PODCAST · music
The Universal Hitchhiker
by Jeff the Hitchhiker
Music, Arts, Interesting People! We interview any and all!
Episodes
-
Episode 69 Dave Matrise of Jungle Rot
Say Hello to Dave! Say hello to Album #12 'Cruel Face of War'. Jungle Rot has been thrashing for 30+ years and doing it well. One would think that you would slow down a little at some point. Not Dave and the boys. This album is more aggressive than some of the previous. This milestone album is...
-
Episode 68 Austen Starr
Welcome back to ground zero of solid all American rock music. No real frills or over produced fillers and theatrics. Austen Starr's 'I am the Enemy' is a really good testament to her voice and lyric writing abilities. With a few songs and videos already out to tease the world she has already…
more -
Ep 67 Janie Price (Bird)
Bird is not what I expect most people would hear me talk to. But in reality, I am so engulfed into music that every genre has something that I enjoy. With Janie, AKA Bird, I get to explore so much more of the emotion and clarity of the music. Her uncanny talent to envelope herself in to so many...
-
Episode 66 Kate Davies of Pupil Slicer
Pupil Slicer has released their 3rd album in the last four years. Each album from this band just gets better and better. 'Fleshwork' is an overall display of how talented this band is. The writing, arranging, and orchestration of this album is outstanding. The growth that this band shows in this…
more -
Episode 65 Ben of Extortionist
Get ready mixed metal heads!! This genre jumping ensemble of songs is about to hit you with another installment of eclectic chaos. On October 10th Extortionist will release Stare Into the Seething Wounds. If you have listened to Extortionist before you will know that they hardly fit into one...
-
Episode 64 Tommy Victor of Prong
Prong has been one of the building blocks for modern metal since the mid/ late 80's. Tommy has been the sole heartbeat of the band since it's inception. Now with his lucky number 13th album coming you can hear why Prong is at the tip of every metalhead's tongue when you ask them who their biggest...
-
Episode 63 Aki of Dreamwell
After a long hiatus we are finally back! I was blessed to get the opportunity to talk to Aki of the screamo metal band Dreamwell. Earlier this year Dreamwell signed with Prosthetic Records. Their second album 'In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You' is nothing short of amazing. Each song has it's...
-
Ep 062 Gurschach Take 2
Welcome back Gurschach. At the end of 2020 they killed YouTube with their own version of Metallica's "St. Anger". I found it to be exceptional. But the sad reality is just how good this band is. Their songs are well thought out, smart, and each one has a lot of moving parts that fit so well...
-
Ep 061 Lena Scissorhands of Infected Rain
Lately it has been somewhat normal for a band to roll through a town more than once in a year. With so many bands playing catch-up from missing so many months of touring, you jump on to what you can to work on getting yourself back out there. Infected Rain was a part of the Butcher Babies tour at...
-
Ep 060 Mixi and James Decker Of Stitched Up Heart
There's something about this band. I don't know what it is that drives me to them. I have been a fan for a long time. They are just on the edge of the styles of music that I traditionally listen to. There is something about the drive that Mixi has, and her ability to bring back my love for good...
-
Ep 059 Fred Forsberg of Mass Worship
Two great albums in just a few years is a great start for a newer band. Mass Worship has already come up with some heart wrenching heavy music for the soul. At this pace I am hopeful to see another album turn around in a short period of time. Mass Worship is already taking the dark metal world by...
-
Ep 058 Jon Reid of Cage Fight
Sadly we aren't able to showcase the music. But, you know, with modern technology you should have no trouble finding some songs from this band. What started out as side project quickly became a main objective after the band heard the voice of Rachel Aspe completely command the lyrics. This…
more -
Ep 057 Joey MacOnkay of Paddy and the Rats
It takes a lot of talent in my eyes to form a sound that contains so many elements. Paddy and the Rats have taken eclectic music to an entirely different level. This Hungarian band of jolly musicians has found a recipe that seems to be working. Later this month they will release their 6th album.…
more -
Ep 056 Daniel Muller of Wilderun
Wilderun has recently released 'Epigone'. This album follows suit along with the previous albums. The band is musically adventurous and most definitely eclectic. From thrash metal to folk music, they manage to fit every imaginable genre in between, into almost every song. The adventurous part is...
-
Ep 055 Michele Guaitoli of Temperance
Temperance is a power metal super group. They have 6 LPs and 2 EPs. They are one of the most creative and groundbreaking bands of their selected genres. They had just released 'Diamanti' when I got to hang out with Michele for a bit. You can tell that music is every part of what he is. His resume...
-
Ep 054 Jukka of Omnium Gatherum
Omnium Gatherum is a Finnish death metal band that has been pounding their way through the scene for almost twenty five years. Jukka has been the at the front of the stage for the band for more than half of their existence. The band has never stopped refining and changing their sound. From the...
-
Ep 053 Jeff Scott Soto
Jeff Scott Soto is an icon to a lot of people in the rock and metal side of music. The first catapult was working with Yngwie Malmsteen. He has been a part of several projects such as working with Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein in Kryst the Conqueror. He had a big hand in…
more -
Ep 052 Jake of Aether Realm
During his run with Unleash the Archers and Seven Kingdoms, I was able to catch up with Jake Jones. Jake is the front man for Aether Realm. Aether Realm is a full on heavy metal band from North Carolina. Although the genre claims are all over the board, metal is metal as is the band. Straight in...
