Stereo Embers: The Podcast

“All Going Out Together” It makes sense that the Massachusetts-born Steve Michener was in three seminal Boston bands: The Volcano Suns, Dumptruck and Big Dipper. The Volcano Suns were an outfit that Michener formed along with former Mission of Burma drummer Peter Prescott, he stepped in on bass with Dumptruck after their first album and he co-founded Big Dipper who were on the Homestead label before signing a big major deal with Epic. I’ve always loved Steve’s playing—he’s steady and strong and his baselines roll with power and groove. And the story today that he’s going to tell is about how he jumped into music and very slowly inched his way out. And I think the inching out is what’s the most fascinating thing here—sometimes people have the ability to look ahead and actually ask: What do I want and is this the best way to get it? Steve did that and he realized the things he wanted could not be attained while playing in a band. And so he stopped. Sort of. Then he really stopped. I’ll let him tell you his st

“Black Leather On The Inside” Victor DeLorenzo rose to global prominence as the drummer for the Violent Femmes—but he did really cool stuff before that and really cool stuff after. An actor since the age of five, after college DeLorenzo was a member of Theatre X, a pretty punk rock and way ahead of its time improv theatre group, who performed all over the world. He formed the Violent Femmes with Brian Ritchie in 1980 and although the group toured and recorded pretty exhaustively, DeLorenzo still stayed involved with Theater X. A minimalist drummer who comes armed with a spare kit and steel brushes, DeLorenzo is one of the most innovative players in modern music. His rhythms roll and swing with precision and finesse and his flourishes are infectious, powerful and stirring. After parting ways with the Femmes, DeLorenzo toured with the Velvet Underground’s Moe Tucker, put out a handful of marvelous solo albums, opened a recording studio, and formed a chamber rock duo called Nineteen Thirteen with cellist Janet

"Bleeding Audio And The Life Of A Match" I’m a Bay Area guy, so I remember in the late '90s when this group of kids from Bishop O’Dowd high school in Oakland got things going and started generating a buzz in this community as The Matches. And community is the key word here. The Matches found a way to connect with their audience in the most grass roots of ways—they were super accessible to their fans and were even known for playing acoustically before or after shows in the streets outside the clubs. Their music was hard to define—if one was feeling lazy, they would say they were pop punk, but they were way more than that. They were operatic, idiosyncratic, artistic and sonically adventurous in ways that were way ahead of their time. And they were nice people. And that means something. And the Matches meant everything to their fans. They still do. But the Matches' story is the perfect example of what happens when a rising career—and they were rising fast, signing with Epitaph, playing the Warped tour, touring

“The Songs Between The Docks and the Roads” Over the course of his career, the east London-born singer/songwriter Graham Parker has put out close to thirty albums and they’re all great. All of them—Whether its Howlin' Wind or Squeezing out Sparks or Another Grey Area or Deepcut To Nowhere or Cloud Symbols, every single GP album is a winner. Parker grew up a huge fan of the Beatles, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and ska and reggae music and you can hear those influences coursing through his songbook. His compositions swing and shake and sway and groove with some of the most infectious pop hooks you’ll ever hear. Parker’s early life could be a series of novels—he hung out in the Channel Islands and Paris, hitchhiked thourhg Spain and Morocco and worked on the docks in Gibraltar. And you and I both know, there are stories in between those docks and roads and islands. Graham Parker has lived a life. And his life in music is equally as staggering as his adventures. With his band the Rumor he was produced by Nick Lo

“Alan White Remembered: You’ve Got To Be Spot-On” In memory of Alan White (1949-2022), we're re-airing our chat with him from 2020. Being spot-on is what drummer Alan White says you have to be when it comes to being behind the kit for a band like Yes. One of the most technically proficient outfits in rock and roll history, Yes are musically precise and that’s why White has been behind the kit with them since 1973. One of the most formidable drummers in rock and roll for the last 50 years, the British born White started playing in bands when he was 13. And over the course of his career he played on records by George Harrison, Ginger Baker, Joe Cocker, Terry Reid and John Lennon. He played live with Lennon as part of the Plastic Ono Band at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival in 1969 and he also had a stint playing live with Steve Linwood. When he joined Yes he also had two other job offers at the same time with Jethro Tull and America. But White said no to them and yes to Yes. Pretty good move. He pla

