Stereo Embers: The Podcast

“It’s Alright Now” Nora O’Connor is nothing short of a musical force. The Illinois-born singer/songwriter’s new album My Heart completes the hat trick that was started by her 1996 debut Cerulean Blue and continued by 2004’s 'Til The Dawn. So you’re probably wondering about the gaps in between—8 years, 18 years—it’s a fair questions, so we're going to give you a fair answer. Nora O’Connor is busy. Like, really busy. An in-demand singer who has toured and recorded with Neko Case, the Decembrists, Iron and Wine, Mavis Staples and the New Pornographers, O’Connor’s voice is one that everyone wants. So she’ll head out on the road with the Decembrists or Mavis Staples and when fully immersed in that work, it’s not so easy to concentrate on her own work. COVID hit the pause button on touring so at home with her family and an acoustic guitar, the demos started to come. And how’d they work out? Well, put it this way--My Heart is a stone cold killer—a truly riveting collection of affecting folk, rolling Americana and d

“Celebrating Our 300th Episode With Rebecca Pidgeon!" Born in the U.S. to British parents when her dad was a visiting professor at MIT, Rebecca Pidgeon’s family soon moved to Scotland where she immersed herself in the Arts. While at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London she fronted the folk pop outfit Ruby Blue who put out a couple of great records before PIdgeon left the band and Europe to pursue a career in acting. In the US she hit the stage and the screen, appearing onstage in numerous plays and on the screen in films like The Dawning, The Spanish Prisoner, Heist and State and Main. In spite of her busy acting schedule, Pidgeon put out ten perfect albums starting with her marvelous 1994 debut The Raven. That was followed by albums like Tough On Crime, Behind The Velvet Curtain, Bad Poetry and her brand new one Parts Of Speech, Pieces Of Sound. Filled with sweeping melodies, lush vocals and poetic finesse, Pidgeon’s new one is one of 2022’s best albums,Informed by her yoga practice, the songs on

“Honeymoon Suite” Hailing from Leeds, Katie Harkin was the co-founder of the band Sky Larkin—an outfit she put together with her childhood pal Nestor Matthews while they were attending university. They signed to the London indie Wichita Recordings, which was home to The Cribs, Bloc Party, Best Coast and My Morning Jacket and put out three great albums, including the 2009 classic The Golden Spike. That band lasted almost ten years and while they were at it, Harkin started to get recruited for other projects, like touring with Wild Beasts in 2011 for their Smother record. Post Sky Larkin she became a touring member of Sleater-Kinney—you can hear her on the Live in Paris album— and she went on to also be a touring member of Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile’s band when they toured the Lotta Sea Lice record. She toured again with Barnett a year later and soon after she put out her first solo album under the name Harkin. She put out her second Harkin effort this summer—titled Honeymoon Suite, it’s dreamy, ethereal

“Blackout For The Bloodsuckers” There’s something that’s always churning behind the sound of The Battles Of Winter. The London band’s music is powered by a steady and dark engine which hums along like a wicked propellor, conjuring a geometric dream city filled with square avenues, rectangular boulevards and angular streets that tilt and bend and twist, but never break. The sidewalks may lift and fall, but the inhabitants of this box-like world continue on, marching mysteriously along through the darkness in black suits and black hats with matching black hearts and blank expressions that suggest a menace that’s a decimal away from detonation. And at the edge of this city, pirate ships ease in and out of the hexagon shaped harbor with uncertain purpose and the suggestion of treachery. The Battles Of Winter’s songs have the post-punk sting of Wire, the groove of Gang of Four and the melodic delivery of everyone from Editors to Interpol. They’re a little bit of an elusive outfit—part of the tis due to the imprac

"East Of Eden" Well, most great stories start in the East and end up in the west and the story of Marvin Etizoni does exactly that. The Brooklyn born musician and his family moved to L.A. in the '70s and it didn’t take long for Etzioni to fit right in. His first band Model played with everyone from the Plimsolls to the Motels, and his next band Lone Justice signed to Geffen and opened for U2. Not too shabby. Etzioni left Lone Justice after their first record and from there he got really busy. So busy in fact, it would take a full podcast to cover everything so bear with this partial list. Etzioni put out a series of awesome solo albums, produced artists like Peter Case, Toad The Wet Sprocket and Counting Crows, wrote songs for Jimmy Barnes, Victoria Williams, Voice of the Beehive, the Williams Brothers and Judy Collins, appeared on records by Dogs Eye View, the Dixie Chicks and Lily Haydn and he has a band called Thee Holy Brothers with Willie Aron of the Balancing Act. If you want to get an idea as to how

