Stereo Embers: The Podcast

“Good Clean Fun" Bonnie Hayes moved to San Francisco from the San Joaquin Valley in the early '70s and it didn’t take long for her to establish herself as a commanding musical presence. Her new wave band The Punts became Wild Combo, and they signed with Slash and put out the Good Clean Fun Record. Slash was about as cool as it got—they had Fear, The Germs, The Gun Club and The Blasters and Hayes was for sure one of the cool kids. Her song "Girls Like Me" was used in Valley Girl—and behind her Brand New Girl EP, she and the Wild Combo toured with Huey Lewis, whose guitarist was also Bonnie’s brother Chris. Hayes finished the decade by being a part of Belinda Carlisle's band for her world tour and then Bonnie Raitt, in 1989 recorded two of her songs—"Love Letter" and "Have a Heart” for her massive Nick of Time album. In 1991 she was a part of Billy Idol’s band for the almost two year Cradle of Love tour and along the way, her songs were recorded by Cher, Bette Midler, Natalie Cole, Adam Ant, Robert Cray and Da

“A Castle For A Song” It’s hard to explain how profoundly important Miles Copeland has been to modern music. Put it this way: without him, a lot of your favorite bands wouldn’t have been your favorite bands because you never would have known they were bands in the first place. Copeland’s I.R.S. Records brought R.E.M., Fine Young Cannibals, The Cramps, The English Beat, The Go-Go’s and The Bangles to the masses and along the way he managed The Police, Squeeze, Wishbone Ash and Sting. Copeland’s new autobiography Two Steps Forward, One Step Back chronicles his nearly 50 year career as a music executive and, as you can imagine, it’s an extraordinary read. From having a father who co-founded the CIA to a brother who played drums for the biggest band in the world, to being raised during his formative years in the Middle East, the London-born Miles Copeland has lived quite a life. In this in-depth conversation he talks to Alex about…well, about everything: Jools Holland, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen and Concrete Blon

“Rip Tides And Clean Horizons" With his band New Model Army, Justin Sullivan has put out 15 fabulous albums, including such legendary efforts like 1986’s The Ghost Of Cain, 1993’s The Love Of Hopeless Causes and 2019’s From Here. Formed in West Yorkshire in 1980, New Model Army have turned out a bit like The Fall—hard to categorize, defiantly original and boasting a revolving door of so many members, we could do a podcast on their personnel, alone. Back in the '80s New Model Army were one of those bands that everyone liked and every group claimed. Goths, mods, metalhead and college rock kids all thought New Model Army were in their camp, but the fact was, New Model Army were in everyone’s camp. They were versatile that way—and part of that versatility was the way that they stretched the intersectionality of their own music—there were bits of metal and punk and goth and folk in their musical attack and that was what led to their widespread appeal. Career highlights? Oh, they’ve got those. John Peel loved them

“Pull It Out Of The Bag” So, Salt Ashes has been on the show before and I asked her to come back because I love talking to her. She’s charming, witty, honest and she’s one of those people that just feels familiar to me. And I think it won’t be long before her music is familiar to a very big audience. The London-based singers' work is inventive, artistic, bold, and thrilling. A ravishing blend of synth pop and electro bliss with overtones that range from goth to new wave, the music of Salt Ashes is riveting and alive. In this illuminating conversation, Salt Ashes talks about her frustrations with social media, how she handles bumps in the road and why in the music business the music is always second. Her new single is "Too Many Times" and she’s got an album coming out this Fall. So get ready. www.saltashes.com www.instagram.com/saltashes www.facebook.com/SaltAshes www.bombshellradio.com Stereo Embers The Podcast: Twitter: @emberseditor Instagram: @emberspodcast

“American Canyon” The Jenny Thing are back. Although it’s been 20+ years since the Bay Area band have put out a record, they have returned more potent than ever. Formed on the campus of U.C. Berkeley, The Jenny Thing’s brand of catchy New Wave and carefully crafted indie rock made them fan favorites in the Bay Area in the early ‘90s. The band’s original lineup finds them on their brand new fourth album American Canyon, playing with muscle and heart. The hooks are big, the bass is funky and the synths are popping and as a result, American Canyon brings to mind U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind and Rubyhorse’s Rise. Singer Matt Easton talks to Alex about being a fellow Bay Area native, why the album sounds like wide open spaces and how all those years ago he managed to be in a band and in college at the same time…. The Jenny Thing: Matt Easton, vocals Shyam Rao, guitars Ehren Becker, bass Mike Phillips, drums www.thejennything.com www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenonline.com Alex on Twitter: @embersed