"Cathal Coughlan Remembered: Somewhere Between Joe Gould And Lee Mavers" “The supreme question about a work of art,” James Joyce once wrote, "is out of how deep a life does it spring.” If you tried to plumb the fathoms for a measurable reading of the life of Cathal Coughlan—well, the depth finder would crack right in half. Coughaln’s life has been a rich and textured affair and his talent is vast and incomprehensibly majestic. With his band Microdisney, The Cork -born musician put out several of the most affecting albums ever made. Efforts like The Clock Comes Down the Stairs in 1985 or the following year’s Crooked Mile, are front to back classics. After he and his bandmate Sean O-Hagan dissolved Microdisney and O-Hagan went on to form the High Llamas, Coughlan fired up the Fatima Mansions—an aggressive, fiery and angular outfit, that played synth-laced alternative rock that churned away with grinding and brutal beauty. Viva Dead Ponies and Lost In The Former West are two personal favorites, but the fact is,

“Courageous” Róisín O's 2012 debut The Secret Life of Blue was a stirring and sonorous collection that announced her arrival in a big way. Over the course of her career she’s played on bills with everyone from Bryan Ferry to Lionel Richie, opened for her mom on her U.S. tour, formed the band Thanks Breother with John Broe and she’s been known to post YouTube clips of her covering tracks by Selena Gomez and Sia. Her new album Courageous is a powerful an evocative collection, filled with some of the most captivating vocals you’ll hear all year—or any year, Courageous is a bold and artistic step forward. It’s beautiful work. www.roisino.com www.alexgreenonline.com www.bombshellradio.com Stereo Embers The Podcast Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“For The Country” By the time Seth Tiven formed Dumptruck in 1983, he’d already had a few bands under his belt, including Saucers, a band he was in with fellow Connecticut pal Mark Mulcahy who would go on to form Miracle Legion. Tiven had relocated to Boston after graduating from Wesleyan and the supporting cast of Dumptruck had a few personnel changes, but changes aside. their first two albums D is For Dumptruck and Positively Dumptruck--both issued on Big Time--were two very strong entries to begin a career. Moody, dark and filled with jangle and melodic smarts, the band were lumped in with folks like R.E.M. and the Connells and rightfully so, as they were all kind of in the same sonic pocket. But it was 1987’s For The Country, which featured new guitarist Kevin Salem who replaced singer/guitarist Kirk Swan, that really was their apotheosis. A stirring and angry collection that explored isolation and the geography of loneliness, For The Country bristled with confidence and indie rock grace. Tracks like Goi

“Long Live King Kobe” Sherman Chambers’ 21 year old son Tyler Kobe Nichols was murdered in a random knife attack in Brooklyn two days before Christmas in 2020. Nichols, who was with his brother, had just gotten a haircut when the incident occurred. As author Paul Auster writes: “It was a weird and senseless crime…a sudden, unprovoked burst of violence, on a tranquil street in a tranquil Brooklyn neighborhood on the eve of Christmas Eve.” That incident not only disrupted the tranquility of the holiday of season, it permanently capsized the tranquility of a family who no longer had their son. But they had each other. And while the void Tyler left was a gaping absence that could never be filled, his family guarded that space by gathering together. And after they found strength in each other, they reached out to their community and anyone else who had suffered a similar loss. And the unvarnished realization that emerged was that we can’t heal without each other. Tyler’s mother Sherma’s chance meeting with phot

“New Jersey Rock and Roll” The New Jersey born Ben Vaughn has put out close to twenty albums, including personal favorites of mine like Beautiful Thing, Mood Swings and Ben Vaughn Blows Your Mind. Aside from his own records, Vaughn has produced records by Ween, Los Straitjackets, Nancy Sinatra, and Charlie Feathers, had his songs covered by everyone from Marshall Crenshaw to Deer Tick and collaborated with the likes of Alex Chilton, Alan Vega, and Rodney Crowell. Vaughn loves punk and surf and rockabilly and folk and country and the blues, which explains the versatility of his collaborations. And if that wasn’t an impressive enough resume, let’s add these two career highlights: he penned the themes for both Third Rock From The Sun and That 70's Show. Oh, and he hosts the radio show The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn. Let’s not forget that because it’s one of the best radio shows out there. His new album The World Of Ben Vaughn not only demonstrates his musical dexterity, it also showcases his brilliance as a song