“Talking Walls” Lilly Winwood grew up in the English Coutnryside, a locale that was lush, expansive and quiet. The hum and groove of a big city was calling, so at 18 she left home for a little more social and artistic volume. After a few stops in a few years she ended up in Nashville, which was not only a comfortable place—her mom was from Tennessee and she visited regularly as a kid—it was a place filled with like-minded artists. Lilly Winwood has been on a creative tear—her debut Time Well Spent was assured and filled with promise and her follow up Talking Walls is a massive leap forward. Shimmering with wisdom and maturity, Talking Walls is filed with equal parts strength and maturity. Bringing to mind Kasey Chambers or Patty Griffin, Talking Walls isn’t afraid to confront the big questions and the results are massively satisfying. A rollicking, melodic and decidedly memorable set, Talking Walls is a refreshing blast of roots rock thats as fresh as it is timeless. Lilly Winwood has done a lot already in

Everyone’s Got A Camera” David Poe is a singer songwriter of dazzling economy; his wit and his sly genius for turning a phrase makes each line of his songs a piece of art. Poe is a cross between Hemingway and John Prine—he tells stories without telling stories about the stories he's telling. He’s straightforward and elegant and lets you fill in the blanks with where the humanity might reside and where the heart might end up. Over the course of albums like God and the Girl, Love Is Red, The Late Album and his new one, Everyone’s Got A Camera, Poe is one of the greatest and most consistent songwriters out there. The new album is a staggering collection that’s masterfully melodic, harmonically brilliant and filled with world weary observations that unflinchingly stare down the modern landscape. A composer fellow of the Sundance Institute, Poe has asserted himself as one of the great songwriters of his generation. Or any generation, for that matter. Poe stays busy—not only has he toured, collaborated, performed

“A Complete History Of Dreams” Alright, so Philip Stevenson has made some of my favorite albums of all time. I first heard his band Carnival Of Souls when I was 19 and that album, which is called Flop, is in my top ten of all time. Stevenson is one of the most consistent, thrilling and rousing singer songwriters out there and yeah, a lot of critics compared him to Westerberg or Elliott Smith and to be fair, those comparisons are not off the mark. But let’s not stop there. Stevenson is a songwriter of breathtaking talent—his compositions range from snarling rockers to ragged waltzes and like a great painter, each of his numbers have texture and nuance that unfold layer after layer with each repeated listen. Stevenson played in Quinine after Carnival of Souls broke up and after that band called it a day, he started putting out staggeringly great solo albums one after the other. From Starless to Azalea, Stevenson’s work aches with longing, rings with precision and shines with night-kissed melodies and soaring c

“Half Drunk Under A Full Moon” The Fratellis have put out six perfect records. In a row. Not a lot of folks have done that, but the Scottish outfit have managed to keep cranking out some of the most infectious, thoughtful and rousing pop music in recent memory. With almost twenty years under their belts, the Fratellis have proven they’re one of the most potent acts around. Their newest album Half Drunk Under A Full Moon is perhaps their best yet—it’s loaded with melodic musical, harmonic brilliance and some of the catchiest songs you’re likely to hear. This interview with singer John Fratelli was recorded before a gig in San Francisco…. www.thefratellis.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast Twitter: @emberseditor IG: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.

“Stupid Like That” Before A Boy In Cords was a Boy In Cords, he was a boy in…Trousers. That’s right. When I first met the Irish-born singer songwriter, he was crushing it in the indie clubs in the Bay Area with his band Trousers. What did they sound like? they were punchy, jangly land pretty much perfect—with kind of an Aztec Camera vibe. After Trousers folded, many years went by. A Boy In Cords headed back to Ireland eventually, got married and started a family. But something happened and that something is something i’ll let him tell you, but before we get to the chat, I’ll tell you this. The Aztec Camera vibe has matured into more of Prefab Sprout groove and the songs of A Boy in Cords are startlingly lovely pop wonders that are lush, rich and deeply textured. The songs he’s got in his satchel are brilliant and they’ll only yield more and more and more. And we’ll all be luckier for it. IG: @aboyincords www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast www.stereoembersmagazine.co

