Episode #37, Jeff Shifley
Episode #36, Mike Beck
Episode #35, Bryce Gilman
Episode #34, Louis Pagan
Episode #33, Adam Wilke
Episode #32, Josh Dubois
Episode #31, Josh George
Episode #30, Cesar Sanchez
Episode #29, Bill Mauch
Jeff Shifley carved out some time from his busy schedule to come kick it with me of noon on a Sunday. We enjoyed a couple of beverages and attempted to dissect a few of his favorite albums: Jane's Addiction's Ritual de lo Habitual (1991), Phish's Hoist (1994), and one of the most badass records of all time, Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin (1975). In addition to sharing our novice-like expertise on a truly fantastic trio of releases, we also talked about work and parenthood and growing up and the weird thing that is this world we live in today. It was a really great time, and I couldn't be more pleased that we found a window on the calendar to bullshit and just be a pair of duderinos. When Jeff's not busy parenting or husbanding or slingin' brown paper bags, you can probably find him on the diamond or on the court wearing his coaching hat. He's a hell of a guy. I do hope you'll check out our chat. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the inro/outro audio clips. They are samples taken from a tune called "Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone)," which is off of the new (April) Kurt Vile album, watch my moves, which you can (and should) stream or buy in one of all of the places in which one does such things. Said track, by the way, comes to you and I courtesy of Verve Records, c/o overnite kv incorporated, under exclusive license to Verve Label Group, a division of UMG Recordings. Whew! Didja' catch all that? 'Cause it was kind of a lot.
Mike Beck is one of the greatest guys I know. He has led a humble, hard-working life. He carries many a kind notion in his soul, and has invoked more laughter in others than one could possibly calculate. He's a son that made his parents proud, a funny brother, a loving husband, a caring father, and a fantastic dude to have as an uncle. Although he was admittedly nervous, Mike made the trek from Lee's Summit to sit with me and kick around a few details about his list of badass records, and we did so for Episode #36. Mike picked Led Zeppelin II (1969), Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young's Deja Vu (1970), Moondance (1970) by Van Morrison, 1973's Yessongs, and Rumors (1977) by Fleetwood Mac. In addition, we discussed retirement and bucket lists and parenthood and family and holiday traditions and music festivals, as well as a couple of other things I'm probably forgetting. So, please check out our chat, and please take Mike's community-curated Spotify playlist out for a spin. I know it was a project he enjoyed, and he'd really enjoy you enjoying it, too. Anyhoo...that's all for now. Thank you for stopping by. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are clips from a track called "I've Been Working," which I lifted from Van Morrison's 1970 album entitled, His Band and the Street Choir (c/o Warner Records Inc. Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company).
Bryce Gilman. I love this dude like the kid brother I never had, only I give thanks every night to the man upstairs that this guy wasn't actually my younger sibling. 'Cause...fuuuuuck that. What a pain in the dick. Anyhoo...Bryce fucking Gilman. Junior...Bee Gee...dipstick...so many possibilities. What a guy, though. He's...so many things...son, brother, father, part-time co-parent, successful professional, Cross Fit junky, dad extraordinaire, cracker of the wise... Regardless, to say that I felt honored to have Mr. Gilman join me for Episode no. 35 would be an understatement. Bryce is like family, and since he has his own demanding family, scoring some time with him in the chair was nothing shy of a treat. He picked a Flaming Lips record, and -- while initial polls closed with said selection being "pretty gay" -- it turned out to be a fascinating choice. And they turned out to be a super-intriguing band. They really did. Really envelope-pushing and innovative and impressive. So, please consider giving our chat a watch or a listen. We kicked around siblingdom, parenthood, partying in our youth, concerts, the pursuit of happiness (which may or may not include the occasional waft of kindness), and of course At War with the Mystics (2006). It was a joy to have him. It was fun to focus on just one record for a change, and maybe one day I'll get him in the chair again to discuss another one. And who knows, maybe next time he'll get a babysitter. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are clips from a tune called, "Uknowmylife" off of Greyboy's 1997 record entitled Mastered the Art (c/o Ubiquity Recordings Inc.).
