and…
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Episode 32: Jenny Owen Youngs
Jenny Owen Youngs and I hit it off over local craft beers at Threes Brewing in Brooklyn. Having built a loyal fanbase by touring with punk rockers and performing online concerts in her apartment, Youngs explains why she used PledgeMusic to offer her fans an exclusive preorder of her latest EP,...
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Episode 31: Howard
Howard Feibusch was supposed to go to medical school. Over a beer at Greenpoint's Brouwerij Lane, Howard divulges why he chose a career in music instead, fronting a Brooklyn alternative rock trio that shares his first name. The band recently released their debut LP, Religion, which touches upon...
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Episode 30: Cymbals
Jack Cleverly of the UK band Cymbals sits down with me in the bustling backyard of Crown Victoria in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Jack tells why he sings some songs in French, despite the fact that none of his bandmates speak the language. He also talks about recording their EP, Sideways Sometimes, on…
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Episode 29: Cookies
Ben Sterling of New York pop band, Cookies, joins me for a drink beside the pinball machines of Park Slope's Owl Farm. Having started recording in 2009, the final year of his time in Mobius Band, Sterling tells why it took until this year for Cookies' debut LP, Music for Touching, to come out,...
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Episode 28: Fancy Colors
Zac Colwell and Dave Heilman of Fancy Colors meet me in the Lower East Side at Whynot Coffee & Wine for some glasses of the latter. The duo formed while both members were in indie rock outfit Jupiter One, when it became apparent that Zac was writing too many songs for one band to keep up with....
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Episode 27: The Majorleans & "Bassy" Bob Brockmann
The Majorleans' Nicky Francis and Chris Buckle knock back some bottles with me at Mission Sound in Brooklyn, NY during the making of their album, Black Belt. Mission is actually the fourth studio they've cut the tracks in, with the recording process ranging from a dangerous Chinese church…
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Episode 26: Vacationer
Kenny Vasoli has a beer with me in the backyard of Brouwerij Lane in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. While you may know him from The Starting Line, Vasoli has been making "nu-hula" tunes with his band Vacationer since 2010. He describes how the group used audience reactions to their live set to inform the...
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Episode 25: The English Beat
Dave Wakeling of the English Beat invites me onto the tour bus before a show at Brooklyn Bowl. With songs in films like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Kingpin, and Clueless, Wakeling has seen his fanbase continue to grow long after the breakups of the Beat and General Public. Now those fans are even...
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Episode 24: Speak
Speak's Joey Delahoussaye and Nick Hurt join me for some witte beers in the front bar at Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg. For their sophomore LP, Pedals, the band took every aspect of the album into their own hands, from the writing to the mixing to the artwork. The guys discuss that lengthy…
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Episode 23: Miniature Tigers
All four members of Miniature Tigers sip on summer ales in Dumbo, Brooklyn, as they discuss their sunkissed fourth album, Cruel Runnings. The Tigers explain how they intended to create a classic record reminscent of their teens, and how recording the LP in Jamaica actually helped them to focus....
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Episode 22: Jon Cleary
Jon Cleary left England long ago for New Orleans, and over the years, he has gained considerable acclaim as a sideman, solo artist, and bandleader of the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. Over breakfast at White Oak in Brookyn, NY, Cleary discusses the history of NOLA funk, the aftermath of Hurricane...
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Episode 21: Jeremy Messersmith
Minneapolis singer-songwriter Jeremy Messersmith has a beer with me at One Mile House before his show at Bowery Ballroom. Messersmith explains how the phases of his life, from his Christian upbringing to majoring in computer science to becoming a college professor have all had a role in his…
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Episode 20: Maxïmo Park
Paul Smith of Maxïmo Park sips a soda at The Globe prior to the band's gig at Gramercy Theatre. He tells the tale of why he doesn't drink before a show, and how the group collaborated with Mordue Brewery to create a beer called Maxïmo No. 5 in honor of their fifth LP, Too Much Information. He...
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Episode 19: Mad Caddies
Mad Caddies' trumpeter Keith Douglas drinks a few brews with me at the Whiskey Tavern in Chinatown to celebrate Dirty Rice, the band's first album in seven years. Keith reveals what they were doing on their break, and how recording in an old barn from their past helped to shape the sessions. A...