-
Ep 051 Melissa Bonny of Ad Infinitum
Ad Infinitum have just released 'Chapter II: Legacy'. This is the second installment to what looks to be a growing series of concept albums. The first album, 'Monarchy' was an poetic take on life, love, and hardships during the time of King Louis XIV. This latest release 'Chapter II: Legacy'...
-
Ep 050 Heidi and Carla of The Butcher Babies
I caught up with these two metal heads in Phoenix towards the end of their tour with Infected Rain and Stitched Up Heart. This was another version of the 'metal tour of the year' in my opinion. The show itself was high energy and in your face metal. It was up close and personal like a true live...
-
Ep 049 The Picturebooks
What duo in their right mind would think of getting an album together with every song using a different vocalist? Not only separate vocalists, but from several different genres and stages in their careers. Who could think of such a crazy way to pull off an album? If you haven't met them already,...
-
Ep 048 Margarita Monet of Edge of Paradise
Edge of Paradise released their fourth full length album ' The Unknown', just this past month. Not to take anything away from the band's previous work, but this is definitely the best album yet. This album is definitely more powerful and aggressive. Very well written and the production is well...
-
Ep 047 Vicky Psarakis of The Agonist
Days before the release of 'Days Before the World Wept' Kalyn and I got to talk to Vicky. This amazing vocalist was a lot of fun to talk to. This sequential concept EP is just another testament to the song writing power of the band. It also clearly shows the range of Vicky's vocals and lyrical...
-
Episode 046 Austin Archey of Lorna Shore
Lorna Shore recently released their EP '...And I Return To Nothingness'. This band has pulled out all of the stops for this EP. If you are able to dissect this type of more aggressive music you can find several layers of influences and styles that help make this album musically more deep than...
-
Ep 045 Tyche
Saydi and Jake, like a lot of artists were busy last year trying to make some sense from all of the uncertainties and confusion. They also made use of the free time to let their creative juices flow. The result after the beginning of this year is the EP 'Run. It has a lot of different styles…
more -
Ep 044 Stela Atanasova of Metalwings
We got to talk to Stela a short time after the release of 'A Whole New Land' the bands long awaited third full length album. With the anticipation for this album from the Metalwings fans came a huge reward. If you are into the style of symphonic metal, this band and this album should be teetering...
-
Ep 043 Yur Mum feat. Tarah Carpenter
There have been some great albums and singles coming out this year. We here have had the pleasure of talking to a few of those artist. Tarah Who was one of those artists. In conversations to set up our interviews she mentioned her friends Anelise and Fabio who are the dynamic duo Yur Mum. This...
-
Ep 042 Frank te Riet of Cryptosis
Matt and I got to sit with Frank just as Cryptosis released 'Bionic Swarm'. This is the first album from this band. However, Cryptosis is the reincarnation of Distillator. So they have come back with a new sound, personnel, and approach. If you want to know why the change, take a listen. If you...
-
Ep 041 Reid Foster of Rootfire
Reid Foster is the Director of Rootfire. Rootfire is a non profit record label that focuses specifically on reggae music. They have produced albums for some of the more recent greats such as Hirie, The Movement, Steel Pulse, Satsang, and more. I won't go into full detail because then you wouldn't...
-
Ep 040 Tarah Who?- Take Two
One of my favorite episodes was #009 with Tarah and CoCo of Tarah Who?. These two carve out some of the best music that I have heard. They are a mix of alternative rock, punk, and some 90s grunge with some of their own flavor added in. Aggressive. Smart. Distorted Rhythms. Intense drum work.…
more -
Ep 039 Terry from Scar of the Sun
Shortly after the release of 'Inertia' we got the chance to hang out with Terry Nikas of Scar of the Sun. This long awaited album is just what we needed going into the spring. The intricacy and aggressive emotion in the rhythms match perfectly with the emotional story telling in the lyrics. I can...
-
Ep 038 Record Heat
We caught up with Record Heat a while back just after the release of '1'. Record Heat is an extremely innovative out fit that fastens several different genres together. '1' is just a small portion of the portfolio of work that these guys have produced before them. '1' is also one of the first...
-
Ep 037 Enforced
Richmond, Virginia seems to be the breeding ground for all different facets of metal. I won't go through the obvious names that should pop into your head. As Knox puts it a "Festering cesspool of creativity". Enforced is one of those that are emerging as another beacon for the location. Shortly...
-
Ep 036 Sue of the Hellfreaks!
A short while back Matt and I got to talk to Sue. The Hellfreaks have creatively been changing up their game as each album comes out. With 'God on the Run' being the latest album, it is also the heaviest. The band is very keen on making sure that they take a giant leap forward every time they put...
-
Ep 035 Baest
Just before the release of their 3rd LP 'Necro Sapiens', Matt was able to talk to the band for a little bit. Baest is a Danish death metal band who has been carving a path with their brutal and aggressive music. Matt was able to cover the inception of the band, song writing, and drinking beers....