Louis Pagan is a doctor, a microbiologist, an astrophysicist, and a neurosurgeon. I'm kidding, but he's that kinda smart where you wonder if the dumb noises coming out of your word hole when you're talking to him are landing in his ears as actual words, or just, like...the sound of dumping your recycling into the garage bin. In truth, he's a son, a brother, an uncle, a musician, a producer, and a sound engineer. Oh, and he runs marathons, too, in case you weren't already feeling shitty about yourself. All jokes aside, Louis kicked it with me for an hour or so for Episode #34, and we attempted to dissect Chevelle's This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In) from 2004, Tool's 10,000 Days from 2006, and a record called The Great Misdirect, released in 2009 by Between the Buried and Me. When he's not running or rehearsing or gigging, Louis can perhaps be found doing the profesh thing at Chapter 2 Recording Studio. 'Twas indeed a treat having him and chewing the fat about music, his parents and family, the industry, and much more. Check out his Red Finton stuff, and keep an eye out for his upcoming release, Karate at the Mall, as well as a few other treats over at his Web site, lpaudioproducer.com. Thanks for stopping by. Please share with a friend. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are clips from kind of a shitty tune from kind of a shitty record by the best rock band in American history. You know 'em as Phish. Said shitty track is called "Seven Below"; album's from 2002 and called Round Room (c/o Elektra Entertainment Group, Inc. Marketed by Rhino). Phish. When even your shittiest album can sneak onto the Badass Records Podcast.
When I told my good buddy in Maine that I was preparing to do a Badass Records Podcast episode with Adam Wilke, he asked me to let him know when it dropped as he'd always considered today's guest as something of an "exotic mystery," and when I heard that, I thought he'd nailed it. Or at least I could see how someone who'd only met him once would say that. Now, though...things're different. Now, I've had Adam Wilke in the chair, and -- I gotta tell ya' -- I consider myself a lucky dude for having had this opportunity. I've always wondered if and when jazz would work its way into my life, and were it to, would it stay. I still swim around in that same lake of curiosity, but I feel closer to it now. Its depths seem less unknown, its waters once murkier. I feel compelled to depart from the single-Sonos-in-the-kitchen situation, to return to the exploration of a household sound system. The notion of filling multiple rooms with jazz rattles around in my brain, suggests the added perk of education. Anyway, Episode #33 -- or as I like to call it, The Zdeno Chara episode -- was really fun. Adam's had a fascinating go of things, and once you've had a listen, I think you'll agree: We gotta get this guy giggin' again! But before I get ahead of myself, it's important to own the fuck-ups, first. Long story short, a camera crapped out on me (again), and I skipped one of my guest's records (again). And I had to figure out a way to be okay with it so that the show could -- as they say -- go on. So, that's what I'm doing. I hope I've figured out a way to avoid SD cards frying out on me for now, and I need to be a little more careful with my preparation approach, but even if I iron out those wrinkles, I'm certain to make errors in other ways down the road. It's an imperfect thing, this process, when you're the one doing it all. And none of those goofs or gaffes make the thing any less fun or cool (to me), so...gotta roll with it. Adam and I examined the following records, though: Ellington at Newport (1956) Monk Plays Ellington (1956) Full House (1962) by Wes Montgomery Grant Green's Idle Moments (1965) Sinatra at the Sands featuring The Count Basie Orchestra (1966) Miles by the Miles Davis Quintet (1956) Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (1957) Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (1958) Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (1960) Miles Smiles, the Miles Davis Quintet (1967) B.B. King's Live at the Regal (1965) was part of the gig, too, but I accidentally overlooked it in transferring Adam's list from one place to another to another. I'm checkin' it out now, though, and you should, too. He also said he'd been into anything by Charlie Parker, Red Garland, McCoy Tyner, and Tito Puente, so I dug in to Jam Session (1952), Feelin' Red (1979), The Real McCoy (1967), and 1957's Night Beat, respectively, so that we could chew the fat on those cats for a second or two. This was such good fun, though. I hope you find it enjoyable, too. If you'd like to join for an episode or you know someone that'd be a good fit, please reach out via comment, e-mail, D.M., text, phone call. Whatever works. Whether you acknowledge it or not, the world deserves to hear your story. And theirs, too. Thank you. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are samples from a tune called, "The Browns at Home" by The Greyboy Allstars from their 1994 record called West Coast Boogaloo (c/o Knowledge Room Recordings).