“Just One Voice” Michelle Willis has one of those voices that’s so stirring, it makes you feel things you didn’t know you felt. Actually, let’s take that one step further: her voice makes you feel things you didn't even know you could feel in the first place. Yes, she’s that good. The Canadian singer/songwriter and keyboardist decided to hit the 212 back in 2016, which really just means she moved to New York from Toronto and once she was there, it didn’t take long for her to make her mark. She secured a monthly residency at the Rockwood Music Hall and just two months later she was touring in two bands led by David Crosby and one by Becca Stevens. Shortly after that, the ball that got rolling started rolling faster: She opened for Snarky Puppy and toured and recorded with the Zac Brown Band, Iggy Pop and Michael McDonald. Her sophomore album Just One Voice, which is the follow up to her 2016 debut See Us Through, is one of our favorite albums of the year. Soulfully precise and filled with smooth grooves, lus

“The Circle” The singer/guitarist Jim Shepherd is probably best known for being a part of the legendary indie Scottish outfit the Jasmine Minks. One of the first bands signed to Alan McGee’s Creation Records, the ‘Minks put out a handful of albums, including classics like Another Age and 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 All Good Preachers Go To Heaven. They played with bands like the Violent Femmes, Jesus and Mary Chain and The Go-Betweens, recorded a Peel Session, got tons of critical acclaim and got airplay on college stations all across the U.S. The band went on hiatus in 2001, reformed in 2010, played sporadic gigs here and there since then, put out a handful of new singles and have a new album brewing as we speak. In the meantime, Shepherd’s first solo album has just hit shelves. Titled The Circle, Shepherd's band for the record includes members of The Loft, The Weather Prophets, June Brides and The Distractions. A ferocious and thoughtful collection filled with indie rock stomp, melodic mod hooks and introspective ball

“Mosaic” Matt Rollings is a musical monster, with a resume that would make anyone envious. He’s played with Clint Black, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Richie Sambora and Peter Wolf, he's produced records by Blues Traveler and Willie Nelson, won a Grammy for that very same Nelson album, played in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, did several torus with Mark Knopfler as his keyboardist, got nominated for two more Grammys and the list goes on. This one is just the abbreviated version. Long story short? 30 years later, Matt Rollings got around to following up his debut album Balconies. But forgive him—he’s been busy, A riveting and rootsy platter, Matt Rollings' Mosaic is fabulous work. Featuring Willie Nelson, Lukas Nelson Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss, the Blind Boys of Alabama and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, the album is filled with finesse and groove and is one of the most refreshing, enlivening and satisfying albums in recent memory. www.mattrollings.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast

“Jazz: Now & Then” Noel Paul Stookey became a household name as the Paul part of the Peter Paul and Mary equation. The landmark folk trio formed in New York in the '60s and went on to lead the American folk music revival with massive hits like If I Had A Hammer, Puff The Magic Dragon, and Leaving On A Jet Plane. Hammer, of course was written by Pete Seeger and Jet Plane John Denver, but that was the thing about Peter Paul and Mary—they were incredible interpreters of American song. Their readings of Dylan tracks like Blowin' in the Wind, and the Times They Are A Changin’ are further evidence that they could not only interpret but in many ways make those songs their own in the process. Peter Paul and Mary put out nearly twenty albums in their career, including 2003’s In These Times and the band ceased to be when Mary Travers passed away in 2009. As for Stookey, he remains a pretty active guy both in and out of music. From founding the non-profit Music To Life with his daughter to producing artists like Dave

“Western Skies” Darden Smith's new project Western Skies is an ambitious and comprehensive multi-media affair that’s dedicated to the mythology and history of West Texas—it’s a new album, a book of essays, photography, spoken word pieces, song lyrics, a set of videos—this thing is a monster of a release. Influenced by Neil Young, Guy Clark and John Prine, the Texas-born Darden Smith’s body of work dates all the way back to 1986. Since then, he’s put out a series of albums that consistently demonstrate he’s one of the best songwriters out there. From Little Victories to Deep Fantastic Blue to Everything to Western Skies, there hasn’t ever been a dip in quality for Mr. Smith. In addition to being an artist, Smith also founded the Be An Artist Program in 2003. The program’s mission statement is to bring arts and creativity into educational settings. His collaborative songwriting work has found him working with homeless young adults, Botswana residents suffering from HIV and both Israeli and Palestinian group