"Motherhood, Butterflies And American Quilt" We're so happy to welcome back Paula Cole to the podcast. The Massachusetts-born singer/songwriter is one of our favorite guests and in this chat she talks about maternal responsibility, baby butterflies and her fabulous new album American Quilt. The Grammy Award-winning musician is about to head back on the road to support American Quilt and she discusses what that experience feels like as we crawl slowly out of pandemic restrictions. A singer of tremendous muscle and grace, Cole is a riveting and stirring performer and she talks about what it means to hit the road at this stage of her 30+year career. A conversation about nurturing, Joni Mitchell and aging parents, Paula Cole's return to Stereo Embers The Podcast is thoughtful, funny and deeply moving. www.paulacole.com www.alexgreenonline.com www.bombshellradio.com Alex on Twitter: @emberseditor Alex on Instagram: @emberspodcast Alex's email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

“Beast Of Eden” Our guest today on the program is a real artist. The Jersey born J Hacha De Zola is hard to categorize—he’s wholly original and unlike anything out there today. A feral blend of David Johansen, Screaming Lord Sutch and Nick Cave,over the course of his five album career, J Hacha Zola has delivered some of the most captivating, fascinating and utterly infectious music around. Like a junkyard DaVinci, Hacha De Zola has demonstrated that he knows how to take rusty horns, scrap metal saxophones, guttered guitars and battered drums and turn them into pure gold. And that gold not only sparkles under the moonlight, it was spun by a dark figure lurking in the alley and prowling through the abandoned avenues of a city that everyone knows but is too afraid to name. Filled with ragged melodies, rabid rhythms and corruptive carnival stomp, the music of J Hacha De Zola is the real deal. It’s spellbindingly brilliant in every turn. The enigmatic singer’s new album East Of Eden is a startling departure fro

“Reason To Live” Well, if you're looking for the kings of the indie rock grand slam, it’s a short list. But Lou Barlow is on it. The Ohio-born Barlow has Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, the folk Implosion and his solo career on his CV and that’s only a partial list that doesn’t include Sentridoh and Deep Wound. Yes, Lou Barlow has been a major part of major bands that were all groundbreaking and game changers in terms of sound, recording approach and aesthetic. He’s been on legendary labels like SST, Homestead , Sub Pop, Merge and Domino and he’s one of the most recognizable and adored indie rock dudes of all time. So yes, Barlow is a founding member of three groundbreaking indie rock outfits and his solo career has yielded several remarkable albums, including his fabulous new one Reason To Live. A songwriter of startling depth, introspection and pinpoint emotional accuracy, Lou Barlow is, to put it simply, one of the best we’ve got. Over the course of his career, he’s collaborated with Mike Watt, Stephen Merritt, Da

"There’s Room On The Street For More Than One Restaurant" James Mastro’s musical CV is a string of highlights—over the course of his career, he’s worked with Patti Smith, John Cale, Steve Wynn of the Dream Syndicate, Phoebe Snow, Richard Lloyd of Television, and The Jayhawks. In between all that, he formed the Health and Happiness Show who put out two fabulous albums on Bar None and for almost twenty years he’s been playing guitar, mandolin and sax for Ian Hunter’s band. He also owns and operates the Guitar Bar in Hoboken and he’s readying his debut solo album for a Fall release. His new single is "My God,” a moving ballad that was produced by Tony Shanahan who plays in the Patti Smith band. The song is reflective, honest, deeply moving and decidedly melodic. As a guitar player he’s got the perfect blend of muscle and grace and as a singer songwriter he’s deft and intuitive. In this conversation, James talks to Alex about his friendship with Ian Hunter, the guitar playing of Brian Setzer and playing softbal

“Fatal Mistakes” In this special mini-episode, Alex reviews the new album from Del Amitri. Titled Fatal Mistakes, the album marks the first new effort from the legendary Scottish band in almost 20 years. Singer Justin Currie will be on the podcast in a few weeks, so in the meantime, Alex breaks down Fatal Mistakes and plays two songs from the album. His verdict? "Fatal Mistakes is as searing as it is soothing—it's a thrilling battlecry from true pop warriors who are free from the past, crushing the present and riding fearlessly into the future." www.delamitri.info www.cookingvinyl.com