“Everywhere I Used To Be” Mariel Buckley is a singer songwriter of tremendous depth and sensitivity. The Canadian-born musician’s songs are confessional and observational and they are rife with honesty, wisdom and vulnerability. Her new album Everywhere I Used To Be is a stirring collection that’s filled with nuance and moody undertones. Thanks to the production of Marcus Paquin, who has worked with Arcade Fire and The National this is an album that’s loaded with texture—it’s country music played through layers of haunting and undulating fathoms and the result is one of the biggest surprises of 2022. This album is an instant classic that brings to mind Daniel Lanois' work on Emmylou Harris’s Wrecking Ball. It’s resonate and deeply affecting work. www.marielbuckley.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast Twitter: @emberseditor IG: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“The Rabbit And The Butcher” An actor of tremendous range and versatility, the Michigan-born and L.A.-raised James Duval has had quite a career. He tore through the '90s, appearing in movies like The Doom Generation, SLC Punk Independence Day, Nowhere and Go, and by 2000, his resume was packed. He appeared as the rabbit Frank in Donnie Darko in 2001 and since then, he’s added over forty films to his CV, including Kaboom, Blue Dream, Chasing Ghosts and Comic Book Villains. The preservation society around Donnie Darko has kept Frank the Rabbit very much alive in the public consciousness. And speaking of preservation societies, it turns out that James and I have been a part of the same one for many years. We’re both massive Jazz Butcher fans and the Butcher Facebook group, which counted the Butcher himself, Pat Fish, as one of its active participants until his death last year, is a very special thing. it’s a tight group made up people who really care about each other and who understand the magic of the music an

“Not Quite The American Dream” They may have gotten their start as the Filberts around 1980, but before too long they rechristened themselves Diesel Park West. They put out a string of singles like When The Hoodoo Comes and Jackie’s Still Sad before their debut album Shakespeare Alabama hit shelves in 1989. To date the band has put out ten records including Decency, Thought For Food and their brand new one Not Quite The American Dream. Influenced by West Coast bands like Moby Grape and The Byrds, The Diesels have had quite a career—they’ve opened for Big Country, been signed by EMI, and had Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Gos cover their track I See No Ships. Singer John C Butler has put out fabulous solo albums—Worthless Bastard Rock is a personal favorite—and the band has released a Byrds covers album, live stuff and bunch of EPs along the way. But the fact remains: the Diesels don’t stop. And why should they? There’s pretty much nobody else who can jangle and chime and roll out hook after hook the way they do,

“A Good Sign” Whenever Matt Keating puts out a new record, we get excited. Since the early '90s the New York-based singer-songwriter has been releasing some of the most captivating, moving and powerful albums we've ever heard. With close to 15 solo albums under his belt, it’s hard to pick favorites because they’re all so good. From Tell It To Yourself to Tilt A Whirl to Wrong Way Home to Summer Tonight, you can pretty much just grab a Matt Keating album and prepare to swoon. It’s hard to think of anyone who writes with such lyrical poignancy, observational smarts and melodic finesse than Mr. Keating and he’s been a personal favorite for close to 30 years. His new band is called Bastards Of Fine Arts and it’s a project he’s helming with Steve Mayone who’s played with the Benders and Treat her Right. Their new album A Good Sign is an instant classic. The Hardest Part brings to mind the Jayhawks, the rollicking Can’t Get My Head Around It reminds us a bit of the Replacements and the Violent Femmes and Take The

“Going Places” Over the course of his brilliant career, which has spanned roughly 15 albums or so, the Nebraska-born Josh Rouse has established himself as one of the finest singer-songwriters on the planet. Armed with the poetic flourishes of everyone from Paul Simon and John Prine, Rouse’s work is many things at once: subtle but catchy, elegant, graceful and undeniably infectious. Work your way through his discography—maybe grab Under Cold Blue Stars or 1972 or his fabulous new one Going Places and you’ll see what we're talking about. He’s toured with Mark Eitzel and Aimee Mann, had his music used in films like Cameron Crowe’s Vanilla Sky, and won a Goya award for Best Song in Spain, which is their equivalent of the Oscars And speaking of Spain, the Spanish love Josh Rouse. And he loves them right back—his wife and his band are from there, and it’s not an uncommon thing to find him playing in Spain to a packed house. We saw him play to a packed house here in SF, too, so Rouse is crushing it on many shores.