-
Ep 034 Guillermo Izquierdo of Angelus Apatrida
Fast, aggressive, invigorating thrash metal. Angelus Apatrida recently released their fifth album from the Century Media label. The self titled LP is just as hostile as its predecessors. With age and experience the music and the lyrics get even better. We got to hang out with Guillermo and talk...
-
Ep 033 Blitz Union
Welcome to the mysteries of story telling through music. Blitz Union is on a mission to use music as a vessel to slowly unfold a story line. The story can only be told as the music is released. If you ask them, they themselves are not completely certain of the direction the story will go. They…
more -
Ep 032 Jax Hollow
If there was ever an artist that I wanted you to really listen to...Jax Hollow would be it. Jax Hollow dances around every side of rock. Blues, southern, and straight rock. "Say My Name" even hints a dash of punk rock. In December of 2020 'Underdog Anthems' was released. Every song on the album…
more -
Ep 031 Emperors Night
Just as we were about to end 2020 Emperors Night released 'Driving at Pace'. 'Driving at Pace' is a five song alt-rock EP from a trio of brothers. The Chalmers brothers, Anand, Bud, and Dhyan have the family's work ethics down to a "T". Some families can't even sit at the dinner table together...
-
Ep 030 Gurschach
Gurschach had just released a reimagined cover version of Metallica's "St. Anger". if it was not for that release I might not have stumbled upon this band for some time. The version did exactly what most artists hope for, further recognition. The video for "St. Anger Reimagined" has over 135...
-
EP 027 Stef of City of the Weak
City of the Weak is an attitude packed, no apology alternative rock band. They display tough guitar riffs and hooks along with truthful driven lyrics. Having released 'Pulling Teeth' back in 2018 they were touring hard through 2019. Just like most bands, the pandemic stalled some plans to get out...
-
Ep 028 Harley Flanagan
Who goes to the clubs to play in a punk band at the age of 12? This guy! Who starts one of the most notorious hard-core bands in the world with one of the most influential albums to that said genre? This Guy! If you don't know the Cro-Mags, you should probably check them out. You missed something...
-
Ep 026 Claudia and Mary of Baby shakes
Punk, Rock, Pop-punk, power punk. I can't quite put my finger on it. Most can't. Somewhere in between is the fun, energetic, and aggressive sounds of Baby Shakes. For the better part of 15 years they have delivered an unmistakable unique sound. With the core of the band being stable the entire…
more -
Ep 022 Melissa Bonny: Ad Infinitum
I must apologize to Melissa, Napalm, and you, for the tardiness of this. This recording was back in November. We had some download issues with Skype and Matt was struggling with this one for a while. I was hoping we would be able to salvage the entire conversation. Unfortunately, we have about...
-
Ep 025 Eric and Twan of Soulburn
Nestled somewhere in the metal subgenres, these guys deliver fragments from every direction. The first occurrence of the band was in the mid to late 90's with one album. The members went back to their respected bands and no one thought they would hear from Soulburn again. To our surprise and...
-
Ep 024 Chris 51 (HeadbangersCon)
Chris 51 is the owner of Area 51 Tattoo in Springfield, Oregon. You may have seen him from the A&E reality show Epic Ink. Or, if you are a true metal head you will know him for being the founder and organizer of Headbangers Con! Who the hell would have thought of having a headbangers convention?...
-
Ep 023 Snake of VoiVod
Literally one of the most eccentric bands that exist. VoiVod is a staple in so many genre communities. At almost forty years old this eclectic alternative metal/rock/punk, whatever you wish to label them with, has been giving us a different way to look at them from each album. Every project that...
-
Ep 021 Hakim of Dead Lord
This one took a while to get going. After several failed attempts , Hakim, Jamie, and myself were finally able to meet. "We are a Swedish rock band. We shall rock you with our rock." This is literally the entire description for the 'about' page on Facebook. As straight forward and comical as that...
-
Ep 020 Vanilla Sugar
Say hello to Vanilla Sugar. We really weren't what sure what to expect when we got to sit down with Vanilla Sugar this night. She is as elaborate as her music. She fills her LP 'She' with all dimensions of dark pop, electro rock, EDM, rock, and many other forms of music. She is a mass amount of...
-
Ep 019 Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh
As we have spoken from time to time on our podcasts about how prominent women are becoming in the world of metal and hard rock, we have case in point...G.F.M. LuLu, Maggie, and CJ English are three extremely talented musicians/artists who happen to be sisters. I have followed the band for a bit....
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Music, Arts, Interesting People! We interview any and all!
HOSTED BY
Jeff the Hitchhiker
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Universal Hitchhiker have?
The Universal Hitchhiker currently has 65 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Universal Hitchhiker about?
Music, Arts, Interesting People! We interview any and all!
How often does The Universal Hitchhiker release new episodes?
The Universal Hitchhiker has 65 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Universal Hitchhiker?
You can listen to The Universal Hitchhiker on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Universal Hitchhiker?
The Universal Hitchhiker is created and hosted by Jeff the Hitchhiker.
URL copied to clipboard!