I got to hang out with Josh Dubois and record Episode #32 of Badass Records Podcast at the same time, which -- <checks old-guy chart> -- 100 percent counts as both a privilege and a treat. Ya' heard? We chatted Car Seat Headrest and Beastie Boys and parenthood and hip-hop and film production and documentaries and how good life is and can be and man...it was fun. Things like Killer Mike and restored Pontiacs and match.com might've come up, too. As did some serious all-around knowledge from this cat I barely know. Cliche, sure, but I feel blessed to've tip-toed my way to two and-a-half dozen of these so far, and -- to be truthful -- I wake up every day hopeful that the ride will continue. So, if you're into doing things that're both relatively helpful for another human and potentially entertaining for you, please do me two (Note: I know. I'm a tool. Sorry.) favors and give both https://www.mayonnaisecommercial.com/ and this conversation with Josh a visit. There're no prizes, but maybe you feel better. Maybe you feel like creating. I dunno. Anyway, Josh deserved more credit than I gave him for his feature-length film debut happening at the beginning of October at the Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita, KS here in a couple weeks. Super, super cool. I'm very happy for him and proud to know a human having an accolade sprinkled in to their life. And, oh, that fatherhood sash with that girl-dad badge sewn on it. Not sure it gets any better than that. copyright disclaimer. I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are both clips from a Beck song called, "Emergency Exit" off of his 2011 record called, Guero (c/o Geffen Records).
It's Episode #31, and I couldn't possibly be more stoked to write that the first return guest to Badass Records is none other than the esteemed Josh George, who helped break in the set with Episode #2, which was one helluva conversation if you happened to miss it. In that episode from six months ago, we talked parenting and family roots, and being in the game. We also spent some time looking in to Outkast and Eminem, just to name a couple. This go-'round, however, Rage Against the Machine and Run the Jewels were our topics of choice, but we also revisited raising kids and -- somehow -- we leaned a little in the social and political directions, too. Nothing too too scary, but an envelope or two might've been delicately pushed. Anyway, it's a weird time to be alive; we're not in the food chain, but a lot of folks have a platform, and the division of wealth has perhaps never been so palpable. So, if you're reading this, I have two asks: please share this episode with a friend once you've consumed it, but more importantly -- do something nice for someone today. A donation, a compliment, a simple hello. Nothing major, but once it's done, sit with how it felt for two seconds. Maybe you like it. Maybe you'll consider doing it again. Anyway, Josh is a treat of a guest, and he's near the top of the list when I think about with whom I'd like to talk hip-hop. So check out his episodes and if you think of someone who's got a great life story (Hint: We all do.) and that someone happens to like music even a little bit, please drop me a line at badassrecordspodcast over on the gmails. I thoroughly enjoy these chats with people that are in sort of one bubble of mine or another, but I envision that stepping outside of those networks would be cool, too. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are samples from a track called "Run On," which comes from Moby's 2000 release, Play (c/o Little Idiot). It's a badass record, and you should go stream it now. Or next Tuesday. Or in May. Whatever seems proper.