“Silent Dreams” When the Victims were an active proposition back in the ‘80s, hard rock and hair metal were running the show, so a few dudes dressed like new romantics or goths playing the kind of new wave that fell somewhere between OMD and the Cars, probably weren’t an easy sell in their small town of La Crosse, Wisconsin. But they did get out there and play and before too long, they had a devoted fanbase and seemed poised to break and break big. The trio was comprised of Steve Harm and his brother Jeff on drums and Jeff Rinartz on guitar. Their lone album Silent Dreams, on the strength of catchy numbers like "Let Her Go" and "Whispering Walls" should have been huge. And it almost was. There was label interest, there was a night out drinking with the Cure in Chicago, there was a little blast of daylight that could have been burst through, but it just didn’t happen. Why? We'll let Steve tell you, but in the meantime, the digital remastered version all these years later should finally get this album into th

“Introspection and Awareness" The French born drummer Greg Gilmore landed in Seattle as a young man and what better way to punctuate those formative teenage years than with a punk band? Joining forces with John Conte, Todd Fleishman, and Duff McKagan Gilmore and his pals played speedbag punk that fell somewhere between the Clash and The Germs. They became local favorites, opened for DOA in Vancouver and Seattle and thanks to a quick studio session, recorded seven tracks which are now seeing the light of day for the first time. Released on Loosegroove Records which is owned by Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam and Regan Hagar of Satchel and Brad, the band’s set is called The Living 1982 and of the document, Gossard says, is "a reminder that the Living are ground zero for the Seattle sound.” The songs are fast and dynamic and played with a frenzied punk spirit and youthful momentum. The idea to put these songs out came from Gilmore, who actually unearthed the recordings. He says: “The Living was the beginning of all

"Blood" The Maine born, Massachusetts-raised Julian Hatfield studied at both Boston University and the Berklee College of Music. Along with John Strohm and Freda Love she founded the Blake Babies, who put out five fabulous, critically-acclaimed albums.One of the most potent artists out there, Hatfield has put out nearly 20 solo albums, including Hey Babe, Become What You Are and Whatever, My Love. She’s also put out full length albums of covers by Olivia Newton John and the Police. She’s been in the Juliana Hatfield 3, Minor Alps with Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws, the I Don’t Cares with Paul Westerberg of The Replacements and Some Girls with Freda Love and Heidi Gluck. She’s also had stints in the Lemonheads, recording and touring with Evan Dando’s outfit. Her resume just never stops, so here’s more highlights, but keep in mind, this is a partial list. She’s contributed vocals to tracks by Belly, Aimee Mann and Susanna Hoffs, she started her own label called Ye Olde Records, she played Conan and Letterman, appea

“Bach Is My Torah" The Philadelphia-born Eric Bazilian's dad was a psychiatrist but it was his concert pianist mother who likely influenced him to start playing the piano at age 5. Four years later he was playing guitar and seven years later at the age of 16 he had his first band, Evil Seed. While getting a B.S. in Physics at the University of Pennsylvania, Bazilian and his college pal Rob Hyman formed a band called Baby Grand and after that band called it a day with two albums under their belts, Bazilian and Hyman formed the Hooters. Over the course of their winning career, the Hooters put out six albums, had a handful of top 40 hits with songs like "Day By Day” and "And We Danced," they opened Live Aid in Philadelphia, the Amnesty International Concert at Giants Stadium in ’86 and the Roger Waters The Wall Concert in Berlin in 1990. Bazilian not only produced Joan Osborne’s Grammy Nominated Relish album, he wrote "One Of Us," which is one of the most memorable songs of the last 50 years. It was covered by

"Mercy Rising" The California born singer/songwriter Maia Sharp wrote her first song at 5, so it’s no surprise that over the years her compositions have been recorded by—and by the way this is going to be a murderers row of talent, so get ready—Bonnie Rait, Keb Mo, Cher, Art Garfunkel, Paul Carrack and Trisha Yearwood. More Maia Sharp resume items: and mind you, this is a partial list: she’s toured all over the U.S. and the UK, she’s appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered, CBS Early Morning and the Today Show, she’s an adjunct professor at NYU’s Summer Songwriter workshop and she’s been writing for Songwriting with Soldiers where active duty service members team up with songwriters who help them turn their stories into songs. Sharp has put out nearly ten solo albums and her newest is Mercy Rising. Filled with poeticism, wisdom, and observational grace, Mercy Rising is a moving collection that’s a perfect balance of elegance and intensity. In this conversation Maia talks about recovering from COVID, the powe