“Feeling Of Emptiness” Katie Hannigan is a stand-up comic whose roots are in the theatre. But theatre and comedy aside, the Indiana-born Hannigan is a self-proclaimed introvert and in this chat she talks to Alex about the fact that introvert as she may be, she’s picked a life of performance for her career. An engaging chat about her appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, the community aspect of life in the theatre and her new album Feeling Of Emptiness, Katie Hannigan is a delight to talk to. www.katiehannigan.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“This Life” Raised in Idaho and California, Curtis Stigers is likely comfortable in the snow and the sun--and musically, he’s equally as versatile. Trained in clarinet and saxophone, Stigers loved blues and punk rock as a kid, but found himself gravitating to jazz clubs as he came of age. He graduated from high school and high-tailed it to NY to pursue his rock and roll dream, but it was jazz that made that dream come true. His debut album went multi platinum, he appeared on the rather massive Bodyguard soundtrack and after putting out a few jazz records, he knocked out Let’s Go Out Tonight, which covered tracks by everyone from Steve Earle to Richard Thompson. Over the course of his career, Stigers has worked with Elton John, Prince, Joe Cocker and Julia Fordham. He’s put out nearly fifteen solo albums, including his brand new one, This Life, he’s had top ten hits on the Billboard charts and played shows all over the world. This Life revisits Stigers' hits over the years and his reinterpretations are refres

“Limbs And Edgewalkers” Keely Forsyth’s new album Limbs is powerful and raw, dramatic and intense. It’s the sound of one woman shadowboxing the darkness and throwing each punch with the fluidity of a ballet dancer and the finesse of a poet. Alive with theatrical elegance, Limbs is both spare and lavish. It’s a compelling song-cycle that’s as crushing as it is inspiring. It’s a stunning stare-down with the darkness and I’m not going to tell you who blinks first. But what I am going to tell you is this album, which is the follow-up to her 2020 debut Debris, is tragic, gripping and transfixing. It’s an emotional workout for sure—and one that’s well worth doing. An accomplished actor who has appeared in Happy Valley, Coronation Street, and Luther, the British-born Forsyth is one of the most mesmerizing artists out there. www.keeleyforsyth.com www.beartreerecords.com www.bombshellardio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenonline.com Stereo Embers The Podcast Twitter: @emberseditor Instragram: @embers

"Power, Corruption and Truths" There’s nothing about Peter Hook that I can tell you you don’t already know, so let’s just do a refresher run through his musical CV. In the late '70s Hook formed Joy Division with childhood pal Bernard Sumner after the two friends saw the Sex Pistols play in Manchester. The band only put out two albums and one of those albums, the legendary Closer was put out two months after the band had ceased to b,e due to the suicide of singer Ian Curtis on the eve of Joy Division’s debut US/Canada tour. Rechristened New Order and consisting of the remaining members of Joy Division plus keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, New Order blended jittery post-punk rhythms with dance music. The result? Well, you know the result. They were one of the biggest bands of the '80s, spawning hits like True Faith, The Perfect Kiss, Subculture and Blue Monday, which was the biggest selling 12-inch of all time. It might still be. New Order dominated the '80s, but the '90s weren’t too shabby—they had a #1 UK hit w

“Themes From Venus" Love Tractor are an endless delight. The Athens, Georgia outfit got their start in the early 80s and they put out a handful of albums that still sound as fresh as ever. From This Ain’t No Outerspace Ship to Around the Bend to Themes From Venus(which has been reissued and remastered and comes with bonus tracks), Love Tractor established themselves as one of the most creative, vital and intriguing bands out there. And mind you, this was during a time where there were a lot of creative, vital and intriguing bands around. Just in the town they hailed from alone, you had Pylon, the B52s, R.E.M., Flat Duo Jets—you get the idea. So, what do Love Tractor sound like? They sound like magic. An effortless blend of celestial surf, heavenly jangle, cosmic dance grooves and art school indie rock, Love Tractor remain one of the great treasures in modern music. And you know how music can be fixed to a timeline? Well, Love Tractor evade that timeline with unreasonable ease. They sound like they could have