Everyone that has sat across the table from me for an episode of Badass Records Podcast is a remarkable human being in his or her own way. Some have been even-keel while others have been hilarious. Some have been creators or artists at points in their lives, and some of them still are. Some have been shy and/or lulling, while others likely had more to say than time would allow. No two guests are alike, though, and Cesar (pronounced SAY-czar) Sanchez might be the most joyous human I've interviewed to date. The contents of our conversation for Episode #30 tell an amazing (to me) story of love and strength and challenge and fortitude and sated flavor of happiness in life, so I'm excited for you to give it either a listen or a watch. Thanks to Cesar, I learned a good bit about merengue and the king of that genre, Juan Luis Guerra, as well. This guy hails from the Dominican Republic and has had a really impressive career. Cesar chose two of his albums: the 1989 release Ojala Que Llueva Cafe (I Hope It Rains Coffee), and his record from the following year, Bachata Rosa. He also tabbed Fleetwood Mac's Rumors (1977), and mentioned a few other of his American faves, but -- in all honesty -- I think we could've discussed all 14 Guerra albums for even longer than we chatted about his three overall selections. I'm pretty pumped to be 30 episodes deep, and remain excited to have a few more on the books. This has been a super-fun experience, and a learning mechanism in more ways than I can list, but -- truth be told -- I'd love to have you (or that friend you know that'd be perfect for it) do one with me, too. So, if you wanna chew the fat with me about your life and your favorite music, hit that e-mail field on the Web site or comment on one of the social-media platforms. Or D.M. me. Or call or text if you have my number. These conversations are fun and healthy and you should have one with me, too. Thank you. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio. They are clips from a song called "Morse" by Nightmares on Wax, and I poached it from their 1999 record, Carboot Soul (c/o Warp Records Limited).
Long-time good friend Bill Mauch graced my presence for this week's episode, and we had a grand, ol' time talking Metallica, roasting Russell Wilson, and exploring everything from Iowa to family to high-school biology class. Bill shares his living space with one of the most amazing crews in town, and I can't thank him enough for making the time to come hang on a busy Saturday. We go back to the late '80s, are in touch via text regularly, and yet somehow I never knew that he had an affinity for country music that's maybe even bigger than his love of the metal kings's self-titled/black album. And what a badass record it is. Unrelated, this has been a tough week of mental-health sledding and, as a result I found myself down a TikTok rabbit hole that led me to the Hulu program, Normal People. I'm almost 24 hours removed from binging the lone season, and -- while I'm still unsure if it helped or hurt -- I can't recommend it enough. I know. It's two years old. I don't watch much television. Seriously, though. Amazing show. Anyhoo, Episode #29 of this podcast was good fun, and I hope you're already giving it a whirl as you read this. Cheers, everyone. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio clips. They're excerpted from a song called, "Quiet Please," which I've plucked from the 1998 record Galactic put out called Crazyhorse Mongoose (c/o Volcano Entertainment, III).
You know that line in The Green Mile? The one in which Eduard Delacroix -- after stepping out of his cell to walk to his impending death -- tells Brutal, Paul, Dean, and Harry that he wishes he "coulda met you guys somewheres else"? That's kinda how I feel about Kenton Campbell, which is not to say I'm not grateful for knowing him at all; I am. I just think that -- perhaps under different circumstances, perhaps had a couple of zigs been zags instead -- we mighta been good buddies. Who knows. Maybe we'd even occasionally hoop together. I say all that to say this: Mr. Campbell didn't owe me a shingle's worth o' shit, but he took time out of his busy schedule regardless, and he swung by for Episode #28 of the Badass Records Podcast, and I'm super-stoked that he did. I suspected that -- were he to commit to doing an episode -- his selections might include a curve ball or two. I wasn't wrong and I wasn't disappointed. We discussed Lil' Wayne's Tha Carter II (2005), DMX's Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1998), Master P's Ghetto D (1997), Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998), and Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP (2000), and all five were a true treat to dissect with Kenton. We also talked about parenting and housing and language and life. We briefly visited basketball and culture, and family and what life might be like in the recording industry, and all of it was great fun. I could bore you with a dozen more details about how I'm blessed that folks -- amongst and within all of the hiccups and rejection -- continue to say, Yes, to be a part of this endeavor, but I'll spare you them. It's been about a half a year since this thing went live, and I still have faith that the universe is allowing for it to happen because it exists as tiny doses of good stock in humanity. To that end, if you enjoy this conversation (or any others you may've stumbled across), please consider sharing with a friend. Thank you. copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the intro/outro audio samples. They are clips from a tune called "Got Messed Up" off of R.L. Burnside's 2000 record, Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down (c/o Fat Possum Records), which I can assure you is an essential album from the library of badass records.