“Nothing’s Ever Lost" Eleventh Dream Day have never stopped being great. Since their self-titled 1987 EP, over the course of 13 albums the band have retained the same scruffy splendor that has always made them one of the most riveting acts around. I always told my friends they sounded like a cross between X and R.E.M. but that was an oversimplification on my part. That might have even been a bit lazy. The fact is, Eleventh Dream Day have a lot in common with the bands I mentioned, but they’re so much more than that. They’re an arresting blend of muscle and heart and even when the songs jangle they still sting. The vulnerable numbers have frayed, poetic finesse and the faster ones rip away with ragged and battered beauty. Singer Rick Rizzo, to borrow an expression from Saul Bellow, is an open wound of a man and drummer/singer Janet Bean is a revelation—she’s sonorous and sorrowful, but she also blazes through each number with conviction and heart. Bean you might recognize from being one of the co founders of

"A Good Feelin’ To Know" The Ohio-born Richie Furay has a resume' that’s kind of staggering. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee was not only a co-founder of Buffalo Springfield, he was also a co-founder of Poco and he was in the Au Go Go Singers, the Souther Hillman Furay band and he fronts the Richie Furay band as well. Although Buffalo Springfield wasn’t around that long, the band reformed in 2010 and Furay found himself playing everywhere from the Bridge School Benefit to Bonnaroo. A singer whose phrasing is as graceful as they come and a guitar player who is both thoughtful and dynamic, Furay is not only one of the greats, he’s one of the main architects of the country rock sound that later influenced bands I grew up listening to like Green on Red or Uncle Tupelo. Furay was set to retire from the road in 2020 but the pandemic thwarted those plans, so his farewell tour had to be put off. Dates are being rescheduled, but in the meantime, the singer songwriter has just put out a double live album calle

“Kicking Against Convention” Classical music is ruled by composers that are thought of as deities. Composers like Bach, Mozart and Beethoven are the undisputed masters of the genre and they nobody can argue with their compositions being the blueprints for the foundation of classical music. But for the Korean-born JooWan Kim, studying the masters at the Berklee School Of Music made him…a bit rebellious. Kicking against the rote conventions of classical composition, Kim found himself drawn towards hip-hop and the dynamism and energy made him wonder if grafting hip-hop with classical was possible. Turns out it was. Teaming up with his college pal Christopher Nicholas, Kim founded Ensemble Mik Nawooj, an invigorating and vibrant musical collective that’s got everything: flute, clarinet, drums, bass, a lyric soprano and an MC. Using an inventive technique called Method Sampling, as the basis for the architecture of each composition, Ensemble Mik Nawooj are one of the most original outfits out there. In this conve

“The Night Economy” Over the course of their brilliant career, which got started around 1999, Stars have put out nine winning and magical albums including Set Yourself on Fire and the Polaris-Prize nominated efforts In Our Bedroom After The War and The Five Ghosts. Their last full-length effort was 2017’s There Is No Love In Fluorescent Light, and I know that was four years ago, but don’t worry—new music is coming. Stars play a ravishing blend of jangly chamber pop, breezy new wave and melancholic indie rock. They fall somewhere between Prefab Sprout and Broken Social Scene and their songs are thoughtful, quirky, moving, inspiring and wrenching in all the right ways. They can evoke the bittersweet memories of the past and they can conjure the hope and optimism of the future. They’ve played Coachella and the WAYHOME festival in Toronto and their music has appeared in "Gossip Girl," "One Tree Hill," "The Vampire Diaries,” “Skins" and "Warehouse 13." The British-born Torquil Campbell is a musician, an actor on

“Lost And Found" One summer in the early '90s I drove around with only one cassette in my car and that was Born to Quit by the Smoking Popes. Led by the Illinois-born Josh Caterer and his brothers Eli and Matt, the band were nothing short of a revelation. Josh’s lilting vocals has all the elegance of Sinatra and the finesse of Morrissey, but it also had muscle. The songs? Good god—I mean, the album only clocks in at 28 minutes but the songs were so timeless and unique, you could cycle through it 50 times and repeat listens never chipped away at the brilliance of the tracks, it only reinforced that you were listening to a stone cold classic. The Popes tore it up—they toured with Green Day, Jawbreaker and Morrissey, had a bit of a hit with "Need You Around,” had their songs appear in movies like “Clueless" and "Tommy Boy" and found Morrissey himself declaring that he absolutely loved the band. Over the course of their career the Popes have put out seven albums, played massive gigs, like Riot Fest in 2016 and t