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Episode 18: Berlin
Terri Nunn of Berlin has her first-ever pre-show drink before a gig at NYC's Cutting Room. She explains how punk music opened the door for the band's electronic pop sound in the late '70s. Despite a few battles over some suggestive content, Nunn attests to the power of MTV in its early years.…
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Episode 17: Hollis Brown
Hollis Brown is a current rock band that makes the kind of songs you would've heard at Woodstock. Singer/guitarist Mike Montali has a beer with me to celebrate the band's latest record, Hollis Brown Gets Loaded, a Velvet Underground tribute album released as part of Record Store Day. He discusses...
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Episode 16: The Revivalists
Ed Williams, Michael Girardot, and Andrew Campanelli of the Revivalists throw back some brews in their (parked) van on Wythe Avenue before a concert at Brooklyn Bowl. A renowned live act out of New Orleans, they just re-released their album City of Sound with a bonus disc of live cuts. They share...
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Episode 15: The White Buffalo
Jake Smith a.k.a. The White Buffalo pounds a beer with me in a backstage hallway at Irving Plaza in NYC. Known for his ferocious live shows, Smith could potentially tour for eternity on his latest LP, Shadows, Greys, & Evil Ways. A timeless concept album about the trials and tribulations of a…
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Episode 14: Jon Langford
As a founding member of the Mekons, Jon Langford has been making music since the 1970s, so we had a lot to talk about in this two-beer chat at Halyards in Brooklyn. He covers his entire history, from his childhood in Wales, to art school in Leeds, to his migration in the '90s to Chicago, where he...
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Episode 13: Soulive
As the drummer of Soulive, Alan Evans has played several concerts over the years, but the biggest event is always the band's two-week Brooklyn Bowl residency known as Bowlive. Over a backstage beer during Bowlive 5, Evans gives a brief history of the tradition and shares his daily routine on a…
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Episode 12: The World/Inferno Friendship Society
The World/Inferno Friendship Society's Jack Terricloth has a few drinks with me at Matt Torrey's in Williamsburg. He shares his thoughts on what makes a good bar and why he prefers to write songs about historical figures. Jack reflects on his first punk show, his time in Sticks & Stones, and the...
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Episode 11: Gordon Voidwell
Gordon Voidwell sits down for a drink between DJ sets at Brooklyn Bowl. He explains why he classifies his music as "memory pop" and why fashion is important to him as a performer. Having just released his third mixtape, Bad Études, Gordon shares his thoughts on the current state of the music...
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Episode 10: Chris Mills
Chris Mills and I sit down for "the best interview he's ever been a part of" in this funny, milkshake-fueled chat at Fort Greene's 67 Burger. Mills explains how teaching affirmed his idea of the power of a song, and how Kickstarter demonstrated that power firsthand with fans of his around the...
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Episode 9: Chris Kasper
Philadelphia folk artist Chris Kasper has a pre-show drink with me at Little Town in NYC. On the road with the Wood Brothers, Chris takes a guess at why artists from Amos Lee to Tristan Prettyman choose to bring him along on tour. He details the entire process of his latest album,Bagabones, from...
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Episode 8: ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra)
Dan "Lebo" Lebowitz of ALO has a beer with me at the Wythe Hotel's Rooftop Bar in Brooklyn, NY. Having just played a show at Brooklyn Bowl with his latest side project Incidental Animals, he explains the nuances of performing with improvisational groups like Everyone Orchestra and Kimockowitz, as...
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Episode 7: Splashh
Sasha Carlson of the alternative shoegaze band Splashh joins me for some New York beers at the Gibson in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In the midst of a two-night stand at the Brooklyn Bazaar, he explains how he's road-testing songs for the upcoming Splashh LP. A native of New Zealand and Australia,...
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Episode 6: Beat Radio
Brian Sendrowitz a.k.a. Beat Radio joins me for happy hour at the Churchill in New York. A self-proclaimed "dad rocker," he explains that having a day job and a supportive family actually allows him the freedom to make the kind of music that he wants to make. He also discusses the difficulties of...
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Episode 5: Johnathan Rice
Johnathan Rice and I get a sidewalk table at Bar Chevere before his concert at Mercury Lounge. He explains why Largo is his favorite venue, how he came up with the idea for his latest single's blood-drenched music video, and what it was like watching a movie with Lou Reed. johnathanrice.com...