“Age Of Finding Stars” David Long and Shane O’Neill grew up together in Ireland and have been pals since they were six. They were in a band together as teenagers then they went their separate ways, Long to Into Paradise and O'Neill to Blue In Heaven. Both fabulous bands who put out a series of flawless albums. Into Paradise had all the delicious dark drama of Echo and the Bunnymen or The Sound while Blue In Heaven, who were signed to U2’s label before inking a deal with Island, brought to mind a jittery and adrenalized blend of Joy Division and the Triffids. In the late 90s the two friends reconnected as Supernaut and now they’re collaborating again and arguably making the most urgent and stirring work of their careers. Their new EP Age Of Finding Stars is a riveting blend of dramatic soundscapes juxtaposed with introspective lyrics and stirring vocals—it’s infectious and thoughtful and decidedly moving work. www.david4long.bandcamp.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podca

“Philadelphia, Mississippi” Over the course of his nearly thirty year career, the Grammy-nominated G. Love has put out close to fifteen albums both solo and with his band Special Sauce. From Coast To Coast Motel, to Yeah, It’s That Easy to The Juice, his catalog is a consistently effortless blend of blues, hip-hop, R&B and alternative rock. Throughout the years G. Love has collaborated with Dr. John and Jack Johnson, played the HORDE tour, acted as the house band for Comedy Central’s "Turn Ben Stein On" series, and helped launch the Coca Cola advetisting campaign for Coke Zero with his own take on the track “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing.” G Love’s new album is Philadelphia, Mississippi and it is just what its title suggests: a seamless hybrid of hip-hop and the delta blues that combines to make the quintessential album of the summer of 2022. Or any summer. This is a summer record—from the breezy bliss of Laughing In The Sunshine to Love From Philly, which features Schooly D., the Luther Dickinson-prod

“Volcano, Volcano” Steven Lambke rose to prominence as the guitarist of the mighty Canadian outfit The Constantines. The Juno-Award nominated band are a muscular blend of Fugazi, the Replacements and Creedence Clearwater Revival, and they’re one of those bands that are redolent with integrity and heart. It’s important to note that by the time the Cambridge-Ontario born Lambke joined the Constantines in '99, he’d been in a band called Captain Co-Pilot and had finished his university degree in Physics at the University of Guelph. Over the years he would take a busman’s holiday from the band to release albums on his own under the name Baby Eagle, which featured guest appearances from Folks like John K. Sampson of The Weakerthans and Julie Dorion. Lambke’s artist run label You’ve Changed Records put out several more of his albums, including his brand new one, Volcano Volcano. A swirling blend of fractured folk, spritely indie rock and low-fi bedroom pop all recorded using dollar store shakers and guitars procure

“4th of July Special: What's The Point Of A Strawberry?” Well, not counting the fact that they lower your blood pressure, are high in fiber, rich in antioxidants and guard you from cancer, strawberries are pretty much useless. In this wildly discursive 4th of July chat with singer-songwriter Shannon McArdle, the Brooklyn musician talks to Alex about why she’s not into strawberries (or fruit for that matter), why she got on a subway in the middle of a pandemic and how she lost the tip of her finger. Look, this is our perennial and evergreen 4th of July Shannon Spectacular and this conversation not only covers all the bases, it will make you forget that there’s no (legal) firework celebrations this year. This chat covers the genius of the new Dylan album, the durability of Soda Stream machines and the 20th anniversary reissue of Shannon’s old band The Mendoza Line’s We’re All In This Alone. Oh, and Alex worries Shannon might get scurvy. And Shannon doesn’t seem worried about this at all. An hour and a half of

“Violent Desires" The Manhattan-born Blake Morgan is a musician, singer, executive, music producer, writer, record label owner, and activist. Raised by activist parents who were also writers—his mother is the poet Robin Morgan and his father is the poet Kenneth Pitchford--Morgan was immersed early on in the arts. By five he was at the piano playing Mozart and writing his own songs and the classical pianist path was being forged. But then he heard the Beatles and that path forked a different way. Educated at the United Nations International School in New York City and later Berkelee College of Music, Morgan graduated and hit the ground running, playing in bands and living the rock and roll lifestyle. He signed a seven-record deal with Phil Ramone’s fledgling label in '96, his debut album featured Lenny Kravitz singing back up, he toured the U.S. opening for Joan Jett and received tons of attention and critical acclaim. Morgan was crushing it, but he was mistrustful of the corporate label life and he got himse